Saturday, March 07, 2009

There ain't no Sanity Claus! Quotes & Tweets

A Night at the Opera is a 1935 comedy film starring Groucho Marx, Chico Marx and Harpo Marx, and featuring Kitty Carlisle, Allan Jones, Margaret Dumont, Siegfried Rumann, and Walter Woolf King. It was the first film the Marx Brothers made for MGM after their departure from Paramount, and the first without Zeppo. The film was adapted by George S. Kaufman, Morrie Ryskind, Al Boasberg (uncredited), and Buster Keaton (uncredited) from a story by James Kevin McGuinness. It was directed by Sam Wood.

In 1993, A Night at the Opera was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[1] It is also included in the 2007 update of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies, at number 85.

Memorable quotes for A Night at the Opera (1935) »


jerryharrison Posted 40 minutes ago from TwitterFon
jerryharrison

Bout to work on a new site for TheUnemploymentCouch.com and watching a night at the opera staring Groucho Marx

Harpo42 Posted 43 minutes ago from twhirl
Harpo42

Watching The Marx Bros on TCM. Here comes the scene where they switch all of the beds and the tables.... love it.

noelmartinez Posted 50 minutes ago from twitterrific
noelmartinez

The Marx Bros. TCM now. =)

hotsearches Posted 50 minutes ago from Web
hotsearches

1. buffalo bills 2. andrew jones 3. johnny guitar 4. bruce chen 5. daylight savings 2009 6. terrell owens buffalo bills 7. big 12 tourna ...

JessicaMarx Posted 53 minutes ago from TwitterBerry
JessicaMarx

Watching A Night at the Opera on TCM; I have mad respect and appreciation for my totally cray cray fam.

georgevap Posted 1 hour ago from Web
georgevap

is watching A NIGHT AT THE OPERA with Sophia and Gayle. It's sometimes easy to forget how timeless the comedy is. Just amazing.

jonesforradio Posted at 8:49pm from Web
jonesforradio

I think I hear The Marx Brothers' Night at the Opera playing in the next room.

Lunasea2 Posted at 8:47pm from Web
Lunasea2

Watching A Night at the Opera on TCM - the Marx Brothers are hilarious. I never get tired of watching them.

ABQCheap Posted at 8:41pm from Web
ABQCheap

Funniest scene in cinema: the Stateroom Scene in "A Night at the Opera."

emryan3 Posted at 8:38pm from mobile web
emryan3

watching A Night at the Opera on TCM

timstahmer Posted at 8:37pm from twitterrific
timstahmer

Watching A Night at the Opera on TCM. Not the best Marx Brothers but much better than anything on the other 499 channels.

willmckinley Posted at 8:33pm from Web
willmckinley

1978 -I'm on vacation w/ my parents in Puerto Rico. They leave me in hotel screening room and go to casino. The movie: A Night at the Opera

jimmiebjr Posted at 8:29pm from Web
jimmiebjr

Ah!!! "A Night at the Opera" is on TCM! :D

KellyTR Posted at 8:23pm from Web
KellyTR

Now I'm watching the Marx Bro's A Night At the Opera. Now I can relax. Think I'll make pancakes.

vivienmleigh Posted at 8:20pm from Web in reply to TCManiacs
vivienmleigh

@TCManiacs Marx Brothers? COUNT ME IN!

chrisanic Posted at 8:16pm from Web in reply to TCManiacs
chrisanic

@TCManiacs I once saw a naked photo of Joan Crawford taken in 1926. She looked great...

ABQCheap Posted at 8:14pm from Web
ABQCheap

Don't miss this! A Night at the Opera right now on TCM! "I had a premonition you'd be showing up."

memereview Posted at 8:09pm from Web
memereview

New meme: 'johnny guitar' http://tinyurl.com/b8f8au

Mychal_Smith Posted at 8:03pm from TwitterFon
Mychal_Smith

Dear Alec Baldwin: why are you everywhere? I'm watching TCM and now you're HOSTING something? How many jobs do you need?...That is all

Posted by Unknown at Saturday, March 07, 2009 0 comments
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Johnny Guitar, Phony Western?

