Bobbing Along the Beautiful Briny Sea

[eggwards]

It seems that Turner Classic Movies channel (TCM) has gotten hold of much of the Disney Live Action films for the 50's 60's and 70's and has been shoing them on Sundays this month. I saw one of the old Kurt-Russel movies, The World's Strongest Man last Sunday, and noticed they had also been showing The Love Bug, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and The Parent Trap among others.

Today was the best, though. Movies that really brought back memories. This morning 1979's The Black Hole was on, followed by Escape to Witch Mountain - which really doesn't hold up over time, but is cute. joshjeffcoat came by to watch Bedknobs and Broomsticks and besides loving Angela Lansbury we both realized we knew a lot of the songs.

It continued tonight with Candleshoe and later the original Freaky Friday both with Jodie Foster. Candleshoe is a fun little young-person's mystery that doesn't get it's due. It's amazing that both of theses squeaky-clean Disney movies were shot after her role as a teenage prostitute in Taxi Driver. They are a lot of fun though, and the Original Friday is a lot better than the Lindsay Loahan remake.

I saw all of these films in the theater growing up, and it's good to see them all again. I normally don't look to TMC for entertainment. I'm not much of an old movie buff, but I do enjoy these bits of nostalgia.

Speaking of nostalgia, TCM is showing two other movies this week I'm interested in. They are showing Fiddler on the Roof tomorrow (as a part of a Chanukah lineup that sadly includes Yentl) and The Man Who Came To Dinner (which is not Guess Who's Coming To Dinner). They were two of the plays I was in while in high school, so it's always fun to revisit those shows.

I guess I'll have to watch TCM's schedule a little more closely from now on.

Comments

[eggwards.livejournal.com]

I was surpassed they weren't showing "White Christmas", but then ABC Family ran it 3 times tonight. It's sappy, but the musical numbers are good.

[jrjarrett.livejournal.com]

I love "Escape to Witch Mountain" and "The Black Hole"

[eggwards.livejournal.com]

The end of "The Black Hole" is just so strange, and I saw this in a theater when I was 12. I didn't know about 2001 at the time, but now I see the comparisons - though the Black Hole, with it's Heaven and Hell reference is much more religious.

I had a model of V.I.N.CENT for a long time.

[eggwards.livejournal.com]

"Candleshoe" holds up pretty well, and there's a nice Disney message in there, despite the typical Disney slapstick villains. Heck, the villains are pretty much the same pair in "The Rescuers," just live action.

[winbear.livejournal.com]

I setup to record the 2 Witch Mountain movies. Harry's never seen them and I wanted him to have some background before "Race to Witch Mountain" comes out. I also recorded Bedknobs and Broomsticks for some Angela Lansbury goodness.

Re: Yentl, I have to confess, I saw it when I was on a high school debate trip and I called my mom long distance to rave about it. I guess my little gay clue phone was ringing its little heart out.

[eggwards.livejournal.com]

I can't believe they are making a new "Witch Mountain" movie. Will it be a sequel or a "re-imagining"? Bedknobs is a true classic, not as sappy as Marry Poppins, but still good.

[winbear.livejournal.com]

Race looks to be a reimagining with The Rock being the unlikely human to help the cute kiddos get back to Witch Mountain. I thought they weren't using the Tony and Tia names in the preview I saw, but IMDB lists those names.

It's even the 2nd reimagining of Witch Mountain. They did a TV movie a few years ago just like they did with Freaky Friday before making the Lindsay Lohan feature.

[kingfuraday.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh - makes me wish I had cable. What a great run of Disney films. I love all of those.

I need to pick up Bedknobs, but I do have The Parent Trap, Escape to Witch Mountain, Candleshoe, the original Freaky Friday, and Mary Poppins...

[eggwards.livejournal.com]

Well, now you know what to load up your netflix queue with! One of the joys of cable is coming across something you didn't expect. It's always the spontaneity you miss when you give it up, but yes, it's friggin expensive.

I like the original Freaky Friday so much more. I think it was a mistake to make Jamie Lee Curtis a single mom - that was just weird.

Chris and I were discussing two others I need to look for. "The North Avenue Irregulars" and "The Cat From Outer Space".

[winbear.livejournal.com]

What about the Apple Dumpling Gang? They should have run that when Don Knotts passed away. I haven't seen North Avenue Irregulars since it was in theatres.