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Movies, DVDs, and Theater
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Have you seen any good movies lately? (Part THREE - 2010)
I didn't think John Wayne could act at all, Earl. ;-)
The parts he did well in were those that fit him & vice versa. This feeling was reinforced by a few things that Kirk Douglas let drop in his autobiography, The Ragman's Son. The Duke just was - everything else revolved around that. Still, it all worked out perfectly in these two movies.
Leap Year was a fun movie. And I agree that "True Grit," wasn't what I would call a Western more like the story of an "old" cowboy and young rascally girl. nina
I always thought that John Wayne received the Oscar for playing John Wayne. No matter what the genere, he seemed to always be one dimentional to me in every role he played.
Katherine wrote: "I always thought that John Wayne received the Oscar for playing John Wayne. No matter what the genere, he seemed to always be one dimentional to me in every role he played."That's true, Katherine. But that one dimension struck a chord with the public back then. I wonder how the public would receive him today.
Here's what Wiki says about John Wayne:
"He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive voice, walk and height."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_wayne
I am not a tried and true fan of John Wayne but no one else could have played his part better in the movie, "The African Queen," don't you agree? nina
Nina wrote: "I am not a tried and true fan of John Wayne but no one else could have played his part better in the movie, "The African Queen," don't you agree? nina"Wasn't that Humphry Bogart?
Nina wrote: "I am not a tried and true fan of John Wayne but no one else could have played his part better in the movie, "The African Queen," don't you agree? nina"Nina, are you thinking of Humphrey Bogart who starred in "The African Queen"?
I liked the Duke. I think his movies are fun. Just watched part of "Chisum" the other day & enjoyed it immensely. No, he didn't have any range as an actor, but he played a good part anyway, even if it was always the same one.Kirk Douglas & Henry Fonda were real actors. Anyone remember seeing "There Was A Crooked Man"? I adored those two in that movie. Perfect!
Yes, my mistake. You are so right. Well, Bogie was better in that part than Wayne. Thanks for correction. nina
Jim, I haven't seen "There Was A Crooked Man" but here's a link to the Netflix description:"There Was a Crooked Man" (1970):
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/There...
The description calls the film "a clever and blackly comedic shoot-'em-up".
I don't recall the entire movie that well, Joy. Just the ending. Wow! I never saw it coming. You really should watch it.
Netflixed Art of the Stealhttp://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The-A...
Boy, I GOTTA read the reviews more carefully! I took it to be a HEIST, a la Oceans 11 or something. What it is is BORING. 2 stars from me.
I did get one laugh: shortly after they opened this museum for PUBLIC viewing they admitted this barbarian who toured the place in one hour and exited saying "I've seen enough naked fat ladies to last me a lifetime". Well, that guy wasn't me, but it could well HAVE been.
I learned early in life that I have no artistic appreciation. No big deal - my musical ear is flat and I can't throw a football 50 yards either. I just concluded it was another one of my lacks. But my continued life has given me a jaundiced view of people and the world, I've decided that 'art' is just a big racket perpetuated by rich people to bid the prices of their pieces of cardboard up. Something very like the way they bid up the salaries of CEOs, to levels of ridiculousness, by scratching each others backs. I'd rather watch an expose
movie on THAT subject!
Earl, And that would be an interesting subject! Art, music, any of the arts are subjective. I think Picasso is the worst artist of all time, yet he receives accolades and fame. Why? I'm halfway through Spartacus: Blood and Sand. I like the way the fight scenes are filmed, reminds me of '300'. Lots of eye candy. But the story is lame, mainly because the title character has to be the stupidest man on the planet, naive and unbelievably trusting too. He should have been killed in the arena immediately; he's not that good of a fighter. Or his master should have killed him for his constant insubordination. They whole story is preposterous.
I just gave a 1 star review to Cussler's "Atlantis Found" for being preposterous & poorly written, Jackie. What a shame. The Dirk Pitt series is a favorite of a friend of mine (not here, but in the real world). I liked one or two of the books, but this one just sucked.Earl, I have to agree with you, mostly. I tend to like realism in paintings & can only appreciate it. I agree with Jackie about Picasso. At one time, I thought it might be because of my ignorance, but my wife is an artist & has 2 bachelor degrees in art. Neither of us can appreciate many of the classics.
