shelf interview: robert osborne

The 80th Academy Awards are over, and doubtlessly many are arguing over the presentations, merits (or lack thereof) of the nominees, etc. Let's take a brake from all of that and turn back to Turner Classic Movies and 31 Days of Oscar. Or more specifically that host of hosts, Robert Osborne. Robert Osborne has been the host of Turner Classic Movies since it first hit the air. He is a film historian, journalist, the official historian of the Academy Awards and author, most notably of the indispensible 75 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards. He is not only extremely knowledgeable about film history, but he's interviewed many stars and downright legends. In addition to all of that he is a gentleman and a very nice guy. And at the end of the day - a classic film fan like the rest of us. Recently, before the Academy Awards show, I had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Osborne about TCM, the Oscars, interviewing the stars and classic films.

JC: Mr. Osborne…

RO: Hey, J.C.! How are you?

JC: I’m doing great, how are you?

RO: Good. Thank you for all of the nice things you write about TCM.

JC: Well, I guess I am a TCM fanatic.


RO: Well we like that! That’s not a bad thing to be!

JC: You’ll have to forgive me if I am little nervous, because I’m not quite as experienced as you in conducting interviews.

RO: Don’t be nervous. I’m your friend; I come into your house every night.

JC: Yes, you do!

RO: So don’t be nervous!

JC: OK, well I just have a couple quick questions. I know your time is valuable, and you have others to talk to, but I want to ask you kind of a couple of things about the Oscars. Kind of in line with 31 Days of Oscars and also just some things about classic films in general. The Oscars, of course, are coming up soon…

RO: Right…

JC: You’ll be there of course.

RO: Right…

JC: It is the benchmark awards show, but it also has had its share of criticism and odd years and things like that. Why have the Oscars endured for so long?

RO: Well, I think they’ve endured because they really do represent the best in Hollywood. We’re all kind of movie fans and movie buffs. So it’s kind of the pick of the litter. It’s also usually involved with people that we’re familiar with; at one time it was Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy and Better Davis, and now it’s George Clooney and Julie Christie and new people. But through the ages, you know, it’s always been filled with glamorous people and it takes us, the Oscar show itself, takes us to a world that most people don’t, you know, aren’t inhabiting all times. So I think all of that together is… and it’s also synonymous with being the benchmark and being the best at whatever you do, so I think that’s why it’s endured. I also think it’s endured because there’s never been a scandal connected to it. Which is amazing- because something that involved with attracting money and if a picture wins an Oscar it can make a lot more money- that there’s not been ever a scandal connected to it, the Oscars. And they work very hard to protect that. That’s very important. So I think there are many, many reasons, but I think the main reason it has fascinated people for so long is- and our 31 Days of Oscar schedule would be a sample of that, because it’s representing great films, that endure, and films that, even if you’ve sent them once or twice, or fifteen times, you still want to see them again.

JC: There are a lot of them, that you see pop up on television, and you’ve just got to stop what you’re doing and finish watching it.

RO: Right. There are certain movies like- and I get really angry with myself- Casablanca. It will be on TCM and I’ll think, ‘Well, I’ve seen this…you know, much too much,” (laughs) and you watch one scene and you’re still there two hours later.

JC: Because you’re drawn into that world.

RO: Yes. They almost…, some of these great movies that we have, and we so many of them in this month of February, is that they almost refuse to let you leave once you get in. They’re like page turners on a book. One scene just takes you to the other. I’m forever saying, “Oh, well, I’m just going to wait until that scene where they do this or that scene where Ingrid Bergman does that”, but you’re still there at the end of the movie. It’s one of those things that’s so great about good film making.

JC: One of my favorite shows on TCM is Private Screenings.

RO: Oh, thank you.

JC: It’s fascinating to me how at ease everybody seems to be with you when you talk to them. Do you have a chance to talk them before the actual interview?

