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)
Chip & I will be going to more shows in the future, but Marg said we're not allowed to compete against her & Cutter. She said we'd kick their butts. We do want to compete at about the same time, if we can, though. It's not fun being at a show all day just standing around. Too hot & boring.As for me being fat, when I put on my son's riding pants the other night (he's skinny as a rail) I sucked in my belly to hook them & Erin said, "hey look, Mom. You can see Dad's old 6 pack under the sag when he does that!"
;-)
Werner wrote: "Joy, tone deafness is an inability to sharply distinguish between high and low notes by sound, unless they're at the extreme ends of the spectrum. This makes me experience music differently from people who aren't tone-deaf; I can tell that different musical pieces sound different (and I can even have likes and dislikes in that area!), but I don't appreciate the finer points of tonal variation like some of you do. And yes, that also affects my ability to carry tunes.This also makes me attach more importance to the words of a song than some folks do, and means I don't usually enjoy purely instrumental music, such as Bach and the other classical composers generally produced. (Although there's something about the sound of bagpipes skirling that appeals even to me.... :-) ) "
There, of course, are varying degrees of 'tone deafness'. Though I could always 'carry a tune' MANY times it wasn't exactly right and I couldn't tell the difference. This, of course, is very annoying to people who can hear properly. Thus resulting in my being bribed to NOT play the harmonica when I was in the Army. (cheeseburger/milkshake at the PX). But when you age enough to LOSE hearing in various frequencies, all music becomes less entertainment and more annoyance. Mainly it interferes with my understanding of dialogue. However, I STILL enjoy hearing a vocal of the Star Spangled Banner from a sweet, powerful voice.
Earl wrote: "There, of course, are varying degrees of 'tone deafness'. Though I could always 'carry a tune' MANY times it wasn't exactly right and I couldn't tell the difference. This, of course, is very annoying to people who can hear properly. ..."Earl, your post helps me to understand why some people keep singing even when they're off key. As you suggested, they don't realize they're off key. As for myself, I DO realize when I've hit wrong a note while singing and that's very frustrating because I love to sing. Usually, the reason I go off key is that the tune is out of my vocal range, too high or too low. I have a very limited vocal range. I can only say that when I know I'm on key, I really enjoy singing. I envy those who can sing well.
Tell me this: when you sing off key and don't realize it, do you still get enjoyment out of singing or (playing the harmonica)? I suppose you do or you wouldn't continue singing or playing. It's interesting to think about.
When I go off key while singing, I stop immmediately. It's unpleasant for me to hear music that's off-key.
PS-A word about perfect-pitch. Some people have perfect-pitch. A friend of mine who has perfect pitch told me that it's similar to a photographic memory in that they can hear the note in their head just the same as a reader can recall the words on the page exactly as they appeared in the book.
It's a "brain" thing. :)
I am watching xXx right this minute. It's an AMAZING movie. My aunt just gave it to me last night, and I love it!!!
Mike wrote: "I am watching xXx right this minute. It's an AMAZING movie. My aunt just gave it to me last night, and I love it!!!"Gee, Mike. I had never heard of xXx before I read your post here. I did a search online and found the following:
"xXx" (2002) Action | Thriller
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0295701/
"Xander Cage is an extreme sports athelete recruited by the government on a special mission."
Stars: Vin Diesel, Asia Argento and Marton Csokas
"XXX" (Triple X)
Netflix: http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/XXX/6002...
"Xander "XXX" Cage, a notorious underground rush-seeker deemed untouchable by the law, is coerced by NSA Agent Gibbons to cooperate with the government and infiltrate a Russian crime ring."
Cast: Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson, William Hope, Danny Trejo, Asia Argento, Marton Csokas, Michael Roof, Richy Müller, Werner Daehn
Genres: Action & Adventure, Action Thrillers, Espionage Action, Espionage Thrillers
This movie is: Exciting, Suspenseful
Here's the trailer: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0295701/
Noisy! :)
Mike, I saw xXx years ago, mostly because I like Vin Diesel. I didn't expect much from it, but what I got was a full on action adventure better than most.
