Topic: THE GAME IS AFOOT (Read 25989 times)

bk · « **on:** December 01, 2003, 12:09:08 AM »

Yes, the game is afoot, the notes have been read and now all that's left is for posts to be posted so go to it.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #1 on:** December 01, 2003, 01:00:57 AM »

Well, I was going to post this "yesterday", but then I dilly-dallied too long, and got locked out... And since it's now REALLY late - almost bordering on early, here's the quick version...

Hotels in NYC - The Skyline Hotel, 725 10th Ave. (at 52nd). Nice rooms - large for NYC - be sure to ask for a room in the west wing, fully renovated and a pool on the 10th floor! Plus, the parking is very cheap - whether or not you're staying there. *I've priced this for my trip in January - some rates as low as $90/night! And just far away from the noise of Times Square, but still close enough to walk to everything.

Alma Mahler - Maya mentioned the movie... And I think there was a soundtrack released too with some of his and her music on it.

Oh, and I was snacking on some Buffalo Wing and Blue Cheese potato chips. Surprisingly - and scarily - tasty. And I washed it all down with an ice cold Fresca. Hopefully, I'll be able to sleep tonight.. or at least NOT have bad dreams.

Well, I'll sleep on the detective topic - literally...

Goodnight.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #2 on:** December 01, 2003, 01:05:50 AM »

Oh, and as for the Hotel Pennsylvania... Yes, it's cheap. Yes, it's right across from MSG. BUT since it is across the street from MSG, it's one of the "host" hotels for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. They put sawdust down in the hallways during that time. And the one and only time I stayed there - not my choice - I could tell that the Kennel Club used the hotel if you know what I mean. Also, the rooms were dark, the bed was uncomfortable, and the water pressure was non-existent. I guess you could say I give it a "thumbs down".

Jrand73 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 01, 2003, 02:49:00 AM »

December the First!

Nick and Nora Charles are two of my favorite fictional sleuths. And of course Miss Marple.

Mike Hammer - particularly as played by Mr Ralph Meeker in Kiss Me, Deadly.

And in a round about way: Dagny Taggert!

Well I am going to buy BOTH "Odds Against Tomorrow" and "Crime of Passion".

Richard Bright is the actor who plays Coco, the gay thug in OAT. When I saw it last year on TCM, I was a bit surprised at the performance myself. He doesn't have a lot of screen time, but his couple of scenes are revelatory.

William E. Lurie · « **Reply #4 on:** December 01, 2003, 05:59:25 AM »

Fictional Detectives? Nancy Drew and the Scooby Doo gang (not together).

William E. Lurie · « **Reply #5 on:** December 01, 2003, 06:01:54 AM »

Oh and regarding The Hotel Pennsylvania - I haven't stayed there in about fifteen years and I assume Jose's stay was more recent, so I guess it must have deteriorated since then. I know the dogs weren't there when I was.

steveg · « **Reply #6 on:** December 01, 2003, 06:02:42 AM »

Inspector Clouseau

I saw two movies this weekend: Bad Santa, and a preview of The Last Samurai.

The first was produced by the Coen Brothers, although not written or directed by either. It got good reviews in the NY area, and critics called it hilarious. Hilarious it was not! In fact, and I'm no prude, I thought it was vulgar with just a few minor chuckles. The theater was packed, and other than load guffaws by a few in the audience, my feeling is that the audience hated it. It was the 6th highest grossing film this weekend, but I'm going to predict that it falls dramatically next, when the word of mouth gets out. This is the second Coen Brothers film this season that I've disliked - I thought that Intolerable Cruelty was also awful and not funny at all.

With respect to The Last Samurai, this is a terrific film that has to be seen on a large screen in a theater to get is full impact. Although it is large in scope, it really tells an intimate story. The main theme has to do with the Westernization of Japan, which reminded of Sondheim's Pacific Overtures. In fact, many of the Japanese are seen in their bowler hats, which of course caused my to replay "A Bowler Hat" in my mind throughout the movie. This is the type of film that is likely to generate many Academy Award nominations and falls in the class of Bravehart, Dances With Wolves, and Gladiator. Cruise and the supporting cast are all excellent and I won't be surprised to see Cruise capture the elusive Oscar that he has for so long sought to win. I'm sure the film itself will be in the running for best picture along side Seabiscuit. The film runs almost 2 1/2 hours, but it didn't seem long and the entire packed audience did not appear to be restless at all. A very cinematic experience in both sight and sound. The musical score by Hans Zimmer was very powerful. BK, you might find the score too intrusive, but I would disagree here. I highly recommend this movie.

