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Movies, DVDs, and Theater
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What MOVIES or DVDs have you watched lately? (PART FOUR - 2011) (ongoing thread)
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Jackie
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Jan 18, 2011 10:27PM
Both Brolin and Clayburgh were excellent in their roles; I was so caught up in their story.
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I'll be watching it soon!
Outside the snow is falling and the expected depth is 7-9 inches. A good day for reading wouldn't you say? A have a variety to choose from: "The Girl Who Played with Fire," "Romancing Miss Bronte," or Cokie Robert's "We Are Our Mother's Daughters." I just finished, "The Confessions of An Ugly Step-sister," and loved it. nina
More snow? It's supposed to start here tomorrow from noon until midnight. They're calling for about 3".
We've had two major snowstorms here within the past week. Our driveway has had to be cleared by snowblower twice. The snow is piled high all over. I'm so tired of it all. Hope you all get through your snowstorms OK.
Watched The Terminal last evening. A 46 inch tv with surround sound generally enhances the movie experience. Tom Hanks is main character.I was very uncomfortable when he was at the airport pleading with strangers saying "Please!" A little far stretched, different concept, entertaining. Would have been disappointed if we made the effort to go out to a movie theater and pay $$$.
We caught the last half of "The Cheyenne Social Club" yesterday afternoon. That's a fun movie with Jimmy Stewart & Henry Fonda. I don't think I've ever seen it all the way through, but I've always enjoyed the parts I've seen.We also caught the last part of ... don't know what the name of it was - another western but it had Gregory Peck playing a Scot bank robber. Desi Arnez Jr played his young, half-breed accomplice & Jack Ward was the bad guy sheriff. It was good, too.
This is why we don't get a new TV & have just the one. There always seems to be something better to do than sit in front of it, so we catch pieces here & there.
;-)
Barb and I watched The Cheyenne Social Club all the way through years ago, and both liked it. It's an atypical Western (and the Westerns I like tend to be the atypical ones :-) ). For those who don't know, the titular "social club" is a brothel that Stewart's character wins, I believe, in a poker game (and he's NOT into that type of thing); but it's actually a much more wholesome and tasteful production than the setting /subject matter might lead you to assume.
FOR REFERENCE:"The Terminal" (2004)
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_T...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362227/
"An eastern immigrant finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there."
This sounds good. I've added it to my Netflix queue.
"The Cheyenne Social Club" (1970)
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_C...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065542/
"An aging cowboy finds to his embarrassment that the successful business he has inherited from his brother is actually a house of prostitution." Directed by Gene Kelly!)
This one is streamable from Netflix. I'll be watching it soon.
PS-I streamed "Gable and Lombard" (1976) recently. It was very good. Thanks for recommending it!
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Gable...
Thanks for the links, Joy! I stand corrected on how Stewart's character wound up with the business, but I remember now that the IMDB description is correct. (We watched it back in the 80s, so it's not exactly green in my memory. :-) )
Werner, our memories play tricks on all of us. I read somewhere that our memories can twist things because different aspects of the same memory are stored in different parts of the brain and the the neural pathways get crossed sometimes... or something like that. :)
I am going back in time to watch again, "Out of Africa," As I have two granddaughters living there it will have new meaning for me but I did like it very well the other two times I have seen it and it is a joy to listen to the theme music. nina
When I did something - an a coworker made a remark - I used to say "Well, I am my mother's daughter" - My mom was a prankster and had a great sarcastic wit.
Today I streamed "The Cheyenne Social Club" (1970) from Netflix. It was great. I gave it 5 stars out of 5. Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda are great together. The dialogue between them was so funny at times.http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The...
Thanks for recommending it.
Linda, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. :)
Nina, for some reason I've never wanted to see "Out of Africa (1985)". I guess I didn't like the previews or perhaps I saw part of it and didn't like it. Netflix records show that I rented it in 2009, but I don't remember that. I see that almost all of the Netflix reviewers loved it and it won a lot of awards. See the award page at:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089755/a...
I've added the film to my queue even though I don't see the chemistry between Streep and Redford.
BTW, Wiki says:
==========================================================
"The story based loosely on the autobiographical book, Out of Africa, written by Isak Dinesen (the pseudonym of the author Karen Blixen), which was published in 1937, with additional material from Dinesen's book, Shadows on the Grass, and other sources."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_A...
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PS-IMDb also gives film writing credit to Judith Thurman for her book: Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller.
And also to: Errol Trzebinski for the book:
Silence Will Speak: A Study of the Life of Denys Finch Hatton and His Relationship With Karen Blixen.
See the writing credits at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089755/f...
Joy, that's a really good explanation, one that makes sense to me. I've read that humans are poor eyewitnesses; memories are subjective and not always accurate. 10 people can witness the same event and each will remember the details differently. Knowing this, I wonder why eyewitness testimony is so important in court cases.