The first one. The one with vin diesel in it.
They're both the same movie. I'm currently watching Little Dorrit (2008) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1178522/. So much better than Dickens usual depressing work. I'm especially enjoying the actors I know from other British series.
Jackie, I borrowed Little Dorrit from the GF public library in 2010. Below is a link to my review:http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I didn't write much of an opinion. Instead I copied and pasted summaries for my own reference. I'm glad I did because the summaries are helping me recall scenes from the movie. Sometimes I just don't have a strong opinion about a book or film. I just feel satisfied that I've widened my horizons.
PS-Jackie, I checked out which version of Little Dorrit I watched. It seems to have been the 2008 version you're watching. The library catalog shows the following notes:========================================
Originally broadcast as a British television mini-series in 2007. Contains all 14 episodes of the mini-series.
Title from container.
From the novel by Charles Dickens.
Special features: "Little Dorrit : an insight" featurette ; picture gallery.
Matthew Macfadyen, Claire Foy, Tom Courtenay, Alun Armstrong, Judy Parfitt, Emma Pierson, Ruth Jones, Sue Johnston, Bill Paterson, Andy Serkis, James Fleet, Freema Agyeman.
"Summary: When Arthur Clennam returns to London after several years abroad, he wants to learn more about his mother's new seamstress, young Amy Dorrit. His search brings him to the Marshalsea Debtors Prison, where he learns the truth about struggle and hardship in 1820s England."
=====================================================
Mike wrote: "The first one. The one with vin diesel in it."Mike, both descriptions are of the same movie. ("xXx")
I copied one description from IMDb.com and the other from Netflix.com, as you can see from the links I posted.
Oops sorry. I saw #1 and knew it was it so I thought the other one was different because i didnt read it. Anyway the movie was amazing.
Joy H. wrote: "Earl wrote: "There, of course, are varying degrees of 'tone deafness'. Though I could always 'carry a tune' MANY times it wasn't exactly right and I couldn't tell the difference. This, of course, i..."I'm fascinated by actresses who can sing off key ON PURPOSE! I think they must imagine sheet music with the wrong stuff and then just sing it. Watched an epi to Two and a Half Men where one did it recently.
Earl wrote: "I'm fascinated by actresses who can sing off key ON PURPOSE! ..."Yes, Earl, that seems to be a hard thing to do. Doubt if I could do it.
I went to see The Amazing Spiderman today with Eric. It was awesome, so much better than the Tobey Maguire ones.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0948470/Spidey is played by Andrew Garfield, I couldn't have picked a more suited actor to the role, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1940449/ He's a British actor I've seen on Doctor Who and on a really good movie called 'Boy A', http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1078188/ which he was excellent in.
He's breathed new life into the Spiderman series.
Me and Eric are already scheduling ahead for the next one, tentative May 2014 release, another Marvel Mother's Day gift, lol
I watched a heartwrenching true story in a movie called Oranges and Sunshine: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1438216/Set in 1980s Nottingham, social worker Margaret Humphreys holds the British government accountable for child migration schemes and reunite the children involved -- now adults living mostly in Australia -- with their parents in Britain.
Based on Empty Cradles by Margaret Humphries, which I plan to read.
On tonight's agenda: No Country For Old Men http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477348/ which I've resisted for about 5 years or so. I'm bored of non-Marvel action flicks, and I'm not a fan of Cormac McCarthy and generally do not watch movies about drugs, doing them, selling them or smuggling them. This should be interesting, lol
So many people keep telling me I have to see it. Tonight, I will.
Jackie, I remember when Javier Bardem won the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role ("No Country For Old Men"). Haven't seen the movie yet but it's in my Netflix queue.Here's the Netflix description:
=============================================
"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."
