What Movies Have You Seen, Part 15

[walto]

We just watched Hugo.

Ewwww.

[Deke Thornton]

I liked it. YMMV.

[patricia]

OK. Years ago, Peter Maas wrote a book, King of the Gypsies, which I read and found facinating. Then, in 1978 a movie was based on it which I also liked.
The other day I caught a show on TV, My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding which is notable mostly for the HUGE wedding gowns and the really skanky way the girls dress and the pimpy [is that a word?] way the boys dress.
Odd, but it reminded me that I have the movie I mentioned, so I found it and watched it again.
It features Sterling Hayden as the dying gypsy king, Judd Hirsch as his son and Eric Roberts as the grandson, all of them acting the dickens out of their roles. Susan Saranden, at her most beautiful I think, plays Hirsh's wife and Brooke Shields is the granddaughter. Shields seemed fated to play tiny adult women, which is kind of creepy, but it didn't hurt her career much.
The plot revolves around who is going to carry on as king after Hayden checks out. BUT, the most interesting part is the life of gypsies in the New York area at the time. Facinating.
What struck me then, and since, was just how much better an actor Eric Roberts is than his much more touted sister, Julia. He, unfortunately, has been in some real duds, feature films and movies and guest-shots on TV over the years, but he is riveting, I think.
In any case, maybe have a look at this film. It stands up well and I really enjoyed it.

[clinthopson]

During this time, I have been loking at a lot of flicks. I have come to appreciate TCM a lot.

The topper for me was A Man and A Woman. It has moved into my top ten. Considered when it was made, the film making is amazing. Claude Lelouch dis just about every thing , cinematographer, editor and the rest. The editing is wonderful what with the changed for B&W to color, flash backs, quick jumps and very tight editing.

Francis Lai's score has been one of my favorites for years, especially the samba stuff.

And, of course there is Anouk Aimee stunningly beautiful and warm. I defy any man who has any blood in his veins to turn down some time with the young Anouk.

[Sergio Zamora]

And, of course there is Anouk Aimee stunningly beautiful and warm. I defy any man who has any blood in his veins to turn down some time with the young Anouk.

Indeed

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

THE QUANTUM ACTIVIST -- Amit Goswami says one must live alternately in ego consciousness and collective consciousness -- "It's not do do do or be be be: it's do be do be do"

[bluenoter]

THE QUANTUM ACTIVIST -- Amit Goswami says one must live alternately in ego consciousness and collective consciousness -- "It's not do do do or be be be: it's do be do be do"

"To be is to do" –– Socrates
"To do is to be" –– Sartre
"Do be do be do" –– Sinatra

---(for that version) Luc Besson (in Subway)  
after Kurt Vonnegut (in Deadeye Dick)  
  

[Uli]

To be or not to bop. - Dizzy

[Blue Train]

It's Bloomsday.


Can't find a picture for this, but highly recommend it.


Imagining Ulysses

[Monte Smith]

I'd never seen this before, but obviously had high expectations. DeNiro is shot in the neck. Expectations met. The next day I watched DeNiro and Keitel reunited in Little Fokkers, a movie that proves nothing except that Barbra Streisand is a pig. Terrible film.



Like Scorcese's early work, Your Highness is a film that features dialogue and characters and images. I kind of liked it for the way the writer was able to imagine how stoners would talk if they were in the Middle Ages on another planet. "The fuckening has begun!"



Graham Greene The Power and the Glory territory here with this story of the faithful versus the revolutionary Mexican government. I got quibbles with the job they did, but it was OK and definitely not the sort of movie you see coming down the culture chute a lot. Good Western.

[bigtiny]

OK. Years ago, Peter Maas wrote a book, King of the Gypsies, which I read and found facinating. Then, in 1978 a movie was based on it which I also liked.
The other day I caught a show on TV, My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding which is notable mostly for the HUGE wedding gowns and the really skanky way the girls dress and the pimpy [is that a word?] way the boys dress.
Odd, but it reminded me that I have the movie I mentioned, so I found it and watched it again.
It features Sterling Hayden as the dying gypsy king, Judd Hirsch as his son and Eric Roberts as the grandson, all of them acting the dickens out of their roles. Susan Saranden, at her most beautiful I think, plays Hirsh's wife and Brooke Shields is the granddaughter. Shields seemed fated to play tiny adult women, which is kind of creepy, but it didn't hurt her career much.
The plot revolves around who is going to carry on as king after Hayden checks out. BUT, the most interesting part is the life of gypsies in the New York area at the time. Facinating.
What struck me then, and since, was just how much better an actor Eric Roberts is than his much more touted sister, Julia. He, unfortunately, has been in some real duds, feature films and movies and guest-shots on TV over the years, but he is riveting, I think.
In any case, maybe have a look at this film. It stands up well and I really enjoyed it.

