go on...
__________________
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having. - V
UNDERPANTS HAWK
DOES NOT DESIRE YOUR TOUCH
I long for the day that a chimp will ghost-ride someone's boomcar into a lake. - tymac
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I've recently watched on DVD the first season of BUCK ROGERS! Other than that, I finally saw Knocked Up. There is no TV now but Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, but I watched Heroes.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Anyone see the History Channel special: Life After People?
Killed, especially in HD...
See, if only we could drill in ANWR, we'd have enough energy for faster-than-light travel. - mediageek
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Smacky --ah finally someone acknowledges it (Legends of the Fall) as a libertarian movie.
Ignore D. A. Ridgely's sig. Here is what Ali really said: "love is like porn, you know it when you
seefeel it"Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
SPOILER re: Legends of the Fall
The only part of Legends of the Fall that I liked was when Brad Pitt gets eaten by the bear.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Well, we don't really know that that happened. BTW, the novel is somewhat very different from the movie. Well, I think it is some 60 pages long. As opposed to the 3 (?) hour long movie.
Ignore D. A. Ridgely's sig. Here is what Ali really said: "love is like porn, you know it when you
seefeel it"Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Uh, yah ... I mentioned this in the previous incarnation of this thread on Tuesday:
Unfortunately, I had the bad timing to post this just as the "what are your best libertarian movies?" sub-topic was ramping up, so I guess it got overlooked.
Some videos are up at the History Channel Web site: http://www.history.com/minisites/life_after_people
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Just watched hour 2 of the show. Not bad. Interesting. Rushmore, eih?
Ignore D. A. Ridgely's sig. Here is what Ali really said: "love is like porn, you know it when you
seefeel it"Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
TiVoed it last night, and it's now waiting for me to watch. Saw it live up to the first commercial break (after it talked about family dogs, rats, and Hoover Dam) and I'm looking forward to seeing more.
A parasite feeding on bacteria growing on fungus growing on cow excrement? The only way the parasitic chain could get any longer would be if the cow excrement worked for the government.
- Smacky
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I also recorded the Life after People thing. I'm already fascinated by the photo sites of decaying cities in the former Soviet Union. There is something really beautiful about places like that, plus a kind of eeriness.
Taxtix, I loved the Rome series. I even bought them on DVD so I could watch them again at my leisure. I think they did a great job.
I also think that they should have continued it, although they were butting up against the I, Claudius era and were perhaps wary of trying to outdo that.
I think that they should have started the series much earlier, back in the Gracchus brothers era. They could have done great things with the whole Sulla vs. Gaius Marius thing, plus we could have seen Julius as a young thug.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Somewhere in the "viewer comments" section of the History Channel page, someone disputed that Rushmore would be as durable as the show said -- apparently they are always repairing cracks, etc. But I think the show's main point was that stone structures would last much longer than most other materials.
I think I remember from the World Without Us book that statues and other structures of bronze (?) would remain recognizable for millions of years, though.
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
mk,
I'm told that most of the people behind Rome wanted it to continue, but the lavish sets and sheer number of extras made budgeting another season impossible. Usually I call bullshit on that, but the show really did look like it cost a fortune in this case.
And yes, it should have started earlier. They probably started when they did simply because the subject of the first season is the most well know aspect of Roman history, and therefore likely a ploy for viewership.
Btw, HBO is doing a John Addams series in the next few months...
As far as Life After People goes, it seemed they wanted to illustrate the level to which we maintain our society's structures rather than what it will look like, per se. I think they also focused far too much on plants vs. animals, perhaps because the former is more easily predicted than the latter.
I wanted to see mutant dogs fighting cockroach-people in Madison Square Garden...
See, if only we could drill in ANWR, we'd have enough energy for faster-than-light travel. - mediageek
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Oh, that would be so cool.
And lions. Lions breed pretty readily (zoos often slip their captive lions contraceptives to keep them from outbreeding the available living space) and can adapt to lots of different conditions (lions used to live in Europe and all through the Americas from Alaska to
PatagoniaEDIT: Peru). I want to see prides of lions denning in marble government buildings and hunting wild cattle in the wide open areas that used to be superhighways.Also: giant mutant carnivorous lizards.
And raccoons discovering fire.
Oh, and huge flocks of intelligent evil crows that rule the land and demand tribute from any raccoon-people who travel through their domain, or else the crows mob them like something out of The Birds.
