---with my plantings still taking time. Finally finished and now it is just keeping everything watered and looking good.
This week I watched:
Heat (1995) Robert DiNiro, Al Pacino. Dinero is the outlaw. Pacino is the cop. Their battle of wits is the movie. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113277/
Murder At 1600 (1997) Wesley Snipes, Diane Lane, Alan Alda. A murder in the White House and the cover-up that seems to involve the Presidents son, the Secret Service and various officials on the Presidents staff. Good mystery. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119731/
The DaVinci Code (2007) Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382625/
A new month and planting all done. Hope to get out to see some of the action films on the movie screen. Summertime.......
May 31, 2009
May 28, 2009
May flowers keeps me from watching films.....
.....but I have finally caught up enough to watch a few films without falling asleep in the middle.
Two in memorium for the WWII vets still with us:
They Were Expendable (1945) John Ford directs Robert Montgomery, John Wayne. Battles up to the loss of Bataan in WWII. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038160/
A Walk In The Sun (1946) Richard Conte, Dana Andrews, John Ireland. WWII invasion of Italy. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038235/
Two films from the 1960s:
Marnie (1964) Alfred Hitchcocks "Marnie" for the umptenth time. Sean Connery & Tippi Hedron. When Connery runs his lips down Marnie's face to her mouth, I just about die. Focused in super closeup; the music helps make it a very erotic scene. Love the whole film. I can watch it again and again, even if it is distrurbing, knowing what we know now as stalking and entrapment. Hitch had issues. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058329/
In the Heat Of The Night (1967) Sidney Poitier, Rod Stiger, Lee Grant, Warren Oates. Second viewing of this one in the last 6 months. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061811/
Junior Bonner (1972) Sam Peckinpaugh film starring Steve McQueen. Steve boasted he liked to go through his scripts and take out dialog, "because the camera lets me show with my face what is going on" or some such. This is one script we needed a little more talking so we know what the heck is going on. 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068786/
Heat (1995) Robert DiNiro, Al Pacino. Dinero is the outlaw. Pacino is the cop. Their battle of wits is the movie. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113277/
Please! (1999) Short 15 minute film starring Gerard Butler. Intense morality tale about the danger of having guns around. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286899/
A Map Of The World (1999) Sigourney Weaver, David Strathairn, Julianne Moore. Good actors in a story of a horrible accident in a small farming community that ruins two families lives. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160513/
The Jewel Of The Sahara (2001) Short film starring Gerard Butler. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291277/
Now that I have my planting mostly done, my schedule will be more normal; I'll get back to my summer movie watching. Haven't been to a theater to see a film for months. I miss it. I have a list for the next few weeks, of films coming out that I want to see on the big screen. We'll see. Stuff keeps happening.
Two in memorium for the WWII vets still with us:
They Were Expendable (1945) John Ford directs Robert Montgomery, John Wayne. Battles up to the loss of Bataan in WWII. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038160/
A Walk In The Sun (1946) Richard Conte, Dana Andrews, John Ireland. WWII invasion of Italy. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038235/
Two films from the 1960s:
Marnie (1964) Alfred Hitchcocks "Marnie" for the umptenth time. Sean Connery & Tippi Hedron. When Connery runs his lips down Marnie's face to her mouth, I just about die. Focused in super closeup; the music helps make it a very erotic scene. Love the whole film. I can watch it again and again, even if it is distrurbing, knowing what we know now as stalking and entrapment. Hitch had issues. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058329/
In the Heat Of The Night (1967) Sidney Poitier, Rod Stiger, Lee Grant, Warren Oates. Second viewing of this one in the last 6 months. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061811/
Junior Bonner (1972) Sam Peckinpaugh film starring Steve McQueen. Steve boasted he liked to go through his scripts and take out dialog, "because the camera lets me show with my face what is going on" or some such. This is one script we needed a little more talking so we know what the heck is going on. 7/10
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068786/
Heat (1995) Robert DiNiro, Al Pacino. Dinero is the outlaw. Pacino is the cop. Their battle of wits is the movie. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113277/
Please! (1999) Short 15 minute film starring Gerard Butler. Intense morality tale about the danger of having guns around. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286899/
A Map Of The World (1999) Sigourney Weaver, David Strathairn, Julianne Moore. Good actors in a story of a horrible accident in a small farming community that ruins two families lives. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160513/
The Jewel Of The Sahara (2001) Short film starring Gerard Butler. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291277/
Now that I have my planting mostly done, my schedule will be more normal; I'll get back to my summer movie watching. Haven't been to a theater to see a film for months. I miss it. I have a list for the next few weeks, of films coming out that I want to see on the big screen. We'll see. Stuff keeps happening.
