# Older films worth another look



## littlemissattitude (Mar 6, 2006)

I like old movies, sort of old movies, new movies (which I hardly ever get to see when they are new, but that's another story).  But every once in awhile I catch an old movie that I did see when it was new, and am amazed at how good it really was.

A case in point is _M*A*S*H_ - not the television series, but the original film directed by Robert Altman and released in 1970.  The first time I saw the film, when it first came out, my parents had to take me to see it because it was rated R and I was not yet 17.  I loved it then, and I've seen it a few times since, but not for several years now.  But it happened to be on last night on AMC after the Academy Awards was over with, and I sat down to watch it.

I had forgotten just how good this film is.  The story, the acting, the detail with which it is invested are all simply brilliant.  All I can say is, if you haven't seen it, or if you haven't seen it in a long time, sit down and watch it.

Okay, anyone else?  Seen any good old movies that you had forgotten were as good as they are?


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## Rosemary (Mar 6, 2006)

I don't think I could watch another re-make of Wuthering Heights.  The original is by far the best in my opinion....


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## steve12553 (Mar 7, 2006)

littlemissattitude said:
			
		

> A case in point is _M*A*S*H_ - not the television series, but the original film .
> 
> I had forgotten just how good this film is. The story, the acting, the detail with which it is invested are all simply brilliant. All I can say is, if you haven't seen it, or if you haven't seen it in a long time, sit down and watch it.
> 
> Okay, anyone else? Seen any good old movies that you had forgotten were as good as they are?


 
I caught a little part of it too and I also forgot how good it was. The "meatball" surgery, the laughing in the face of all the misery. Wonderful movie. 
Another one to check out that has some age to it but also shows a lot of attention to detail is "Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb."


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## littlemissattitude (Mar 7, 2006)

You know, I've never seen _Dr. Strangelove_.  I keep meaning to, but I just never have, yet.  I've seen bits and pieces, but never the whole thing.  Then again, I think I saw the last five or ten minutes of _Casablanca_ at least fifteen or twenty times before I saw the whole thing.  One the the local tv stations in L.A. used to show it a lot when I was growing up; they'd do this Million Dollar Movie thing, where they would show the same film every night for a week and then a couple of times a day on Saturday and Sunday, but I'd always forget that it was on and end up stumbling on it right at the end.  The Million Dollar Move is also the reason I've seen _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ and the original _Invaders From Mars_ so many times.

The specific thing about _M*A*S*H_ that I really like - aside from Donald Sutherland, who I adore, especially from that period of his career - is the scene where Painless is intending to commit suicide and they are having this send-off ceremony for him (won't say what's happening exactly there, because someone might not have seen it) they've got the table arranged just like Da Vinci's "Last Supper".  It's just perfect.


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## ravenus (Mar 7, 2006)

Rosemary said:
			
		

> I don't think I could watch another re-make of Wuthering Heights.  The original is by far the best in my opinion....


The original? I've seen one made in the 90's with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche and it was pretty darn good on the whole.


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## kyektulu (Mar 7, 2006)

*
I have to admit to any seeing any of the films mentioned above!

I will check them out if I see them on the tv though.*


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## Foxbat (Mar 7, 2006)

*A Streetcar Named Desire *(the version with Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh). This is one of those movies that just never seems to date and is always worth returning to for another viewing. Personally, I think this film was Brando's finest.

*Cross Of Iron* - Ok this Sam Peckinpah effort (based on the novel of the same name) ain't _that_ old. The war weary Sergeant Steiner has to cope with his glory seeking Prussian aristocrat superior in a classic anti-war movie.


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## Winters_Sorrow (Mar 7, 2006)

*Harvey* - a 50's movie with James Stewart as Edward Dowd, a genial alcoholic who's friends with an invisible 6ft rabbit called Harvey.
Edward's aunt is embarassed by his 'insanity' so tries to get him committed to the local insane asylum, only to mistakenly get committed herself.
A cracking comedy, with some witty dialogue and a really good performance by James Stewart (& Harvey)


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## weaveworld (Mar 7, 2006)

*Its not that old movie, I think, but I could watch 'Young Frankenstein' over and over again.  Especially any scene when they mention Gloris Leachman's character, Frau Blücher and all the horses neigh!  Very funny.  

