Author Topic: Movies & Books Into Movies (Read 592036 times)

pedln · « **Reply #2800 on:** July 24, 2012, 09:48:17 AM »

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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Your Discussion Leader: pedln

That sounds like a winner, Tomereader. I've just added it to my queue.

Salmon Fishing on the Yemen is in the mail, so Netflix tells me. I feel lucky, as it was listed as a "long wait."

pedln · « **Reply #2801 on:** July 30, 2012, 09:23:48 AM »

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is here, but with the Olympics going on full speed ahead, I don't know when I'll get to watch it. I taped Masterpiece's Lewis last night, have given up on Sigourney Weaver in Political Animals -- after too shows it just didn't seem new or inticing.

I've seen lots of trailers of The Campaign, and Will Ferrell was on Morning Joel last week. It'll be a while before it's a DVD, so guess I won't worry about it for a while.

I think I must sit down with a mathematician to figure out how to get the most bang for my buck with all these paid TV options, cable, satellite, etc -- especailly when you live in the boonies and there's not much competition.

Watched Room With a View just before the Olympics. Gorgeous scenery, nice quiet undemanding piece.

JoanK · « **Reply #2802 on:** July 30, 2012, 02:59:05 PM »

A bit of male nudity too, if I remember rightly.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #2803 on:** July 30, 2012, 03:00:53 PM »

I'm watching a delightful movie on IFC, Strangers in Good Company. A group of older women is stranded in the Canadian woods when their bus beaks down. It is lightly scripted, the writers gave the cast an outline and they took it from there, reminiscing about their lives. Here is the wiki description.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Company_of_Strangers

JoanK · « **Reply #2804 on:** July 30, 2012, 03:20:04 PM »

That sounds really good. What is IFC?

mabel1015j · « **Reply #2805 on:** July 30, 2012, 03:23:04 PM »

Independent Film Company

I just discovered that one of the women, Mary Meigs, wrote a book about the movie and her life titled In the Company of Strangers. Amazon has copies and reviews.

Babi · « **Reply #2806 on:** July 31, 2012, 08:39:58 AM »

That does sound good. I wonder how a 27-yr. old jazz singer wound up in that company?

pedln · « **Reply #2807 on:** July 31, 2012, 09:51:09 AM »

I remember seeing this years ago, back in the late 80's, early 90's, and being disappointed. However, all the reviews I now see are excellent, so I probably missed something, and will have to give it another try. But I have never been a fan of unscripted film with non-actors.

marjifay · « **Reply #2808 on:** July 31, 2012, 01:02:54 PM »

Today's Flavorpill newsletter has several good behind the scenes photos of some movies. The best was the cast of Marie Antoinette still in costume lolling around between filming, with Marie Antoinette using a cell phone, and her lady in waiting drinking a coke. Funny.

Sorry, I don't know how to make a link to Flavorpill.

Marj

pedln · « **Reply #2809 on:** August 05, 2012, 10:21:46 AM »

I finally took a break from the Olympics and watched Salmon Fishing in the Yemen last night. (I'd been feeling guilty holding it because when I received it from Netflix it was still considered a "long wait.")

I'll give it a 4 star rating. The focus is on Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt who are working for a rich fly-fishing sheik who wants to bring salmon fishing to Yemen. Kristin Scott Thomas plays a determined press secretary who wants to make her boss look good. I had to play the beginning scenes over a couple of times to make sure I knew what was going on. There's romance, there's humor, but I wouldn't call this a comedy. There's lots going on here, and I found I really had to pay attention. Beautiful scenery in spots.

I found out at the end that it is based on a book of the same name by Paul Tarday, which, according to Amazon, is somewhat epistolary, made up of emails, memos, reports, ect.

CallieOK · « **Reply #2810 on:** August 05, 2012, 08:10:41 PM »

Pedlin, I've read the book and am looking forward to seeing the movie.
The book was very good!

