What MOVIES or DVDs have you watched lately? (PART FOUR - 2011) (ongoing thread) Showing 701-750 of 1,136

[Jackie]

Thanks Joy, I didn't know NR was based on a real person. My best friend Robert worked for the Jets. I had the private phone number to the locker room.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Wow, Jackie. My grand-nephew is a lawyer who works for a football player (or is it a basketball player ). I can't remember which one and I can't remember the player's name. The football world is a world unto itself. I don't know anything about it though since I have no interest in football. I suppose that if I watched "Necessary Roughness" I might learn more about the football world.

[Jackie]

I have no interest in sports, I'd get free tickets and give them away.

[Nina]

Joy H. wrote: "Nina wrote: "JOy, do you plan on seeing, "Help?""

Nina, I'll see it when Netflix has it available. I enjoyed the book very much.

I'm currently watching the following 1973 film via a Netflix DVD:That is probably where I got the idea. It sounded good. And literally, the sound is good!
..."

Joy H. wrote: "Nina wrote: "JOy, do you plan on seeing, "Help?""

Nina, I'll see it when Netflix has it available. I enjoyed the book very much.

I'm currently watching the following 1973 film via a Netflix DVD:
..."

[Nina]

Joy H. wrote: "Earl, too bad that the movies were boring. I hope your next movie will be more interesting.

I'm on Disk 2 of "Edward the King" (King Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria). I'm catching up with the hi..."I enjoyed Edward the Seventh, thanks to your recommendation. NOw we are watching Disraeli. So far so good.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Nina, Disraeli is on my Netflix queue. I also just added a couple of DVDs about Freud.

Last night I watched "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day". It was delightful! I'm giving it 5 Netflix stars, not only for the whimsical story and acting, but also for the enjoyable music in the background. It was a different role for Frances McDormand. She played the comedic part with tongue in cheek. Well done.

Netflix says it's a "1930s-era comedy based on Winifred Watson's best-selling novel", Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.

http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Mis...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970468/
"Guinevere Pettigrew, a middle-aged London governess (Frances McDormand), finds herself unfairly dismissed from her job. An attempt to gain new employment catapults her into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams)."

It was a perfect part for dizzy Amy Adams!

[Nina]

I saw it and just as you said, "It was just plain fun to watch it." Now that reminds me I also loved the book, "Major Pettigrew's Last stand." No relation to the above mentioned. I think you would enjoy it and so would anyone else.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Yes, Nina, I too enjoyed Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson. I wondered about the last names of the characters being the same. Miss Pettigrew was conceived in 1938. Major Pettigrew was conceived in 2010. I wonder if author Simonson was aware that the unusual name she chose for the Major had been used before. Perhaps it's not such an unusual name after all.

[Jim]

We watched "Source Code" last night, an SF mystery thriller. I especially liked the ending. Until that last little wrap up, I'd have given it 3 stars, but with it, a solid 4. It made a plot hole go away.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0945513/

[Jackie]

Jim, I liked Source Code, though I was horrified when I found out what was really going on. It really bothered me how they could use him like that.
Eric saw it first and said it was 'really good'. As I was watching it, I thought 3 stars but by the end it was a definite 4 stars.

[Earl]

Netflixed Brotherhood
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Bro...

How did I neglect this series so long? I gave it 4 stars. Unfortunately looks like Netflix only has one season. Gritty.

[Jackie]

Never heard of it. What's it about? The netflix links just send us to sign in pages, no information on the titles.

[Earl]

Jackie wrote: "Never heard of it. What's it about? The netflix links just send us to sign in pages, no information on the titles."

Terribly sorry. I didn't know Netflix operated that way. I Googled the Brotherhood
http://www.sho.com/site/brotherhood/h...

I'll try something different when referring to movies here from now on. I noticed Joy often made an additional link when remarking on my posts. It just puzzled me, and I didn't get it.

[Jim]

The IMDB link is usually good.
http://www.imdb.com/
Besides all of us being able to see it without needing an account, often the cast is hyperlinked so you can click on them & see what else they've been in. I'm terrible with names & not so great telling many of the actors apart, even with a photo, since so many of them look alike. I won't go so far as to say when you've seen one bimbo you've seen them all, but they do tend to blur in my memory.
;-)

[Jackie]

Thanks Earl.
Jim, you're too funny with the bimbo remark, lol

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Earl: The "additional link" I often use for movies is IMDb.com, the one Jim mentioned. IMDb stands for "Internet Movie Database". It's a very thorough, all encompassing, website for movie info. I usually find the summaries very helpful, and as Jim noted, a complete cast listing is provided, including links to each performer's film history.
BTW, I don't understand why you said you "didn't get it". Can you explain?

