Author Topic: Movies & Books Into Movies (Read 591855 times)

maryz · « **Reply #1880 on:** August 10, 2011, 02:11:50 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?

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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'll be seeing The Help with some friends, but it'll be next week. I'd never go see a movie on opening day...too crowded.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #1881 on:** August 10, 2011, 04:42:54 PM »

I'm back! "The Help" was wonderful! They kept wonderfully to the book, the acting was superb, and ohhh, the Oscar nominations it will get (and probably win several)!!

Fortunately for me, I have a 10 theatre Multiplex about 4 blocks from my house. I went up at 11:30, bought my ticket. Went home and ate lunch, and went back about 12:15. Guess the theatre was about half full by then. Had to sit through a multitude of "very loud" coming attractions, but the movie started just about on time. It runs 2hrs 25 mins. and worth every one! I was given to understand that a couple of the Dallas theatres were charging $10 per ticket. Mine was just $7.00. Get a friend to go with you, a relative, a co-worker, that way you can half the Kleenex tissues. It is definitely worth seeing again.

maryz · « **Reply #1882 on:** August 10, 2011, 06:38:31 PM »

Glad to get the glowing review, Tomereader.

Are you familiar with M.C.Beaton and her two series set in Scotland? We love the ones with Hamish MacBeth. BBC did a series of programs based on the books, with Robert Carlyle (the lead in The Full Monty). We got them from Netflix a couple of years ago, and decided to get them again. They're just as good. The programs were filmed in Plockton and Kyle of Lochalsh, towns we went through on our Elderhostel about 5 years ago, so that made them very special. They're good to read or to watch.

pedln · « **Reply #1883 on:** August 10, 2011, 06:38:34 PM »

That sounds great, Tomereader1. Really something to look forward to.

This week's Time Magazine (Aug 8?) has a very interesting article about Viola? Violet? Davis who played Aibileen.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1884 on:** August 11, 2011, 02:48:25 AM »

I am not exactly sure what the £/$ exchange rate is, but your cinemas sound very good value to me - here we would pay at least £6.50, more in central Edinburgh or London - I believe that is about $11, and that would be for an ordinary film, not a special premiere or anything.

Rosemary

Babi · « **Reply #1885 on:** August 11, 2011, 08:40:25 AM »

Alas. Remember when we were kids and could attend a Saturday matinee for
a quarter? Which we could usually find by digging around the sides of the
furniture? Ah, those were the days!

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1886 on:** August 11, 2011, 08:46:13 AM »

Yes, the Saturday morning "pictures" were a major part of my mother's London childhood - must have been cheap because they were very poor. In those days even small towns had 2 or 3 cinemas. I suppose that is another possible cause of all this social unrest - everyone indoors with their DVDs, phones, etc and not meeting socially (except on street corners that is).

Rosemary

JoanK · « **Reply #1887 on:** August 11, 2011, 04:03:27 PM »

My mother said she could only afford to send us to the Saturday morning movies every OTHER week. That would have been fine, if not for the serials that were part of the showing. Every week, Superman would end the serial trapped in a well or something: you had to go the next week to find out how he got out. But of course, we were never THERE the next week. In two weeks, we would see him get out of another jam (and into yet a third) so we knew he survived, but we never knew how!!

I was amused to see that modern TV picked up that formula (in a show called "24" or "24 hours" I forget). My daughter was addicted. Every episode would end with a character trapped, and it brought her back every week. She didn't understand why I thought it was so funny.

pedln · « **Reply #1888 on:** August 11, 2011, 04:36:43 PM »

Remember the half-price fares for movies -- ours were 12 cents if you were under 12. I remember once when I was probably in Junior High -- we had out of town guests with a son a little older than me. His dad gave him money for the two of us to go to the movies. But, not only did "tall" me have to pay for my own ticket, he was shorter, and got in for the kids' price.

When did they start turning on the lights and clearing out the theatre after each performance? Remember the days of double features ( one was usually referred to as GradeB) when you'd walk into the movie at any time and then just stick around later to see whatever part you missed.

