What MOVIES or DVDs have you watched? (PART FIVE - 2012) (ongoing thread) Showing 701-750 of 1,040

[Jackie]

HBO On Demand should be located within your HBO channels, they're usually all together. Are you on cable or satellite?

[Jim]

Satellite. I'll ask the girl. I looked around for it & didn't see anything. Might be that we need it hooked to the Internet & that isn't happening until I get a new router. This cheap one can't handle the TV.

[Jackie]

I asked because my sister in KY can't get cable, only satellite. I'm not sure about how the channels are set, or anything about satellite, really. Eric will hook you up.
And you might be able to watch Newsroom online in the meantime til you catch up. I just love it so much, it's a well done show, I don't want you to miss a minute of it. Will is my new hero.

[Jackie]

Joy, I didn't get your notification for message 688 abot Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. In the credits it said 'Based on the novel These Foolish Things'. I do wish they'd get it straight, lol

I found a quote today in Breath and Bone and thought you might like it:
“Books don't prattle. Books don't make demands. Yet they give you everything they possess. It's a very satisfying partnership.”

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Carol wrote: "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 recommendat..."

Hi Carol! Yes, I too like Aimee's Dinner & Movie.
http://aimiesdinnerandmovie.com/

It's a comfortable place to watch a movie. The banquet seats are so comfy. It's almost like being at home on your own sofa except that they serve food right to your table! I like that part too. :)

[Joy H., Group Founder]

I'm in the middle of watching "Purlie Victorious" which I borrowed from our public library. Seems it has another title at IMDb:
"Gone Are the Days!" (1963)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057112/

Netflix shows the other title:
"Purlie Victorious" (1963)
http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Purlie-V...
"When Ossie Davis's "Purlie Victorious" premiered on Broadway in 1961, America's Civil Rights movement was gearing up for a tumultuous decade. This film version of the play follows the dogged efforts of a black preacher (Davis) and the young girl (Ruby Dee) who fancies him to swindle an inheritance from the plantation owner he once served (Sorrell Booke, of "The Dukes of Hazzard"). Alan Alda co-stars in his first film role."

Here's a YouTube of a scene from the musical in which Melba Moore sings the great song, "Purlie":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvj2zY...
(link corrected)

Wiki says:
===============================================
"Purlie is a musical with a book by Ossie Davis, Philip Rose, and Peter Udell, lyrics by Udell, and music by Gary Geld. It is based on Davis' 1961 play Purlie Victorious, which was later made into the 1963 film Gone Are the Days! and which included all of the original Broadway cast, including Ruby Dee, Alan Alda, Beah Richards, and Godfrey Cambridge."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purlie
============================================

Anyway, listen to the song at YouTube. I guarantee you will love it! I used to sing it in a Sweet Adelines Chorus. (I corrected the link.)

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: "Joy, I didn't get your notification for message 688 abot Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. In the credits it said 'Based on the novel These Foolish Things'. I do wish they'd get it straight, lol
I found a quote today in Breath and Bone and thought you might like it:
“Books don't prattle. Books don't make demands. Yet they give you everything they possess. It's a very satisfying partnership.” "

Yes, Jackie, I too wish GR would get it straight. Today I'm finding posts which I had missed. Sheesh, I go away for a day and find myself so far behind! But it's nice to see so many posts here even though I can't keep up with them. :)

YES on the quote! I'm saving it to my quote collection. Thanks!

[Joy H., Group Founder]

PS-Jackie, thanks for the note about "These Foolish Things". I guess we shouldn't worry about these foolish things. (Yes,I wish they'd get THAT straight too! LOL)

BTW, I've always loved the song of the same title. Here it is on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkecMf...
"Rod Stewart - These Foolish Things"

[Jackie]

I'm currently watching The Forsyte Saga
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0260615/
It's good, if a little soapy. I like a good soap now and then. I still watch General Hospital, even though I fast forward through most of it, lol

[Werner]

Jackie, I watched part of the first episode of the 2002 remake that you're watching, when it was first telecast; but I was very disappointed with it. A lot of it doesn't follow the book (they dramatize numerous scenes that Galsworthy omitted or never described).

