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 Arch Stanton |
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(06/29/09 3:39 PM) |
reddog122 wrote: Yes, but there are so many meetings to cover that I will probably adopt Ryan's format and cover three or four meetings at a time until I catch up. I've been swamped with work lately (and that's a good thing), so haven't had the energy to do them as quickly. |
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 Joe Karlosi |
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(07/12/09 8:03 AM) |
Joe Karlosi wrote: Well, last night our friend Alyce was ready to have another Movie Night, and what was originally on schedule was a crazy double feature of FRIDAY THE 13th PART III (in 3-D) and PULP FICTION. Imagine my surprise when Alyce asked if she could bring her mother (who's in her 60's) to the show! Not that I mind at all ... I think "the more the merrier" ... and besides, Alyce's mom likes movies! What I was concerned about was if she's prepared for stuff like Jason and Quentin Tarantino. (It turns out that both mom and her daughter had another rough day missing dad yesterday; they're presently in the process of going through the entire house, and all his belongings and memories are sticking emotional needles in them everywhere)... Well, what happened was Alyce and her mom were late getting to our house, so by the time my wife and I had dinner with them at the diner and returned home to start the features, we only had time for ONE film -- so I decided to stick with PULP FICTION. It would seem that PULP FICTION worked extremely well... both Alyce and her mom reacted in all the right places, and it's always satisfying when people laugh at the right things and get involved and make comments like "oh ... what's he going to do now?" So I think that the movie went over very well. I think we're going to go for F13 3-D next time. This evening gave me an idea for a couple of separate new threads ...
Last Edited By: Joe Karlosi
07/12/09 8:05 AM.
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Kevrock |
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(07/15/09 7:30 PM) |
Well,
My best friends are my 2 brothers Rocky and Marc and my 2 cousins Dylan and Laz. We hang out a lot. Just about a week ago we all had a sleep over. We are all big horror film fans so of course we wanted to watch some horror films together. Just 2 hours before the guys came over I bought a Dracula DVD collection as well as a Nightmare on elm street DVD collection and Friday the 13th part 3 in 3D ! ! ! Lots of fun. My cousin Laz who just turned 5 loves Freddy Kruger and is the only 5 year old I know that is not scared of a film like Nightmare on elm street and has a big smile on his face when Freddy Kruger is going after kids in their dreams. It is funny to me. So anyways, we were up in my room with some popcorn and soda pop and watching horror flicks all night. It was so much, we get together to watch horror films almost every weekend. I believe the weekend before that we watched scarecrow and Night of the living dead. It was fun. And we often look for extreamly scary flicks so we could have fun scaring each other. It is funny, I don't think we will see the day when my 5 year old cousin Laz gets scared of a horror film! LOL
Last Edited By: Kevrock
07/15/09 7:35 PM.
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Joe Karlosi |
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(07/22/09 5:37 PM) |
I've only gotten around to writing about it now, but last Saturday Alyce and her mom joined us for another Movie Night.
We began with an Our Gang short - SCHOOL'S OUT. I'm afraid I have to be fair and give "equal time" by allowing Alyce to pick a new movie now and then, and she wanted to see the new film, THE UNBORN (2008). What can I say about it? If I'd wanted to see it I would have gone to the theater, or else rented it sooner. As it turned out it wasn't too bad, but derivative as usual, and nothing I'd watch again. But as I said, it's only right that someone else get to pick a movie (even if it's a new horror movie) ... and there are those times where I've enjoyed a new one, so who knows? We finally got FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3-D on ... with everyone wearing their special 3-D glasses. Other than the novelty of the 3-D, I wouldn't say the film went over very big (which was hardly surprising).
Last Edited By: Joe Karlosi
07/22/09 5:40 PM.
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Joe Karlosi |
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(08/01/09 6:18 AM) |
Well, THIS was certainly a very varied Movie Night!
