I know this has been posted on the "Appearances and Book Signings" thread, but since (a) it's a national television appearance rather than a personal appearance or a book-signing, and (b) Ray is the biggest movie buff in the world (I gave up arguing my cinematic supremacy years ago), I thought this deserved its own topic:

Ray will join Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne as Guest Programmer for four films on Thursday, Nov. 20 (one week before Thanksgiving). The lineup includes two Lon Chaney (senior, of course) masterpieces, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (at 8 p.m. EDT) and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (9:45 p.m. EDT), plus Alfred Hitchcock's REBECCA (11:45 p.m. EDT) and Orson Welles' CITIZEN KANE (2 a.m. EDT).

The lineup appears to me to be extremely appropriate and well-selected, given Chaney's role as Ray's earliest silent-screen influence and the fact that Ray knew and worked with both Hitch and Orson at various times (and in various capacities) over the years.

KING KONG and SINGIN' IN THE RAIN were apparently off the table for discussion for programming reasons. (Both have been aired multiple times in recent months.)

Also, I mentioned to Ray on the phone yesterday that it would have been even more ideal to have him guest host on Halloween. He said, "I'll push for that next year!"

Terry Pace
pillaroffire@bellsouth.net

"God, here and there, makes madness a calling." -- Ray Bradbury

Terry,

I've already set my TiVo.

Ah, John, you have a TiVo. Marvellous! I have one, as well - one of about 30,000 sold in the UK (of which maybe a thousand are still in use). Alas, nothing beyond series 1 machines were ever released over here, and we British TiVo users are a dying breed.

I thought Mr B must have been choosing from a list. No way he would have chosen Rebecca over King Kong. (Actually, I love both.)

quote:

Originally posted by philnic:
Ah, John, you have a TiVo. Marvellous! I have one, as well - one of about 30,000 sold in the UK (of which maybe a thousand are still in use). Alas, nothing beyond series 1 machines were ever released over here, and we British TiVo users are a dying breed.

I thought Mr B must have been choosing from a list. No way he would have chosen Rebecca over King Kong. (Actually, I love both.)

I used TiVo generically. It is a DVR that will record four shows while watching a fifth.

I like it when TiVo is used generically. TiVo is a good word, especially when used as a verb:

"I tivoed the show while I did the hoovering."

Is "hoovering" anything like "electroluxing"?

Exactly so, but both terms are now obsolete. This season, we DYSON!

quote:

Originally posted by philnic:
Exactly so, but both terms are now obsolete. This season, we DYSON!

On this side of the pond the recording devices are "free" with a two year contract. I pay $26 a month for all channels, short of the pay packages; HBO, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by philnic:
This season, we DYSON!

What you want to do is Rainbow!

Best in the world.

Hmm, I think I would prefer to roomba.

Yeah - I fancy those little robots, too. But they don't trap the dust in water!

In just a couple of hours, Ray will be channeling the spirit of Lon Chaney ... :-)

Terry Pace
pillaroffire@bellsouth.net

"God, here and there, makes madness a calling." -- Ray Bradbury

quote:

Originally posted by William Lantry:
In just a couple of hours, Ray will be channeling the spirit of Lon Chaney ... :-)

Terry Pace
pillaroffire@bellsouth.net

"God, here and there, makes madness a calling." -- Ray Bradbury

I bribed she-who-must-be-obeyed by giving her money from my wallet to go to dinner and a movie with a girlfriend tonight so I won't be disturbed while watching...

I just listened to the Dennis Miller Show's podcast of Dennis's interview with Ray about his selections tonight.

If you go to his website, you have to sign up and pay a monthly fee to hear the segment (just under eight minutes), but if you open your iTunes, and go to the podcast section, you can download and listen for free. It's a great, but short, interview.

Tell me that wasn't a Bradbury audioautomatronic on Turner Classic! I've seen Ray livelier at the 5 hr end of a book signing.