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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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Nov 24, 2010 01:09PM
Hancock is another one I forgot about. Eric saw it in the theater and said it was good. I'll have to put it on my Rent list. Thanks for the reminder and your comments regarding the film.
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Don't wear yourself out, Joy. If stamina was transferable, I'd be sucking it off Lily right now. I swear that dog has more energy than should be allowed. She's all legs, big paws & yet constantly bounces around like a JRT.Jackie, Hancock was mostly funny, but kind of touching. More comic book & meant to be, so it works well. I think you'll really like it.
Jackie wrote: "I liked it. I read the book first but I don't think that made a difference for me. Time shifts are natural to me, I'm a scifi fan with plenty of time travel under my belt. You have to pay attenti..."I'll try the book.
Linda, you'll encounter the same time jumping, just go with it, it'll all come together in the end.
Netflixed Hot Tub Time Machinehttp://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Hot-T...
If you score by the amount of 4 letter words this would be a 5 star. I was going to give it 2 stars out of 5, but changed my mind because, I guess, they finished the movie up so nicely with everyone happy. So my final score is 3 stars. Netflix is going up by a buck to pay for their verdammit streaming. If they'd only put subtitles in their streaming!
Yes, I see that the price of Netflix has been raised one dollar. I may change to one DVD out at at time instead of two. I've seen most of the movies I wanted to see. So now I must wait for the new Netflix DVD releases. The choices in streaming aren't as good yet, but will probably improve.
Barb and I saw Part I of the movie version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows yesterday, and both of us liked it. (Of course, Barb experiences the films differently than I do, because she hasn't read any of the books; the plots are all new to her.) I felt that the production values here were back to the original standard, and that the opportunity for including more material from the book (because of the two-part format) was well used. Now, I'm eager for Part II!
Part 2 is listed with a July 15th premiere date. I'm glad it's not going to be a whole year for us to wait. I have reservations about the July 15th premiere date, since previous Potter movies were set to premiere in July but were pushed back to late autumn.Part1:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0926084/
Part 2:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1201607/
Netflixed Terribly Happyhttp://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Terri...
More aptly 'Terribly Unhappy' perhaps? Weird little film, maybe it's the foreign flavor? Certainly not an American film maker's way of representing a lone marshal in pursuit of his duties. This marshal brings a great deal of baggage to his job. I gave it 3 stars out of 5.
Earl wrote: "Netflixed Terribly Happyhttp://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Terri...
More aptly 'Terribly Unhappy' perhaps? ..."
Earl, "terribly unhappy" is a good comment about that movie! :)
Additional info re "Terribly Happy" (Frygtelig Lykkelig) (2008):
Netflix says:
Language: Danish
This movie is: Cerebral, Dark, Suspenseful, Scary, Understated
Format: DVD and streaming
Today I watched a Netflix DVD of "The Extra Man"."The Extra Man" (2010)
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The-E...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1361313/
This is a weird movie but I liked it anyway. Kevin Kline is amusing in a very unusual role which is hard to explain. I'm glad I didn't have any idea how unusual the film is because I might have skipped it. But it drew me in immediately and I enjoyed it.
The movie was adapted from the book, The Extra Man by Jonathan Ames.
Netflix calls the movie "quirky". I think that's a good word for it. I can't imagine anyone else playing the role which Kevin Kline played. He's so great at being outrageously "over the top". I gave the film 4 stars out of five even though Netflix says that the average rating is 2.6 stars.
The History channel ran a show on the Presidents the other day. I think I saw that it is from 2004. We caught parts of 2 of them & then recorded all 6 on the DVR. We watched the first, Washington thru Madison. It was pretty good. Not a lot of depth, but they did a good job of putting the highlights of each into a historical perspective & gave a pretty good view of the man. I look forward to watching the rest, as time allows. There are some presidents I know almost nothing about.
Jim wrote: "The History channel ran a show on the Presidents the other day. I think I saw that it is from 2004. We caught parts of 2 of them & then recorded all 6 on the DVR. We watched the first, Washing..."
Yes, the History Channel's series about the presidents was done very well. (In fact, I said that to myself while I was watching.) Everything was clearly presented and the show was kept interesting. It pointed out specific characteristics which made each president different from the others. At the end of each segment, a framed statement in large font summarized the legacy of that president.
The following web page describes the program:
http://shop.history.com/detail.php?p=...
