Author Topic: Movies & Books Into Movies (Read 588671 times)

Steph · « **Reply #320 on:** September 18, 2009, 08:34:38 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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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

Newest book to for sure make a movie would be the new Dan Brown..

mabel1015j · « **Reply #321 on:** September 18, 2009, 01:35:20 PM »

Watched The Other Boelyn girl, last night. I had read the book, but had not yet seen the movie. Does anyone know if the "mary story" has any validity? They rushed thru the Anne/Henry marriage pretty quickly. It seemed as tho the director suddenly realized that s/he had spent too much time on the pre-marriage segments and now had to finish.

The beach scene when Anne returned from France was almost identical to the opening scenes in The Lion in Winter.................the settings and wardrobe were beautful and very interesting to see. I did get a little tired of seeing Henry purposely striding down the hallways. But mostly the acting was good ...................jean

Babi · « **Reply #322 on:** September 19, 2009, 08:48:09 AM »

Hmmm! I don't know, JEAN. From what you describe, I think I'd rather
re-view "Lion in Winter". I do get annoyed with movies that have to fill in
the plot with lots of 'striding down halls' blank spaces.

Steph · « **Reply #323 on:** September 19, 2009, 02:27:44 PM »

Lion in Winter was a better movie, but the actors were better, so it follows the movie would be. I saw this one.. I have always been intrigued by the Boleyn family and the answer is yes... Henrys first interest was Mary.. But no idea whether Anne cared. At that moment she was enthralled by a Border lord named ( I think) Percy..

pedln · « **Reply #324 on:** September 29, 2009, 09:29:50 AM »

Has anyone read anything by Susan Minot? Over the weekend I watched Evening from her book with the same title, with Vanessa Redgrave, Hugh Dancy and also in small roles, Glenn Close and Meryl Streep.

It was okay, jumped around a lot, but I enjoyed it -- probably a Netflix 3. Vanessa Redgrave is an amazing actress. She plays a terminally ill old woman and is still the star. Reviewers say the book is so much better. Well, sure, aren't they always.

ginny · « **Reply #325 on:** September 30, 2009, 09:18:06 PM »

Oh good, movies too! That's a natural with this group of astute viewers. I've got the popcorn! Thank you Pedln for this expansion.

I've just seen (for the 4th time) Valentino The Last Emperor. I'm obsessed with it. It's fabulous. DID you see it and what did you think of it? The DVD has 4 I think bonus films on it, I've seen each about 5 times each.

It won 9 awards and was the highest rated documentary this year by far. JUST out on DVD.

Now a new movie, also highly acclaimed, has come out on Coco Chanel, is it a documentary, too? What IS it with designers in this depression? Is it like the last depression and the Ziegfeld girls? They are in Valentino, too.

I loved Valentino, barely knew who he was and it's absolutely charming.As it turned out I happened to stumble into his last 45th anniversary show at the Ara Pacis in Rome in 2007.

This is my photo but you can see the same thing in the movie:

Funny, after waiting so long for the Ara Pacis to open, I was somewhat put off to see the fashion there, and he didn't want it there as he said he never liked the Ara Pacis and it turned out to be brilliant, I learned something from the experience, and he ended up liking it and showing Karl Lagerfeld around who also liked it. The movie's got a lot in it.

I can't run downstairs like that 77 year old man, I can tell you that, loved it, just loved it.

What a world he lives in, which he's created around himself. Have any of you seen it? It's hard to leave.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #326 on:** October 01, 2009, 03:54:09 PM »

I watched Some Came Running yesterday on TCM. It is from a James Jones novel.

The script was bad, but Frank Sinatra and Shirley McClain were good and fun to watch. Altho Vincente Minelli directed the movie, it had some strange action in it.