Jackie, I love to read about the workings of the brain! Last year I borrowed the following book from our library: The Human Brain Book (2009) by Rita Carter. It was fascinating!
Joy, really think you will like the movie. I think it was interesting because it is based on truth. I read the book by Judith Thurman after seeing the movie. I think there was a movie made about it. Can't remember the name though.nina
On the subject of Westerns, this afternoon Barb and I watched (and both liked) an older one made in 1956, Gunslinger, directed by Roger Corman, and starring Beverly Garland. (Neither of us had seen it before.) It has its flaws, some of them resulting from the lower production standards of that time; it was also made in just a week, with a low budget even by 50s standards, and under horrible weather conditions. But I think that Corman and Garland both did a surprisingly good job, considering what they had to work with; I'd recommend it for Western fans. The IMDB link is: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049287/ . Another link with interesting background information about the making of the film, and comments by the principals themselves, is http://fiftieswesterns.wordpress.com/... .
Werner, Gunslinger (1956) does have a different slant. The IMDb description says: "After her husband is gunned down, Rose Hood takes his place as sheriff of a small Western town." The year 1956 was an unusually early time for putting women in charge. :) After all, the book, The Feminine Mystique, which ignited the feminist revolution, wasn't published until 1963. :)
That's correct, Joy; and (as I noted on a thread over in my Action Heroine Fans group), even more unusually for a 50s film, the writers weren't at all ambivalent about Rose's gunfighting and horseriding capabilities --she does the same sorts of things any male Western star of the period would do, without batting an eye. (Well, she doesn't drink in saloons; but she does go in and close one down when it's staying open past curfew!) As I said, I tend to like my Westerns atypical. :-)
Werner, as the French say, "Chacun a son gout". (To each his own taste).BTW, in my Google search, I found a website with French cliches:
http://french.about.com/library/expre...
The translations are amusing. For example:
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That costs an arm and a leg. / Ça coûte les yeux de la tête. / That costs the eyes from the head.
We have other fish to fry. / On a d'autres chats à fouetter. / We have other cats to whip.
Like a bull in a china shop. / Comme un chien dans un jeu de quilles. / Like a dog in a game of ninepins.
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Interesting comparisons.
Netflix movie to arrive tomorrow is: FLYBOY. "Directed by Oscar winner Tony Bill, this epic drama tells the true story of the Lafayette Escadrille, a group of Americans who volunteered for the French military before the United States entered World War I. Farm boy Blaine Rawlings (James Franco) joins up and soon finds himself on an adventure more exciting than he ever imagined as he and his fellow soldiers become the world's first fighter pilots. Jean Reno stars as their battle-weary leader. Cast: James Franco, Jean Reno
Director: Tony Bill"
Anyone see this? Like it? Came out in 2006.
Netflixed Agorahttp://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Agora...
If you're a lady astronomer in Alexandria 400AD, it doesn't pay to be smarter than the old bible-thumpers in charge. And she's an unmarried old maid too, must be a witch. Hypatia is killed as a political move to consolidate power, according to the movie. Ah, politics were so direct then. These days they're sneakier. I gave it 3 stars out of 5. It's more of a history lesson than entertainment.
Linda and Earl, I haven't seen either of those movies. GR classifies them as "Military & War Dramas". Here's the Netflix link to "Flyboys" (2006):http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Flybo...
I usually am not drawn to war dramas.
I watched the "The Deal" (2003), a Netflix DVD:
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_D...
It's a political drama based on real life, about Tony Blair (played by Michael Sheen) and Gordon Brown (played by David Morrissey). It was fairly interesting. At least I learned a bit about British politics. I enjoyed the film, "The Special Relationship", (2010) more. It too was about Tony Blair, played once more by Michael Sheen. He played the British Prime Minister and his political relationship with Bill Clinton.
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The-S...
Don't laugh. I was in a real nostalgic mood last night and wathced the black and white movie "Superman and the Mole Men". Dated today of course, but I first saw it at age 7 and found it fascinating.Phyllis Coates played Lois Lane (later replaced by Noel Neill) and she imho is the better of the two actresses. George Reeves was at the top of his form here.
The first two season of Superman (the TV series of the 1950's) are regarded as the best by most critics. The later seasons were 'dumbed down' and the show became more a children's program.
Mary JL, here's the Netflix description:"Superman and the Mole Men" (1951)
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Super...
"Superman makes his film debut in this 1951 feature starring George Reeves as the Man of Steel..."
BTW, I'm not laughing... if you enjoyed it, that's enough.
I know, Joy, that you are not laughing. Actually, I really think it is great we have such an incredibly wide array of books and movies to choose from.Enough diversity and choices for all of us to enjoy our favorites! We all have access to so much!
