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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
(last edited Jan 14, 2010 02:57PM)
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Jan 14, 2010 02:56PM
Nina, at times I felt that way too, that it was more cruel to let a child live in that kind of world, but as a parent, I can understand the depth of love he had for his son and being incapable of letting him die.
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Nina wrote: "After reading the book, "The Road," which I thought was totally depressing I wouldn't go see the movie. I guess that type doesn't appeal to me. I thought the father was miserable to put his young ..."
The father had two choices. One. Keep going, and hope against hope for something, somewhere better.
Two. Put a bullet in the boy's head.
Nina, I do see your point, but with the choices he had, to my mind, he did the only thing he could do.
The father had two choices. One. Keep going, and hope against hope for something, somewhere better.
Two. Put a bullet in the boy's head.
Nina, I do see your point, but with the choices he had, to my mind, he did the only thing he could do.
None of us know what we'd do until faced with such a decision. I cannot definitively say I'd choose one way or the other. It's a tough dilemna.
Nina, Welcome back to reality (snow & cold). Here's a link to the book you mentioned: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Exceprt from GR description:
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"The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist.
"The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories have done, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, above all, following our dreams."
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Don't think I'll watch or read "The Road".
Nina, is The Alchemist a young adult novel? I sounds interesting. What genre would you say it is?
Jackie wrote: "Nina, is The Alchemist a young adult novel? I sounds interesting. What genre would you say it is?"I wish they designated genres for books the way Netflix designates genres for movies. It would be such a big help in choosing books to read.
At Wiki it says that The Alchemist's genre is: "Quest, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy".
The Wiki page is very informative about the book.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alch...
See the section of the webpage entitled: "Reception and Cultural Influence".
I've put it on my To-Read shelf. I'm glad Nina mentioned it.
Other interesting excerpts from the Wiki page:
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"The novel's central plot of two dreamers dreaming of treasure is inspired from Jorge Luis Borges' short story: Tale of two dreamers, from the 1935 collection A Universal History of Infamy. However the concept of dreamers who seek treasure abroad only to find it at home has been quite common in literature and folk tales."
"The Alchemist was originally written in Portuguese and has since been translated into 67 languages, winning the Guinness World Record for most translated book by a living author."
"The Alchemist is an allegorical novel by Paulo Coelho first published in 1988. It follows Santiago, a young shepherd who lives in Spain, on a journey to fulfill his Personal Legend and find his Treasure at the Pyramids in Egypt. It has been hailed as a modern classic."
"During the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, Harvey Weinstein announced that he had bought the rights to the film and will serve as its producer. Laurence Fishburne is set to direct, and to play the eponymous character."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alch...
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Where have I been all my life... not knowing about this book!
PS-About _The Alchemist_, Publisher's Weekly at Amazon says: "Comparisons to The Little Prince are appropriate; this is a sweetly exotic tale for young and old alike."http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061...
It sounded like a Fantasy but I wanted to be sure. Scifi book club often features a book, so you assume it'll be scifi or fantasy and then I'm disappointed when it isn't. I'll add the Alchemist.
Answer to the question, "IS the ALCHEMIST a young adult novel; not necessarily. I think it is an every person novel and I highly recommend it to anyone over the age of twelve and beyond. As the reviewer said, it is enchanting and revealing of human nature. nina
We saw The Lovely Bones today and it was very good. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it. And I didn't get around to reading it so I had no idea what to expect. I liked it, not what happened to Susie, obviously, but the way it was done. Many surreal scenes/images which were quite interesting. A movie worth watching.
I read the book, but have had no desire to see the movie, based on content. Although the book was well-written, it was difficult for me to plow through.Because of your review, I may try the movie at some point.
The idea of a young girl dying in beginning of it, had me worried that it'd be depressing. It was sad, of course, but the surreal images made the movie IMO, and Susie did go on so it wasn't as depressing as it could have been. I was stressed out about the killer, so I didn't like that, but it's testamony to how good it is to cause me that stress and how invested I was in the characters and their well-being.
I read The Lovely Bones (by Alice Sebold) a while ago. It was well-done, especially for a book with such dark content. I found it to be an interesting approach and I'm glad I read it. Like Katherine, I'm on the fence at to whether I want to see the movie. I went through the stress once. Do I want to go through it again? Even though I know the story, it's dark material to deal with.
PS-Here's a link to the Netflix description of "The Lovely Bones":http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Love...
I'm going to read some of the member reviews there.
Jumping in here to remind you that The Golden Globe Awards will take place tomorrow night, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010.I've started a new topic/thread for discussion at:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...
PS-About "The Lovely Bones", I just found the following at IMDb:Peter Jackson "has changed the focus and characters to such a significant degree that his film might resonate more with those who have not read the book."
