Jim wrote: "Remember Rowan & Martin's Laugh In? I have 3 of those DVD's. They're a hoot."

Oh, yes, Jim! Hey, nobody mentioned Johnny Carson! LOL I have the video-taped collection of his shows. But now video tapes are old-fashioned! :-(
http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/joh...

Pontalba wrote: "... Cavett has a column on the NYT, he hasn't lost a bit of his wit. :) ..."

Oh! Thanks for telling me, Pontalba. I googled and found Cavett's column from Oct. 9, 2009:
http://cavett.blogs.nytimes.com/?scp=1-s...
It's a good one. Wonderful punch line. And there's a video clip there to boot!

I hadn't seen that one Joy, thanks! My laugh for the day at the end of the second from the top comment, what a story! :)

CORRECTION: it wasn't the end of comments as I at first thought, it was the second paragraph.
Priceless. :)

I like almost all of Siddens books but don't know which one you all are discussing. I must have missed the clue. nina

Nina wrote: "I like almost all of Siddens books but don't know which one you all are discussing. I must have missed the clue. nina"

Nina, click on the following link:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1177...
See Message #799 by me. It's in the topic entitled: "What are U reading these days?"

Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote (in another thread): "In between reading my hard copy books, I relax with various audio books which I borrow from our library. My current one is an audio disk of _Midnight Bayou_ by Nora Roberts..."

I have just discovered that Netflix has a DVD of the movie "Midnight Bayou" based on the novel by Nora Roberts. See the Netflix description below:
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Midnight_Ba...
Naturally, I've put the movie on my Netflix queue. I always enjoy seeing how a movie based on a book compares with the book.

We stopped at the local library yesterday and took out 5 DVDs to watch,
To the Lighthouse
The Last King
The Blue Angel
Secret
The Warrior

http://www.amazon.com/Lighthouse-Rosemar...

http://www.amazon.com/Last-King-Power-Pa...

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Angel-Emil-Ja...

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Patrick-Bru...

http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Woo-sung-J...

Supposed to return them in a week. :!!: :)

Pontalba wrote: "We stopped at the local library yesterday and took out 5 DVDs to watch,
To the Lighthouse
The Last King
The Blue Angel
Secret
The Warrior

Enjoy the DVDs, Pontalba. Thanks for the links.

I read the book, _Blue Angel_ about actress, Marlene Dietrich. Loved it.
The author, Donald Spoto, writes interesting biographies.

Below is the Netflix link to "To the Lighthouse".
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/To_the_Ligh...
Among other things, it says: "This breathtaking made-for-TV movie inspired by Virginia Woolf's novel of the same name follows the Ramsey family on their annual holiday in Cornwall."

That's a lot of movies! Have fun and make sure you tell us about them.

Last night I watched a Netflix DVD of "The Straight Story" (1999). It stars wonderful Richard Farnsworth and is a beautiful portrayal of a true story about an aging man who has suffered countless setbacks in life. His stubborn determination to keep on going is the theme of the movie. Another theme is the worth and importance of family.

Richard Farnsworth was the perfect actor for this part. I was reminded of him recently when I watched "Anne of Green Gables". He played Anne's adoptive uncle. I loved him immediately and ordered "The Straight Story" (for which he had received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor). Perhaps you might remember him from Western films.

More about Farnsworth here: ====>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Far...
(There's a lovely photo of him on the above Wiki page.)

See the Netflix description of "The Straight Story" here: ====>
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Straigh...
(The scenery in the movie is beautiful as Farnsworth's character travels the roads along the farm fields of Iowa and Wisconsin.)

He was quite a man, Joy. Thanks for the Wikipedia link. It was interesting.

Jim wrote: "He was quite a man, Joy. Thanks for the Wikipedia link. It was interesting."

And oh! those blue eyes!!!

Well, we did watch both parts of The Last King last night, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was an accurate portrayal of King Charles II, but left out so much! They'd touch on a character and then drop them without bringing them back for the second part of their effect on Charles. It seemed to concentrate more deeply on his relationship with the Countess of Castlemaine, his long time lover and her effects on his legacy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Pal...

Pontalba wrote: "Well, we did watch both parts of The Last King last night, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was an accurate portrayal of King Charles II, but left out so much! They'd touch on a character and then d..."