P. S. I added that book on The Haman Brain you mentioned to my to read list--sounds good.
Yes, Mary JL, we are fortunate in having so many choices in books and films. Sometimes it's hard to find just the right one to suit our tastes, but the search goes on! :) At times I feel like giving up the search because there's so much I just don't enjoy. It becomes discouraging. But, for me, books and films still offer the best chance for mental stimulation and they offer the best (and safest!) topics for conversation.As for the book, The Human Brain Book, even though it gets very technical, there was enough there for a lay person like myself to hold my interest. For example, I believe it was in that book that I read that as we age our bodies produce less serotonin and therefore we find ourselves less stimulated by things which used to stimulate us... or something like that. :)
I went to see Black Swan, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/ and I was disappointed, wished I hadn't spent my money on a theater ticket. The previews made it seem like a thriller and it's not. The music and the dance were the best parts of the film. If you love opera and Swan Lake in particular then see it.
There were long stretches of the main character just walking, getting off the subway, up the stairs of the subway, down the block, into the building. I have no patience for stretching out movies or books with filler like that and they did it a lot. And those scenes were filmed from behind her so all I saw was the back of her head. It was strange. Overall, it's what I expect from an Oscar nominated movie: not much.
My sister saw "Black Swan" and told me about it. It sounds very surrealistic and at the end you are left with questions. That's all I know about it. Doesn't sound like a movie I'd enjoy. James Berardinelli (my favorite film reviewer), said in his review of the film:
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"Sorting fantasy, nightmare, and hallucination from what is real is likely to require multiple viewings and careful conjecture. ... It offers little in the way of concrete action or exposition and, even after a second or third watching, questions about what's real and what isn't remain. ... As with The Wrestler, the ending of Black Swan is open to interpretation. It is not cut-and-dry."
FROM: http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_t...
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I always love the clear way Berardinelli writes.
At the end of Rober Ebert's review, he says:
"If I were you, I wouldn't spend too much time trying to figure out exactly what happens in practical terms."
Here's a link to Ebert's review:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
PS-Here's a link to the Netflix description:
"Black Swan" (2010)
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Black...
"Portman won a Golden Globe for the film, which also nabbed an Oscar nod for Best Picture."
PPS-Here's a short description from IMDb:
"A ballet dancer wins the lead in "Swan Lake" and is perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan - Princess Odette - but slowly loses her mind as she becomes more and more like Odile the Black Swan, daughter of an evil magician."
FROM: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/
PPPS-Here's an interesting bit of trivia from IMDb about "Black Swan":"The soundtrack, composed by Clint Mansell is a variation on Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" ballet, but played backwards and in a distorted manner."
FROM: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/t...
It is a bit surreal but I had no questions in the end. It was clear that she was losing her mind and seeing things that weren't there.
My sister said that she and her friend wondered what was real and what was fantasy. Jackie, I think your experience reading the fantasy genre might have helped you to understand the movie.Another reviewer (Rob Vaux) said: "Aronofsky trusts his material enough to leave some questions unanswered, which of course only heightens our fascination and will doubtless trigger countless arguments about the specifics of Nina’s state."
FROM: http://www.mania.com/black-swan-movie...
At times, during the movie you're not sure what's real. By the end we know she's mentally ill and was hallucinating. I felt really bad for her, she was a timid fragile little thing and had no defenses, no strength to fall back on. I can easily see how she unravelled so quickly.
Jackie wrote: "... I felt really bad for her, she was a timid fragile little thing and had no defenses, no strength to fall back on. I can easily see how she unravelled so quickly. "Good point, Jackie. In Rob Vaux's review he gave us the following insight:
[The film provided] "an unparalleled look at the creative process, and how the drive to become the best can literally destroy you."
PS-Here's a good quote about perfection:
"Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing." ~Harriet Braiker
I have to thank Linda for mentioning the film "The Terminal" with Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Stanley Tucci. It was directed by Steven Spielberg. I enjoyed the Netflix DVD today:"The Terminal" (2004)
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_T...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362227/
"An eastern immigrant finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there." Netflix describes the film as "quirky and romantic".
Even though the film was inspired by the true story described below*, many of the incidents portrayed in the film seemed very improbable and hard to believe. However, Tom Hanks played the role well, using a Bulgarian accent and speaking in broken English. As usual, he was very entertaining. Sometimes he was funny and other times he was touching, giving the story a poignant slant. Tom Hanks has gained weight in the past years and the weight seemed to fit the ungainly character he played.
* The IMDb trivia says:
==========================================================
"Inspired by the story of Merhan Nasseri, an Iranian refugee. Dreamworks reportedly paid him $250,000 for the use of his biography. In 1988, he landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris after being denied entry into England because his passport and United Nations refugee certificate had been stolen. French authorities would not let him leave the airport. He remained in Terminal One, a stateless person with nowhere else to go. He has since been granted permission to either enter France or return to his own country. He instead chooses to continue to live in the terminal and tell his story to those who will listen. Reportedly, his mental health has deteriorated over the years. When given the opportunity to live in France, he refused because the documents did not name him as "Sir, Alfred", and he claims to have forgotten his native Persian language. Reportedly, he left the terminal in August 2006 to be hospitalized for an unspecified illness."
