What MOVIES or DVDs have you watched? (PART SEVEN - 2014) (ongoing thread)

[Jackie]

Ender looked like a teenager to me. The actor is almost 17.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

I didn't realize the actor (Asa Butterfield) was that old! He sure looks younger!
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2633535/?r...

[Joy H., Group Founder]

I didn't realize the actor (Asa Butterfield) was that old! He sure looks younger!
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2633535/?r...

[Jackie]

He does look younger. Most of the young actors appear younger than they really are. I don't know if it's just being young, or if make up is involved.

[Jim]

The age factor didn't bother me at all. I was very impressed by it, too. They managed to hit all the important points even though it was very compressed. I did wish they had done something to stretch out & show the way they harried Ender in Battle School a bit better. All in all, they did a great job, though.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

I thought so too, Jim.

[Jackie]

For me the age is important. What's done to Ender at age 8 yr is way more emotionally impacting that if he was 14-15. It would damage a child far more than someone older, to me it's a very big deal.

Same with the Game of Thrones TV series, they aged the kids. As bad as things are for the kids at their TV ages, it's more devastating to me that they were even younger when I read the books.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if I had thought Ender was a teenager. But since I thought he was a little boy, I understood the idea of the film.

[Jim]

I think the age they used worked out better for the movie, made it more believable in some ways. Of course, mixing sexes among teens like that wouldn't have been possible. That aside, teens are known for gaming which helped out a lot. I had some trouble swallowing the very young age in the book.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Yesterday I watched the following Netflix DVD: "Thousand Pieces of Gold" (1991).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100774/?...
http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Thousand...
"In 1880's China, young Lalu is sold into marriage by her impoverished father..." (part of IMDb description)
I gave it 4 stars. Good story. Kept my attention all the way through. Well acted. Interesting choreography. Chris Cooper was very appealing in this movie.
Adapted to film from the book: Thousand Pieces of Gold (1983) by Ruthanne Lum McCunn
IMDb trivia: "Based on the true story of "China Polly."

[Joy H., Group Founder]

PS-See my review of "Thousand Pieces of Gold" at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Nina]

Joy H. wrote: "Yesterday I watched the following Netflix DVD: "Thousand Pieces of Gold" (1991).
http://www.imdb.1
I'll try to order it.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Hope you'll like it, Nina.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

I just finished watching the movie "Finding Neverland" (2004) via a Netflix DVD.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0308644/?...
http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Finding-...
"The story of J.M. Barrie's friendship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan."

I never knew this background story about J.M. Barrie and his relationship with Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and her family of young boys.

Johnny Depp was captivating as J.M. Barrie. So low-key and yet so effective!

Believe it or not, I had never realized that Michael Jackson took the idea for the name of his estate from J.M. Barrie's "Neverland". I had never made the connection.

I like the idea that Neverland is a place where people never die... and that's what's behind the real meaning of "Neverland".

The movie was based on the play: "The Man Who was Peter Pan" by Allan Knee

[Nina]

That Neverland movie I think I've seen; but long ago so sounds worth looking at it one more time. Thanks for the reminder. Joy, I recommended the book, "Lucia, Lucia," by Adriana Trigiani to you and her breakout novel was,"Big Stone Gap," which is the first book of a trilogy and is being made into a motion picture. One of the stars is Whoopi Goldberg. I, so far have enjoyed all of this author's books that I've read; "Very Valentine," "Brava Valentine," and "Lucia, Lucia." Most take place in Greenwich Village and Italy. The author began her writing career as a writer for the Bill Cosby show.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina, I found a sample of Big Stone Gap online. I'll take a look at it. Here's the sample:
https://play.google.com/books/reader?...
Whoopi Goldberg is always interesting. The adaptation should be a good movie.

[Jim]

I'm watching "Castle Keep" again.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064137/?...
I just saw it a few years ago, but noticed it & caught it on the DVR again this weekend. GREAT movie starring Burt Lancaster & Peter Falk. It's kind of depressing, but has a lot of black humor. Falk (aka Columbo) has some of the best lines.

It's a WWII war movie, but there are only a few battle scenes. Mostly it's about a band of misfits who wind up at a castle in the way of the Battle of the Bulge. There are a lot of really thoughtful threads running through it & the acting is wonderful. I highly recommend it, even to those who don't like violence.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: "I'm watching "Castle Keep" again.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064137/?...
I just saw it a few years ago, but noticed it & caught it on the DVR again this weekend. GREAT movie starring ..."