Below is a link to a video clip from that show:
http://shop.history.com/detail.php?p=...
(Click on the words "Video Clip".)
PS-I noticed (at the link posted above) that the program about the presidents was based on the book, To the Best of My Ability (2000) by James M. McPherson (general editor).The GR description of the book says:
==========================================================
"In this collection of essays, written by members of the prestigious Society of American Historians, we're gifted with a lively interpretive history of the 41 presidents to date with an emphasis on their dominant themes and achievements as influenced by their personalities and ideologies."
...
"A light sense of humor is even displayed, as in a photograph of William Howard Taft's mammoth bathtub, specially built after the 355-pound man got stuck in an ordinary tub..."
==========================================================
The GR member reviews describe the book very well. For example:
=====================================================
"The books covers each presidency, with amusing tidbits in the margins and timelines of key events."
"I have been reading this book full of factoids, some obscure and some well-known, about our country's presidents. You get the highs and lows of each president and, in the margins, there are wonderful sidebars about the first ladies and objects of interest of each president."
FROM: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67...
=====================================================
The TV series contained some interesting trivia. For example, Grover Cleveland is the only president who served two non-consecutive terms. One term began in 1885. The other began in 1893.
Netflixed The Ghostwriterhttp://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The...
I gave it 3 stars out of 5. It was quite gripping. But taken on the whole it seemed the point of the whole picture was to castigate the CIA for extracting vital info from the scumbags. The ending was anti-climatic in the way the 'code' was finally solved. And the 'amazing' answer didn't titillate me anyway, Still, the middle was worth the 3 stars. Maybe you have to be a Brit to be so interested in their Prime Minister. All I care is that he was a friend when America needed one.
Earl, thanks for the review. Sounds like a suspenseful movie.
I watched Leap Year last night. It's a sweet romantic comedy starring Amy Adams and Matthew Goode. Adams is a favorite of mine ever since I saw Julie/Julia and Enchanted. Goode is new to me, but he played a hunky romantic interest. Good fun and a bit of escapism.
Katherine, I enjoyed "Leap Year" too, via a Netflix DVD. Amy Adams is appealing as Anna, the romantic lead in the movie. However film critic, James Berardinelli, said: "Amy Adams is normally likeable but Anna comes across as a perfect storm of shallowness and stupidity. She's annoying and cartoonish." Well, I have to admit that at times she was a bit TOO sweet, but otherwise she was pleasing in this light, predictable romance. The film location in Ireland showed some beautiful scenery.Links:
"Leap Year" (I)* (2010)
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Leap-...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216492/
(The IMDb webpage above offers a video clip/trailer.)
Reviews:
Ebert: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
Berardinelli: http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_t...
*I wonder why IMDb puts that "I" after the title.
Earl, I saw Ghostwriter and I agree it wasn't the greatest of movies. The best part of the movie was the line Pierce Brosnan delivered near the end while he was talking the ghostwriter about security. Something to the effect of: have 2 lines at the airports, one where no one's rights are infringed upon and the other where every safety precaution is observed, then let's see which line his enemy (that guy who made a big fuss) would put his son on while taking a plane somewhere. It was a powerful delivery, one that makes a lot of sense. We live in a world where certain precautions are necessary, there is no 'high road'. And if there comes a time when unusual methods of obtaining information have to be done, then so be it. Don't be a terrorist if you don't want your rights infringed upon. A really good hard hitting move about this subject is Unthinkable, totally worth watching, Earl. I think you'd like it. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914863/Leap Year was good in the mind-numbing predictable way rom-coms usually are. The Irish dude was hot, I've seen him in other things and he never looked so good. The Ireland scenery was the best part of the film and the only reason I watched this movie at all; so I got what I wanted out it.
Joy, they add the (I) when there's more titles of the same name for that year. The other Leap Year is listed as so: Leap Year (2010)
Thanks, Jackie, for explaining about the "(I)". I see that the other movie called "Leap Year" ("Año bisiesto" in Spanish) was made in Mexico and the language is Spanish. Of course, it's an entirely different movie.
My mind is still reeling from watching The Boy with the Striped Pajamas earlier this evening. Has anyone seen this movie? Any comments?
Yes. I was devastated. The camp was horrific enough, and then what happened in the end floored me. It bothered me for a long time after seeing that movie; it's not a movie I'd want to see again.