May 10, 2009
Gardening and being outdoors-------
---kept me from watching films this week. I did see these two:
My DVD
Michael Clayton (2007) George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkenson. The 'fixer' for a large insurance company gets caught in a snare. His manuevers are interesting and good acting and locations keep the tension and interest. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465538/
On TCM
Freaky Friday (1977) Jody Foster, Barbara Harris, John Austin. The switcheroo - this time between the mother and daughter - may have been entertaining in '77, but was just not funny. I only laughed once. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076054/
Maybe I can sqeeze in a few more this coming week. I have trouble staying awake. Hahaha!
My DVD
Michael Clayton (2007) George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkenson. The 'fixer' for a large insurance company gets caught in a snare. His manuevers are interesting and good acting and locations keep the tension and interest. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465538/
On TCM
Freaky Friday (1977) Jody Foster, Barbara Harris, John Austin. The switcheroo - this time between the mother and daughter - may have been entertaining in '77, but was just not funny. I only laughed once. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076054/
Maybe I can sqeeze in a few more this coming week. I have trouble staying awake. Hahaha!
May 04, 2009
Westerns, Easterns, and Angie!.....
This week I watched:
Tombstone (1993) Kurt Russell,Val Kilmer, Powers Booth, Sam Elliott. Wyatt Earp and his brothers want to retire from gunfighting and live in peace in Tombstone. The Clantons and Johnny Ringo have other ideas. Familiar story is well made and interesting. This was shown of the History Channel with commentary by historians on how accurate it is to what is known of the real Earps and others in the story. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108358/
Wyatt Earp (1994) Kevin Costner, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman. According to the 2 historians commenting on the History Ch. this is the most accurate of the films made about the Earps. Very interesting, especially Quaid as Doc Holliday, and Hackman as the father of the boys and how he raised them. Great staging of the Clayton-Earp showdown at the O.K. Corral. Enjoyed it all. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111756/
Attila (2001) Gerard Butler, Powers Booth, Tim Curry. My DVD of this TV mini-series I originally saw on the A & E channel. Not accurate in the way the title character looked, from the only picture we have of the real Attila. But that was done by his enemies. This is a beautiful boy and man and the story is filmed in lovely surroundings. All that said, I still enjoy it just as I did the two nights I watched it in 2001. Butler is quiet and I can't take my eyes off him when he is on screen. Still rate it 9/10. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259127/
Beverly Hills Chiwauwau (2008) P-U! This stinks up the house. I thought the doggies would be cute and funny, but what they did to these dogs is a crime. Trickery to make their mouths look like they are speaking, just ruins their looks and makes the whole thing stupid. And the human? Is she? Horrible, horrible. If I could I would rate it zero, but 1 is all they let you chose. 1/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1014775/
Changeling (2008) Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan. Very interesting film, based on an actual case in Los Angeles. In 1928 a woman working at the telephone company is called back to work for a few hours after her shift and leaves her young son home alone. When she gets back home, he is gone. Her frantic hunt through the neighborhood and report to the police, set in motion a strange and bewildering series of events that eventually lead to her being incarcerated in an insane asylum. At this point, a crusading radio preacher takes up her case, and the public pressure to release women locked up for only minor infractions, become so intense the courts finally start to do something about the corrupt police department. Good story and acting. As a preteen during WWII, I can say conditions were not much better even then. Husbands could and did, lock up women if they were too troublesome. Jolie does very well, trying to seem rational when the authorities are driving the woman mad with indifference and outright lies. Donovan is great as a man doing the dirty work for the Chief and the politicians. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0824747/
Body Of Lies (2008) Leonardo diCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong. Very complicated story of agents in the field and their controls at Langley, CIA headquarters. Leo is the Jordan agent. Crowe his control. I didn't like either character. They use people, lie, cheat, sneer, and are just about scum. But, I guess, on 'our' side. Honestly, while it was interesting, I could not care what happened to anyone but Hani Salaam (Mark Strong) a man who at least lived by some rules. Strong was the best part of the film, quiet and firm and a little scary. Leo was a jerk; Russell was hateful. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758774/
Australia (2008) Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Brandon Walters, David Wenham. In an epic, the script is the thing, the only thing. It is why Selznick's Gone With The Wind; David Leans' Dr. Zhivago, or Lawrence Of Arabia; or Ben Hur; have stood the test of time. The story. Lehrman has made a very interesting film, sometimes beautiful, but the story is disjointed. We have Nallah, a boy of mixed parentage, telling the story. He is interesting. We like him. But suddenly, we are involved with Lady Ashley, come from England to what? Save her husband, save the ranch or what? I really wasn't sure. And Drover Hugh is there for conflict. They must get her cattle to the port. It is a long way, with lots of trouble. It is not that interesting. Luhrmann has lots of scenery of northern Australia he wants to get in and it is spectacular. The gradual love between the drover and the lady is just boring. Getting in the attack by Japan and how all the characters survive is anticlimactic. For me, the most interesting and compelling story is of the boy Nallah and his Grandfather, the wise man. Now that would have made Lehrman's epic a story for the ages. But is is worth seeing for the Australian country. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455824/
Gardening is happening. Making me tired so all I can do is watch films and try to stay awake. Lots of rain predicted this week, so.......