This is back to the topic of, "True Grit." Do you know there is now a remake of that movie starring, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and JOsh Brolin and as the girl, Hailee Steinfleld. It is a revenge story. The artlcle goes on to say that J. Wayne's Oscar was a token Oscar for his forty years of work. And that often he showed up mostly drunk for the filming but that didn't bother the producers; made it seem more authentic. nina
Earl, Jackie, and Jim: You might get a kick out of the following quote:[Abstract art is] "a product of the untalented, sold by the unprincipled to the utterly bewildered." -Al Capp
FROM: http://www.quotationspage.com/subject...
Thanks, Nina.Below is the Netflix link to descriptions of both film versions of "True Grit":
http://www.netflix.com/Search?v1=True...
The IMDb description at the 2010 version says:
"A tough U.S. Marshal helps a stubborn young woman track down her father's murderer."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403865/
Nina, I mentioned the remake back in #1244 & said I wasn't sure that I'd watch it. Some movies just shouldn't be redone unless there is a different take on it. That doesn't look to be the case here. They even have Jeff Bridges putting the reins between his teeth as he charges. Stuffing his mouth full of cotton or whatever is new, but not a good reason.;-)
Joy, that is a perfect quote. I'll have to remember that one. (Little Abner?)
I watched the Netflix DVD of "Bewitched" (2005).http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Bewit...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374536/
This is not a straight remake of the TV series. It takes a different turn by describing the goings-on behind the scenes during a filming of a remake, sort of a story within a story. The critics panned it as a disappointment, coming from the otherwise respected Nora Ephron who co-wrote and directed the movie.
I thought Nicole Kidman was excellent as Samantha. She even resembles Elizabeth Montgomery, the original Samantha. However, I was less impressed by Will Ferrell who played Samantha's husband, Darrin. He's just plain silly most of the time.
The rest of the cast is impressive enough, including Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, Jason Schwartzman, Kristin Chenoweth, Stephen Colbert, David Alan Grier, Steve Carell, James Lipton, Amy Sedaris, and others.
However, the film seemed choppy and uneven to me. I enjoyed only certain parts.
One of the best Christmas movies ever is now airing on TCM-TV:"The Bishop's Wife" (1947). (Noon - Sunday, 10/12/10)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039190/
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The-B...
Cast: Cary Grant, David Niven, Loretta Young, Monty Woolley
Cary Grant plays an angel named "Dudley". :)
Jackie wrote: "'m halfway through Spartacus: Blood and Sand. I like the way the fight scenes are filmed, reminds me of '300'. Lots of eye candy. But the story is lame, mainly because the title character has to be the stupidest man on the planet, naive and unbelievably trusting too. He should have been killed in the arena immediately; he's not that good of a fighter. Or his master should have killed him for his constant insubordination. They whole story is preposterous. ."Jackie, I was able to get into Blood&Sand without too much 'stupid-plot-shock'. MOST of this type stuff requires that you suspend your disbelief for an hour. Sometimes it's impossible to do that, and you might just as well quit. I think I still have a couple of B&S dvds to go. I'm requesting the last Dexter right now.
Earl, I just finished Blood and Sand. It got better. Now I see that the stupidity and trust of Spartacus had to be, for what comes later. Though, after the season finale, I have no idea where it's going.Which season of Dexter are you up to? I'm not sure which seasons are available on DVD.
I can tell you right now, the currently airing season of Dexter, #5, is phenomenal! The best yet, if you can believe it.
I was beginning to wonder how they can keep doing 'a serial killer killing serial killers' and keep it fresh. Well, they've outdone themselves in Season 5. Dexter is one of the best series on television.
Joy, I've never seen The Bishop's Wife, and I missed it this time around, too. :-( But I did see (a number of years ago) a 1990s-era remake, The Preacher's Wife, set in a inner-city black neighborhood. As I recall, Barb and I both liked it, and it had good performances by Whitney Houston (in the title role) and Denzil Washington; but I can't say how well it compares with the original.
Both movies were good. The Bishop's Wife and The Preacher's. Refreshingly normal and no blood and guts all over the screen. nina
Werner, the two films tell a similar story. I prefer the original version because I'm partial to Cary Grant and I think the entire cast blended very well. David Niven fit his role so well. Cary Grant was delightfully droll. If you ever see the original, please let me know how you think it compared with the remake.
