Preview -To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird

We are really close folks… just have the final chore of writing the text details, updating the database, and some blah blah tech stuff… BUT… check out this cool preview from Doug, just to get you stoked. We expect this great movie will be ready real soon. Either tomorrow morning.. or maybe even later today. The movie is all encoded, and loaded on the streaming servers… the download mpg files are also done, and on the server, but the download servers need to be tweaked to make it ready for our users. ok… back to work… just thought you’d enjoy the PREVIEW clip Doug made. BTW.. the link above for To Kill a Mockingbird only goes to a newsreel blurb of when it came out… when the database is updated, it will offer a link to the movie too…. we’re on it.. bye!

Next Up To Kill a Mockingbird

Coming Up Next - To Kill a Mockingbird. This is one of the finest films ever made… for me, it’s got a spot in the top 10 all time, because it is so good in every aspect of film as an artistic meduim. Based on Harper Lee’s story - it’s a legal drama, a historic snapshot of the Old South, a tale of innocence through the eyes of a child, and a soul searching epic on the human condition, inequality, and prejudice. The photography is nothing short of brilliant. I could go on and on - just about the title and credits sequence at the beginning. I especially enjoyed the marble rolling past the eyeglasses, becoming distorted through the lenses, and rolling into another marble… reminding one of a set of glasses. Obviously a tribute to Eisenstein, and the Odessa Steps sequence, and to Akira Kurosawa - and his remarkable films which explored our human perception versus reality. The music by Elmer Bernstein, the screenplay adaption… and on and on and on.

Anyway… get ready…. it’s coming up next. We are already past the initial preparation phase - the print looks fantastic. We will finish the first encoding pass today, and do another pass while we sleep, as the computers go crunch, crunch crunch during the wee hours of the morning. We hope to have it ready later this week. Frank is working on his preview…. gotta get back to work myself, just thought I’d give you an update. I hope everyone takes a moment to reflect on the life and legacy left by one of America’s greatest actors - who died this month on June 12th - Gregory Peck. We are proud to present the film in honor of this wonderful man.

Happy Birthday -Jane Russell

Jane Russell was born on this day- June 21, 1921 in Bemiji, Minnesota. Best known for her “duel assets”, she was not only was a talented actress - she could sing and dance as well. Discovered by Howard Hughes, who starred the unknown thesbian as Rio, Billy The Kids’ main squeeze in his epic production of The Outlaw. Learn more by clicking the links provided.

He Walked by Night

Dragnet’s Joe Friday as CSI Cop

Just a few years before Dragnet became a TV show (1951), Jack Webb rocked in this film as Lee, a cool CSI investigator looking for a psycho killer, Davis Morgan - played by Richard Basehart, best known as Admiral Harriman Nelson in Voyage to the Bottom of the sea. My favorite scene in this movie is when Jack Webb tests a substance to see if it’s nitro. Watch the whole movie - He Walked by Night is a decent film if you like the classic cop genre.

Coming Next -Samurai II

Next Up - Inagaki’s Epic Samurai Trilogy - part deux

Just finished up the first encoding passes of Hiroshi Inagaki’s epic masterpiece - Samurai, part 2 of the trilogy (Duel at Ichijoji Temple). In part one (currently available to view or download)… we left our hero Musashi Miyamoto walking down the road on his life’s journey to become the greatest Samurai warrior of all time. PHEW! Part two is loaded with more plot twists and a cornecopia of swashbuckling swordplay, … and Otsu’s growing sorrow from pining for her beloved Samurai, and priests trying to provide our hero with more spiritual development. The last scene where Musashi battles like 80 guys (the duel at Ichijoji Temple)… is well INCREDIBLE! The cinematography is A+, and has that understated Japanese simplicity we all know and love. This movie has gobs of fung shway, so position yourself in your chair at the proper angle… and check out Doug’s hillarious preview. Currently, Frank - our graphics image guru, is taking the day off… but he should get back on it tomorrow. The film should be ready by late Wednesday night, or Thursday worst case. Better watch part one in case you haven’t had a chance to yet, so all the tricky details make sense.