Or maybe the crows enslave the raccoon-people and force them to tend their enormous fields of corn. And build monuments to the evil crow kings, like giant pyramids of skulls.
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
There is a show called The Future is Wild that you guys may be familiar with. It's basically a bunch of science nerds (seriously, these guys were hardcore) ruminating on what turns evolution would take over the next 200 million years or so, with the assumption that humans would have disappeared.
Highly speculative stuff, but it was all done in good fun and ended up being very educational in that the scientists got a chance to explain why it was that their predictions may come true.
My daughter loved it. I had to admit that the tree swinging squids may have been a step too far.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I saw that! I was about to say that the "squibbons" were my favorite!
I also liked the baboon-like monkeys of the Amazonian savannah and their carnivorous, ground-running, bird nemesisses.es. Enemies.
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Now it's starting to sound like a China Miéville story...
See, if only we could drill in ANWR, we'd have enough energy for faster-than-light travel. - mediageek
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Links Please.
"Still, though, being fat isn't some kind of moral failing. Unless you're fat from, like, eating the people you murder...then it's probably a moral failing of one sort or another." -- Timothy
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
English Russia is a good place to start. There are lots of links that I have seen, but I don't usually keep them. There is This and also this and this. I'm sure you could find many more.
Sites full of photos of abandoned Soviet cities always do well on Reddit, so I know I'm not the only one who digs them. I think the phenomenon is referred to as "Urban Exploration" and encompasses ghost towns all over the world, not just the former Soviet Union. I think that just happens to be the spot with the choicest abandoned stuff.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Thanks!
"Still, though, being fat isn't some kind of moral failing. Unless you're fat from, like, eating the people you murder...then it's probably a moral failing of one sort or another." -- Timothy
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I finally saw Juno. I did enjoy it, as everyone said I would. Having done the whole daddy thing probably helped me to relate in a bit, but not necessarily in a pleasant way.
Indie-rock doofus note - Within 5 minutes of the film, I thought to myself "They are totally going to bust out some Moldy Peaches at some point". Did I call that or what?
Oh, and Superstar by Sonic Youth is a really great song.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I spent a not insignificant amount of time last week watching every episode of "Pushing Daisies." Holy crap that show is just phenomenal.
Brought to you by Carl's Jr.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
MG,
Did they run a marathon that I missed or is Season 1 on DVD?
I like it. It has sort of the same feel as Wonderfalls if you haven't seen it as well.
"Still, though, being fat isn't some kind of moral failing. Unless you're fat from, like, eating the people you murder...then it's probably a moral failing of one sort or another." -- Timothy
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I found it on a Chinese YouTube clone.
Brought to you by Carl's Jr.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
They're playing Crash on FX now. That is a great movie.
Ignore D. A. Ridgely's sig. Here is what Ali really said: "love is like porn, you know it when you
seefeel it"Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
A few days ago I finally say the movie The Incredibles. What an awesome movie!
Also, one of my co-workers looks a lot like the character of Mirage, in the face. (Not so unnaturally skinny though.)
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
By using lots of cunning, I managed to watch season 4 of Futurama and Bender's Big Score. Season 4 was all kinds of awesome, but Bender's Big Score really sucks. The whole movie is built on one of my most hated plot devices (every character is struck by a massive case of DUMB), and it doesn't make any substantive use of the backstory developed for each character. I could forgive those failings if it was at least funny, but it's not. I didn't laugh out loud once, and most episodes make me laugh out loud several times (and the movie is the equivalent of four episodes).
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Thanks to ReasonTV's interview with Anthony Bourdain I have been turned on to No Reservations. I like it. Travel for travelers, not touristas. His snarky, libertarianesque take on things definitely makes it interesting.
"Still, though, being fat isn't some kind of moral failing. Unless you're fat from, like, eating the people you murder...then it's probably a moral failing of one sort or another." -- Timothy
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
My wife and I love that show. I'm not normally a fan of travelogues but I really like Bourdain.
"ps not an lp member so stop beating that drum. the drum is tired and wants to go home now, to the family that loves it. i haven’t even mentioned PRECIOUS PRECIOUS GOLD or ferrets or anything." - dhex
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I like it, my wife on the other hand refers to him as "The Asshole." As in, "Let's see what's saved on TiVO? Well, we have four episode of Asshole and one of Good Eats. I'll go read a book." Though as his tirades have ebbed she is warming up to it.
