I was halfway thinking of a poll, but since I never participate in those myself, I thought I'd ask for simple guesses.
There are some months that I see SO many never-heard-of or seen-before films, like last November. Jeepers - I probably saw bits and pieces of a 100 films I'd never heard of before, and all of them were wonderful to me.
Other months, it's far fewer. But still some. Five? Ten? Three? 20?
Do you watch TCM because you uncover these never-discovered jewels?
I think that's my primary motivation. If I don't know the film, and the genre isn't repugnant ("MUSICALS"), I pay attention to it. Then, Wifey-poo ties me down to watch musicals and detects that my complaints aren't quite so bitter. Before she's peeled off my 4th fingernail, I confess - "OK, I did like it!! Yes! You're right! You're right!" Sometimes, I really hate it when she's right.
How many never-watched-before films do you see on TCM?
I've been watching movies since I was just a little kid, and I mean that literally. Loving musicals and music, I could sing most Hit Parade songs word for word by the time I was 4 or 5, I was a regular little Shirley Temple. I watched movies after school every day, all day Saturday and Sunday. Often I get all set to watch something on TCM which I've never seen, and after a while, I realize I saw it at some point. I remember watching movies in the morning before going to afternoon kindergarten. Of course I didn't get the full meaning of the movies when I was little, but watching them now, I do recall scenes.
Anne
Anne
Anne
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I knew I'd be in for a treat with the Pre-Codes and as more silents have been 'enriched', I knew I'd find those among the jewels.
Films like Jane Wyman's & Jerome Cowan's CRIME BY NIGHT is a good example. Never heard of it, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Imagine - Jerome in a leading role?!! And SO good in it, too.
Or Robert Montgomery's FAST & LOOSE, then seeing the other two, as well. The TORCHY BLANE series, I liked all of those. The MAISIE series, not so much but still - never heard of those, and I'm sorry it took this long for me to see them.
Films like Jane Wyman's & Jerome Cowan's CRIME BY NIGHT is a good example. Never heard of it, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Imagine - Jerome in a leading role?!! And SO good in it, too.
Or Robert Montgomery's FAST & LOOSE, then seeing the other two, as well. The TORCHY BLANE series, I liked all of those. The MAISIE series, not so much but still - never heard of those, and I'm sorry it took this long for me to see them.
Now Ollie:
There I have to agree with you. The series are new to me. I love the Torchy and Maizie series as well as all the detective series like Lone Wolf and the Saint. I have thoroughly enjoyed them and wish my VCR was working so I could have recorded them.
Anne
There I have to agree with you. The series are new to me. I love the Torchy and Maizie series as well as all the detective series like Lone Wolf and the Saint. I have thoroughly enjoyed them and wish my VCR was working so I could have recorded them.
Anne
Anne
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Lone Wolf was another 'out of the blue' revelation.
I liked the concept of Maisie - giving the single character broad storylines in each tale, never requiring a single mood to be stamped on each film, giving the audiences a chance to test their mettle of accepting it or not.
The same with The Whistler series, which I was familiar with on the radio. While I am not a fan of the Whistler movies, I enjoyed the concept - almost a repetory theatre concept brought to film. Same faces, only the character names have been changed to protect the...
The FAST & FURIOUS, FAST & LOOSE and FAST COMPANY were an interesting series, and I'm not sure why they dropped in different couples for the Sloanes - I'd be hard-pressed to chose any couple over a Rosalind Russell-based set! But it was great to see Ann Sothern... too bad they didn't think of a Sisters Series and put those two in the Leads, and let the guys drop by the wayside!
I liked the concept of Maisie - giving the single character broad storylines in each tale, never requiring a single mood to be stamped on each film, giving the audiences a chance to test their mettle of accepting it or not.
The same with The Whistler series, which I was familiar with on the radio. While I am not a fan of the Whistler movies, I enjoyed the concept - almost a repetory theatre concept brought to film. Same faces, only the character names have been changed to protect the...
The FAST & FURIOUS, FAST & LOOSE and FAST COMPANY were an interesting series, and I'm not sure why they dropped in different couples for the Sloanes - I'd be hard-pressed to chose any couple over a Rosalind Russell-based set! But it was great to see Ann Sothern... too bad they didn't think of a Sisters Series and put those two in the Leads, and let the guys drop by the wayside!
