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? (PART FIVE - 2012) (ongoing thread)
Yes, the True Women comment wasn't there when I posted my reply.
Jackie wrote: "Yes, the True Women comment wasn't there when I posted my reply."Our messages crossed each other. :)
Last night, after I was run off the Internet by a thunderstorm, I seized the opportunity to watch a movie I've been wanting to see: the adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow. (When the library where I work replaced many of their VHS tapes with DVDs, this was one of several I snatched up.) Siskel and Ebert gave it "Two thumbs up!" and I enthusiastically agree with that assessment! (Of course, I'm an Austen fan. :-) ) Paltrow shines in the title role, and like all of Austen's work, this has much more depth than what the dismissals of it as "romance" or a "chick flick" might suggest. It has a perceptive critique of class snobbery; and it's also about the importance of character, about self-improvement and learning lessons, about how devastatingly we can hurt people by one thoughtless flip comment, but also about the value of penitence and forgiveness, about friendship (and love). And while I wouldn't call it a comedy --it's too serious for that-- Austen's sense of dry humor leavens it throughout. For more information, see www.imdb.com/title/tt0116191 .Several years ago, I watched the first half of a DVD miniseries version of the same novel (done as part of a series of all six of the author's novels by, I think, the BBC), but I couldn't get the second half to play. Still, it's interesting to compare the two productions. Obviously, the latter is more detailed; but this one has enough merit to be worth watching in its own right, and I like Paltrow's portrayal of Emma the best of the two. Emma is one of three Austen novels I still haven't read; I must remedy that, one of these days (or years)!
Werner, thanks for the great review. Here's what I wrote in a GR review:=================================================
I haven't read _Emma_ (first published in 1815) but I watched the Netflix DVD with Gwyneth Paltrow in April of 2010. I gave it 3 stars out of 5.
Movie: "Emma" (1996):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116191/
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Emm...
"This adaptation of Jane Austen's novel about misguided matchmaking takes a comic look at the romantic meddling of Emma Woodhouse. Emma spends her time arranging friends' romances, never noticing that her own true love is right beneath her nose."
====================================================
My review is at: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I doubt if I'll ever read the book. Too many other books are on my long TBR list and I like to learn about things I haven't experienced before at all. In this way, at least I "expose" myself to the material. (That's the expression we used to use, "expose" a student to the knowledge, whether it "takes" or not. LOL)
My records show that I read Austen's Pride and Prejudice many years ago. So at least I've been "exposed" to her writing style. :) (not that I remember anything about it, but perhaps it's been "internalized" somewhere in my brain and somehow it has upgraded my reading background a bit.) :)
Jim wrote: "f you want to step up into the 21st century, you can get a Windows 7 computer with Media Center on it & a TV video card that will allow you to record shows. I don't do it - I'm still using XP at home & our DVR is fine - but a lot of people tell me it's simple & easy. Hard drives are so big & USB storage is so cheap that it makes sense. "I'm ready for the 21st century right now! Unfortunately my OS-dependent software is not. A LOT of my stuff will not be able to run under Windows7. One of the biggies is PhotoShop5. I know your knowledge of computer-stuff surpasses mine, can you tell me what the difficulty might be to write a new Microsoft OS that WOULD be able to run software the user has already bought and paid for? I have two fairly expensive copies of WindowsXP that I would give up willingly IF Microsoft didn't make it so hard to step up. Windows7 also has a better ability to 'customize' partitioning/formatting to handle solid-state drives (and that is the full extent of my knowledge of that subject). I have a huge yen to have one of those as my C: drive. Though I doubt their dependability as yet.
Earl, solid state drives are pretty good & they're fast. I try to buy a laptops with them now, but don't think they're worth it in a desktop.As for older program compatibility with the new OS, there are a bunch of issues there. One, buy Win 7 Pro 32 bit & you'll have better luck since it will handle 16 bit stuff, including a lot of the older drivers. You also have the ability to tweak things better. One of the problems with the typical home version of Win7 is that they push a 64 bit version & it can't handle 16 bit code. Neither can handle old 8 bit stuff.
