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

I understand what you mean, matlock.

I still liked the movie, though.
Just not as much as I could have.

I wish someone who knew how to make movies would get ahold of Terry Pratchett's stuff.
The British cartoon of the witches was rather terrible.
So much wasted potential!

I recently saw 'Vertigo'.
Stewart is so completely strange, so obsessed and furious!
I really think the story is more complex and horrorfying than it gets credit for.

But I still want a clear shower curtain.
And when I see a bunch of crows in the trees I wonder.


I've been on and off again with the sci-fi show, 'Stargate Atlantis' but I'm fairly bummed about the series ending this week.

Somehow TPTB on that show seem to think that the only formula they can use for Stargate stories must involve HUGE incredibly powerful and numerous badguys.
Then, they have to have some mega genious, like Sam or Rodney, sweep in with a short term solution but the war still goes on.
The characters were finally really getting mature and complex and stories could less galaxy destroying possiblities!

Oh well.
Sorry for the rant.
I just don't know why everything has to be an epic.

Robin Hood: Men In Tights

Now I can't get that damn song out of my head.

I thought VERTIGO was slow and a bit boring when I first saw it in college. Boy, did my opinion change by the next time I saw it a decade or so later.

Hmmm- the fact that my first viewing was on a small set with mediocre color in a college dorm room couldn't have had anything to do with my initial judgment, could it?

It most definitely is complex and- I'd call it disturbing more than horrifying- but I thought it'd been pretty much recognized as such.

That scene where Kim Novak, freshly bleached and teased and tucked into the Jimmy Stewart character's fantasy, emerges into the ghostly green glow of reflected neon is one I'll never forget.

It's a small masterpiece of mood, music, character and obssession. That scene, I mean. VERTIGO as a whole is most definitely not 'small'.

I know his own favorite of his films was SHADOW OF A DOUBT, which I always love. My personal favorite is probably REAR WINDOW. I think a good argument could be made putting VERTIGO forward as his best film.

For Christmas (which my family just celebrated this past Saturday due to an injury to my mom), I received two DVD sets which I'm currently enjoying: A Frank Capra collection including IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN (definitely do *not* judge this one by the Adam Sandler remake), YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, MR. SMITH GOES TO TOWN and AMERICAN MADNESS (the only one I've never seen before) and the remastered I, CLAUDIUS PBS/BBC series.

So far, I've only watched the documentary stuff for the Capra collection (interesting and gladly, it didn't put me off him- the way bios sometimes do of artists/writers I admire). I'm about 5/6s through CLAUDIUS, which has gained few peers in the ranks of great TV drama since it was produced in the 1970's. I think one of the greatest villainess in history slithers her way across the screen, like the snake in the opening credits. Not historically accurate, I don't believe, as she died years before her onscreen death.

For myself, I bought the second season of ROUTE 66- if you've never watched this series, rent it sometime and watch a few episodes. There's never been another show quite like it. Hearing the light, jazzy theme song just makes me happy.

Mystery Lad, first off love that current avatar.

Thanks for the Hitchcock info. I will start watching soon!

Your Christmas presents sound pretty cool! I want to read I, Claudius badly! Didn't know there was a PBS/BBC series! I still have to read it first.

I agree, disturbing is a better word then horrifing.
You're much better at words then me, ML.

There's so many Hitchcock stories I don't think I've seen as many as I'd like.
I used to watch his TV series way back when.

I recently saw the original Deeds movie and it was wonderful.
Was the main actor Cooper or Peck?
I want to remember Coop in the part but the last old style movie I saw had Peck for sure, a reporter undercover as jewish.
Gary Cooper was my mom's favorite and he's one of mine, too, right up there with Spencer Tracy.

Come to think of it, I saw Smith recently, too!
That's Jimmy Stewart and the valley and Claude Rains as the mentor who's sold out?

Anyway ~ I loved I Claudius by PBS when I saw it in it's american showing. Was that really in the 70's?
gads
It has Derek Jacobie and James Hurt (Aliens) in it. They were so good in that mini-series!
When I see them in anything else, I expect them to be lisping or cutting off someone's balls!

Jacobie was just on Dr. Who for a couple of episodes (rerun this year). He starred in the Brother Cadfiel(sp?) Mysteries, too.
That's a fun series and I even found a gardening book on herbs and remedies from the middle ages named after the show!

Any fans of I *Heart* Huckabees here ?

Normally, I tend to be skeptical when people rave about "quirky indy" films. The quirkiness ends up being wayyyyyyyy overdone and/or pointless. But this movie did have an actual plot that I could follow and take interest in. Also the acting was top-notch, which kept things from dragging.

I appreciated that neither the villains nor the heroes, such as the set-up was, were playing with entirely full decks;That neither side was operating for entirely selfless or selfish reasons. It kept my sympathy up for grabs mostly, so I never got bored.

Yes. I like that movie, too, for the same reasons you listed.

Sounds like I should see it.