King of the Gypsies....yes indeed. That was Roberts' debut film and I think he was 17 at the time. The whole case is excellent - Sterling Hayden, Shelley Winters, Judd Hirsch, Susan Sarandon., and Roberts. I haven't seen it in years, but I seem to remember a mesmerizing little actress, maybe 12 or 13 that played Roberts' younger sister? I'll have to look it up. Anyway, I don't know if this is on DVD but it's a very well done film.

bigtiny

[bigtiny]

To be or not to bop. - Dizzy

This is a film?!?! Details????

bigtiny

[bigtiny]

Coriolanus -- Magnificent! Probably the bloodiest and toughest film version of Shakespeare, but appropriate for the subject. snip snip snip

I haven't seen it yet, but have you seen 'Titus'?

bigtiny

[Uli]

This is a film?!?! Details????

bigtiny

It's his memoirs. sfar as I know not a film yet. Entertaining though.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Haven't seen Titus yet, but Titus is a pretty dreadful early play while Coriolanus is a very great and underrated late career masterpiece

[Blue Train]

Haven't seen Titus yet, but Titus is a pretty dreadful early play while Coriolanus is a very great and underrated late career masterpiece

I don't agree that Titus is a dreadful.

With regards to the film....like everything involving Julie Taymor. It's great eye candy.

[bigtiny]

I don't agree that Titus is a dreadful.

With regards to the film....like everything involving Julie Taymor. It's great eye candy.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean Steve...Train, I agree it's great eye candy, but I also thought it was a great presentation. All of the actors were excellent and man, the stuff that goes on in this play!!!!! Rob Zombie's got nothing on old Will....

bigtiny

[Sergio Zamora]

Like Scorcese's early work, Your Highness is a film that features dialogue and characters and images. I kind of liked it for the way the writer was able to imagine how stoners would talk if they were in the Middle Ages on another planet. "The fuckening has begun!"



Graham Greene The Power and the Glory territory here with this story of the faithful versus the revolutionary Mexican government. I got quibbles with the job they did, but it was OK and definitely not the sort of movie you see coming down the culture chute a lot. Good Western.

I suspect there was an image missing between the two paragraphs. My guess is it was that Andy Garcia movie. I haven't seen it, so I can't comment objectively, but I'm guessing I will hate it. My dad saw it in Mexico and he hated it completely. Fwiw, I love Greene but he got a lot of that book wrong.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

I don't agree that Titus is a dreadful.

Well it is Shakespeare (and possibly George Poole), but it's his first attempt at tragedy and it's as derivative and as gratuitously bloody as he ever gets. Almost all scholars put it at or near the bottom of the canon. I personally think it's even worse than Merry Wives (which Verdi in part redeems) and rate it as the single worst play he ever wrote.


But it is Shakespeare and I will see the film when I can.

[Uli]

[clinthopson]

About 50 years ago I saw Antonioni's L'Aventura. . I thought it was about the most boring and painfully long flick I had ever seen. The other day TCM showed it and I recorded it. I watched it yesterday. It was even more boring and meaningless than it was back in the 60s.

[Monte Smith]

I suspect there was an image missing between the two paragraphs. My guess is it was that Andy Garcia movie. I haven't seen it, so I can't comment objectively, but I'm guessing I will hate it. My dad saw it in Mexico and he hated it completely. Fwiw, I love Greene but he got a lot of that book wrong.

Lo siento about that image. Indeed, it is the Cristeros movie with Andy Garcia. It's not based on THE POWER AND THE GLORY but I don't know that you are suggesting that. I enjoyed the movie with reservations. Part of my enjoyment was the audience, which was chiefly Mexican at a cinema in Fairfax VA. But as to the film itself, it was very uncurious about the anti-clerical laws of the 1920s. I wouldn't say it painted one side as good and the other as evil, since it did show two major Catholic partisans in a poor light. But what was going on? Why was this crackdown on the Church ordered? It wasn't all demons versus saints, nor even high-minded secular revolucion versus benighted superstition either. Some of this violence, historically, was Protestant versus Catholic. The old politics. Anyway, I give it plaudits for covering uncovered ground. It is not a heroic picture, it is a minor entertainment (as Greene would eccentrically describe it).

[Monte Smith]

"¡Viva Cristo Rey! ¡Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!"

Forgot that part.

[Jazzooo]

Prometheos. Good looking, well-made, enjoyable for the most part.

[Uli]

[jesus marion joseph]

Not sure why I'd never seen The Crucible before, but I watched it last night. Nice adaptation of the play. The "afflicted" children remind me of a certain grass roots political un-party named after another Massachusetts historical event.

[LennyH]

I enjoyed McQueen and Fassbender's work in Hunger. I had high hopes for Shame. Unfortunately, it sorta sucks.

Whatever you do, don't make yourself sit through Carey Milligan's rendition of New York, New York. If you do, don't have an ice pick handy.

[Monte Smith]

Un Prophete. Absolutely a wonderful picture. The lead is great. Main character is sent to jail in France at a young age, no education, no support, no resources, and this film follows his maturation. It is beautiful.



United, the recent BBC film on the Manchester United disaster in Munich. I watched this with my kids because they have no interest in my team and I hoped that seeing David Tennant (Doctor Who) as a first team coach might turn them into fans. And it did. Hurrah.

[Valerie]

i would strongly recommend Beasts of the Southern Wild. one of the most amazing films i've seen in a long time. about a small group of people (with focus on man and his 5 year-old daughter) who would not leave The Sink in Southern Louisiana after the storm. no professional actors but breathtaking performances. almost like docu-drama with mythical aspects. first feature-length film for 27 year-old Benh Zeitlan. real, pure film-making at its best.

[Valerie]

enjoyed The Intouchables, especially for the performances of the two male leads. i remember Cluezy(sp?) as a young man in 'Round Midnight. he's even a better actor now. lots of laughs and some tears as well. poignant, well-made film based on a true story.