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Movies, DVDs, and Theater
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Have you seen any good movies lately? (Part THREE - 2010)
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Jackie
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Mar 04, 2010 11:20AM
Reading the write-up, I can see why it'd be stressful to watch. Just the thought of war and the inevitable constant stress it would bring freaks me out.
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I watched Grosse Point Blank yesterday and I liked it. Even when Dan Ackroyd was being serious, I couldn't help but laugh. Strange movie with a happy ending.I started watching the first Season of Northern Exposure, 8 episodes between yesterday and today. I never saw it while it was on, only in reruns at 2am and in no particular order. It's nice to experience it from the beginning. I have to say, though, that if NE premiered now, it would never have gotten past the original 8 episodes. This is a great example of show that got better as it went along. It lasted 6 seasons. I wish the newtork execs would realize that most shows don't start off with instant success. They cancel too many shows too early.
GPB was a lot of fun, wasn't it, Jackie? Definitely one of my all time favorites.I watched "Dogs of War" this weekend with Christopher Walken & some other actors I've seen before. It was good. I don't think I've ever seen it all the way through before.
Watch Alice in Wonderland from 1903. That's right, a film clip from a movie made over a century ago!http://mikelgan.posterous.com/wow-che...
Just a few! ;-)For a list of all the different movies of "Alice In Wonderland" see the disambiguation page on Wikipedia, here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_in...
There have been a fair few - more than I thought.
Wikipedia also has a bit of a write up about the 1903 version that you can get to from the above.
Jim wrote: "Just a few! ;-)For a list of all the different movies of "Alice In Wonderland" see the disambiguation page on Wikipedia, here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_in......"
Thanks for the links, Jim.
I've been away from my computer for a day or so because my sister is visiting. We watched the Oscar show together last night. (Sunday)
At the Oscars one of the winners was interrupted during his speech. Elinor Burkett ran up on stage and yanked the microphone away from producer Roger Ross Williams while he was giving his acceptance speech for their "Music by Prudence", which won for best documentary short.
Tonight on Larry King Live they will be discussing the details about that interruption. (Time: 9:00 PM, Monday, 3/8) (also, the show is usually repeated at midnight)
Also see details at:
http://www.salon.com/entertainment/mo...
http://jezebel.com/5487853/lady-kanye...
http://www.californiachronicle.com/ar...
http://www.imnotobsessed.com/2010/03/...
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/How-Th...
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "... At the Oscars one of the winners was interrupted during his speech. Elinor Burkett ran up on stage and yanked the microphone away from producer Roger Ross Williams while he was giving his acceptance speech for their "Music by Prudence", which won for best documentary short. ..."For those of you who would like to know more about how rapper, Kanye West, interrupted an award speech during the Video Music Awards (VMA) in 2009, see:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621...
What a rude jerk. Apparently this is the second time he has done this. They're fools for inviting him to another event & - worse - not having security toss him out of the building.
I have the DVD of Ladies in Lavender and loved it, Dench and Smith are marvelous.
We watched Space Cowboys the other night, and boy, was I disappointed. James Garner was terribly under utilized, and so was Donald Sutherland IMO. Tommy Lee Jones came out ok, but their characters were such cardboard cutouts, that it was awful. I know Clint Eastwood directed it, at least I think he did, and boy, did he ever give himself the lion's share of the good lines, good exposure, and bulk of the storyline.
I never thought I'd be so disappointed in a film that James Garner acted in.
We watched Space Cowboys the other night, and boy, was I disappointed. James Garner was terribly under utilized, and so was Donald Sutherland IMO. Tommy Lee Jones came out ok, but their characters were such cardboard cutouts, that it was awful. I know Clint Eastwood directed it, at least I think he did, and boy, did he ever give himself the lion's share of the good lines, good exposure, and bulk of the storyline.
I never thought I'd be so disappointed in a film that James Garner acted in.
I watched Ninja Assassin. Typical of contemporary martial arts films, lots of intense action and choreography. Decent story, though not as good as most of the MA Films I've seen. I was exposed to a new weapon, the kusari-gama, a 6" sickle on a chain and wow, that was one awesome and scary weapon. I'd imagine it takes great skill to wield it with any degree of accuracy.
