What Movies Are You Watching?

[mtnlaurel]

Also saw "Bernie" recently. What a strange and funny film. It's about the nicest guy in a small Texas town who kills the most hated woman in town and no-one wants to convict him. They had to move the trial!

I loved, loved, loved "Bernie"!
Old time gospel songs are my favorite, so I was nutty about the music.
Matthew McConaughy's character was a hoot.
I thought it was a pretty good portrayal of small town South (a little amp'd up, but spot on in a lot of places).

I went to go see "The Master" last weekend.
Did not like it. When I left there I felt duped, if that makes any sense.
Strong actors, beautiful cinematography and I am a sucker for period dramas -- but the story just wasn't there for me.

A beautiful movie I streamed on Netflix recently... "Korkoro"
It's about a Gypsy family in Nazi occupied France.
It was so moving. Touched on the meaning of family, place, space, connection to nature, the acceptance of mental illness.

[goldensmom]

I liked "Signs" too! I have not cared for most of his recent movies, but M Night Shymalan did a great job with the "atmospheric scare" in his early work.

M. Night Shymalan……‘Signs’ scared me even when I anticipated what was coming. I liked it but I liked ‘The Village’ much more.

[AmeliaJane]

I was sorry when the Shymalan movies got to be so ridiculous as not to be fun anymore. I loved the way his movies could be terrifyingly creepy without ever showing gore or monsters. Also, thanks for reminding me about Bernie. I read a follow-up by the journalist whose original report the movie was based on, and I have been wanting to check it out since.

I just watched a couple of quite charming movies lately. "Paul" is a science fiction movie which posits that one of the aliens from the Roswell NM crash survived and is now trying to get home after 50 years exposure to American culture. It's very lightweight-I originally picked it up because the two friends who find him and help him in his quest are played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who were the leads in "Shaun of the Dead," my very favorite zombie movie. There's quite a bit of raw language, but if you don't mind that and like sci fi, it's a lot of fun.

I also watched "Pirate Radio" which came out a few years ago. It's set off the coast of Britain in the 1960s, when British rock was big but the government radio stations wouldn't play it--so independent radio stations set up on ships anchored off the coast. The movie is about one of the stations and the deejays who work there. There's not a whole lot of plot, but the cast is top-notch and it's fun to see them sitting around being charming and funny and British, and of course the soundtrack is great.

I've had some bad luck with movies lately so I was pleased to find two in a row that I could recommend.

[KayLR]

Finally, after reading all the recommendations on the Christmas movie thread, we watched "Love, Actually," the other night. It was ok. Sweet.

My SO really enjoys the Hallmark Christmas movies (he really is very sweet and innocent for someone who spent 23 yr in the Air Force), and although I roll my eyes a bit, I've come around some. I told him I think they're a bit "predictable," to which he countered, "Well, haven't you ever just watched something for the simple enjoyment of it?" And I guess he had a point. But even he has a limit on them. We watched several in a row last weekend, then switched to some medical drama for some grit.

Today we are going to the library to pick up Season 1 of Downton Abbey which he has never seen. Had been on the waiting list---AND it's the UK version!

[Jilly]

I borrowed Paul last week. I borrowed it from the library because it had Simon Pegg and Blythe Danner in it. I really liked it and will probably borrow it again.

Last night I watched The Raven, a mystery in which Edgar Allen Poe is a character involved in...ooops, almost too much information. It is a decent mystery, stars John Cusack, and I loved how the film used mysterious factors of his life as plot devices. Very clever and entertaining.

I borrowed Midnight in Paris because Adrien Brody was in it, but it was also very much fun to watch. Lots of famous actors performing small parts.

I watched an episode of Fringe at my daughter's house and am now watching season two. There are so many references and constructs that I do not actually get, not having seen the first season, but I think I am liking it.

[AmeliaJane]

Yes, Fringe is extremely serialized and they make a lot of references to previous plot points. However, the first season is probably least serialized and least-referred to later--they really got going with the major plotlines in season 2. I enjoy it quite a bit.

I have The Raven somewhere in my long DVD queue and am now looking forward to it!

[iris lily]

I've been on a roll to see films in theaters and have seen recently:

Lincoln

Life of Pi -- fabulously beautiful, and I loved the story. Another great film by Ang Lee.

Anna Karenina --lush and pretty, interesting twist in using theater as setting, but in the end not a great version of AK. This is a Joe Wright film who made Atonement and Pride and Prejudice also starring Keira Knightly

Silver Linings Playbook -romantic comedy (the comedy is rather black)--this is really good!

Others coming up that I will probably see in the theater:

Circus Soleil

New Die Hard film with Bruce Willis

new film with Alan Cummings (he plays Eli on tv's The Good Wife)

The one about FDR that stars Bill Murray

[Jilly]

AmeliaJane, I would be surprised if you did not like it. A lot. I am planning on watching it again before it goes back on Wednesday.

I tried to do research on Fringe, but finally gave up. It is too complicated. I am just pretending that the parts I do not understand are in a foreign language.

[Florence]

I am watching The 1900 House on a Netflix DVD and thoroughly enjoying it!

[AmeliaJane]

Thanks for the reminder about Anna Karenina! I probably will not make it to the theater, but that reminds me to put it in the Netflix queue. I am going to see *blush* the final Twilight movie next week with my sister. She really likes them, I kind of like them, and her husband rolls his eyes at them. So we have made something of a tradition of watching them together, although not always in the theater.