The romantic style of Johnny Guitar is very different from the realism that dominates the work of classical Western directors such as John Ford and Howard Hawks, and this expressive boldness can be looked at as a form of allegory. In particular, many critics have pointed out that the film is a hidden commentary on the McCarthy witch-hunts. The film is certainly more than just a Western — Truffaut called it "a phony Western". It is a sexual drama with obsessive personalities bordering on madness: the character played by Mercedes McCambridge is obviously the chief villain, but Joan Crawford's character is not entirely likable, scowling through much of the movie. Ray shows that Crawford's own psycho-sexual obsession affects her in equally bizarre turns; for example, she dresses entirely in white in a crucial scene where she must confront McCambridge (who dresses in black for most of the film).

Some insights on Johnny Guitar from the blogosphere:

...Ray’s work is highly regarded by film buffs, and rightfully so. The 1954 western Johnny Guitar is a minor classic, not really a western at all but a bizarre psychological study laced with insightful social commentary.
The plot has Joan Crawford maintaining a powerful hold on a boomtown where the railroad promises to bring even more boom. Crawford operates a casino on the outskirts of town and she’s buying more and more property, poised to become the West’s ultimate dominatrix. She’s also suspected of having led the robbery of a stagecoach, a crime that claimed the brother of Mercedes McCambridge who despises Crawford and wants to run her out of town. The reversal of gender roles is the most interesting aspect of this movie, the first western in which two women wear the pants and dominate the proceedings. The tension between these two is considerable, and it’s no wonder. Crawford, apparently resentful that there was another woman in the cast, allegedly did one of her Mommie Dearest numbers on her co-star, making life hell for the poor actress throughout the shoot.
The women’s strength is enhanced by the casting of two comparatively weak actors in the leading male roles. MORE »


Johnny Guitar has it all. There’s repressed Freudian urges: Emma (Mercedes MacCambridge) loves the Dancing Kid (Scott Brady) but her longing scares her righteous religious side -- so she considers killing him. There’s also gender-confusion, as a strong-willed woman (Vienna played with hard brittle by Joan Crawford) runs a saloon. Crawford, often shot in low-angle compositions with shoulders thrown back, exudes masculine confidence. Decked in a black shirt, pants, and boots, she totes a gun while smirking out of the left side of her mouth. Even Sam (Robert Osterloch), her croupier, in an apparent narrative aside quips, "Never seen a woman who was more a man. She thinks like one, acts like one, and sometimes makes me feel like I’m not." MORE »
Johnny Guitar was adapted into a stage musical, which debuted in 2004. The musical adaptation favored a more "camp" approach toward the material, which seemed to work in its favor, at least among the critics.
Johnny Guitar Musical official website »
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Posted by Unknown at Saturday, March 07, 2009 0 comments
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Worth Retweeting | Willie Dynamite & Zorro's Fighting Legion DVD

Unbelievable,Willie Dynamite which aired on TCM at 2:00 AM is STILL dominating the twitterverse. Zorro's Fighting Legion follows in popular twittering. If you missed it or would like to experience again its available on DVD.

Willie Dynamite (1973) DVD »


Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939) DVD »


Worth Retweeting


Willie Dynamite and Zorro Mania


bleeding_tree Posted 9 minutes ago from Web in reply to cinebeats
bleeding_tree

@cinebeats WILLIE DYNAMITE! (Yes, I do wish I'd thought of something smart to say about it.)

cinebeats Posted 35 minutes ago from Web
cinebeats

The Willie Dynamite (Roscoe Orman) I watched last night for the first time: http://tinyurl.com/cqhl3j

cinebeats Posted 46 minutes ago from Web
cinebeats

Traumatized when I discovered that the pimp Willie Dynamite was played by my beloved Gordon from Sesame Street. Gave me nightmares!

cinebeats Posted 50 minutes ago from Web
cinebeats

Watched a double dose pf blaxploitation last night on TCM with Willie Dynamite and the hard-to-see Sweet, Jesus Preacherman.

