What MOVIES or DVDs have you watched? (PART SIX - 2013) (ongoing thread)

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Why is Cutter having an antibiotic? Is he sick? Did I miss something?

You're lucky about the laughing, Jim. That's how my sister and I are. We start each other laughing all the time. Poor Eddie doesn't "get it" half the time.

Below are some quotes on the subject:

"An ear for humor is like having an ear for music." (paraphrased) ---Julia Louis-Dreyfus, in interview at the Actor's Studio (TV).

"Many simply don't have an ear for jokes just like they don't have an ear for music. They're comedically tone-deaf." ---Dick Cavett in an interview
[quoted on p.282 of: And Here's the Kicker...***

"Humor is all rhythm. It's like iambic pentameter or something." ---Dennis Miller on his talk show, 9/12/92

“Rhythm is something you either have or don't have, but when you have it, you have it all over.” ---Elvis Presley

[book:And Here's the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers on their Craft and the Industry|6013145]
by Mike Sacks

And Here's the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers on their Craft and the Industry

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "Speaking of laughing, did any of you ever watch,"Faulty Towers." Some of those episodes are classic."

I've seen some of it, Nina. Funny Stuff. That's the work of John Cleese.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fawlty_T...

How about the Monty Python Parrot Skit with John Cleese. Have you seen it? Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnciww...
It's a classic.

[Jackie]

Yes, Fawlty Towers is an big favorite around here, we own the DVD set and we'll still watch it when it's on PBS. John Cleese is one of the funniest men I've ever seen on TV, there are times when his Basil character brings tears to my eyes from laughing so hard.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072500/

Anthony and I watched "Skyfall" tonight, the latest James Bond film. I haven't seen many Bond films so I don't have much to compare it to but I did enjoy it. Especially the back story on Bond. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1074638/

Has anyone read the Bond books? If so, I'm wondering if Ian Fleming wrote Bond's back story or if this is something done just for the film.

I'm also catching up on last year's Spartacus, about halfway through. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1442449/
I forgot about it until I saw ads for the new and current season.

[Jim]

Joy H. wrote: "Why is Cutter having an antibiotic? Is he sick? Did I miss something?..."

Cutter slid into something & scraped up his near hind from the pastern to hock. It blew up so he & I got to play faces while Marg bandaged him. This is a game where he gets a twitch on him & then he & I play with his lips & tongue to keep his mind off whatever indignities Marg is heaping upon him. We also play bite at each other. He's a good sport & doesn't fight the twitch at all, unlike Blue who just goes ballistic if you get near him with one, but he stands better so we don't need to. We just put a chain shank over his nose.

(Our twitch is a loop of thin rope through an old sledge hammer handle. His upper lip is pulled through the loop & it is twisted until it grips the upper lip firmly. It puts pressure on an acupuncture point that calms them & gives us an important body part that we get to keep for our very own if he moves too far. I've always found it's better not to fight with them about it, but play a bit instead. Cutter agrees.)

He needed some antibiotics & since he'd already eaten, Marg had me dose him. She mixed the antibiotic in warm water & I squirted it up into his mouth with a big syringe - no needle attached. That's always interesting because they pick their head up & move it around. You get the syringe in through the bit path, the area at the side of their mouth between the incisors & molars, then push it up as far as you can & squirt.

Of course their tongue is flopping around & he managed to maneuver his into just the right position so one of my squirts reflect back into my face. I'm pleased to report that the peppermint they mix the antibiotic with doesn't burn the eyes. The splash got the top of my hat & both shoulders, but most of it went right into my face. I think he laughed at me about that one. Marg certainly did. I had to ask her twice for a towel to wipe off my face. I managed to get most of it down him, though.

[Jim]

We still haven't watched "Skyfall", Jackie. I have read the Bond books, but it's been a while. As I recall, there was some back story in several books, but I vaguely recall that one of the original books is a couple of novellas, one taking place during WWII.

Of course, the Bond character has been spread through so many forms of media & became ageless. You might be better off looking at one of the Bond web sites & see what they say. I believe that Gardner was very careful to stay true to Fleming's work when he took over the novels, but he only wrote a half dozen & others have written them since then. I only read the first one of his, though. I decided that was far enough. I've never gotten into the comics, either.