And Harvey is a great movie, a classic, its a feel good movie*


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## roddglenn (Mar 7, 2006)

MASH and Dr Strangelove are brilliant.  Some other classics for me are:

Key Largo
North by North West
The Maltese Falcon
It's a Wondeful Life
Breakfast at Tiffanys
The African Queen
Straw Dogs
The Wild Bunch
The Wicker Man
Jaws
Close Encounters
The Wild Geese
Where Eagles Dare
Bridge Too Far
Magnificent Seven
Bullit
Great Escape
Taxi Driver
The Italian Job (original of course)
Get Carter (again the original)
Alien
The Warriors
Scarface
Mona Lisa
The Long Good Friday
Rollerball (original)

Sorry I'll stop now!  I'm getting carried away...the list was just going to go on and on!


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## jenna (Mar 7, 2006)

Roddglenn, you have great taste in films! you've got a few of my all time faves there like Rollerball and the Warriors (which sits permanently at #2) i think there's so many great old movies that are still brilliant today. another personal fave is Waterloo Bridge, which i have only ever seen twice, once when i was too young to get it, and another a couple of months ago. i don't know if i'll ever be able to watch it again, because i was so traumatised by the whole situation, and i got sooo emotional watching it, i don't know if i could deal with that again! but because it had such an effect on me it automatically made my top 5... i highly reccommend it, Vivien Leigh is flawless in it.
i also find old war movies tend to be great even now. ditto anything with Gene Kelly esp. Anchors Aweigh. in case you can't tell, i love old movies! i spend a loooot of time watching TCM!


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## roddglenn (Mar 7, 2006)

Jenna, you too have damn good taste in your films.  

I could start a thread all on its own about old war movies!  Just mentioned a couple in my list, by there's so many more like The Eagle has Landed, Bridge at Remargen, Guns of Navarone, Kelly's Heros, Dirty Dozen, The Longest Day, Tora Tora Tora....and so on!


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## Thunderchild (Mar 7, 2006)

If i hear theres going to be a remak I try and see the origonal - just to compare them, but just in general i rather enjoyed *The warriors, Zulu* and *The good the bad and the ugly*


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## jenna (Mar 7, 2006)

roddglenn said:
			
		

> Jenna, you too have damn good taste in your films.
> 
> I could start a thread all on its own about old war movies! Just mentioned a couple in my list, by there's so many more like The Eagle has Landed, Bridge at Remargen, Guns of Navarone, Kelly's Heros, Dirty Dozen, The Longest Day, Tora Tora Tora....and so on!



mmm i love all war films, old and new, but my two fave oldies would be the great escape and where eagles dare. seriously, as soon as i see a military uniform and something goes boom, the movie has my undivided attention!


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## roddglenn (Mar 7, 2006)

lol aye, know what ya mean Jenna. 

Thunderchild - can't believe I missed Zulu off my list - absolute solid gold classic.  Loved all of Clint's spagetti westerns too.


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## Quokka (Mar 7, 2006)

Some great flicks so far, I'll add:

12 Angry Men
The Thing
The secret life of Walter Mitty
The Court Jester (Yes I'm a Danny Kaye fan if anyone knows these 2  )
The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Forbiden Planet
The Andromeda Strain
Night of the Living Dead (1968) 
All the President's Men
Road to Morocco
In the Heat of the Night


and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.... I'm sorry but for 1937 this movie was both stunning and revolutionary for animation.


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## weaveworld (Mar 7, 2006)

*I forgot about The Thing, I watched that last week.

Classic*


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## Caretaker66 (Mar 7, 2006)

_Don't forget the famous Alfred Hitchcock films! They revolutionized the horror genre and still remain classic masterpieces. Some of my favorites are Psycho, The Birds, Rear Window, North By Northwest, & Vertigo..._


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## Lissa (Mar 7, 2006)

I love all the old musicals - Top Hat being one of the many favorites.
All the Rat Pack movies.
James Cagney, too.


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## littlemissattitude (Mar 7, 2006)

Caretaker66 said:
			
		

> _Don't forget the famous Alfred Hitchcock films! They revolutionized the horror genre and still remain classic masterpieces. Some of my favorites are Psycho, The Birds, Rear Window, North By Northwest, & Vertigo..._



Mmmm.  _Rear Window_.  Brilliant.  It's amazing to me how Hitchcock managed to show you exactly what happend, then makes you so sure that you didn't see what you know you saw.  This is one of my favorite movies, and I'm glad to say that my first viewing of it was actually on the large screen, in an art house we used to have in Fresno.  Too bad it's mainly a performance venue rather than a movie theatre now, though they do still show films there sometimes.  On the other hand, I do so love working there when I do the ballet props thing.