FROM: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380510/e...
(The above page is IMDb's "External Reviews" page for the film. The statement above is in the introduction at the top of the page.)
PPS-More about "The Lovely Bones":My favorite reviewer, James Berardinelli, says:
====================================================
"Maybe there's some truth to the assertion that Alice Sebold's novel is unfilmable. After all, if a visionary like Peter Jackson, who crafted a nearly perfect cinematic adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, can't do it, who can? Perhaps the issue is that Jackson tried to stay too true to the source material. Despite significant cuts and instances of condensation, the plot's skeleton tracks well with Sebold's book, but therein lies the roots of a problem: the movie features wild swings in tone and fails to draw the viewer into the story. The story told by Jackson's The Lovely Bones is the same as the one related by Sebold, but it lacks the complexity and empathy evident in the book."
...
"Regardless of the reasons, the bottom line is that The Lovely Bones doesn't work, and that's a disappointment."
====================================================
Above is from Berardinelli's review at: http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_t...
Netflixed 50 Dead Men Walkinghttp://www.netflix.com/Movie/50_Dead_...
Spying on the IRA, bloody as could be expected. LOVELY subtitles, I could understand dialogue thru my Sears headphones (with hearing aids) BUT I STILL COULD BARELY KEEP UP. For complete understanding I should watch it a 2nd time, but I can never bring myself to do this. I caught the general drift just fine, and that was good enough. 4 stars.
Earl wrote: "Netflixed 50 Dead Men Walkinghttp://www.netflix.com/Movie/50_Dead_...
Spying on the IRA, bloody as could be expected. LOVELY subtitles, I could understand dialogue t..."
Hi Earl. Sounds like a great thriller. I noticed that one of the member reviews at Netflix said:
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"I do know the movie is an excellent action thriller with an intelligent script, excellent cinematography, good soundtrack, and great acting by all involved."
====================================================
Good on the subtitles too!
I watched 'Greta' this morning, starring Hilary Duff and Ellen Burstyn.From imdb: A young suicidal and rebellious teen gets sent to her Grandparents for the summer where life takes an unexpected turn.
It was better than I thought it would be, worth watching. Surprisingly well written and not surprisingly, well acted. I only watched it because I like Hilary Duff; she's one of the few very young actresses who isn't fodder for tabloids. A good role model for young girls/women. She's been in acting since childhood, has a music career too and has somehow manage to be normal and healthy.
The character of Greta could have been annoying but somehow Duff makes it work.
Jackie wrote: "I watched 'Greta' this morning, starring Hilary Duff and Ellen Burstyn. From imdb: A young suicidal and rebellious teen gets sent to her Grandparents for the summer where life takes an unexpected..."Yes, Hilary Duff is great.
Here's the Netflix description of "According to Greta" (2009):
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Accordin...
Thanks, Jackie, I've put it on my Netflix queue.
I just saw 'Precious' based on Push by Sapphire. It was the most emotionally difficult film I ever saw; it tore my heart to pieces. I watched it because I knew Tyler Perry was instumental in making this movie and he's a man I greatly admire for all he has overcome and accomplished. I saw an interview with him and he mentions how he read the book and that parts of it mirrored his own early life. From imdb: In Harlem, an overweight, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.
From goodreads: Relentless, remorseless, and inspirational, this "horrific, hope-filled story" (Newsday) is certain to haunt a generation of readers. Precious Jones, 16 years old and pregnant by her father with her second child, meets a determined and highly radical teacher who takes her on a journey of transformation and redemption.
For those who will watch it, be warned, it will affect you in a visceral way. Have tissues at hand because you will surely need it. The worst part of it is knowing people like Precious exist and have lived these horribly abused lives.
Jackie wrote: "I just saw 'Precious' based on Push by Sapphire. It was the most emotionally difficult film I ever saw; it tore my heart to pieces. I watched it because I knew Tyler Perry was instumental in making this movie and he's a man I greatly admire for all he has overcome and accomplished. ..."The DVD of "Precious" won't be released until March, according to Netflix. So I won't be seeing it until after that. From what I've read and heard, it will be worth the wait. The Netflix reviews give it the highest accolades:
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Precious...
Excerpt:
"Surely qualifies as the most painful, poetic and improbably beautiful film of the year."
-Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
PS-Tyler Perry's involvement with "Precious" is explained a bit at the IMDb trivia page:
====================================================
"The film was produced independently by Lee Daniels Entertainment, and the completed film was caught in a battle between potential distributors The Weinstein Company and Lionsgate after its initial success at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions and 'Tyler Perry''s 34th Street Films signed on to lend promotional assistance to the production, and Perry's existing relationship with Lionsgate helped land the film a release through that distributor."