Happy Birthday Gumby and Stan Laurel

Happy Birthday Gumby!

I’m a huge gumby fan - Gumby was pretty weird. The stories were always out there, and you just have to be impressed with Art Clokey… and the time required to make Gumby… to shoot all those one frame at a time action sequences. Also - check out pre-Gumby mini claymation epic - Gumbasia!

Also of note for June 16th - Stan Laurel, born June 16, 1890.- He’s thin guy of the classic comedy team, Oliver & Hardy.

And today in History - 40 years ago today…. was the first female astronaut - Read on! and watch a video clip too.

Currently working on Inagaki’s Samurai - Part 2. This is a great Samurai epic trilogy - and part 2 is loaded with action. We’ll get that all posted - and get to work on To Kill a Mockingbird - asap. As you probably heard, last week (June 12, 2003) Gregory Peck died at age 87. He was a great actor, and seemed like a really nice guy too. We’ll miss him.

Popeye Toon -Friday the 13th!

Today is Friday the 13th…. oooooo, just another day really… and Friday’s are always something to be happy about. In case you’re one of those superstitious typs… take some good advice from Popeye… in I Don’t Scare. (Eat spinach… be safe out there!)

What’s Coming Next

We just got in another batch of goodies… that we will clean up further, and prepare for the LikeTelevision online library. Currently, the creative guys are hard at work tweaking - Hiroshi Inagaki’s epic Samurai Trilogy, the Story of Musashi Myamoto, Japan’s legendary Samurai hero. Part One is already up… so you better get with it and watch it, because Part 2, Duel At Ichijoji will be ready sometime early next week. Lots of action - but best if you know the background from Part One.

From 1962 - a classic film adaptation, from Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, starring Gregory Peck who won the Oscar for Best Actor in his role as Atticus Finch, a small town Southern lawyer. One of the best movies ever made - it was nominated for 8 Academy Awards (won 3), including Best Picture, but lost to David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia.

On the lighter side - get ready for Brigitte Bardot in the role that made her famous, as Juliete Hardy - a sultry young lass looking for love in St Tropez. Yes sir - And God Created Woman will be available shortly. Oooh La La… This is the best version of the film - with Bardot, speaking in her native tongue (French) with English subtitles. The film was made in 1956 - and Brigitte Bardot was born in Paris France on September 28, 1934… so I guess she was about 22 when the film was made.

Want more? - GOT IT! How about Teresa Graves in Get Christie Love. This movie is just oozing 70’s chic and the challenged fashion statements of this golden era. Lots of urban martial arts, bell bottom roundhouse kicks, cool shades, and big afros.

Masaki Kobayashi’s Kaidan from 1964 is not that well known in the U.S. but is a remarkable film. Comprised of 4 shories - each separate, yet somehow related … the film offers breathtaking cinematography, in glorious color, and well written, well acted plots and sub plots. And while it is beautiful to look at - the film has a creepiness to it, that makes it legendary to those fortunate enough to have seen it.

and yes… there’s more titles too…. but we’ll do these first.

A Game -Video Time Machine

At LikeTelevision, we provide a fun game we call -Ride the Time Machine. The game offers hard and easy questions about history facts and hollywood tidbits. Click the ride the time machine link, and you are randomly dropped on any day of the year. You’re given a quick question, with a picture and a date as reference, sometimes with a hint. Each question has a point value (based on difficulty factor)… keep score with a pad and paper, or just use notepad. We have also heard of modified versions of scoring with required beer sips for missed answers, but you better bone up on the game before you go there. Each answer is revealed in the next of the click-thru link… and an archive newsreel is provided about the subject. Just look for the link in the hollywood and history sections - - RIDE THE TIME MACHINE.

Happy Birthday Gene Wilder

Gene Wilder - born June 11, 1935 in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Best known as Willy Wonka, or partnered with Richard Pryor - a very hillarious fellow. Check out Gene Wilder in a buddy movie with Bob Newhart and a mountain of other stars. The fun starts with a Thursday night poker game.