HA! I taped that too.

I remember when the old AMC aired King Kong in it's uncut glory for the first time anywhere in decades. What a show! They did Citizen Kane too. Once upon a time, AMC was instrumental in creating the business of movie restoration. And if that isn't enough, every halloween AMC showed all the classic Universal monster movies unedited and commercial free. Yay!

I suspect that the truth is that MGM's movie library owned by Turner scared them so much they wet their beds at the thought of trying to directly compete with them when TCM was a start up. So, being goofy media executives they decided to dump host Bob Dorian, add commercials and target housewives instead of classic movie buffs.

Kinda' like what happened to Tech TV when those goofy media executives decided to target teenagers instead of tech enthusiasts.

Anyway, you're right - AMC blows.

Meanwhile, TCM gets better every year.

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Dave,

One of the things I really like about TCM is that, for the most part at least, they show the widescreen versions of movies and not the dreaded "pan and scan" versions. I don't own a widescreen TV (yet), but even with my "standard" screen I much prefer to see the "letterbox".

I could easily be mistaken (since I watch AMC so seldom now), but I don't recall seeing many widescreen movies on AMC.

Dave, I've got to agree with you. AMC was a jewel for classic movie lovers. My wife loved it. Bob Dorian really added class. TCM started almost as a copy-cat, but it has now surpassed AMC in every way, making it the go-to channel for classic movies. AMC seems little better than network's ""Saturday Night at the Movies."

Hey, I'm a housewife and I don't feel like AMC was trying to target me at all. I don't know who would enjoy the mess they have now. I too loved the classic movies, Bob Dorian, and their own Remember WENN. I switched to TCM as well but if AMC went back to their old ways I would watch them too. It seemed like they had a few movies that TCM might not have and I did love Remember WENN. I hear they aren't even willing to sell that show on DVD. They really don't make sense at all.

I COMPLETELY agree with you, Dave. It seems AMC carefully chose their words when they dumbed down and diluted their network. The real reason of course, that they show newer movies (not even GOOD new movies) and barrage us with commercials is to add to their bottom line. As a final insult they edit the movies. This completely ruins the original vision of filmmakers and along with commercials can destroy pacing, tone, character development, and the plot line in general. It's not even like they HAD to move in this direction- TCM shows that it's possible to maintain the integrity of classics and still profit. I do not watch AMC and I do not support their advertisers. Keep in mind that it's not just "old fogies" that feel this way: I'm a viewer in my early 20's- the "golden" target audience...

I am new to blogging but my first is called Movie Sensation/ My true passion movies 1930 1940. I just finished watching "Angels with Wings" (not sure that is the right title) with Jean Arthur and Cary Grant. I love the way they wrote screen plays then and it is always the ending I want. The camera gives the actor/actess time to show emotion, lets them really act when they fan in on the face. I can hardly believe who they gave the Oscar to this year - just killing, killing and it was hardly the ending anyone wanted. Why they praised the director/writer Martin Scorcee only shows how truly screwed up the morals in Hollywood are. They have done a 360 from what they used to be. What I love about old movies is the good feeling I always have when I watch a black & white. Please read my blog and respond. Thank you Dale

Dale,

Wouldn't a 360 mean they are still moving in the same direction?

Is TCM now editing films? I "ordered" On Golden Pond on TCM On Demand, and they inserted silence over specific curse words. In one scene where a boy says "Bullshitting" all we hear is "______ing". In an earlier scene where Norman asks what happened to the "goddamn" Orioles (I think), all we hear is "____damn".

This bothers me because for such a classic film as this, for them to be silencing curse words is stupid. A year or 2 ago I "ordered" Network on the same TCM On Demand, and they did NOT edited it....and this one has the F word in there.

TCM, I hope you're not resorting to becoming like AMC.

Our family and friends are still wondering what happened to Bob Dorian on AMC. We enjoyed his presentation as much as his commentary and movie picks. The stiff you have now, Osborne, presents like Public Speaking 101. He walks toward the camera, touches his ring finger and after a few beats, puts his hand in his pocket. The same actions every time. The current presenter is boring and we don't watch that channel much since you dropped Dorian and the previous format.