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benwhowell
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Movies 101
TCM has always been a treasure trove for me.
In my youth, I spent more time reading about movies than actually seeing them..."classics-"wise. It's the exact oposite now.
It is a treat to have them playing on my TV...24/7. "Discovering" gems is the most fun.
I also love reading the opening credits-to see who was involved in front of and behind the camera.
And seeing familiar faces in a movie (who did not receive an opening credit) is a big thrill for me.
I'd say I've learned a lot from TCM and Robert O...and, hopefully, will continue to do so.
In my youth, I spent more time reading about movies than actually seeing them..."classics-"wise. It's the exact oposite now.
It is a treat to have them playing on my TV...24/7. "Discovering" gems is the most fun.
I also love reading the opening credits-to see who was involved in front of and behind the camera.
And seeing familiar faces in a movie (who did not receive an opening credit) is a big thrill for me.
I'd say I've learned a lot from TCM and Robert O...and, hopefully, will continue to do so.
Handsome Johnny Eck
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Moraldo Rubini
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I know how to find a movie that I'd like to see every day of the week on TCM: just check the listing for 3am. It never fails. Look at the schedule for the day and the one that piques my interest the most is played during the wee hours. Uncanny. So I wonder about getting a DVR...
I've also been catching up with never-seens on my local PBS station lately.
I've also been catching up with never-seens on my local PBS station lately.
I agree with all of these sentiments - "Watching it now more than ever" and "almost never watching the classics". I'm rather amazed that this 31 DAYS OF OSCAR has put me off from watching TCM's evening fare. "Why bother? TYPO CORRECTION: I have 'em on DVD..." is another good reason.
This morning, TNT or TBS was playing MEN IN BLACK. It's been shown 17 times in the last 4 months. And TCM is donating two hours to show it, too. Grrr. But that's the whole other issue.
IMDB's great "Listing By Year" - where every year seems to have a few thousand films - makes me less surprised that I can see films I'd never heard of. I hope TCM will continue to give us an abundance of films that aren't available on home-video in hopes they will be!
This morning, TNT or TBS was playing MEN IN BLACK. It's been shown 17 times in the last 4 months. And TCM is donating two hours to show it, too. Grrr. But that's the whole other issue.
IMDB's great "Listing By Year" - where every year seems to have a few thousand films - makes me less surprised that I can see films I'd never heard of. I hope TCM will continue to give us an abundance of films that aren't available on home-video in hopes they will be!
Last edited by Ollie on February 18th, 2008, 8:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Moraldo Rubini
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It's great to have a broad DVD collection. Yet subconciously, I think I get a kick out of the community of the shared experience of watching a film with others. By that I mean that I might own a DVD and don't watch it; yet when the film is televised I will. At first, it strikes me as odd ("why not just watch the DVD?"), but I realize that I like the idea of watching with the millions of "those wonderful people out there in the dark".Ollie wrote:"Why bother? I have 'em on DVD..." is another good reason.
Last week I went to a card party, and discovered that all those at my table had watched The Nun's Story on our local PBS station the previous Saturday. Complete coincidence, but this shared experience brought up a lively discussion of the film.
That's a nice feature of the Oasis. It's fun to discover what movies others had watched on TCM at the same time we were enjoying them.
(Thanks for the earlier quote which reminded me how bad my fingers can spell!)
As you said, there are so many DVDs on my shelves that I've never watched (but always plan to!) yet will watch those films on TV or in theaters every chance I can.
I have suffered burn-out on a few good films (IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE - I saw it 17 times in one December, and now I tend to only watch it occasionally, and especially for the Gloria Grahame walking down the street scene - "This old thing?" Ward Bond and Frank Faylen say SO much without uttering a word.
As you said, there are so many DVDs on my shelves that I've never watched (but always plan to!) yet will watch those films on TV or in theaters every chance I can.
I have suffered burn-out on a few good films (IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE - I saw it 17 times in one December, and now I tend to only watch it occasionally, and especially for the Gloria Grahame walking down the street scene - "This old thing?" Ward Bond and Frank Faylen say SO much without uttering a word.