The absolute gold standard for dramatic adaptations of The Forsyte Saga, IMO, is the original 1967 BBC version, with the wonderful British actors/actresses Eric Porter, Nyree Dawn Porter, and Margaret Tyzack. (The imdb link is: www.imdb.com/title/tt0061253 --though actually that link is just for the first episode, I believe.) I had the privilege of seeing it when it was first telecast in the U.S., soon after we got PBS in our area, and it was a real landmark in my experience of television.

[Jackie]

I'm surprised that it doesn't follow the book, usually the Brits have respect for the original. I didn't read it, so I have nothing to compare it to. I'm sure I'd be disappointed if I had. Thanks for letting me know.

[Werner]

I'm sure the makers of the new version wanted to distinguish their work from the original, so one way they could do that was by dramatizing events that took place before the original series (and book) started. (And, of course, they attempted to "jazz it up" for modern viewers whom they assume have to have salacious content --Galsworthy didn't have any explicit sex scenes, for instance.) That said, I'm sure my very negative reaction was due to liking the 1967 TV version so much, and finding the contrast jarring; if you've never seen the first one or read the book(s), you might like the new one well enough. They did seem to respect the basic plotlines. (And I have to admit that even the 1967 version added a few incidents or lines of dialogue that aren't in the novels, to bring out character in a way they needed to in the different medium.)

[Jackie]

It's hard to like a remake. There's always something endearing about the original.

[Werner]

True, Jackie --the remakes I've liked have typically been ones where I never saw the original.

[Jackie]

Same here, lol

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: "I'm currently watching The Forsyte Saga
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0260615/
It's good, if a little soapy. ..."

Even though I'm familiar with the title (who isn't?), I've never watched or read The Forsyte Saga (1920) by John Galsworthy. Fortunately Netflix offers the 1967 film which Werner recommended. So I'm going to put it on my Netflix queue.

[Werner]

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did, Joy! (I think you might.) Let us know how you like it.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Werner wrote: "Hope you enjoy it as much as I did, Joy! (I think you might.) Let us know how you like it."

OK, Werner, I'll do that. It ("The Forsyte Saga") is currently at the top of my Netflix queue. It'll be the movie I watch after I watch "The Artist" which is on its way to me now.

My most recent Netflix film viewing was of "Hemingway" (1988) - TV Mini-Series - Biography: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094476/
It was based on collected letters (1917-1961) and Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story by Carlos Baker.

The cinematography was great because it was filmed on location in France, Spain, Italy (including lovely Venice!), Switzerland, Kenya, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. There were scenes of the Serengeti and Murchison Falls in Africa.

I enjoyed all the lavish sets and, as I said in another post here, it was easy way to get a retrospective of Hemingway's life.

PS-The Netflix link is: http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Hemingwa...

[Werner]

Earlier on this thread (or, actually, its predecessors) I've commented on the first three movie adaptations of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Saga. The powers that be in Hollywood chose to adapt the final novel, Breaking Dawn (which is a thick book, as all of these are) as two separate films --which increases sales, but also allows more scope to do justice to the contents. Last night, I finally got to watch Part 1 on DVD. If I were Siskel and Ebert, I'd give it "two thumbs up!"

This series, of course, inspires both love and hate. Realistically, if anyone is in the latter camp, this movie won't win him/her over. And if you've had no exposure to the series, this isn't the place to start; the movies need to be watched in order to get a sense of the characters and their relationships and situations. You could watch the movies without reading the books --though the former would whet your appetite for the latter; I started it that way-- but the books add layers of depth to the saga.

That said, this installment of the film series, IMO, continues to have the same quality as its preceding ones, and continues to follow the book (allowing for the necessary simplifications required by the shift to film) as faithfully as possible. (The fact that Meyer is the producer obviously helps with that!) If you're a series fan and haven't seen this one yet, you definitely should! It's a wonderful tribute to the power of marital, family and maternal love.

[Jackie]

Nice review, Werner.

[Werner]

Thanks, Jackie!

[Werner]

Earlier tonight, when an electrical storm ran me off the Internet, I watched another DVD that's been sitting around here, in this case since last Christmas: Prince of Persia: The Sands of TIme (Disney, 2010). (The imdb link is http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473075 .) It's a swords-and-sorcery fantasy action flick (nominally set in the ancient Persian Empire in its heyday, which would be before the time of Alexander the Great in the late 4th century B.C., but it's setting is disconnected enough to any actual history to function as a fantasy world). The stars aren't well known (at least to me), with the exception of Ben Kingsley, it didn't have a high budget, and never attracted much attention. To be honest, I didn't have especially high expectations for it.