I have such an ambiguous feeling about Frank S. He was a good actor, but the stories about him make me think i would not have liked him as a person. Of course, there are stories of his generosity and kindness as well as his arrogance, bullying and mafia connections. He apparently was kind to Sammie DAvis and Mia Britt ( I don't think that's the way you spell her first name - i have forgotten) at a time when their marriage was controvesial. Dean Martin is not a good actor, but i like looking at him

, and he does have a comic sense that i like. ........... jean

mrssherlock · « **Reply #327 on:** October 01, 2009, 04:36:17 PM »

Mabel: I feel the same way, almost guilty for enjoying his acting and his singing, since he was not at all a nice man.

Babi · « **Reply #328 on:** October 02, 2009, 08:24:57 AM »

Face it, ladies. Talent is not confined to the pure of heart. Not that there's
too many of those around. Acknowledgement and appreciation of a gift is not approval of the bad behavior of the possessor. The talent doesn't excuse the
behavior, but the behavior doesn't negate the talent.
I think Frank Sinatra falls into the category of the survivor...the man who became what he was because he had to do so to survive and succeed. And where he could, it seems he put out a hand to help others survive and succeed as well.
There are many authors with rough and/or questionable backgrounds. The quality of their work still has to stand on its own merits.

ginny · « **Reply #329 on:** October 02, 2009, 09:48:17 AM »

Well think about it a minute: why would you want to act, anyway?

pedln · « **Reply #330 on:** October 02, 2009, 01:26:04 PM »

Quote

Talent is not confined to the pure of heart.

Babi, I love that. So true. And who was that bad boy of tennis? And just this week Timothy Egan at the NYT had his editorial about presidential secrets. Oooh, some of the things they said about other people.

You may have noticed in the heading, we don’t just talk books and movies any more. We all want to know all about all the things you view, and how you like them -- or not. There’ll be some other changes coming to the heading, including some new links.

Speaking of or not – last night I watched, but didn’t finish the Mayles documentary of the Beales of Gray Gardens. I think it will be my first ever Netflix 1 star – I really hated it. It just didn’t seem to be any more than a stream of consciousness. I’m still keeping the movie version of their life on my Netflix queue because I’d like to know more about their lives, just not from their mouths. Must admit, though, the wardrobe – sad, but interesting.

Ginny, interesting about the Valentino film. And thanks for the picture. He’s 77 and can run downstairs? Lucky.

Let's hear from you. What is everyone watching these days?

marjifay · « **Reply #331 on:** October 02, 2009, 03:52:52 PM »

I watched THAT FORSYTE WOMAN, the 1949 film with Greer Garson, Errol Flynn, Robert Young, and Janet Leigh. I had never watched a Greer Garson film, and this was an interesting one. Not a role she usually played. Errol Flynn was great as her cold, jealous husband, except I'd always heard he was gay, so that bothered me a bit as I watched him playing her husband. Robert Young IMO was very miscast as her lover, and it was a different role for him, as well as Garson. I hadn't recognized Janet Leigh until I looked at the cast list after watching the film, but she was also very good.

Now I want to read the John Galsworthy trilogy, THE FORSYTE SAGA (also made into a TV movie I had seen.)

Oh yes, and my son took me to the drive-in to see Bruce Willis's latest, Surrogates. Has anyone seen it, or am I the only one who likes Bruce Willis films? This was about a future world where people live in isolation in their homes and have robot surrogates do their work and interact with the outside world for them. I don't care much for these new sci-fi technology films (hard for me to follow, and I had a hard time figuring out who was the human and who was the surrogate.) I've seen better Willis films.

Marj

pedln · « **Reply #332 on:** October 02, 2009, 04:06:52 PM »

Is Greer Garson the actress who said "I vant to be alone."?

My mother and aunt were always using that quote for some reason or other, usually when I was pestering them.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #333 on:** October 02, 2009, 04:41:39 PM »

/GretaGarbo.

marjifay · « **Reply #334 on:** October 02, 2009, 04:47:27 PM »

No, that was the Swedish actress Greta Garbo who said "I vant to be alone." I don't think I ever watched one of her movies for more than a few minutes. That's all I could stand of her acting.

