Man of the century, why have I never sen this before? [Archive]

flat-top

11-17-2004, 02:54 PM

I LOVE that movie! It's so great that no reason is given why the main character either thinks he's from the 20's, or actually IS from the 20's! Great fun!
flat-top

schwammy

11-18-2004, 05:56 AM

It looks great. Is it available to rent from video stores?

Matt Deckard

11-18-2004, 08:24 AM

It's on DVD and should be at your local video store.

renor27

11-18-2004, 11:24 AM

looks to be a fun film any idea where to buy the DVD?
David
Reno Nevada

up196

11-18-2004, 04:25 PM

Amazon has the DVD available. You can buy it from them through the Golden Era Store.

up196

11-25-2004, 09:30 PM

RENTED TODAY FROM BLOCKBUSTER STOP ITS A HOOT STOP=
YOU GOTTA SEE IT STOP=

TOM= =

schwammy

11-26-2004, 04:50 AM

I called every Blockbuster, Hollywood, Movie Gallery, and Video Update store in town, and nobody has a copy to rent. I finally asked a Blockbuster clerk where one would go to get a hard-to-find movie, and he said, "ebay." There is no joy in Springfield...

Matt Deckard

11-26-2004, 08:32 AM

funny... I rented it from Blockbuster.

Nick Charles

11-27-2004, 11:09 AM

It really is the Bees Knees, the Cats Meow and gee it sure was swell. LOVED IT.

Matt Deckard

11-29-2004, 09:47 PM

Those who havn't still gotta see it.

Quigley Brown

07-26-2006, 04:58 AM

I watched this last night on Encore. Although well made I thought the acting was a bit weak. Seemed more like a stage play to me. The lead character really carried the film.

Shaul-Ike Cohen

07-26-2006, 05:24 AM

I seriously think about changing my avatar to this. (Only it's not me.)

http://www.manofthecenturymovie.com/images/about/synopsis/anim_typing.gif

Feraud

07-31-2006, 07:30 AM

Fyi, Netflix has this movie available.

I just saw the movie and thought it was quite cute. I was glad they do not try to explain why Johnny Twennies is retro. The plot was a bit thin but has plenty of moxie!
Fun for the whole family but beware of the f-word thrown around a lot by the bad guys. You will need to keep you finger on the mute button if you watch it with the youngsters.

This film reminds me of another zany film, The Imposters (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120823/).

Haversack

07-31-2006, 11:55 AM

I have always thought that it was perfectly reasonable for Johnny Twennies to be living with his 1920s Weltanschauung. Afterall, his mother is still living in the 1890s...

Haversack.

Daisy Buchanan

07-31-2006, 12:20 PM

Daisy Buchanan

07-31-2006, 12:23 PM

I forgot to add, deepdiscountdvd.com has this film for a very reasonable price.

jake_fink

07-31-2006, 12:26 PM

Being that this is an older thread, the link to the preview no longer works.
But, it sure does sound like a swell film. I might just have to watch it.....
If anyone can find a link to a different preview, please post it. I couldn't find one, but I'm not that savy in cyberspace.

Everything you may need is right here:

manofthecenturymovie.com (http://www.manofthecenturymovie.com/index_flash.html)

Feraud

07-31-2006, 12:28 PM

manofthecenturymovie.com (http://www.manofthecenturymovie.com/index_flash.html) Ya beat me to it..

Nathan Dodge

09-12-2006, 03:31 PM

I've been watching Man of the Century incessantly for the last two weeks and I also bought the soundtrack. It's probably one of my top five favorite movies!

Johnny Twennies: [typing while tied up with rope] "This 'K' is broken."

Tyrus: "Then don't use 'K.'

Johnny Twennies: [aghast] "Don't use 'K!'

Watch this movie!

scotrace

09-12-2006, 05:00 PM

Netflix sent it the other day and I've only glanced through it - looks silly!

jake_fink

09-12-2006, 05:21 PM

Netflix sent it the other day and I've only glanced through it - looks silly!

