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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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Dec 06, 2011 08:33PM
Joy, not really, we have to go to Queensbury to buy anything, LG is shut down for the winter. Even in summer you can't shop here....unless you need a bikini or a T-shirt. Anthony is always out and about for work so he'll stop and pick up what I want. I wouldn't mind Netflix if I can get the movie I want when I want it but it doesn't work like that. Plus I have pay cable movie channels and then there's On Demand. What a variety we have in movie watching! Remember the days when you had to wait years for movies to come to TV, if you really wanted to see something you had to go to the theater.
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Yes, things have really improved for us when it comes to seeing movies.I understand now why you have to shop in Queensbury. I guess it's not that far using the Northway.
It takes about 10 minutes. Route 9 isn't bad in the winter. I'd never take that in the summer though.I watched My House in Umbria today. I liked it.
Right. Route 9 is OK too.Glad you liked Umbria.
I'm in the middle of The Darjeeling Limited.
Let me know if Darjeeling is worth watching, I'm on the fence about it. I have a list for when Ant brings back my current crop of movies, I have The Blind Side for tomorrow night. If you finish in time and it's good, I can add it to the ever growing list.
Jackie, about "The Darjeeling Limited", reviewer James Berardinelli says: "It would be fair to acknowledge that Anderson's films are an acquired taste." I can confirm that!Roger Ebert says: "I said the movie meanders. It will therefore inspire reviews complaining that it doesn't fly straight as an arrow at its target. But it doesn't have a target, either. Why do we have to be the cops and enforce a narrow range of movie requirements? Anderson is like Dave Brubeck, who I'm listening to right now. He knows every note of the original song, but the fun and genius come in the way he noodles around. And in his movie's cast, especially with Owen Wilson, Anderson takes advantage of champion noodlers."
Ebert also mentions: "...this movie's whimsy and observant human comedy".
Both Berardinelli and Ebert have made some good points. As for myself, I kept wondering where the movie was going. I really didn't get it until the end and, because of that, I didn't really appreciate the movie very much until after I read the reviews of Ebert and Berardinelli. Then things started to make sense.
One good thing I can say is that the scenes of India and its culture were valuable by themselves. Ebert describes it as: "India, that nation of perplexing charm."
As for the humor, it's sort of tongue-in-cheek. Berardinelli says: "The 'comedy,' to the extent that it is present, is not the kind that will cause audience members to break out in laughter. It's more of the wry, cutting variety...".
If you decide to see the movie, please let me know what you think of it. As you watch it, keep in mind that the whole aim of the three brothers' journey is to help them reconnect with each other after years of distance between them. It's a "spiritual journey" with a smile behind it.
Berardinelli gave the movie 2 & 1/2 stars.
Ebert gave the movie almost 4 stars.
Below are links to their reviews:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_t...
Jim wrote: "Latin wasn't offered in any of the schools I went to, not even the fancy eastern prep school. I always thought that stunk, even as a kid. I didn't want to learn French or Spanish, but Latin would..."We had Latin, Spanish and French in the run-of-the-mill high school I went to 48-52. But Spanish and French were taught by an old harridan who had the toughest kids in school BUFFALOED! I had to take her for American History, that was enough. So I selected French, 2 years. I was never conversational and now I can count to ten and remember some crossword puzzle words, that's it. But I definitely DON'T have an ear for language anyway.
Earl, I remember that one of our Latin teachers was an angry-looking, stern person. She SCARED us into doing our homework and learning Latin! LOL
Earl mentioned having an "ear for language". They say that having a talent for language carries over into learning computer programming language as well. I don't know how true that is, but I remember that thought being expressed by our son, who is a software engineer. He's also good in foreign languages.
Joy wrote: They say that having a talent for language carries over into learning computer programming language as well.I think it's true, computer language is still language after all. And you son seems to a case in point. Good for him!
I'm better at understanding languages in the written word, to a degree, than hearing them.
I'm going to give Darjeeling a try, Joy. I like a meandering storyline, as long as it comes together in the end.
Joy H. wrote: "Earl mentioned having an "ear for language". They say that having a talent for language carries over into learning computer programming language as well. I don't know how true that is, but I rememb..."Not true for me - maybe - I think. I had 3 years of French & was never very good at it, but I don't know that I ever tried that hard. I wonder what would have happened if I tried Spanish & actually got to use it? I'm horrible at pronouncing different sounds, though.