"Still, though, being fat isn't some kind of moral failing. Unless you're fat from, like, eating the people you murder...then it's probably a moral failing of one sort or another." -- Timothy
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
A Cook's Tour, Bourdain's FoodNetwork show has been reairing since the success of No Reservations. It's hilarious how much time he spends slagging on the Food Network in that show.
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
His Lebanon show was fantastic television.
And his US/Mexico border show should be required watching for politicians, especially Ron Paul.
This is a personal problem. There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable use of high explosives. This is not one of those exceptions.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
a friend of mine loaned me the first three seasons of it's always sunny in philadelphia.
i didn't watch them for like six months.
i was wrong.
"Yeah, but my character would be all swav and deboner." - Warren
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
QFT. If you spend any time near the border at all, any at all, you can't help but conclude that it's really one community. I'm really only a couple hours from the border here, and depending on which part of town you're in it's difficult to tell it from Mexico. And, frankly, I'm okay with that. They brought migas.
Whenever I catch so much as a glimpse of pr0n, I suddenly turn into a sex-crazed barbarian, slashing and clawing my way through whatever and whomever until I find something to put my weiner into. -- Taktix
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
What matters is that you're better now.
EDIT: It was DeVito that turned you off to it, right? But it works, just because its the morally bereft environment where he thrives, and they don't use him too much.
"But if it makes you feel better, I would also enjoy a world in which there are men, women, transsexuals, genderqueer folk, etc. who all enjoy pelican role-play." - JD
"Extraordinary conditions do not create or enlarge constitutional powers."
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I just watched Heavy Metal, and damn boy howdy that movie rocks.
But, as Deepak Chopra taught us, quantum physics means anything can happen at any time for no reason! Also, eat plenty of oatmeal, and animals never had a war... who's the real animal?
=Professor Farnsworth
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Inspired by South Park?
"But if it makes you feel better, I would also enjoy a world in which there are men, women, transsexuals, genderqueer folk, etc. who all enjoy pelican role-play." - JD
"Extraordinary conditions do not create or enlarge constitutional powers."
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
EDITED FOR DOUBLE POST
But, as Deepak Chopra taught us, quantum physics means anything can happen at any time for no reason! Also, eat plenty of oatmeal, and animals never had a war... who's the real animal?
=Professor Farnsworth
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
yup. And my unquenchable desire for rocket tits.
But, as Deepak Chopra taught us, quantum physics means anything can happen at any time for no reason! Also, eat plenty of oatmeal, and animals never had a war... who's the real animal?
=Professor Farnsworth
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I believe those are Rock'n Tits. You know, as in Rock'n Roll.
seriously though, i think you're crazy on this. and you think i'm crazy. everybody wins! - dhex
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
aw I though it was rocket tits because of all the outer space stuff in the movie. But Rockin' Tits can suffice.
But, as Deepak Chopra taught us, quantum physics means anything can happen at any time for no reason! Also, eat plenty of oatmeal, and animals never had a war... who's the real animal?
=Professor Farnsworth
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
A colleague (who also adores Jefferson) at college is highly recommending HBO's John Adams. Any other recommendations? I do not have HBO, but is the series worth buying when/if it is released on DVD?
Ignore D. A. Ridgely's sig. Here is what Ali really said: "love is like porn, you know it when you
seefeel it"Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I saw The Passion of Joan of Arc for the first time the other day.
As many classic movies as I have seen, I am constantly running across ones I still haven't seen yet.
I saw a bit of the John Adams thing the other day. I had a hard time not thinking of John Adams as Harvey Pekar. I assume a more committed viewing would allow me to get beyond that.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Yes, if you close your eyes and just listen you can hear the upcoming voice of Dr. Satan.
"love is like porn, you know" -- Ali
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Wow. From a starring role as one of the founders of our country to sharing his voice talents with Sheri Moon Zombie.
This guy is all over the place.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I had to take mk v. 2 to see Prince Caspian today. It was better than I thought it would be, better than the abysmal L,WW. Still, it was very much the kind of thing that kids like and not adults. The last film I saw with her - The Spiderwick Chronicles was much the same but without all the eyeroll-inducing, thinly veiled jesus stuff.
I did see a documentary called Grey Gardens the other night which was quite good. It was about these two distant members of the Kennedy family; an 80 year-old woman and her 56 year-old daughter and their life in this completely dilapidated and filthy house in the Hamptons. It was an interesting character study. I admit that the two characters reminded me a bit of several of my female friends. A couple of which I could totally see ending up just like that.