Jackie wrote: "Yes. I was devastated. The camp was horrific enough, and then what happened in the end floored me. It bothered me for a long time after seeing that movie; it's not a movie I'd want to see again."Absolutely! To see those horrors through the eyes of an innocent eight-year-old was quite upsetting. I woke up this morning thinking about it again.
There's something to be said about a movie that stays with you and makes you keep thinking about it. Usually it's something disturbing though.
Jackie wrote: "Earl, I saw Ghostwriter and I agree it wasn't the greatest of movies. The best part of the movie was the line Pierce Brosnan delivered near the end while he was talking the ghostwriter about secur..."Thanks for the recommendation, Jackie. I did see Unthinkable and, though Hollywood had pumped in enough unbelievability to challenge your willingness to believe in the plot, it was a good movie. Obama has supposedly crippled the CIA's license to conduct aggressive interrogations at this point. He is pursuing the war in Afghanistan, but the rules of engagement should be relaxed and efficient liquidation of the bad guys in Pakistan should also be effected. The drones ain't enough.
Katherine and Jackie: I echo your feelings about "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" (2008), a terribly sad movie. Here's the Netflix link:http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The-B...
It was adapted from the book, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2006) by John Boyne.
The TCM channel recently aired another film which reminds us about the frightening atmosphere which existed during the days of Hitler. The title was "Act of Love" (1953), starring Kirk Douglas who played an American soldier in France during and after WWII.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046480/
It was adapted from the book, The Girl on the Via Flaminia by Alfred Hayes.
It's painful to watch these films but I think we have to be reminded of this type of reality so that the world will try to do all it can to prevent it.
Earl wrote: Obama has supposedly crippled the CIA's license to conduct aggressive interrogations at this point. He is pursuing the war in...That's what happens when people vote for popularity rather than experience and ability to do the job.
And Joy wrote: It's painful to watch these films but I think we have to be reminded of this type of reality so that the world will try to do all it can to prevent it.
You would think so, right? Apparently our world leaders need to watch these films. Or take a history lesson.
Netflixed After Lifehttp://movies.netflix.com/Movie/After...
I did not like this film, 2 stars out of 5. Meandering, disappointing ending. I have liked some films with disappointing endings, but this one just turned me off.
Earl wrote: "Netflixed After Lifehttp://movies.netflix.com/Movie/After...
I did not like this film, 2 stars out of 5. Meandering, disappointing ending. I have liked some fil..."
Earl, I don't think I'd like the film either. The Netflix description calls it a "macabre thriller".
There's enough sick & sad going on now without my watching more. Did you hear about the neighbors in Trenton, NJ who are under assault charges for taunting a young girl dying of Huntington's Disease including using her mother who died of the same disease last year?Neighbors Jennifer and Scott Petkov, who have been feuding with the family, admitted to posting grim depictions of Laura and Kathleen on Facebook. One photo depicts Laura in the arms of the grim reaper, while the other features Kathleen's face as part of a "skull and crossbone."
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/...
Look on the left side. Supposedly there was a trial on Friday, but I don't see what happened in it. Supposedly all the bad blood started because the family didn't respond to Petkov's text to come join a birthday party fast enough & it offended her. Seriously, the woman & her husband should just be whipped & put in the stocks for a few days.
Jim, that's so sick. I don't care what reason she claims to have, there is not a reason good enough. They are sick people and should be locked up for life. How can a mother be so cruel to a child, any child? Where's the sympathy and compassion for a dying child? When I hear things like this, it makes me despise people, who alone of all the species are capable of such supreme cruelty.
Earl and Joy, After.Life was so weird, and what's worse is it was slow and boring.
Jim wrote: "There's enough sick & sad going on now without my watching more. ..."Yes, Jim, I often feel that way after seeing a sad movie or reading a sad book. I prefer happy endings. However, it often seems that more sad or dark stories win awards than happy stories. I don't know why that should be.
Joy wrote: it often seems that more sad or dark stories win awards than happy stories. I don't know why that should be.I agree. It seems to me that the most depressing movies get all the accolades. I'd love to see a heartwarming movie win an award, maybe start a new trend.
I think dark & nasty sells news. It's one of the things I like about the local news here. There's more good news on. Animals rescued & such.
It doesn't say much about what kind of people we are that dark and nasty sells so well.