We began with The Three Stooges in CRASH GOES THE HASH (1944). I tell ya, they may say that women supposedly don't care for Moe, Larry and Curly, but that's not the case when it comes to our new guests, Alyce and her mom. They nearly laughed their butts off. Meanwhile, my wife tries hard to stifle any potential laughter, just not to give me the satisfaction. My wife's one of those who, after she can't resist a smile or chuckle, breaks down for a moment here or there and confesses: "Okay -- that part was funny"... Alyce is always wanting "scary" things, but horror films never really scared me much, so this is a very subjective thing. My wife and I decided to show her the third chapter of TRILOGY OF TERROR (1975), which is one of the few things that DID "scare me" -- the one with the crazy doll chasing Karen Black around her apartment. Alyce is one of those audience members who, when watching a horror movie, always has all the answers for the victim... "WHY DOESN'T SHE JUST LEAVE THE APARTMENT??? I have probably thrown this classic bit of TV on the screen a few times over the years to show to different people, and each time I re-watch it I can't help thinking that it's not as strong nor terrifying as when I was 13 (my wife saw it on TV at 9 and was also affected). Plus, that phony zuni warrior doll is not really that convincing these days. As much as I loathe CGI in general, I have to admit that I think, effects-wise, they may have been able to make this little critter more convincingly animated and threatening today. But whether anything else about the rest of the piece would be better .... I'd doubt it. For the first proper feature I decided on something funny, and our guests had said they liked Abbott and Costello. So I chose WHO DONE IT? (1942), which I figured has a lot of steady A&C routines and comedy, and no other people singing to put us to sleep. Once again, Alyce and Mom laughed up a storm... I'd have to say that this feature was a very good choice. Only strange thing was, even though we all enjoyed it, we all thought the movie felt overlong, even though it was only 75 minutes! The second feature was FRENZY (1972). Over dinner we were discussing other movie possibilities, and Alyce mentioned that she liked Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO, so I had to think of something that sort of pushed the enevlope and seemed cutting edge. I'd say that FRENZY fit the bill, and everyone got involved and laughed in all the right places especially during the policeman's crazy suppers as prepared by his wife. Alyce and her mom really get into movies, trying to guess what's going to happen, reacting to things, and so on. During FRENZY everything felt right and I thought the movie went over well, though at the end Alyce said "I didn't think it was one of Hitchcock's best movies". As we conversed a little more, she gave me the impression that she really had only seen PSYCHO! So it wasn't so much a matter of her "enjoying Hitch for Hitch", but rather that she's just somebody who thought PSYCHO was a good scary movie.
Last Edited By: Joe Karlosi
08/01/09 6:20 AM.
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Joe Karlosi |
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(08/16/09 5:53 AM) |
There are so many different types of movies for Movie Night that sometimes we watch double bills which have nothing in common. Such was the case last night
where I showed Alyce and her mom two films: WESTWORLD (one of my favorite sci-fi movies) and ONLY THE LONELY (a John Candy film in the spirit of MARTY, and one
of his all-time best, imo).
When WESTWORLD ended, Alyce looked at me and gave me the flat wavy hand motion that signifies "so-so". Her mother said she'd seen it many years ago and remembered it being better than it was this time. In other words, WESTWORLD didn't go over well at all. I suppose it's more of a guy's movie. When Alyce's mom asked if there'd ever been a sequel to the movie, her daughter said "I hope not". That really stings when it's a movie you really like yourself and it's one of your all-time favorites. But I gotta tell ya, WESTWORLD for me is even played out (I think I started a thread on that phenomenon once). I must have seen it 50 times, and what's more, it does seem more antiquated to me now than it did in 1973. After Arnold's explosive TERMINATOR films, Yul Brynner's stalking gunslinger seems pretty old hat indeed. All that said, I still will not see the eventual overblown remake. 
ONLY THE LONELY fared much better. A charming comedy/love story with a lot of laughs and the ladies thought it was "cute". Not much else to write about here, but there it is. You know, maybe it's just me, but I always feels like people should discuss movies they've just seen a bit more, rather than just going home and not really saying anything other than a word or two at best. Alyce's mom asked me if I had any Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies or Humphrey Bogart films. Yeah, I do - but I wonder how her daughter and my wife would take to those.
Last Edited By: Joe Karlosi
08/16/09 5:56 AM.
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HalLane |
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(08/16/09 7:42 AM) |
Joe Karlosi wrote: Only one sure way to find out  .
I'm sensing a pattern of preference here on Alyce's part. If you go with Bogart, I'd steer away from the gangsters and such. Even a terrific film like TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE is basically a 'guy' picture -- even the women I know who are Bogart fans don't seem to get into it. I say test the waters with a tried and true romantic Bogey, like TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT or KEY LARGO. As for Holmes, THE WOMAN IN GREEN is probably as close to romance as you're gonna get -- a relaxed Holmes 'out on a date', as it were. But any of the Moriaritys would satisfy, I should think. I say, show them what an accommodating host and good listener you are -- be prepared to serve 'em up next time. |
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Joe Karlosi |
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(08/16/09 8:10 AM) |
But Hal, I once talked about love stories to Alyce and she flatly said "I hate love stories" (!) I guess that means romantic fluff either way -
though she did enjoy ONLY THE LONELY.
