Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
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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)
Yes, Arnie. Too bad subtitles weren't available for the Parker film. I find them so helpful at times.Here's Jennifer Jason Leigh's filmography at IMDb:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000492/
It appears that she's been active, but I don't know how big her roles have been. I saw "Synecdoche, New York" (in which she plays Maria) but I don't remember seeing her. I hated the movie, even started a topic about it here:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...
A friend told me HBO is free this weekend & that the first episode of "Game of Thrones" will be on. It's based on A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. I haven't read it, but a lot of my friends have & say it's great.
It is one of the best books I've ever read. I'm currently reading #2, A Clash of Kings. The HBO series looks amazing, they sunk plenty of money into making it. I can't wait, I'm counting down the days.
Netflixed Ramona and Beezushttp://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Ram...
I gave 2 stars out of 5 because I couldn't give 1 and a half. A Shirley Temple movie without the Shirley Temple
Ebert's take
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
Earl, speaking of Shirley Temple, the other day TCM was showing "The Littlest Rebel".http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_L...
The best part was when she danced with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Wonderful to watch!
Jim wrote: "A friend told me HBO is free this weekend & that the first episode of "Game of Thrones" will be on. It's based on A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. I haven't r..."Thanks for the tip, Jim. I'll check out HBO this weekend.
I don't know if we can get it Joy. So far I've only found HBO Free this weekend in connection with Direct TV.Jim, who's your cable provider? Does HBO start at a certain time today? Maybe I just have to wait til later, but for right now, it's a no-go on the HBO for me. Dammit.
I have Dish TV. I'll have to see when I get home.
I'll keep checking too, it may have a specific start time.In any case, I'm taking care of a neighbor's house while he's away so I'm recording Game of Thrones there so I can watch it.
I was in the movie with Jennifer Jason Leigh, "Kansas City," by Robert Altman. Some critics complained that her speech sounded slurred or that she had a pediment.I thought it fit her character but I had a close hand listening post because at times I was only a couple of feet away during the shooting. but, as I said, some really critized her speaking the parts. nina
That's great, Nina. What part did you play?
Jackie, thanks for the link to the clip at your review.Here's Jackie's review of _A Game of Thrones_:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Joy, I was an extra in the movie but I was fortunate as the first night of filming I was the only one of four being filmed and I had my own dressing room trailer and four make up people and my own Italian hair dresser. I got to be friends with lots of people and I was directed by Robert Altman, himself, in a small room; supposed to be a train station depot. I happen to have a red haired husband and funny thing I had a red haired movie husband. Well, it was truly an experience for someone who was sixty nine years old. Nuff said. Also, due to strange circumstances something I wrote was used in the movie. Too long an explanation to go into on goodreads. nina
Nina, that sounds like an exciting experience!
Well, HBO is free, but the only Game of Thrones I could find were two segments on making it.
Oh that is a rip-off! You could see those on youtube.What good is it if the event of the year isn't available?
It's supposed to be on at 9pm on Sunday, I just found out. I'll look for it manually. I'd be surprised if it wasn't available. I think it is 9 parts, so they'd want everyone to see part one & get sucked in. Previews won't do it for me.
It's a good bet that why they chose this weekend for the free service.
Great.Are you going to watch Game of Thrones?
It's not available for me, I just checked.
I will, Jackie, although I'm not sure when. I haven't read the books so I won't have any preconceptions about what it should be like.
I hear it's great, for both readers and non-readers alike. A guy from one of my groups reviewed it, HBO sent him the first 6 eps. It's really a great book, Jim, you'll love it if you read it.
I saw a funny movie tonight. Nice to have a break from the news etc. It is Ball of Fire. Stars Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwick. Might be Stanwyck. In any case, it is entertaing. You can netflix it. Joy, I think you would like it. And maybe the others too. nina
Nina, I think I saw "Ball of Fire" years ago. But I'll put it on my Netflix queue and stream it when I get time. Thanks.
netflixed The Next Three Dayshttp://movies.netflix.com/Movie/The_N...
I give 3 stars out of 5. Good plot. Very annoying movie. As usual, WAY to dark. It feels like you arrived at the movie 10 minutes late. Not enough explanation about what the hero is doing as he plans the breakout. I can't read his computer screens, big surprise. It feels to me like the director hurried thru his movie till he got to the chase-and-run part, to which he devoted an inordinate amount of concentration. Everything has to be last-minute-nick-of-time which destroys plots as they take shortcuts in logic. I'd still recommend it to my friends though.