Another problem with Win 7 is that they've changed the file structure for security. What that means to you is that programs that automatically install to C:\Program Files don't really go their any more nor do they escalate privileges correctly. They got to C:\Users\\local\appdata\VirtualMachine\Program files instead (or something like that). You, even as administrator of your machine, don't have admin rights there & that location confuses older programs. Two things to try: 1) when you install, instead of running setup.exe or letting it run on its own, do it manually & right click on the program, then left click on "Run as Administrator". This gives the program more rights. 2) Change where the program installs to a directory other than C:\Program Files.
They had a reason for this convoluted mess, although it's not reason enough, IMO. Novell & Unix were king of the networks in the 80's, but you had to know what you were doing to set up their networks. By default, users had no rights until they were explicitly granted. Microsoft made its market share by concentrating on the desktop & when they started connecting them, they made it super easy by giving everyone rights to everything. Then you have to take rights away. The complete opposite of the other two & not really a problem for small networks before we had high speed Internet access. Now it is.
There is no going back. The best you can do is keep an older PC around that will run your old programs that Win7 won't. It sucks because it has changed & programs have become obsolescent, but that's life. No sense whining about it, although I do all the time, especially here at work where I have programs that have never been updated & were originally written for DOS. I have to keep a Win 98 SE machine up for one sound test software. It's a $10K or $20K program & will only run on a Pentium 2 with ISA slots in it. There is NO update for it. Very specialized software from a company worse than Microsoft, so I do feel your pain.
;-)
Jim wrote: "Earl, solid state drives are pretty good & they're fast. I try to buy a laptops with them now, but don't think they're worth it in a desktop.As for older program compatibility with the new OS, t..."
Why wouldn't you want solid state drive in a desktop? I've heard claims of shortening the boot time by 75%, other pie-in-sky stuff. But also have read they need to be 'tuned' to operate best.Regarding running obsolete software, I do have two desktops in front of me right now, both on XP, but my hutch is so crowded that I need to xfer monitor, printer, modem, ALL those other wires to crank up my older one. I should mention my hutch resides square in the middle of my apartment living room, nothing buried in a closet. It's kind of a shock to people who are used to more civilized living room conventions.
(I almost felt sorry for the TimeWarner cable guy when he came to bundle my phone, computer, tv service and faced my wiring nightmare)
Earl wrote: "Jim wrote: "... I should mention my hutch resides square in the middle of my apartment living room, nothing buried in a closet. It's kind of a shock to people who are used to more civilized living room conventions. ..."Earl, I know what you mean. I try to keep everything out in sight so I know where it is. If I put it away properly, I tend to forget that it's there and it becomes "lost". LOL
And if I put something in a "special place" for safe keeping, it's lost forever! (lol) It becomes "buried" (your word). :)
My style of living tends make the house look a bit cluttered but it's all very organized, not that a stranger would think so! :)
I don't like clutter but I too have the 'now where did I put that?' issues. I've found that if I put said item in the same place every time, it becomes habit. I also group things together, even my spice rack, it makes it easier because of the association. Otherwise I'd be spending hours trying to find the item. < g >
Yes, grouping definitely helps. However, my costume jewelry tends to get scattered all over the house because I take it off whenever it starts making me uncomfortable. Same thing with shoes and slippers! And eye-glasses!
My glasses are the worst! I need them for distance, so I frequently take them off while doing other things. Then I can't find them later.
Earl wrote: "Why wouldn't you want solid state drive in a desktop? I've heard claims of shortening the boot time by 75%, other pie-in-sky stuff. ..."Cost & size. Boot speed isn't one of my big issues & file access times aren't either.
You might want to look into a KVM switch. I use them all the time at work, used to have one at home. That way you can use one keyboard, monitor, & mouse for all the computers & switch between them with a button push or key combination.
Watched Hancock (2008) on, I think, FX a few nights ago.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448157/
I'm quite a Will Smith fan after Men In Black (well that was a lot of Tommy Lee Jones too), but I'd never have picked this as something I'd like from the blurb. All that computer graphic stuff really made for a cute movie once a cute little PLOT was thrown in. 4 stars.
Hancock was fun.Being sick, lame, & lazy this weekend (a cold is kicking my butt) I watched 2.5 Three Musketeers movies. The latest done in 2011 was kind of fun. That chick from the Resident Evil movies played Milady DeWinter & did a wonderful job of it, but the movie had all that slow, jerky motion action crap in it that everyone seems to like now. It was just too far out in all ways to really be good.
