What is the last movie you saw? and rate it.

[Janine]

I had to watch Apocalypse Now in english ;ast semester, after reading heart of Darkness. I too found it difficult to watch, which is wierd because I can watch pretty much anything. Actually, it was the part with the cow that really got to me. Interesting way to shoot the scene, having it paralelled ith the killing of Kurtz, but still aweful to watch.

*Classic*Charm*, I know exactly what you mean. Something in a film can just leave you with a permanent disturbing image. I had that happen in the "Godfather". I still recall too well the scene when they cut the head off the thorobred horse and put it in the man's bed. I don't know why, but that disturbed me more than some other graphic murder scenes in the film. So seeing a cow mutilated just, might have the same reaction on me. I did not like the opening scene in the opera on film of "Carmen" - a real bullfight. I hated seeing the poor helpless animal taunted and stabbed countless times and then killed. I could not go see a bullfight -it would be too disturbing.

Longitude ~ Michael Gambon, Jeremy Irons

Directed by Charles Strurridge (he directed Brideshead
Revisited, Shackleton, etc.)

I thought it was an excellent production (a little long) but very well done. I like the way the two stories, past and present, were intertwined: seemed to work well, seamless transitions between scenes. I love stories involving ship travel, especially at the time of the tall sailing ships, 1700's. I also loved the idea of restoring of the clocks that were designed to work aboard the ships. I love true stores and this one fascinated me, especially that the man who invented the ship clock to calculate longitude was treated so badly and had a hard time getting his just award. He was responsible for one of the greatest inventions to man and yet the academic world rejected him based on the fact he was a lowly carpenter. Thank God another man knew the importance of restoring the clocks - they had been across the world on hazzardous journeys several times - what history was there rotting away in a basement in storage. He took the time and patience to preserve one of the greatest inventions to man - one that saved millions of lives and changed the whole system of navigation.
I would highly recommend this film. I can tell you it is not for those thinking ship travel is glamorous. If anything it showed the hard hard conditions abroad ships - a wonder anyone really survived back then. Gave me greater regard and respect for those fearless souls, and I thought of the Pilgrims, who journeyed so far to make a difference.
I have decided I can't rate a film...too hard to put a number on it. They all are so diffferent.

[andave_ya]

You guys are right about LOTR.
I however am thoroughly in love with it. Even if they destroyed Faramir, made Arwen a wimp, villainized Denethor and put that ridiculous part about Aragorn falling into the river.
And I really love the soundtracks. I'm saving up to buy the complete recordings.

[Janine]

You guys are right about LOTR.
I however am thoroughly in love with it. Even if they destroyed Faramir, made Arwen a wimp, villainized Denethor and put that ridiculous part about Aragorn falling into the river.
And I really love the soundtracks. I'm saving up to buy the complete recordings.

andave_ya, you are entitled to your opinion and your own taste in films. I have one of the soundtracks and love it. Sounds like a good plan. Go for it!

[Shalot]

I saw The Guardian with Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher. This is one of those formulaic hereo movies.

As I watched, I kept remembering scenes from Top Gun. First, there was the first day of rescue swimmer school, when Ashton Kutcher's cocky character announces to the class that he will break all of Kevin Costner's swimming records, only to find out that Kevin Costner's character will be teaching the class.

Then there is the bar scene and Ashton Kutcher's character makes a bet that he can take the girl home.

And finally, there were those Ray Ban sunglasses he had on.

(sorry, I can't remember the character's names. At least Top Gun had memorable names and everyone knew which one was Maverick and which one was Goose).

I like Ashton Kutcher. He's not a terrible actor, but he's more entertaining playing Michael Kelso and he should definitely stay away from Southern-esque accents.

Kevin Costner was believable. Nothing about his performance detracted from the movie so I will give it a 7/10

[Niamh]

Oh boy, Niamh, you're so adorably Irish
I hope you are doing better .

oh dear, sometimes i dont realise how irish i actually am!

Schokokeks ~ Yes, she is!

I second that - hope you are better today.

Thank you you two! i think both of you are lovely people too!
am feeling much beter thank you. Just still have a bit of a cough and runny nose.
how are you feeling Janine?

[Janine]

oh dear, sometimes i dont realise how irish i actually am!
Thank you you two! i think both of you are lovely people too!
am feeling much beter thank you. Just still have a bit of a cough and runny nose.
how are you feeling Janine?

Niamh, first off I love it that you are so Irish. I can almost imagine your darling accent. Of course, you would think I had an accent as well... One cannot be too Irish and I think you are a lovely person, too!
Well, finally I think I can say I am on the upswing with this lousy illness. I had the runny nose quite a long time and the cough hangs on forever, but all of a sudden I am not needing as much medication (just the over the counter Robitussen). I am sick of taking the med - it tastes bad and leaves a flavor behind. I will try today to go without it; I have cut the dose in half successfully. If you can try getting some Niamh, it seemed to make the difference and helped me sleep better in order to get well. Thanks for asking about my cold and I hope yours in better soon, too.


Now for the movie I watched: well does a DVD of an opera count? I will list it regardless.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tosca" by Giacomo Puccini
featuring Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu, also Ruggero Raimondi
A Film by Benoit Jacquot

A friend on Lit Net kindly sent me a CD video she copied of this opera on film; it made me highly interested in the two singers, who are married to each other. The filming is so wonderful - the sets are simple but dramatic. Of course the Puccini music is magnificent! I finally bought the DVD to view it on my TV screen, because the CD I could only view on my computer and it would not work correctly with the sound sync.
It was a real treat viewing this amazing opera last night. It has all the drama to satisfy a true tragerian like myself. I am appreciating more and more opera, as I already do ballet. I have seen quite a number of each on DVD's and I have expanded my viewing and knowledge of the arts in this way. I am glad they are now available on DVD or VHS, for viewing so easily in one's home. Unfortunately, I have never seen a live opera, but I have seen many ballets live. I would rate this fine film highly, but I don't normally like to assign numbers. For this type film I would, however, give it a 10/10.