MaryPage · « **Reply #2811 on:** August 05, 2012, 08:58:57 PM »

I saw the movie when it first came out, and loved it. I would call it a romantic comedy. The humor is the tongue in cheek British type, which is my favorite. I do not like the broad American type of humor. I do love clever things, and there is nothing clever about most American scripts which are supposed to be funny, but the Brits are masters.

Yep, I loved it.

Babi · « **Reply #2812 on:** August 06, 2012, 08:58:35 AM »

My experience, MARYPAGE, is that British humor can be clever and subtle, and it can also
be definitely slapstick. The big, bosomy, in-your-face blonds were much in evidence,
complete with not at all subtle sexual innuendos. And of course, America produces both
kinds, too. I will admit, when it comes to the low-key delivery that you almost miss,
the British are the best.

pedln · « **Reply #2813 on:** August 06, 2012, 09:37:35 AM »

Callie, I'm glad to hear you liked the book. I thought about adding it to my Kindle, but oh dear, there are so many unread ones on it already.

MaryPage, you are right, the Brits are wonderful with the subtle, clever humor. I don't think I'll ever forget Maggie SMith's "What's a weekend?" It always makes me laugh out loud.

maryz · « **Reply #2814 on:** August 16, 2012, 10:41:55 PM »

I don't know if this is from a book or not, but....

Because of the Olympics and then watching what we recorded while the games were on, we‘re just now getting around to watching our Netflix movie.

It was a repeat for us, but Saving Grace , a 2000 British movie, is one of the funniest movies ever. The Brits do this offbeat humor SO well. And there are certainly some familiar faces in the film - folks who have gone on to bigger things. Craig Fergusion, late night TV host, has a big role. Martin Clunes, Doc Martin on PBS, has another good role.

If you get the chance, check this one out.

pedln · « **Reply #2815 on:** August 17, 2012, 10:21:10 AM »

MaryZ, thanks for that. It sounds like a good one and I've added it to my queue. Netflix didn't show anything about captions (for those of us who need them) but Amazon did, so I'll give it a try.

I'm having trouble coming up with really good titles right now, so appreciate your suggesion. The last really good ones I've seen were War Horse and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, and even that last one wasn't as good as I was expecting.

A Separation is coming up on Netflix next week. It's an Iranian film, I think and Oscar nominee for Best Foreign last year, and my NY daughter raved about it.

ginny · « **Reply #2816 on:** August 18, 2012, 11:22:56 AM »

Have finally caught up here and put Strangers in Good Company which I never heard of, at the top of my queue in Netflix, how did I miss that? It seems right up my alley along with Marigold Hotel (the movie). Thank you for talking about it here.

While I was in the UK there was a lot of talk about the older movie goer and how the Marigold Hotel had struck gold and we could expect to see a lot more like it to this important focus audience.

There have always been some with that focus along the way, wasn't there one with Edward Fox about a long summer at the lake? I enjoyed that thing, I really like him, and of course there have been others, but I'm excited to hear we may at last have something for us to enjoy as well. I also rewatched before I left The Man Who Went Up A Hill and Came Down a Mountain, an old thing, old old, with a young Hugh Grant, but for some reason at the very end (don't turn it off, when over, there's a surprise right at the credits) it always makes me cry.

But on the flights I got to see the latest Robert Downey/ Jude Law Sherlock Holmes, and I loved it. I have the first one but didn't care for it, it's quite a departure from Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. The first one is dark, and confusing. I still think Rathbone is the quintessential Sherlock Holmes but this new pairing, the second movie, is so good I've seen it 3 times. It's a different Sherlock, and I like him, and Dr. Watson, too. Especially Moriarty, this one is perfect, Jared Harris.

One point the DVD makes in one of the behind the scenes thing is how faithful it is to the book. I didn't remember that type of action or character, but when Robert Downey turned to the camera and said "it's in the book," I thought, I've been wanting to reread "the books" for some time, now's the time, and so began A Study in Scarlet as I've got a huge book with every Sherlock Holmes in it, in the order they were published, and I have to say I'm enjoying them no end.