Jim, I see that I have "Castle Keep" in my Netflix DVD queue. Thanks for reminding me about it. Here's the Netflix link and description:
http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Castle-K...
"Castle Keep" (1969)
"Sydney Pollack directs an all-star cast (Burt Lancaster, Peter Falk, Bruce Dern, Jean-Pierre Aumont and Patrick O'Neal) in an allegorical tale about an American military squad that, during the Battle of the Bulge, defends to the death a castle in the Ardennes Forest that brims with priceless master paintings. But another big point of contention is the castle owner's beautiful young wife (Astrid Heeren)."

[Nina]

I ordered, "Castle Keep," on Netflix. I have viewed the battleground of The Battle of the Bulge," and it was sobering. I viewed with a count friend of mine and my daughter's and because he was a prisoner of the Nazi's as a child it was even more sobering. In fact, because it was twilight when viewing the battleground, it was eerie.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Wiki has a long article about "The Battle of the Bulge" at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Batt...
EXCERPT:
"The battle was known by different names. The Germans referred to it as Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein ("Operation Watch on the Rhine"), while the French named it the Bataille des Ardennes ("Battle of the Ardennes"). The Allies called it the Ardennes Counteroffensive. The phrase "Battle of the Bulge" was coined by contemporary press to describe the way the Allied front line bulged inward on wartime news maps and became the best known name for the battle."

[Nina]

Thank you Joy for the battle website. I sat and read it for a half hour. So interesting I am still thinking about it. Amazing we won the war. Then watched a movie, "Miss Austin Regrets," and obviously, although entertaining, it wasn't written by Jane, herself. But, think about it, she was never more than eighty mles from her home and people are still making movies about her and her books are everywhere, they are made into TV series and Jane Austin is mentioned in so many places I can't even count how many. It is almost astounding.

[Nina]

I have to give you an account of our crazy weather; this past Monday set a record for the coldest March 2nd on record/belwo zero and wind chill of 14 below zero. One week later, next Monday is predicted to be 70 degrees. Can weather any place top that?

[Jim]

We've had several 50 & 60 degree changes in the weather, too. Sometimes in a day. It's awful.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina, that IS some crazy weather!

I have "Miss Austin Regrets" in my Netflix DVD queue. Thanks for reminding me about it.

[Jackie]

I saw Catching Fire http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1951264/, the second movie in the Hunger Games franchise. It was good, stuck close to the book, from what I remember. I appreciate that.

And some crappy horror movies not worth mentioning.

[Nina]

Yeah, today is seventy three so Jim maybe our weather is headed your way.

[Jim]

We hit 64! I got a lot done outside tonight, all in shirt sleeves. Loving it!

[Jackie]

Jealous.

[Nina]

They are calling it March Madness; predicted 74 degrees tomorrow afternoon, then cold front and snow by four AM. Can you believe? As far as books, I deleted,"Goldfinch," half way through on my Kindle. Guess I don't jive with the NY Best Times list. It also is on a long waiting list at the library.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

I am just about finished watching The Six Wives of Henry VIII (via streaming from Netflix). I'm on the six wife, Catherine Parr. Although it's slow going for me, I kept at it, bit by bit.

I noticed that 3 of Henry's wives were named "Catherine" and 2 of them were named "Anne".

Watching this series, stimulated me to search for more info at Wiki. Some of it is very interesting. For example:
========================================
"Catherine Parr ... was Queen of England from 1543 until 1547, as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII. She married him on 12 July 1543, and outlived him. ...

"Catherine enjoyed a close relationship with Henry's three children and was personally involved in the education of Elizabeth and Edward, both of whom became English monarchs. She was influential in Henry's passing of the Third Succession Act in 1543 that restored both his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, to the line of succession to the throne.
...
"Six months after Henry's death, she married her fourth and final husband, Thomas Seymour [brother of the English queen Jane Seymour, Henry's 3rd wife]. The marriage was short-lived, as she died in September 1548, probably of complications of childbirth."

FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherin...
===================================================

[Joy H., Group Founder]

RE: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Nina, the only book I've read by Donna Tartt is The Secret History. It was a great mystery. Rather dark but compelling.