Jim: I agree. So many of the pretty girls in movies tend to look alike (in my eyes). I especially confuse the blond ones and I have to make an effort to remember who is who.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Here's the IMDb link to "Brotherhood" (TV Series 2006–2008):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457229/
IMDb summary:
"Set in an Irish neighbourhood in Providence, the series reflects around two brothers on opposite sides of the law: one a gangster (Jason Isaacs) and the other a politician (Jason Clarke)."

[Joy H., Group Founder]

My next Netflix movie will be "Stepmom" (1998):
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Stepm...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120686/
IMDb summary: "A terminally-ill mother has to settle on the new woman in her ex-husband's life, who will be their new stepmother."
Stars: Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon and Ed Harris

Gee, I hope it won't be depressing.
Netflix says: "This movie is: Emotional, Sentimental, Romantic"

PS-The Netflix summary (in this case) is clearer than the IMDb summary. Here's the Netflix summary:
"As Anna and Ben struggle just to cope with their parents' divorce, a new woman enters their father's (Ed Harris) life. Isabel (Julia Roberts), a successful photographer, doesn't plan to give up her career to raise another woman's kids. Jackie (Susan Sarandon) is the dedicated mother who deems Isabel unfit to raise her children. But the chasm between them becomes meaningless when Jackie's diagnosed with cancer and they all have to pull together."

[Jackie]

I saw that and it was surprisingly good. It seemed realistic to me.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

The DVD of "Stepmom" should arrive tomorrow. Glad to hear you thought it was good.

I recently watched a terribly out of date Netflix DVD called "The Lady Says No". It was so boring. Maybe in its day (1951) it might have been interesting, but, as I said, it was out of date. Nowadays women aren't so naive romantically. (It's hard to believe we were that way, but we were!) Here are the links:
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The-L...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043721/
"A woman writes a best-selling book for women warning them about the "dangers" of men. A handsome photographer for a national magazine arrives in her town to do a feature story on her. Complications ensue."
Stars: Joan Caulfield, David Niven

I usually like David Niven. Perhaps the reason the movie was boring was that there was no chemistry between Caulfield and Niven. Chemistry makes such a difference.

[Jackie]

"Complications ensue." LOL

[Earl]

Netflixed Edge of Darkness
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...

Ebert nearly gives the whole plot. Gritty, violent. I gave it 4 stars out of 5.

[Jim]

Jackie, I thought of you when I saw this. Fall TV shows.
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/geek...

[Earl]

Joy H. wrote: "Earl: The "additional link" I often use for movies is IMDb.com, the one Jim mentioned. IMDb stands for "Internet Movie Database". It's a very thorough, all encompassing, website for movie info. I u...
BTW, I don't understand why you said you "didn't get it". Can you explain?"

It's that I didn't know that others couldn't see the Netflix site when I used their link. And when you added another I wondered why.

[Werner]

I've seen Stepmom a few years ago. That genre of film isn't usually my cup of tea; but in this case, I'd have to echo Jackie's sentiment that it was "surprisingly good." The interpersonal relationships among the characters were explored really well, the two lead actresses deliver very good performances, and it's ultimately a story that is (as Thomas Hardy said stories should be) "worth telling."

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: ""Complications ensue." LOL"

That's a good statement for life itself!
Nothing is ever as simple as we think it is.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Earl wrote: "It's that I didn't know that others couldn't see the Netflix site when I used their link. And when you added another I wondered why."

I see, Earl. Another reason I often add the IMDb website is to give readers more information in a different format. Both the Netflix and IMDb websites have their own advantages.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Werner wrote: "I've seen Stepmom a few years ago. That genre of film isn't usually my cup of tea; but in this case, I'd have to echo Jackie's sentiment that it was "surprisingly good." The interpersonal relatio..."

I started watching "Stepmom" last night but haven't finished watching it yet. There's something about Julia Roberts which turns me off. So I'm having trouble getting into the story. However, I DO enjoy Susan Saradon in anything she does. So I think I will eventually appreciate the movie.

I agree with Werner when he says: "That genre of film isn't usually my cup of tea." By that I mean "house-wifey" movies, i.e., movies which show domestic details and plots which show parents interacting with their children. Movies in that genre have to be extra special for me to enjoy them.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Earl wrote: "Netflixed Edge of Darkness
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
Ebert nearly gives the whole plot. Gritty, violent. I gave it 4 stars out of 5."

Earl, that proves that sometimes it's dangerous to read the reviews ahead of time. Sometimes it helps but it would be nice if the writer of the review gave a "spoiler" warning.