I haven't seen the movie but my sister has. She liked it because she likes Russell Crowe. She says it seemed like another Mission Impossible... hard to believe that everything worked out so perfectly. She watched it on an airplane and agrees that the screen was dark.
Like the joke about a movie being so bad that when they showed it on a plane, people were walking out!
Today was a bit exciting for me. An acquaintance of mine(we used to be neighbors) just was awarded the Pulitzer prize for music composition(It was for an opera.) Fun to actually know someone who won it. Besides that he is a talented humble very nice person. So glad he won it. nina
Arnie, I'll share that joke with my sister. (g)
Nina, was his name Zhou Long? I found the following article online:"UMKC professor Zhou Long wins 2011 Pulitzer Prize for music"
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/04/18/...
That's exciting news!
Yes, it is Zhou Long. I have never seen him not smiling. He had such a difficult life during the Chinese Revolution; had to work in the wheat fields as did his wife. Their triblulations are known to their friends and it is miraculous that they achieved such success in their lives. The article didn't mention it but his wife also won a world renowned prize as the best composer of music in the world. They are truly an amazing couple. They were my neighbors when we lived in the condominium three years ago until we moved to where we are presently living. nina ps thanks for the link.
Nina, here's Zhou Long's Wiki page:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhou_Long
It says:
He was "born July 8, 1953 in Beijing, China..."
"He won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his "Madame White Snake", premiered on Feb. 26, 2010, by the Boston Opera at the Cutler Majestic Theatre."
More about the opera here:
http://madamewhitesnake.org/opera.html
Excerpt about the opera:
"A powerful metaphor for each individual’s struggle to dream, the myth has spoken deeply to all who have dared to dream. The question of what it means to be truly human is always timely and each generation answers this question in its own voice."
PS-The music citation at the Pulitzer Prize page says:
"Awarded to Zhou Long for “Madame White Snake,” premiered on February 26, 2010 by Opera Boston at the Cutler Majestic Theatre, a deeply expressive opera that draws on a Chinese folk tale to blend the musical traditions of the East and the West. Libretto by Cerise Lim Jacobs (Oxford University Press)."
FROM: http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2011...
Thanks so much Joy for all this additional info. Sometime I will send you an email detailing some of the terrible hardships he endured. Isn't it wonderful for the human spirit to survive terrible things done to it. nina
Nina wrote: "... Isn't it wonderful for the human spirit to survive terrible things done to it.""Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit." -Bern Williams
Netflixed I Love You Phillip Morrishttp://movies.netflix.com/Movie/I-Lov...
Who'da thunk it? Jim Carrey as a homosexual con man/persistent escape artist. And the sex is pretty darn graphic. IF I read Ebert's review very carefully when I put it in my Netflix Queue, by the time it popped to the head of the line I was thinking it was something about big tobacco. I gave it 3 stars out of 5 even though I found the prison sex scenes a bit of a turnoff, prude that I am. The final screens in the movie take a nice dig at GeorgeW and Texas, makes me wonder if that's what the picture was all about from the start?
Roger Eberts take
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
Thanx Earl---I'll make it a point to miss it!(Like I do with most Carrey films)
Hollywood seems to be a place where so much comedy talent goes to die.
Earl wrote: "Netflixed I Love You Phillip Morrishttp://movies.netflix.com/Movie/I-Lov...
Who'da thunk it? Jim Carrey as a homosexual con man/persistent escape art..."
Earl, thanks for your comments. Here's the IMDb page:
"I Love You Phillip Morris" (2009):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045772/
"Steven Russell is happily married to Debbie, and a member of the local police force when a car accident provokes a dramatic reassessment of his life. Steven becomes open about his homosexuality and decides to live life to the fullest - even if it means breaking the law. Steven's new, extravagant lifestyle involves cons and fraud and, eventually, a stay in the State Penitentiary where he meets sensitive, soft-spoken Phillip Morris. His devotion to freeing Phillip from jail and building the perfect life together prompts Steven to attempt and often succeed at one impossible con after another." -from IMDb
PS-In his review of "I Love You Phillip Morris", Roger Ebert makes an interesting statement:===================================================
"All of this, as I said, is based on Russell's own story, as written by Steve McVicker of the Houston Press. Russell impersonated doctors, lawyers, FBI agents and the CFO of a health-care company. He convinced prison officials he had died of AIDS and later successfully faked a heart attack. He escaped from jail four times (hint: always on a Friday the 13th). He is now serving 144 years in Texas in maximum security and solitary confinement, which seems a bit much for a man who never killed anyone and stole a lot less money than the officers of Enron."
FROM: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
===================================================
Below is the link to the GR page for the book:
I Love You Phillip Morris: A True Story Of Life, Love, & Prison Breaks (2003)
by journalist, Steve McVicker.