From: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0929632/t...
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Read about Tyler Perry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_PerryI've seen quite a few of his films and laughed myself sore.
Jackie wrote: "Read about Tyler Perry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_PerryI've seen quite a few of his films and laughed myself sore."
Jackie, thanks for pointing the way for us to learn more about Tyler Perry. The story of his "dogged determination" is amazing.
Excerpts from the Wiki page:
====================================================
"During this initial 6 years of difficulty, Tyler’s dogged determination to succeed as a playwright sustained him through periods of poverty, hunger and even homelessness.
"While Perry never completed high school, he did earn his GED. Perry’s earliest working career was uneventful, however in his early 20's, while watching an Oprah Winfrey talk show, a certain comment he heard on the show seemed to somehow ignite a certain creative drive in him, inspiring him, despite all of the odds against him, to apply himself to a career in writing. The comment had to do with the sometimes therapeutic effect that writing can have on an author, sometimes enabling him to better work out his or her own problems. He soon started writing a series of letters to himself, which became the basis for the musical, ‘I Know I've Been Changed’.
"Perry wrote on his website, 'I want them to know that for every act of evil that a few people will throw at you, there are millions more who will do something kind for them.' "
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Perry
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An amazing story.
The Hilary Duff movie is called 'According to Greta'. Sorry, my mistake. 'Greta' was in huge letters, so I didn't even notice the rest, LOL
I just rented the only Madea movie I haven't seen. Madea Goes To Jail. I'm sure my cheeks will be aching by the time I'm done with it. I love Madea. Have to wait for Anthony to watch it, so probably tomorrow.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1142800/
Tyler Perry stars in a triple role as Madea, Joe and Brian.
Jackie wrote: "I just rented the only Madea movie I haven't seen. Madea Goes To Jail. I'm sure my cheeks will be aching by the time I'm done with it. I love Madea. Have to wait for Anthony to watch it, so pro..."Here's a list of the "Madea" DVD's at Netflix:
http://www.netflix.com/Search?oq=&...
Which one should I view first?
I looked at some of the photos of Madea here:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1347153/me...
I found the following at Tyler Perry's Wiki page.
(It explains the how the name "Madea" came about.):
=====================================================
"The recurring character of Mabel "Madea" Simmons appears in much of Perry's work. Perry portrays Madea by cross-dressing in his plays and films. Perry has said he based Madea on an aunt who lives in Georgia, as well as on his mother. Madea dispenses wisdom in a "no-nonsense manner", and she is usually involved in physical comedy and/or a sight gag. The nickname "Madea" comes from a Southern African-American contraction of the words "mother dear", which is commonly used as a term of affection."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Perry
=====================================================
Whichever one came out earlier; there are recurring characters so start with the earliest and you'll know who everybody is.
Jackie wrote: "Whichever one came out earlier; there are recurring characters so start with the earliest and you'll know who everybody is."Thanks, Jackie. I've put the following DVD on my Netflix queue:
Madea's Family Reunion (2002)
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Madea_s_...
It's the earliest one Netflix lists.
I just came across an excellent review of Avatar at:http://www.metroweekly.com/arts_enter...
It's excellently worded and expressed.
I always admire a reviewer who writes clearly and intelligently. I like the organized way in which this reviewer (Tim Plant) analyzes the film.
Excerpt:
====================================================
"You can grade Avatar in any of three ways -- as sheer entertainment, as a technical achievement, or as a parable."
====================================================
He goes on to elaborate about the three ways.
I like that sort of organized approach.
It's gets a 10 from me in all three areas.
Jackie wrote: "It's gets a 10 from me in all three areas."Jackie, have you seen "Avatar" in 3-D yet?
No, not playing in 3D around here. I'd have to drive to Albany and that's not in my list of fun things to do, LOL
I don't enjoy that ride either, Jackie.
Eric wants to see it in IMAX, which would be very cool, but he has to go to the City for IMAX. He is going to a basketball game there tomorrow; I'm going to suggest he find an IMAX theater while he's there.
Jackie wrote: "Eric wants to see it in IMAX, which would be very cool, but he has to go to the City for IMAX. He is going to a basketball game there tomorrow; I'm going to suggest he find an IMAX theater while h..."Is IMAX 3-D? When we visited Niagara Falls several year ago, I had a chance to try an IMAX theater, but I didn't go. Actually, I didn't even know what it was.
PS-I went to the Wiki IMAX page just now.
It says: "Variations of the traditional IMAX format include
-IMAX Dome (using a tilted dome screen) formerly called OmniMAX,
-IMAX 3D and
-IMAX Digital."