[Jackie]

Thanks, Jim, I'll look online.

[Nina]

Jim, Your descriptions of giving Cutter medication makes you sound like an ex-veternarian turned programmer. Am I close to the truth?

[Nina]

Joy H. wrote: "Nina wrote: "Speaking of movies, after my five year old grandchild watched a Shirley Temple, that was in Black and White she asked, "Was the world black and white back then and then it changed into..."I am amazed Joy that you even knew that a New Year was in the offig at five yers old or even that your five year old cousin would think of something like a NEW WORLD at that age. Kids are and were so smart, including you.

[Jackie]

Joy wrote: How about the Monty Python Parrot Skit with John Cleese

My sister and I saw that in the 70s and to this day we still say "Hello, Polly" when we call each other, lol

[Jim]

Nina wrote: "Jim, Your descriptions of giving Cutter medication makes you sound like an ex-veternarian turned programmer. Am I close to the truth?"

Oh no. I've never had the money, drive, or interest to be a vet. They're very special people. No, I've just lived with horses all my life. Before I was a computer guy (actually, my real job title is Sys Admin) I was a remodeler/carpenter.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie, to answer your question, years ago, I read ALL the James Bond books by Ian Fleming. I LOVED them. I remember cheering out loud when he bested his enemy. I was all alone reading the book and there I was cheering out loud! IMO, none of the movies I saw could do justice to the books.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: "Cutter slid into something & scraped up his near hind from the pastern to hock. It blew up so he & I got to play faces while Marg bandaged him. This is a game where he gets a twitch on him & then he & I play with his lips & tongue to keep his mind off whatever indignities Marg is heaping upon him. ..."

Jim, that's amazing. I can't imagine doing any of those procedures on a huge horse! Wish I could watch though. What a different life you lead!

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "I am amazed Joy that you even knew that a New Year was in the offig at five yers old or even that your five year old cousin would think of something like a NEW WORLD at that age. Kids are and were so smart, including you."

Thank you, Nina, I never thought about how unusual it was for a 5 year old to be aware of a "New Year". But I DO remember the incident as if it happened yesterday. I guess I remembered it because it was the one moment when I proved I was RIGHT! LOL

My 5 year old friend had insisted it was a NEW WORLD and I KNEW it was a NEW YEAR! LOL

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: "[about the Monty Python Parrot Skit with John Cleese] My sister and I saw that in the 70s and to this day we still say "Hello, Polly" when we call each other, lol"

LOL - Jackie, our son, who is now 52 years old, knows the whole skit by memory. He imitates the voices and makes us laugh when he does it. He and his friends had a ball with the skit when they were teen-agers.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: "Oh no. I've never had the money, drive, or interest to be a vet. They're very special people. No, I've just lived with horses all my life. Before I was a computer guy (actually, my real job title is Sys Admin) I was a remodeler/carpenter."

Jim, with all those different backgrounds in your life, you are a very interesting person. If you ever come to the Lake George area, let me know. I'd like to meet you. I'll bet you're an interesting fellow to talk to. Jackie and I will take you out to dinner, eh Jackie? LOL

BTW, our son's old dog, Boogie, was put to sleep a few days ago.
Here's his pic: (Click on thumbnail)

He had just recovered from a serious hospitalization and near-death with pneumonia (costing a couple of thousand dollars). He was home and started howling and barking. Turns out his stomach was twisted. Here's what our son wrote:
================================================
"Boogaloo is in Boogaloo heaven now. :-( As it turns out, the decision was sort of made for us. Boog's trouble last night was not related to his recent bout with pneumonia. He was actually recovering from that fairly well. What ended up happening was the very common old dog condition known as bloat or twisted stomach (gastric dilatation volvulus). They took x-rays and both doctors at the Animal Hospital concurred 100% positive that that is what happened. In fact, it was the worst twist possible at 360 degrees. You can Wikipedia it."
=======================================
We are heart-broken, not only for the dog but for our son who is very upset. Hope he will get a new puppy soon from the dog shelter. I told him that a lucky new puppy is waiting for him.

[Jackie]

For sure, Joy, and I'll even take Jim to Hall's to see the boatworks. I know he'd like it.

I'm sorry to hear about Boogie, it's a hard thing, losing a beloved pet.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Thanks, Jackie for your condolences.