RO: Well some of them I have known before. I think that part of that comes with them watching TCM and realizing that I’m not going to go out and try and trap them and that I’m not interested in their personal life, except maybe in how it affected their screen choices and things. I have to tell you, TCM is a very friendly place and people come down there and the whole crew and everybody makes them feel comfortable and at home. And I think that ease makes people at ease then when they are sitting talking to me. And also, what we usually do is when we have somebody like an Angela Landsbury or Jane Fonda or Jane Powell or whoever, you know we kind of sit and chat for a couple or three hours, and that’s cut down to an hour. So it’s not as though it’s like there is a “freneticness” to it all. They can relax and talk and they get the feeling that they are talking with somebody that not only knows their background but likes them and is interesting in them. I think one of the problems that a lot of celebrities understandably have today in the newsmedia is that they’re out for news scoops or scandal or something…

JC: The “gotcha” element…

RO: Yeah, the gotcha thing. And we don’t have that and I think that helps them relax.

JC: Is there somebody that you have interviewed that you had an idea of who they were and didn’t know them that well, but when you interviewed them they surprised you, in a good way or bad way?

RO: Well, yeah. Robert Mitchum I had known on and off for a long time, and I had been to film festivals with him and sat and talked with him and sometimes tried to get away from him only because he was a heavy drinker and he liked to sit at the bar for hours. He was fascinating and told great stories. You know, he was much brighter than we ever give him credit for. He would write poetry and all that sort of stuff. He would tell fascinating stories, but after a while, when you have to get up and work the next day or do something, you don’t want to be sitting at a bar at two AM for the third night in a row. And so, I’d known him on and off for a long time, and he came to do the interview. He was very witty and all of that, until the camera was on, and then he absolutely stonewalled me the whole time the camera was on.

JC: I remember seeing that…

RO: He’d do yes and no answers and everything. And then we’d break for lunch and he’d be like a Chatty Cathy doll again. He was just being cantankerous and ornery. (both laughing) You know, I could’ve killed him, I could’ve killed him. The only other thing he would do, he would raise his hand, because he had emphysema so terribly he had a nurse with him and the oxygen tank. He would raise his hand, and we thought he had to go to the bathroom. He’d go out and have a cigarette. He’d be sitting out there with a nurse and an oxygen tank attached to him having a cigarette. And you just wanted to say, “Are you crazy?” Well, he obviously was a really great guy and certainly one of my favorite actors.

JC: One of my favorite interviews was the Private Screenings you did with Mickey Rooney, that was also included on the recent Mickey and Judy DVD Collection. He just seemed so much fun.

RO: Yeah, he was crazy, you know, too and he’s one of the most talented people in the world.

JC: Is there someone out there; actor, actress, director, that you haven’t interviewed that you would love to?

RO: I’d love to do one with Olivia de Havilland. She unfortunately lives in Paris, so that’s not too easily arranged. I’d like to do Michael Caine. I’d love to do Gena Rowlands. There are several. What we don’t ever try to do though, is just collect people just to be collecting them. They’re expensive to do and they’re fun to do, but we also want to have an exclusive club of people. So we’re very selective about who we invest the time in to do that. There are certainly people with great careers that would be interesting to talk to, but we really try to hold it down to a minimum and get people that are really valid, where somebody like you, is really interested in watching, because you’ve not been disappointed in it.

JC: It’s a wonderful show…

RO: Thank you.

JC: When I got interested in classic films, when I was very little, my dad exposed me to quite a few, and radio shows as well. And now I’m in my 30s and I still surprise people with my interest (they think I’m too young to know the films) and the writing that I do about classic films. From my perspective I see more and more people my age and younger getting interested and passionate, and running websites about them. I’m introducing my kids to them…

RO: Great! That’s music to my ears.

JC: They are big Abbott and Costello and Three Stooges fans right now, much to my wife’s chagrin…

RO: (Laughs) Well that’s great. How do you like our 31 Days of Oscar schedule this year?

