Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine So what are you WATCHING?

Saw 28 Weeks later. Rose Byrne is just so perfect.

It was pretty good. I mean no way that would ever happen. They have like 18 soldiers watching all of London. I was never "scared" but my blood pressure did get pretty high. I felt like boarding up the windows.

Quick thoughts about the actors...

Robert Carlyle. Always like him. My favorite film of his is Plunkett & Macleane.

Catherine McCormack. She hasn't been in that many things but has that beautiful face you know you've seen somewhere. Braveheart, Spy Game, Sound of Thunder (ick!). She's also in Shadow of the Vampire and Tailor of Panama but I haven't seen those films yet.

The wife and I are going to try to watch some scary films this month. Next is Hannibal Rising.

This story- book or movie- has just about the most jawdropping murder solution ever!! Seriously, between this and TEN LITTLE INDIANS/AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, can there be any doubt that Ms. Christie is/was the queen of the mystery denouement!

Maybe this belongs in the reading thread, but there *was* an adaptation of my favorite less famous Christie work-- THE HOLLOW.

Unfortunately, the movie just didn't capture the charm and distinctiveness of the characters that came across in the book.

It, too, has an elegant solution to the murder mystery- but not one nearly as 'big' as those of her more famed mysteries.

EDE-- the first time I saw the film version of ORIENT EXPRESS, I wasn't that impressed either. It seemed really slllooowww. But I watched it again not too long ago and enjoyed it much more. Give it another chance one of these days.

Spike TV was airing Empire and Jedi back to back leading into the 2008 scream awards show. i had nothing better to do and since it Star Wars i'll watch it and then check out the 2008 Scream awards show @ 9pm.

Yeah I know what you mean. Star Wars films (old ones) are just hard to change the channel to. So are the Indiana Jones. No matter how many times I see them I still can't change the channel.

Mystery Lad, I think I just found out why you call yourself that.

I'm a BIG fan of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. But from what everybody tells me I have to read Christie's work. Never have. I've seen a couple of the films.

A buddy of mine just saw Witness for the Prosecution (1957) and said it was really good. Starring Tyrone Power and directed by Billy Wilder.

You're too smart for your own good. Now I'll have to kill you. Something else else involving an airtight locked room, maybe?

Ha-ha-ha! Evil cackle...

WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION is a good movie, based on a play, rather than a novel, I believe. Tyrone Power stars, but Marlene Dietrich walks away with the movie and slaps it in her back pocket on the way out.

Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester are entertaining in it, too.

I look forward to reading your thoughts about Agatha Christie's work when you get to it. Most of them are fairly quick reads.

The British series on Mystery! is so good reading Christie isn't enough ~ you have to watch them.

I still haven't seen her final Peroit or Marple books made into movies, though.
I loved both of them, as books!

My favorite Holmes movie is the one not written by Doyle, the one about the teen Sherlock that sets up his lifelong fight with Moriority (sp?), the beginning of his friendship with Watson and why he never married.
I can't remember the title, exactly, or the stars but it was on TV recently.

I've always enjoyed the old Charlie Chan movie/mysteries, too.

Fringe was interesting and pretty weird last night!

I remember liking Charlie Chan as a kid.

Young Sherlock Holmes? Came out in 85. If that is the one I liked it as well.

Speaking of Sherlock how about the amazing news of Guy Ritchie directing a Sherlock film with Robert Downey Jr as Sherlock, Jude Law as Watson and Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler(I love Rachel McAdams).

Ritchie promised who won't do it his usual style and would stick with a classical Holmes but the studio wants it to be more action/adventure. Sounds good to me!

The last Fringe was about the people that are living microwave ovens?

Young Sherlock Holmes it was!

Robert Downy Jr. as Sherlock?
WOW!
Well, at least he has the drug problem part down!
Sorry ~ he'd probably be great, it's just the accent might be a stretch.
lol

Yah, EXPLODING HEAD microwave ovens.
Gads.

Watched Hannibal Rising today. It wasn't bad. It possibly made Hannibal too sympathetic and not creepy enough. I am thinking they were trying to show it can happen to anyone?

I expected it to be more disturbing than it was.

Anyone been watching Crusoe? I'm not wowed by it, but it's pretty decent. It's a bit of Lost meets Pirates of the Carribean meets Swiss Family Robinson.

He's already done the accent, in Chaplin, and he did it quite well IMO.

I watched legendary Italo-Horror director Dario Argento's most recent movie, Mother of Tears, hoping it might be a late-career return to form...it wasn't.

That said, it's not entirely without interest, either.