The physical description of Sherlock Holmes fits Basil Rathbone more than Robert Downey, unless Downey is over 6 feet tall as Rathbone was. And I came on this startling thing when Holmes and Watson are just moving in together and getting acquainted:

Homes says "Desultory readers are seldom remarkable for the exactness of their learning," which I thought was interesting and caused me to question some of my latest escape reads. hahahaa

Then he says this:

Quote

I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skilful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that the little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.

I figure that's what's wrong with me! The attic room has no elastic walls! hahahaha

Watson goes on right after this to make an astounding list of what Holmes does not know, it's full of humor, Downey was right in that. I'm enjoying it tremendously. The book has 1122 pages, and it's an old book, so the printing and binding and page edges are satisfyingly like the experience we used to have as children. So here a new movie has caused me to revisit the old original books, and I'm enjoying the experience no end.

PatH · « **Reply #2817 on:** August 18, 2012, 03:20:24 PM »

I envy you your fun, Ginny. I've reread all the Sherlock Holmes stories so often there are no surprises left. But you can't believe everything Holmes says about himself--he sometimes pulls Watson's leg.

pedln · « **Reply #2818 on:** August 18, 2012, 03:25:34 PM »

Ginny, yes, Edward Fox – A Month by the Lake. I just checked him out on Netflix and found that I gave the film 5 stars a few years back.

Sometimes it seems forever between 5-star films, but last night I saw one. French, with English subtitles – My Afternoons with Margueritte (2 t’s, mind you.). Such a delight, and the leading lady is 95 years old. She comes to the park every afternoon to read and that is where she meets Germain, an illiterate handyman with a total lack of self-esteem. But a friendship develops as she begins to read to him. The first scenes were somewhat loud and brawly and I thought “I don’t know about this.” Not to worry, as characters change and develop, or perhaps it’s that hidden attributes are uncovered. There are flashbacks, or rather sub-conscious images. A feel-good film depicting the power of friendship, love, and literature.

Quote

Homes says "Desultory readers are seldom remarkable for the exactness of their learning," which I thought was interesting and caused me to question some of my latest escape reads. hahahaa

I don't think I'll pursue that, nor the elasticity of my brain

salan · « **Reply #2819 on:** August 19, 2012, 06:35:41 AM »

Last night I watched The Hunger Games. It was worth watching..not as good as the book, but imo movies are never as good as the books.
Sally

Babi · « **Reply #2820 on:** August 19, 2012, 08:52:39 AM »

I think I remember that episode from the Sherlock Holmes story. Holmes has just listened,
with interest, to an explanation of the planetary system. On conclusion, he nods and then
remarks that he will now do his utmost to forget every bit of it. He didn't want to fill
his brain with useless information.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #2821 on:** August 19, 2012, 09:25:45 AM »

I can sympathise with that. These days I often feel like my floppy disc - or whatever it's now called - is full

marcie · « **Reply #2822 on:** August 19, 2012, 12:07:53 PM »

Salan, even though The Hunger Games is categorized as a young adult novel, I liked the book very much. It's part of a trilogy. Here's a synopsis from wikipedia for those who have not read The Hunger Games: "It is written in the voice of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem, where the countries of North America once existed. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, holds hegemony over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12 to 18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle to the death until only one person remains." I haven't seen the movie yet. The trailer made me think that it doesn't capture the book as well as it could. I'm glad to hear that you think the movie is worth watching.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #2823 on:** August 19, 2012, 12:47:08 PM »

Last night Madeleine & I watched 'Murder on the Orient Express' - I remember going to see this at the cinema when it first came out, so I was surprised by how poor the acting now seemed. David Suchet was still good, but a lot of the supporting cast were awful! Hugh Bonneville (of Downton Abbey) turned up as a rather cockney steward - I suppose that wouldn't have jarred so much if Downton wasn't so fresh in my mind, but it wasn't the only thing. Poirot is turned into a devout Catholic and shows none of the humour that makes him human in other films.