I caught most of "Pearl Harbor" with Ben Affleck in it tonight. I think it came on at 5 & I started watching about 6:30 when I got in from the shop. Marg had paused it some, though while she was making dinner. It was pretty good. Marg had never heard of Doolittle's raid, which surprised me.
Will do, Joy! Jim, our whole family saw Pearl Harbor several years ago, and we all liked it. (We own a VHS copy.)
Jim wrote: "I caught most of "Pearl Harbor" with Ben Affleck in it tonight. ..."For reference - "Pearl Harbor" (2001):
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Pearl...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0213149/
"Pearl Harbor follows the story of two best friends, Rafe and Danny, and their love lives as they go off to join the war."
Here's a review by Newsweek of the new "True Grit" movie.http://www.newsweek.com/2010/12/09/di...
I've never read another novel by Charles Portis, just True Grit. Anyone else?
Jim wrote: "Here's a review by Newsweek of the new "True Grit" movie.http://www.newsweek.com/2010/12/09/di...
I've never read another novel by [author:Charles Portis..."
Thanks, Jim. I'll check it out. Looks interesting.
Good title for the article ("True Lit")! :)
The name "Charles Portis" is new to me.
Netflixed The Squarehttp://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_S...
Draggy, too dark on my tv screen. I gave it 2 stars out of 5.
Netflixed There Was a Crooked Man
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/There...
on the recommendation of my fellow Goodreads movie fans. I gave it 4 stars, for the entertainment it gave ME. However, most of my enjoyment came from the nostalgia kick, seeing Kirk Douglas and Henry Fonda in their heydays. The plot mostly sucked.
Waiting for Dexter Season4Disk4 (the last one), supposed to be coming today.
Those of you who never did find Hollywood Video, be thankful.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/entert...
I was notified my credit report contained a 'negative item' - a $99 charge had been referred to National Credit Solutions, a collection agency. The franchise on Quaker Road closed and, apparently, the guy decided to spread a little of his debt to his loyal customers. I called the collection agency yesterday. The $99 was a late charge for 'Chicago'. The agent said if I had any copies of any LATER Hollywood Video transactions, I could dispute it. Apparently they picked the last item you rented and claimed you didn't return it. I told him I was just calling to get a response so I could fill out a Consumer Fraud form for the NYS Attorney General. "Wait just a moment" he said. The 'moment' went on 5 minutes and I hung up. My letter to the Attorney General goes out today. Hopefully those hang-up harassment phone calls will stop now.
Earl, thanks for the info re Hollywood Video. According to the website you cited, it looks as if there were lots of similar complaints. Here's the consumer affairs website link again:http://www.consumeraffairs.com/entert...
Earl, I had no idea the problem was so widespread. Now it's in the realm of fraud. Years ago, they charged us late fees on movies they claimed we rented and we never even rented those movie. I can't remember the titles, but 'ghetto gangsta' movies, which I'd never watch even if it were the last movie on the planet. It happened to us twice, the second time was for a movie I owned, why would I rent a movie I owned? $30 both times for movies we never rented. The third and final time they tried it, we made such a stink in the store that the manager had to come over, he did said something was wrong on the computer and was charging us for the previous customer's late charge. I think it was BS but he didn't charge us and we never had a problem again. They probably flagged us as not to do it to us anymore. But think of all the people they fleeced out of money that way. And not a dollar or two, $30 is a lot of money, same with your fraudulent charge of $99, Earl. I hope they get the pants sued off of them!
Sorry it wasn't as good as I remembered it, Earl. It was a lot of years ago that I last saw it. Maybe I'll just keep my fond memories...
I watched Nanny McPhee Returns today with a friend's children. We were so excited to see it, because we loved the last one so much. It was much the same as the first one, different characters and circumstances, but pretty much the same story. I get that's it's just a kid's movie, but for me, some of the magic was gone. Still, it was a cute kiddie movie.
Jackie, thanks for reminding me about "Nanny McPhee Returns". I see that it's in my Netflix queue and will be available to Netflix customers on January 11. I enjoyed the first "Nanny McPhee" and would like to see this next one. I love Emma Thompson's work. Here's the Netflix link:http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Nanny...
