Now Screening - What Are You Watching Right Now?

[Macca]

"The Six Million Dollar Man".

You certainly couldn't get that much work done for $6m these days, and the show has dated quite a bit. But there was one thing that kept me watching... I'd forgotten what a cutie Lindsay Wagner was.

Keep forgetting this is on. I've only caught one episode so far. It was terrible.

From memory of when it was originally on I think the best episodes are the bigfoot one, and the one where the Venus probe goes mental and rampages around the countryside and Steve has to stop it. But I was only 8 years old at the time so more easily impressed.

Speaking of the cost, there's a revival being mooted, 'Six Billion Dollar Man'. To avoid any 'Doctor Evil' type unintentional hilarity I suppose.

These days six million wouldn't even cover Oscar's expenses.

[struth]

I watched that last year sometime. One of those films where all along you are thinking 'This is terrible' but you watch to the end anyway.

yes id agree.. its oddly compulsive viewing. not sure why tho.

[struth]

The Ballad of Cable Hogue, 1970..




Production on the film fell weeks behind schedule due to bad weather. When filming was suspended, director Sam Peckinpah, along with cast and crew, would drink. When filming finally wrapped, the bar bill came to over $70,000 (equivalent to over $500,000 in 2022).

According to David Weddle, author of "If They Move, Kill 'Em: The Life And Times Of Sam Peckinpah", in August 1969 Warner Brothers showed its distributors a 2½ hour rough cut of the film without the knowledge of either Peckinpah or producer Phil Feldman. The director had urged the studio to hold off on their judgment (which was generally negative towards this rough cut) until he could cut another half hour from it. The studio allowed him to do so, but it was more out of apathy than respect for his talent. Despite positive audience reactions of seventy percent at its previews in January and February 1970, the film was dumped onto the market in the spring with hardly any promotion behind it. According to Stella Stevens, "Warner Brothers didn't release it, they flushed it."


Despite this movie failing at the box office, two years later he wound up with a huge box office smash with The Getaway (1972), in which, according to Stella Stevens, Peckinpah wanted her to play opposite Steve McQueen, but McQueen had told her during auditions, "You're competition", as in, he didn't want her to outdo his performance, and Ali MacGraw (who turned in an extremely understated performance) was hired.

[Macca]

yes id agree.. its oddly compulsive viewing. not sure why tho.

Beth Rogan helps a lot I think.

[struth]

Beth Rogan helps a lot I think.

yeah that skirt was more akin to a belt

[Barry]

yeah that skirt was more akin to a belt

How many inches below "sea level" was it?

[struth]

How many inches below "sea level" was it?

Paddling only
[emoji23]

[Macca]

How many inches below "sea level" was it?

[Macca]

'The Six Million Dollar Man.'

Austin uses his bionic powers to move a car that's blocking Oscar in. Your tax dollars at work!

Sonny Bono guest stars.

[Pigmy Pony]

'The Six Million Dollar Man.'

Austin uses his bionic powers to move a car that's blocking Oscar in. Your tax dollars at work!

Sonny Bono guest stars.

Doesn't hurt to get in with the boss. But nobody likes an arse-licker.