Rosemary, your prices do sound higher than what we pay here. Last year in New York it was $34 for three of us, but that was a special theatre -- historic Sunshine theatre.

MaryPage · « **Reply #1889 on:** August 11, 2011, 07:13:16 PM »

Pedln, I remember sitting through 2 complete shows of the same movie when I was young. You are right; it just is not done anymore. I have no idea why not. They do turn the lights on, but I have never actually seen anyone asked to leave the theatre.

I saw Doctor Melissa Harris-Perry, who teaches History at Princeton and frequently appears on television, really bad rap The Help on TV last night. She said it was not the way it really was, and she very much resented that. Did anyone besides me hear this? It is probably available in Google Search Video; I don't know for sure, as I have not checked this out.

salan · « **Reply #1890 on:** August 11, 2011, 07:24:44 PM »

I lived in a small town and it was 9 cents for the movie if you were under 12. Y

salan · « **Reply #1891 on:** August 11, 2011, 07:30:48 PM »

Oops--accidentally posted reply before I finished. It was 15 cents if you were over 12. They always showed a double feature, a serial, and 9 cartoons. Very cheap babysitting for my Mom. My little sister and I were given 25 cents each and oh, the decisions we had to make over the candy counter. Those were the days when it was safe to leave your children alone at the movies and the Sat. a.m. movie was packed!
Sally

PatH · « **Reply #1892 on:** August 11, 2011, 07:35:39 PM »

The Help: I bet it's really hard to get something like that totally accurate. The Washington Post gave it a good review, especially saying that it was a good job of being true to the book, so that if you liked the book, you wouldn't be disappointed in the movie, as one often is. They did say (not sure if this was the book or the movie) that it left out some of the subtlety of the problems of the time.

pedln · « **Reply #1893 on:** August 11, 2011, 09:23:11 PM »

You can read about Melissa Harris-Perry here.

Perry on Lawrence O'Donnell

We had a guest author at our f2f group last week to talk about his novel Mortal Shield which was about government protective services in the state of Missouri. The author said he had drawn from events in other states, but included them in his story. I don't doubt that much the same happened with The Help.

As Pat says, it’s really hard to get something like that totally accurate. I found the book, for the most part, believable. Harris-Perry’s complaint seems to be that the film didn’t depict the “real” injustices of rape, lynching, etc. that the African-American community continually faced. But that’s not what the book was about. I haven’t seen the movie, but the book certainly depicts the fear that these women felt should they step or speak out of turn, it depicts their helplessness in the face of power.

There has been criticism about a talented actress like Viola Davis having to play the part of a maid. Well, that’s what the story was about and the fact that there aren’t more major roles available for African-American women past the age of 40 should not be placed on the shoulders of The Help.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #1894 on:** August 11, 2011, 09:29:31 PM »

Right on, Pedlin.

CallieOK · « **Reply #1895 on:** August 11, 2011, 10:04:06 PM »

Exactly, Pedlin. "The Help" is about one segment of society in that era and I thought the book told the story well.
As for having Viola Davis play the maid, Aibileen...I think that character needs a strong skillful actress. The current issue of Time magazine says "her performance is sassy, soulful and dignified".
I have yet to see the movie. However, that description sound like the Aibileen I read about in the book (twice).

Babi · « **Reply #1896 on:** August 12, 2011, 08:39:43 AM »

Maybe they just turn the lights on so those who are ready to leave can do
so safely. On the other hand, with the tragic rise in the number of homeless,
they may just be checking to see that no one is trying to spend the day...or
the night...there.

I suppose it makes sense, PatH; 'subtle' can be dificult when the goal is
simply an entertaining movie. I like what PEDLN had to say about Harris-Perry's
criticism. The story is about African-American servants and their relationship
to their employers in 20th century South. I'm sure the professor can find all
the books she likes about the injustices she speaks of. Her criticism in this
case is really unjustified, IMO.