Then I watched an older version (1993?) with Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland & Tim Curry in it. Wow!!! Fantastic. There will never be a better evil Cardinal than Tim Curry. The man practically managed to drip slime through the screen. And I really like Charlie Sheen.
(I'm looking forward to "Anger Management" & so is Marg. Yes, he's an out of control, drunken, dumb ass, but he always has been & he's right, 2.5 Men isn't the same without him.)
Then I watched a little of an older one (1973?) with Michael York & Richard Chamberlain. Not much, though. It was too serious, too much like the book, & not nearly as fun as the Sheen/Sutherland/Curry remake.
I recently watched the new Three Musketeers, one of Eric's friend's said it was sooooo good. I beg to differ. I didn't even finish it.
Earl wrote: "Watched Hancock (2008) on, I think, FX a few nights ago.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448157/ ..."
About "Hancock"(2008), Netflix says
"This movie is: Goofy, Exciting, Quirky, Suspenseful."
http://movies.netflix.com/movie/Hanco...
I have the max of 500 movies on my Netflix DVD queue. So I can't add that one yet.
Jim wrote: "... I'm looking forward to "Anger Management" ..."Thanks for reminding me about "Anger Management". It's been on my Netflix DVD queue for a while. Now I've moved it to the top of the queue.
I currently have the Netflix DVD of "Miss Potter" (2006)
"Blending lush animation sequences with live-action drama, director Chris Noonan constructs this unconventional biopic about the personal life of beloved children's author and illustrator Beatrix Potter."
Cast: Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Emily Watson...
http://movies.netflix.com/movie/Miss-...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482546/
"The story of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved and best-selling children's book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and her struggle for love, happiness and success."
Jackie wrote: "I recently watched the new Three Musketeers, one of Eric's friend's said it was sooooo good. I beg to differ. I didn't even finish it."I see that Jim mentioned "The Three Musketeers" (with Charlie Sheen) (1993). I might try that one sometime, just out of curiosity.
I'm sure I've seen that one but don't remember it. I see movies when they come out on DVD, otherwise I forget about them if too much time passes or just lose interest.
"Miss Potter" (2006), the biopic about Beatrix Potter was exquisite.http://movies.netflix.com/movie/Miss-...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482546/
The combination of Renée Zellweger with Emily Watson acting alongside her was brilliant. The Heartland Film Festival gave the movie the "Truly Moving Sound Award" in the "Truly Moving Picture" category. The movie was truly touching and it brought Beatrix Potter to life. Before I saw this movie, she was only a name to me.
Beatrix Potter started out, even as a kid, by drawing bunnies and dressing them up in clothes. She was extremely imaginative and the movie portrays her as thinking of the bunnies in her stories as actual living beings. According to the movie, Potter's parents did not recognize her talents and were very unsupportive.
Renée Zellweger was a nominee at the Golden Globes for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical". She was perfect for the part. Below is a link to other nominations and awards which the film won:
AWARDS: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482546/a...
The scenery was beautiful and the Victorian interiors of the homes gave the picture a warm and cozy atmosphere. All in all it was an extremely pleasurable experience, even though there were parts of her life which pulled at your heartstrings.
Wiki says that Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit "has been translated into 36 languages and, with 45 million copies sold, it is one of the best-selling books of all time."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale...
According to the GR author description, "Potter eventually published 23 children's books."
Jackie wrote: "That looks really good."It was my kind of picture. :) (re "Miss Potter")
It helps to know what you like. I can say for sure some of things you won't like, but it's much harder for me to recommend a movie that you would like.
I usually don't like action movies.BTW, much of the scenery in "Miss Potter" was taken in the "Lake District" of England. I found that out while viewing the bonus section of the DVD. That area is so scenic... with beautiful lakes and mountains. (Makes me glad we live near Lake George.) That beautiful scenery was part of the pleasure of the movie. In the movie, Beatrix Potter enjoyed the scenery and was inspired by it. The bonus feature says that the softness of the colors in her drawings echoes the sweet quietness of the scenic areas.
From Wiki: "The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains (or fells) but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth and the other Lake Poets."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Dis...