Marj

pedln · « **Reply #335 on:** October 02, 2009, 05:21:08 PM »

I knew Greer Garson was wrong, but couldn't think of who else began with "G"

PatH · « **Reply #336 on:** October 02, 2009, 08:00:55 PM »

Marjifay, the Forsyte Saga is actually 6 books, but you don't have to read them all. They kind of shift down to later generations, and you can stop if you get tired of it. The first ones are the best. There were 2 TV series. I saw the first one many decades ago. It was a perfect job of translating book to screen. The second one got good reviews too, but I didn't see it.

I haven't seen "Surrogates", but I do like Bruce Willis. Checking his movies in IMDB, I see I've seen 12 Monkeys, The 5th Element, and 6th Sense. Maybe I like all his movies with numbers in them. I'm good on sci-fi, maybe I should see Surrogates, even without a number. Which Willis films do you like?

mrssherlock · « **Reply #337 on:** October 02, 2009, 11:21:26 PM »

Speaking of Sf are you watching Flashforward on TV? for 150 seconds, the same 150 seconds, the entire world blacks out. Ths is the story of the survivors.

Also on the SF TV front the BBC series Primeval has been renewed for two more "seasons". In this one there are intermittent gates called events to Earth's prehistory. They are discovered when these strange animals start popping up, first around a particular woodland outside London. Then rogue events appear and the situation goes downhill. Check this one out at Netflix.

Babi · « **Reply #338 on:** October 03, 2009, 09:10:58 AM »

I enjoy Bruce Willis films, MARJ. They are brash and crammed full of
derring-do, but Willis looks tough enough to pull it off. "The Sixth
Sense" was a departure from his usual tough guy roles and gave him more
scope as an actor, IMO. It was a very good film. I'm planning on seeing
"Surrogates" when Netflix has it.
I've seen the opening show of "Flash Forward" and it immediately had me
thinking/talking about my ideas re. future events. I'll continue watching
it unless it turns into a soap opera with only that one SF event as a
starting point.
I'd never heard about "Primeval" until you mentioned it here, JACKIE. It sounds
interesting, tho'. I'll have to check Netflix for it.

ginny · « **Reply #339 on:** October 03, 2009, 09:33:49 AM »

Oh I am too, on the death of John Mortimer, and he wrote other things as well, good writer.

Pedln!! At last, somebody who has seen one of the Beale documentaries, but you hated it! One star? Why? Did you find it exploitative? Did you know that when Big Edie died Little Edie would not allow the Maysles at her funeral?

What did you think of it, tell all!

The second film, The Beales of Grey Gardens, the outtakes and rejects from the original was it 1970's documentary I think you're talking about, presented them in a more positive light and in fact they were quite impressive as strange as that sounds. All that hit the cutting room floor.

What did you hate about it? Them? The way the movie was shot? The fact it was shot at all?

Do tell! One good thing it did was bring them help from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Frybabe · « **Reply #340 on:** October 03, 2009, 09:59:51 AM »

Armageddon, 12 Monkeys, The 5th Element, Mercury Rising, 6th Sense, Tears of the Sun. I suppose I could go on. Bruce Willis has been a busy boy. Looks like a bunch more coming in the next two years according to the IMBD list. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000246/

I was particularly fascinated by his drooling scene in 12 Monkeys. Not real interested in his Die Hard series though.

pedln · « **Reply #341 on:** October 03, 2009, 11:54:49 AM »

Ginny, re: Beales. I had thought it was going to be the original documentary. It wasn't. It was left over footage from the original 1973 production. So, I was clueless about what was going on and the people they referred to, and to me it was just a lot of prancing around (little Edie) and talking about whatever popped into their minds.

Perhaps I'll try it again after I see the HBO film version which is on my queue. (After I watch the other 168 titles there

)

marjifay · « **Reply #342 on:** October 03, 2009, 02:13:05 PM »

I guess my favorite Bruce Willis films were Pulp Fiction and Sixth Sense, both great. Also liked The Jackal, Fifth Element and his Die Hard films.
I see I missed 12 Monkeys -- will have to get that one.