JC: I love it, with the “Decades.”

RO: Good…

JC: Last year with the schedule divided up into categories [Oscar nomination categories] and was great to see the different kind of films that were nominated. And I think in a way, like you mentioned earlier, this is a good way for people to get more familiar with, not just the Oscars, but with some films that they didn’t know were ever nominated.

RO: Right. Well, you know it’s also interesting, because if you have a history with the film too. We change, so therefore those films change for us. A movie that maybe we saw as a kid and didn’t like, you can see know and really appreciate. By the same token, a film that you liked as a kid or when you are in high school or just out of high school, that you thought was terrific, you look at it now and you say, well that’s not really so great. But it also gives us a chance to see films, not in our 31 Days of Oscar so much because those are all pretty much great films or they wouldn’t have been in that echelon, but just Turner Classic Movies in general. You’ll see a film, that may not be a terrifically great film, but it comes at a certain time in an actor’s life, and actor you particularly like, and it’s interesting to see how their careers were all built. And I love that about our channel too.

JC: Is there a place, for someone who is just starting to get interested- I’m talking in the line of films- for somebody is just getting interested in classic film, what’s a good starting point for them?

RO: Well, I really think that’s the whole concept of our franchise, “The Essentials.” It’s kind of like, if you really want a background in film, these are some of the ones that are essential to see. That’s once a week on Saturday nights, and it goes all year long. This year, Carrie Fisher has been co-hosting with me and next year it’s Rose McGowan. And I think that’s the best place to start to see these films. We try to explain why it’s essential and why this is an important film, and I think that would be a good place for anybody to start.

JC: Is there a director or actor or actress that you think their body of work is underrated and they are due for rediscovery?

RO: Well, I think Howard Hawks doesn’t get as much attention as he deserves. He was a great director in so many, every different category. And also a wonderful director, Clarence Brown, that almost nobody talks about, that did The Yearling, National Velvet and a lot of the Garbo films. He was one of those great directors that nobody really talks about, but of course in those days nobody really talked about anybody but the stars. Unless you were a Hitchcock or a Cecil B. DeMille and had your own publicist, people didn’t know who you were all that much. Clarence Brown is still forgotten and more attention should be paid.

JC: And what was your favorite classic film DVD release from last year?

RO: From last year? That- I would have to think about, there were so many. I can’t think of just one off the top of my mind just now. That’s a good question, I’ll have to give that some thought.

JC: OK (laughs) Well, thank you Mr. Osborne for chatting with me today.

RO: Thanks, it was nice talking to you!

JC: I appreciate it. It was wonderful talking to you.

RO: And thanks for your enthusiasm! Goodbye.




Thanks very much to Robert Osborne for taking the time to talk with me and thanks to Turner Classic Movies and Sarah Schmitz at TCM for setting up the interview.




You know, Rick, I have many a friend in Casablanca, but somehow, just because you despise me, you are the only one I trust.

super deluxe contest!

Our Monkey's TaleGiveaway is over! Congrats to all of our winners! A copy of A Monkey's Tale is headed to our winners courtesy of Genius Entertainment and Animal Planet. That means we have a new giveaway starting now!


It's been Animal Planet month here at the Shelf, and we're winding up with two super contests starting tonight! We are giving away three copies (one per household)of Gorillas on the Brink thanks again to Genius Entertainment and Animal Planet.

Also one person will win a Animal Planet Super pack featuring 5 different Animal Planet DVDs from our past giveaways. So that's lots of prizes to giveaway so hurry up and send in those emails!

The rules are simple:

Email us your entry at randomshelf@hotmail.com
1.You MUST include: Your name and full address in the body of the email, and "Animal Planet Giveaway" must be in the subject line.
2. The contest is only open to US residents
3. Only one entry per email address (and household, please!)
4. Contest ends on Friday, March 6th at 11:59pm. We will draw the winner and notify them by email sometime on March 7th.