Photo of Lake District scenery: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/medi...
Maps showing location of the Lake District in England:
http://www.sloweurope.com/images/maps...
http://www.carefree-motorhomes.co.uk/...
Beautiful country. If I ever get to the UK, I want months to visit all the beautiful countryside. It amazes me how the UK has managed to keep such a large part of it's land rural.
I saw the Miss Potter movie and thoroughly enjoyed it; also, I had seen a biographical movie of Beatrix Potter and the movie didn't stray to far from the original tale. And I was lucky enough to visit her home as a tourist on a non busy Sunday. It was enchanting to see the little desk where she wrote many of her stories and interestingly the back of her house looked like the front and vice versa.
Marg & Erin liked the Potter movie, too. I saw a bit of it, but wasn't interested - or was more interested in doing something else. Can't recall which.
Jackie wrote: "Beautiful country. If I ever get to the UK, I want months to visit all the beautiful countryside. It amazes me how the UK has managed to keep such a large part of it's land rural."The movie bonus section pointed out that Beatrix Potter had donated quite a bit of land to the UK land conservancy groups. Wiki says:
=============================================
"Lake District conservation
"Potter had been a disciple of the land conservation and preservation ideals of her long-time friend and mentor, Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, the first secretary and founding member of the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty. She supported the efforts of the National Trust to preserve not just the places of extraordinary beauty, but those heads of valley and low grazing lands that would be irreparably ruined by development. ...In 1930 the Heelises [she had married William Heelis] became partners with the National Trust in buying and managing the fell farms included in the large Monk Coniston Estate. ... Potter became the de facto estate manager for the Trust for seven years until the National Trust could afford to buy most of the property back from her. ..."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrix_...
===============================================
Nina wrote: "... And I was lucky enough to visit her home as a tourist on a non busy Sunday. It was enchanting to see the little desk where she wrote many of her stories ..."Nina, how lucky you were to visit Beatrix Potter's home! What great memories you must have of all your travels!
I rented the Netflix DVD of Anger Management (2003):http://movies.netflix.com/movie/Anger...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0305224/
"Sandler plays a businessman who is wrongly sentenced to an anger-management program, where he meets an aggressive instructor."
Cast: Adam Sandler, Jack Nicholson, Marisa Tomei
I watched it for only a little while because it was a very annoying movie. I didn't find it funny at all.
I agree with the following Netflix member-review:
==============================================
"I watched a third of this film and then went to rotten tomatoes to see if I should stick it out any longer. A 43% tomato rating was enough to convince me to give up. Adam Sandler plays a nice guy trapped in unjust and infuriating circumstances. I quit watching because it was becoming less and less likely that any coming payoff could adequately compensate me for suffering through the misery. Save yourself the wasted time."
================================================
It was frustrating to see Sandler's character continually abused through no fault of his own. Not funny at all.
I never cared for Adam Sandler's comedies. I like him much better in his drama/comedy movies , like Fifty First Dates, Spanglish and Click. Good payoffs at the end of all three.
Jackie wrote: "I never cared for Adam Sandler's comedies. I like him much better in his movies are drama and comedy, like Fifty First Dates, Spanglish and Click. Good payoffs at the end of all three."Jackie, I've never cared for Sandler's humor but I will look into those films you mentioned. Thanks.
I'm wondering how "Anger Management" ended. One of the Netflix users said: "The ending tied up a lot of loose ends to make it end funny and happily." I'm wondering what he meant by that.
Anybody know?
I haven't seen it.Last night I watched Good Deeds, a Tyler Perry film. Good as always. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1885265/
Tonight was The Grey, I didn't like it. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1601913/ It misrepresented wolf behavior, but these kinds of action movies bore me anyway. I didn't bother finishing. So I have time for another movie.
Next up, The Adventures of Tin Tin, only because Steven Moffat wrote it. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0983193/
I saw Tin Tin. Gave it 4 stars. Unusual but fun.
RE: Tyler Perry's Good Deeds (2012) PG-13"Businessman Wesley Deeds has always done the right thing -- including proposing to the woman everyone expects him to marry -- but he may finally have to listen to his own heart when his attempts to help a single mother spark an unlikely attraction."
