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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)
Thanks, Jackie. Amanda at Goodflicks told me about that one too today ("The Man in the Moon"). I've put it on my Netflix queue. When I first saw Reese Witherspoon's face in "Wildflower", I thought she looked familiar. It took me a few minutes to realize who she was. In fact, I think I went to IMDb to find out.BTW, have you noticed that IMDb has upgraded their search feature? When you enter a movie, you get a very nice drop-down list as you type. The list includes the name of the movie and the names of the stars. It's great. Seems quicker too.
Yes, that feature was added today. I like it; it's quicker and easier when I'm searching for something specific.
Yesterday I watched a Netflix DVD of the film, "Love in the Time of Cholera" based on the book of the same name (Love in the Time of Cholera (1985) by Gabriel García Márquez *)."Love in the Time of Cholera" (2007)
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Lov...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0484740/
"Florentino, rejected by the beautiful Fermina at a young age, devotes much of his adult life to carnal affairs as a desperate attempt to heal his broken heart."
I loved the book and I enjoyed the movie very much. The best part of the movie was Javier Bardem who played the part of Florentino, the rejected lover. Up to now I've wondered why Bardem is so well liked. Now I know. Bardem was priceless in the part of Florentino. He drew out my sympathies and also made me smile at the subtle humor he injected into the part. I LOVE Javier!
The bonus features of the DVD offer a good amount of insight into the story and the making of the film (much of it was filmed in Columbia, South America). Of course the film had to leave out many parts in the book, but I enjoyed the presentation. I gave the film 5 Netflix stars out of 5.
*The Nobel Prize in Literature 1982 was awarded to Gabriel García Márquez "for his novels and short stories, in which the fantastic and the realistic are combined in a richly composed world of imagination, reflecting a continent's life and conflicts".
FROM: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/li...
BTW, while I loved Marquez' _Love in the Time of Cholera_, I didn't like his One Hundred Years of Solitude and couldn't get through it. See my review here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
PS-I found an interesting feature at Shelfari.com. Shelfari provides what they call a "Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis" for some of its books. For example, about this book, _Love in the Time of Cholera_, it says:================================================
(view spoiler)
===============================================
FROM: http://www.shelfari.com/books/11594/L...
I really got a kick out of that. It's so true.
Stephen King fans will be happy to know Javier Bardem is going to be playing Roland in The Dark Tower movie, expected to be out by 2013: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1648190/
Jackie, did you see Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men" (2007)?If so, what did you think of it?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477348/
"Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande. "
Netflix calls it "violent, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful".
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/No_...
The Netflix description says:
=====================================================
"Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbles upon dead bodies, $2 million and a hoard of heroin in a Texas desert, but methodical killer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) comes looking for it, with local sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) hot on his trail. The roles of prey and predator blur as violent pursuits of money and justice collide in this Oscar-winning morality tale from directors-writers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen."
========================================================
I'm not sure I'd like seeing Javier Bardem as a "methodical killer" even though he won and Oscar for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role" in the movie.
I'd rather see him as a rejected lover. :)
No, even though I heard it was good, it just doesn't seem like something I'd care to watch. Besides, I don't like Cormac McCarthy's work, no matter how many accolades he gets, I don't agree with the assessment.
Tommy Lee Jones was very good in it. I'm not a Cormac McCarthy fan, either. I never read the book, but the movie was very cool & different. It's worth seeing at least once. I can see myself watching it again in another year or so.
I read Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses and, although I see his skill as a writer, I didn't like his ambiguous style. Not enough exposition for me to follow the plot.I'm not sure if I want to watch "No Country for Old Men", but I'm curious now about Javier Bardem's acting. We'll see. At times I'm able to handle dark material better than other times.
For what it's worth, here's the link to McCarthy's book: No Country for Old Men.
I'm finding myself increasingly bored by most movies. So much so that I don't even want to see most of them.
It's hard finding a movie you can get lost in. I bail out of a lot of the ones I stream from Netflix, but every once in a while, I hit a good one.