You can see it in action on the trailer here, but watch carefully, the action happens fast. http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/09/0...
This is a still shot of the kusari-gama used in Ninja Assassin: http://www.myconfinedspace.com/2009/0...
I'm 3/4 of the way through "Repo Man" now. Hopefully, I'll get to finish it this afternoon. It's gotten very weird.
Glad to hear that Katherine M enjoyed "Ladies in Lavender". It was interesting read about the other movies which Jackie and Jim watched. I haven't seen them yet. So I can't comment.Today I expect to receive the Netflix DVD of "Grosse Pointe Blank" which Jim and Jackie recently posted about.
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Grosse_P...
Netflix says:
Genres: Comedy, Romantic Comedies, Dark Humor & Black Comedies
This movie is: Witty, Romantic
Jim,Was that the one from the 80s with Emilio Estevez?
Yes. Very weird. Who played the scientist with the Malibu? I've looked, but can't figure it out. He looks kind of like Dennis Hopper, but I don't think it is.
I saw that one many years ago, I don't even remember what it's about, except that I thought it was weird too. Have you looked on imdb for the cast? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087995/
Maybe Harry Dean Stanton, he plays Bud. He was also The Brain in Escape from NY.
I did look at IMDB, but it wasn't Stanton. He's another repoman. The guy I'm talking about is the one that stole the aliens & has them in his trunk. Isn't the new one Repomen - I saw a commercial for it. Looked different - interesting, though. Oh yeah, repoing organs.
I don't remember Repo Man too much. Not sure who that guy is.Yes, Repo Men. It's a completely different story from what I've seen on the trailer. It is pretty repulsive...and frightening. Eric wants to go see it.
Just finished watching "Grosse Pointe Blank" (1997).http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Grosse_P...
Not really my kind of movie (too much violence and shooting) but at least, as Jackie said, it had a happy ending. It was labeled as a dark comedy. I think it was more "dark" than "comedy".
A good line from the movie:
"Some people say forgive and forget. Nah, I don't know. I say forget about forgiving and just accept."
-line from movie "Grosse Point Blank", said by character Debi played by Minnie Driver
Jackie said it was a strange movie and I agree. :)
Jim wrote (in Message #384): "... we watched "Gross Pointe Blank" again. ... John Cusak plays a hitman ... His secretary is his real life sister, Joan, & a waiter is his real life brother, Bill. (Did you know there are 5 of them, all acting?) ..."Thanks for the interesting info, Jim. I didn't even know who John Cusak was until I watched the movie. :) I can see the resemblance between John Cusak and his sister, Joan Cusak.
I love John Cusack, we try to see all his movies. John and Joan have worked together on a lot of movies. I like seeing them together.
Jackie wrote: "I love John Cusack, we try to see all his movies. John and Joan have worked together on a lot of movies. I like seeing them together."Their parents must be thrilled to have two children make it in show business!
I think it was Jim who told us there's 4 or 5 kids who are in movies. ???John's brother Bill was also in Grosse Point in a bit part as a waiter. I've seen Ann in Criminal Minds and other small roles.
The Arquettes and the Baldwins have 4 kids from each family in show biz.
Jackie wrote: "..The Arquettes and the Baldwins have 4 kids from each family in show biz. .."Amazing. Reminds me of the Barrymore family. See the chart showing the family tree here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrymor...
(On my computer, I had to scroll down and then scroll to the right as well in order to see the entire family tree.)
Got Up In the Air from Redbox yesterday. http://www.redbox.com/Titles/Availabl...
NetFlix was still saying 'Long Wait', and anyway my account is On Hold for 3 months.
Geroge Clooney does his wise-guy know-it-all wonderfully and I recommend it to all. 4 stars.
There are some clips of early Edison films, 1894-96, on YOUTUBE. THe one with Annie Oakley is amazing.
I was told, by a guy here at work, that I should watch "21" & "Undercover". Thoughts?
I don't think I saw either of them; sorry, no advice from me.