William E. Lurie · « **Reply #7 on:** December 01, 2003, 06:12:50 AM »

By the way, I was doing a search for a book that was mentioned on this here site a couple of weeks ago. I thought the name was EVER AFTER but an unseemly search could not find it and the book was not listed on Amazon. It was a book on musical theatre from the last quarter century or so. Does anyone know the correct name and the author? Thanks.

Kerry · « **Reply #8 on:** December 01, 2003, 06:16:59 AM »

DRMusicGuy is a sucker for just about ANY sleuth--- he loves them all.

I love Agatha Christie's creations-- Miss Marple especially (in print and in film), M. Poirot also.

The Bobbsey Twins solved mysteries, too, you know!

Columbo and Jessica Fletcher are faves. The various incarnations of Richard Diamond and Sam Spade, the real and only Nick and Nora Charles (Myrna Loy and William Powell).
Amos Burke and Honey West were faves too.
Charlie Chan and the rest.
Which is why I appreciate "Murder By Death" so much and its spoof of plot devices, etc.

Noel · « **Reply #9 on:** December 01, 2003, 06:22:19 AM »

It was utter coincidence that DW Joy had Alma Mahler and other Tom Lehrer TWTWTW favorites on her CD for the bus ride back from Pennsylvania. Made the time pass mirthfully, although we'd waited more than a half hour in the cold for the bus.

My favorite fictional tecs come from musicals, of course. I like Mo Brummel, from Mr. Douglas Cohen's No Way To Treat a Lady, and of course have a dear spot in my heart for the first sleuth I saw on a musical stage, Peter Pulley of the Yard. Not only can he catch your crook, but he can step into patter baritone roles at a moment's notice

Danise · « **Reply #10 on:** December 01, 2003, 06:41:59 AM »

Good morning all. Even though I am on vacation, I thought I should start to get my butt out of bed even if I did stay up past midnight with the chat and all. If I let myself get to far out of routine, I will have a devil of a time with getting readjusted to the work schedule and the Holidays are tiring enough as it is.

December 1st. Wow. Where has the year gone? Is it truly almost Christmas? How can that be?

I enjoyed last nights chat, few people that were there. The one time I can stay up late and chat till the cows come home (and I really wanted to see a cow come home) and only a couple were there. Not that they were A couple–at least, I didn’t get the impression they were. Any who, I hope the cookies turned out for you, George.

Hope your headache is much better, Noel. Did you dream of the Shire? Golem? Frodo?

I gave some thought to what you said last night and think perhaps you are right–at least in the case of a playwright. Maybe one should take the size of a stage and the limits as to what can be done into consideration when writing a play but I still do not agree that holds true for a motion picture or my Animal Christmas.

After all, any leader, like Jean-Luc, only has to say, “Make it so!”. That’s a Star Trek: Next Generation reference, in case you don’t know. He doesn’t provide the blue print for the Mass Trans Crystal Humbug Inverter Thing. He just tells them to build it! The same with my Animal Christmas. I just know what I want. Doing it is a whole different set of variables that are not my problem. Sigh, getting good help is so hard these days.

Well, I guess since I'm on vacation, I should go do something fun and take pictures while doing it. Isn't that what vacations are for? Taking pictures, I mean?

D

Danise · « **Reply #11 on:** December 01, 2003, 06:47:08 AM »

Almost forgot--Encyclopedia Brown was my favorite PI., book wise while growning up. We watched so many on TV, I can't really pick one from there.

Jennifer · « **Reply #12 on:** December 01, 2003, 07:14:18 AM »

Wow, this is the first time I have logged on and been the only reader!

I love Nancy Drew. Did anyone see the tv movie that was on last year? I actually loved it.

Jennifer · « **Reply #13 on:** December 01, 2003, 07:29:03 AM »

Where is everybody today?

I am starving, starving, starving. I think I need food.