[Nina]

Joy H. wrote: "I am just about finished watching The Six Wives of Henry VIII (via streaming from Netflix). I'm on the six wife, Catherine Parr. Although it's slow going for me, I kept at it, bit by bit.I enjoyed that brief history lesson on Catherine Par

I notice..."

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "I enjoyed that brief history lesson on Catherine Parr..."

Glad you liked it, Nina. Here's another snippet about Parr: "She was the only one of Henry's wives to receive a queen's funeral, and his only consort to be buried beside him in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle."

[Nina]

Interesting.

[Jackie]

Decent family oriented film with beautiful scenery, Against The Wild http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2475846/?... My sole interest was that it featured a Malamute who survives a plane crash with his two human kids and helps them survive out in the wild. (People don't own Malamutes, they own their people, lol)

Book of Eli http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1037705/?... recommended by friends, meh.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Thanks for the links, Jackie. "Against the Wild" sounds like quite an adventure. Beautiful dog!

[Jackie]

Eric brought it to my attention because he looks like Juneau. That grey black-tipped fur on his sides, his markings, the way he ran and the way he 'talked' (his woo-woo sounds). I enjoyed seeing a Juneau replica on the screen. Though Juneau was unimpressed, lol

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Yes, Jackie, I was reminded of your Juneau too, just from the picture on the Movie Page at IMDb!

[Nina]

Quote: "I should never call myself a book lover any more than a people lover. It all depends what's inside them." Philip Larkin

[Jackie]

Another good one, Nina.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina wrote: "Quote: "I should never call myself a book lover any more than a people lover. It all depends what's inside them." Philip Larkin"

Wow, Nina! That's food for thought! So true!

[Jackie]

I watched Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2304771/ It was very good, and Idris Elba was fantastic in the role. I don't know why he wasn't nominated for an Oscar for the role.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie, I have that movie on my Netflix queue (Mandela). I'll be viewing it soon.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

"Mandela" was excellent!
Also, I recently watched the following via Netflix DVDs:
"Philomena" - wonderful!
"Saving Mr. Banks" - terrific!
"The Last King of Scotland" - good but disturbing (of course)

[Jackie]

Saw them all except for Mr Banks; agreed.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Don't miss Mr. Banks!

[Werner]

This past Saturday, I spent the night at my daughter Deborah's house helping out with the kids, and her typical practice is to let them fall asleep watching TV. Usually, we turn on a grown-up show that they find boring (and hopefully sleep-inducing); but this time she let them watch a DVD of the 2012 claymation film ParaNorman. All four kids were interested enough in this to be sufficiently quiet and attentive that the adults could actually watch it too, which is unusual.

Set in a small New England town, it has a child protagonist who has the ability (which runs in his family on one side, apparently) to see ghosts, and who becomes caught up in having to deal with a witch's curse going back to the early 1700s. Being aimed at children, the exploration of the history isn't very deep, and it's played more for comedy than scare (though the supernatural elements do have their serious and scary side). Some of its "humor," IMO, isn't really child-friendly, being gross and inappropriate (and not all of this shows up in imdb's Parent's Guide, either!), though some of this is actually over the heads of smaller children.

For teens and adults who don't consider themselves demeaned by watching a "kid's movie," though, it has some worthwhile quality to offer. There are really good messages here, about doing the right thing even when it's scary, family relationships, bullying, fear of what we don't understand, mob psychology, friendship and more. Much of the humor is more cerebral, and sometimes it's laugh-aloud funny; and the claymation technique is handled effectively. The imdb link is here: www.imdb.com/title/tt1623288 .

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Werner, thanks for telling us about "ParaNorman". It's available for streaming from Netflix. So I've put it on my Netflix List. I'll take a look.
http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/702179...
NETFLIX DESCRIPTION: "When an army of zombies invades a small town, it's up to an odd local boy with a knack for communicating with the dead to save the day."

[Werner]

Hope you like it, Joy! :-)

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Today I enjoyed watching a Netflix DVD of a 1941 film called "Adam Had Four Sons". It stars Ingrid Bergman as a governess. It's one of the few movies starring her which I had never seen. It's a pleasant family story with some drama and suspense to make it very interesting. I'm glad I watched it!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033314/?...
http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Adam-Had...

PS-It was adapted from a book called _LEGACY_ by Charles Bonner. Couldn't find it at Goodreads.