Please note that your information will be held confidential and will not be published and only used solely for identifying the winner and shipping the prize. Also, we will mail the prize to you, but cannot guarantee that the post office will treat it with the same respect as we will when we send it out. We will only guarantee that we will mail it to the address you provide to us.
So get those emails in and good luck!

Let the contest begin!



I thought we were gonna get television. The truth is... television is gonna get us.

dvd review: el cid

One of the first DVDs we review this year, and it's a doozy. Making its first American DVD release is El Cid. The Weinstein Company purchased rights to several of the Samuel Bronston-produced epics, and is using El Cid as the inaugural release in their new Miriam Collection. The Miriam Collection is designed as "a premiere label which will restore and release high quality classics, contemporary classics and notable foreign films." This film is the perfect choice to demonstrate that aim, as it has long been sought after by fans for a proper American release. The question then is this: is El Cid worth your hard-earned dollars? Is this the release that fans have been waiting for? I'm going to break protocol a bit here and answer both of those questions up front. The answer to both is an unequivocal yes. To find out why, read The Shelf's review of El Cid: Limited Collector's Edition.

The Hard Facts:
El Cid: Limited Collector's Edition
2 Discs in a keepcase
Limited Edition contains 2 disc DVD and bonus materials in a box.
Studio: Miriam Collection (Weinstein Company)
Technicolor
Wide Screen
Original Studio: Samuel Bronston Productions
Release Date: 1/29/2008
Rated: NR
Stars: Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren
Director: Anthony Mann

The Film:
El Cid is the story of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, 11th-century Spanish knight and nobleman who found his destiny on the road to his wedding. Rodrigo comes across some Moor armies invading a town and running over a church. Although he is on his way to his wedding, he stops to intervene and captures the Moor soldiers. When the priest asks him how he happened to arrive when they needed him, he replies that he thought this road was the shortest route to his bride. When he is reproached by a representative of the king to turn over his prisoners to be hung, Rodrigo states that the only way to stop the endless infighting in their country is to rise above it. He obtains promises from the Moor generals that they will never attack again, otherwise he will kill them. They are so impressed by Rodrigo's actions, they not only make the promise, but most of them swear allegiance to Rodrigo. One of them, Moutamin, gives him the name of El Cid, a title of respect meaning the chief or the lord. Rodrigo not only proves him right in fighting ability, but also in nobility and respect. The life of El Cid is told over time through his service to his king, betrayal by the king's son and daughter, exile and then Spains last hope and the people's champion. The last few sequences along the beaches of Valencia are breath taking.

But this movie is so much more than an epic movie of nations at war, it is also a highly intimate movie of a love between Rodrigo and his wife, Jimena, despite everything that happens to them to keep them apart. The film follows them has they fight against the tide of national events to find a place for themselves and their love. Anthony Mann's incredible ability to frame a picture, to put every inch of scenery, direction and acting up on the screen serves the story well. His well known eye for directing on location and using the setting as a virtual character is integral to the film.

This movie is one of the last real epic films Hollywood made in an era when the epics were made with a cast of thousands and massive sets. Everything is done with CGI today, which is cheaper, but in a way something...tangible is lost. Bronston and company put everything they had in money, people and imagination up on the screen and the result is perhaps one of the greatest of Hollywood epics. It is perhaps fitting that Charlton Heston plays El Cid, not just because the epic genre fits him like a glove, but because its hard to imagine another actor playing a larger than life hero, with nobility, humility and a man of passion. And Sophia Loren is at the height of her beauty and presence. She grounds the film in human emotion, elevating it to something beyond battles, something beyond grand battle scenes (and they are grand) to something that is very intimate and personal.



