When I see the bits of long-lost film I've included in this post below, I feel the adrenaline rush through my body full-force. In the 1970s and 80s, these little animated films would always be my intro to a new cinematic experience (even if a lot of the time it was via television). I love the graphics for these things--bright, sparkly, Vegas-y, space-agey (I, of course, especially like the ABC Movie of the Week reel because it was obviously produced with Doug Trumbull's Slitscan machine--the same one he used to film the "trip" sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey). And I rock to their chugging music, especially the CBS Movie of the Week reel and the "Coming Attractions" bit seen at theaters (as well as in Tarantino's Grindhouse and Kill Bill). Somebody should sample these and make a dance hit out of 'em. Anyway, here's what it was like sitting down to watch a movie on TV in the 1970s and 1980s--thrilling!
And even though this next one is even more TV-centric, I have to say I love this compilation of scary 70s/80s TV production company logos; with their synthy music and hat-tippings to 60s experimental animation (which always was trying to look quasi-futuristic), these logos evoke bizarre, unsound emotions in me that, I suppose, are related to the fact that, when all us 70s kids saw these logos in our childhoods, they were at the END of the shows. And this meant that (a) you were saying goodbye to your TV friends for the time being and (b) that, 50 percent of the time, you were probably being sent to bed for the night. Now I find these little bits of film indescribably beautiful...but still a little scary.
There certainly was a time when TV was a great presenter of movies, and especially those ABC TV movies were tops in their field and still memorable today. I always loved that HBO opening -- felt like flying, of course! These wonderful opens set us up for a great experience, and though we're all spoiled by watching films on DVD nowadays, there is still something great about watching movies on TV, sometimes out of the corner of your eye, perhaps, but it all goes in, still! Thanks for finding these treasures on YouTube!
ReplyDeletesometimes you need to hypnotize people before they will watch a Shatner movie
ReplyDeleteThat first one had me all primed to plop down on the floor in my Batman pajamas with a bowl of popcorn and watch Silver Streak with my hair still wet from the evening bath. Seeing movies on TV was so special then, knowing millions were watching, and some kids at school may be talking about it tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteGreat links.