I also finally got around to seeing Before Night Falls. That Javier Bardem sure is a good actor. I also saw The Darjeeling Limited. I really don't understand all the Wes Anderson hate. I find his movies insubstantial, but enjoyable and just a bit touching.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I have been trying to figure out a way how to get hold of the "libertarian" movies mentioned in the first part of this thread (and the links offered therein). One or two movies can be downloaded from itunes and found on NetFlix (which I am not a member of yet).
So my question is: If not on NetFlix, is there anyway I can get hold of these movies? Especially the old ones, where can I find them? Order them through Blockbuster? Anyway to get some of that stuff for free (and legally)?
Ignore D. A. Ridgely's sig. Here is what Ali really said: "love is like porn, you know it when you
seefeel it"Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Ali, TANSTAAFF!
Actually, though, you'd be surprised what libraries, both local and academic, have these days. (Well, maybe you wouldn't, but I would.) So if you still have access to a university library, you might even be able to get some of them on interlibrary loan. As far as I can tell from my older son, currently an undergraduate, upwards of 50% of his laptop usage other than internet surfing is watching movie DVDs he has checked out of the university library.
"love is like porn, you know" -- Ali
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Amazon? Otherwise...google Bittorrent + Movie name + legal. ;)
This is a personal problem. There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable use of high explosives. This is not one of those exceptions.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
DAR,
Indeed, you're right, TANSTAAFF! And I totally forgot about library loans. The school I teach at is a smaller engineering school, so I do not expect them to have many movies, but I know they can do ILL. I will try it.
Thanks, DAR.
Ignore D. A. Ridgely's sig. Here is what Ali really said: "love is like porn, you know it when you
seefeel it"Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Amazon... Hmm... duh. It seems that my brain is taking a break this Memorial Holiday.
Ignore D. A. Ridgely's sig. Here is what Ali really said: "love is like porn, you know it when you
seefeel it"Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
In the last week I've seen:
The Fall - I reviewed this in the other thread devoted exclusively to this film.
Pink Flamingos - There was a special cult movie screening of this at the theater last weekend. It dragged at moments but overall I thought it was a scream. It was my first time seeing the film. They also did a give-away and I was disappointed that I did not win because the prize was a document signed by John Waters himself stating that the possessor of said document is the filthiest person in Cleveland! I will never be able to listen to The Trashmen song "Surfin' Bird" in the same way ever again. I almost watched Desperate Living this week as well, but ended up watching a different film that one of my friends suggested (mentioned below).
You're Gonna Miss Me - A great documentary about the life and trials of psych rock legend cum acid casualty Roky Erickson. I really enjoyed this; an overall good production, and the DVD extras are great, too. All hail Roky, King of the Beasts!
Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter - This is what I saw instead of Desperate Living. It was about as unfunny as I feared it was going to be. It's got a few funny moments, but the jokes are mostly predictable and are often prop gags. I'm just not a big fan of Kung fu fighting movies, even if it is Christ versus the undead, which seemed like a plot with a lot of potential. Plus the production quality was pretty low. This one was just "meh".
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having. - V
UNDERPANTS HAWK
DOES NOT DESIRE YOUR TOUCH
I long for the day that a chimp will ghost-ride someone's boomcar into a lake. - tymac
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Desperate Living is my all-time favorite Waters film, despite it not having Divine in it.
I finally saw American Movie last week. I've been meaning to see that one since it came out.
The Mike Shank character is exactly what I would be like now had I not stopped taking drugs, appearance and all. Definitely a "phew" moment.
I'm going to add YGTMM to my Netflix queue on your recommendation Smacky. That sounds pretty good.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
What's frightening is, Mike Shank is not a character. He's a subject.
This is a personal problem. There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable use of high explosives. This is not one of those exceptions.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Of course. I stand corrected.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I just picked up a batch of Discovery's "Since We Left Earth", which is supposed to be the first use of a bunch of high def stuff from NASA. Starts with the Mercury program (it gets 2 hours) then moves forward from there.
"But if it makes you feel better, I would also enjoy a world in which there are men, women, transsexuals, genderqueer folk, etc. who all enjoy pelican role-play." - JD
"Extraordinary conditions do not create or enlarge constitutional powers."
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Rifftrax. Way too many Rifftrax. Battlefield Earth, Spiderman 3, and, of course, the Star Wars Holiday Special.