Bonus features:
The Limited Collector's Edition does not disappoint when it comes to the extras. The documentaries are well done, and most of them are exceptional, providing insights into the production and behind the scenes of El Cid. Only the Anthony Mann piece was a little disappointing. A longer insightful piece into the life of this fantastic director would be most welcome.
Disc 1:
Feature commentary with Bill Bronston (son of producer Samuel Bronston) and Neal M. Rosendorf (historian & biographer of Samuel Bronston); Vintage radio interviews with Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren; Still galleries and Filmographies.
Disc 2:
Hollywood Conquers Spain: theMaking of El Cid; Samuel Bronston: the Epic Journey of a Dreamer; Behind the Camera: Anthony Mann and El Cid; Miklós Rózsa: Maestro of the Movies; Preserving our Legacy: Gerry Byrne of Film Preservation and Restoration; Trailer gallery
Limited Collector's Edition Only:
Reproduction of Original 1961 Souvenir Program, Reproduction of Original 1961 El Cid Comic Book and Six Color Production Stills.

Audio/Video:
This is nothing short of eye-candy. Not only does the color and visuals take your breath away, the shear scope of what you see on the screen is nothing short of fantastic. When the camera takes a sweeping shot of the landscape and you see an army of men on horseback coming into view, it's clear this is the real deal- no CGI, no computer extras. Hollywood epics back in the day were as much about filmmaking of epic proportions as it was about epic stories. The sound and film were both remastered and perfected (yes, you read that right- perfected) so that all of the lavish and rich color, scenery and sound come alive. This DVD was meant for Hi-def large screen television, mainly because that's as close you can get at home to the big screen.



The Bottom Line:
The new Miriam Collection line (named after the Weinstein brother's mom) really nailed it with the first entry. El Cid is a fantastic epic film that deserved the epic treatment. I have to say that I really appreciate the production booklets, comic reprints, etc. I know that some people prefer just to have the film, and extras are just in the way. I'm glad that I got the Limited Edition set, and enthusists, collector and film buff alike will as well. For me it is the extra touch that really involves you in the movie. I hope that the Weinsteins will continue take such care with the other films coming in the Miriam Collection line. Reportedly up next from the Miriam Collection will be other Samuel Bronston films: Fall of the Roman Empire starring Alec Guiness and Sophia Loren, 55 Days at Peking starring Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner, and Circus World starring John Wayne and Claudia Cardinale. Three more great films that deserve the El Cid treatment.

Review Rating:
Rating the films and features:
The film: A+
The documentaries: A
Audio/Video: A+
Other Bonus Features A+

El Cid: Limited Collector's Edition set is a Must Have!

The Shelf rates El Cid:
5 stars (Groucho Glasses)









What a noble subject, if only he had a noble King.

contest time again

Our Jeff CorwinGiveaway is over! Congrats to all of our winners! A copy of Jeff Corwin Experience Season 1 is headed to our winners courtesy of Genius Entertainment and Animal Planet. That means we have a new giveaway starting now!

We are giving away five copies (one per household)of Romeo and Juliet: A Monkey's Tale thanks again to Genius Entertainment and Animal Planet. William Shakespeare's timeless tale of star-crossed lovers echoes through the animal kingdom in this documentary following two Macaque monkeys from rival clans who attempt to mate in the scenic Thai mountain town of Lopburi.

The rules are simple:

Email us your entry at randomshelf@hotmail.com
1.You MUST include: Your name and full address in the body of the email, and "Romeo and Juliet" must be in the subject line.
2. The contest is only open to US residents
3. Only one entry per email address (and household, please!)
4. Contest ends on Friday, Feb. 22th at 11:59pm. We will draw the winner and notify them by email sometime on Feb. 23th.

Please note that your information will be held confidential and will not be published and only used solely for identifying the winner and shipping the prize. Also, we will mail the prize to you, but cannot guarantee that the post office will treat it with the same respect as we will when we send it out. We will only guarantee that we will mail it to the address you provide to us.
So get those emails in and good luck!

Let the contest begin!