Have you seen, "No Reservations?" I liked it. Not great but entertaining, nevertheless. I warn you; it does have to do with gourmet cooking at a restaurant, but there is a good story connected with it. nina
Haven't see it, Nina. I'll put it on my queue. Thank you."No Reservations" (2007):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0481141/
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/No_...
From IMDb trivia:
"According to USA Weekend, Catherine Zeta-Jones worked for one evening as a server at Fiamma Osteria in New York in preparation for her role in the movie. When customers remarked on how much their server resembled Catherine Zeta-Jones, she would reply, 'I hear that all the time.' "
Joy, I don't think you'd like "No Country for Old Men". I think Jackie would.
Jim, I think you're right!
I'll add it to me Rental List, Jim.Joy, I can't find Wildflowers at the vid store or the library. BooHoo
Jackie, join Netflix! :) Wildflowers is streamable.There's a way that Netflix will give you a free month's trial if I give them your email address. I wouldn't give your addy to them without your permission.
You can stream their streamable movies, as many as you want, for 7.99 a month. They call that plan: "watch instantly unlimited".
Not all movies are streamable, but there are a lot of them. They have a good list of documentaty films.
They keep a record of what you saw and when. You can stop the film in the middle and they hold your place.
PS-They have excellent telephone support.
I don't like to watch movies at the computer though. That's why I don't watch movies online, there's free places to go to but I don't like sitting here.
Oh. I thought you could stream to your TV screen. Our sons have set us up to do that. Took me a while to get used to figuring out how to use the set-up. But now I'm used to it.PS-I sit in the same recliner to use my computer and to watch TV and to read. I'm becoming part of the chair. (lol)
I have an old TV and I do mean old, 10 years or so. We can hook up video games but I don't think it has the capability for streaming. I'll see if one of Eric's friends knows about it. If it went straight to my TV, I'd be inclined to join at some point when they get more movies but I'd definitely take part in the free trial for now.
Good luck, Jackie.PS-Does that mean you'd like the free trial now?
If I find out I can get it to my TV, then yes, I would. I have to wait for the nightly kid-fest to show up. lol
OK - Let me know when to give Netflix your addy.
You can hook up your PC to your TV, Jackie. I've had a PC hooked up to my TV for the past 10 or more years, although the connection has changed several times. My last TV had an S-video input & this one just hooks up like a regular monitor (VGA). When I update the PC, I'll use HDMI. Way back when I first started, I had a converter that took the VGA input & changed it to RCA output - like the cables on a VCR. I don't think I still have that around, but if you want it, I can look.It's very nice to use. While the new TV does hook up to the PC network & can cruise the Internet, it's clunky. It's much easier just to switch over to the PC & use it. I can also show pictures & Powerpoint slide shows or whatever else will play on a PC.
That's too much trouble for me. To unhook my tower and everything attached to it, and with no place to put it int the living room, I'd just as soon not bother. It would be another story if I had an extra computer tower and wouldn't have to go back and forth with it.The kids just came in and explained that they stream in Eric's room because he has a PS3 which connects to the internet.
Not a big deal, I can wait til we get a new TV that connects to the internet on it's own. When this one dies. This is the only time I wasn't able to find a DVD in the library or vid store so it's not a big concern.
And now that I think about it, my neighbor has internet TV capabilities. I could always go over there if I wanted to watch something; he's generous like that.
Joy, "No Country for Old Men"(the film) is, imo, a masterpiece.
I don't like bloody action films any more than you, but in this case, I feel it was appropriate, given the nature of the Coen brothers' message--the descent of our culture into mindless, remorseless violence.
Netflixed Please Givehttp://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Ple...
I gave it 3 stars out of 5 because I can't score 2 and one half stars. The thing that most caught my eye is how over-educated New Yorkers spent obscene amounts of money on crap. Funny in spots.
Arnie wrote: "Joy, "No Country for Old Men"(the film) is, imo, a masterpiece. I don't like bloody action films any more than you, but in this case, I feel it was appropriate, given the nature of the Coen..."Arnie, I guess that's why it won the Oscar. I'm tempted. :)
Earl wrote: "Netflixed Please Givehttp://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Ple...