PS-A user review at IMDb says:
========================================================
"The story now takes place in the 20th century, with World war II as the settings backdrop for the story. which I thought was smart as well as touching. As it gives the movie a more realistic tone and new meaning into Nanny Mcphee's 5 lesson, much different from the original's whimsical and silly atmosphere. All the improvements worked to the movie, because it doesn't strive to be like the original, so in a way its a sequel that stands on its own to feet while still maintaining the essentials of the first film."
From the IMDb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1415283/
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I wonder where they got the DVD if it's not available yet.
Jackie, I guess "available" means that Netflix will make the DVD available to its customers on January 11.
Oh, I thought it meant DVD release date. I misunderstood.
Jim wrote: "Sorry it wasn't as good as I remembered it, Earl. It was a lot of years ago that I last saw it. Maybe I'll just keep my fond memories..."I only said the "plot sucked" because ALL those old western plots sucked, compared to modern movies. (On that basis I did give it 4 stars). Perhaps the movie moguls back then were trying not to confuse us simpletons by making it too close to reality - we might go out and buy six guns! More than likely it was simply the norm, and easier to write such a screenplay than one that made some sense. And us simpletons were USED to paying for tickets for such fare.
Jackie wrote: "I hope they get the pants sued off of them! "Boy, if I had a ton of money I didn't know what to do with, wouldn't I LOVE to get them in front of a Warren County jury! You could be one of my witnesses, Jackie!
Too bad that's the reality of the situation in trying to take a corporate giant to court. They'd tie us up in court for decades, and with exorbitant lawyer fees being what they are, we'd have no choice but to drop the suit. Sad, what's become of our legal system: the one with the most money wins. Forget about truth and justice, they're a thing of the past.
"True Grit" with John Wayne is playing on TCM right now! (12/22/10 - 8:00 to 10:15 PM)True Grit (1969):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065126/
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/True-...
Wiki says: "The film is adapted from the 1968 novel True Grit by Charles Portis. Wayne won his only Academy Award for his performance."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Gri...
Links - Novel: True Grit (1968) by Charles Portis
I enjoyed watching "True Grit". Great story! Thank you to Jim for recommending this movie. Otherwise I might not have watched it because I usually don't enjoy westerns ... but this one seemed different. I enjoyed John Wayne's performance.I felt sorry for the horses who died in the story, either during battles or from exertion. Hate to see that.
PS-I enjoyed Roger Ebert's review of this movie:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
Glad you liked it, Joy. Thanks for the link to Egbert's review. It was pretty good & I agree with him about this being the one western that folks should see, even if they don't watch westerns. Marg & Erin often cry when horses die in a movie. Without writing a spoiler, I will say that there is one scene in this movie that never fails to bring tears to their eyes.
Jim, I often wonder how the film makers make those horses take those falls. Seems to me that some of them must get hurt. I remember reading somewhere that they used to use trip wires to make them fall and some of the horses were so badly injured that they had to be shot. I hope that doesn't go on today.
I know they'll swap horses for certain tricks. It drives the girls crazy because they can tell the horses apart in a heart beat. I've heard the same about the older movies, but don't know anything about it.
Joy, the girls reminded me about Tommy Turvey, a performer they used to go see. Erin applied for a position with him, but chose college instead. He does amazing stuff with horses.http://www.turveyhorsemanship.com/
Erin asked me to teach her to knit the night before last. I did (talk about the blind leading the blind!) & she decided to pick up some yarn & needles to keep her occupied after she finished her first piece. We watched "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" while knitting. It was fun - both the movie & helping her learn.
The movie didn't wow me, but I won't mind seeing it again some time. I like Nicholas Cage as an actor & he played a good part in this one. The bad guy was good & the apprentice was such a perfectly inept nerd. It was cool.
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Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Charles Portis (other topics)
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I'm not a dyed-in-the-wool John Wayne fan, lot of his characters are written to his tried-and-true screen persona. Which I'm not crazy about. But I agree with you about True Grit. Almost time for me to watch it again I guess. But I'm sure I'll be disappointed in the new one. I won't be able to resist watching it anyway. I also loved his Shootist, though it probably doesn't truly reflect real western gunfighter history.