TCM Film Festival (What Should I See)

[ThePlashyBubbler]

Hey, all. I'm out in Los Angeles for the semester doin' an internship and taking some classes through my university. As luck would have it, they've hooked several of us up with passes to this weekend's TCM film festival, with an opportunity to see a bunch of classics on the big screen.

Sooooo, I turn to the match-cut faithful to inquire, what should I see/prioritize?
Here's the rundown of everything being screened:

The Good Earth (1937) - Introduced by Luise Rainer
Jubal (1956) - Restored print, followed by Q&A w/ Ernest Borgnine
The King of Comedy (1983) - Followed by Q&A w/ Jerry Lewis
North by Northwest (1959) - Introduced by Eva Marie Saint and Martin Landau
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - Introduced by Eli Wallach
Saboteur (1942) - Followed by Q&A w/ Norman Lloyd
Imitation of Life (1959) - Featuring discussion w/ Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner
A Woman's Face (1941) - Introduced by Casey LaLonde
Harold Lloyd in An Eastern Weterner (1920) and Safety Last (1923) - Introduced by Leonard Maltin and Suzanne Lloyd
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - Featuring discussion by Douglas Trumbull
Carmen Jones (1954) - Restored version introduced by DOnald Bogle
Metropolis (1927) - North American premiere of new restoration
Breathless (1960) - New print introduced by Jean-Paul Belmondo
The Story of Temple Drake (1933)
Dirigible (1931) - New print introduced by Tom Capra and Frank Capra III
No Orchids for Miss Blandish (1948) - Introduced by Bruce Goldstein
The Day of the Triffids (1963) - World premiere of restored print
Bride of Frankenstein (1935) - New audio restoration
Play Time (1967) - 70mm print
Casablanca (1942)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Top Hat (1935)
Some Like It Hot (1959) - Introduced by Tony Curtis
Pillow Talk (1959)
Saturday Night Fever (1977)

The Hustons: A Hollywood Dynasty: Guests Anjelica and Danny Huston, includes screenings of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) and Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)

The Producers (1968) - discussion with Mel Brooks
The Graduate (1967) - discussion with Buck Henry
Midnight Cowboy (1969) - discussion with Jon Voight
Sweet Smell of Success (1957) - discussion with Tony Curtis
Cleopatra (1963) - discussion with martin Landau and Tom Mankiewicz
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) - discussion with Peter Bogdanovich
Wild River (1960) - Introduced by Curtis Hanson
Leave Her to Heaven (1945) - followed by q&A with Darryl Hickman
Sunnyside Up (1929) - new restoration
The Big Trail (1930) - new restoration
Singin' in the Rain (1952) - Introduced by Stanley Donen
Sunset Blvd. (1950) - Introduced by Nancy Olson and Carl Beauchamp
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) - Introduced by Cheryl Crane
In a Lonely Place (1950) - Introduced by Curtis Hanson
The Stunt Man (1980) - followed by Q&A with Richard Rush

Phew. So yeah. Definitely seeing Playtime, probably seeing The Stunt Man, as they are two of my favorites. But what else?

[Sven]

Oh man. Stunt Man w/Richard Rush? The Hustons?! JERRY LEWIS?!!?! (Too bad it's not an actual Lewis film. Still.)

Curtis Hanson needs to gtfo.

[ThePlashyBubbler]

Oh man. Stunt Man w/Richard Rush? The Hustons?! JERRY LEWIS?!!?! (Too bad it's not an actual Lewis film. Still.)

Curtis Hanson needs to gtfo.

Agreed. The ones you mentioned are all on my shortlist.

[Sven]

Most everything else is bona fide, as all are classics for some reason or another, most seem like they would be great on the big screen, and most seem to have fairly awesome to amazing guests. (Barring only a couple, I'm looking at you Curtis Hanson. Twice.)

Personally, given my tastes, I, and I stress that "I", I would see:

Saboteur
2001
Day of the Triffids
Sweet Smell of Success
whatthehellCleopatra
The King of Comedy (mostly to see Lewis himself)

But I could be easily dragged to anything.

[Ezee E]

Yeah, definitely get to King of Comedy for Jerry Lewis.

A 70MM print of Playtime is a rarity, and a mustsee, even if you already saw it on DVD. It's almost something you have to do if you get the chance.