I want to see the Brad Pitt movie that's out now, I forget the title, of course.
He's growing younger.

And looking back, I don't think JAMES Hurt is correct.
I just don't think his name is WILLIAM Hurt.
sigh

We watched the original Mr. Deeds in grad school (Gary Cooper is the lead Shady, you were right the first time). Its actually a really great film! Not Capra's best, but a pretty darn good movie.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is nothing short of extraordinary and it deserves all the praise it gets. Jimmy Stewart is one of the most likeable human beings in the history of man, and Claude Reins--now there was an actor that could ACT! One of the greatest of all time, though sometimes forgotten today.

PS - anyone ever watch the show "How I Met Your Mother"? I just started watching it. One of the funniest shows I've ever seen and complete with some real heart and commentary on friendship and relationships. I'd say this is the second funniest show on television behind "Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia" which is a completely different show in that its so off the wall.

Hey! Don't leave Jean Arthur out! She's my favorite old-timey actress (she was Capra's, too). Stewart and Rains are great, but a good deal of MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON's heart and intelligence come from her character.

I've seen It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, but I take it in controlled doses. As I do the U.S. Office. Given RL right now, I really need my head in a happy place most of the time. Neither of those shows exactly provides the minimum RDA of Happy Place.

Cleome, there is mucho happy place in "How I Met Your Mother"!

'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'
Or something like that.

And it's JOHN Hurt on I Claudius.

Yes, Jean Arthur was wonderful.
It amazes me that so many of those older time stars were so individual in their beauty.

Just take Jean, Kate Hepburn, Donna Reed, Ingrid Bergman and Marlena Dietricht, for Stewart costars!

These were my mother's era, but they seem so ageless and forever.
(Sorry for the edit ~ a teacher was here talking to me and I forgot what I was doing!)
:rolleyes:

Watched Woody Allen's Celebrity the other night. I read it was a homage or remake of Dolce Vita.

Now this I got into much more than Dolce Vita. I admit Vita was more deep but Celebrity just worked better.

Since Vita was fresh in my mind I picked up all the similarities and how they diverged just a bit.

Kenneth Branagh did an amazing job acting like...Woody Allen. Judy Davis played Kenneth's wife and I thought it was a Mia Farrow imitation.

Lots of stars. Charlize Theron (i saw her in person last year!) was very hot in this! She was grinding on Anthony Mason (one of my fave Knicks ever!). Wynona Ryder did great as well. I love Gretchen Mol. She was in the Leo scene.

I suggest everyone check this out. And ofcourse it takes place in NYC.

As an aside, I make sure I watch that Charlize Theron commercial everytime its on (for the perfume). WOW!

Nothing as cool as you guys. I've been doing a bunch of downloading recently and today's MOVIE DAY!!
This morning we've watched Caveman with Ringo Starr, Shelly Long and Dennis Quaid. If you've never seen it then shame on you, it's hilarious. Now it's Surf's Up and next is The Day the Earth Stood Still followed later on by Mama Mia!!

I'm downloading The Colour of Magic and hope like heck I get it burned to disk in time to add it to today's movie fun.

Deadwood DVDs, second season.

Kidney stone. "Instrument." Accessing the bladder. That's all I'm saying.

Deadwood Season Two was possibly the best season ever of a TV show. I just watched all three seasons last month. What a great show.

Swearagin is not only the meanest and most rugged character I've ever seen, he's possibly the most likeable!

The kidney stone sequence was incredibly painful to watch. Really well done.

reading up to your first comma I was thinking "that's not Swearagin you're describing, that's Anton Chigurh. But then you added "he's possibly the most likeable!" and that in totality describes him perfectly to me also.


Now, Bullock on the other hand. Two seasons and unless I missed something, they really haven't fleshed this character out as to why he is the way he is. Not even much of a hint, other than a few things he told his son and I didn't see any explanation that could be taken from that.


I'm really hoping that the library has season 3 in stock.

YK, so how did it go? Were they good, bad, ok?

I watched the Michael Caine version of The Quiet American this weekend. Interesting to compare with the original version, which I just saw a couple of weeks ago. I think the newer version is a better movie overall, but I prefer the original, more tragic ending.

Over the weekend, I finally gave in and watched Maxed Out with mr_cleome. Once my burning desire to punch my fist through the computer monitor subsided, I decided that it was actually pretty well done. Also it fueled my determination to sell everything I own (if necessary), up to and including my internal organs, in order to get the credit monkey off my back;At least for a little while.

Obviously all documentaries have their biases, and you have to approach them with that in mind, but I thought its points were well-made. Whether it would change the viewer's mind if s/he went into it with entirely opposing biases... I don't know. Also I don't necessarily recommend it for weekend viewing, if what you want on the weekend is escapism.

If you liked "The Colour of Magic," you should look for "Hogfather," another excellent Pratchett Discworld movie. Death was hilarious taking over the duties of the missing Hogfather(Discworld's Santa Claus), while his granddaughter, Susan, investigates the Hogfather's disappearance.