Ah, these mistresses! Without them, history would be so dull. LOL

Just finished Terminator: Salvation. Typical Terminator movie, run from and/or fight the machines, thin plot but still good.

Jackie wrote: "Just finished Terminator: Salvation. Typical Terminator movie, run from and/or fight the machines, thin plot but still good."

Here's the Netflix description:
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Terminator_...

I think I saw The Straight Story but it's worth seeing it again even if I did. Thanks for the tip. nina

"The Straight Story" --what a beautiful, humanly moving story--- Richard Farnsworth unforgettable--all the more surprising in that it was directed by David Lynch whose aesthetic, shall we say, usually runs to the mildly grotesque and kinky.

Arnie wrote: " "The Straight Story" --what a beautiful, humanly moving story--- Richard Farnsworth unforgettable--all the more surprising in that it was directed by David Lynch whose aesthetic, shall we say, us..."

Funny, I had never heard of "The Straight Story" until I saw Farnsworth in "Ann of Green Gables". I was so taken with him that I looked him up at Wiki. That's where I found out about "The Straight Story." If it weren't for Netflix, I would have missed these movies forever.

What's it about? I never heard of it either.

"The Straight Story"---true story ---the man's last name was Straight---due to his age he was no longer able to drive, so he drove his riding lawn mower something like 300 miles ( I may be wrong about the number) across two midwest states to see his ailing brother--- it's almost like Huck Finn as a senior citizen and how he interacts with, gains and imparts wisdom to the cast of characters he meets along the way.
Beautiful film.

Thanks, that sounds really good.

New from RedBox is The Line
http://www.redbox.com/Titles/AvailableTi...

Crappy sound, indecipherable dialogue even thru my headphones and $4000 worth of hearing aids. NO subtitles. But they would give you SPANISH subtitles. Guess America really is turning brown. I give it ½ star.

Earl wrote: "New from RedBox is The Line
http://www.redbox.com/Titles/AvailableTi...
Crappy sound, indecipherable dialogue even thru my headphones and $4..."

Earl, below is a link to the Netflix description of "The Line" (2007):
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Line/70...

I borrowed the following movie(DVD) from our library:
"Sons & Lovers" (2-Disc Series) (2003)

Below is a link to the Netflix description:
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Sons_Lovers...
-"based on the uncensored version of D.H. Lawrence's classic novel"
-"British television adaptation"

I thought it was beautifully done. Very poignant.

Here's a link to the Goodreads description of the book: _Sons and Lovers_

I also borrowed the following movie (DVD) from our library:
"Somewhere in Time" (1980)

Netflix link: http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Somewhere_i...
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081534/

The movie is a time-travel/romance and stars Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.

It's simple and corny but I enjoyed it. The scenery is beautiful because it was filmed entirely on Mackinac Island in Michigan which is the location of the magnificent Grand Hotel. I wish I could go there!

The jacket of the DVD indicates that the movie was based on Richard Matheson's book entitled _Bid Time Return_.
However, Goodreads lists the following:
Somewhere In Time_ by Richard Matheson.

The Goodreads description of the book says: "Somewhere in Time is the powerful story of a love that transcends time and space, written by one of the Grand Masters of modern fantasy. Matheson's classic novel tells the moving, romantic story of a modern man whose love for a woman he has never met draws him back in time to a luxury hotel in San Diego in 1896, where he finds his soul mate in the form of a celebrated actress of the previous century. Somewhere in Time won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and the 1979 movie version, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, remains a cult classic whose fans continue to hold yearly conventions to this day."

Somewhere in Time sounds good, Joy! I'll have to watch for that one.

Jane Seymour was really good in the title role of the TV series (cancelled some years ago, alas!) Medicine Woman. Her character was a young medical doctor, Michaela Quinn, who comes to the frontier town of Colorado Springs shortly after the Civil War to take over the town clinic. Of course, there was a good deal of prejudice against women in the medical profession then, which made for some of the drama in the series. (Having only dealt with her by telegraph, the townsfolk originally thought her name was Michael A. Quinn. :-))

I LOVE THAT MOVIE!
I watched it so many times since it first came out. And that's a lot of years ago, LOL
I like the time thing and I think they did it very well. That stupid damn penny!