Gee, it looks like the karma gremlins were out last night!

And we need to send out a searchparty to find all the Hainsies and Kimlets. How long does Thankgiving last in the US?

MBarnum · « **Reply #14 on:** December 01, 2003, 07:33:00 AM »

I would like to see ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW. Kim Hamilton of LEECH WOMAN fame is in it as, I believe, Harry Belefonte's wife...does she have much of a role BK or JRand53??

Favorite detectives:
Hildegard Withers in those quaint old 1930s films as portrayed by Edna Mae Oliver.

Perry Mason as portrayed by Raymond Burr on television

Dave (Lee Patterson) and Ken (Van Williams) on SURFSIDE 6

Miss Marple on film

On the printed page there are many that I like as I love a good mystery book!

Jennifer · « **Reply #15 on:** December 01, 2003, 07:34:54 AM »

Hi MBarnum and Craig: I was getting lonely!

Jennifer · « **Reply #16 on:** December 01, 2003, 07:38:02 AM »

For DR Emily: Amazon.ca news. Ha I ordered Boy from Oz and Avenue Q on Saturday and they said that the latter would take 1 to 2 weeks. Yet they are shipping it now. Very bizarre. For some reason whenever they usually say there will be delays there always are! So this is a nice surprise.

So tell us what you are considering for your NY trip? Last we heard you were going on a bus tour. Then you mentioned hotels and hostels. Do tell! (I miss NYC and need to live vicariously through somebody).

Jennifer · « **Reply #17 on:** December 01, 2003, 07:39:12 AM »

Oh BK is up. Yippee!

And how pathetic am I for people watching here

bk · « **Reply #18 on:** December 01, 2003, 07:39:45 AM »

Kim Hamilton has two good scenes in Odds Against Tomorrow. Shelley Winters, who is top-billed, doesn't have much more, and Gloria Grahame only has two little scenes and her performance is so strange I didn't know what to make of it.

Matt H. · « **Reply #19 on:** December 01, 2003, 07:50:11 AM »

Favorite fictional detectives? I love SO many of them because mysteries are my passion.

Sherlock Holmes tops the list, and as I've been foaming at the mouth with joy over the pleasures of the two (so far) boxed sets of Universal HOLMES movies, he has to rank at the top.

Miss Marple is right up there, too, as my blather last week about the four Margaret Rutherford movies occupied a couple of days of posts from me. Rutherford wasn't true to the Miss Marple from Christie's books, of course, but those four movies she made were nevertheless VERY entertaining. Joan Hickson's BBC movies as Miss Marple are, of course, definitive, and I've got them all here and they are watched constantly. NEMESIS is my favorite of her films.

Hercule Poirot is wonderful, but I find a little of him goes a long way. I am STILL pining for Paramount to release MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS on DVD, but my widescreen videotape is OK for now.

Phillip Marlowe is really enjoyable, and my favorite Marlowe is Robert Mitchum in FAREWELL MY LOVELY. Bogie's Marlowe is fine in THE BIG SLEEP, but he's better as Sam Spade in THE MALTESE FALCON, perhaps the greatest movie mystery ever made.

TV: My first choice is Jim Hutton's ELLERY QUEEN, and I would love to have a complete set of the one season he did that series on television. Those period mysteries were really wonderfully done and very baffling, yet the clues WERE right there if you were observent enough to catch them.

Angela Lansbury's Jessica Fletcher would have been my pick if the series had ended after six years, but I felt the last six years were mere reflections of the highly polished and well done stories of the first years.

Jrand73 · « **Reply #20 on:** December 01, 2003, 07:54:10 AM »

DR MBARNUM, Mr BK is correct and I must say that Kim's scenes are very good. I forgot she was in LEECH WOMAN. I am going to order it tomorrow when I can get the DeepDiscount 20 percent off - you can't get it on pre-orders of new releases and the street date for ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW is oddly enough, tomorrow! It is the same for Crime of Passion with Missy Stanwyck.

How could I forget Sherlock Holmes - I didn't count Perry Mason as a detective....but then there were also those guys at 77 Sunset Strip and Surfside 6 who were Private Investigaors! And Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.