To my pleasant surprise, it's a solid film of its type, with a lot of action, a solid grounding in moral messages based on clear and accurate contrast between good and evil, believable performances, and edge-of-the-seat plotting, revolving around a dagger divinely endued with power over time --and possibly capable of destroying the world, if it's in the wrong hands. (The operative belief system is a vague polytheism; but it's fantasy fiction. :-) ) Being a Disney film, it doesn't have the heavy-handed grunge that disfigures so many modern films, but it does have a nicely-done undercurrent of romance and some humor, though I wouldn't call it a comedy. There are some anachronisms (crossbows weren't actually used in this era, for instance). But on the whole, if you're a fan of this type of thing, I'd recommend it. (If you liked the Conan, Red Sonja and Kull movies, you'll probably like this one, too.)

[Jackie]

You might be interested to know the Prince of Persia movie is based on a video game. I only know because I bought it for Eric years ago.

The movie was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed it. It was a fun adventure.

[Werner]

Jackie, one of the viewer reviews at the imdb site also mentioned the video game connection (that reviewer found the movie a pleasant surprise, too!). I'd say it's a clear case of a movie rising above its origins, since my impression is that video games tend to be short on things like character development and serious thought content.

[Jackie]

That's exactly what I thought too, even though I never played the game, or any video games. I thought, "How good could it be?"
It's nice to be surprised like this. The Tomb Raider movies were pretty good too, and they were based on a video game also. Resident Evil too but I thought those movies were awful, mainly because I detest zombies. I think they're the stupidest 'monsters' ever created, lol
But it does seem like vid-games-turned-movie is becoming a thing, much like comicbooks-turned-movie. If it makes money, they'll keep doing it...but I wouldn't hold my breath that they'd all be as good as Prince of Persia and Tomb Raider.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

I watched "The Artist" (2011) tonight.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655442/
Jean Dujardin was very charming in the lead role but I was a bit disappointed in the movie, especially after the rave reviews it got and all the Oscars it won. For some reason, the movie didn't fully engage me. I'm still trying to figure out why.

I can't say that I didn't like it. But I was waiting for more of a story to develop. It was a simple plot. One Netflix member reviewer said: "I kept waiting for something to happen." I felt that way too. Another one said: "...not much of a story or character development." Another: "one-dimensional characters". Still another Netflix member reviewer said there weren't enough subtitles and we often didn't know what they were saying. That's true too.

I found the following comment amusing: "The main character is written as a self-absorbed, self-pitying guy who is spoiled and can't appreciate all he has, refuses to learn from his experiences until we are all exhausted from putting up with him." Yes, there was that. :)

Perhaps the movie was appreciated because it evoked the special mood of silent films so well.

I hate to give it only 3 stars because it had a certain appeal. So I'll give it 4 stars.

Netflix description:
==================================================
"This modern-day silent film artfully recounts the poignant end of the silent-movie era in the late 1920s. The story contrasts the declining fortunes of a silent-screen superstar with his lover's rise to popularity as a darling of the 'talkies'."
FROM: http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/The-Arti...
==================================================

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Werner wrote: "Earlier tonight, when an electrical storm ran me off the Internet, I watched another DVD that's been sitting around here, in this case since last Christmas: Prince of Persia: The Sands of TIme (Dis..."

Werner, it doesn't sound like the movie would be for me but here's the Netflix description:

"Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" (2010)
"Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Prince Dastan, who pairs with spunky Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) to keep the Sands of Time -- a mystical dagger that gives its holder control over the flow of time -- from falling into the wrong hands and putting the world in peril. Mike Newell directs this sweeping live-action adventure based on the popular video game series, co-starring Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina." FROM: http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Prince-o...
===============================================

[Werner]

Joy, I'd agree that Prince of Persia wouldn't be your cinematic cup of tea. :-) But I think Barb will like it (it was a Christmas present for her, but she's never had time to watch it :-( ).

