TCM's theme is "Penn & Teller" - tell me how these movies fit that theme.

[Rabrrrrrr]

The evening theme is Penn & Teller - and here are the movies that are being played as part of that "theme" -

1. At the Circus - Marx Brothers

2. F for Fake (1976) - Orson Welles' movie about art forger

3. Freaks (1932) - A lady trapeze artist violates the code of the side show when she plots to murder her midget husband. Cast: Wallace Ford, Olga Baclanova, Harry Earles. Dir: Tod Browning. BW-64 mins, TV-PG

4. Sunshine Boys, The (1975) - A feuding comedy team reunites for a television comeback. Cast: Walter Matthau, George Burns, Richard Benjamin. Dir: Herbert Ross. C-111 mins, TV-14



I can see the last one, that seems obvious. The Welles' movie I can also get, since Penn & Teller expose magic tricks, which is kind of somehow related to art forgery, but not quite.

The others I don't get it.

[Floogeldy]

1. I don't know but if you've never seen "Freaks," watch it.

It will FREAK you out.

[Connie_Corleone]

2. Freaks is the best!!

I have it on DVD.

[Bossy Monkey]

3. I don't think it's a theme; they're the studio co-hosts

with the usual studio host. Jillette was going on about how much he enjoyed Harpo's discomfort in physical gags. An odd duck is our Penn, even apart from the libertarianism.

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. Yeah, once I started watching it I realized that was the situation.

That they had picked these films.

F for Fake was fantastic! But then, Welles was the ultimate genius, so I'm not surprised.

I fell asleep during "Freaks" sadly. I saw about the first 15 minutes.

[DS1]

8. F for Fake = based on their 'Bullshit' series on Showtime

[Zookeeper]

4. I'm not sure how "Freaks" relates to a Penn and Teller...

theme, unless they chose the film because they like it.

However, if you haven't seen Freaks, watch it! It was banned in England for 30 years and was a critical and commercial flop in the U.S. MGM sold the film to an independant company in the mid-thirties and it wasn't seen very often. It is a very interesting film that is far less exploitative than it sounds.

Freaks and Devil Doll are my favorite Tod Browning films.

[ghostsofgiants]

5. Not sure about the connection, but F for Fake is a damn fine film.

[deadparrot]

6. No theme, really, it's just their favorite films...

http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/thismonth/article/?cid=133232

[Richardo]

9. Arthur Penn and Edward Teller

"Bonnie and Clyde and the Atomic Mutant Ant Colony"

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

10. Don't you think their gig mimics the Marx Brothers just a tad?

[jukes]

11. "TCM"

a republican hiring summer-aids for a tacky theme-project. out-of-date films "colorized" & recycled for maximum profit at little expenditure.


seriously, who gives a fuck?

[Love Bug]

12. What are you talking about?

TCM is one of the few places where you can see old films (even silents) in an uncut state. Yes, Ted Turner colorized some films, but I can't remember the last time I saw one. Besides, I don't think he has anything to do with the TCM network anymore. As far as politics -- TCM seems to be a politics-free zone, unless they are showing films like "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." It's a great network, one of the best on cable.

[jukes]

15. mist my point, i'm afraid

prbly my inadequate communication skilz.

i was trying to point out that a "theme" is just a marketing ploy & the OP shd just enjoy & appreciate the films w/o obsessing over the business angle.

even in the lounge, there are more important issues than thematic inconsistencies in a movie channel on cable.

such as clever copy-cat threads w/ sexual innuendo!

[Love Bug]

21. Ah, ok!

Thought you were "goring my ox," so to speak...

As Emily Litella would say, "Never mind!"

[Bridget Burke]

13. TCM never colorizes films.

And the "modern" ones are shown letterboxed. Some of us prefer many "out of date" films to many of those currently bombing in the Metroplexes.

Although the Penn & Teller project does not interest me.

[jukes]

14. AH!

never watch that channel, but no diss intended for officianados of classic films. my interest was piqued by the OP obsessing over a marketing-theme promoted by a republican-owned concern and the obvious short-comings of that theme prbly developed by an unpaid summer intern.

just seemed a bit petty to me.

[Bridget Burke]

16. "Race & Hollywood" is the month's main theme at TCM.

And they seem to take it rather seriously.

www.turnerclassicmovies.com/thismonth/article/?cid=133204

I'm not so sure that TCM is "Republican owned." But I can't see all my movies from the Aurora Picture Show!

www.aurorapictureshow.org/

[cmkramer]

17. "Lost Boundaries"

I read Donald Bogle's book on African-Americans in Hollywood many years ago, and I remember him writing about this movie, but I never saw it until TCM showed it last week.

Anyway, that's the biggest reason I love this channel -- you can see old movies and shorts that you aren't likely to find on other cable movie channels.

[LouisianaLiberal]

18. TCM is one of the few channels I watch.

I posted the following in response to a poster who thought, at first glance, that TCM should not be showing Birth of a Nation:

It is both prefaced and followed by reasoned discussion with the African-American film historian who chose the films. They are showing films that were indeed racist, as well as early films portraying African-Americans with dignity.

Its really an excellent series - I had never seen a Stepn Fetchit film before, and I was shocked. Believe me, this series is worth seeing. Most of these films will be shown nowhere else, and Robert Osbourne should be saluted for exposing a past popular culture that is darkly racist and difficult to watch at times. This happened not long ago, relatively speaking, and should be considered and discussed.

I think the series is continuing every Tues and Thurs evening (and late into the evening) for the rest of the month. From the TCM website:

"The series represents a study of how African-Americans have been portrayed by Hollywood, and the cultural impact of this depiction upon American society. Its goals include tracking the history of the movies' relationship with African-Americans, and provoking thoughtful discussion and debate about how this relationship has evolved and where it stands today. In this festival, TCM puts this aspect of film history into academic context. Donald Bogle will take each film and dissect it, providing viewers with his insight. For example, Bogle will discuss films like Cabin in the Sky and why the film was important to black and white audiences during World War II."

[Zookeeper]

22. I missed the Stepn Fetchit film...

but, I did catch a bit of "Amos and Andy." Yikes!

It jogged an old memory for me, though. As a Detroit kid in the 1960's, I visited Tennesse one summer and was shocked and amazed that Amos and Andy TV shows were on every afternoon.

[jukes]

19. i hope they do take it seriously!

a worthy theme, no dowt. and if they program the original "flash gordon" under that theme, it wd be worthy of discussion here.

"penn & teller" certainly has less social import as a theme, and if they fail to program a film debunking SOMETHING i, personally, don't find it noteworthy.

a letter to TMC management wd be more to the point. perhaps the OP hoped to drum up a campaign of letter-writing among outraged DU TMC viewers and merely forgot the impetus in his frenzy to post?



o/c, since we're barraged with britney-baby threads, why not penn & teller? the talent, tinsel, & importance are roughly equal.

[2bfree]

20. I love TCM!

And Penn and Teller as well! Freaks is an amazing movie, thanks for the heads up. :)