Lulu · « **Reply #21 on:** December 01, 2003, 07:58:21 AM »

Fictional Detectives: Sam Spade, Nancy Drew, Charlie Chan, Nick and Nora, and (for me) the ultimate detective: Columbo.

BK: RE: Spielberg mucking up the story with too many flourishes and too much shoehorning of formulaic schmaltz (not that you phrased it just that way; perhaps I embellished a bit), ITA. I love early Spielberg: Sugarland Express, Murder by the Book (an episode of Columbo he directed), Jaws...pretty much up through Raiders of the Lost Ark (one of my favorite films of all time). Then something happened. Too much adulation? His early stuff was SO sharp and smart and creative - so visually dynamic and distinctive. Then he turned into a big sap. I could get angry about it if I let myself.

Over the weekend The Hubby and I rented the DVD of Monsters, Inc. This came out two summers ago, IIRC, and I don't think it was one of Pixar's bigger hits; didn't Shrek get all the attention when it came out at the same time?

Well, I still haven't brought myself to watch Shrek, even though I own it (a gift); the little clips I've seen look pretty awful. But Monsters, Inc. was delightful - incredible to look at (as is usually the case with Pixar) but also very inventive and clever. We've waded through many of the extras, most of which are extremely entertaining - but there are still many to go, and the DVD is due back soon. We might just buy it so we can see it again and have the time to explore all the special features at our leisure. Anyway, if you haven't seen it yet, I recommend doing so.

Lulu · « **Reply #22 on:** December 01, 2003, 08:00:40 AM »

Dear Lord, Jrand...when I saw your new picture I thought for all the world that it was a picture of somebody mooning all of us at HHW - complete with pressed ham.

Matt H. · « **Reply #23 on:** December 01, 2003, 08:01:42 AM »

Hmmm, after that long post, I realized I didn't talk about Poirot as much as I should since he IS one of the greats. All of the actors who have played him in the movies that I've seen (some of the earliest incarnations made in England in the early 1930s I've never seen) have done excellent jobs (funny yet different in portraying his annoying little habits and eccentricities) with the exception of Tony Randall who I felt was wildly miscast in THE ALPHABET MURDERS. Thankfully, David Suchet's Poirot righted that masterpiece of detective fiction in the BBC version of the story THE ABC MURDERS.

Matt H. · « **Reply #24 on:** December 01, 2003, 08:08:49 AM »

DR Lulu, MONSTERS INC. was Pixar/Disney's biggest hit until FINDING NEMO. Yes, SHREK won the Oscar for Best ANimated Feature that year, but it was a monster hit at the box-office. I just happen to have the list of Disney's Top 25 biggest grossing world hits in animnation, and MONSTER'S INC ranked 2nd next to THE LION KING (this as of October 16) with $256 million in US/Canada gross and $268 million in Overseas gross. NEMO has made more domestically, but it hasn't launched all around the world yet so it ranks only 6th in this list.

William E. Lurie · « **Reply #25 on:** December 01, 2003, 08:15:56 AM »

Is the "Unseemly search" not working? I get an error message when I try to search from the notes page and results without what I am looking for when I search from the message page.

Jrand73 · « **Reply #26 on:** December 01, 2003, 08:32:10 AM »

Sorry DR LULU - sharpeis are like that...you have to make them bark so you know if they are coming or going.

Lulu · « **Reply #27 on:** December 01, 2003, 08:45:39 AM »

Matt: Fantastic! For some reason I was under the impression that Shrek kind of stole Monsters, Inc's thunder. I'm glad I was mistaken!

LOL, Jrand!

Noel · « **Reply #28 on:** December 01, 2003, 08:49:04 AM »

I, too, had the same thought about the dog photo.
And continue to have it, every time it shows its, er - face

MBarnum · « **Reply #29 on:** December 01, 2003, 08:52:33 AM »

hMMM, well, since Ms. Hamilton does such a good job in ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW you have convinced me to buy it! She is on Fox movies this week in THE WIZARD OF BAGHDAD and I am toying with the idea of interviewing her. She is still a working actress so perhaps she will be agreable to that.

I cannot recall if I have seen Crimes of Passion or not!? But I sure wish someone would release Bab's movie NO MAN OF HER OWN!

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Author Topic: THE GAME IS AFOOT (Read 25989 times)

MBarnum

MBarnum