Gloriously silly. Think Marx brothers without all that... um... talent. But it's actually very amusing.

artdecodame

09-21-2006, 09:44 PM

I was just telling a girlfriend there really should be a sequel to this cute movie. ;)

Marc Chevalier

09-22-2006, 05:57 PM

In ten more years, will he change his name to Johnny Ferdies?

.

Atomic Glee

09-22-2006, 11:01 PM

Yes...*of course* it was silly, and I mean that in the kindest, happiest sense possible. I found it to be entertaining and cheerful, and the character of Johnny Twennies is so relentlessly upbeat despite all that happens to him (and portrayed in such a spot-on old-movie fashion) that I couldn't help smiling along with him. Johnny's cheerfulness is something I tend to miss these days (also see Ed Wood as portrayed by Johnny Depp).

Quite a charming little movie, and I really enjoyed it.

Tony in Tarzana

10-16-2006, 04:53 PM

I just saw it and thoroughly enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit of "Blast from the Past" starring Brendan Fraser, which came out the same year.

"Man of the Century" gives almost none of Johnny's back-story, but that's pretty much in keeping with the movies of the 1920s, particularly the comedies.

I suppose one has to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy "Man of the Century." I certainly did, then again I wasn't expecting Hitchcock.

Haversack

10-17-2006, 10:26 AM

I think one of the things I enjoyed about it was the sheer logic of it. It made perfect sense that as Johnnie lived his life as if he was in the 1920s, his mother likewise lived as if she was in the 1890s.

Haversack.

drafttek

10-19-2006, 09:09 AM

Just saw this last night. Thanks to this thread for tipping me off about this movie. I chuckled all the way through. The wife didn't find it funny, though [huh] . Slapping the bad guys is always very funny. There's not enough slapping in modern movies.

reetpleat

12-18-2006, 12:46 AM

Just put on a movie in on demand. I love love love it. The Man of The Century.

Made in 1999, it is about a guy who lives in NY and writes a column in the paper. He dresses, acts, speaks as if and thinks he is living in the 20s. Excellent wise cracking, slang laden dialogue. Of course, he eventually runs up against the real modern world, and hilarity ensues. Funny thing is in a city like NY I think a guy like this could really get by.

A must see.

I imagine some here won't relate so much as they are more into dressing in a classic style, not strictly vintage, but others will . I have known a few guys just about like this. I kind of wish I was, but if your style isn't real, you can't pull it off.

Brian Sheridan

12-19-2006, 12:22 PM

I thought it was great they did not explain why Johnnie acted like it was still the 1920's but I thought the gag wore thin as the plot unwound.

Still, seeing Bobby Short makes its a classic in my book. I met him in NYC after a performance and he was a classy as it appeared. There really is only Steve Ross left. You might argue guys like Eric Comstock or Peter Cincotti are in the same style and you would be correct. Those guys, however, don't seem like they live it the way Short did and Ross does.

Ciao!

Brian

Feraud

12-06-2008, 07:53 PM

A bump for this movie. It was just on the IFC channel.
Did anyone see it?

Bugsy

12-06-2008, 10:19 PM

See this movie.

http://www.finelinefeatures.com/sites/manofcentury/index_flash.html

This a truly fun film and well worth seeing. I also have the CD of the sound track which I also like. It should be available too.

The Wolf

12-06-2008, 10:46 PM

Is there much Bobby Short on the soundtrack?

Sincerely,
The Wolf

Nathan Dodge

12-07-2008, 10:39 AM

Is there much Bobby Short on the soundtrack?

Sincerely,
The Wolf

Just the performance (taken from one of Bobby's albums) of Nagasaki as heard in the film.

cufflinkmaniac

12-07-2008, 08:54 PM

This a truly fun film and well worth seeing. I also have the CD of the sound track which I also like. It should be available too.

Where did you find the soundtrack?And going off topic here (sorry!),I can't relpy to your PM until you clean out your recieved messages.

Dr Doran

01-10-2009, 10:58 AM

One of my favorites. Sheer fun, sheer silliness, sheer bliss. The dance routines are wonderful. The Hungarian music store owner's son really looks Hungarian. The girlfriend asking Johnny Twennies if he's gay -- brilliant. (He's not. But he still thinks of the word gay as meaning "happy, halcyon, blithe," etc.) The jerk photographer assigned to Jonny is played by the guy who played the photographer in RENT and it is essentially the EXACT same character (I'm rather surprised that no one mentioned that here!).