Isn't it funny how time changes our views on things?

Rosemary

marcie · « **Reply #2824 on:** August 19, 2012, 04:08:48 PM »

I saw that version too, Rosemary, and agree with your assessment.

A new series, COPPER, begins on BBC America tonight in the U.S. I don't usually watch a lot of crime drama so I'll have to see how I like it.

The clips show the excellent BBC production value of great photography and staging. COPPER is BBC America's first original scripted program after previously only airing shows from the United Kingdom and co-productions.

From the official website at http://www.bbcamerica.com/copper/about/

From Academy Award® winner Barry Levinson and Emmy® Award winner Tom Fontana, “Copper” is a gripping crime drama series, set in 1864 New York City, filled with intrigue, corruption, mystery and murder. Kevin Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones, “MI-5″), an Irish-American former boxer turned cop, returns from the Civil War to find his wife missing and his daughter dead. Corcoran seeks justice for the powerless in the notorious immigrant neighborhood of Five Points. Bonded by battle to two Civil War compatriots – the wayward son of a wealthy industrialist and an African-American physician who secretly assists the forensic investigations – Corcoran is thrust into the contrasting worlds of elegant and corrupt Fifth Avenue, and the emerging African-American community in Northern Manhattan. The three men share a secret from the battlefield that inextricably links their lives forever.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2825 on:** August 19, 2012, 04:51:41 PM »

Sounds intriguing.

salan · « **Reply #2826 on:** August 19, 2012, 06:31:18 PM »

Rosemary, I saw that version and agree with you. I felt like Poirot was completely misrepresented.
Sally

pedln · « **Reply #2827 on:** August 19, 2012, 07:16:18 PM »

Rosemary, I think it would be hard for any version of that film to beat the 1974 production with Albert Finney as Poirot and an all-star cast that included JOhn Gielgud, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, and so on.

Marcie, they were talking about COPPER on Morning Joe the other day and it sounds good. But I don't get BBC America with my cable.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #2828 on:** August 20, 2012, 06:06:11 AM »

Pedln - THANK YOU - the penny has just dropped! The one I saw ages ago at the cinema was the Albert Finney version! no wonder I didn't remember any of the David Suchet one! I will try to get the Albert Finney one from LoveFilm so that Madeleine can see it. I read a couple of reviews of the David Suchet one, and at least one said that the director had tried to make it fashionable and 'edgy' and had thereby ruined it.

Oh my ageing brain cells!

Rosemary

Babi · « **Reply #2829 on:** August 20, 2012, 09:02:13 AM »

MARCIE, did the trailer at all explain the idea behind this annual slaughter of youngsters?
what was all that in aid of?
We've got the first two episodes of "Copper" recorded. Now I'm eager to get into them. Sounds fascinating!

marjifay · « **Reply #2830 on:** August 20, 2012, 11:26:08 AM »

I see that COPPER is available at Netflix (4 discs). I'll give it a try.

I just watched a fascinating film from Netflix, THE YACOUBIAN BUILDING, after reading the short novel by an Egyptian writer, Alaa Al-Aswany, which was a best-seller in the Arab world. Set in Cairo in the 1990s, it tells the story of several people who live in the building along with the corruption, sexual repression, religious extremism of that country. What an odd culture. They constantly mention God, i.e. Alah wants this, Alah abhors that, but they then go ahead and do exactly what they want, that is, the upper class does. The lower class people are not so lucky. Parts are sad, like the young man who is very smart and desires to be a policeman. He passes all the written tests, but when he gets to the oral examination they ask "And what does your father do?" He tells them his father is a janitor. They then dismiss him abruptly, and he knows he can never be a policeman. And your heart aches for the women in the film. You can't help but care for the people and their problems and struggles, but thank Alah you don't live there.