============================================
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Stephen Root, Garret Dillahunt, Tess Harper
Genres: Thrillers, Crime Thrillers, Suspense, Dramas Based on Contemporary Literature, Dramas Based on the Book [ [book:No Country for Old Men|12497] ]
This movie is: Violent, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful
FROM: http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/No-Count...
================================================
Let us know how thrilling it is. :)
Jackie wrote: "I watched a heartwrenching true story in a movie called Oranges and Sunshine: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1438216/Set in 1980s Nottingham, social worker Margaret Humphreys holds the British gover..."
Thanks, Jackie. I've put it on my Netflix queue.
Oranges and Sunshine (2010)
"This drama based on a true story follows British social worker Margaret Humphreys as she uncovers a shocking deportation scandal involving thousands of children and risks her personal life to draw global attention to the grave injustice."
FROM: http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Oranges-...
I'm currently watching:"Hemingway" (1988) - TV Mini-Series - Biography
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094476/
"Stacy Keach plays Ernest Hemingway, the larger-than-life writer whose spartan prose unlocked the complex and rich world of his colorful characters. A classic troubled soul, Hemingway drank his way into oblivion, even as he lived a life that's infinitely more dramatic than his stories. This miniseries looks at his adventures in Europe and Africa and his four marriages."
FROM: http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Hemingwa...
Stacy Keach won a Golden Globe Award for his performance: "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special".
One online review says: "It has lavish sets and costuming and a wide variety of on-location sites all over the world..." [ http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/3608/h... ]
I find the settings very impressive.
This is an easy way to get a retrospective of Hemingway's life.
Well, that's two hours I'll never get back. I should have known, Cormac McCarthy writes the slowest, most boring books ever. Why would a movie adaptation be any different? I can't decide which was worse, No Country or The Road. If I could give Zero Stars I would.
Jackie wrote: "Well, that's two hours I'll never get back. I should have known, Cormac McCarthy writes the slowest, most boring books ever. Why would a movie adaptation be any different? I can't decide which was worse, No Country or The Road. If I could give Zero Stars I would."Jackie, I wouldn't read another book by Cormac McCarthy either. I read his All the Pretty Horses. In my review I wrote: "Although I appreciated Cormac McCarthy's skill with the use of words, I found his style too ambiguous for me to follow. So my enjoyment of the book was limited."
The rest of my review is here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I'm surprised, Jackie. I pretty much feel the same way about the author, but liked this movie. I really like Tommy Lee Jones, though.
I have been alternating series videos. I am currently going through Season Two of _Smallville.I am also going through Season Five of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Imho, whoever writes the dialogue for Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay is very talented. they really work well opposite each other.
I loved Smallville. I wasn't watching much TV when it first premiered, and I thought it wouldn't last. Boy was I wrong. I borrowed the first 8 seasons from my nephew and was able to catch the rest when they aired. I liked the choice of casting for Clark and Lex and their complicated relationship.
Yes, Jackie. I am enjoying it so far. I really like what they did with Lex and Clark. Years ago when I read comics---I am talking 9 years old here--Lex was just the bad guy, period.In this show he has a more complex and developed character which I like. You see his motivations. It makes for better storytelling than "why is he the bad guy? well, he just is". You really wonder if Lex would have turned out differetly had he been raised in another environment.
That's exactly what makes Lex, and consequently, the Clark-Lex relationship so intriguing. In this version, Lex isn't a bad guy, not at first. And his reasons for turning bad are so very human, it's kinda sad, really. Which makes me hate his father all the more. Really good casting there too.
Yes, Jackie the casting in Smallville was fairly good.Btw, do you like Law and Order: SVU at all? I really am enjoying it. Have you ever seen any episodes?
I don't watch L&O. I'm more of a Luther girl. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1474684/And Justified: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1489428/
Chris Meloni is on the current season of True Blood.
I finally watched Killer Elite http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1448755/ and it was very good. It had a lot of action but the story is what kept my attention the whole way through. I didn't know it was based on a true story, which made it even more interesting to me. Had I know that, I would have watched it sooner. The book it's based on is The Feather Men by Ranulph Fiennes.