Oh, before I forget, SALLY... If you have an unfinished post or need to change
it for any reason, you can just click on "Modify" and the post will come back up
for correction.

marjifay · « **Reply #1897 on:** August 12, 2011, 12:07:14 PM »

I read the first couple of chapters in THE HELP and decided not to finish it; thought it rather boring and couldn't see reading another almost 500 pages of servants talking among themselves. They say the movie is quite good, tho'.

I've been watching FOYLE'S WAR series thru Netflix. Very good.

Has anyone seen THE RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES? Someone at another group said she was surprised to find it very good. She said it had great action, with lots of fun nods to the original film and to Heston. Also excellent performance by John Lithgow, and the actors that played the main apes were magnificent. Might just go see it tonite at the drive-in (like drive-ins because you don't have to listen to others in the theater talking or rattling food wrappers, etc. Trouble is, tho' that most of the drive-in movies are loud, action types with little story)

Marj

PatH · « **Reply #1898 on:** August 12, 2011, 04:17:01 PM »

Gee, marjifay, I don't think there are any drive-ins left around here. Too bad.

The actor who plays the ape Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes is Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and Kong in the recent remake of King Kong. He is good at this sort of thing because he isn't spooked by the electronic stuff you have to wear for CGI enhanced acting, or the extra work involved. He also plays ordinary roles, though, including Van Gogh in Simon Schama's Power of Art.

Babi · « **Reply #1899 on:** August 13, 2011, 08:17:55 AM »

I'm sorry you didn't care for Help, MARJ. As I recall, it was a bit slow getting
into it, but I did like it. Even more to the point, I believed it. I'll be waiting until
I get it from Netflix, but from all I hear the movie is quite good and true to the
book.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1900 on:** August 13, 2011, 08:40:54 AM »

I just got around this morning to looking at my Food and Wine, August issue. It has a short article about the food and six recipes from The Help.

MaryPage · « **Reply #1901 on:** August 13, 2011, 09:14:59 AM »

Was the 7 layer caramel cake there?

Frybabe · « **Reply #1902 on:** August 13, 2011, 12:23:18 PM »

Here's the recipe list:

Cocktail Meatballs
Classic Southern Fried Chicken
Curried-Egg Tea Sandwiches
Cucumber-Rye Tea Sandwiches
Tomato Aspic
Minny's Chocolate Pie
Black-Eyed Peas
Braised Collard Greens
German Chocolate Cake

Well, that's more than six. I forgot the recipes on the continued pages.

According to the article, The South's Real Star Cooks, almost all the cooks for the movie came from Greenwood, Mississippi. Mention was given to Marta Hall Foose (author of Screen Doors and Sweet Tea and A Southerly Course) who lives there and prepared the fried chicken dish for the film. Both she and other local cooks had parts as extras.

Here is a bit of history I need to check on. German Chocolate Cake. I always thought it was a German recipe. Well, it is, but not the country. It was named for Sam German creator of Baker's German Sweet Chocolate. Do they still sell that? I only know of Baker's bittersweet baking chocolate.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1903 on:** August 13, 2011, 12:26:41 PM »

Almost forgot. The article's reading list: To Kill a Mockingbird, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Meditations from a Movable Chair.

JoanK · « **Reply #1904 on:** August 13, 2011, 06:43:42 PM »

Read the first two, never heard of the third.

salan · « **Reply #1905 on:** August 14, 2011, 07:15:32 AM »

Ditto, Joan K.
Sally

Frybabe · « **Reply #1906 on:** August 14, 2011, 07:46:00 AM »

I hadn't either. It is a book of essays. The movable chair is a wheelchair. Here is a review from Salon.
http://www.salon.com/books/sneaks/1998/06/02sneaks.html

All three books listed in the Food and Wine article have some passages about food that must have interested the folks at the magazine.

Babi · « **Reply #1907 on:** August 14, 2011, 08:56:56 AM »

Can someone tell me what "Their Eyes Were Watching God" is about. I've heard of the book, but don't remember what was said about it.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1908 on:** August 14, 2011, 09:08:06 AM »

Babi, From the official Hurston website:

http://www.zoranealehurston.com/books/their_eyes_were_watching_god.html

The readers guide gives a plot summary.