Edge of Darkness (2010)
IMDb plot description:
"As homicide detective Thomas Craven investigates the death of his activist daughter, he uncovers not only her secret life, but a corporate cover-up and government collusion that attracts an agent tasked with cleaning up the evidence."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226273/

I'm not usually a fan of this genre. Netflix puts it in the "thriller" genre.
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Edge-of-...

Earl, I notice that you like thrillers. Just like a man! Ooops! I shouldn't stereotype. LOL

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: "Jackie, I thought of you when I saw this. Fall TV shows.
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/geek... "

Jim, I see that the headline says: "Previews of the new Fall 2011 geek TV shows".
Exactly what are "geek" shows?

[Jackie]

Sci fi, fantasy, techie, in other words, interesting and cool, lol

Thanks for bringing that up Joy, somehow I missed the message.

Jim, you sure know my tastes. I've considered all of them but narrowed it down to Once Upon a Time, Grimm, Secret Circle, Person of Interest, Terra Nova. I'll be in geek heaven for a little while, at least until they inevitably get cancelled before the year is out.

[Jim]

Jackie, you're definition is perfect. Unfortunately, I agree with their probable fate, especially if they're any good.
(Shades of 'Firefly')
:(

[Jackie]

I know, Jim. I really wonder why they bother making these programs if they're only going to cancel them before they get a following. They don't give them a fair chance to succeed. And in the case of Grimm, the scheduling is ridiculous, it's up against Fringe and Supernatural, it'll never pull the lion's share of the ratings so why put it there. I really wish the schedulers would realize there are other days and times besides Thurdays 9pm and Friday 9pm.
Here's my take on Syfy's cancellation policy: if it's excellent, it's cancelled; if it sucks, count on it remaining in the lineup.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Lately I'm not following any of the new TV shows. Instead I've been watching my Netflix films and occasional TCM movies, and of course, reading books.

In the wee hours this morning, TCM aired "Clash by Night" with Barbara Stanwyck and Paul Douglas. Marilyn Monroe has a supporting role and does very well in it. It's a surprisingly good film for an obscure old movie. The dialogue was great; they don't seem to write good dialogue like that anymore. The writers were: Clifford Odets (play) and Alfred Hayes.
"Clash by Night" (1952)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044502/p...
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Clash-by...
Netflix description:
==============================================
"Barbara Stanwyck stars as world-weary Mae Doyle, who's forced to return to her small fishing village when her big-city dreams fade to black. She soon attracts the attention of two men: affable dullard Jerry (Paul Douglas) and his slick, ambitious buddy, Earl (Robert Ryan). Mae weds Jerry and tries to be the happy homemaker but finds herself gravitating toward Earl in this slice-of-life melodrama directed by Fritz Lang."
=================================================
I would give the film 5 stars out of 5. The story was well told and well acted. Lots of good drama.

It was great to see a film like that, made in my generation. I was only 18 years old when it came out. There was a bit of nostalgia for me in seeing the old cars and seeing a petticoat (aka a slip) on a woman and a sleeveless undershirt on a man. Those days are gone forever.

PS-I liked the ending. Very satisfying.

[Nina]

Thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely check it out.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

You're welcome, Nina. Sometimes I don't like Barbara Stanwyck in the roles she plays but I liked her in "Clash by Night". At times she can be so hard-boiled that it's off-putting. But, for some reason, her tough exterior in this movie didn't bother me.

Speaking of "toughies", Joan Crawford's hard-boiled personna never appealed to me. I can't think of one movie I liked her in.

[Earl]

Joy H. wrote: "Earl wrote: "Netflixed Edge of Darkness

Earl, I notice that you like thrillers. Just like a man! Ooops! I shouldn't stereotype. LOL"

My rule of thumb is that somebody is supposed to get killed in the first 10 minutes. And that's only half LOL.

[Jackie]

I rented Thor, a Marvel comic-turned-movie. I didn't go to the theater because I didn't care for the Thor comic titles but the movie wasn't bad. Natalie Portman's character was pathetic but the rest was entertaining enough to watch once.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Earl wrote: "My rule of thumb is that somebody is supposed to get killed in the first 10 minutes. And that's only half LOL."

Oi.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: "I rented Thor, a Marvel comic-turned-movie. I didn't go to the theater because I didn't care for the Thor comic titles but the movie wasn't bad. Natalie Portman's character was pathetic but the r..."

Thor (2011)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800369/
http://movies.netflix.com/Search?v1=T...
Netflix description:
==========================================
"Kenneth Branagh directs this Marvel Comics-inspired action flick about the thunder god Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful warrior whose father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) -- the king of Asgard -- forces him to live among humans on Earth and learn humility. Once there, he finds a friend (Natalie Portman), along with unexpected enemies sent from his world. Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgård and Rene Russo co-star."
=================================================
Jackie, how did you like Anthony Hopkins in "Thor"? Hopkins has been one of my favorite actors, ever since I saw him as the butler in "The Remains of the Day". I didn't want to see him in "Silence of the Lambs"! The clips of him with that mask were awful! (Why did he wear that mask?)

