Author Topic: Movies & Books Into Movies  (Read 552361 times)

roshanarose

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #920 on: September 21, 2010, 09:31:32 PM »
  
So many movies – how do  you choose what to watch?
Reviews?  Recommendations?  Actors?  Availability?
Do you choose a movie the same way you choose a book?

And where do you like to watch most of your movies?
Do you stream movies from Netflix and other places?
Where’s the strangest place you’ve ever watched a film?



Join us in an ongoing discussion of your favorite movies right now.
Pull up a chair, take off your shoes, pour yourself a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, and join in!

Your Discussion Leader: pedln



I often use "loo", I can only figure it comes from "Waterloo".   :)  
How can you prove whether at this moment we are sleeping, and all our thoughts are a dream; or whether we are awake, and talking to one another in the waking state?  - Plato

PatH

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #921 on: September 21, 2010, 09:39:39 PM »
That's a good point.  I have no idea where it came from.

mabel1015j

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #922 on: September 21, 2010, 11:22:41 PM »
Good memory, Phyll, as soon as I read what you said I knew that was right, he walked off. Yes, those were interesting conversations and interesting guests on both Parr and Cavett. Guests were not just on to promote a movie or a book, and I think the conversations were not so scripted as many of them are today. Craig Fergueson comes the closest to Parr, although he is a comic and must be funny. Parr's genius was that he was the straight-man, not the comic during the conversations.......Jean

Phyll

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #923 on: September 22, 2010, 09:19:49 AM »
I do agree with you about Dick Cavett.  He was an intelligent gentleman and was able to carry on an intelligent conversation with interesting guests.  I don't watch talk shows any more for the very reasons you mentioned, Marj.
phyllis

MaryPage

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #924 on: September 22, 2010, 01:48:18 PM »
I totally agree about both Cavett and Parr.  Yes, Parr was quite emotional, but he was one of the best interviewers I have ever heard/seen.  And I really do think their shows attempted to bring us real entertainment and a chance to get to know important and interesting people.  Today, the talk show people seem to want to sell us their own ideas about what we should know and who we should hear from.

Wasn't it also on the Jack Parr Show that we first saw and heard Carole Burnett?  I remember her singing a song at the top of her wonderful lungs that she had written herself called:  "I'm In Love With John Foster Dulles."  As I recall, it was such a huge hit that the Secretary of State let the network know (The Washington Post had printed the story with the lyrics) he had missed it and wished he hadn't, so they brought her back again to repeat her big success at a time when he would be watching.

mabel1015j

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #925 on: September 22, 2010, 02:01:43 PM »
I think Carol Burnett's first tv appearance was on the Gary Moore Show. She may have had an appearance on Parr before that, but having read a lot of biography about her I think she was called to NYC to appear on the Moore show.......Jean

MaryPage

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #926 on: September 22, 2010, 03:15:02 PM »
Looking on line for something about it, I found this in an extremely long piece about Jack Parr.

"Paar helped launch the careers of such performers as Carol Burnett, Woody Allen and Liza Minnelli, but his guests weren’t limited to the glitterati. He discussed religion with Billy Graham, visited with Albert Schweitzer in Africa, and talked politics with Richard Nixon, all before the transfixed eyes of the American television audience. He was an engaging and sentimental personality, who gained the immediate appreciation of his audience and his guests. Of him, Bill Cosby said, “I found him to be a very, very wonderful man, and intellectually funny — able to take a moment, realize it, and say something that was absolutely brilliant. He wouldn’t want to ‘play anybody cheap.’ He’s wanted to get the best out of each and every performer.”

MaryPage

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #927 on: September 22, 2010, 03:22:54 PM »
Here is another snippet from another site.  I think Garry Moore came later in her career.

"Burnett bounced back with a parody pop song, "I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles," confessing her love for the utterly unsexy, 68-year-old Secretary of State who is now best remembered as the namesake for Dulles Airport outside Washington DC. The song became a minor pop hit after Burnett sang it on Jack Paar's Tonight Show in 1957.