Darn. I figured you would have & we have similar tastes. Oh well, maybe I can tell you if you should see them.I FINALLY finished "Repo Man". Not worth watching again, but it was interesting to watch once. Very weird.
Jim, yes, let me know if they're worth watching.
Earl wrote: "Got Up In the Air from Redbox yesterday. http://www.redbox.com/Titles/Availabl...
NetFlix was still saying 'Long Wait', and anyway my acc..."
Earl, thanks for the Redbox link. That's the first time I've ever gone to the Redbox website. I have "Up in the Air" on my Netflix queue. Eventually, I'll get to see it. :)
Katherine wrote: "There are some clips of early Edison films, 1894-96, on YOUTUBE. THe one with Annie Oakley is amazing."Katherine, I found the link for the early Edison films on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search...
Some of them go back to 1894! Amazing!
PS-This one takes you way back to NYC in 1901.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZsPk6...
How lifestyles have changed!
Jim wrote: "I was told, by a guy here at work, that I should watch "21" & "Undercover". Thoughts?""21" (2008)
http://www.netflix.com/Search?v1=21&a...
Netflix says: "...cautionary tale based on the nonfiction best-seller:
Bringing Down the House : The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions.
Genre: Gambling Dramas, Crime Dramas, Dramas Based on Real Life
As for "Undercover", there seem to be a lot of them at IMDb:
3. Undercover (1984)
4. Undercover (2002/I)
5. Undercover Heat (1995) aka "Undercover"
6. Secrets of an Undercover Wife (2007) (TV)
aka "Undercover" - Canada (English title) (working title)
7. Undercover (2005)
9.Undercover (1943)
10. Undercover (1966)
11. Undercover (1991) (TV)
12. Undercover (1992)
13. Undercover (2002/II)
14. "Undercover" (2005) (TV series)
15. Undercover (2009/II)
16. Undercover (2009/III)
17. UnderCover (2009/IV)
18. Undercover (2011)
See: http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=...
(Scroll down when you get there.)
Oh my! Thanks, Joy. I had no idea there were so many "Undercover" movies. I thought he said Kevin Spacey was in it (Lex Luthor in the superman flicks & Kpax!) but I don't see that he was in any of these. I'll have to check with him again.21 looks right. We were talking about odds on a basket ball game & got on to that subject.
I adore Kevin Spacey. Such a wonderful actor. Did anyone see him as Lester Burnham in American Beauty? What a great role, great film. I watch it every couple of years.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169547/
Wow I just went to get the link and noticed it was from 1999. I didn't realize that much time had passed.
And what about Se7en? He was fantastic in that one too.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114369/
I haven't seen either movie, Jackie. I'll put them on the list.
Jackie wrote: "I adore Kevin Spacey. Such a wonderful actor. Did anyone see him as Lester Burnham in American Beauty? What a great role, great film. I watch it every couple of years.http://www.imdb.com/titl..."
Yes, I saw "American Beauty" (1999). That was an interesting film. Both Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening are impressive actors.
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/American...
Netflix says:
Genre: Dark Humor & Black Comedies, Romantic Dramas, Tearjerkers
This movie is: Witty, Romantic
I wouldn't call it witty and romantic! Dark, yes.
As for "Se7en" (1995), it sounds pretty gruesome. IMDb summary says:
"This thriller portrays the exploits of a deranged serial-killer. His twisted agenda involves choosing seven victims who represent egregious examples of transgressions of each of the Seven Deadly Sins."
Netflix description:
http://www.netflix.com/Search?oq=&...
"dark and haunting"
Genre: Crime Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Mystery
This movie is: Scary, Suspenseful, Dark, Violent
I liked all the main characters in American Beauty. I thought witty meant funny in a clever way but encarta defines it as:
1. using words cleverly: using words in an apt, clever, and amusing way
2. cleverly done: strikingly clever, stylish, or original in design or execution
I'm going with the second description. And I wouldn't call American Beauty romantic either. There were romances in the film but not my idea of romantic. And tearjerker? Who writes this stuff, LOL It seems as if it might be remotely tied to an feeling or thought then they put it in that genre. What I mean is this, maybe some people cried about what happened in the end but a couple of tears is not a tearjerker. AB is not an easily classified movie, I'd call it a dramedy and leave it at that. Less is more sometimes.