Since I could not get to the movie theater last night, I watched the DVd of SpiderMan 2. Very enjoyable.
Jackie wrote: "I finally watched Killer Elite http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1448755/ and it was very good. ... didn't know it was based on a true story, which made it even more interesting to me. ..."Tonight I have a Netflix DVD of "The Whole Wide World" (1996). It's also based on a true story (a fact which I just discovered while writing this post). The description had sounded good; so I put it on my queue a while ago.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118163/
http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/The-Whol...
"This Dan Ireland-directed film stars Renee Zellweger as Novalyne Price, a Texas schoolteacher with literary ambitions who falls for pulp fiction scribe Bob Howard (Vincent D'Onofrio) -- a man who gracefully traverses a world of words but can't seem to fit into real life. Howard's most famous literary hero is Conan the Barbarian; he, too, is a barbarian of sorts. He's a capable writer, but is he capable of love?"
From what I can gather, this movie is based on the following biography:
One Who Walked Alone: Robert E. Howard - The Final Years by Novalyne Price Ellis.
Wiki says:
==============================================
"Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906 – June 11, 1936) was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. He is probably best known for his character Conan the Barbarian and is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre.
==============================================
I've been looking for when The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel will be in our area for months now and have given up hoping for it. Then today, my friend Helena asked if I'd go to Amy's Dinner Theater tomorrow with her because it's playing there. Finally! I'm so excited, I've wanted to see this movie from the first preview. An all star cast too.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1412386/
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful is the full title. Awesome title, right? Loved the movie. It's so good. So many good cast members and great story. My favorite line was: "Everything will turn out all right in the end. If it's not all right, it's not the end." What a great life motto.
This is a movie everyone can enjoy and appreciate.
I also realized I've been to Aimee's Dinner and A Movie, http://518bitesandsights.com/tag/dinn... I had mistakenly said I went to the Charlie Wood Theater to see a movie, I can't remember what movie, but I know I was wrong, lol
Jackie wrote: "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful is the full title. [ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1412386/ ] Awesome title, right? Loved the movie. It's so good. So many good cast members and great story. My favorite line..."Jackie, I never got a notification about your 7/22/12 post mentioning this movie. Glad I got this one.
The movie sounds intriguing. You can't go wrong with Judi Dench and Maggie Smith together in one movie. I'm putting it on my "saved" list at Netflix. Thanks for telling us about it.
PS-I see that it's adapted from the book: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach.
Hmmm, I also see that the GR book description says: "Based on "These Foolish Things", Tie-in to film starring Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Billy Nighy, and Dev Patel." Wonder what that means..."tie-in"?
PPS-Wiki says: " For books that are tied into movie release dates (particularly children's films), publishers will arrange books to arrive in store up to two months prior to the movie release to build interest in the movie."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publishing
This leaves us to wonder which came first, the book or the movie.
However, now I found this: "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is based on the novel 'These Foolish Things' by Deborah Moggach."
FROM: http://entertainment.oneindia.in/holl...
SEE: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15...
As you can see from the GR member review below, people are confused by all of this.
She says: "The book based on the motion picture "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel". (Also see the comment under the review. It says: "Other way around, Maegan.")
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Has anyone else seen "Newsroom" on HBO? We just watched it & it was pretty good. We started on the 5th episode, but that didn't matter much. It was interesting & has Sam Watterson on it, the guy that played McCoy the prosecutor (later DA) on Law & Order. He didn't have a huge part, but it was good seeing him.
Jackie wrote: "I've been looking for when The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel will be in our area for months now and have given up hoping for it. Then today, my friend Helena asked if I'd go to Amy's Dinner Theater t..."I thought it was a good movie; not great. Interestingly those who seemed more enamored with it are younger people. Will be curious what you think, Joy.