Tombstone (1993) Kurt Russell,Val Kilmer, Powers Booth, Sam Elliott. Wyatt Earp and his brothers want to retire from gunfighting and live in peace in Tombstone. The Clantons and Johnny Ringo have other ideas. Familiar story is well made and interesting. This was shown of the History Channel with commentary by historians on how accurate it is to what is known of the real Earps and others in the story. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108358/
Wyatt Earp (1994) Kevin Costner, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman. According to the 2 historians commenting on the History Ch. this is the most accurate of the films made about the Earps. Very interesting, especially Quaid as Doc Holliday, and Hackman as the father of the boys and how he raised them. Great staging of the Clayton-Earp showdown at the O.K. Corral. Enjoyed it all. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111756/
Attila (2001) Gerard Butler, Powers Booth, Tim Curry. My DVD of this TV mini-series I originally saw on the A & E channel. Not accurate in the way the title character looked, from the only picture we have of the real Attila. But that was done by his enemies. This is a beautiful boy and man and the story is filmed in lovely surroundings. All that said, I still enjoy it just as I did the two nights I watched it in 2001. Butler is quiet and I can't take my eyes off him when he is on screen. Still rate it 9/10. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259127/
Beverly Hills Chiwauwau (2008) P-U! This stinks up the house. I thought the doggies would be cute and funny, but what they did to these dogs is a crime. Trickery to make their mouths look like they are speaking, just ruins their looks and makes the whole thing stupid. And the human? Is she? Horrible, horrible. If I could I would rate it zero, but 1 is all they let you chose. 1/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1014775/
Changeling (2008) Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan. Very interesting film, based on an actual case in Los Angeles. In 1928 a woman working at the telephone company is called back to work for a few hours after her shift and leaves her young son home alone. When she gets back home, he is gone. Her frantic hunt through the neighborhood and report to the police, set in motion a strange and bewildering series of events that eventually lead to her being incarcerated in an insane asylum. At this point, a crusading radio preacher takes up her case, and the public pressure to release women locked up for only minor infractions, become so intense the courts finally start to do something about the corrupt police department. Good story and acting. As a preteen during WWII, I can say conditions were not much better even then. Husbands could and did, lock up women if they were too troublesome. Jolie does very well, trying to seem rational when the authorities are driving the woman mad with indifference and outright lies. Donovan is great as a man doing the dirty work for the Chief and the politicians. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0824747/
Body Of Lies (2008) Leonardo diCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong. Very complicated story of agents in the field and their controls at Langley, CIA headquarters. Leo is the Jordan agent. Crowe his control. I didn't like either character. They use people, lie, cheat, sneer, and are just about scum. But, I guess, on 'our' side. Honestly, while it was interesting, I could not care what happened to anyone but Hani Salaam (Mark Strong) a man who at least lived by some rules. Strong was the best part of the film, quiet and firm and a little scary. Leo was a jerk; Russell was hateful. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758774/
Australia (2008) Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Brandon Walters, David Wenham. In an epic, the script is the thing, the only thing. It is why Selznick's Gone With The Wind; David Leans' Dr. Zhivago, or Lawrence Of Arabia; or Ben Hur; have stood the test of time. The story. Lehrman has made a very interesting film, sometimes beautiful, but the story is disjointed. We have Nallah, a boy of mixed parentage, telling the story. He is interesting. We like him. But suddenly, we are involved with Lady Ashley, come from England to what? Save her husband, save the ranch or what? I really wasn't sure. And Drover Hugh is there for conflict. They must get her cattle to the port. It is a long way, with lots of trouble. It is not that interesting. Luhrmann has lots of scenery of northern Australia he wants to get in and it is spectacular. The gradual love between the drover and the lady is just boring. Getting in the attack by Japan and how all the characters survive is anticlimactic. For me, the most interesting and compelling story is of the boy Nallah and his Grandfather, the wise man. Now that would have made Lehrman's epic a story for the ages. But is is worth seeing for the Australian country. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455824/
Gardening is happening. Making me tired so all I can do is watch films and try to stay awake. Lots of rain predicted this week, so.......
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