Morbid curiosity, I guess. What I'm having a lot of trouble understanding is why American History was taught to me so poorly. We just watched another of the History Channel's President series. John Quincy Adams through Polk. I don't recall ever hearing much about Polk. He was the one that settled our current borders, threatening war with Britain to settle on the 49th parallel & going to war with Mexico to get us the south & west. He put back the treasury that Jackson got rid of, too. I think he's right up there in the top 10 presidents, but I've rarely heard anyone say much about him.
Jim wrote: "... I don't recall ever hearing much about Polk. ..."I feel the same way, Jim. After reading your post, I found the following statement at Wiki: "Polk has been called the 'least known consequential president' of the United States." Wiki describes his accomplishments in office. Certainly they were consequential (and not very well known). For example, "Polk led the nation to a sweeping victory in the Mexican–American War, followed by purchase of California, Arizona, and New Mexico."
Live and learn. :)
Polk's Wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presiden...
That's a good way of putting it, Joy - 'least known consequential president'. He was very consequential! I've heard more about the Adams' than him & they were inconsequential in comparison. It wasn't all their fault, but neither managed to do much. Following Washington was tough for anyone & Quincey was up against Jackson. Now he was a pistol - Jackson, that is. I had forgotten how he spit in the Supreme Court's eye over the Indian relocation. ("Chief Justice Marshall made his decision, now let him enforce it.") Jefferson was right to fear him. He was mean. He told Calhoun, his VP, that if SC seceded, he'd invade & hang Calhoun from the nearest tree. No one considered it an idle threat, either. Wow!
It's ironic that he & Jefferson, both Democrats that espoused wanting a weaker federal government, did more to bolster presidential authority than any Federalist.
Jim, I used to confused Stonewall Jackson (1824–1863) with President Andrew Jackson (1767–1845). I finally realized that they were two different people but seemed similar because they both had strong personalities. Here are their Wiki pages:Stonewall Jackson: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewal...
President Andrew Jackson: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presiden...
I watched a Netflix DVD of "The Trip to Bountiful" (1985)http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Trip...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090203/
As Netflix describes it: "Geraldine Page won an Academy Award for this bittersweet tale set in 1947 about an elderly Houston woman in search of happier times."
The story slowly draws you in as you develop empathy for the old woman who is longing to go back to her hometown of Bountiful. She sneaks out of her son's house and gets on a bus but the sheriff catches up with her.
The film is based on the play, The Trip to Bountiful, by Horton Foote. Wiki says: "The Trip to Bountiful premiered March 1, 1953 on NBC-TV with the leading cast members (Lillian Gish, Eva Marie Saint) reprising their roles on Broadway later that year." GR says: "Foote earned an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1985 for his work on Bountiful".
IMDb describes Horton Foote as a "Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist and Oscar-winning screenwriter". He wrote the screenplay for To Kill a Mockingbird.
PS-Below is a link to an interview with Horton Foote at the NYS Writers Institute in 2006:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4tDSF...
PPS-Below are some quotes I took down as I watched the DVD of "The Trip to Bountiful":From the film: "Mama, I want to stop remembering. It doesn't do any good remembering."
From the DVD's bonus commentary on the film: "An exploration of the human condition. It is a gentle reminder that life is not forever, that each of us must be free to find its meaning and in doing so, we may find inner peace."
I found the following at the IMDb page containing quotes from the film:
"I guess when you've lived longer than your house and your family, then you've lived long enough." [said by the old lady]
Those two always stuck out as two distinct figures for me, Joy, despite their many similarities. Thanks for the links. They were interesting.
I see there is a remake of "True Grit" out with Jeff Bridges & Matt Damon. Not so sure I want to see it. The Duke did too good a job.
I saw the commercial. I'm not a fan of westerns so I'll be passing on it.
Have you ever seen the original "True Grit" or "Rooster Cogburn", Jackie? They're classics! Wonderful!
No, not a fan of the westerns. Anthony loves them, though.
You should watch these two. I think the Duke won an Oscar for "True Grit" & Katherine Hepburn was fantastic in "Rooster Cogburn". Neither are typical westerns.
I've seen True Grit; like Jackie, I'm not a particular fan of most Westerns, but Barb is, so I've watched some of them with her. I'd agree that it's not typical of the genre --for one thing, although Wayne has a major role, the real main character is a brave and strong-willed young woman. Barb and I both liked it, for whatever that's worth. It's an adaptation of a novel by the same name, written by Charles Portis (which is on my to-read list).
I have a copy of the book & read it years ago. It was good. As I recall, I liked it even better than the movie, but it's been far too long for me to be sure.
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Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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