I've Been Going to the...MOOOOvies

[redrum]

The Military Channel has started showing war movies, I was channel surfing the other day and ended up watching "The Train" with Bert Lancaster, not a bad flick really.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059825/

'The Train' is a classic.

I love the old conductor who plugs up the oil lines with some coins (until he's executed for it)

[Black_Dog_90]

I'm watching movies all the time. Last movies of the newer ones I saw are:

Shutter Island

Iron Man 2

Toy Story 3

How To Train Your Dragon

Kick-Ass

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time

Clash Of The Titans

Robin Hood

Alice In Wonderland

The Runaways

Predators

The Expendables

Inception

Resident Evil: Afterlife

[redrum]

I'm watching 'The Lives Of Others' about life under communism in East Germany.

[Jahfin]

For fans of Hal Holbrook, you should love this. That Evening Sun also features the work of Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers) who has become closely associated with Ray McKinnion (O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Deadwood, etc.) beginning with Ray's Oscar winning short fillm, The Accountant, which inspired the Drive-By Truckers song Sinkhole from their Southern Rock Opera record. Here, Patterson contributes a couple of tunes, one of which is called Depression Era which was written specifically for this film.

[Jahfin]

[BUCK'EYE' DOC]

Hi Jahfin,

How did you like this movie? I read the book "The Accidental Billionaires: the Founding of Facebook" and found it to be an intriguing story about how Mark Zuckerberg really stole the idea for Facebook from fellow Harvard classmates, the twins, and then used his friend's money to get the project started and then cheated him out of any profits from the endeavour. He was portrayed in the book as a cold, almost autistic, socially inept character who was uncaring and ruthless with his interactions with people and who's only interest was in sitting at a computer writing computer code to prove that he was "smarter" than anyone else. I guess that he was/is unable to socially interact in person but he was only able to connect with people over his computer.

Facebook may put an end to face to face human interactions in the not too distant future? I witnessed two employess at my office talking to each other on Facebook while sitting right next to each other. That's another story. They shouldn't have been on Facebook while at work in the first place. That's a tricky situation that I am going to have to deal with soon.

[redrum]

Just saw 'Gloria' again with Gena Rowlands and directed by her hubby John Cassavetes.

Great NYC locations.

[Footsteps of Dawn]

I saw Red last night...I thought it was good! My newspaper didn't like it because there was too much humor in it...say whaaat? I guess the graphic novel must be more serious, but I enjoyed the humor; frankly, the plot wasn't all that intricate, so the characters and their shenanigans were what made it interesting to me.

Edited October 25, 2010 by Footsteps of Dawn

[Jahfin]

Hi Jahfin,

How did you like this movie? I read the book "The Accidental Billionaires: the Founding of Facebook" and found it to be an intriguing story about how Mark Zuckerberg really stole the idea for Facebook from fellow Harvard classmates, the twins, and then used his friend's money to get the project started and then cheated him out of any profits from the endeavour. He was portrayed in the book as a cold, almost autistic, socially inept character who was uncaring and ruthless with his interactions with people and who's only interest was in sitting at a computer writing computer code to prove that he was "smarter" than anyone else. I guess that he was/is unable to socially interact in person but he was only able to connect with people over his computer.

Facebook may put an end to face to face human interactions in the not too distant future? I witnessed two employess at my office talking to each other on Facebook while sitting right next to each other. That's another story. They shouldn't have been on Facebook while at work in the first place. That's a tricky situation that I am going to have to deal with soon.

I enjoyed the movie for whatever that's worth as it wasn't really your typical popcorn munchin' kind of a flick. Though I can't say I really sympathise with him, I found Zuckerberg to be a very sad character seeking acceptance through Facebook. Nothing really to do with the movie at all but it's nice to remember what it was like before the internet and how we used to spend our time then. I can't count the number of times a day I see people glued to their phones. Not answering calls but constantly checking them, for what, I'm not sure but is it really that important to pull your phone out of your pocket during the middle of a conversation just to check messages? Not long ago I met up with a college friend that I hadn't seen since, well, college. During our meetup he must have logged onto FB at least six or seven times. Someone I hadn't seen in nearly 30 years and our face to face meeting is usurped by the availability of the internet. That's beyond fucked up and a chief reason why I prefer to spend less and less time online these days and get back to how I spent my time pre-internet. Unless your job is somehow tied into it (and who's isn't these days?), I don't think it's a necessity. If it is, someone's priorities have become horribly, horribly screwed up.