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## sanityassassin (Mar 7, 2006)

There was a sci-fi weekend just past on channel5 in the uk and there was a couple of films I've never heard of but watched one called the final countdown which I really enjoyed it was from 1980 with kirk douglas and martin sheen.

Its a wonderful life can't be beat also the warriors(original) and escape from new york


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## kyektulu (Mar 8, 2006)

*Seeing some of these suggestions made me realsie how long it has been since I have seen some of them.
I will be watching them again soon!

Good thread. *


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## roddglenn (Mar 8, 2006)

Rear Window, The Birds, Psycho, etc - all brilliant.  The Thing is an awsome film too (I still consider that one pretty new though, but that's just me getting old!!!).

I've got The Final Countdown on DVD - it's one of those films that seemed to drop off the radar (no pun intended!).  I really like it as a down to Earth sci-fi.


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## steve12553 (Mar 8, 2006)

roddglenn said:
			
		

> Rear Window, The Birds, Psycho, etc - all brilliant. The Thing is an awsome film too (I still consider that one pretty new though, but that's just me getting old!!!).


 
There were two versions of the Thing remember. One was a scary, paranoid, cold war allegory made in the early 1950s and the other was late 1980's with great special effects that was truer to the original story "Who goes There?" by John H. Cambell. AS to the Hitchcock movies thow in Vertigo, North by Northwest and a couple more and you can keep me occupied for a weekend. In the right mood I can watch them over and over.


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## Winters_Sorrow (Mar 8, 2006)

One of my favourite Hitch movies was "The Trouble with Harry".
One of the funniest black comedies I've ever seen. I demand you all go out and buy/rent/watch this film immediately!


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## ravenus (Mar 8, 2006)

steve12553 said:
			
		

> There were two versions of the Thing remember. One was a scary, paranoid, cold war allegory made in the early 1950s...


Scary? I'd personally regard that film as campy and funny. It was basically a B-movie effort with all the hallmarks of a B-movie.


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## roddglenn (Mar 8, 2006)

Doh, I forgot about the original 50s version - The Thing from Outerspace!


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## littlemissattitude (Mar 8, 2006)

Winters_Sorrow said:
			
		

> One of my favourite Hitch movies was "The Trouble with Harry".
> One of the funniest black comedies I've ever seen. I demand you all go out and buy/rent/watch this film immediately!



Oh, yes.  "Harry" is very nearly the perfect movie.  I first saw it when I was a kid, at the theatre, which is weird, because it was made before I was born, and then wasn't around much.  But somehow, it was out there when I was maybe 10 years old and I got to see it.  And then it disappeared, along with several other of his films, until the 1980s.  I've seen it several times since then, and I just love it.


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## steve12553 (Mar 9, 2006)

littlemissattitude said:
			
		

> Oh, yes. "Harry" is very nearly the perfect movie. I first saw it when I was a kid, at the theatre, which is weird, because it was made before I was born, and then wasn't around much. But somehow, it was out there when I was maybe 10 years old and I got to see it. And then it disappeared, along with several other of his films, until the 1980s. I've seen it several times since then, and I just love it.


 
Your right. It, along with "Vertigo", "Rear Window" and I believe "Rope" were put away for quite a while and not released until after his death. All unique and worth seeing. Rope was the one where he shot everything in continuous 20 minute takes using breakaway sets and other trick. Gotta love his gimmicks.


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## littlemissattitude (Mar 9, 2006)

steve12553 said:
			
		

> Your right. It, along with "Vertigo", "Rear Window" and I believe "Rope" were put away for quite a while and not released until after his death. All unique and worth seeing. Rope was the one where he shot everything in continuous 20 minute takes using breakaway sets and other trick. Gotta love his gimmicks.


I've never seen _Rope_, but I did see something in a documentary once about how he made it.  I especially like the trick of focusing in on the back of someone's jacket when he came to the end of a reel of film and then pulling back out to start the new reel.  Very clever, that.  Just as good as anything Orson Welles came up with in making _Citizen Kane_, as far as I'm concerned.  Not saying _Kane_ isn't a good movie, because it is.  But I feel about _Kane_ kind of like I feel about The Beatles and _Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band_.  Which is, that it's a good, innovative album technically speaking, but not the greatest album ever, just as I don't think _Kane_ is the greatest movie ever, which some folks seem to think it is.


