Anyone watch TCM lately? I just tried watching Casablanca

[doc03]

and that damn narration drove me nuts, what is the purpose of that. He takes out a cigarette and lights it while the search light passes over his face and a thin grin appears. Jesus H. Christ I can see that. I checked again and the The Big Sleep comes on and they have it on that one too.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. What is that?

Commentary, like you get on DVDs? I once checked that out on my DVD of "Blazing Saddles." I love Mel Brooks, but I went nuts listening to him talk about how it came about.

Don't watch. It sounds horrid.

[femmocrat]

2. I watched it too, but didn't notice any narration.

Did they talk over the movie? I was watching on a small screen TV, so I might not have had the best reception.

[doc03]

5. The Big Sleep is on right now, it has the narration too.

He lights a cigarette, he picks up a photo, she tries to open the door. It's wonderful I guess if you were blind it would be like the books on CD, but I can't stand it I wish you could shut it off somehow.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

3. If you have a stereo TV, you may have accidentally turned on the narration

for blind people. I'm serious about this. I've done it myself. Play around with the audio settings on your TV. If there's commentary by a director or actor, it's usually NOT describing the action moment by moment. (Besides, isn't pretty much everyone who was involved with Casablanca dead?)

[doc03]

6. That's the first thing I checked it says CC

is turned off, couldn't find anything about narration. It is done just like a book on CD, you have the actors dialog and the narrator describing all the action. I'm have my old TV on now I don't even know if it has CC on it and it's the same. Just now "he hangs up and tugs on his earlobe."

[eyesroll]

4. Might you have SAP enabled on your TV?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_audio_program

That sounds very much like the narration provided for visually impaired viewers. I don't know why it would be going off on just one channel, though--try a few other channels and see if they're not also being narrated or are dubbed in Spanish.

[ghostsofgiants]

7. Sounds like you have descriptive video enabled on your TV.

Under the SAP setting. It's for blind people.

[doc03]

8. It's on both my TVs I don't even think the old one has any

such thing even CC. Just checked the old one it has caption 1&2 and text 1&2 and they are off and it has no sap.

[sohndrsmith]

9. I've never seen it. Did you happen to notice a tall gaunt bartender in any scene?

The actor is credited, but I don't think it was a speaking part. Our cable service changed and that was the ONLY channel that was cut... (grumble, grumble).

Was the narration an add-on? Did the movie live up to it's legendary status in your eyes?

I really need to just rent the darn thing.

[doc03]

10. I saw it in the TV Guide and was looking forward to watching it

I could only take about a 1/2 hour of it. At the beginning of the movie it says CC and descriptive narration, it sucks. I like to watch the old movies sometimes TCM has sure ruined the experience. Like I say it is great for blind people I suppose.

[sohndrsmith]

11. Oh, I'm so sorry... that sounds like something you would be able to control,

unless it was a "special version" with added narration (like those extra feature dvds that come with movies, maybe?)...

I can't watch television without CC on - that is when I watch it, I usually only listen to tv because it's almost always news and all they do is talk anyway. But I don't like it loud and I can't watch without subtitles now... but I never get "extra" audio.

That's beat... sorry about that.

[edbermac]

12. Great film! Bogart and Bergman!

She was one hot tomato.