[redrum]

I enjoyed the movie for whatever that's worth as it wasn't really your typical popcorn munchin' kind of a flick. Though I can't say I really sympathise with him, I found Zuckerberg to be a very sad character seeking acceptance through Facebook. Nothing really to do with the movie at all but it's nice to remember what it was like before the internet and how we used to spend our time then. I can't count the number of times a day I see people glued to their phones. Not answering calls but constantly checking them, for what, I'm not sure but is it really that important to pull your phone out of your pocket during the middle of a conversation just to check messages? Not long ago I met up with a college friend that I hadn't seen since, well, college. During our meetup he must have logged onto FB at least six or seven times. Someone I hadn't seen in nearly 30 years and our face to face meeting is usurped by the availability of the internet. That's beyond fucked up and a chief reason why I prefer to spend less and less time online these days and get back to how I spent my time pre-internet. Unless your job is somehow tied into it (and who's isn't these days?), I don't think it's a necessity. If it is, someone's priorities have become horribly, horribly screwed up.

Man, do I agree with you there. I've reached the point where I sometimes HATE the damned internet, but like other things it seems to be a necessary evil.

Also, the other day I was behind this jackass doing 35 in a 55 and when I was finally able to pass the jerk there he was with a cell phone stuck to his head.

[Jahfin]

Man, do I agree with you there. I've reached the point where I sometimes HATE the damned internet, but like other things it seems to be a necessary evil.

Also, the other day I was behind this jackass doing 35 in a 55 and when I was finally able to pass the jerk there he was with a cell phone stuck to his head.

Which makes me wonder why there was never a similar outrage over the use of CB radios back in the 70s. My guess is, it requires more attention when holding a cellphone conversation. So much so, that the person(s) involved in the conversation become so immersed in it as to become completely oblivious to everything else going on around them. The bigger question is, how on earth will the laws against cellphone use ever be enforced? There's no question that it's out of hand. I see people swerving, running stoplights, etc. all of the time. It's fucking scary.

[redrum]

Which makes me wonder why there was never a similar outrage over the use of CB radios back in the 70s. My guess is, it requires more attention when holding a cellphone conversation. So much so, that the person(s) involved in the conversation become so immersed in it as to become completely oblivious to everything else going on around them. The bigger question is, how on earth will the laws against cellphone use ever be enforced? There's no question that it's out of hand. I see people swerving, running stoplights, etc. all of the time. It's fucking scary.

I never thought about the CB radios.

I think many people lose their minds when they get behind the wheel.

[Jahfin]

I never thought about the CB radios.

I think many people lose their minds when they get behind the wheel.

With GPS's, cellphones (texting, calling), etc. we already have enough potential distractions while driving. I understand that the new car stereos will house all of this stuff as a massive storage unit. No CD player and you'll be able to make and accept calls through the unit. Not sure if that will have any impact or not but something has to give.

I haven't been to the movies or rented very many movies in the past few years so I have a pretty wide selection to chose from. I started with these two last night:

Edited October 31, 2010 by Jahfin

[Footsteps of Dawn]

Watched Training Day a couple of nights ago. I love that movie. I saw it in theaters, actually - with my parents, haha! My parents are so rad. I don't know how they decided which movies to let me see...usually they weren't big on letting me watch R-rated movies, but I guess somehow they weren't expecting this one to be that intense. Whatever, works for me; I still think it's great.

And forget Russell Crowe and all that stuff about the Oscar being a make-up for Denzel Washington not getting one for Malcolm X - I would've picked Denzel over him a thousand more times if given the opportunity. The thing I think makes his performance really unique is the fact that so much of the movie takes place in his car. There's no interesting scenery to back him up - it's just Denzel, the camera, and the dialogue, and I'll be danged if those aren't some of the most hypnotizing scenes in the movie...just him and Ethan Hawke sitting in that Monte Carlo playing mind games. Love it.

[Ady]

The Boys From Brazil

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhpqqNZMx50

[Jahfin]

[redrum]

With GPS's, cellphones (texting, calling), etc. we already have enough potential distractions while driving. I understand that the new car stereos will house all of this stuff as a massive storage unit. No CD player and you'll be able to make and accept calls through the unit. Not sure if that will have any impact or not but something has to give.

I haven't been to the movies or rented very many movies in the past few years so I have a pretty wide selection to chose from. I started with these two last night:

Yep, I can't keep up with all the technology. It's just too damned complicated for me and I feel it just makes life more difficult, not easier.

Our King County library system has tons of movies to choose from. I just ordered 'Vampyr' by director Carl Theodor Dreyer (1932)

It's German with English subtitles.

[Jahfin]

Yep, I can't keep up with all the technology. It's just too damned complicated for me and I feel it just makes life more difficult, not easier.