"

Frybabe

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #928 on: September 22, 2010, 06:43:51 PM »
I loved watching Jack Parr - when Dad would let me stay up that late. My favorite guest was Malcolm Muggeridge. He also let me stay up to see Ernie Kovacs on occasion. I also liked Dick Cavett, and was disappointed when his show was cancelled.

pedln

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #929 on: September 25, 2010, 11:14:42 AM »
Carol Burnett -- Is she still active?  I think the film I liked her best in was Pete and Tillie, with Walter Mathou.

Jack Parr -- is he the one who got into a bruhaha with Drew Pearson?  Or am I mixing him up with someone else.  At any rate, I never watched him much, too late at night for me.

In New York with SeniorLearn I had a chance to watch a big screen film with Joan Roberts and her daughter Meg --  French,  with English subtitles -- Change of Plans, about the interacting lives of guests at a dinner party.  It's one I'd like to see again, just to clear up some things, but, wonder of wonders, it does not appear in the Netflix database.

But here's one that does, but since it's opening sometime this fall, who knows when the DVD will be out.  Remember the Scooter Libbly leak to Robert Novak, about CIA agent Valerie Plame?  All because some folks were unhappy with her husband?  With Naomi Watts and Sean Penn --

Fair Game

MaryPage

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #930 on: September 25, 2010, 02:01:30 PM »
Am dying to see that movie.

I own Ambassador Joseph Wilson's "The Politics of Truth," but I do not think I have Valerie Plame's book.  Sigh!  Too many books, too little time.  Would that I owned Lisbeth Salander's photographic memory and ability to speed read!

JoanK

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #931 on: September 25, 2010, 07:44:25 PM »
But not the rest of her character?

MaryPage

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #932 on: September 26, 2010, 05:31:35 AM »
Her intelligence and her loyalty.  Otherwise, (shudder), nothing.

Babi

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #933 on: September 27, 2010, 08:19:10 AM »
 Uh, who is Lisbeth Salander?  Sounds like I ought to know already.
"I go to books and to nature as a bee goes to the flower, for a nectar that I can make into my own honey."  John Burroughs

MaryPage

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #934 on: September 27, 2010, 08:46:02 AM »
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

The Girl Who Played With Fire

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest

The girl who is paying the wages of all the book store clerks these days, has featured in 3 great Swedish movies and is about to feature in 3 Hollywood films, and the girl we will never hear from again as her creator died before he even held a single published volume in his hands.

Babi

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #935 on: September 28, 2010, 08:06:04 AM »
 Ah, that explains why I don't know her.  I didn't care for the one Wallender film I started watching,  and the descriptions of his books told me they weren't the kind of thing I enjoy.
I don't doubt the man is a good writer since so many of you have said so, but I'd rather pass
on this lot.
"I go to books and to nature as a bee goes to the flower, for a nectar that I can make into my own honey."  John Burroughs

MaryPage

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #936 on: September 28, 2010, 08:58:34 AM »
I think the main reason, and it is an emotional reaction, I admit, but the main reason I am so enthusiastic about Steig Larsson's books featuring Lisbeth Salander is that he really got it.  He really dug how insidious the little mannerisms of men in daily life that indicate their mental dismissiveness of women having any significance, not to mention that awful slope we continually toil during our lifetimes while learning, either through ghastly first-hand experience, or by way of heartbreak recounted by our sisterhood, or through the media, about the myriad young women snared by the sex trade traffic all over this globe or murdered by their fathers, brothers, husbands, pimps or boyfriends.  I have sobbed and sobbed reading about the young brides in India who are burned to death so their inlaws can obtain another bride and yet another dowry, and over women in Central Asia and the Middle East who are killed by their own families because they have been raped or have even given the appearance of having dishonored the family in some way.  The baby girls smothered at birth, thrown out, exposed to the elements.  Life is often cruel and unfair, but the bias against the sex I was born one of stuns me.

JimNT

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #937 on: September 28, 2010, 05:40:26 PM »
I thoroughly enjoyed the Larsson trilogy and it seems we have beaten the novels to death.  I did not get the least hint of some message re the biases of the sexes, rather merely good vs evil in some well written page turners.  Anyway, on the light side, I saw Tuck Everlasting last eve and strongly suggest you consider it for an evening of light hearted, sentimental relaxation.  Would you drink of the spring?  I need to ponder that a bit.