Jackie, I saw the advertisement for Flashforward, but missed it. Do you or anyone know what night and channel it's on?

Primeval sounds good. I'll look into that one.

Marj

mrssherlock · « **Reply #343 on:** October 03, 2009, 02:58:32 PM »

Flashforward was on last night. See here: http://abc.go.com/watch/flashforward/235637?partner=rm&cid=KNC-rm+flashforward_title_fall_launch+google+flashforward

marjifay · « **Reply #344 on:** October 03, 2009, 04:22:38 PM »

Thanks so much, Jackie. Looks like I can see the first episode here after all.

Marj

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #345 on:** October 04, 2009, 02:19:24 PM »

A good movie I got from Netflix: "Outsourced". A company outsources its fulfillment center to India, and sends a young manager to train his successor. Culture clash ensues. Terrifically funny, and sad.
A very clean movie, no killing, gore, cursing.

Also, "New In Town" with Renee Zellweger & Harry Connick,Jr. Predictable with slapstick comedy, and lots of funny lines. Also, culture shock from going to Minnesota from Miami (in the dead of winter). Not great filmmaking but totally enjoyable on the lighter side of the spectrum. Basically good, clean fun!

Mippy · « **Reply #346 on:** October 05, 2009, 10:39:10 AM »

Hi, everyone! Hi, Pedln, amica mea!

I guess all you movie watchers don't share a TV set with a husband who is into Baseball with a Capital B. We are watching the playoffs this week, followed by the World you-know-what, so no movies for me right now.

Friends and I were talking last week about the movie Marley!
Did everyone here see it? Like it? EA in our Latin class heard John Grogan speak in person in PA a year or two ago. I especially loved the Boca Raton parts because we've been to a few of the places in the movie. Of course, I assume it's not a spoiler to say the ending was not anyone's favorite part. But I'm a big-dog lover, so I loved all the dog scenes.

Babi · « **Reply #347 on:** October 06, 2009, 08:15:11 AM »

Declaration of Independence, MIPPY. Smaller TVs are fairly inexpensive now. Unless you husband can't do without your 'participation' in viewing the baseball games, get one of your own and retire to another room to watch what you please.

Mippy · « **Reply #348 on:** October 06, 2009, 09:07:00 AM »

Babi ~ You are so sweet to write that,

but there's an unusual dynamic going on. My husband
suffered a severe heart attack last winter, so every moment
we spend sitting together ... boo-ing the Yankees, haha ... is a
treasured moment!

Movies can always be watched when it isn't baseball season!

Babi · « **Reply #349 on:** October 07, 2009, 08:40:09 AM »

Ah, of course, that makes a big difference, MIPPY. I fully understand; enjoy every minute with your DH.

ginny · « **Reply #350 on:** October 10, 2009, 07:27:32 PM »

Tomereader, thank you for your recommendation of "Outsourced". I read up on it and put it in my Netflix queue, it sounds great. Something like Gung Ho with Michael Keaton and the Japanese taking over a local automobile plant, which I loved.

If I could stop watching Valentino I'd be in good shape. I guess it's time to send it back to Netflix since my own copy has come.

Babi · « **Reply #351 on:** October 11, 2009, 09:05:54 AM »

Val and I started watching a movie called "Tell No One". After a short while
we looked at each other and agreed it was really boring and watched something else instead.

pedln · « **Reply #352 on:** October 11, 2009, 04:45:58 PM »

You won't be disappointed with Outsourced, Ginny. It has an interesting, unique plot. Very enjoyable.

Babi, I'm sorry you didn't like Tell No One -- that's based on the book by Harlan Coben. I liked it, but that may be in part because I saw it on the big screen in New York. Theatres here rarely show any foreign films with English subtitles, so I always try to seek them out when I go to the big city.