Just a swell little film altogether.

Bugsy

01-10-2009, 10:12 PM

Where did you find the soundtrack?And going off topic here (sorry!),I can't relpy to your PM until you clean out your recieved messages.

I think I found the sound track at a local music shop, but it was shortly after the film was released. You might try Amazon.com

Son_of_Atropos

01-11-2009, 10:56 AM

Man of the Century trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNSIOd9LTh4

Brian Sheridan

01-11-2009, 05:49 PM

The jerk photographer assigned to Jonny is played by the guy who played the photographer in RENT and it is essentially the EXACT same character (I'm rather surprised that no one mentioned that here!).

I just came from seeing RENT starring "the jerk photographer" and it is why I probably didn't like him in the show.

Doctor Strange

01-19-2010, 10:32 AM

I must repeat the title of this thread: Why have I - a voracious movie buff and student of the 20s/30s for over four decades - never seen this before?!?

I caught most of it (minus the first few minutes), entirely by accident, when flipping channels yesterday. It was on the Independent Film Channel.

I was hooked instantly. Sure, it's a one-joke flick, but it's so charming and well done that it doesn't matter that it makes no sense. I thought it was an absolute hoot. And I'll definitely be taping it the next time it shows up on IFC...

Dr Doran

01-19-2010, 10:35 AM

"Charming and well done" is right! A sweet little film, a dear little film.

PLEASE NOTE that I mentioned this film in a thread 2.5 - 3 years ago which got NO responses (I think the thread was entitled something like "Modern Movies With Characters Who Dress Vintage").

Doctor Strange

01-19-2010, 11:03 AM

Well, that was a while ago. But honestly, I don't understand why I don't recall reading this thread before: It's been alive on and off for years, and I watch the Moving Picture forum carefully!

OTOH, it's nice to know there are still gems like this one that I don't know!

Yeps

12-09-2010, 06:15 AM

I just saw this, as it is finally available on netflix to watch online, and I thought it was a really fun flick. It seemed a little scattered at times, but Johnny's interactions with the modern characters, whether amused or frustrated by him, were priceless.

LizzieMaine

12-15-2010, 02:39 PM

I saw this this afternoon, and at first I assumed it was a Fedora Lounge documentary. But then the gallery assistant guy said "Say hello to Zeppo Marx," and I haven't stopped chortling since.

The Good

12-17-2010, 05:24 PM

Hmm, this looks interesting. Maybe I'll watch it some time.

Mike in Seattle

12-17-2010, 06:24 PM

It's definitely worth watching. It's a hoot and a half.

The Good

12-17-2010, 07:15 PM

The idea of a film revolving around a blatantly anachronistic character (in one of the best ways, the 1920s) that gets in some funny situations is particularly appealing to me, so I'll have to.

John in Covina

12-17-2010, 07:52 PM

Some time ago I got this on DVD to watch after a conversation about it with Matt Deckard. It is a fun little film that has a number of really bright moments. I love Johnnys's banter and little witticisms using the lingo of the 20's.

It's funny to me that I know more people that would not understand much of the slang and sayings Johnny peppers his conversations with.

I think that today's youngsters are missing out by not seeing the old classics and I fear that the trend toward 3D movies will make the old stuff less appreciated by the people that have no sense of history.

(A friend told me that a junior high aged kid, when asked about the 4th of July, said it was a holiday to commemorate WWII and our freedom from Japanese rule!)

skyvue

12-17-2010, 08:06 PM

I'm the dissenting voice, I guess. I wish I could say I enjoyed the movie, but I found the lead character to be someone's over-the-top, cliched idea of what a Twenties/Thirties movie character was like (and I suspect whoever wrote it hadn't seen all that many movies of the era) and the dialogue and acting left much to be desired.

Too bad, too, because it was a clever concept and I very much wanted to enjoy it.

Instead, I gave up a half-hour in.

I'm clearly in the minority here, however. Maybe I just got my hopes up too high.