I know that she likes "suspense thrillers", or things "really scary" (sigh). I sigh because nothing "really scares" me, and we all have our own ideas on what fits that bill. She likes occult stuff, ghost stories (blah to me on the latter). Then there's my wife who changes from one week to the next. At first she was a big fan of this get together and helped initiate it; now she asks me why we "have to do this EVERY Saturday", and starts the "but they're my friends" routine. Who can figure women out? Sometimes it seems that she resists anything I want to try, other times she's game for anything. I know every so often they like to spice things up with new movie rentals, and I figure that's only fair. I don't like "forcing my own favorite movies" on people when they're not interested, or always having to be "the boss"; I find that very uncomfortable. I like to get a feel of what the others may like (Alyce originally told me she liked John Candy, for example). Mom is in her 60s and likes older movies, which is fine by me - but not sure about my wife and Alyce. As I said, sometimes the missus is very open to anything, and other times she acts like they're boring. Alyce has tried and enjoyed THE BODY SNATCHER and THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE. Luckily for me, ALyce is not one who lies and doesn't really mince words; if she didn't like them she would have said so (she didn't care for BEDLAM). But the last thing I'd want to think is that any of these three women are just trying to patronize me and are only doing me some sort of favor by doing this weekly routine. It wasn't my idea to do this originally, and since the mom has joined the group after her husband's death, they honestly seem to look forward to the get-togethers.
Last Edited By: Joe Karlosi
08/16/09 8:15 AM.
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HalLane |
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(08/16/09 3:23 PM) |
Joe Karlosi wrote:Joe, that's the million dollar question. The answer is, of course, no one. But Hal, I once talked about love stories to Alyce and she flatly said "I hate love stories" (!)I don't think she knows what she likes 'till she sees it. But I bet she's more partial to them than she thinks. ...since the mom has joined the group after her husband's death, they honestly seem to look forward to the get-togethers.And that's why I say give mom what she asked for and damn the torpedoes. You'll never know 'till you try. |
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Joe Karlosi |
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(08/23/09 6:47 AM) |
Another Movie Night last evening.
I began by showing the Our Gang short BEGINNER'S LUCK which, naturally, was a big laughfest and brought the house down. It's the one where little Spanky is forced to go on stage as a Roman and act in a talent contest. All I could say when it ended was there's practically nothing as funny today as this stuff. As for the feature films, Alyce originally wanted to rent the 2007 Rob Zombie HALLOWEEN, because she hasn't seen it and is interested in seeing Zombie's upcoming HALLOWEEN 2. I wasn't at all thrilled with seeing this needless and empty remake again, but since I wanted others to have their picks too, I was willing to go along with it one more time (actually I didn't think the first half was so bad; it was the second half I despised). But ultimately, we were unable to get it from our two local rental places; apparently, the idea of renting the first movie in anticipation for the second was an idea shared by others. So we had been talking about watching the 1932 Fredric March DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, and that's what we did. I felt the ever-present need to caution beforehand that this movie was rather old fashioned and that March was overly theatrical in it, but Alyce reminded me that she's got no problem with old movies. In the long run I can't tell you how the movie went down; Alyce and her mom were silent for the most part, and at the end mom said that she thought Mr. Hyde looked too much "like a monkey", and that she preferred the Spencer Tracy look. But then she said "But I liked it", and Alyce said "So did I". Hardly a rave review, and I always wonder why other people don't seem to get into expressing their feelings on movies as much as I (and I assume many of us here at CHFB) do... We had been talking about Jack the Ripper, and I was thinking about following up with the 40's verison of THE LODGER next, but after the quiet reception for JEKYLL & HYDE, I figured something more light and fun had to be thought up. It was my wife who brought up one of my favorite '80s comedies that I had suggested another time .... NIGHT SHIFT (1982) ... so we went with that. Well, NIGHT SHIFT was a hit with everybody. Laughs galore, and a really good movie ... directed by Ron Howard and starring Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton (in his debut) as two morgue workers who get an idea to use their place to run a prostitution business. As sleazy as this sounds, it's a good comedy with a heart. I recall seeing this in the movies a few times in 1982, and it held up great today! I noticed the DVD was released in 1999 and I hadn't watched it in 10 years. Also, I can't imagine seeing many movies like this anymore without showing them to someone else , which is another thread topic ...