I see that it explains how 3D is accomplished.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAX
I went to acronymfinder.com and found what IMAX stands for. It says:
"IMAX: Image MAXimum
(Imax Corporation registered trademark for advanced film format/projection system)"
Eric says there's one at Crossgates Mall. I would like to see the Dome one. Maybe someday...
Tonight I streamed the movie "Goodbye Solo" from Netflix. IT WAS MESMERIZING!"'Goodbye Solo' is a simple story told with compassion about the relationship between two men who seem to have very little in common." -from a member review at Netflix
Netflix page: http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Goodbye_...
"The two men, though they seem to share a destination, in fact cross paths going in
opposite directions. Solo, a fairly new arrival in a strange land, is working his way
up and in, toward the bright promise not only of material comfort but also of belonging.
William is in flight, seeking the outer edge of experience and the oblivion that lies beyond it."
-from the NY Times review at:
http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/...
Roger Ebert says: "Two actors. One from Africa. The other who was a bodyguard for Elvis."
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
The actor from Africa (who played the part of Solo) is Souléymane Sy Savané. I hope we see more of him. HE'S CHARMING!
Photo: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm412356300...
James Berardinelli says about Solo: "He finds the good in everyone and is rarely out of smiles."
http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_t...
The other is Red West, who was pitch perfect in the part of a sad, disillusioned older man:
Photo: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm390545920...
The movie was directed by Ramin Bahrani.
"As with all of Bahrani's films to date, Goodbye Solo explores the lives of immigrants who seem to be more hopeful than the native-born Americans whom they encounter."
-from another member review at Netflix
Jackie wrote: "Sounds interesting."Yes, Jackie, "Goodbye Solo" is the kind of movie which haunts you for a while after you've seen it. It's thought-provoking.
I hope Souléymane Sy Savané will be appearing in more movies soon. Please let me know if his name comes up.
Oooh, look! He's been nominated for the Best Male Lead in "Goodbye Solo" by the Independent Spirit Awards, to be given out on March 5! I hope he wins!!!
http://spiritawards.com/nomination/so...
http://spiritawards.com/nominees#Best...
I love his accent. Watch the trailer at:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1262...
He's got some movies coming out:http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2766807/
I like those kind of haunting movies, they're pwoerful if they can make you keep thinking about afterwards.
I found it so I'll be able to watch it soon as I get it. I'll let you know what I think of it. It'll be this week.
Jackie wrote: "He's got some movies coming out:http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2766807/ "
Ah, yes, I see that! Souléymane Sy Savané will be in "Honeysuckle" (2010):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1460637/
I'll be interested in your take on "Goodbye Solo".
BTW, I notice that the trailer quotes Roger Ebert as saying the movie was cheerful. I didn't find that in Ebert's review. He said it was "a story of heartbreaking depth and power."
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
I wouldn't call it a cheerful movie, even though Solo was a cheerful person.
That's odd. Heartbreaking and cheerful are miles apart. Maybe they made a mistake? Often, I find that the trailers themselves are misleading.
Jackie wrote: "That's odd. Heartbreaking and cheerful are miles apart. Maybe they made a mistake? Often, I find that the trailers themselves are misleading."Strange, isn't it.
Earlier I watched about half of Goodbye Solo. It was too slow and nothing happened up to that point. It just wasn't my kind of movie. If it doesn't get it whatever it's supposed to be within the firs thalf hour, I lose interest. I watched The Box. It was a weird one but did manage to keep my interest. All I have to say to those who will watch it is DON'T push the button!
I'd like to get to Madea's Class Reunion tonight if I can pry Anthony away from the computer games. He's usually the hold up on getting movies watched...unless I want to watch them by myself.
Jackie wrote: "Earlier I watched about half of Goodbye Solo. It was too slow and nothing happened up to that point. It just wasn't my kind of movie. If it doesn't get it whatever it's supposed to be within the..."Yes, Jackie, "Goodbye Solo" is not a fast-paced movie. It's more about relationships, especially between Solo and the old man. Solo wants so much to help him. I loved the way Solo loved people and was so likable himself.
Here's the Netflix description of "The Box"(2009):
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Box/...
"Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko) writes and directs this thriller based on sci-fi writer Richard Matheson's short story."
I'll be watching an episode of Madea soon.
Solo was a very nice man. I did like him.Madea's Class Reunion was a play, not a movie. I thought it'd be funnier and have more of Madea in it. And it hard to understand when Tyler Perry was speaking. There was music/singing too. One woman had the most amazing voice. If anyone sees it, it was the first song. I didn't bother finishing this either, mainly because I couldn't hear the punchlines. The ones I did mange to hear were pretty funny.
Maybe I'll get to Madea Goes To Jail today. That should be funny. So far Madea's Family Reunion was my favorite.
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