Letters
I couldn’t agree more about the travesty that has become American Movie Classics, and the only hope for old film buffs being Turner Classic Movies and, sort of, Fox Movie Channel (“No Looking at You, Kid,” by Susan King, July 21). I used to like AMC and TCM equally. They both showed old, uninterrupted movies, with the occasional logo, and some variations that made each unique.
Then it happened. AMC started to show its unending logo, and then the commercials and then--well, I don’t know because I haven’t been back since. I don’t care what it shows now. I won’t be seeing it. I hope the advertisers know they are playing to fewer and fewer eyeballs these days. Let them tell me what the substantial difference is between seeing an old film on AMC and, say, TNT now (except TNT doesn’t have an unending logo). At least the FXM advertisements are between the films, not during. And they have the sense to keep their logo snipes to a minimum.
I have to laugh at AMC Networks President Kate McEnroe’s reliance on focus groups.
Ha! As someone who has worked in marketing and sales of motion pictures for more than a dozen years, I know what focus groups mean. Focus groups were “phenomenal” for Warner Bros.’ “Wild Wild West.” I personally witnessed the “best numbers ever” from a national focus group for Robin Williams’ “Jack.” Focus-group claptrap is used when you don’t have the knowledge of your audience and the convictions of your heart and head about what you are doing, what you are selling and to whom.
I guess it’s time to go back to AMC for one last time--to make a list of the advertisers, so I can shoot off a letter to each and every one, saying these eyeballs are elsewhere, permanently.
BARBARA VETTER
Encino
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I cannot tell you how disgusted I am with the leadership of AMC. They have completely disavowed everything they claimed they were going to do. I won’t watch it anymore.
I hope Turner Classic Movies drubs it in the ratings.
RICK JEWELL
Los Angeles
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I hadn’t realized how much I missed Turner Classic Movies from my basic cable until last week, when I was vacationing in an area of the Midwest where TCM remains part of the basic service, unlike some systems in Los Angeles. Flipping onto it was like finding an old friend, so you can bet I’m calling to get it back here at home.
If I want interrupted, sanitized reruns of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “House of Wax” or “The Big Chill,” I’ll opt for AMC. On second thought ... nah.
NELSON ASPEN
Los Angeles
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Susan King expressed well the frustration of quite a few of us old movie buffs. I used to tape AMC movies for my uncle, who does not have access to cable. Now I am limited to TCM, which has much higher-quality product, unadulterated with intrusive commercials and boring “Backstories.” One question for AMC bigwigs: How many times do we have to watch “Escape From Alcatraz”?
DON MUENZ
Columbus, Ohio
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Susan King articulated what I have been feeling for months about American Movie Classics. When AMC showed “Strange Invaders” from 1983, I knew it was not my imagination. This movie is not an American movie classic. And the commercials--if I want that, I’ll watch network TV.
It has totally changed in content and no longer shows the movies from the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s that the network purports to revere.
They need to change the name of the channel to “Worst Movies of the ‘80s ... With Commercials.”
PAT PARRISH
Los Angeles
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Susan King’s article on the direction American Movie Classics has taken really struck a nerve. It’s really annoying to watch a movie expecting a remembered line or scene, only to find it has been excised.
AMC suffers too from looping, the practice of running the same feature several times over a short period. For AMC: I just like to watch movies as those who made them intended them to be seen. I canceled that part of cable that brings in AMC and now just buy videos. More expensive but far more enjoyable.
JOHN WOOD
Oakland