posted
Blue Velvet...wierd and great movie. It gets downright insane. But that's David Lynch for you. Lynch reminds me of the Joker. (Killing Joke version)
A classic actor I've come to really respect is Gregory Peck. I have to say he does not act the same in every film...and his films are pretty good.
Recently saw him Spellbound (didn't love that movie), The Snows of Kilimanjaro, and I have Mr. Deeds goes to Washington next.
I have not read The Snows of Kilimanjaro but I enjoyed the film. I hear the film and and book are quite different. Ava Gardener's character was completely made up for the film. Ava is a hot little number. Never seen any of her films. Have to catch a few. (The Sun Also Rises I have on my list to watch...she's in that...and I've read that book. It will be interesting).
From: Tampa | Registered: Mar 2004
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* The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl who Played with Fire - (proviso - I haven't read the books). God, these movies sucked! The first one was SO completely blindingly obvious from the very first scene and the second was just a boring drudge. It didn't help that the main male character was completely lacking in any personality or charisma or that the main female character was such an artificially constructed, geeky-emo-male's wet dream fantasy come to life - she's 5ft, tattooed and pierced, amazing with computers, amazing at self-defence, amazing at sex (whether it be with a guy or a girl)... ugh. I'm sure the books have things going for them but based on what I've seen from these films, I never want to find out.
About every 30 minutes or so, my wife would pause the movie and take 5 minutes to explain all the stuff they skipped or changed. I agree the movie on its own wasn't great (and the mystery easy), but from the sounds of it the book was much better.
quote:
* True Grit (the original) and Rooster Cogburn - other than bits and pieces of a few when I was about 5, I think these were the first John Wayne films I've ever seen. Really not seeing what the big deal was with the guy. Not a very good actor. That said, he's pretty good in True Grit and the movie is all-around excellent too. Great writing and directing and a fab supporting cast here too (including Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper). I think even someone who didn't like 'Westerns' would enjoy this movie. It's sequel Rooster Cogburn is pretty much just an inferior re-tread however, though it does have a pretty cool extended raft-escape scene and Katharine Hepburn is in it for those who are fans of hers (I'm not really one of them).
I highly recommend the new version which I think trumps this one. Both are fairly faithful to the book so some scenes are almost verbatim, but the acting is superior and the ending is much, much better.
quote:Originally posted by Blacula: * Blue Velvet - Great movie. Weird and creepy and disturbing but also romantic and beautiful and haunting. I can definitely see why it's considered a classic. The scene where Dean Stockwell sings Roy Orbison's hit In Dreams is amazing. I was a big Twin Peaks fan back in the day so it's interesting seeing Lynch using some early versions of techniques he used in that show here too.
I love Lynch but I don't love Blue Velvet. It is masterfully rendered and a decent enough parable, but the lengths of depravity and mysogny, no matter how effectively rendered, aren't justified (or prehaps redeemed is the better world) by the movie's message or theme. It's a little too proud of it's horrifying moments that it wallows in them rather than use them to an artistic and effective point. It's a very fine line, but moreso than other Lynch works, I think Blue Velvets falls victim to itself.
From: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
By the Way, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is the English title, whereas the actual translation of the English title is "Men Who Hate Women", which actually informs the story quite a bit better in my mind.
From: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Great book, but not sure how well it could be translated to film. I know a US remake version will be coming out next year.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
My Brother-in-Law just sent down the first three seasons of Breaking Bad. We've already plowed through Season One and are two episodes into Season 2. It's really, really good. My wife didn't care for it at first, but now she's more hooked than I am.
From: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
I recently watched one of Frank Capra’s films from 1937 called, “Lost Horizon”.
About 30 minutes into it I started getting déjà vu. The rest of the film just cinched it. This will only have meaning to fans of the show “Lost,” but take a gander at the plot (abridged just to highlight the parallels):
Click Here For A SpoilerA group of Westerners are traveling home on a plane, when it crashes deep in an isolated land, completely hidden from the outside world. They all survive the crash (though the pilot is killed) and, after a short time taking shelter in caves, are met by the inhabitants of the land. These inhabitants, who are led by a mysterious figure, live in a seemingly impossible environment – both completely hidden from the outside world and, at the same time, built in a modern fashion with all conveniences of civilization. Meanwhile, in the outside world, a search ensures for the plane which just “disappeared”.
The crash survivors, including a scientist, a con-man, and a terminally ill passenger (who begins to miraculously recover in this place), are initially anxious to get back to civilization but, over time, they come to appreciate that this hidden land is a miraculous place where all of what they were before can be wiped clean. Most of them come to feel that they don't want to leave.
The hero is eventually granted an audience with the mysterious leader who tells him that his arrival was not an accident at all; that he was brought there intentionally. The leader has been watching the hero for years. It turns out that the leader is actually hundreds of years old (he was 108 when he realized he would no longer age), but is preserved by the magical properties of the place. He is finally prepared to die, however, and needs someone who will take his role in protecting this place.
Before this happens, though, through a heated discussion between two characters – one, a realist and one, a “man of faith,” the hero is convinced to escape the place with a small group of the survivors. After leaving, one of the escapees commits suicide and the hero, after a time, realizes that he never should have left and that he has to go back.
Forsaking everything in the real world where he is a highly respected person, the hero tries for a long time to find the place again (growing an almost comical beard in the process), but eventually makes it back to fulfill his destiny.
Wow, right?