Really, anything with discussions and Q&As are at least interesting to see, even if it is Curtis Hanson. It's something that you don't normally have the chance of participating in, so why not?

Enjoy!

[Derek]

Most everything else is bona fide, as all are classics for some reason or another, most seem like they would be great on the big screen, and most seem to have fairly awesome to amazing guests. (Barring only a couple, I'm looking at you Curtis Hanson. Twice.)

Personally, given my tastes, I, and I stress that "I", I would see:

Saboteur
2001
Day of the Triffids
Sweet Smell of Success
whatthehellCleopatra
The King of Comedy (mostly to see Lewis himself)

But I could be easily dragged to anything.

You wouldn't see Playtime in 70mm??

[Derek]

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - Introduced by Eli Wallach
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - Featuring discussion by Douglas Trumbull
Metropolis (1927) - North American premiere of new restoration
Breathless (1960) - New print introduced by Jean-Paul Belmondo
Play Time (1967) - 70mm print
Top Hat (1935)
Sweet Smell of Success (1957) - discussion with Tony Curtis
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) - discussion with Peter Bogdanovich
The Big Trail (1930) - new restoration
In a Lonely Place (1950) - Introduced by Curtis Hanson

I would prioritize these.

[Philosophe_rouge]

These are essential, as far as I am concerned

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - Introduced by Eli Wallach
Imitation of Life (1959) - Featuring discussion w/ Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner
Metropolis (1927) - North American premiere of new restoration
Breathless (1960) - New print introduced by Jean-Paul Belmondo
Some Like It Hot (1959) - Introduced by Tony Curtis
The Graduate (1967) - discussion with Buck Henry
Singin' in the Rain (1952) - Introduced by Stanley Donen
Sunset Blvd. (1950) - Introduced by Nancy Olson and Carl Beauchamp


I love the Graduate, but seriously, Buck Henry! The greatest man on earth, you have to go, for him!!

[Sven]

You wouldn't see Playtime in 70mm??

How the heck did I leave that off? I'll assume that I was thinking it was a given.

[kopello]

When they say new restoration of Metropolis I'm assuming they mean the addition of all that old footage found. If so that would be at the absolute top of my list of what to see, that's some historic shit right there. :P

[Watashi]

Damn. I wish I knew about this. I would kill to see most of these movies this weekend.

I assume it's all sold out, right?

[Watashi]

I would love to go to the Hustons. They are also showing The Proposition.

[ThePlashyBubbler]

I'm not sure if it's all sold out, but I do know that the retail price of tickets starts at around $500. That's why I was so surprised when I heard that we were offered free passes. Gonna definitely try to make the most out of it and get to as many screenings as possible. Also just found out John Carpenter will be in attendance, speaking at a panel on Sunday.

[Mara]

Jerry Lewis is annoying and unfunny. I was never much of a fan, but I saw him live in a production of Damn Yankees fifteen years or so ago and he was insufferable.

I'd love to see Mel Brooks live, though. I bet he's a hoot. And The Producers (the original, of course) is really fun.

[Sven]

Jerry Lewis is annoying and unfunny.

I imagine that he is personally an insufferable man. By all accounts, his ego is earth-shattering. And when he's bad, as in the movie Hardly Working (which is one of the worst films I've ever seen), he's epically disastrous.

But by God, his 50s and 60s film work is some of the most inspiring I've seen.

[Sven]

Also just found out John Carpenter will be in attendance, speaking at a panel on Sunday.

Trying... so... hard... not... to... be... jealous...

:frustrated: :frustrated: :frustrated:

[Raiders]

Jerry Lewis is annoying and unfunny.

I adore his string of self-made films from The Bellboy to Three on a Couch (with the exception of The Family Jewels), which are admittedly very peculiar films and Lewis himself is not a particularly hilarious presence, more of a hair-brained oddity and his cinematic jokes as much defined by his awkwardness as any traditional comedy. I attempted to watch him in one of those Martin & Lewis films and yeah, in the construct of a normal structured film, he grates more than intrigues.

[Sven]

I attempted to watch him in one of those Martin & Lewis films and yeah, in the construct of a normal structured film, he grates more than intrigues.