nicktha1da Posted at 1:27pm from Web
nicktha1da

willie dynamite was on TV last night and that shit was maaad entertaning he look like a cross between common and avon barksdale

cmlittle Posted at 9:51am from mobile web
cmlittle

explaining on how zorro is superhero to kids

scorpionkiss Posted at 9:49am from Web
scorpionkiss

Zorro update:Don Diego delivers gold to Juarez but is accussed of banditry in San Mendolito. (Damn,those Yanquis)

newstrendz Posted at 8:13am from Web
newstrendz

Trend Update: 1. willie dynamite 2. diana falzone 3. tru confessions 4. erin foley 5. ice station zebra 6. watchm http://tinyurl.com/aqsnra

dabesa Posted at 8:03am from Twitter4R
dabesa

[Now Hottrend!] "willie dynamite" => http://tinyurl.com/b62cw3

rss2twitt Posted at 7:55am from Web
rss2twitt

Hourly Trends: willie dynamite, diana falzone, tru confessions, wbc live, ...http://tinyurl.com/yvm6f7

johnparkingston Posted at 6:36am from twitterfeed
johnparkingston

discussed by prisoners - willie dynamite http://cli.gs/vhtmL4

infowe Posted at 6:18am from twitthat
infowe

Reading: "watch Willie Dynamite online and cast" ( http://tinyurl.com/cudvqz )

newstrendz Posted at 6:16am from Web
newstrendz

1. willie dynamite: On Tonight: Siegfried & Roy's Return - Hartford Courant, This week, it's the 1974 "Wi http://tinyurl.com/cetw92


Posted by Unknown at Saturday, March 07, 2009 0 comments
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Blaxploitation

TCM has began late night showings of blaxploitation films, sometimes featured on TCM Underground official website.

Blaxploitation is a film genre that emerged in the United States in the early 1970s when many exploitation films were made that targeted the urban black audience; the word itself is a portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation." Blaxploitation films starred primarily black actors, and were the first to feature soundtracks of funk and soul music. Variety magazine credited Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song with the invention of the blaxploitation genre. Others argue that the Hollywood-financed film Shaft is closer to being blaxploitation, and thus, is more likely to have begun the genre.

Here is a list of films belonging to the Blaxploitation genre. This also includes films that have been very important to the genre:

List of blaxploitation films »

Posted by Unknown at Saturday, March 07, 2009 0 comments
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Willie Dynamite | OMG Sesame Street's Gordon is a Pimp


Roscoe Orman (born June 11, 1944, in The Bronx, New York) is an American actor who plays Gordon Robinson on the television program Sesame Street. Orman joined the show in 1973, taking over as the third actor to play Gordon on the show (subsequent to Matt Robinson, 1969-1972, and Hal Miller, 1972-1973). Beyond his role on Sesame Street, Orman is an accomplished stage, film and television actor, children’s book writer, artist, and child advocate.

Orman made his feature film debut in the title role of Universal Studios 1973 drama, Willie Dynamite. Willie Dynamite is a 1974 blaxploitation film which features Roscoe Orman as a pimp who lives the "life".

Orman has also appeared in such films as F/X, Striking Distance, New Jersey Drive, Follow That Bird, Twilight's Last Gleaming, and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. His television credits include work on such shows as All My Children, Kojak, Sanford and Son, Cosby, Sex and the City, "The Wire", and Law & Order.

He's a Sesame Street dad...

A WPT-exclusive interview with one of Sesame Street's most recognizable faces »

Worth Retweeting


Willie Dynamite was a "HIT" ...or... it was just "HIT"


JuliBee430 Posted 12 minutes ago from Web in reply to TCManiacs
JuliBee430

@TCManiacs I was torn between Common and Gordon! This flick is crazy!

AByrd314 Posted 15 minutes ago from Web
AByrd314

Watching Willie Dynamite on TCM. Pimps and Hoes at they finest!