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## steve12553 (Mar 9, 2006)

littlemissattitude said:
			
		

> I've never seen _Rope_, but I did see something in a documentary once about how he made it. I especially like the trick of focusing in on the back of someone's jacket when he came to the end of a reel of film and then pulling back out to start the new reel. Very clever, that.


 
Hitchcock had a lot of wonderful tricks that were never used before and seldom since. Another example was in "Vertigo". In on of the bell tower scenes he had the camera take Jimmy Stewart's perspective and he had the camera "truck" in and "zoom" out at the same time. The effect was very disorienting because it gave you simultaneous movement in both directions at different rates of speed.


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## wildbill333 (Mar 9, 2006)

I like old westerns like wildbill (who would have guessed) billy the kid 
alias smith and jones. and back to the future 3 i think had a cool western scene in it


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## roddglenn (Mar 9, 2006)

Outland is a fantastic western set in space - basically High Noon in space with Sean Connery playing the lead.  It came out in 81, but it's managed to avoid looking dated so far.


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## GrownUp (Mar 10, 2006)

"The Winslow Boy". I may be alone here. Once you get by the peculiarity of accent and style - which have changed so much since the time the film was made - it's a great. A film great, I mean.


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## tiny99 (Mar 11, 2006)

You're all right, there are so many old films worth another look, a personal fave of mine would have to be Apocalypse Now, one of , if not THE greatest war film of all time.


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## Foxbat (Mar 11, 2006)

Dracula - starring Bela Lugosi is definitely worth another look on DVD.....and here's why.....there is an alternative soundtrack written by Philip Glass (I think) and performed by the Kronos Quartet. It's really worth watching this with a soundtrack that is a great improvement on the original (I never thought I'd say that about a rehash but, in this case, it's true)


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## YOSSARIAN (Mar 11, 2006)

I have to mention three Paul Newman films (in order from bleak and depressing to uplifting): "The Hustler", "Cool Hand Luke", and "The Sting".  I can't think of any other actor who has starred in so many good movies for such a long time.  Thumbs up to whomever mentioned "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly".  It is the third greatest movie ever!  "The Godfather" parts I and II being the top two.


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## roddglenn (Mar 13, 2006)

Ah yes Paul Newman has been in a fair few classics - Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid is another great one.


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## Taltos (Mar 14, 2006)

Two of my personal favourites:
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) 
Grande vadrouille, La (1966) aka Don't Look Now - We're Being Shot at (USA) - which is good even in original - and I don't understand french at all


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## GrownUp (Mar 14, 2006)

There's another brilliant older film I watched with my Dad last night. 'Blazing Saddles'. Just solid perfection on a plate, to be ingested with ice-cream   .


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## littlemissattitude (Mar 14, 2006)

Taltos said:
			
		

> It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)


I saw this when it first came out, in Cinerama - which was an intereting experience, especially the airplane scene.  It just isn't the same on the small screen, but it's still very funny.

Yossarian mentions _The Sting_ and roddglenn mentions _Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid_.  _Butch Cassidy_ is a wonderful film, and I watch it whenever I get the chance, but I just didn't like _The Sting_.  It seemed to me too much like it was just an excuse to get Newman and Redford together on the screen again.

Funny thing about _Butch Cassidy_, though.  That came out at a time when, at least where I lived, a movie came to the local theatre (we only had one, with one screen), played a week as a double feature with something else, then went away.  The whole keeping the same film playing for weeks on end just didn't happen there.  _Butch Cassidy_ is the first film I can ever remember being held over for a second week.  And, yes, I went and saw it again.


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## jenna (Mar 15, 2006)

tiny99 said:
			
		

> You're all right, there are so many old films worth another look, a personal fave of mine would have to be Apocalypse Now, one of , if not THE greatest war film of all time.



i would definitely say THE greatest. i can't imagine a better war movie ever being made.


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## steve12553 (Mar 15, 2006)

jenna said:
			
		

> i would definitely say THE greatest. i can't imagine a better war movie ever being made.


 
It had an eerie, mystic quality to it along some interesting performances.


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## Quokka (Mar 17, 2006)

Mister Roberts


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## tiny99 (Mar 25, 2006)

steve12553 said:
			
		

> It had an eerie, mystic quality to it along some interesting performances.


 am clutching at straws here, but if anyone has any clues as to what the piece of music is thats playing in the bunker when martin sheen is looking for a seemingly inexistent c.o. (beverley hills bunker) i would be most grateful....it's probably Jimi, but title of track?? name of album?? anyone?? anywhere?????


