Last Movie You Watched

[Karl Henning]

Good one.  The remake with Jeff Bridges is modern take on this book; contrary to the norm it is as good if not better than the original.

Agreed.

[Karl Henning]

I'm not really into Bond movies either, but the acclaim of Skyfall when it was released persuaded me to go see it at the cinema, and it was superb. I ended up telling quite a lot of other people that if you were ever going to go see a Bond movie, this was the one to go see.

Not at all a bad suggestion!

[aligreto]

Kieslowski: Dekalog, Part 10





I particularly like this film. Two brothers of very different character find themselves in a particular situation. The development of this situation and the relationship between the brothers is the essence of the film.

[aligreto]

True Grit (1969)

Good one.  The remake with Jeff Bridges is modern take on this book; contrary to the norm it is as good if not better than the original.

I remember the original but I have not seen the remake.

[drogulus]

      Ian Fleming played a not inconsequential role in spook history. The CIA says:

It wasn't until World War II broke out that Fleming found his true calling. Although he never saw combat, he held a series of important desk jobs, and was part of a team which traveled to the United States to meet with Colonel "Wild Bill Donovan" and helped write the blueprint for the new Office of the Coordinator of Information, which turned into the Office of Strategic Services. This, of course, was the organization which preceded the creation of the CIA.

     Bond was the guy Fleming wanted to be, and to a minor extent, was.

[Karl Henning]

      Ian Fleming played a not inconsequential role in spook history. The CIA says:

It wasn't until World War II broke out that Fleming found his true calling. Although he never saw combat, he held a series of important desk jobs, and was part of a team which traveled to the United States to meet with Colonel "Wild Bill Donovan" and helped write the blueprint for the new Office of the Coordinator of Information, which turned into the Office of Strategic Services. This, of course, was the organization which preceded the creation of the CIA.

     Bond was the guy Fleming wanted to be, and to a minor extent, was.

For England, Ian!

[aligreto]

The Road





This is a post apocalyptic film in which a father takes his son "on the road" from the mountains in winter with the aim of heading south to the sea. The film follows the journey and depicts the trials and tribulations along the way through which the father tries to teach his son valuable Life and survival lessons. The film is well done and is definitely worth a watch.

[Karl Henning]

The Road





This is a post apocalyptic film in which a father takes his son "on the road" from the mountains in winter with the aim of heading south to the sea. The film follows the journey and depicts the trials and tribulations along the way through which the father tries to teach his son valuable Life and survival lessons. The film is well done and is definitely worth a watch.

I'm sure, though I admit that even the trailer is so bleak, I've been frighted off.

Thread Duty:

Last night, One Hour Photo & Intolerable Cruelty.

The comic movie afterwards was a good palate-cleanser after the discomfiting drama. Again, an outstanding performance by Robin Williams, entirely against type.

[aligreto]

I'm sure, though I admit that even the trailer is so bleak, I've been frighted off.

Cormac McCarthy is just about my favorite author, but I haven't enjoyed the movies based on his books.  The books are so good, and except for No Country for Old Men, the movies have been pretty bad interpretations of them. 

Yes it is a bleak one Karl and, if the film is a relatively poor interpretation of the book, then the book must be a desolate read.

[Karl Henning]

McCarthy's books are not desolate, but beautiful.  If you have not read any of his books, then I cannot explain it to you other than to say, that the way he writes: the language, the descriptive style, are beautiful, poetic, prose.  I'd suggest reading Blood Meridian, which has not been made into a movie (although I've read that it was optioned by a famous actor long ago). It is dark and violent but as I said, beautiful.  A movie of it would never be able to achieve that balance.

The movies do not capture what it is about his books that make them, IMO, great.

Noted, thanks.

[Ken B]

McCarthy's books are not desolate, but beautiful.  If you have not read any of his books, then I cannot explain it to you other than to say, that the way he writes: the language, the descriptive style, are beautiful, poetic, prose.  I'd suggest reading Blood Meridian, which has not been made into a movie (although I've read that it was optioned by a famous actor long ago). It is dark and violent but as I said, beautiful.  A movie of it would never be able to achieve that balance.

The movies do not capture what it is about his books that make them, IMO, great.

I tried Blood Meridian. Too atonal.



Actually I did not finish it precisely because of the writing. Elmore Leonard says if it sounds like writing he rewrites it. A good approach, not McCarthy's. 

I did finish No Country For Old Men. Again conspicuous artfulness. So not my cup of tea.

[Ken B]

Funny, Elmore Leonard is also among my favorite writers.   

I know.

I have read a lot of him. I like the earlier Detroit books best. His westerns are good too. His rules for writers is very interesting.

[SimonNZ]

Have either of you read The Big Nowhere? That's one I've been considering.

[Ken B]

Have either of you read The Big Nowhere? That's one I've been considering.

The Ellroy? Yes. I did like it. If it interests you I would say go ahead. LA confidential is quite a bit better though. It's the last readable Ellroy — the mannered writing is there but not out of control — IMO but a great one, easily his best. (I have most of his up to that point.)

[Ken B]

We should be in the mystery thread 

[LKB]

TD:

Star Trek: The Motion Picture was in theatres for two days last week, so l went ahead and got my V'ger fix. 

LKB-Unit

[aligreto]

McCarthy's books are not desolate, but beautiful.  If you have not read any of his books, then I cannot explain it to you other than to say, that the way he writes: the language, the descriptive style, are beautiful, poetic, prose.  I'd suggest reading Blood Meridian, which has not been made into a movie (although I've read that it was optioned by a famous actor long ago). It is dark and violent but as I said, beautiful.  A movie of it would never be able to achieve that balance.

The movies do not capture what it is about his books that make them, IMO, great.

Thank you for the comments and recommendation.

[aligreto]

Begin Again





A film about the music business but with a slight difference. Worth a watch.

[Ken B]

The Last Black Man in San Francisco, 2018

It started well, a striking sequence with Michael Nyman music early on in particular, and has bits of interest and humor but after a while it just went nowhere. Then it wants somewhere artificial. The ending seems arbitrary and even worse Symbolic. So a mild thumbs down.

[aligreto]

Doomsday





A deadly virus breaks out in Scotland and the whole of the country is isolated, quarantined, sealed off and abandoned to its fate. The whole population will die in order to save England. However, after a period of time the virus reemerges in England and a mission is sent back to Scotland to find the "Cure". It is visually good with lots of action, even if the developing plot is hardly plausible.