I gave it 3 stars out of 5 because I can't score 2 and one half stars. The thing that most cau..."
Earl, that looks like a good one and it's streamable from Netflix! I've put it on my queue. Thank you for the lead ad the link!
Actually, I've never heard of it, but that's not surprising because I never keep track of the current films.
"Please Give" (2010):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0878835/
"In New York City, a husband and wife butt heads with the granddaughters of the elderly woman who lives in apartment the couple owns."
Stars: Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt and Rebecca Hall
With all the praise for No Country, I think I'm going to rent it. I can't stand senseless violence but when Arnie wrote that it was appropriate, that changed my mind. I have to send Eric to the Post Office today so I might have it in hand later tonight. I've got lots of new TV shows coming up this month, this is the weekend for movies.
OK, I put it on my queue. :) (No County for Old Men)
I finished,"Gone Woth the Wind," and am now reading, "The Red Garden," by Alice Hoffman. Not bad, but pales in comparison to GWTW. nina
"Please Give"---just happened to see it the other day---hadn't heard of it either. In my wife's words "an oddly compelling little film"---could have been directed by Woody Allen.
Definitely worth the time.
Has anyone seen "City Island" with Andy Garcia?
When was the last time you watched a film and felt good about life?
Long time for me, but this one does it.
Arnie, thanks for the lead. Good question too. I really can't remember the last time I watched a really feel-good film. "The Terminal" (2004) with Tom Hanks comes to mind. At least I gave it 5 stars. Wish I could remember how it ended.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362227/
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The...
I've added "City Island" to my queue:
City Island (2009)
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Cit...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1174730/
"The Rizzos, a family who doesn't share their habits, aspirations, and careers with one another, find their delicate web of lies disturbed by the arrival of a young ex-con (Strait) brought home by Vince (Garcia), the patriarch of the family, who is a corrections officer in real life, and a hopeful actor in private."
Nina wrote: "I finished,"Gone Woth the Wind," and am now reading, "The Red Garden," by Alice Hoffman. Not bad, but pales in comparison to GWTW. nina"Nina, here's the GR link: The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman
My old lists tell me that I've read 3 books by Alice Hoffman but I can't remember a thing about them. The books are:
Second Nature
Turtle Moon
At Risk
Isn't that a shame? I hate forgetting all those reading experiences!
PS-I probably have quotes from them which scribbled into my notebooks. I'll have to look for them.
So far I like, "Practical Magic," also written by Alice Hoffman better than "The Red Garden," mainly because it had some humor in it. nina
Nina, I searched Google for a description of Alice Hoffman's style and found the following:=======================================================
"For the prolific Hoffman, however, telling — rather than showing — readers the point has become a successful element of her modern fables, which present lessons on love, death and family matters against a backdrop of casually invoked magic, sometimes performed by nature itself.
...some of Hoffman’s usual concerns — sibling relations, parental absence —
FROM: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/boo...
=======================================================
At Hoffman's website, I found the following: "Practical Magic was chosen by Entertainment Weekly as one of the 100 New Classic books of the last 25 years."
FROM: http://www.alicehoffman.com/hoffman-n...
I'll keep Hoffman's Practical Magic in mind for future reading.
""In my wife's words "an oddly compelling little film"---could have been directed by Woody Allen.Definitely worth the time. ""
Arnie, your wife hit the nail exactly on the head. Please Give hits me very much like Woody Allen's stuff. I watched them but was never a huge fan.
We watched "Unstoppable" with Denzel Washington. It wasn't bad. Kind of reminded me of the old disaster movies like "Airport" & "The Towering Inferno". Good acting, simple plot & lots of excitement, but totally forgettable.
Jim, So it was one of those 'check-your-gray matter-at-the-door' films--- Hollywood has really been taxing our "suspend disbelief" quotient in recent time.