I loved AMC when Bob Dorian was host. What has become of him? Also, do you know the title of a black and white classic that was shown by Dorian on AMC where the main character does a lot of club hopping and orders cocktails called sidecars everywhere he goes? Thanks

Channel flipping the other night, my husband paused on AMC and said, "This used to be a good channel when Bob Dorian was around, good movies and no commercials." I thought maybe Bob Dorian was dead, and Googled his name, ended up here. Very good website, good exchange of thoughts and ideas. Not much we can do about the stupid mistakes of others, except protest in a great blog like this. But we CAN keep flipping till we home in on TCM, 99% of the time. Best TV available, in our opinion.

Wow! Couldn't believe the note from Tom Novak and mention of Tech TV. Hit the nail on the head. Another stupid mistake, as he pointed out. I've been angry for a long time about that, too. Seems when idiots are in charge, they screw up the best of things. So sad that AMC and Tech TV had to bite the dust and then get plain ugly.

I was so glad to see someone with the same attitude toward that whore from hell, AMC.

They are WORSE than the other commercial channels, I think. They DESTROY any movie they get their devilish hands on.

They are UNWATCHABLE!

ARRRRRGHHH.

What a nice surprise to find this blog. I'm another fan of the old films and the golden days when AMC was the go-to place for the classics. I'd also be happy to update you on the whereabouts of Bob Dorian (he's my Dad). His contract was up at about the same time the format was so drastically changing, and so it was a mutual parting of ways. Since AMC, he returned to acting and spent a number of years in theatrical productions around the country (as Arvide in Guys & Dolls, Flo Zeigfeld in Funny Girl and John Barrymore in Barrymore - roles that fit right in with his favorites, don't you think?) He spent a year on the National Tour of the Wizard of Oz, working with Mickey Rooney and Eartha Kitt and appeared in a few films (Woody Allen's Hollywood Ending and Curse of the Jade Scorpion - which is my favorite for his gum-shoe character). Anyway, he is very much alive and well and thrilled to hear that anyone even remembers him. (By the way, Karen Korkmas: he wondered if you might be thinking of William Powell and Myrna Loy in The Thin Man - though their drink of choice was a Martini.)

Hi Melissa,
Thanks for the update on your father. My son and I speak of old movies all the time and reminisce about the movies he grew up with on AMC and your father is a backdrop to his experience. Interestingly, I met your father the day he shot a very well used promo for AMC at San Francisco's Castro Theatre. I met him across the street from the theatre as he was on his way there. Consequently, that promo was used for years thereafter as AMC promoted the history of America's movie palaces. I remember asking him what he was doing in town and he told me that he was here to visit his daughter! I remember being impressed with his stature and what a gentleman he was. Karen had a what-was-that-movie question and I have had one that I have kept under my hat for years in case I ran into Bob again on the street. I will take the opportunity here to ask you what this movie is. The movie, a black and white, takes place in New York City in the early 1950's. It is a Saturday afternoon and from the beginning of the movie this character decides he is going to jump from the building in which he works. He climbs out on the ledge and the entire movie is about getting him down from this precarious position.
Anyway, thank you for the information about your father, we all miss seeing him on a regular basis and I will have to rent Curse of the Jade Scorpion again to see him in it.
Best regards, Christian

For years, back in the 80s & 90s I loved AMC. Most of my home-recorded video tapes from the "VHS Era" were the great movies shown on AMC. I fully agree with all of you who say that this channel now sucks - and I avoid it at all costs. I love classic movies that are uncut and I head straight for TCM every time I turn the set on. It is a crime what AMC has done to the movies they DO show - all butchered up, intermingled with loud obnoxious commercials.
I remember the "Bob Dorian" days well. He is present on many of my tapes introducing the classics AMC used to show. I miss seeing him (and don't forget Nick Clooney was also another great host)...as I curse the day the "powers that be" at AMC changed (ruined) their format in 2002.
With the advent of DVD, the internet and other modern channels to obtain movies, who wants to see censored, cut-up movies with commercials as we had to do back in the 1960s & 70s on the old networks?
AMC has lost a lot of loyal viewers, including me.

I do not have that info; I'm sorry i do not know how to get a url number... but please do something about all those commercials; yes, i know you have to have them...but whew every 5 minutes? and five commercials per minute? it's just too,too much!