Programming languages are fairly easy. There's an underlying logic & similarity to them all, although particular pieces of syntax can be a drag. Forget a semi colon & nothing works. I've programmed in a dozen different languages over the years & pick up new ones pretty quickly, as needed. Of course, I forget old ones just as quickly. I doubt I could program a thing in Fortran or Assembly Language any more, but could probably get back into C or Java easily enough. I mostly program in Visual Basic now, but only light, application stuff.
The Blinde Side was very good. Also, just watched, "Water for Elepants," and rate it excellent.
I thought Water for Elephants was excellent also.The Blind Side was exceptional too. I didn't want to see it because I knew it would make me cry, and it did, for both sadness and joy. That any child could be so disposable is heartbreaking, but the movie didn't dwell on that, rather the kindness and love he received from the family who took him in. It was uplifting and inspiring.
Jackie wrote: "... I'm better at understanding languages in the written word, to a degree, than hearing them. ..."Jackie, I'm the same way. Along those same lines, I'm better at expressing myself in writing than I am at expressing my thoughts while speaking.
BTW, I'm up in the wee hours now after a long evening nap. I'm watching "The Ziegfeld Follies" (1945/1946) on TV. A four star movie with William Powell as Flo Ziegfeld. What a treat!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039116/
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Zie...
Cast: Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Fanny Brice, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Red Skelton, Esther Williams, William Powell, Cyd Charisse, Hume Cronyn, Edward Arnold, William Frawley, Virginia O'Brien, Keenan Wynn
Quote from the movie:
"Children play with the dreams of tomorrow. Old men play with the memories of yesterday."
Jim, here's a quote for you:"A programmer is someone who solves a problem you didn't know you had in a way you don't understand."
Thank goodness for programmers!
Nina wrote: "The Blinde Side was very good. Also, just watched, "Water for Elepants," and rate it excellent."I enjoyed "The Blind Side" but haven't seen "Water for Elephants" yet, although I read the book which was great. Thanks for reminding me about it. I've moved it up on my Netflix queue.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1067583/
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Wat...
Jackie wrote: "... The Blind Side was exceptional too. I didn't want to see it because I knew it would make me cry, and it did, for both sadness and joy. That any child could be so disposable is heartbreaking, but the movie didn't dwell on that, rather the kindness and love he received from the family who took him in. It was uplifting and inspiring.Well said, Jackie!
Joy H. wrote: "Jim, here's a quote for you:"A programmer is someone who solves a problem you didn't know you had in a way you don't understand."
Thank goodness for programmers!"
That's cute, Joy. No mention of all the other problems each program creates, though.
;-)
Netflixed Casino Jackhttp://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
When will I learn to stay away from docu-dramas? 2 stars.
Netflixed In a Better World
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
I liked this one. Though when it began the promised sub-titles weren't there. I guess the sub-title maker felt, as I did, that that portion of the picture was a huge waste.
To me the flick was about the bonding of two young boys, a leader and a follower. It was REAL to me, this is exactly how I remember it. Ebert talks about 'lack of empathy', a preachy kind of review to explain the actions of two little savages (which is what young boys are). The movie captures how boys are at that age before they are brainwashed by the society we live in. 4 stars out of 5 from me.
Jackie wrote: " if you really wanted to see something you had to go to the theater. ..."I am still dumb enough to WANT to 'go out' to the theater. But missing 70% of the dialogue finally made me stay home, save money, and HEAR.
Joy H. wrote: "Earl mentioned having an "ear for language". They say that having a talent for language carries over into learning computer programming language as well. I don't know how true that is, but I rememb..."I can't imagine how that would work, Joy. I went back to school to try and be a programmer - 2 year AAS from ACC, never could get a job with it. Programming seemed like straight logic to me, but I was a very low-level programmer. Maybe the talented ones do sort of 'speak' it as a language. Why don't you get your son's opinion on it? I'd be interested to know.
It's not dumb, it's a day out. I like watching at home simply because I can pause the movie. I just saw Cowboys & Aliens, wow, it was fantastic. Cowboys, indians, outlaws and aliens! Big action film, great actors in it.