I hope Jim will take us up on our offer. Yes, he'd enjoy the boatworks. And the camping islands! A cruise on the lake would be nice, especially around the islands. Here's a sample:
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album...

I'll bet Eddie and Jim could talk for days about fixing things. Eddie is Mr. Fixit. :)

[Jim]

I surely appreciate the offers! Thank you. If we get up that way, I'll let you know. It's been a lot of years since I was last Upstate. My cousins have an 85 acre place not far off 17, not too far from Deposit, I think.

Sorry to hear about the dog. That's very hard.

Living on a farm does seem to be a lot different than what most people do. We rode a bit today, although it was cold. We didn't do much since Marg rode Rascal. Just walked around the south & barn fields. Chip seemed to think it was hardly worth it, save for the biscuits. The going was terrible, though. A couple of inches of mud on top of frozen ground & poor Rascal isn't used to all that extra weight on his back. He did well, though.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim, hope you & Marg will surprise us with a visit. I checked the map. Looks like Deposit is a long way from Lake George.

We have cold weather here but we don't have too much mud where we are. Mud is depressing. Bet you'll be glad when good weather comes... and so will the horses! :)

Thanks for the condolences. Any day we expect our other grand-dog, old-lady Alice, to kick the bucket. But she's hanging in there like a trooper.
Click on thumbnail. (Alice is the big one.)(Romeo's the little one.) :)

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Yesterday I watched a Netflix DVD of "The Master" (2012) with Philip Seymour Hoffman & Joaquin Phoenix who gave very powerful performances. Very weird movie. Disturbing at times. Dragged in parts but kept me watching, even if just to see where it was going. It's a mix of the themes of cults (guru=Hoffman) and also of post-traumatic stress after Phoenix's character came home from the war.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560747/?...

Critic James Berardinelli says: "Many of the one-on-one scenes with Hoffman and Phoenix crackle with energy. These two are so compelling when sharing the screen that the movie suffers when one or the other is missing."
FROM: http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_t...

Critic Roger Ebert says: "The Master shows invention and curiosity. It is often spellbinding. But what does it intend to communicate?"
FROM: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...

Critic Claudia Puig says: "Anderson has taken pains to re-create the '50s with superb production design and gorgeous cinematography. But he seems less concerned with whether the audience is along for the ride. The story can leave viewers at sea, floundering to give meaning to what they are watching."
FROM: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560747/c...

If you see it, tell us what you thought of it. I feel as if I witnessed a disturbing nervous-breakdown suffered by Phoenix's character. Terrific acting.

[Jim]

Lake George & Deposit seem to be about 3 hours apart, Joy. It's 13-14 hours from our place to yours, so Deposit seems fairly close.
;-)

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: "Lake George & Deposit seem to be about 3 hours apart, Joy. It's 13-14 hours from our place to yours, so Deposit seems fairly close.;-)"

...which proves that everything is relative! :)

[Nina]

Interesting to know your background and update on your official title of work you are doing now besides working with horses; woodworking, knitting etc. I might be surprised by the "etc.: Some day.

[Nina]

Joy H. wrote: "Jim, hope you & Marg will surprise us with a visit. I checked the map. Looks like Deposit is a long way from Lake George.

We have cold weather here but we don't have too much mud where we are. Mud..."We do really lose part of our family and I mean that literally when one of our pets leaves us. Only time, the old cliche, but it really does help as hopefully a new life will enter your son's. In the meantime, I am sorry for him.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "We do really lose part of our family and I mean that literally when one of our pets leaves us. Only time, the old cliche, but it really does help as hopefully a new life will enter your son's. In the meantime, I am sorry for him."

Thank you, Nina. We haven't heard from our son since Boogie was put to sleep. He had said he would get another dog after Boogie but he may not get one right away. A new puppy needs a lot of care and attention. So the time must be right. Personally, I can't wait to see the new puppy when one is finally adopted.

[Nina]

When my daughter's Jack Russell was brutally attacked and killed by a neighbor's dog we all feared she'd never get another dog; but several months later here came a rescue rat terrior and lo and behold a month ago another one came as a companion and they did fill a gap with not only my daughter but the rest of us too.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "... we all feared she'd never get another dog; but several months later here came a rescue rat terrior and lo and behold a month ago another one came as a companion and they did fill a gap..."