Well, it depends which one. There are a few of those films that deliver the crazy Jerry goods (Artists & Models & You're Never Too Young, I'm thinking, though all I've seen definitely have their stretches of genius). Usually, I think the fault of those movies (where there is fault) is more in the compromised normalcy of them. The forced conventionality. It can be a real drag.

[Qrazy]

This scene (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3BbvOZoKCg) from The Ladies Man is priceless.

[Sven]

This scene (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3BbvOZoKCg) from The Ladies Man is priceless.

Oh man. I love this scene. Buddy Lester, ftw.

[Mara]

This scene (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3BbvOZoKCg) from The Ladies Man is priceless.

Maybe I just don't get his sense of humor, because I just don't find it funny.

[Sven]

Maybe I just don't get his sense of humor, because I just don't find it funny.

"I didn't mean nothing by that. What do you want from my arm?" That's not funny?

Did you at least watch the whole thing and make it to the hat part? Cold, Mara. Ice cold.

[Mara]

"I didn't mean nothing by that. What do you want from my arm?" That's not funny?

Did you at least watch the whole thing and make it to the hat part? Cold, Mara. Ice cold.

I watched the whole thing. I just find him so annoying-- the mouth-breathing, the obnoxious voice, the disingenuous stupidity. Not my thing, I guess.

[Skitch]

I know its no controversial opinion, but I would pay a good amount of money to see 2001 on the big screen. Lot of great films on that list, but that would have to be number one.

[Ezee E]

I know its no controversial opinion, but I would pay a good amount of money to see 2001 on the big screen. Lot of great films on that list, but that would have to be number one.
Yeah, there's 70MM cuts of that and Lawrence of Arabia around that I'll make a priority to see if they come around to my area.

[MadMan]

Goddamnit I wish I had the time and the money to go. Sure it would be a cross-country trip, but getting to see all of those amazing movies on the big screen would be worth it.

[Grouchy]

When they say new restoration of Metropolis I'm assuming they mean the addition of all that old footage found. If so that would be at the absolute top of my list of what to see, that's some historic shit right there. :P
At the Buenos Aires Film Festival this year I assumed Metropolis with the old footage was a fix. All they had was a 40-minute documentary on how they found it which they exhibited as a feature. Lame.

I started to read the list and frankly, it all sounds so awesome I don't know what to say to you. These stood out for me as essential:

The King of Comedy (1983) - Followed by Q&A w/ Jerry Lewis
North by Northwest (1959) - Introduced by Eva Marie Saint and Martin Landau
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - Introduced by Eli Wallach
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - Featuring discussion by Douglas Trumbull
Metropolis (1927) - North American premiere of new restoration (if it is indeed the few footage)
The Hustons: A Hollywood Dynasty: Guests Anjelica and Danny Huston, includes screenings of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) and Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
Midnight Cowboy (1969) - discussion with Jon Voight
In a Lonely Place (1950) - Introduced by Curtis Hanson

John Carpenter, besides being my inspiration, must be a cool guy for a Q&A.

[ThePlashyBubbler]

An update!

So far I have had the pleasure to attend the following, all of which have been a blast:

2001: A Space Odyssey (w/ Douglas Trumbull)
The Sweet Smell of Success (w/ Tony Curtis)
The Producers (w/ Mel Brooks)
Breathless (w/ Jean-Paul Belmondo)
Playtime (AMAZING)
Crimes and Misdemeanors (w/ Anjelica Huston, Martin Landau [Danny Huston and Alec Baldwin also spotted hangin' out in the audience])
The Graduate (w/ Buck Henry)
and "Out of Circulation Cartoons"

Tomorrow brings (hopefully) The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Metropolis, and the very tough decision between The Stunt Man and the panel with Carpenter.

[B-side]

An update!

So far I have had the pleasure to attend the following, all of which have been a blast:

2001: A Space Odyssey (w/ Douglas Trumbull)
Breathless (w/ Jean-Paul Belmondo)
Crimes and Misdemeanors (w/ Anjelica Huston, Martin Landau [Danny Huston and Alec Baldwin also spotted hangin' out in the audience])

So jealous.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I watched the whole thing. I just find him so annoying-- the mouth-breathing, the obnoxious voice, the disingenuous stupidity. Not my thing, I guess.

I'm with you. Not funny in the least.

[Raiders]

the very tough decision between The Stunt Man and the panel with Carpenter.

Seems like a remarkably easy decision to me. Carpenter.