I thought we were gonna get television. The truth is... television is gonna get us.

the man is back

The trailer for Indiana Jones 4 is up and all over the net. It made your Uncle Loophole squeal like a true fanboy. The music alone and the sight of the hat made the heart race. I am all in for this one. I know Indy's getting up there and stuff, but I am, for one, glad they've incorporated that in the storyline instead of going with a different actor (impossible!) or doing a goofy "prequel". The official website for the movie is up also at this link.
Of course, I have to share the trailer with Shelfers everywhere all over the world (we do have regular readers in Europe, Asia, South America and Australia and elsewhere!). May 22nd can not get here soon enough!
Here's the trailer courtesy of Yahoo! and the official site for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.




Stick around - we've got contest winners, a new contest and a DVD review of El Cid coming your way this weekend!



It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.

valentine's day on tcm

Without a doubt, millions of American males are busy taking their significant other to the movies this night to see some film that passes for romantic comedy. Ultimately the romantic comedies today skew towards the female demographic, making this trip a real act of love. Admit it guys, you sit and smile and nod at your sweetie, all the while you can hear faint explosions and bad guys being dispatched wafting from the tiny "plex" next to yours in the multiplex. You twitch for a moment and she looks at you and asks if you are enjoying yourself. You lie, of course. I mean how many male actors can they shoehorn in a flick with Kate Hudson before they realize something went off the track sometime around Almost Famous?

In the interest in bridging the cinematic gap between the sexes, I would like to offer a solution. How about a romantic meal at home with a delicious chocolate desert and then escort your lady over to the couch and flip on Turner Classic Movies? Trust me, she will be impressed and you will actually enjoy the films! Tonight romance is in the air with romantic comedies and musicals starring actresses and actors who brought vim, vigor and passion to the screen.

How about the beautiful Doris Day and erstewhile partner Rock Hudson with the funny Tony Randall in the romantic comedy Lover Come Back (2:15 pm est) ? Or June Allyson and Van Johnson in Too Young to Kiss (4:15 pm est)? My pick for the evening would be one of my favorite musicals: Kiss Me Kate with incredible man's man singer Howard Keel, leggy Ann Miller and devestatingly gorgeous Kathryn Grayson (6 pm est).

If you are busy eating... or, er... otherwise engaged you can turn on TCM later to catch Barbara Streisand (before her in your face political stuff) and Walter Matthau in the Gene Kelly directed showstopper: Hello Dolly! Solid bonus- Louis Armstrong (8 pm est). I actually liked Babs better in the next film, Funny Girl, with Omar Sharif (10:30 pm est). What if you are up late... for one reason or another? Well, then you can't go wrong with a musical everyone can love: Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady (1:15am est).

Not a dog in the bunch I say. And the added bonus is no PC, brain dead, emasculating, claptrap. Just good old fashioned romance from Hollywood at it's best. Take it from ol' Uncle Loophole - I wouldn't steer you wrong. Romance is serious business, and I am but a humble proprietor.
Happy Valentine's Day to one and all.



A kiss? What does that prove? It's like finding out you can light a stove. It doesn't make you a cook.

lincoln lincoln loo

We at The Shelf are dedicated to the truth and finding it where ever it may be. Even if that is through the comedy genius of Bob Odenkirk of Mr. Show fame. Watch, via Super-Deluxe, Bob's short doc: The Truth about Lincoln



The shoe print is great.



People say he's in our hearts and minds. Well, guess what? He's in the forest behind my house.

the savant knows...

Glenn Erickson, AKA: The DVD Savant, is a weekly must read. Weekly, because he only posts twice a week- but his reviews are some of the best on the web. Well, Glenn has an extra post this week that is worth noting. Glenn has some exciting new release news from MGM/Fox. Several new titles including war films like The Secret Invasion, westerns like Gary Cooper's Man of the West and The Westerner and comedies What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? Check out his news for many great must-have titles. I am personally excited about a new edition for The Westerner and Man of the West- some legendary titles! Check it out!