When Medicine Woman came on, I didn't think I'd like it because it wasn't my usual type of thing, but I really did. I hardly watched TV back then, but I have caught it in reruns and enjoyed it. I wish I could find it again on reruns from the beginning, I'd record the whole thing and have a marathon.

And I just love Jany Seymour.

Werner wrote: "Somewhere in Time sounds good, Joy! I'll have to watch for that one.
Jane Seymour was really good in the title role of the TV series (cancelled some years ago, alas!) Medicine Woman. Her charact..."

Werner, I remember that TV series, but never watched it. Looks as if I missed something good. However, it's available at Netflix:
http://www.netflix.com/Search?v1=medicin...
So I can catch up. :)

BTW, there was a B&B around Lake George called "Somewhere in Time", but it's no longer in business. I think there's also a gift shop in Lake George Village with that name. Until I saw the B&B, I never knew there was a movie with that name. :)

Jackie wrote: "When Medicine Woman came on, I didn't think I'd like it because it wasn't my usual type of thing, but I really did. I hardly watched TV back then, but I have caught it in reruns and enjoyed it. I wish I could find it again on reruns from the beginning, I'd record the whole thing and have a marathon."

Jackie, Netflix has it:
http://www.netflix.com/Search?v1=medicin...
Scroll down at the web page to see the TV series.

Jackie wrote: "I LOVE THAT MOVIE!
I watched it so many times since it first came out. And that's a lot of years ago, LOL
I like the time thing and I think they did it very well. That stupid damn penny!"

(g) Evidently a lot of people love that movie ("Somewhere in Time"). Imagine, I had never heard of it until a couple of years ago!

I love the elegance of the Grand Hotels of that era too. So peaceful and sedate. I long for those days, though I'm sure we'll never see them again.

Jackie wrote: "I love the elegance of the Grand Hotels of that era too. So peaceful and sedate. I long for those days, though I'm sure we'll never see them again."

I guess we're lucky to have the lovely Sagamore Hotel on Lake George:
http://www.thesagamore.com/
http://www.thesagamore.com/about-us.htm
Lots of good pics here:
http://www.thesagamore.com/gallery.htm

I can't afford to go there but at least I can look at it. :)

There's a book by William Preston Gates: _History of the Sagamore Hotel

Beautiful place.

I used to watch Seymour's television show, it was good, although the actor they had for her love interest just didn't gel with her as far as I was concerned...Joe Lando. He wasn't believable to me with her.

Pontalba wrote: "I used to watch Seymour's television show, it was good, although the actor they had for her love interest just didn't gel with her as far as I was concerned...Joe Lando. He wasn't believable to me..."

Joe Lando at IMDb:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0484880/
Mini Biography from IMDb:
"A former cook in a Hollywood restaurant, Lando first came to the attention of casting directors in the role of heartthrob Jake Harrison on the soap opera "One Life to Live". That job led to the co-starring role as the backwoodsman-love interest of Jane Seymour on TV's "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman"."

One time I found a typo in the newspaper. It said "Curl up with a good cook." LOL

Pontalba, I see your point about Joe Lando's character, Sully, and Michaela. In a lot of ways --educational and social background, external lifestyle, experiences, etc.-- they were from different worlds, and the idea of them being romantically attracted to each other, on first consideration, seems unusual to say the least. But then, a lot of fiction and drama, when you think about it, derives its drama from unusual situations; and unusual isn't quite the same thing as impossible.

Besides, on further consideration, the old saying that "opposites attract" actually is psychologically true for some people. My wife and I, for instance, are as different in externals as Sully and Michaela. (Of course, that sort of attraction only endures if the couple are actually profoundly similar inside, in the things that they value, their principles and the essential ways that they treat others; Barb and I have that kind of similarity --and so did Sully and Michaela.) Then too, he saved her life more than once; gratitude can open a door to other feelings. And even though she was a strait-laced, cultured medical doctor, she probably wasn't wholly immune to his good looks (and he may not have been entirely indifferent to hers, either). :-)

Werner wrote: "...Then too, he saved her life more than once; gratitude can open a door to other feelings. ..."