Babi

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #938 on: September 29, 2010, 08:47:28 AM »
 I read "Tuck Everlasting" some time ago, JIM.  I gave it some thought and decided 'No; I would
not drink of the spring, but live my life'. 
"I go to books and to nature as a bee goes to the flower, for a nectar that I can make into my own honey."  John Burroughs

JimNT

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #939 on: September 29, 2010, 12:21:23 PM »
Babi:  My sentiments precisely. Earthly life is good, but it ain't a bowl of cherries.

Babi

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #940 on: September 30, 2010, 08:07:15 AM »
 Life can be very hard, JIM, but isn't it good to enjoy the cherries along the way?
"I go to books and to nature as a bee goes to the flower, for a nectar that I can make into my own honey."  John Burroughs

JimNT

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #941 on: September 30, 2010, 02:59:05 PM »
Babi:  Indeed it is.

pedln

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #942 on: October 08, 2010, 02:08:27 PM »
Tuck Everlasting sounds like it might be a good antidote (?) after watching two of the Larsson films -- have not yet read the books.

When in New York a few weeks ago I came across a pullout section in the NY Times listing all the movies coming out this fall.  I wanted to save it, but it got in daughter's recycling pile before I realized.  Now, of course, I can't find it on line.  Has anyone seen it?  Or, have you seen any of the new films that are just coming out?

How about documentaries -- have any of you seen any of the new ones that are being talked about.  I really wanted to see Waiting for Superman, after hearing so much about it during NBC's weeklong discussion about education.  For some reason, I thought it would be on television.  Now I guess I'll wait for the DVD.  Another one, big NYT review today -- Inside Job -- all about the 2008 financial meltdown, narrated by Matt Damon.

From what I understand, the latter is less biased than the former.

JimNT

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #943 on: October 10, 2010, 09:51:03 AM »
I really don't know whether or not my ophthalmologist is exceptionally qualified or merely a "run of the mill" doctor but I don't care.  He's an avid reader and we discuss books of all kinds while his waiting room fills with anxious patients.  Last week he recommended "Cutting for Stone:  A Novel" by Abraham Verghese and explained that it concerned the need for a more personal doctor-patient relationship in the medical profession.  He was rather enthusiastic about the book so I immediately ordered it from Amazon.  It's due in shortly. If you've read this book, please give me your comments.  I'll read it anyway but I value the comments of other readers.

pedln

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #944 on: October 10, 2010, 11:56:35 AM »
Gosh, Jim, like minds.  I'm glad to hear your doctor's comments.   I don't remember who recommended this to me or where or if I read the review of Cutting for Stone, but just this week I downloaded it to my Kindle.  I've got too many "must reads" on the docket right now, so it will be a while before I get to it, but I'm looking foward to it.

I watched two movies this week, both enjoyable, light feel good Netflix 4 stars --

City Island with Andy Garcia and Julie Margulies (and I didn't recognize her   :(  )
  With my youngest now living in Brooklyn I'm always eager to watch just about anything with a New York skyline.  Have flown over City Island the last two trips to NY.

It's Complicated with Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep.  Streep is so alive and bubbly, you can't help but be caught up in it.

Mippy

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #945 on: October 10, 2010, 02:22:08 PM »
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese  was terrific!  There are some violent sections, but all in all it's one of the best novels I've read in the last few months!   (and I zoom through maybe 12 novels a month).

My only question is why are we mentioning this here?  Is there a movie connection?   Should we post some of this in the Library?   merely asking.
quot libros, quam breve tempus

marjifay

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #946 on: October 10, 2010, 03:35:27 PM »
I just saw the movie The Social Network.  Really interesting story of the young man who started Facebook.  The acting was great altho' there was not one character I liked in the movie, but it was so fascinating to watch and see what happened.  Now I'm going to read the book by Ben Mezrich.  Mezrich wrote another good book I read, 21:BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE, a true story of six M.I.T. students who took Vegas for millions of $$$.  It was also made into a movie.  I heard there was a better, more accurate book about Facebook by David Kirkpatrick, but Mezrich got there first, and that's what counts.  Mezrich, also a young man,  must be enjoying big bucks by now.  