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## steve12553 (Mar 25, 2006)

tiny99 said:
			
		

> am clutching at straws here, but if anyone has any clues as to what the piece of music is thats playing in the bunker when martin sheen is looking for a seemingly inexistent c.o. (beverley hills bunker) i would be most grateful....it's probably Jimi, but title of track?? name of album?? anyone?? anywhere?????


 
I'd have to watch it again but I remember _the End_ by the Doors distinctly but maybe not in the exact part you're thinking of. THe Stones' _Satifaction_ and Wagner's _Ride of the Valkirie_ were in there too, but not during the search.


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## tiny99 (Mar 25, 2006)

thanks for your input steve, i actually have the soundtrack but unfortunately the piece of music I speak of is omitted from it, it's just basically loud feedback guitar coming from a radio in the trench, my search continues


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## steve12553 (Mar 25, 2006)

tiny99 said:
			
		

> thanks for your input steve, i actually have the soundtrack but unfortunately the piece of music I speak of is omitted from it, it's just basically loud feedback guitar coming from a radio in the trench, my search continues


I've got the videotape, if it still plays, I may recognize it. The ovie took place in my high school years.


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## tiny99 (Mar 25, 2006)

yeah, I was only two at the time, I was pleased when they brought out the redux version but I have to say I prefer the original. I hear the "hearts Of darkness" making of documentary is a must see for fans of the film, I have yet to see this...I believe it's excellent.


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## steve12553 (Mar 26, 2006)

My tape was still good (still in plastic) and I heard the piece you were referring to but I couldn't identify it. It did have a Jimi Hendrix sound to it but with out more it's hard to tell and there were a few other's that used that type of feedback.


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## tiny99 (Mar 26, 2006)

okay steve..I'll keep searching, appreciate your thoughts, The Roach knows who's in command


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## littlemissattitude (Mar 26, 2006)

The funniest thing...I've never actually seen _Apocalypse Now_, although I've been meaning to for ages.  But after reading this thread yesterday, I discovered it on TV last night.  Unfortunately, it was on a local Spanish language station, dubbed into Spanish.  I watched for a few minutes, trying to understand some of it - I read more Spanish than I understand spoken, but not much more - but I gave it up after about fifteen minutes.

Oh, the part I saw was the helicopters coming in to bomb a village, with the _Ride of the Valkyres_ blasting.  Odd, unsettling scene.


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## steve12553 (Mar 27, 2006)

littlemissattitude said:
			
		

> ...Unfortunately, it was on a local Spanish language station, dubbed into Spanish. I watched for a few minutes, trying to understand some of it - I read more Spanish than I understand spoken, but not much more - but I gave it up after about fifteen minutes.
> 
> Oh, the part I saw was the helicopters coming in to bomb a village, with the _Ride of the Valkyres_ blasting. Odd, unsettling scene.


 
It's hard enough to follow in one's native langauge much less in one you're less than fluent. Viet Nam was an odd, unsettling war.


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## YOSSARIAN (Mar 27, 2006)

The Hendrix-like music in Apocalypse Now is not actually Jimi.  I think the guitarist's name is Randy Hanson.  He was a sort-of impersonator of Hendrix; he didn't to look like Jimi but he replicated his sound and style.  He claimed (after a near-death experience or an LSD trip) to be the reincarnation of Jimi.


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## tiny99 (Mar 27, 2006)

Is that so? Well I'm glad someone could clear that up for me.....you wouldn't happen to know the track or album name????


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## Paige Turner (Mar 27, 2006)

Anyone ever see _A Boy and His Dog_? Probably Don Johnson's best work. He must have been all of 19.


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## Stenevor (Mar 27, 2006)

Paige Turner said:
			
		

> Anyone ever see _A Boy and His Dog_? Probably Don Johnson's best work. He must have been all of 19.


 
Saw it years ago and cant remember it clearly, does he go down a hole and get held against his will? I wouldnt mind seeing it again if its what I think it is.
Ive definately read the Harlan Ellison story its from but cant remember if its any good.


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## littlemissattitude (Mar 27, 2006)

_A Boy and His Dog_ is an incredibly strange but generally very good film.  I'd recommend it.


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## GrownUp (Mar 29, 2006)

A Boy and his Dog. Hmmn. Quite wierd, very eighties. Unless it was seventies, in which case it is very seventies.


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