But, as Deepak Chopra taught us, quantum physics means anything can happen at any time for no reason! Also, eat plenty of oatmeal, and animals never had a war... who's the real animal?
=Professor Farnsworth
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I've only used RiffTrax for Casino Royale, but it nearly killed me. Nelson and Murphy really brought their A game to that one.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I saw Mongol today. Cinematography was excellent and it had an interesting plot. The pace of the movie was a bit slow though.
Also, no one yelled "THIS IS MONGOLIA!!" so it already had that going for it.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I went to an advance screening of The Rocker on Wednesday. It's a good thing it was free, because I would have been upset if I had paid money to see it. It has some funny moments, but overall it's not a funny movie. It has the feel of having been written for other people (Jack Black and Jonah Hill), but the producers couldn't get those guys and just grabbed who they could.
Also, I finally saw Miller's Crossing. Good stuff. I'll probably watch it a few more times before I send it back.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I finally got around to seeing La Grande Illusion the other day. Great old French movie from Renoir.
The message about human relations was a timely one, of course, but the thing that strikes one about the movie right off is just how polite the enemy soldiers are to each other. Renoir himself mentions it in his intro reminding the viewer that the movie was made prior to World War 2. I would be interested to see what a more recent military person's viewpoint of it would be.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Avatar, the Last Airbender. A Nickelodeon show aimed at 7-11 year olds. Don't laugh.
It's actually really, amazingly good, or at least far far better than I expected it to be. The series finale just ended, and it was amazing; I'm in that relaxed I-can-take-on-the-world zone you sometimes get to at the end of a really good book or movie. The only problem was that they'd hit a dramatic high point, and then cut to a Coco Pebbles commercial that would totally ruin the mood.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Jadagul,
My wife and I are big Avatar fans. We were watching through the the finale last night but she got a touch of food poisoning from a local pizza place so we had to pause about half-way through.
"ps not an lp member so stop beating that drum. the drum is tired and wants to go home now, to the family that loves it. i haven’t even mentioned PRECIOUS PRECIOUS GOLD or ferrets or anything." - dhex
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
The Pursuit of Happyness was a good movie that I watched on Friday. Individualism is in there and a little bit of cursing of the tax system that allows the gov to access your bank account and just take the money you owe them without asking you. And of course Will Smith was seeking a job as a stock broker. It was overall a very good movie.
Ignore D. A. Ridgely's sig. Here is what Ali really said: "love is like porn, you know it when you
seefeel it"Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
We've had Pursuit of Happyness on our Tivo for about a month. We just haven't gotten around to watching it yet. Maybe tonight.
"ps not an lp member so stop beating that drum. the drum is tired and wants to go home now, to the family that loves it. i haven’t even mentioned PRECIOUS PRECIOUS GOLD or ferrets or anything." - dhex
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I just saw Mongol. It's nice to see someone else make a slightly dumb historical pic, but can anybody get Mosfilm some Kodachrome for chrissakes? The cinematography is great except for being filmed in Wan-O-Vision.
This is a personal problem. There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable use of high explosives. This is not one of those exceptions.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I thought Mongol was good, but a bit boring. I couldn't help but think that it was visually appealing but could have been much better. I don't have the knowledge of cinematography necessary to explain why I disliked it though.
Last night I saw an older, but similar historical epic. I saw El Cid with Charles Heston and Sophia Loren. Visually it was very well done, but the quality of the film hasn't aged well. I got the impression that it would be a stunner if it had been done in a more recent time. They actually had tons of extras for the battle scenes and other shots for that "cast of thousands" feel. I guess extras were cheaper back then.
The story had that corny love thing that was omnipresent in movies from that time. It also, as far as I know, bore no resemblance to the actual history of El Cid. Still, it was worth watching.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I have a bleg: I'm staying in a guest house for a couple of weeks, which has a stack of unfamiliar movies on DVD. I hate wasting a portion of my life on lame movies, which of the following are worth watching, and which suck?
Kiss Daddy Goodnight (stars Una Thurman and Buscemi)
Little Children (Kate Winslet)
Sweetie (dir. Jane Campion)
The Departed (dir. Scorsese)
The Woodsman (Kevin Bacon)
Lady in the Water (ok, I do actually know not to watch this one)
Convicted
Hawaii (1966, stars Julie Andrews and Max Von Sydow)
I appreciate y'all's advice. TIA
"They civilize left, They civilize right
Till nothing is left, Till nothing is right"
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
The Departed was pretty damn good, although I feel like I need to watch it a second time to make sure I got everything.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
The Woodsman was mediocre--I was hoping for more. But it was at least watchable.