Marj
"Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill."  Barbara Tuchman

pedln

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #947 on: October 10, 2010, 06:44:48 PM »
Thanks for the Mezrich info, Marj.  I now have both those films on my Netflix que, but if they start talking about probability, and profits etc. in the earlier film, the probability is that I won't understand it.

Mezrich graduated from Harvard in 1991 -- magna cum laude.  Has written about 10 or 11 books.  He's probably doing very well for himself.

pedln

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #948 on: October 10, 2010, 10:01:17 PM »
Here's that pullout section on fall movies from the NYT.  September releases are shown and there's a sidebar with links to Oct., Nov., and Dec.  It will be interesting to see which ones become the blockbusters.

Fall movies

PatH

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #949 on: October 10, 2010, 10:35:31 PM »
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese  was terrific!  There are some violent sections, but all in all it's one of the best novels I've read in the last few months!   (and I zoom through maybe 12 novels a month).

My only question is why are we mentioning this here?  Is there a movie connection?   Should we post some of this in the Library?   merely asking.
Things come up wherever they come up, not always in the logical place.  We recently had a discussion about poetry in one of the games.  If such a discussion seems to me to be  specially interesting, I often re-post my comments in the logical spot, or call attention to it if it isn't my post.

Gumtree

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #950 on: October 11, 2010, 04:44:08 AM »
Pedln: Thanks for posting the Fall Movies - something for everyone there - one or two have already opened here - so I guess they'll be our Spring Movies.
Reading is an art and the reader an artist. Holbrook Jackson

Babi

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #951 on: October 11, 2010, 09:59:15 AM »
 12 novels a month?!!  How do you do it, MIPPY? If I sit too long reading, I'm really
stiff when I get up. The frequent 'get up and do something else' is a serious
interruption. 
"I go to books and to nature as a bee goes to the flower, for a nectar that I can make into my own honey."  John Burroughs

JimNT

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #952 on: October 11, 2010, 10:54:02 AM »
Mippy:  You are absolutely right.  My comments re Cutting for Stone:  A Novel do not belong in this category since the book hasn't, to my knowledge, been made into a movie.  Excuse me.

PatH

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #953 on: October 11, 2010, 11:17:10 AM »
Hey, JimNT, it's good to hear your thoughts wherever.

Mippy

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #954 on: October 12, 2010, 06:51:07 AM »
Aside:  none of this is about Movies, so skip if you wish
Hi, Babi ~   How?  Speed reading is a blessing and a curse.   When I read lite fiction, whatever that is, I let my mind float through the book, and enjoy it but usually don't remember much.  And I love my new Kindle.

However, whenever I read non-fiction (usually one or two books a month) I do slow down.  Right now I've started the newly released bio. of Geo. Washington by Chernow.

I've decided not to get non fiction on my Kindle, since it's difficult to back-track and reread sections, or to pick up the book months later to review something.   During the discussion of the non-fiction, excellent book about New Orleans during Katrina,Zeitun, I tried bookmarks in the Kindle, but never used them the way you use tiny scraps of paper or post-it notes ... just did not help at all for me.
quot libros, quam breve tempus

PatH

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #955 on: October 12, 2010, 10:17:18 AM »
Mippy, I'm glad to hear your comments about backtracking on the Kindle.  You confirm my suspicions that it would play out that way for me.

JimNT

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #956 on: October 12, 2010, 11:22:07 AM »
Mippy:  Zeitun was another book recommended by my 0phthalmologist.  I bought it, too, and am awaiting anxiously for delivery.  Incidentally, the good doctor is from N'awlins.

PatH

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #957 on: October 12, 2010, 12:55:02 PM »
We just finished discussing Zeitoun here.  I think you'll enjoy it; it's a very good job. 

JimNT

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #958 on: October 12, 2010, 02:08:12 PM »
PatH:  I went back to August 31st and couldn't find any discussion of Zeitun but I might have overlooked it.  Could you give me a lead, please?

pedln

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Re: Movies & Books Into Movies
« Reply #959 on: October 12, 2010, 03:21:55 PM »
Jim, I'm not PatH, but here is the link to the Zeitoun discussion.  Discussions that have finished are stored in Archives -- if you scroll the SL index, you'll find it towards the bottom.  It was a terrific book and a great discussion.


Zeitoun discussion