Earl, I've been a big Woody Allen fan going back to "What's Up Tiger Lily".
Of course, not all of his films are great, but even the ones that fail are worth watching because they're usually trying to say something interesting.
Arnie, no, "Unstoppable" was fairly good that way. There were some exaggerations, but only a couple of places that were silly & they weren't bad - almost expected. Playing up the heroes a bit much.
Netflixed The Chaserhttp://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_C...
I gave 2 stars out of 5. I guess the Netflix users scored it higher. I can manage to accept a pimp as a hero, but I guess there's just too much culture shock for me. Plenty of gore, plenty of "chasing", the guy was in really good shape.
Ebert's take
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
Thanks for the links, Earl. Interesting that the language in the film is Korean.Trivia from IMDb:
"The part where Young-min (Jung-woo Ha) slips as Joong-ho chases him in the alley was not scripted. Actor Jung-woo Ha actually did slip on the slippery pavement while shooting, but kept running anyway. Director liked that cut so much that he kept it in the final edit."
FROM: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1190539/t...
(I often wonder if slips like this in films are scripted.)
Also interesting are Roger Ebert's comments on "The Chaser" (2008):
========================================================
Excerpts:
"The Chaser is an expert serial-killer film from South Korea and a poster child for what a well-made thriller looked like in the classic days. ... This is drama, and it is interesting. Action for its own sake is boring."
"The film's structure is relentless in maintaining suspense."
"The story is an exercise in audience manipulation, especially with the corruption and incompetence of the police. The director, Na Hong-jin, knows exactly what he's doing. Like Hitchcock, he gives the audience precisely enough information to be frustrated. It is obvious to us what the characters should be doing, but there are excellent reasons why it isn't obvious to them. If you can contrive that in a screenplay, you have already surpassed the level of the usual modern thriller."
"When I see a film like this, it reminds me of what we're missing. ... In addition to remaking this movie, Hollywood should study it."
FROM: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
=======================================================
Not my kind of film, but I appreciate Ebert's comments.
TCM is currently showing "Green Mansions" (1959), adapted from the book:Green Mansions by William Henry Hudson, written in 1904.
Airing time: 12:15 - 2:00PM ET
"Green Mansions" (1959)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052864/
Stars: Audrey Hepburn, Anthony Perkins and Lee J. Cobb
"A young man in the jungles of Venezuela meets a strange girl of the forest and falls in love with her."
My niece has an autistic son and has recommended the following film for those interested in autism:Wretches & Jabberers (2011)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1658501/
IMDb summary:
"In Wretches & Jabberers and Stories from the Road, two men with autism embark on a global quest to change prevailing attitudes about disability and intelligence. With limited speech, Tracy Thresher, 42, and Larry Bissonnette, 52, both faced lives of mute isolation in mental institutions or adult disability centers. When they learned as adults to communicate by typing, their lives changed dramatically. Their world tour message is that the same possibility exists for others like themselves. At each stop, they dissect public attitudes about autism and issue a hopeful challenge to reconsider competency and the future. Along the way, they reunite with old friends from the USA, expand the isolated world of a talented young painter and make new allies in their cause."
Unfortunately, Netflix doesn't carry this film, but I did watch the trailer at:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3534...
Below are links to reviews of the film:
http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-03-3...
http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/rev...
http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/...
Netflixed Let Me Inhttp://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Let_M...
I gave it 4 stars out of 5, but really wanted 3 and one half. This vampire movie has a plot. It's not about teenage vampires. And it doesn't use any cgi. I think that last is how it got such high reviews. I was a bit disappointed after seeing such glowing reviews. The beginning left me hurrying like crazy to catch up with events. But it came together after about 20 minutes in. Scenes too dark for my tv, as usual, but not too detrimental.
It was very dark on the screen. I think too highly of this movie, it was too slow. I spent more time bored, but I will give it credit for being different than the current crop of romance-vamps and for no CGI.
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Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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Here's one of a very yougReese Witherspoon that was really good and I enjoyed:
The Man in the Moon: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102388/