Genre: Dramas
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Tyler...
I'll put that on my Netflix queue.
Jackie, you're the one who introduced me to the Tyler Perry films.
You can never go wrong with Tyler Perry. Tin Tin was the best animated movie I've seen in a long time! I recommend it for anyone, it's an adventure.
I watched The Woman in Black today, not so great. Mostly I was bored. Why don't they make horror movies like they used to?
Jackie wrote: "... I watched The Woman in Black today, not so great. Mostly I was bored. Why don't they make horror movies like they used to?"I'm not very familiar with horror stories, old or new. :)
The Woman in Black (2012)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596365/
"A young lawyer travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals. "
One of the Netflix user reviews said "it's a psychological thriller based on the book and play." ---> The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
I wonder if it stayed close to the book.
One of the user-reviews at IMDb said: "I can honestly say that I have really never been more terrified in a film."
Funny how people's opinions are so widely varied.
There were some creepy moments. I just don't think any modern horror film packs the same punch as the old B&W horror films I grew up on.I watch a lot of movies and often get burnt out on whole genres. Action and horror are at the top of that list.
Let's face it, Jackie... there's nothing like the "old days". :)
I watched a Netflix DVD of "For Your Consideration" last night. I didn't enjoy it all. Maybe I just didn't get it. It's a satire about the movie-making industry. I didn't find it amusing at all."For Your Consideration" (2006)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0470765/
Three actors learn that their respective performances in the film "Home for Purim," a drama set in the mid-1940s American South, are generating award-season buzz.
Stars: Catherine O'Hara, Harry Shearer & Parker Posey
The one I liked best in this movie was Harry Shearer.
Perhaps I'll look for him in some other films.
Harry Shearer: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0790434/
I didn't like Catherine O'Hara's character at all. She was annoying. The part was overdone.
Joy wrote: Let's face it, Jackie... there's nothing like the "old days". :) Oh so true!
Harry Shearer is on The Simpsons. I can't believe it's been on for 25 years!
I've hardly ever watch The Simpsons.Harry Shearer was in "This Is Spinal Tap" (1984). Was that any good?
"This Is Spinal Tap" (1984)
"Spinal Tap, the world's loudest band, is chronicled by hack documentarian Marti DeBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour."
Genres: Comedies, Satires, Stand-up Comedy
It's streamable from Netflix. So I put it on my Instant Queue.
Yes, Spinal Tap is a cult favorite, kind of a spoof on the Beatles, it's hilarious...or it was, way back when.
I'm streaming it now. Too much noisy music so far. LOL
Joy, re your question in message 589 above, some of the people in other groups I'm in (who've both watched the movie and read the book; I haven't done either) say the movie producers/writers changed the ending of Woman in Black in their version.
Werner wrote: "Joy, re your question in message 589 above, some of the people in other groups I'm in (who've both watched the movie and read the book; I haven't done either) say the movie producers/writers changed the ending of Woman in Black in their version."Werner, thanks for the answer. I'd love to be there when film-makers discuss changing the ending of the original book version of a story. It would be interesting to hear their reasons for such a change, or for any changes they make.
I finished watching Spinal Tap.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088258/
I had to read the reviews to figure out what it was all about. It's such an unusual movie. James Berardinelli says in his review:
=================================================
"The film is a composite of classic moments, all of which we sense could have happened to any of the classic heavy metal bands - or at least to those whose members combined delusions of greatness with low I.Q.s."
...
"Since 1984, there have been plenty of This Is Spinal Tap imitators, but none have come close to what Reiner and his talented troupe achieved in this mockumentary classic."
FROM: http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_t...
==================================================
Roger Ebert wrote:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The movie looks like a documentary filmed during the death throes of a British rock band named Spinal Tap. It is, in fact, a satire. The rock group does not really exist, but the best thing about this film is that it could. The music, the staging, the special effects, the backstage feuding and the pseudo-profound philosophizing are right out of a hundred other rock groups and a dozen other documentaries about rock."
FROM: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BTW, I streamed the movie and it had subtitles. I've noticed lately that some of the movies streamed from Netflix do have subtitles. This is a welcome improvement!
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"True Women" is long... 3 hours!
Oh, you meant "Hatfields & McCoys". :)