Last Movie You Watched

[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.

[aligreto]

Sleepless





This is a taut crime thriller that is action filled and entertaining and worth a watch.

[Ken B]

Last Man

Okay but not great. Excellent scenes on the moon.

I am going to rewatch the tv series From the Earth to the Moon, which is excellent. Excellent book too.

[LKB]

First Man last night.

I haven't read the book so l can't compare the adaptation, but l found the minor factual inaccuracies and simplifications to be tolerable. As a speculative study of Neil Armstrong's motives and emotional state, is at least partially successful.

3... 2... 1...,

LKB

[LKB]

Last Man

Okay but not great. Excellent scenes on the moon.

I am going to rewatch the tv series From the Earth to the Moon, which is excellent. Excellent book too.

So, Ken B and l both posting films concerning different Apollo astronauts within a few minutes.

On my way to my favorite coffee shop for breakfast this morning, thinking about the movie, l walk past a window touting " Kranz and Associates ". Literally a few seconds later, while still chuckling from the coincidence, l walk past a car with a traditional NASA " meatball " decal on its window.

A cosmic message?

Pondering,

LKB

[aligreto]

Enjoy your breakfast whilst you ponder cosmic enigmas 

[Ken B]

Enjoy your breakfast whilst you ponder cosmic enigmas 

Steak, eggs, Tang. 

[LKB]

I actually am finishing up a breakfast of steak and eggs.  ( Skipped the Tang though. While l am certainly a child of the Space Age, that stuff is nasty. )

However, it's my normal Tuesday breakfast,  and therefore cannot be factored into the morning's cosmic equation.

As we count down the final minutes of the morning, we'll see how rendezvous and docking with my favorite bookstore play out.

Thrusting,

LKB

[aligreto]

I actually am finishing up a breakfast of steak and eggs.  ( Skipped the Tang though. While l am certainly a child of the Space Age, that stuff is nasty. )

However, it's my normal Tuesday breakfast,  and therefore cannot be factored into the morning's cosmic equation.

As we count down the final minutes of the morning, we'll see how rendezvous and docking with my favorite bookstore play out.

Thrusting,

LKB

Full speed ahead, Captain.

[SimonNZ]

Last Man

Okay but not great. Excellent scenes on the moon.

I am going to rewatch the tv series From the Earth to the Moon, which is excellent. Excellent book too.

The new 5-part series Chasing The Moon in the PBS American Experience series is 10/10 excellent, if you haven't seen it yet - and goes out of its way to highlight less commented on facets and search the archives for unseen or less seen footage.