Earl wrote: I was thinking it was something about big tobacco.That's what I thought. Thanks for clearing that up.
Arnie wrote: Thanx Earl---I'll make it a point to miss it!
Ditto
Netflixed Mesrine. Part 1 Killer Instincthttp://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Mes...
I gave 3 stars out of 5. It's kind of like the old James Cagney movies, except this one is supposedly based on a true story, and he doesn't go down in a hail of bullets at the end. Of course this was only Part 1. I'll wait a while before I try Part 2, I think. Dubbed English and English subtitles.
Earl wrote: "Netflixed Mesrine. Part 1 Killer Instincthttp://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Mes... "
Earl, thanks for the link. Below is an excerpt from Wiki:
=========================================================
"Mesrine is a two-part (Mesrine: Killer Instinct and Mesrine: Public Enemy Number One) 2008 French film... The first part's script was based on the autobiographical book L'instinct de mort by French gangster Jacques Mesrine, while the second part detailed Mesrine's criminal career after his escape from prison, and his subsequent brutal end."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesrine_...
======================================================
Here's Jacques Mesrine's Wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_...
Netflixed Mugabe and the White Africanhttp://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Mug...
2 stars out of 5 for no subtitles. British English needs some help to decode thru my old ears. It's a docu-drama about stubborn stupidity. White farmer defies popular dictator Mugabe in Zimbabwe to keep his farm from being seized. Like an ant confronting a praying mantis. Puts his faith in an international court and God. Gets beaten almost to death and his farm burned to the ground. Mugabe has bragged he'll out-Hitler Hitler. Smart enough to avoid genocide and hasn't invaded any world powers, so looks like he's there to stay. This film is educational but not entertaining.
Earl wrote: "Netflixed Mugabe and the White Africanhttp://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Mug...
2 stars out of 5 for no subtitles. British English needs som..."
Thanks, Earl. I see that it's streamable from Netflix. I might watch it.
Here's the IMDb page for the film:
"Mugabe and the White African" (2009):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1437235/
"An intimate and moving account of one family's extraordinary courage in the face of overwhelming injustice and brutality."
About dictator Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe and how 75-year-old Michael Campbell fights to protect his land (home to 500 black workers and their families) from government seizure. From what you say, Earl, it sounds like it has a sad outcome.
I see that the film won the British Independent Film Award for Best Documentary.
It was also nominated for a BAFTA award. (British Academy of Film and Television Arts)
(Of course, BAFTA is the British version of our Academy Awards.)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1437235/a...
Joy, do you remember I recommended, "the Man Who Loved Books Too Much?" Today I was surprised when I opened the paper and the page 2 was an article about one of the characters; the rare book shop owner. He was the one of the main characters in the author's book. I really think you would like reading that book. nina
Yes, Nina, I do remember that you recommended the book:The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession.
Here's a link to a sample of it:
http://books.google.com/ebooks/reader...#
I'll check it out. The summary at Google books says:
====================================================
"Unrepentant book thief John Charles Gilkey has stolen a fortune in rare books from around the county. Yet unlike most thieves, who steal for profit, Gilkey steals for the love of the books. Perhaps equally obsessive, though, is Ken Sanders, the self-appointed "bibliodick" driven to catch him. Sanders, a lifelong rare book collector and dealer turned amateur detective, will stop at nothing to catch the thief plaguing his trade."
FROM: http://books.google.com/ebooks?id=F5Y...
====================================================
Thanks for the recommendation, Nina. I have so many books that I want to read that it's hard to fit them all in. But I will keep this book in mind.
Right now I am totally engrossed in Cheever: A Life by Blake Bailey and am also in the middle of a couple of other books, with a couple of others waiting on the side. I'm like a kid with too much candy. :)
For an alternate perspective on The Man Who Loved Books Too Much (which I have not read myself) here are links to a couple of reviews of it that I liked, by two of my Goodreads friends:http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
We just got the DVD of the latest Harry Potter movie. I haven't seen it yet. I gave it to Marg today, worried she'd buy it if I didn't.
Werner wrote: "For an alternate perspective on The Man Who Loved Books Too Much (which I have not read myself) here are links to a couple of reviews of it that I liked, by two of my Goodreads friends: http://w..."Wow, Werner, those are pretty strong opinions expressed in those reviews. They make a valid point for sure. Thanks for posting the links to them.
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Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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Otherwise, usually a great actress. I wonder if this debacle dimmed her light a bit in Tinsel Town.
I may be wrong, but she seemd to be going great guns until about this point.