They do fill a gap! A HUGE gap!
"...love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation." -Kabil Gibran

[Jim]

Mine fill the gaps on my bed until I have trouble finding a space for ME. Right now Lily has her head on my pillow & Amber is right next to her. Molly is laying in the spot I would like to stand, if I wanted to go to bed. Yes, they do fill gaps.
;-)

[Joy H., Group Founder]

LOL - Well, Jim, now we know who rules the roost in YOUR house! :)

[Nina]

My husband not usually a reader; he used to be and then his job was so demanding of the left brain he only wanted to do physical "labor" once he was home. I asked him to read the first three or four pages of, "The Professor and the Housekeeper," to get his opinion on whether he thought our son, a math guru, would enjoy it. After the first four pages, he said, "Yes, he would like it." Hours later he hadn't laid down the book. He read it in one sitting. I just got a message from our son saying he had ordered the paperback as he couldn't wait until the end of the month for the ebook to come out. It truly was a wonderful book. The author won every literally prize in Japan.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina, the book description of The Housekeeper and the Professor says: "The Professor’s mind is still alive with elegant equations from the past."

Does that mean that the reader has to wade through a lot of math?

[Nina]

Math is part of the story of The Professor and the Housekeeper but it doesn't get in the way; it's like the background as is the setting in Japan. I am definitely not a math person but it would appeal to one who is or one who isn't. I doubt this makes sense. All I can say is "Try it, you might like it;or you might not." It is a hard book to explain. I doubt I could write a review. But, I am going to recommend it to my book club.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Thanks, Nina. I'll check out some of the reviews of The Professor and the Housekeeper. I've put the book on my keep-in-mind shelf. If I ever read it, I'll post about it.

Right now I'm in the middle of Pope Joan. It's a very engaging book. Pulls you in and won't let you go. Compelling, so far. Of course, a girl who dresses up like a man and becomes a cleric is very interesting indeed!

[Ashraf]

Joy H. wrote: "Ashraf, please let me know what you thought of "Brief Encounter".
=============================================
Wiki says:

"The screenplay is by Noël Coward, and is based on his 1936 one-act play ..."


I watched Brief Encounter yesterday. An amazing movie and Celia Johnson did a great job. Beautiful and talented but she had acted in only 16 films (says Wiki)!!! Those days...

[Ashraf]

Joy H. wrote: "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." ---Victor Borge

Good quote.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Ashraf, I'm glad you enjoyed "Brief Encounter". Yes, Celia Johnson did a good job with the role. Trevor Howard was also very good as the male lead. Somehow, I always confuse him with Leslie Howard.

TREVOR HOWARD - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_H...
LESLIE HOWARD - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_H...

Here's a good description of the film:
=================================================
"In this early masterpiece from David Lean, two ordinary strangers (Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson), both married, meet at a train station and find themselves drawn into a short but poignant romance. Intense and unforgettable, underscored by the perfect use of Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto and adapted by Noel Coward from his one-act play 'Still Life', Brief Encounter is one of the greatest British films of all time, a timeless romance of unfulfilled love and personal sacrifice."
FROM: http://www.curzoncinemas.com/library/...
================================================

There's another version of "Brief Encounter" (1974) with Richard Burton and Sophia Loren. I've never seen it but I doubt it could be as good as the original movie.

Brief Encounter (1945) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037558/?...
"Meeting a stranger in a railway station, a woman is tempted to cheat on her husband."

Brief Encounter (TV 1974) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071247/?...
"Two strangers, both married to others, meet in a railroad station and find themselves in a brief but intense affair."

PS-WOW! Here's a page with LOTS OF INFO re "BRIEF ENCOUNTER":
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/69696/...

[Joy H., Group Founder]

PS-I'm also glad you liked the quote, Ashraf. It's so true.

[Nina]

We watched again, "Good-by Mr. Chips," and loved it just as much. Sometimes watching that type of movie is like eating comfort food. There is a need and it seems to fill it.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

My husband was watching it too last night ("Good-by Mr. Chips") (1939). I remember that movie. Very precious. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031385/?...

[Nina]

I remember there was a later version too. Might be fun to watch it and see the differences. I think there were some.

