Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Experiencing the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival Vicariously

While I have always wanted to go to it, I have never attended the TCM Classic Film Festival (or TCMFF for short). As a huge fan of classic films and Turner Classic Movies it is on my list of things I would really like to do, but my finances have never quite allowed me to do so. Never mind that I would get to watch classic films on the big screen, there are many one-of-a-kind events at the TCM Classic Film Festival I would like to have seen.

This year's TCMFF was no different.  Given I missed her when she was in Kansas City, I would really have liked to have attended the Illeana Douglas book signing. I always thought Illeana was very talented and very funny, and I have gotten to interact with her during various TCMParties on Twitter (including the epic ones for her "Second Looks" series on TCM).  It would be cool to meet her in person. I also would liked to have attended Rita Moreno's book signing. As many of you already know, I have had a crush on her since childhood. It would be nice to meet her in person, even if I would probably be a bundle of nerves!

As to movies, there were so many I would have liked to have seen at this year's film festival. Among these was Batman (1966) with Adam West and Lee Meriwether. I have always been a fan of both the TV series and the film, and it would have cool to have seen Adam West in person. I would also liked to have seen Forbidden Planet (1956), especially given Robby the Robot made a surprise appearance! I also would have liked to have seen Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982), primarily for the chance to see Carl Reiner. Mr. Reiner is one of my heroes and I can guarantee seeing him in person would have been the highlight of the festival for me! The other highlight for me would have been The Manchurian Candidate (1962) with Dame Angela Lansbury. I have always been a huge fan of her. Of course, there are many other films at TCMFF I would liked to have seen: Band of Outsiders (1964), The Big Sleep (1946), Dark Victory (1939), A Face in the Crowd (1957), The Freshman (1925), Horse Feathers (1932), It's a Wonderful Life (1946), and Network (1976), among many others.

Of course, more than seeing any legendary celebrities in person or watching any beloved films on the big screen, the primary reason I would like to attend the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival is the opportunity to meet my classic film friends. Over the years I have befriended many fellow classic film fans online and I feel closer to many of them than people I know in person. Indeed, many of them I have literally known for years. Sadly, I have never met them in person. I would love to be able to finally meet them, as well as such TCM personages as Ben Mankiewicz  (whom I did get to talk to when I did Fan Favourites), Robert Osborne, and Illeana Douglas. In fact, I can guarantee getting to meet long time friends for the first time in person would be what I would love most about the festival.

It is because I have so many online classic film friends who did attend the festival that I have gotten to experience TCMFF vicariously. There was no shortage of photos and reports about the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival posted to such social media outlets as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Google+. I swear that most of my friends got photos with Ben Mankiewicz or Illeana Douglas! Now that the festival is over many of my friends are making blog posts about it. As a result I am not only getting to see what the festival looked like, but learn a lot of what takes place at the festival. I want to say that I am very thankful to all of my friends for posting so much about TCMFF!

Below are several blog posts on the 2016 Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival. I will be updating the list as more are posted! Let me know if I miss any.

A Classic Movie Blog:
"TCM Classic Film Festival 2016: Opening Night Red Carpet"
"TCM Classic Film Festival 2016: Francis Ford Coppola Hand and Footprint Ceremony at the Chinese Theatre"
"TCM Classic Film Festival 2016: The Stars"
"TCM Classic Film Festival 2016: The Films, Part One"
"TCM Classic Film Festival 2016: The Films, Part Two"

Backlots:
"2016 TCM Classic Film Festival Schedule: THURSDAY"
"2016 TCM Classic Film Festival Schedule FRIDAY"
"2016 TCM Classic Film Festival Schedule, SATURDAY"
"2016 TCM Classic Film Festival Schedule, SUNDAY"
"Highlights From the TCM Classic Film Festival"

Blog of the Darned:
"TCMFF Madness, Baby"
"Son of the TCMFF Survival Guide"
"A New Kilt for TCMFF, Translated"
"TCMFF Top 5"
"TCMFF 2016 - Initial Wrapup"

Classic Movie Man:
"2016 #TCMFF: The First Full Day"

Comet Over Hollywood:
"Turner Classic Movies Film Festival 2016: The Films"
"Turner Classic Movies Film Festival 2016: The People" 

The Hollywood Revue:
"Kicking Off TCMFF 2016"
"Day 2 of TCMFF 2016 Goes Out With a “Roar”" 
"TCMFF 2016, Day 3: My Day of Presentations" 
"TCMFF 2016, Day 4: An Interview to Remember" 

Journeys in Classic Film
"My 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival Must-Sees" 
"The TCM Classic Film Festival: Pre-Fest and Day 1"
 "The TCM Classic Film Festival 2016: Day 2"
"The TCM Classic Film Festival 2016: Day 3"
"The TCM Classic Film Festival: Day 4"

 Laura's Miscellaneous Musings
"The 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival in Review"
"The 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival: Day One"
"The 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival: Day Two"
"The 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival: Day Three"
"The 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival: Day Four" 
 "The 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival: Day Five" 

Lou Lumenick in The New York Post:
"TCM Fest really does have something for everyone" 

Out of the Past: A Classic Film Blog:
"My Top Picks for the 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival"
"TCM Classic Film Festival 2016: Day 1 and 2 Recap"
"TCM Classic Film Festival 2016: Day #3 Recap"
"TCM Classic Film Festival 2016: Day #4 Recap"
"TCM Classic Film Festival: Day #5 Recap"
"TCM Classic Film Festival: Day #6 Recap"
"TCMFF Book Haul"
"Who I Met, Who I Saw and My Thoughts on the 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival "

Outspoken and Freckled:
"TCM Film Fest 2016: Emotions Run High"

Silents and Talkies:
"TCMFF 2016 printable schedule + my top picks"
"TCMFF - Part 1"
"TCMFF - Part 2"
"TCMFF - Part 3"
"TCMFF - Part 4"
"TCMFF - Part 5"
"TCMFF souvenirs (alternate title: coolest photo of Monica Vitti ever)"

Speakeasy:
"Off to #TCMFF"
"The 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival"
"2016 TCM Classic Film Festival Side Trips"
"2016 TCM Classic Film Festival: Elliott Gould & The Long Goodbye (1973)"
"TCMFF, Day 2: The Day Where Everything Was a Highlight"
"2016 TCM Classic Film Festival: A House Divided (1931)"
"2016 TCM Classic Film Festival: Private Property (1960)"
"2016 TCM Classic Film Festival: Law and Order (1932) & Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back (1934)"

2017 TCM Classic Film Festival at Storify
 

2 comments:

KC said...

Thanks for the link. I'll definitely have more to share!

said...

I really, really want to go to TCMFF one day! I need a passport and a good amount of savings first, though.
I literally stalked the TCMFF hashtag on Twitter the whole time the festival was going on. I also really enjoyed Danny's reviews of the festival on Precode.com
Cheers!