Don't spill none of that liquor, son. It eats right into the bar.

getting wild

Our Puppy Bowl IIIGiveaway is over! Congrats to all of our winners! A copy of Puppy Bowl III is headed to our winners courtesy of Genius Entertainment and Animal Planet. That means we have a new giveaway starting now!

We are giving away five copies (one per household)of The Jeff Corwin Experience: Season One thanks again to Genius Entertainment and Animal Planet. This is our first giveaway with an entire season set, so we're pretty excited about this one. It's a great show and Jeff is an always entertaining host as he leads you through the sometimes dangerous, but always interesting world of wildlife.

The rules are simple:

Email us your entry at randomshelf@hotmail.com
1.You MUST include: Your name and full address in the body of the email, and "Jeff Corwin" must be in the subject line.
2. The contest is only open to US residents
3. Only one entry per email address (and household, please!)
4. Contest ends on Friday, Feb. 15th at 11:59pm. We will draw the winner and notify them by email sometime on Feb. 16th.

Please note that your information will be held confidential and will not be published and only used solely for identifying the winner and shipping the prize. Also, we will mail the prize to you, but cannot guarantee that the post office will treat it with the same respect as we will when we send it out. We will only guarantee that we will mail it to the address you provide to us.
So get those emails in and good luck!

Let the contest begin!



I thought we were gonna get television. The truth is... television is gonna get us.

31 days of oscar kickoff

Well Shelfers, it's that time of year again. That time when film industry and fans turn their focus towards the awards season, and the grandmaster of them all: The Academy Awards. That means that Turner Classic Movies has now turned their programming over to their annual 31 Days of Oscar. And again this year we will join the celebration here at The Shelf by giving you our daily picks and a whole lot more. In addition to our Shelf picks, we will feature an exclusive interview with TCM host and Officail Oscar Historian, Robert Osbourne and in depth looks at some of Oscar's biggest winners and films that should've been winners. You can also expect DVD reviews, return of the weekly roundup, and more Shelf madness. It's gonna be fun so stick around.

So to kick things off we'll give you our picks for this weekend. This year, TCM has a great website devoted to 31 Days of Oscar, and they've done things a little different. Each day is devoted to different decades: 1980s Saturdays, 1990s and 2000s Sundays, 1920s and 1930s Mondays, 1940s Tuesdays, 1950s Wednesdays, 1960s Thursdays and 1970s Fridays.

Saturdays pick: The Trip To Bountiful (1985) An aging woman escapes her controlling family to visit her childhood home. Starring: Geraldine Page, John Heard and Carlin Glynn. Directed by Peter Masterson. Nominated for 2 Academy Awards: Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. Geraldine Page won for Best Actress.
Geraldine Page. How can you go wrong with a legend like Geraldine Page? I mean, she was with John Wayne in Hondo. This is a great little movie about a woman whose life is domineered by her brood, and yet all she wants is one last look at her hometown. Unfortunately, her hometown of Bountiful has dwindled and passed on to abandoned homes and buildings; as abandoned as she feels.

Sunday's pick: Quiz Show (1994) A blue-blood academic gets swept up in the quiz show scandals of the '50s. Starring: John Turturro, Rob Morrow and Ralph Fiennes. Directed by Robert Redford. Nominated for four Academy Awards.
I have written here previously of my love for this film. It's a slice of life look at the 1950s and different strata of classes and the one place where they meet and merge into a whole other animal: television. The film turns in some very powerful performances from Rob Morrow, Ralph Fiennes and Paul Scofield in a great supporting role as Mark Van Doren. Robert Redford does a great job directing this film, and the story itself is powerful enough to carry it through. But the performances turn it into a great drama with characters who you can't let of.

Stay tuned for next week! More to come...




I guess when you've lived longer than your house and your family, then you've lived long enough.