Jackie, I have the same doubts about video-game based movies, though my experience with video games is almost as limited as yours (I tried one once back in the 90s --or was it the 80s?-- at the home of one of my brothers-in law, but didn't do well at it or care much for it.) But I also liked both Tomb Raider movies (never watched any of the Resident Evil spin-offs, but I'm not a fan of the modern-day pop culture version of "zombies," either). No matter what the source material is, I guess the crucial determinant of a movie's quality is whether the writers and directors really engage with their material, take the story-telling at least half-ways seriously, and care about delivering a good cinematic experience to the fans instead of just ripping off their money. (Yeah, like that'll happen very often in today's Hollywood.... :-( )

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Today I streamed the animated film, "Rango", (2011) from Netflix. I gave it 4 stars.
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Ran...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1192628/
IMDb: "Rango is an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West in desperate need of a new sheriff."

It was a charming movie which drew me in because it was so droll. There was a lot of suspense to the plot which added to the enjoyment. It was fun to see so many strange animals presented as talking characters. The strangeness of the animals was part of the appeal. (Rango is a lizard with big pop-eyes.)

Roger Ebert says: "But to this humble reptile [Rango, the lizard] comes the responsibility to bring civilization to Dirt, an untamed Western town tormented by villains and running desperately short on water." http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/p...

Some of the Netflix members mentioned that it wasn't entirely appropriate for children since it had some adult material in it.

Below are excerpts from James Berardinelli's review:
=========================================
"It's a miniature version of an Old West frontier settlement for talking animals. ... There are badgers, toads, owls, and possums. The mayor (Ned Beatty) is a turtle. The most fearsome gunslinger is a snake."

[There are] "references to every great movie to come along during the Western's heyday. The dialogue incorporates lines (or variations thereof) from the past. Shot selection mimics classic moments. ... All of the Western motifs and clichés are employed, from the showdown at high noon to the lonely tumbleweed being hurried along by a dusty wind. One of the villains, the ominous Rattlesnake Jake, bears more than a passing resemblance to Western Legend Lee Van Cleef. And The Man With No Name makes a cameo (with Timothy Olyphant doing a passable Clint Eastwood imitation)."

"It's tempting to argue that Rango is a richer experience for adults than for children because there's so much more in the film for viewers with significant cinematic experience. Nevertheless, the movie has been assembled with a wide audience in view and at no time is it exclusionary of any demographic. In fact, the humor is so broadly accessible that five-year olds and eighty-year olds will often laugh at the same jokes."
FROM: http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_t...
===================================================

[Werner]

Joy, I'll have to pass that recommendation on to my cowgirl (Barb). :-) In fact, both of us might get a kick out of it!

[Joy H., Group Founder]

I streamed an enjoyable old movie from Netflix today. It was "Let's Make Love" (1960). Marilyn Monroe starred in this picture and I found her utterly charming. She died of a barbiturate overdose around 2 years after this picture was made. What a shame. No one else has ever had the charm and essence that Monroe could give to the screen.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054022/
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/600...

[Jim]

I watched "Red" with Bruce Willis, John Malkovich & several other really good stars over Sat. & Sun. lunch. It was fun. Willis is 'RED', Retired Extremely Dangerous, from the CIA & doesn't know what to do with himself. Then someone tries to kill him & the mayhem begins. It's a funny, not serious kind of mayhem.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1245526/

[Werner]

I saw a trailer for Red a couple of years ago, and thought that, as I often put it, it had possibilities.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: "I watched "Red" with Bruce Willis, John Malkovich & several other really good stars over Sat. & Sun. lunch. It was fun. Willis is 'RED', Retired Extremely Dangerous, from the CIA & doesn't know w..."

You can't go wrong with Bruce Willis if you like that genre.

[Jim]

"Red" was a hoot. Definitely worth watching. It didn't take itself seriously, had some wonderful comedy, romance, action, & lots of adventure. Just when something started getting serious, they'd do something that just made me burst out laughing, but it wasn't slapstick, more of a parody of action movies. For instance, there's a show down between Malkovich & this gal with an RPG. He shoots the rocket as it comes toward him & blows her up & he's still upset because she called him 'old'.

[Jackie]

I enjoyed Red, great cast too.

[Jim]

In another topic, I mentioned Kesey's "Sometimes A Great Notion" aka "Never Give An Inch" & got to thinking about "Castle Keep", another great movie that seems to have been forgotten. It's about the Battle of the Bulge & stars Burt Lancaster, Bruce Dern, & Peter Falk.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064137/

It has the funniest scene with a Volkswagen!