So true.

"Kindness in women, not their beauteous looks, shall win my love."
-William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew

Werner wrote: In a lot of ways --educational and social background, external lifestyle, experiences, etc.-- they were from different worlds...

No, Werner, it wasn't for those reasons I found them incompatible, it was more intangible than that. I see now that my post didn't clearly state my feelings about the actor. The best way I can really describe it isn't a description at all. :)

I didn't like his vibes, not the character necessarily, but the actor himself. No matter how good an actor is, I'd have to say a good deal of their own vibes come through. I simply didn't jive with his.

My OH and I come from wildly different backgrounds, but our core is the same, so I definitely see your point.

Well, Joy, Michaela had the quality of kindness in abundance, so she was well-equipped to win love on that account, too! You (and Shakespeare) are right that it's a lady's good qualities of character, not her looks, that will turn a man's attraction into love, if it's going to be turned. (And vice versa.) But people being what they are, sometimes it's a person's good looks that whet the initial interest. :-) Good looks don't have to be of the flashy sort, though; and actually, if we feel good about ourselves and make the best of what we have, all of us have what it takes to catch someone's eye.

Thanks for that clarification, Pontalba. Interestingly, according to the tabloids at that time, Jane Seymour and Joe Lando didn't get along well in real life at all. If that's true, maybe she was picking up some of the same vibes you were. :-)

Re "Somewhere in Time"---
Apparently one of thos efilms that gathers a strong following despite critical reaction, which if I recall accurately was "underwhelmed"---
Based on Richard Matheson's "Bid Time Return", as is the current film, "The Box"--(his short story, "Button, Button")
As you may know Matheson wrote "The Incredible Shrinking Man", "I Am Legend", as well as many of The Twilight Zone's more memorable episodes.
Woops!forgot Spielberg's first ever movie (made for TV) the great "Duel"---Dennis Weaver vs.a menacing truck.

Werner wrote: "... But people being what they are, sometimes it's a person's good looks that whet the initial interest. :-) Good looks don't have to be of the flashy sort, though; and actually, if we feel good about ourselves and make the best of what we have, all of us have what it takes to catch someone's eye."

Werner - Well you probably knew I wouldn't be able to resist posting a couple of relevant quotes. (g)

"Exuberance is Beauty". -William Blake

"Beauty without grace is the hook without the bait." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Arnie wrote: "... As you may know Matheson wrote "The Incredible Shrinking Man", "I Am Legend", as well as many of The Twilight Zone's more memorable episodes. ..."

Arnie, thanks for the info! Before I saw the movie ("Somewhere in Time"), I had no idea who Richard Matheson was. It was interesting to learn that he wrote fantasy, horror, and science fiction.

Goodreads author description: Richard Matheson

Netflix description of the "The Box" (2009):
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Box/701...

Wiki: "Richard Burton Matheson (born February 20, 1926) is an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Mat...

According to the Wiki description, Matheson's work had a great influence on future films and also on the work of future writers who became famous, e.g, Stephen King and Anne Rice.

I read a novel by him that came out about 7-8 years ago, I think called "Hunted Beyond Reason" along the lines of "The Most Dangerous Game"---one man trying to track down another in the wild--taught, gripping and suspenseful to the MAX!!

I just finished Hell House by Richard Matheson. It was good. A real classic house haunting. He's probably one of the more influential, but least known authors around.

Arnie wrote: " I read a novel by him that came out about 7-8 years ago, I think called "Hunted Beyond Reason" along the lines of "The Most Dangerous Game"---one man trying to track down another in the wild--taug..."

There's nothing like being gripped by a good story!

Links:
_Hunted Past Reason_ by Richard Matheson
Book description says: "Richard Matheson is one of the twentieth century's acknowledged masters of suspense."

_The Most Dangerous Game_ by Richard Connell
Book description says: "This title is the original version by the author, and is considered one of the greatest short stories ever written."

Jim wrote: "I just finished Hell House by Richard Matheson. It was good. A real classic house haunting. He's probably one of the more influential, but least known authors around."

I wonder why he's not as well-known as some others.

"He's probably one of the more influential, but least known authors around."

You said it!!

Is thatt the basis for "The Legend of Hell House" film?