[literaturerocks]

I recently watched "One Night with the King"... It was a love story and it was mediocre. The story was alright but it didnt particularly intrest me. I would give it a 4/10.

[Idril]

I just watched The Tin Drum, a German film from 1979. I finished the book a few days ago so I thought I would check out the movie and as always, the book is much better. The movie wasn't bad though, odd and disturbing like the novel but it lacked much of it's dark humor which I think was a great loss.

[manolia]

I just watched The Tin Drum, a German film from 1979. I finished the book a few days ago so I thought I would check out the movie and as always, the book is much better. The movie wasn't bad though, odd and disturbing like the novel but it lacked much of it's dark humor which I think was a great loss.

Hmmm..I've been meaning to see this movie for ages. I know it to be one of the best german movies..and i am a huge fan of german cinema. I admit though that i knew nothing about the book . I wonder if you could say a bit (both about the movie and film).

[manolia]

oh dear, sometimes i dont realise how irish i actually am!

Hey Niamh you are irish??? I like irish people . I've met a few during a certain holiday abroad and i had the best impressions. Though i admit that i couldn't easily understand what they were saying to me and they had to speak to me reaaaaly slow (i felt like a retard). I also like seeing movies about Ireland. I recently saw "The wind that shakes the Barley" and it moved me to tears (almost. I am a tough girl).

[Idril]

Hmmm..I've been meaning to see this movie for ages. I know it to be one of the best german movies..and i am a huge fan of german cinema. I admit though that i knew nothing about the book . I wonder if you could say a bit (both about the movie and film).

Well, this is the description on the netflix envelope the movie came in:
...Young Oskar Matzerath, who grows up witnessing the rise of Nazism at the eve of World War II, decides at the age 3 to stop growing -- effectively shutting out the world and communicating only by banging on his tin drum. Voker Scholondorff's epic unfolds with cinematic artistry, psychological insight, political vision and symbolic richness.

That's a pretty simplified explanation of things but the movie is simpler and has a tighter focus than the book. It leaves out many of Oskar's solo wanderings, sticking primarily to his relationships with his family members and the movie ends well before the book, ending with their flight to the west. The action takes place, for the most part, in Danzig which until I read this book, I thought was in Germany. I guess I'm just your typical geographically impaired American. And the movie was very straightforward in a way I didn't find the book to be. The book has a very wicked, dark underlying humor to it that is absolutely wonderful and completely missing from the movie and the book is very surreal in places, there are times when you get the impression that what is going on in Oskar's mind isn't necessarily reality or that Oskar's interpretation of events isn't what your average person's would be and I didn't get a sense of that at all in the movie. I most definitely think the movie is worth watching but I think the book is even more worth reading.

[EAP]

300 - Impressive cinematography, adernalin pumping battle scenes, yawn inducing plot.

[manolia]

Well, this is the description on the netflix envelope the movie came in:
...Young Oskar Matzerath, who grows up witnessing the rise of Nazism at the eve of World War II, decides at the age 3 to stop growing -- effectively shutting out the world and communicating only by banging on his tin drum. Voker Scholondorff's epic unfolds with cinematic artistry, psychological insight, political vision and symbolic richness.

That's a pretty simplified explanation of things but the movie is simpler and has a tighter focus than the book. It leaves out many of Oskar's solo wanderings, sticking primarily to his relationships with his family members and the movie ends well before the book, ending with their flight to the west. The action takes place, for the most part, in Danzig which until I read this book, I thought was in Germany. I guess I'm just your typical geographically impaired American. And the movie was very straightforward in a way I didn't find the book to be. The book has a very wicked, dark underlying humor to it that is absolutely wonderful and completely missing from the movie and the book is very surreal in places, there are times when you get the impression that what is going on in Oskar's mind isn't necessarily reality or that Oskar's interpretation of events isn't what your average person's would be and I didn't get a sense of that at all in the movie. I most definitely think the movie is worth watching but I think the book is even more worth reading.

Thanx very much Idril! It seems that a typical geographically impaired American addresses a typical geographically impaired Greek. I am clueless as to the whereabouts of Danzig
It sounds very interesting (the book i mean). As to the movie i guess it falls in the usual category: movies you enjoy best if you haven't read the book. So i should first see the movie and then read the book in order to get the most of them. Thanx again.

[Idril]

Thanx very much Idril! It seems that a typical geographically impaired American addresses a typical geographically impaired Greek. I am clueless as to the whereabouts of Danzig

It's in Poland and now called Gdansk which I knew was in Poland, I just didn't know they were the same place ...but in my defence, I know it was occupied by Germany at some point.

[Domer121]

I had to take some kids I was sitting to "Meet the Robinsons 3-D"
I have to say it was much better than the last few kids movies(i.e Cars,Flicka,etc" but I don't think it is as good as the classic kids movies( i.e The Lion King, Bambi, Lady and the Tramp) but still worth seeing... and the 3-D wasn't bad either, though the glasses they give you are really small, so it was hard for me to keep them on...


all in all 7-10