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jim wrote: "In another topic, I mentioned Kesey's "Sometimes A Great Notion" aka "Never Give An Inch" & got to thinking about "Castle Keep", another great movie that seems to have been forgotten. It's about t..."

Netflix has "Castle Keep" as a DVD. It places it in the genre called "Classic War Stories". Eddie would probably like that one. http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Castle-K...

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Did anyone see the play, "Sweeney Todd" with Angela Lansbury?

Jackie, you once commented that you saw that play.
Was it as dark and gruesome as the movie with Johnny Depp ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408236/ ) which I watched yesterday),
or was there more humor in it, as I saw in the play last week at Schroon Lake's Seagle Music Colony?

See my topic at:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/9...

[Jackie]

It was dark themed, but you didn't see the gore like in the movie. I can't remember if it had humor or not, it was in the late 70s, a foggy decade if there ever was, lol

I just watched the first two episodes of the miniseries Lonesome Dove with Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall. The rest is recording on Saturday. It's pretty good considering it's old (1989, I think) and since I'm not a big fan of Westerns.
Has anyone seen it? I have a question, in the first episodes, what's the deal with the lightning on the cows' horns during that big thunderstorm? Everything else is pretty straight forward. I don't understand that part, it's significance and why it didn't hurt the cows.

[Jim]

I've seen it, remember really liking it, but don't recall anything but a few scenes - the water snakes, for instance. I do remember that I really liked it. I don't recall the lightening.

[Jackie]

The water snakes was harsh, that poor kid. I have to admit, this is far more grittier than I thought it would be. I was shocked at what Blue Duck did to Lori.

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: "It was dark themed, but you didn't see the gore like in the movie. I can't remember if it had humor or not, it was in the late 70s, a foggy decade if there ever was, lol ... I just watched the first two episodes of the miniseries Lonesome Dove..."

Jackie, thanks for the reply about "Sweeney Todd".

As for "Lonesome Dove", I did watch the TV Mini-Series but I can't remember much about it. I'm remembering another movie with two gay cowboys but I can't remember the name of it. Does anyone remember it?

If I remember correctly, I found both movies interesting.

[Jackie]

Brokeback Mountain was the gay cowboys, I thought it was the most boring movie ever. Too much hype, I expected so much more. I don't see what was so 'great' about it, they were gay, oh gasp, how shocking! Big deal, lol

[Joy H., Group Founder]

Jackie wrote: "Brokeback Mountain was the gay cowboys, I thought it was the most boring movie ever. Too much hype, I expected so much more. I don't see what was so 'great' about it, they were gay, oh gasp, how shocking! Big deal, lol"

LOL - Right, Jackie! :)

I did see the plot (of Brokeback Mountain) as an attempt to draw a sympathetic picture of the situation.

Thanks for reminding me about the title.

[Earl]

Jackie wrote: "
I just watched the first two episodes of the miniseries Lonesome Dove with Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall. The rest is recording on Saturday. It's pretty good considering it's old (1989, I think) and since I'm not a big fan of Westerns.
Has anyone seen it? I have a question, in the first episodes, what's the deal with the lightning on the cows' horns during that big thunderstorm? Everything else is pretty straight forward. I don't understand that part, it's significance and why it didn't hurt the cows. "

I LOVED Lonesome Dove, in book and movie. I Googled 'cattle horns and lightning' and came up with this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Elmo...

[Jackie]

Earl, thank you, that was really interesting. I had no idea about the sharp objects. Very cool.

[Mary JL]

I just watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. An unusual change of pace for me but surprisingly good in spots. Well worth watchin once just for the atmosphere.

[Jim]

That is interesting, Earl. Thanks.

I watched "Lockout" today. It's a 2012 movie starring Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace, & Peter Stormare that is guaranteed to drop your IQ by 20 points. Lots of action & some fun scenes, but you definitely have to toss common sense out the window. Oh well.

[Jackie]

I saw Lockout, I completely agree, Jim.

Mary JL, Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh are outstanding in Crouching Tiger. I love martial arts films, others to check out are House of the Flying Daggers, Hero, Ong Bak, Curse of the Golden Flower, The Protector and Ninja Assassin. All have good stories and fantastic choreography.