Earl, I agree with you. Little boys are savages. Not many are so politically incorrect as to acknowledge that any more, though. We all have a better nature, don't you know? Dr. Spock told the idiots so...;-)
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Jackie, we just saw that 'Cowboys & Aliens' was on PPV & both Marg & I agreed that we'd watch it this weekend. Glad to hear it was as good as it looks!!!
Earl, my daughter's boy friend just got out of 4 years worth of schooling to be a programmer & is having a terrible time finding a job doing it. It's tough to break into. My son got into it from the network engineering side - designed systems & then wrote the code to make them work. I administer a network & just program what we need, usually inside applications, sometimes between them, but nothing major.
Cowboys & Aliens may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm sure you would enjoy it, Jim.I picked up Darjeeling Limited,
Red Dog because a friend recommended it to me http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0803061/ ,
and The Debt because I really like Helen Mirren http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226753/
I can't decide which one I want to watch first.
I'm going to watch the new Conan movie this weekend, too.
That was pretty good too, I think Momoa is better than Arnie in the title role. And it had a better story, IMO.
Speaking of language; one of the most interesting things I ever studied was Chinese Caligraphy. I now wish I hadn't forgotten what I learned. I kept some of my work, however and I enjoy going over it again. Our class had a wonderful patient teacher. He was intuitive. It reminded me again tonight as we just finished watching, "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan." The old cliche; not nearly as good as the book.
If you love dogs, you have to see Red Dog. It's a true story about the legendary Red Dog who wandered all over Australia looking for his master and united a community in doing so. It's full of Australian accents, so if you're not good with accents, turn on the subtitles. A friend of mine saw this on the plane to New Zealand last month and recommended it. I'm really glad she did because I've never heard of it before. Definitely worth the hour and a half.
I recommend, "The Snow Walker." LIke the book you can't put down.
Jackie wrote: "If you love dogs, you have to see Red Dog. It's a true story about the legendary Red Dog who wandered all over Australia looking for his master and united a community in doing so. It's full of A..."I went looking on Netflix for it, they haven't even heard of it yet. Here's IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0803061/
Earl, it just came out on DVD last week, Netflix won't have it yet. How long does it usually take for Netflix to get a movie after it's been released to DVD? I never heard of it either. If not for my friend, this would have gone unnoticed. I think this is a movie that is passed by word of mouth.
A new quote, to me, anyway: "you can't get a cup of tea BIG enough or a BOOK LONG enough to suit me." C.S. Lewis.
I watched The Debt tonight, it was good all the way through but I didn't like the ending. Still worth seeing.
Earl wrote: "... I went back to school to try and be a programmer ... Programming seemed like straight logic to me, but I was a very low-level programmer. Maybe the talented ones do sort of 'speak' it as a language. Why don't you get your son's opinion on it? I'd be interested to know."Earl: I will ask my son and let you know what he said.
Jackie: I looked up "Red Dog" at IMDb:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0803061/
Netflix doesn't have it listed at all yet. Wonder why.
Speaking of dogs, I'm currently listening to an unabridged audio version of Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan. It's the version read by Johnny Heller who does a great job of reading this entertaining book. I recommended it highly, especially if one loves dogs. It's so good that I can't stop listening. (BTW, there are other audio versions of this book, but this one is probably the best, according to my research. There's also a version of the book adapted by the author for the younger crowd, omitting adult material, entitled _Marley: A Dog Like No Other_.)
I watched the movie adaptation with Jennifer Aniston awhile ago. It was good but this audio version of the book is much better. The reader, Johnny Heller, adds so much to the experience, and of course, the book is always better. It's written and read with such humor!
Netflix doesn't movies right away when they come out on DVD. It's out at the vid store since Dec 2nd. I loved Marley and Me, the movie, never read the book but I would imagine an audiobook being good for the reasons you stated.
Jackie, do yourself a favor and borrow the audio version of "Marley" from the library. Be sure it's the one read by Johnny Heller. You will LOVE it! The tone of Johnny Heller's voice can't be duplicated. It seems especially suited to this book. I've been listening while puttering around the kitchen and I'm getting a lot of kitchen work done because I can't stop listening! LOL
If I ever get an audiobook, that's the one I want to get.