[Jackie]

I finished Season 2 of Spartacus, good swordplay and fight scenes. I witnessed one of the most disgusting wounds ever inflicted by sword. Yuck, but kinda cool at the same time, lol Me and Eric rewound it about 5 times. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1442449/

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "I remember there was a later version too. Might be fun to watch it and see the differences. I think there were some."

Yes, there was this one with Peter O'Toole and Petula Clark:
Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064382/?...

and this one (2002) with Martin Clunes: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327804/?...

There was a similar movie about a school teacher. It was:
The Emperor's Club (2002) with Kevin Kline.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283530/?...
"An idealistic prep school teacher attempts to redeem an incorrigible student."
I posted a separate topic about it at:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...
I recommend it.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: "I finished Season 2 of Spartacus, good swordplay and fight scenes. I witnessed one of the most disgusting wounds ever inflicted by sword. Yuck, but kinda cool at the same time, lol Me and Eric r..."

Yuck! I wonder if it's on YouTube! LOL

[Jackie]

It is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amrmWy...
It's extremely graphic, I've seen some nasty things on TV but this is really gross. It must take a sick mind to think this stuff up. I've seen a lot of sword play in movies and TV and I would never in a million years think of something like this.

[Jim]

That's so weird. They show gaping wounds inflicted on TV, but in MD they recently suspended a 7 year old for eating a Pop Tart into a gun-like shape. Worse, they're now offering grief counseling & he never even threatened anyone with this 'weapon'! Seriously, take a look at this:
http://siftingreality.com/2013/03/05/...

Look at that Pop Tart & now look at the shape of the state of Maryland. Which one looks more like a gun? I say the state should just be banned.
;-)

[Werner]

Jim, when I clicked that link, the picture didn't show, only the text; but that's probably because BC's firewalls interfere with the image. (I'm at work early.) I'd already heard of this incident, and the earlier one where a high school honors student was disciplined for jokingly pointing her finger like a gun; and unfortunately, with the zeal of school boards and officials for adopting "zero tolerance" policies, these aren't isolated incidents. Rather, they're just the tip of the iceberg (and our kids and grandkids are the Titanic.)

Two of my Goodreads friends are public school teachers, and most graduates of BC's teacher education program go into public school teaching. I think they, and most of the actual teachers in the system, are decent people who care deeply about educating children and strive hard to do it. But the actual running of the schools is in the hands of a politicized establishment with an agenda that has nothing to do with anything that most of us would characterize as valid education, that is divorced from parental control, and that is hostile to the interests of both parents and kids. There are certainly valid reasons why parents place their kids in public schools, mostly financial reasons. But my advice to any parent who could afford it would be to take their kids out of these insane asylums run by the inmates (and, IMO, one of the highest priorities for the Christian church, for NGOs interested in community building and social renewal, and for any minority or counterculture community ought to be to make private schooling widely affordable). If public school enrollment dropped in a short period by 95-99%, or even by 50-60%, those running the system might buy a clue and do some course correction. (But then, this IS the government we're talking about, so maybe not.... :-( ) Okay, I'm off my soapbox now; it's safe to come out! :-)

[Jim]

You're preaching to the choir, Werner. All of my kids went to school in MD & I had quite a few fights with them over such idiocies. A couple of teenage boys that bump each other in the hall is not reason enough to suspend them for a week, but they did it fairly often. I think you got the wording just right with "... a politicized establishment with an agenda that has nothing to do with anything that most of us would characterize as valid education..."

After reading an article about MD schools offering grief counseling, I just had to make this up.

[Jackie]

It's ridiculous. Here in NY, the new guns restrictions are exempt for film making. The hypocrisy is astounding. But the assault on our liberties is worrisome. There's a reason we were given the right to bear arms but the men who lived through tyranny and persecution. They knew what they were doing.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/02/2...

What happens when you downsize the military and disarm the citizens? I know, do you? People better wake up in this country.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: "It is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amrmWy...
It's extremely graphic, I've seen some nasty things on TV but this is really gross. It must take a sick mind to think this stuff up. I've seen a..."

E-E-E-W! I KNEW it would be on YouTube! Nasty stuff!

One of the reader comments at the YouTube site was:
"If only he'd left her alone. He might have saved face."

What a wordsmith!

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: "... Look at that Pop Tart ..."

Incredible!