I talk about it more on my blog:

http://iammilk-milk.blogspot.com/2008/10/cinema-mother-of-tears.html

Anyone who's not watching "Life on Mars" is really missing out on a terrific show!

If you haven't heard the premise, it's about a New York City detective, Sam Tyler, who is struck by a car and wakes up in 1973. For some reason he finds exists in that era as himself and on that era's police force as a recent transfer. He has no idea why he's there and what his purpose is, though it's hinted often that he's in a coma in 2008.

The series is just plain lotsa fun! Seeing him experience the culture of the '70s and the brash tactics of the '70s police is a hoot. I've never been particularly fond of Harvey Keitel, but he's terrific as Lt. Gene Hunt. It's fun seeing Sam and Gene (often literally!) duke it out every episode. Jason O'Mara is a budding superstar as Sam.

Love the '70s hairdos and clothes, the hippies and even the social commentary about Now vs. Then. The show definitely has a serious side, but the more whimsical side is what's drawn me in.

If you're curious, you can easily catch up on it at ABC.com, unless I'm mistaken. This quirky show deserves a chance!

I know he's a darn good little actor.
I was just kidding.

And I thought Chaplin was from the silent era of movies ~ a 'silent' actor.


Sorry, sometimes I get on a tare or something!

TCM was just showing "Forbidden Planet" one of the true Sci-fi greats. this is another one of those movies that i have to take time out to watch no matter what anytime it comes on.

Mmmmm Altaira. Tasty.

Lard Lad, that sounds very interesting. Have to fit it into my schedule.

Just saw the French Connection. Now that was good! Old school tough guy cops in old school seedy NYC! Popeye Doyle is a loose cannon! It's hard to like the character after he killed one of his own men but darn it I'm watching part II tomorrow! Doyle will get his man! So this was Hackman's breakout film? I can easily see why.

I was so pumped up about FC I saw French Connection II. Popeye Doyle in Marseille! Oh boy was that BAD! Lots of long useless scenes. The first one had similar scenes but they were better. I fell asleep like 5 times. This was at 9:30pm which is early for me. Why didn't the bad guys just kill Doyle? They made him a junkie instead?! I want those 2 hours of my life back! Still in the mood for cool seventies cinema though!

era of the car chase scene. just a bit earlier, 68, but now I've a taste to pick up "Bullet."

Yup, that was a good car chase scene (will car chasing commuter train).

Has anyone ever told you you have good tastes sir?

I take it you're a fan, Des? I'd love for you to share your thoughts!

From two pages ago...

That was after the premiere and I've caught several episodes since. I think the show is really just excellent, and a ton of fun to boot. There are several reasons I like it but I'll give you my big ones:

(1) The main actor (Sam) - you know what, this guy is a *star*. He's likeable, he gives deep performances, yet he's funny as hell when he wants to be and usually its when he's being subtle about it.

(2) The general back and forth between funny moments (laughed out loud by the Vanilla Ice sequence last week) and the deadly serious and very poignant moments. So much of the show is about how things have changed for the better since 1973, or perhaps some things for the worse, and perhaps have not really changed much at all. And that works so well for humor and for the most serious and powerful of themes.

(3) The sense of style - man, its FUN. And I have no great love of the 1970's and in fact am generally pretty damn glad I missed 'em! But its very stylistically done but also done very...hm, 'gritty' is too strong a word, but...genuine? It feels very street level, very POV from the everyday guy (rather than some Hollywood startlet, soldier in Southeast Asia or March on Washington hippie, etc.).

(4) The part I like the most is they play up the part of the early 1970's that is usually very associated with the era--the sense of not knowing where the world is going or even who you are from an individual's point of view, and how this was a very real and despairing feeling then. And then they show Sam, who usually at first appears to not feel this way, to be confident and flexing his modern sense of knowing what it is right...and then he has his moments where those attitudes come right into play. And you're left wondering if perhaps some of those attitudes are still very much with us today? Those sequences are very groovy.

Its probably my favorite new show besides Sons of Anarchy (I'd say both equally tied for being very rare great shows right now).

Yeah, Des, and "Life on Mars" just keeps getting better! I just caught up on last week's episode, and it's just as enjoyable, if not moreso, than it has been from the start. Loved Sam wowwing his P.D. with the Michael Jackson moves!

One thing I was happy to see is that after that last episode, I think we're more likely to see Sam exploring the "sexual revolution" side of the '70s--something I'd wanted to see him do more in that era. If you've seen the episode, you'll understand why!

I hope he doesn't settle into a relationship with "No-Nuts" (though I do lover her!) too quickly and explores the wildside a little!