I've never liked Rene Russo. There's just something very cold about her.

What were some of the "Thor comic titles" you didn't like? I found the following at Netfix:
Thor: Tales of Asgard (2011)
Almighty Thor
Thor Freudenthal
Cameron Thor
Thor the Conqueror
Thor at the Bus Stop
Thor and the Amazon Women
Marvel Knights: Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers
A Viking Saga: Son of Thor

[Jackie]

By 'titles', I mean comicbook titles. A single character or group can have multiple titles, meaning multiple comicbooks that come out monthly, side by side, usually with no crossover.
I'm not sure which Thor title I read , it was a really long time ago. I tried the one title and didn't go any further. If I like a character or group, I'll delve into multiple titles as long as I keep enjoying them. It gets expensive after a while.

In the Thor title I read, his language was too archaic, I just couldn't get into it, not with reading it. The visual movie experience was superior to me.

[Jackie]

Joy, Anthony Hopkins was fantastic as Odin; he was larger than life, as I expected he would be.

I could take or leave Russo. I knew she was familiar to me while watching it but didn't care enough to check further. She was OK in this. Both her and Hopkins didn't have many scenes in this movie. While his was an important character and a big role, Russo's wasn't and it wouldn't have made any difference in the movie whether she was there or not.

In Silence: The mask was because he could use his teeth to hurt his guards and escape.
He gave an outstanding performance in this movie, truly.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie, about reading archaic language, I can see how that might get annoying. I found some of the dialect in _Grapes of Wrath_ annoying to read. I also found the story too depressing to finish.

Thanks for explaining about Hopkin's mask. I never knew that... and until now I never asked why he wore it! I guess there was no one in the room with me whenever I'd see a clip on TV! I usually watch TV alone.

[Jackie]

That mask was terrifying to look at. Hannibal Lecter was so intelligent, inventive and lethal that they had to restrain every part of him; he'd come up with ways to kill his guards that no one would conceive of. Best to restrain everything.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

How many guards did he kill?

[Jackie]

I don't remember, it was told as something that happened before we got to meet him.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

I see. Thanks, Jackie.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

After about a week, I finally finished watching "Stepmom" (a Netflix DVD).
"Stepmom" (1998)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120686/
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Ste...

Since it's a sad story, I found it hard to take. So I watched it a little bit at a time. I'll give it 3 stars out of 5 because I would have preferred another actress besides Julia Roberts. I also found it a bit melodramatic and overly-sentimental in certain parts. Other parts were very touching. I liked Susan Sarandon and Ed Harris in their roles.

My favorite reviewer, James Berardinelli said:
=========================================
"Stepmom is the kind of bad movie that can be blamed on just about everyone involved except, perhaps, the actors. There's nothing wrong with any of the performances, although they're wasted in the service of inferior material. The script is a mishmash of clichés, inferior melodrama, and howlingly embarrassing dialogue, and the director, Chris Columbus, shows no evidence that he understands the meaning of the term 'subtle.'"
"...the dialogue is atrocious."
FROM: http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_t...
=================================================
No wonder it took me so long to get through the movie! LOL

[Earl]

Netflixed Black Book
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389557/

I guess I'll soon be saying Quickflixed. I looked for my Roger Ebert review but he didn't review this flick. I searched for it here on GoodReads and didn't find it either. I don't know how I happened to try this movie. Anyway, I give it 4 stars out of 5 for enjoyability. A bit difficult for me to keep up with though. The Germans call the Resistance 'terrorists' in this movie and, of course, that's what they were. And a fair bit of criminality thrown in, but since we won the war they're now heroes.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Earl wrote: "Netflixed Black Book
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389557/
I guess I'll soon be saying Quickflixed. I looked for my Roger Ebert review but he didn't review this flick. I searched for it here on Goo..."

Earl, even though you couldn't find a review of "Black Book" by Ebert, I looked at the review written by James Berardinelli. He wrote an interesting review. It's at:
http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_t...
Excerpts:
======================================================
"This is one of the best war movies to emerge about World War II in the last ten years. It has everything a good war thriller should have: impeccable period detail, wonderful performances, action, romance, tragedy, and heart-stopping suspense. Black Book offers the best of both worlds: Hollywood spectacle and European sensibilities. It's 145 minutes well spent."

"Black Book possesses a taut, exciting script that throws surprises at the viewer on a regular basis."
=====================================================
Earl, I guess it deserved your 4 stars.