I attended a meeting this morning where a talk was given by our local independent bookstore owner. She reads multiple books each week; three hundred. Here is a list of what she proposed we read next: Fiction:"Good American" by Alex George
"A Good Hard Look" by Ann Napolitano
"Caleb's Crossing," by Geraldine Brooks
"Clara and Mr. Tiffany" by Susan Vreeland
"Faith" by Jennifer Haigh
"Friendship Bread" by Darien Gee
"Language of Flowers" by Nanessa Diffenbaugh
"Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
"Once Upon a River" by Bonnie Jo Campbell
"rules of Civility" by Amor Towles
"South of Superior" by Ellen Airgood
"State of Wonder" by Ann Patchett
"Untold Story" by Monica Ali
"The Arrivals " by Meg Mitchell MOore
"The Art of HEaring Hearthbeats" by Jan-Philipp Sendker
"The Girl in th eBlue Beret" by Bobbie Ann Mason
"The Homecoming of Samuel Lake" by Jenny Wingfield
"
the Last Letter from Your LOver" by Jojo MOyes
"The LIttle Women Letters" by Garbielle Donnelly
"The NIght Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
"The NIght Strangers" by Chris Bohjalian
"The Time in Between" by Maria Duenas
"To Be Sung Underwater" by Tom McNeal
Non-Fiction:
"Destiny of the Republic" by Candice Millard
"Nothing Daunter" by Doroty Wickenden
"The Hare with Amber Eyes" by Edmund do Waal
"The Reading Promise" by Alice Ozma
That's very interesting, Nina. I would have thought older people would have liked it. I saw it with my friend who's 64 and she loved it too. Jim, YES! Newroom is fantastic. You really should start it from the beginning. The first episode packs a huge punch and it's been consistent in that department if to a lesser degree in subsequent episodes. I'm more interested in their coverage of events than when they were actually covered in the news. A lot of things are going on in this show, not just the news. What I love is how it shines a light on why the news is undependable nowadays.
I love the intro too, all the truly great journalists; I want to cry when I see Edward R Murrow.
So, the fifth episode? The one that aired this past Sunday? I cried at the 'Rudy' moment at the end. Will has become my hero. I would like just one journalist like him. I'm hoping reality imitates fiction.
Two others I don't know the authors, "Gone Girl" and "Chaperone" she said were quite good.
Jim wrote: "Has anyone else seen "Newsroom" on HBO? We just watched it & it was pretty good. We started on the 5th episode, but that didn't matter much. It was interesting & has Sam Watterson on it, the guy th..."I don't have HBO.
I hardly watch TV anymore. FunTrivia is eating up my time. :)
Nina wrote: "I attended a meeting this morning where a talk was given by our local independent bookstore owner. She reads multiple books each week; three hundred. Here is a list of what she proposed we read nex..."Thanks, Nina. I've read only one book on those listings. That book was: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. I loved it!
As for the movie re the Marigold Hotel, it will be a while until I'm able to see it because I have to wait for it to be available at Netflix. I'll try to remember to post here about it after I see it.
Good to hear, Jackie. We have the DVR set to record all episodes, so we'll probably get the earlier ones soon.
I also saw "The Best Exotic Hotel Marigold" at Aimee's and agree it was wonderful. I also like the convenience of the "dinner and a movie" concept.On another note, read Nina's list of recommendations above. I've read Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks and it was wonderful. "People of the Book" also by Geraldine was equally fine.
Jim, I don't know that they'll reair the earlier episodes right away, but you can get them On Demand for HBO. Also, as a subscriber to HBO you might be able to get HBO Go, an online service. It's been around for a while but my area just recently got it, so you'll have to check and see if your area has it.
Carol, I really like Aimee's. It's a relaxing way to see a movie. I told my son about it, that it would be a great date place. And the price is very reasonable.
I think Erin set that HBO On Demand up for us. I don't know when she's coming back, but I'll task her with figuring it out, Jackie.
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Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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Reminds me of a joke I once heard about Tuskaloosa. But I can't repeat it here. :)
You don't look fat to me. LOL