We watched "Cowboys & Aliens" last night. It was good & a lot of fun. One of the points I really liked is somewhat a spoiler, though. It's not too bad, but I'll hide it anyway.(view spoiler)
Just saw the LAST installment of Harry Potter & Deathly Hallows Part 2. Truthfully, I felt a bit let down. I use the Mid Hudson Library System and have amazing access to films and TV series. If your patient, you get them for 7 days, sometimes longer.
Jim, your spoiler, I know, lol I had the same reaction.I loved HP&DHp2. I saw it in the theater, maybe that's the difference. I saw Avatar in the theater and loved it, when it came out on DVD we rented it so my husband can see it and when it was over he said "That's it? Not impressed." I have to admit, watching it on DVD was a lesser experience. Some films have to be seen on the big screen and I think HP is one of them.
Jim and Werner, I just remembered, I heard Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are making a Dark Shadows movie, to be out in mid-2012.
Jim wrote: "We watched "Cowboys & Aliens" last night. It was good & a lot of fun. One of the points I really liked is somewhat a spoiler, though. It's not too bad, but I'll hide it anyway.[spoilers removed]"
I found C&A on Netflix. It says:
"This movie is: Exciting, Imaginative".
I'll put it on my Netflix queue just out of curiosity.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409847/
"A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys and natives are all that stand in their way."
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Cow...
Availability (at Netflix): DVD and Blu-ray from 1/3/12
Jana wrote: "Just saw the LAST installment of Harry Potter & Deathly Hallows Part 2. Truthfully, I felt a bit let down. I use the Mid Hudson Library System and have amazing access to films and TV series. If you..."Hi Jana! Welcome to the group! Glad to see you here.
Yes, the inter-library loan system is great! I use it too.
Oooo! Johnny Depp in THAT Tim Burton movie?!!! Awesome.Finished watching the new Conan movie. It was fun. Pretty dark, though. Also, we had a lot of interruptions. Still, I enjoyed it better than the Arnie ones.
Jim, Burton and Depp, you know it's gonna be freaky.I agree this Conan was better. Momoa did a good job in the title role.
Now you gotta see Transformers 3.
One of the few pluses of being up for most of the wee hours with a four-year-old grandson, who won't go back to sleep, is that you get to watch a lot of late-night television. That's how I caught What I Did for Love (Hallmark, 2006) last night. It's in the 20-year (at least) Hallmark tradition of family-friendly, feel-good romances; I'd actually seen it a couple of times before, since it's one of Barb's favorite movies --naturally, since it features quite a few horses! How you'd feel about it depends on your reaction to movies of this type, but I think it's well done, and one of Hallmark's better efforts. The premise has a high-powered young L.A. lawyer in love with a Montana-born surgeon; before they officially get engaged, she wants him to spend the Christmas season back at her family's ranch, to (hopefully) get her father's blessing. We get a hefty dose of culture clash (which I could really relate to, as someone raised in the relatively urban and urbane Midwest who married into a family of Appalachian mountain folk!), interesting family dynamics, and a bit of a serious look at some of the socio-economic and environmental issues that confront modern ranchers and their communities. (Jackie, you'd be put off by the writers' cavalier treatment of a wolf, though --they mentioned early on that healthy wolves don't attack humans, but apparently forgot that factoid later.)Jim, do you mean the new Conan movie is visually dark, or dark in a moral/psychological sense? (Or both?) That's one I really want to see sometime! (I definitely want to see Cowboys and Aliens, too.)
There were two movie spin-offs of the Dark Shadows TV series that were made while it was still running (or not long after): House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows. I saw both of them at the drive-in in my home town when they first came out, but wasn't all that impressed with either one. Neither of them were genuinely faithful to the characterizations and premises of the original; I had the feeling that the producers were trying to capitalize on the popularity of the series by using the name and some of the same character names and actors, just to make a fast buck. (Now it would be a certainty instead of a feeling, but I wasn't quite as cynical back then.) It will be interesting to see if Burton and Depp do any better. (It's hard for me to imagine Depp in the role of any of the original characters, frankly!)
Visually dark, Werner. Maybe I need to clean the TV screen or watch it at night, but this new LED LCD is supposed to have a way higher contrast ratio than the old CRT & yet there were places in the movie that all I could see were flashes of movement in the dark. Maybe it was supposed to add to the mood, but it just annoys me. I paid to watch actors & scenery, not a poor shadow show.
I've seen some of the photos for DS; Depp looks pretty creepy as Barnabas.
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Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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