Marj

marcie · « **Reply #2831 on:** August 20, 2012, 06:25:26 PM »

Babi, the annual hunger games (sort of a gladiator fight to death by two representatives from each district) are held to reinforce the Capitol's hold on the 12 districts...in remembrance of a previous rebellion against the Capitol by a 13th district, that was destroyed as punishment. The fighting in the book takes place in a sort of Star Trek holodeck world with different areas that provide shelter or danger, harmful or helpful plants, potential weapons, etc. I found it quite interesting.

ginny · « **Reply #2832 on:** August 20, 2012, 07:58:13 PM »

Babi you have a good memory, it was the subject of the Solar System which Holmes said now that he did know it he would do his best to forget it.

I'm reading it at a snail's pace, enjoying the wonderful writing, the humor and the characterization. We all know the stories (or we think we do) but the writing is just wonderful. Pat, I'm so much enjoying the humor and the way things are expressed. It's almost like reading it anew.

I'm enjoying looking up words, too, which I normally don't have to do: portmanteau. I knew it was a suitcase of some sort. Then I just remembered I have another annotated volume, with an introduction by John LeCarre ("Dr. Watson doesn't write to you, he talks to you, with Edwardian courtesy across a glowing fire.") oh man, and the original illustrations, and wonderful background. When this book came out in 2005 it was the rage to end all rages, and I never read it. It's a study in itself but A Study in Scarlet is not included as it was not in the Strand Magazine. But it's so full of background and the history of Sherlock Holmes.

I am loving it.

Pedln and Rosemary.

A Month at the Lake, that's it! I just saw Hope Springs and I thought Tommy Lee Jones did a great job. There also appear to be quite a few movies coming up before December that look promising.

Babi · « **Reply #2833 on:** August 21, 2012, 08:35:07 AM »

Boy, talk about punishment 'unto the third or fourth generation', and then some. So, it's a
way of keeping the 12 districts cowed. I can see where it would be interesting, tho', to see
how the combatants cope and the skills that allow them to survive. My ideal ending to the
trilogy, tho', would be for all the survivors from 20 years of so of combat to unite and tear
down the government. Thanks for the explanation, MARCIE. I'll probably try book one for myself
now.

GINNY, the really old stuff is well planted. It's the new stuff I have trouble assimilating.

JoanK · « **Reply #2834 on:** August 21, 2012, 03:11:43 PM »

" it was the subject of the Solar System which Holmes said now that he did know it he would do his best to forget it".

OK, now I have to tell my Sherlock Holmes joke again (It's the only joke I know!). Skip this if you've heard it.

Holmes and Watson go camping. Holmes says "Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what it means."

Watson looks and says " I see hundreds of stars, just like ours.

And around those stars are circling thousands of planets just like ours.

And on those planets could be tens of thousands of life forms just like ours, trying to communicate with us."

"No, you idiot" says Holmes. "It means someone has stolen our tent."

ginny · « **Reply #2835 on:** August 21, 2012, 09:01:28 PM »

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Shriek!! hahahaah Love it. I can't tell jokes or remember them, that's so cute, maybe I can remember it 5 minutes.

marcie · « **Reply #2836 on:** August 21, 2012, 09:41:26 PM »

LOL. JoanK, that's a good one!

marcie · « **Reply #2837 on:** August 21, 2012, 09:47:25 PM »

I watched the first episode of COPPER on BBC America. It was okay. I'll give it another episode to see where it goes.

salan · « **Reply #2838 on:** August 22, 2012, 05:58:24 AM »

Marcie, I watched Copper and felt the same way. It could turn out to be really good, but they could carry it too far with raw sexuality and "grittiness". Let's hope they don't. I like the setting, time period and characters.
Sally

jeriron · « **Reply #2839 on:** August 22, 2012, 08:22:04 AM »

I watched Copper too. I'm up in the air about liking it or not. It looks like it's going to be pretty violent. I'm so used to watching British detectives where they don't carry guns and most of the victims aren't killed with guns. And do I really care how the cop looks naked???
I really must be getting old.

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Author Topic: Movies & Books Into Movies (Read 592036 times)