That's the only one I've seen.
This is a personal problem. There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable use of high explosives. This is not one of those exceptions.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Hawaii is based on the novel by James Michener.
His books tend to be multi-generational sagas in sometimes exotic locales.
I saw the movie when it first came out. It was pretty good as I recall. Julie Andrews was highly watchable in those days, and a damn fine actress too.
I haven't read the book.
If you like grand saga style movies you'll like it I think.
For some reason I feel like I should be able to name one work of his that everyone will recognize, but I cannot.
I am not young enough to know everything.
— Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
South Pacific?
He apparently wrote the book the musical was based on.
A parasite feeding on bacteria growing on fungus growing on cow excrement? The only way the parasitic chain could get any longer would be if the cow excrement worked for the government.
- Smacky
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Michener may have been the first author to become his own little cottage industry. Tales from the South Pacific (which won him a Pulitzer and was the basis for the Broadway and then movie South Pacific) wasn't so much of a tome as his later, increasingly enormous novels. The joke used to be that people bought Michener books by the pound, the perfect beach novels assuming you were going to spend a few months at the beach. He apparently hired young aspiring writers to do the research and rough drafts of his later novels, e.g. Chesapeake. Texas, Centennial and Hawaii, with the early parts of the books dwelling extensively on the geological and earliest human history of whatever location formed the focal point of the book.
BTW, and completely unrelated to Michener but on topic otherwise, I want to put in a word for Route 66, the first season of which has just been re-released, supposedly with cleaner copies of the episodes in their original aspect ratio. (The first season was already released in two parts but with idiotic letterboxing and for a few episodes a dub tape was obviously used as the source.)
This is my favorite TV show from the 60s, right up there with Twilight Zone. The writing is absolutely first-rate. Sterling Silliphant was, if anything, a better writer than Sterling. The show is, of course, dated in the sense that it is now a period piece in terms of dialog, cultural standards, etc., but it's really excellent episodic drama. It's also of minor historical significance, not that that's a reason for you to watch it, in that it was one of the earliest TV series to shoot extensively on location, the locations changing every week (so it was expensive in its day to shoot). Finally, it taps into a certain iconic American mythos: the open road, self discovery through travel, etc. Okay, so it's not for everyone. But if I can listen to Straight Outta Compton and OK Computer, some of you lawn-trampling kids might want to check out some of the best TV ever that you've probably never otherwise even heard of.
"love is like porn, you know" -- Ali
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Jake, I don't know why, but I was going for soething else. But a DAR has noted you are correct, sir.
And DAR, I will most certainly look for Route 66. I wholeheartedly concur with your high opinion.
I have been watching a lot of 50s-60s shows lately. Some to see if they match my recollection and others because due to my TVless household as a child for the first time.
One of the latter is Peter Gunn. Good stuff, I thought. Though I doubt I would have gotten to see it originally anyway, since it came out when I was about ten years old and somehow I think conscientious 1950s parents would have considered its content innappropriate for that age. Any episodes I'd seen before were reruns in the late 60s and 70s, I think.
I am not young enough to know everything.
— Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
My experience watching DVD releases of television shows of my youth is that more often than not they do not live up to my fond memories. Route 66 is an exception to that rule. So is Have Gun, Will Travel, of which the first three seasons were released and then, inexplicably, nothing more so far. Perry Mason and Alfred Hitchcock Presents have been fun to watch again, too, and I also enjoyed watching the two available sets of Peter Gunn, though I was shocked at how shoddy the sets were and how uncool Mothers looks now. What I'd very much like to see released now is The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, a series I remember fondly especially for Bob Denver's immortal Maynard G. Krebs. So far, though, there is no sign that whoever owns the rights will be releasing the series.
"love is like porn, you know" -- Ali
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I loved Sweetie.
I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone though. There aren't any explosions or anything. It's about a dysfunctional family in Australia. It's all kinds of quirky but without too much cuteness.
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i found out two weeks ago that my wife had never seen pulp fiction. and so it was netflix'd. and it was good.
but yeah weird huh? she's also never seen showgirls. (we will fix this next week perhaps)
"Yeah, but my character would be all swav and deboner." - Warren
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I've never seen Showgirls.