JoanK · « **Reply #1909 on:** August 14, 2011, 06:29:11 PM »

You do have to read it remembering that it was written in another time and place.

Another book that will real;ly knock your socks of is "Beloved" by Tony morrison. After I finished it, I felt like I'd been run over by a truck!

roshanarose · « **Reply #1910 on:** August 14, 2011, 07:55:05 PM »

JoanK - I remember trying to read "Beloved" but at the time I was going through quite a lot of emotional upheaval and the pain upon reading it was so acute I had to stop.

The same with "The Lovely Bones". I saw the movie and was completely bowled over by the acting. It all seemed like a terribly sad fairy tale, but when I tried to read the book I saw it very differently, indeed.

That feeling of being run over by a truck, or punched between the eyes, is what happened to me after I read about Father Time's solution to the family problems in "Jude the Obscure".

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1911 on:** August 15, 2011, 05:56:40 AM »

All those recipes remind me of a tattered old book my mother used to have - "The Pilsbury Dough Cook Book" or something like that. I have no idea where she got it, but it was very much 1960s America - I loved reading all those (to us) exotic sounding recipes, and seeing the little drawings of the perfect housewives in their New Look style skirts.

We recently re-watched "Mona Lisa Smile", and the slides that the heroine shows when she is trying to shake the students out of their complacency reminded me of that book.

Rosemary

Babi · « **Reply #1912 on:** August 15, 2011, 09:03:05 AM »

Thanks, FRYBABE. That gives me a very clear picture.

I haven't read "Beloved" either, JOAN. I'm a little wary of the 'run over by
a truck' bit. Then, ROSHANA's remark about finding it so painful. I preferred
reading the painful stuff when I was younger and more vigorous.

Ads notwithstanding, ROSEMARY, no housewife in her right mind did the chores
in stockings and heels!

marjifay · « **Reply #1913 on:** August 15, 2011, 03:31:07 PM »

Babi said, "Ads notwithstanding, ROSEMARY, no housewife in her right mind did the chores
in stockings and heels!"

Except, of course, Mrs. June Cleaver, the Beaver's mom in Leave It To Beaver! (LOL)

Marj

CallieOK · « **Reply #1914 on:** August 15, 2011, 03:53:38 PM »

No - but most of them wore housedresses and aprons...in the 50's, anyway.

By the 60's, we had all switched to jeans and loafers.

pedln · « **Reply #1915 on:** August 15, 2011, 04:59:10 PM »

And who was the mother in Father Knows Best? Didn't she always wear pearls?

roshanarose · « **Reply #1916 on:** August 15, 2011, 10:32:16 PM »

...let's not forget the twin-set which always had to be worn with pearls.

I had a next door neighbour once who did her gardening in real crocodile shoes. They were gorgeous stilettos, only about 3" heel though. I asked her about it once and she told me that she had had them for so long and that they had no signs of wear, so she decided to garden in them. Oh well.... they sure looked better than those hideous plastic clog like things. .....

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1917 on:** August 16, 2011, 03:18:22 AM »

What on earth is Leave It To Beaver?

Frybabe · « **Reply #1918 on:** August 16, 2011, 09:05:24 AM »

It was a family type sit-com between 1957 to 1963.

http://www.tvland.com/shows/leave-it-to-beaver

Babi · « **Reply #1919 on:** August 16, 2011, 09:07:08 AM »

How on earth does one walk in the grass in stilettos?! Surely you'd sink in
three inches with every step. Let me guess; the area around all the flower beds
was paved. Then she could wear heels, and only have to worry about pads for
her poor knees.

"Leave it to Beaver", ROSEMARY, was a family-oriented TV series from way back
when. The family name was Cleaver, and the star of the show was a young boy
called 'Beaver'. It would be terriby 'dated' now.

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Author Topic: Movies & Books Into Movies (Read 591855 times)