I’m not saying that this movie was the only source for “Lost,” as clearly there are a great many other elements to the show… but I would be highly suspect if the above movie were not the core source. I mean, my wife and I were literally watching “Lost Horizon” with mouths agape at points going, “That’s almost the exact conversation from Lost.”
-------------------- See Here for the latest update on the 2013 Chicago Gathering (now including tentative attendance list)
Registered: Feb 2008
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posted
WOW. Really, wow. I never heard of this movie before! It clearly is a huge inspiration on Lost. I totally have to watch it!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
I've long felt that DR. STRANGE was almost entirely the creation of Steve Ditko, with Stan Lee only writing the dialogue (and some of his best, in my opinion). However, the ONE DS plot I do feel Stan contributed was the ORIGIN... part of which seems to have been inspired by the film LOST HORIZON. It's notable that with the ORIGIN story, Doc, who originally resembled Vincent Price (see THE RAVEN) began to resemble Ronald Colman. And of course, there's The Ancient One (Sam Jaffe)...
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
As an aside, please note that the main girl in LOST HORIZON is played by Jane Wyatt, who decades later played "Amanda" on STAR TREK (Spock's mother).
Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Exnihil: I recently watched one of Frank Capra’s films from 1937 called, “Lost Horizon”.
About 30 minutes into it I started getting déjà vu. The rest of the film just cinched it. This will only have meaning to fans of the show “Lost,” but take a gander at the plot (abridged just to highlight the parallels):
Click Here For A SpoilerA group of Westerners are traveling home on a plane, when it crashes deep in an isolated land, completely hidden from the outside world. They all survive the crash (though the pilot is killed) and, after a short time taking shelter in caves, are met by the inhabitants of the land. These inhabitants, who are led by a mysterious figure, live in a seemingly impossible environment – both completely hidden from the outside world and, at the same time, built in a modern fashion with all conveniences of civilization. Meanwhile, in the outside world, a search ensures for the plane which just “disappeared”.
The crash survivors, including a scientist, a con-man, and a terminally ill passenger (who begins to miraculously recover in this place), are initially anxious to get back to civilization but, over time, they come to appreciate that this hidden land is a miraculous place where all of what they were before can be wiped clean. Most of them come to feel that they don't want to leave.
The hero is eventually granted an audience with the mysterious leader who tells him that his arrival was not an accident at all; that he was brought there intentionally. The leader has been watching the hero for years. It turns out that the leader is actually hundreds of years old (he was 108 when he realized he would no longer age), but is preserved by the magical properties of the place. He is finally prepared to die, however, and needs someone who will take his role in protecting this place.
Before this happens, though, through a heated discussion between two characters – one, a realist and one, a “man of faith,” the hero is convinced to escape the place with a small group of the survivors. After leaving, one of the escapees commits suicide and the hero, after a time, realizes that he never should have left and that he has to go back.
Forsaking everything in the real world where he is a highly respected person, the hero tries for a long time to find the place again (growing an almost comical beard in the process), but eventually makes it back to fulfill his destiny.
Wow, right?
I’m not saying that this movie was the only source for “Lost,” as clearly there are a great many other elements to the show… but I would be highly suspect if the above movie were not the core source. I mean, my wife and I were literally watching “Lost Horizon” with mouths agape at points going, “That’s almost the exact conversation from Lost.”
I am so looking for this movie!
From: Turn around... | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Wow! I never realized how close the parallels between Lost Horizons and Lost were! Now I want to watch again with that in mind!
It's funny that Lost Horizons seems to be a largely forgotten novel/movie these days, while the fabled land at the core of the movie, Shangri-La, has become a part of the collective pop culture consciousness. I suspect the vast majority of people think that the idea of Shangri-La is much older than it's actual 1930s origins.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
I am watching (and reading) Tsubasa: Resevior Chronicles. I love CLAMP and Yuko is my favorite character they have created so far. Anime is a bit tiresome with the long pauses...but most animes do that. Almost done with Season 1 and then on to Season 2.
-------------------- And to show I bear no ill will, I, too, shall bestow a gift...
From: The Mansion | Registered: Mar 2004
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Currently watching the A&E Nero Wolfe series from about ten years ago, and wondering why I never knew of the existence of this particular piece of awesomeness until recently.
[ March 05, 2011, 12:41 PM: Message edited by: Eryk Davis Ester ]
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Exnihil: I recently watched one of Frank Capra’s films from 1937 called, “Lost Horizon”.
About 30 minutes into it I started getting déjà vu. The rest of the film just cinched it. This will only have meaning to fans of the show “Lost,” but take a gander at the plot (abridged just to highlight the parallels):
Just checked and one of the Libraries in this area has this...renting it this week.
From: Turn around... | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Chief Lardy: Caught encore presentations of the first two eps of Being Human tonight. So far, me rikey! Will definitely check out episode 3 this Monday!
I'm undecided on this as well. The whiny-ness of the characters is getting on my nerves already. And vampires are *so* boring! It is kind of cool seeing Jacob as the head vampire or whatever however!
I'm officially hooked on this show, with seven episodes in now! It's really fun to watch. It does have some angsty stuff going on, but it also has a humorous side to it that is coming out more and more as each episode goes by. There's this scene in last week's episode in which Aidan (the vampire lead) has an allergic reaction to garlic that is handled quite hilariously!
Being Human just has a good mix of soap opera, its own internal mythology and a real sense of humor that's really clicking with me. Definitely recommended!
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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