Last Edited By: Joe Karlosi
08/23/09 6:51 AM.
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Joe Karlosi |
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(08/29/09 11:08 PM) |
So our friend Alyce still claims she likes old movies. When we last spoke she repeated again: "This time I want to see an old black and white haunted
house movie!". Well, I'm not particularly a fan of haunted house films, but I suggested THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932). Her mom said again how much she
liked Basil Rathbone and Sherlock Holmes, so my wife suggested Rathbone in LOVE FROM A STRANGER (1937), a favorite of hers, oddly enough.
We began with LOVE FROM A STRANGER first. Well, for the first time during any Movie Night, Alyce fell asleep. About 30 minutes into it. When the movie ended, all mom could say was "I thought he was gonna be Sherlock Holmes..." After a break and Alyce getting her second wind, we went with THE OLD DARK HOUSE. During the movie there were some appropriate laughs and comments, yet when the thing ended, Alyce looked at me with a disapproving frown. She asked "What exactly was this about? I thought it would explain things at the end." I told her it was about a group of travelers stranded at an old dark house, inhabited by weird people. I tell you, sometimes I really wonder why I even bother. |
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Doctor 1313 |
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(08/31/09 4:27 PM) |
I had some about seven friends over last Saturday night for a hot tub movie party. I made three pizzas practically from scratch and after stuffing our faces,
we headed outside for the big screen. While one of us settled himself onto the double-wide chaise lounge, the rest of us hit the hot tub and watched HATCHET as
we stuffed ourselves with candy. After the movie, which everyone enjoyed, we all toweled off, chatted a bit more, then broke up around midnight.
I think one more movie night party is in order, hopefully in about 2 weeks. DOCTOR 13 |
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Joe Karlosi |
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(09/07/09 7:42 AM) |
This past Saturday I showed my group THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN (1971) and Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes in THE SCARLET CLAW (1944). (An unlikely double bill I
know, but that's what happens sometimes). Both of these went over VERY well, I am happy to report. I would have thought AS would be deemed too slow, but
this was not the case. And there have been requests for more Universal Holmes films down the line.
Last Edited By: Joe Karlosi
09/07/09 8:14 AM.
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HalLane |
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(09/07/09 8:26 AM) |
Way to go, Joe -- glad to hear it worked out.
<< And there have been requests for more Universal Holmes films down the line. << Get 'em hooked on Dennis Hoey, and they'll be itchin' to screen FMTWM. (And have you got PEARL OF DEATH? You can see where that might lead to .....)
Last Edited By: HalLane
09/07/09 8:29 AM.
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Joe Karlosi |
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(09/07/09 9:41 AM) |
Sure I've got PEARL OF DEATH; I've got 'em all!
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Laughing Gravy |
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(09/07/09 3:36 PM) |
Hokey smokes, 24 years of our Friday Night movie parties. Yikes!
"Garbak is a tyrant who rules the planet harshly! If I can survive the perils of the Valley of 1000 Dooms and seize the Gosmik Tryglor from its legendary
hiding place I will become the new leader... and free my people!" Visit us at www.inthebalcony.com.
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Doctor 1313 |
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(09/08/09 9:34 AM) |
A week ago last Saturday I threw a hot tub movie party. Everybody brought their own drinks and I baked a few homemade pizzas. There were 8 of us, and after
stuffing ourselves and chatting, we all headed outside where one of us settled into the double-wide chaise lounge and the rest of us piled into the hot tub to
watch HATCHET, which went over well. Everyone began guessing who would be the next victim, who would be alive at the end and one guy even put his hands over
his eyes during a murder, which was kind of odd-looking in a hot tub full of guys.
After that, everybody grabbed a fist full of candy then moved to the pool for FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL!, which was an ever bigger hit. Everyone enjoyed themselves and it was a fun time for me, too. DOCTOR 13 |
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Joe Karlosi |
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(09/08/09 4:52 PM) |
Hey, doc, that last post sounded like Deja Vu!
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HalLane |
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(09/08/09 9:01 PM) |
This time they watched some Russ Meyer too.
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Doctor 1313 |
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(09/09/09 9:07 AM) |
I guess I should check my latest posts. I didn't think I had talked about the hot tub party yet. lol. And I can't believe I forgot to mention FASTER,
PUSSYCAT, as it was a bigger hit with the crowd than HATCHET.
Oh, well, when I post it for the third time, I'll talk about the neighbor's dog that wouldn't stop barking. DOCTOR 13 |
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