This is a personal problem. There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable use of high explosives. This is not one of those exceptions.
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I don't really plan on seeing Showgirls. And I don't really plan on seeing Pulp Fiction again.
Do wanna see Reservoir Dogs, though.
"But if it makes you feel better, I would also enjoy a world in which there are men, women, transsexuals, genderqueer folk, etc. who all enjoy pelican role-play." - JD
"Extraordinary conditions do not create or enlarge constitutional powers."
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showgirls is a trainwreck of epic proportions. there's really no other way to describe it.
nothing has ever blurred the line between camp and utter disaster like this.
"Yeah, but my character would be all swav and deboner." - Warren
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
You could play an interesting game of "What lessons are we supposed to be learning from this movie?" with Showgirls. Your average John Waters film is a life-affirming romp through love and hope compared to that film.
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
i generally think of john waters as life-affirming, actually.
if i can kick the angel dust, mom, you can beat the booze!
"Yeah, but my character would be all swav and deboner." - Warren
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
I hear what you are saying. I can't recall ever leaving a Waters film more cynical than when I came in. Usually it was very much the opposite. Desperate Living was as good an anti-authoritarian movie as I have seen. That movie was rich in moral instruction.
Showgirls many messages are a compendium of brutish ugliness all subsumed within the larger, more depressing truth which is that we live in a world where a film like that can be made.
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naw dude. as wikipedia tells us:
fun is fun is fun.
"Yeah, but my character would be all swav and deboner." - Warren
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I admit that watching the "VH1 pop-up video" version of Showgirls is very tempting. It imagine it would be all like "Kyle McClaughlin tried to wash away the shame of this scene for days, but could not" and stuff like that.
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I somehow overlooked the last several comments until now, but this here discussion of Showgirls is superior Internet. I just wanted to acknowledge that.
"My intellect is gigantic, monstrous, terrifying."
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my wife saw showgirls for the first time last night.
i must say that while the outer core is camp, the inner core is dark and fucked up.
that's why i say heinlein fans give up, verhoven is your god!
"Yeah, but my character would be all swav and deboner." - Warren
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deathproof was amazing.
"Yeah, but my character would be all swav and deboner." - Warren
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I was watching a documentary about a NYC tour guide yesterday and laughed out loud quite a few times. It was called The Cruise. I'm surprised that I hadn't run across it before as it seemed to be about 10 years old. That guy is a real character.
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My power went out yesterday evening because of a strong windstorm, so I went to a friend's house that had power and watched three Alfred Hitchcock movies, in this order:
Murder
Young and Innocent
Secret Agent
I felt like Murder was a little slow paced. I basically didn't miss anything except for maybe one or two details of a murder that I had snoozed through that my friend filled me in on. Whenever I can nap through part of a movie and not miss anything, it's sometimes safe for me to assume that the plot is moving too slowly for my liking. I think this is one of those times.
The movies in order of how good they were would be Secret Agent > Young and Innocent > Murder
Secret Agent had a trifecta of win because it had the best-looking leading lady of the three movies, an adorable dachshund, and Peter Lorre.
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having. - V
UNDERPANTS HAWK
DOES NOT DESIRE YOUR TOUCH
I long for the day that a chimp will ghost-ride someone's boomcar into a lake. - tymac
Re: What have you been viddying, part 2
Now you should watch High Anxiety.
I saw Burn After Reading this weekend with my daughter. I figured that she was old enough to enjoy more adult type stuff. This made for one particularly awkward moment, but other than that it went ok.
I liked the movie, but it was not the Cohen brothers best. Brad Pitt seems not to have aged at all which is starting to get weird. He was one of the better characters in the film. Even though he is a bit of a pretty boy, I have always liked him. Of course, I know he has been in some really bad films, but I never saw any of them so my opinion of his work remains high.
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Last night we watched Charlie Wilson's War. I alternately laughed my ass off and cried.
BTW, Hitchcock also made a movie based on Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent, which, as you discovered, is not called The Secret Agent. It's called Sabotage, and I thought it was pretty bad.
"They civilize left, They civilize right
Till nothing is left, Till nothing is right"
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I finally saw Iron Man on DVD. I have to say that it was the best, most enjoyable twist on the comic book superhero formula movie that I have ever seen.
(Although I haven't seen the latest Batman yet, which also looks pretty cool.)
"My inte