Re: The stunning collapse of television news
Me, again!
On Sun, 15 Nov 2009, Old Pif wrote:
> On Nov 15, 4:30 pm, indiaBPOking <indiabpok...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> The real story, however, is the collapse of television news as a
>> routine source of news. I've already mentioned that our children's
>> generation don't seem to watch television much at all.
>>
>
> I am deeply proud of them. Hopefully they will be smarter than the
> parents.
>
>>
>> I don't think the sudden death of television is getting enough
>> attention.
>>
>
> It does not deserve one.
>
Broadcast television quality has gone down over the years, lots of people
I know are buying up used VCR tapes at used prices and lots of DVDs, and
those businesses are booming. Besides the advantage of being able to watch
them anytime you want, as many times as you want, there are never any
commercials in the middle of the movies.
Ever hear about books? Even better.
BMJ
>
>
>
> On Sun, 15 Nov 2009, Old Pif wrote:
>
>> On Nov 15, 4:30 pm, indiaBPOking <indiabpok...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> The real story, however, is the collapse of television news as a
>>> routine source of news. I've already mentioned that our children's
>>> generation don't seem to watch television much at all.
>>>
>>
>> I am deeply proud of them. Hopefully they will be smarter than the
>> parents.
>>
>>>
>>> I don't think the sudden death of television is getting enough
>>> attention.
>>>
>>
>> It does not deserve one.
>>
>
> Broadcast television quality has gone down over the years,
I was reminded of that last night and tonight. AMC showed the first 4
episodes of its remake of the classic 1960s show "The Prisoner".
In a word, terrible. It lacks the originality and imagination of the
original. I've found it boring and disjointed. One thing in its favour,
though: it's better than the "Andromeda Strain" rubbish that was on A & E
last year.
But that's Hollywood for you: if it worked, it has to be "improved".
Old Pif
>
> Ever hear about books? Even better.
>
I like books. Time is the problem. I am gathering a collection to read
on retirement. If I have one ....
Me, again!
At least you should get Social Security when you retire (under thr
bridge?), and if you get laid off, sooner, you will have plenty of time on
your hands. ;-)
BMJ
> On Nov 17, 2:13 am, BMJ <owlstretchingt...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> I was reminded of that last night and tonight. AMC showed the first 4
>> episodes of its remake of the classic 1960s show "The Prisoner".
>>
>> In a word, terrible. It lacks the originality and imagination of the
>> original. I've found it boring and disjointed. One thing in its favour,
>> though: it's better than the "Andromeda Strain" rubbish that was on A & E
>> last year.
>>
>> But that's Hollywood for you: if it worked, it has to be "improved".
>
> horrible remakes at all?
Why do you think that rubbish is being churned out?
A few days ago, I watched "Bonnie and Clyde" on Encore Avenue.
Out of curiosity, I looked it up on the Internet Movie Database and noticed
that a an article that said a remake is in the works with (ahem!) Hillary
Duff as Bonnie Parker. Apparently she feels that it will be a success as
the people who'd come to see it wouldn't know who Faye Dunaway is. (Hello?
Ever hear of DVDs? Cable TV movie channels?)
It'll be terrible. It'll make a lot of money.
Worse yet, I've heard rumours that a remake of "Casablanca" has been in the
works for a few years..... <shudder>
BMJ
> actually actually watching such remakes.
All that's needed is some big-name pop star to be in the credits and they
go ga-ga for it, just to see their hero or heroine on the silver screen.
Whether they can actually act is immaterial. (I can think of several who
should never have tried movie acting.)
But that's nothing new, as it was done in the days of the early talkies.
>
> Who knows? The kiddies could be playing video games instead of
> watching television and movies.
Not in my city. I was at one of the larger shopping centres one evening
about a year ago and many in the lineups for the shoebox cinemas were of
high school age. I think there was some big-name flick showing at one of
them about who knows what (maybe based on a video game or comic book)
starring who cares.
The last movie I ever went to was "Jurassic Park" when it was showing in a
second-run movie house, having made its money off the first-run crowd
during the previous summer. Again, most of those in attendance were
teenyboppers on their holiday break, which rather ruined the movie for me.
It had been billed as *scary* and whenever there was anything remotely of
that nature being shown, the soundtrack was drowned out by all the screaming.
After the movie was over, I wondered why I bothered going. I didn't find
it scary in the least and I found the contributions of the kiddies rather
annoying. Later, after seeing it on TV, and watching it as a *science*
fiction movie dealing with actual *science*, I thought it was pretty good.
I eventually added that one to my DVD collection.
BMJ
> On Nov 17, 1:50 pm, BMJ <owlstretchingt...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Not in my city. I was at one of the larger shopping centres one evening
>> about a year ago and many in the lineups for the shoebox cinemas were of
>> high school age. I think there was some big-name flick showing at one of
>> them about who knows what (maybe based on a video game or comic book)
>> starring who cares.
>
> going to the theaters more for social reasons (ie. hanging out with
> friends), than for the actual movie itself. In such scenarios, the
> actual movie itself is largely irrelevant.
I did the same thing when I was younger, but I usually went because I
wanted to see the flick. If I couldn't find anybody interested in seeing
it, I went by myself.
That's one reason I'm pleased we get channels like Turner Classic Movies
out here. I can watch whatever I like and do so because I want to. A lot
of times, I've discovered some real cinematic gems that I might have
otherwise disregarded.
BMJ
> On Nov 17, 5:25 pm, BMJ <owlstretchingt...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> That's one reason I'm pleased we get channels like Turner Classic Movies
>> out here. I can watch whatever I like and do so because I want to. A lot
>> of times, I've discovered some real cinematic gems that I might have
>> otherwise disregarded.
>
> channels, largely the better stuff? I wouldn't be surprised if the
> really horrible stuff from yesteryear is hardly ever seen these days.
> The really horrible stuff from yesteryear may not even have been
> released on dvd or even vhs.
They've shown some real turkeys from time to time, and not just on "TCM
Underground".