Has Girl with the Dragon Tattoo made it to the States, yet? I was so surprised when I found a trailer of it and it had subtitles (most of them don't). But they were in Swedish. PatW said her grandkids got a DVD of it from cousins in Sweden and it had English subtitles.

There will be some more changes in the heading -- look for a few new links.

I'm in the market for a new DVD player, and boy, have I learned a lot by checking out reviews, etc. My old one takes 2 minutes to show up on screen, saying "bad disc" and then another 2 minutes to load and start working. And if you stop for more than 15 minutes it won't pick up where you left off. I was half considering Blu-Ray, but they're still working on the technology and you have to update them with "firmware" every so often from you computer. And that seemed to cause problems for a lot of folks. Is it just because the age clock is ticking or are things getting more complicated? Am going to stick with plain old stick-it-in-and-watch for now.

MaryZ, you really have a gem with your Phillips DVR player/recorder with hard drive, etc. Nobody is making that sort of thing anymore, and if you can find the Phillips, it's price has more than tripled what it used to sell for. I hope my ancient VCR lasts because it would totally gall me to have to pay a monthly fee just to tape a program or two.

Remember -- there's another new Inspector Lewis coming on tonight on my PBS channels.

Babi · « **Reply #353 on:** October 12, 2009, 09:22:59 AM »

My PBS station had two Inspector Lewis films on last night, probably because
they are playing catch-up. I watched the first last night and will watch the second today. I am still having so much fun with the little one-liner zingers
between Lewis and Hathaway. If you're not paying attention you'll miss them.

marjifay · « **Reply #354 on:** October 13, 2009, 05:09:54 PM »

I just saw the best film I've seen all year! My son took me yesterday to
Los Angeles to see a new film, A SERIOUS MAN, a comedy/drama -- Wonderful! But no wonder, since it's a Coen Brothers film. It will make you laugh and wince at the same time at all the things that happen to this poor man, and will leave you thinking for quite a while. The cast, altho' not well known, should all get awards. Don't miss it!

Marj

mrssherlock · « **Reply #355 on:** October 13, 2009, 07:34:52 PM »

Thanks, Marjifay, I'm a Coen Brothers fan so I'll be sure this one is on my list.

Babi · « **Reply #356 on:** October 14, 2009, 09:11:24 AM »

I must confess I never pay much attention to who produces and directs the
films I watch. I'm just there to enjoy the story. Reading the posts from MARJ
& JACKIE, I decided to go check out the Coen Brothers.
Well, what do you know! I found some of my favorite movies in their list.
I really so need to start paying more attention.

pedln · « **Reply #357 on:** October 15, 2009, 10:38:39 AM »

You’re one smart lady, Babi. Like you, I’ve paid little attention to directors and producers. Maybe it’s about time. Anyway, here’s a listing of their films, and a link to more about them.

Coen Brothers Films

A Serious Man (2009)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Paris , je t'aime(2007)
The Ladykillers (2004)
Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
The Man Who Wasn't There(2001)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Fargo (1996)
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
Barton Fink (1991)
Miller's Crossing (1990)
Raising Arizona (1987)
Blood Simple (1985)

Coen Brothers

A Serious Man sounds like a good one. I'm going to put it on my Netflix list.

Take a look above -- thanks to PatW the heading has changed.

PatH · « **Reply #358 on:** October 15, 2009, 08:43:06 PM »

Pedln, the reviews of "A Serious Man" make it sound like a good bet. The only 2 Coen brothers films I've actually seen are "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (the Odyssey retold) and "Fargo", both stellar.

Babi · « **Reply #359 on:** October 16, 2009, 08:16:21 AM »

Pat, I've seen those two, plus "No Country for Old Men". I now have a healthy respect for the
Coen Bros. I want to add "Serious Man" to my queue also. Maybe "The Man Who Wasn't There", also; that sounds intriguing.

News:

Author Topic: Movies & Books Into Movies (Read 588671 times)