Se7en is not as violent as one would think but does have violence in it. I wouldn't chose the word gruesome, but some may see the crimes as gruesome. They were interesting, unique. Psychological Thriller is the most apt description. This one does a good job in it's classification. It is all those things listed.
Jackie wrote: "I liked all the main characters in American Beauty. I thought witty meant funny in a clever way but encarta defines it as: 1. using words cleverly: using words in an apt, clever, and amusing way
2. cleverly done: strikingly clever, stylish, or original in design or execution
I'm going with the second description. ..."
Interesting comments, Jackie. And you've brought up a good point about the different meanings of the word "witty". My idea of "witty" usually includes the idea of "funny". However, I can see that one can use words cleverly without necessarily being funny. That's "wit".
====================================================
Definitions of wit:
1. ingenious humor: the apt, clever, and often humorous association of words or ideas, or a capacity for it
2. speech or writing showing wit: speech or writing that shows an apt, clever, and often humorous association of words
3. witty person: somebody known for using wit
4. intelligence: mental acumen, intelligence, or reasoning power
FROM: http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/feature...
=====================================================
Hmmm. "Often humorous"... (but not always) :)
Ah! We never know if the online descriptions are really delivering the correct impression. I suppose that comes under the category of "Buyer Beware". :)
Yes, I'm inclined to agree with you on both accounts, LOLI love having the online dictionaries at our fingertips. Pre-internet, if I didn't know what a word meant, I would look it up in the hardcopy dictionary but never for words I already knew the meaning of. Or thought I did, LOL
English is a crazy language, multiple meanings for many words. It must be tough to learn as a second language.
Yes, Jackie, I too am thrilled with the way the Internet puts all the info in the world at our fingertips!!! When I look back to the time when we had to refer to hard-copy encyclopedias and dictionaries, I realize how handicapped we were as we tried to improve ourselves.
It wasn't bad when that was all we knew, but now that we can do it this way, I don't think any of us can go back to the way it used to be.
Jackie wrote: "It wasn't bad when that was all we knew, but now that we can do it this way, I don't think any of us can go back to the way it used to be."Unfortunately, there are still many people who are still doing things the old-fashioned way because they haven't yet accepted the use of computers, or because, for one reason or another, they haven't access to a computer, or they have no one to help them learn, or they're simply intimidated by the whole idea.
I think that many computer literate people don't realize how many people are still computer illiterate.
That's true but it's up to them to get over their fears...or not.When I first encounter new tech, I'm intimidated but once I get someone to start me off then I'm OK and continue to learn as I go. Now, I'm the go-to girl for tech for my family and friends. I never would have believed that possible just 5 years ago.
Jackie, who started you off with computers?
My sister taught me the basics of word processing over the phone and the librarians at LG Caldwell Library taught me the internet basics. Mostly, self-taught after the initial getting-familiar with the computer.
Wow. Who advised you on what to buy and how to set things up? That's one of the hardest parts, I think. My family did all that for me.
I had no idea what to buy, so I shopped around to see what seemed to be the most common features and I bought one with those features. It wound up being a crappy computer, nothing but problems. After that, when I needed a new computer, I called my sister's husband and he sent me to www.tigerdirect.com which is where he buys all his electronics. Jerry stayed on the phone with me as I went through the computer choices and he helped me select a HP Pavillion. From perusing that site afterwards, I learned so much. It's a huge warehouse, no middleman so prices are significantly cheaper. I paid $500 with shipping and less than 2 weeks later Anthony saw the same exact computer model at a customer's house and asked how much he paid. The man paid $1,000 for the same thing I had. I love that site, it has everything. When I gave Anthony that computer and bought a new one for myself, a newer model HP Pavillion, I gave him 4 times the memory he had for under $50 and installed it myself.
The internet is amazing, in terms of information and self-education.
Jackie, my sister always says she learns by trial and error. I admire you for having the courage to learn by doing. It takes a lot of courage to plunge in like that.
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