TCManiacs Posted 21 minutes ago from HootSuite
TCManiacs

TCManiacs: Willie Dynamite | OMG Sesame Street's Gordon is a Pimp http://ow.ly/HEh

JuliBee430 Posted 28 minutes ago from Web
JuliBee430

Trying to laugh @ all the fkd up ish in the classic blaxploitation drama Willie Dynamite - Common is his doppelganger, & NYC in '70s - HOT!

SWiTcH_NYC Posted 32 minutes ago from Web
SWiTcH_NYC

Watchin Willie Dynamite "Ain't no one crosses WILLIE "D" Willie Dynamite is Gordon from Sesame Street

Kendra_Holt Posted 44 minutes ago from mobile web
Kendra_Holt

watching Willie Dynamite on Turner Classic Movies.

DryerBuzz Posted 57 minutes ago from TweetDeck
DryerBuzz

TCM about to show Willie Dynomite next

RevKhopzilla Posted at 1:42am from mobile web
RevKhopzilla

"Willie Dynamite" starts on TCM in about 20 minutes.

2NewCats Posted at 1:36am from Web in reply to TCManiacs


Posted by Unknown at Saturday, March 07, 2009 0 comments
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Ice Station Zebra Was One of Howard Hughes Obsessions

Ice Station Zebra is a 1968 action film directed by John Sturges, starring Rock Hudson, Patrick McGoohan, Ernest Borgnine and Jim Brown. The screenplay by Alistair MacLean, Douglas Heyes, Harry Julian Fink and W.R. Burnett is loosely based upon MacLean's 1963 novel of the same name. Both have parallels to real-life events that took place in 1959 (see below). The film was photographed in Super Panavision 70 by Daniel L. Fapp, and presented in 70 mm Cinerama in premiere engagements. The original music score is by Michel Legrand.


GREAT CAST! GREAT BIG PICTURE! GREAT SOUND TRACK!


Reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes, who had experience both as a movie producer and a defense contractor for the U.S., is said to have watched Ice Station Zebra dozens of times on a continuous loop in his private hotel suite during the years prior to his death. VCRs and Laserdiscs weren't yet available: The film was shown in the form of a spooled print running through a film projector onto a traditional screen.
Posted by Unknown at Saturday, March 07, 2009 0 comments
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Who is the mysterious TCManiac?

First, I'll tell you who I am not. I am not affiliated with TCM. I am not some superbot created by software developers. I am not being paid by TCM or anyone else to dedicate my time to tweeting. I am a real flesh and blood human being. I am a real maniac for TCM. I really do keep my TV tuned to TCM 24-7. I created the TCManiacs twitter as a result of my sincere passion for watching Turner Classic Movies.

How I got started?
Well, I've been a fan of TCM since its inception. As I lay flat on my back recovering from a disabling health crisis unable to do little more than watch TV and surf the internet, I found refuge watching TCM round the clock. I soon developed an obsessive habit of keeping a browser tab open for the TCM schedule and beating Robert Osbourne's introductions to finding out facts for upcoming movies. My entire day and night became defined by the TCM line-up. At the beginning of 2009 I decided to check out twitter and lucked up on some fellow TCM fans to friend. During the 31 days Oscar I decided to dedicate a twitter just to share my TCM obsession by tweeting about every movie every day of February. I was totally overwhelmed by the number of fellow TCM maniacs that became my following. Its been a WIN WIN in everyway for me. I have had the opportunity to share fun stuff with some incredible fellow classic movie lovers and bloggers. With so many followers I became committed to maintaining the twitter schedule and finding fun stuff for upcoming TCM movies.
How may followers show appreciation?
As I mentioned before, I am not employed by anyone nor being paid for my time maintaining tweets and blog. However, you may express your appreciation for my labor of love by dropping a token of your appreciation in the hat. Simply click the Donate button below. Any amount your heart moves you to give no matter how small will be graciously accepted.
What you mean to me?
Even if you decide to skip tipping the hat, please take the time to comment or send a message with your thoughts and suggestions. Send ideas on more fun stuff you would like featured. Send me links to your own classic movie websites. I just want to hear from you! Let me know what sharing my little obsession is worth to you. Every follower is priceless to me!

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