FROM: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362227/t...
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I gave the film 5 stars partly because it held my attention all the way through. That means a lot to me. I also enjoyed Tom Hanks' portrayal. Jones and Tucci were good too.
PS-I searched GR and found book which inspired the movie:
The Terminal Man (2004) by Alfred Merhan
Just watched "Bad Day at Black Rock" (1955) on TCM-TV.Whew! What a suspense story!
Spencer Tracy was terrific! Great supporting cast.
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Bad_D...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047849/
"A one handed stranger comes to a tiny town possessing a terrible past they want to keep secret, by violent means if necessary."
Trivia: "The opening shot [from the air] with the train [heading toward the camera] ... was created by filming with a helicopter flying away from the train and running the film backwards."
FROM: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047849/t...
Just watched "Red" a very fun, shoot-'em-up, bang-bang flick with Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman & John Malkovitch plus a bunch of others. We got it on Dish Video on Demand. It was super. Jackie, I think you'll really like it.
Jim, I plan on renting it, just waiting for when anthony has the time to watch it with me. Glad you liked it.
They advertised "Red" on tonight's SAG awards show.Here are the award results:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news...
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/01/30...
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/cele...
Headlines:
"'King's Speech' Tops SAG Awards; Colin Firth Named Best Actor"
"'The Fighter' captures two awards, 'Black Swan's' Natalie Portman is named best actress, and the 'Boardwalk Empire' and 'Modern Family' casts top the TV categories."
The SAG Life Achievement Award went to Ernest Borgnine, 94 years old.
The award for outstanding female in a comedy series ("Hot in Cleveland") went to
Betty White, 89 years old.
A friend went to see The King's Speech and The Fighter and said both were excellent. Two more to add to the To Rent List. Even though I didn't care for Black Swan all that much, Natalie Portman did a fantastic job.
Does anyone know when the Oscars are?
Oscars will be on Sunday, February 27.
I was surprised to see Ernest Borgnine in the movie. He didn't have a huge part, but played it well, of course. Marg & I were wondering how old he was. 94! Wow. He's done some great parts over the years. I'll always remember him best as McHale from the 60's sitcom & the taxi driver in "Escape From New York", but I've seen him in all kinds of movies. He made a great bad guy in an old western. Can't recall the name, though.
Jim, Borgnine was one of the bad guys in "Bad Day at Black Rock". Spencer Tracy's character did Jiu-Jitzu on Bornine's character via stunt actors. It was the only part of the movie where I laughed out loud. The rest of the movie was serious drama.PS-Here's the link to "Red" (2010):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1245526/
Ernest Borgnine played Henry, The Records Keeper.
Thank you, Joy.Jim, Escape from NY is one of my favorite movies, I've seen it so many times I've lost count.
Last night, after hearing the title "Escape from NY" (I suppose during Borgnine's award clip), I looked it up on Netflix, thinking it might have been a comedy. No, it was serious. Netflix describes it as: "Violent, Dark, Exciting, Gritty"."Escape from New York" (1981)
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Escap...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082340/
"In 1997, when the US President crashes into Manhattan, now a giant max. security prison, a convicted bank robber is sent in for a rescue."
Borgnine played a cabbie (at the age of 94!) (Yes, Jim, Wow! :)
PS-Hmmm, was it funny or not? One of the Netflix member reviews says:
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"John Carpenter and Kurt Russell bring it home in this fun action filled pseudo SciFi film. This is one of my all time favorite performances by Russell. It is almost a more modern version of Mad Max with a comic book movie characterization of Snake Plissken (Russell’s character). The setting is one you would find in many of the modern horror movies (almost zombie like crazy people out for nothing but blood), very dark, with the feel of a thriller. It is a race against the clock for Plissken to save his own life and save that of the crashed U.S. President in a Manhattan that is turned into nothing but a walled prison with no guards. A full range of fun and interesting characters along with great one-liners make this an instant cult classic for fans of this genre. If you are a fan of this genre or even any of the modern day comic book hero movies, don't miss this flick!"
[FROM the above Netflix link.]
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Escape From New York, the book also came out in 1981 & I think is a novelization of the screenplay. It's a little darker than the movie, at least the televised version. There are a few differences, but overall it's the same. It clearly makes the point that the warden's son is one of the subterranean cannibals. (I think Snake cuts off his fingers which have his name tattooed on the knuckles as he tries to move a man hole cover.) Have you read it, Jackie? If not, you should.
I don't think I've read it. I'll have to find it.
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