Did you ever see Pioneer House, a reality series that aired on PBS several years back? The premise was for the cast to go to Montana and attempt to live as people did in the 1800s. During the very last episode a member of one of the families threw out this question, would people from the 1800s find it just as difficult to adjust to life in the present with fax machines, the internet, cellphones, etc. as the people in the show did adjusting to life as it was in the 1800s?

I resisted buying a cellphone or iPod for years for various reasons. After becoming homeless following Hurricane Ophelia in 2005 I had no choice but to buy a cellphone; that is, if I wanted to stay in touch with people and have a way for them to reach me. A couple of years ago a friend gave me an iPod shuffle. It took me a while but finally I started using it and haven't turned back since. While I'm still anti-mp3, I find it much more convenient to travel around with that pocket-sized device as opposed to lugging 100s of CDs with me everywhere I go. I also recently upgraded my phone to better enable me to respond and/or send text messages. For me, it's either adapt and learn the new technology or else be left behind. I'm sure at some point in the future it will all become too much for me and I'll just give up but for now I've found it really has been that hard to learn the new technologies.

Back to movies, I watched this last night:

I would love to say I recommend this but it really didn't do much for me. Yeah, it had some good music and some funny scenes but overall it failed as a movie. I'm all about learning more about pirate radio but this wasn't the place to start.

[Jahfin]

Very intense, edge of your seat excitement. Just what I needed after the disappointment of Pirate Radio.

[Ady]

Very intense, edge of your seat excitement. Just what I needed after the disappointment of Pirate Radio.

Oh yes, I really enjoyed that when I saw it too.

[FireOpal]

I finally saw "Chinatown" last night. It was pretty cool, especially the cinematography and look of old L.A. I've been catching up on classic films, saw "Bonnie & Clyde" a little ways back. Faye Dunaway was quite a force of nature back then; too bad that "Mommie Dearest" ruined her reputation.

[Ady]

[redrum]

Did you ever see Pioneer House, a reality series that aired on PBS several years back? The premise was for the cast to go to Montana and attempt to live as people did in the 1800s. During the very last episode a member of one of the families threw out this question, would people from the 1800s find it just as difficult to adjust to life in the present with fax machines, the internet, cellphones, etc. as the people in the show did adjusting to life as it was in the 1800s?

I resisted buying a cellphone or iPod for years for various reasons. After becoming homeless following Hurricane Ophelia in 2005 I had no choice but to buy a cellphone; that is, if I wanted to stay in touch with people and have a way for them to reach me. A couple of years ago a friend gave me an iPod shuffle. It took me a while but finally I started using it and haven't turned back since. While I'm still anti-mp3, I find it much more convenient to travel around with that pocket-sized device as opposed to lugging 100s of CDs with me everywhere I go. I also recently upgraded my phone to better enable me to respond and/or send text messages. For me, it's either adapt and learn the new technology or else be left behind. I'm sure at some point in the future it will all become too much for me and I'll just give up but for now I've found it really has been that hard to learn the new technologies.

Back to movies, I watched this last night:

I would love to say I recommend this but it really didn't do much for me. Yeah, it had some good music and some funny scenes but overall it failed as a movie. I'm all about learning more about pirate radio but this wasn't the place to start.

Yes, I remember that show 'Pioneer House'. Very interesting for sure. Man-o-Man, I just couldn't see chopping all that wood these days without using my chainsaw . They were tough people for sure trying to beat the winter with enough food and wood to get through.

Well, I'm glad you made it back after the hurricane. I'm like you and I suppose someday when I can afford it I'll also get an IPOD and all that. I'm still resistant to a cell phone though but like you said ya' gotta keep up somehow. That's something I recently learned with helping make a film for a friend and how digital is the way to go these days though I'm sure that film is still used by many pros. They're probably the only ones that can afford it anymore. 400feet of film would probably run at least $200 and that doesn't include processing and making a print from it. I just watched a documentary on producer Robert Evans (Love Story, The Godfather 1&2, Chinatown, Marathon Man, etc.) and what a life he has lived. He put Paramount on top with his success but then drugs brought him down like a house of cards. Hell of an interesting story though.

We also watched 'Get Him To The Greek' the other night and I think it pretty much sucked.

Edited November 6, 2010 by redrum

[Ady]

Edited November 7, 2010 by Ady

[Mangani]

Got to be the most misleading title for a film ever. Though Peter Cushing appears as Van Helsing in this 1960 Hammer film, Dracula doesn't appear at all and David Peel makes for an insipid Baron Meinster vampire. Terribly miscast. It's a good Hammer film apart from that but it's got nothing to do with 'Dracula'. Christopher Lee wouldn't return to play Dracula for another 6 years after this film (in the 1966 follow up to the 1958 Dracula.)