The Silver Screen Oasis

I assume it’s fairly obvious to folks here that the TCM message board is going to persist as a forum of at least some insightful movie commentary, and that that’s as it should be. In addition to that, a fair number of thoughtful folks are going to stay away from the Oasis for no other reason than th...

One thing is different "from" another, not different "than" another. One is going to try "to" do something, not try "and" do it. One gets something "free", not "for free".

Hadn't seen it before, but did enjoy it. Plot was really well put together, though I might have preferred presentation without the trial witness device. That might have made it tighter, and shorter, but it's hard to argue with the film as it turned out. It was refreshing to see Melvyn Douglas in a m...

I always cringe when I hear the verb "deserve" when "need" is indicated, as in "all children deserve X". Never does every example of any kind of thing "deserve" anything. One deserves on the basis of relative worth or merit, or lack of same, not due to mere existence or instantiation of a form. This...

I agree with both you guys. First time I'd seen "Get Carter". Great plot, settings, cast, energy, pace, .... miniskirts. I had seen "Point Blank" before but last night I focused more. The best use of flash flashbacks that I can recall, and all of it in just over ninety minutes. edit: Meant to credit...

I too watched "Divorce" last night and enjoyed it as a well-crafted film, but I agree, Hollis. I'm with Anne regarding the difficulty of reading against light backgrounds. But what bothers me most is how subtitles distract from taking in the larger cultural and architectural contexts of the settings...

Mr. Arkadin, your insight into this film is simply brilliant, which puts a guy in mind of just how stunning Oscar Wilde must have been in person. The pearls delivered by the perfectly cast Sanders are pure cynical wisdom, as true as anything the frontal lobe has ever offered, but despite everything ...

I too was not a fan of 2001, for almost forty years now, but when TCM aired it recently I did sit down to slog through it again, only to come away surprised at how much I enjoyed it. But the mystery troubled, which lead to an online search and to this review/analysis: http://www.filmsite.org/twot.ht...

I'm not a silent movie fanatic at all and in fact I've watched all of four silent movies since I became a TCM junkie about four years ago, but I am so glad I finally caught up with this film. I was drawn in by the Cheney-Crawford pairing, and then learned a lot. But the reason I'm commenting is the ...

Not trying to throw you into a fit but I thought I'd link to this column about the MoveOn Democrats: http://www.townhall.com/blog/g/3dbbe5bc-b11f-4ba5-a3f3-ed48fc28ca9a Excerpt: ".... a soft spoken woman asked a question in very soft and almost grieved tones: What has happened to the Democrats and t...

Outrage from you is fine, but Congress has more important issues to deal with than condemning or praising partisan speech from citizens, on either side of the political divide. It's ridiculous, and I think everyone should be disturbed that they are occupying themselves with such trivial matters. I ...

Though I have generally tried to stand aside of the, frankly, offputtingly onesidedly arrogant political opinions expressed at what might have been a politically-neutral “Oasis”, I nonetheless feel compelled to say something here. To portray a standing general in the field as a traitor would be outr...

Hi, If Bush invades Iran, then we will definitely have World War III.... I think there is no chance America will "invade" Iran in the usual sense of the term, but there is a decent possibility that over the next six months there could be a 48 hour period of hundreds of bomber and missile sorties de...

I caught about 90 minutes last night and regret not seeing more. I'm pretty undisciplined in my viewing habits. However, even though I enjoyed it, I found the jumps/segues rather arbitrary, meaning from front to home, and from combat theatre to theatre. As an air force brat who grew up building mode...

I realize the premise is selling this to Anne, but no mention of Cardinale? Don't know how she rates overall but I do like her here, as voluptuously stoic. Hard to go wrong with that. Yes, it begins slowly, but (speaking as a redhead) you gotta love the rote justice bestowed upon that redheaded fami...