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Magpie
Immortal
Jun 23 2014, 3:30am
Post #1 of 75
(655 views)
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What movies, tv shows, or other visual media have you watched recently?
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I finally saw Captain America and enjoyed it. I'm sorry to say I can't really remember much of what I thought. It's been a full week here in the Twin Cities with the flooding and such and my mind fled to other matters.
I've been watching Attack on Titan on Netflix. This is an anime series based on a manga. " It is set in a world where humanity lives inside cities surrounded by enormous walls due to the Titans, gigantic humanoid creatures who devour humans seemingly without reason. The story centers around Eren Jaeger, his adoptive sister Mikasa, and their friend Armin, whose lives are changed forever after a large Titan breaches the wall of their home town. Vowing revenge and to reclaim the world from the Titans, Eren and his friends join the Scout Regiment, an elite group of soldiers who fight Titans at the front lines."
The series is in Japanese with subtitles.
I will caution those with sensitive natures that it is violent and graphic. Children (who always seem to be the main characters in anime, is that so?) are in danger and put into danger continually. But so far, the story has me intrigued. I don't know that it's completely successful for me. I'm frustrated by the length of the episodes. They're 24 minutes long which would be fine but the opening material can run from 3 to almost 5 minutes (recaps and opening song which just goes on and on and on) and the final credits and preview run another 2-4 minutes. So that really puts an episode at 15 plus minutes. And it's hard to fast forward on the Wii that I use for watching (although I just got a tip that might make it easier).
But there are some good aspects to the story so I'll keep watching for the moment.
I've got the DVD "Inside Llewyn Davis" which I need to watch. I got it mostly because the Coen bros are MN men. And I was around in the 60s. :-)
I watched the 1999 version of Mansfield Park as kind of a 'waking nap' yesterday. It was interesting to see Jonny Lee Miller who I enjoy in Elementary. Hugh Bonneville plays a bit of a schlub and I had to look up the actor for one character to realize it was the guy who played Gregson in Downtown Abbey. There were lots of other familiar faces as in all English costume dramas.
I can't say I have much of the affection for this movie that I have for other Austen movies. It apparently doesn't follow the book closely but I haven't read the book so that wasn't an issue for me. I think I just have great affection for P&P and S&S and Austen's other work has to work hard to battle for that affection.
I also watched an episode of Annika Bengtzon: Crime Reporter (aka A Case for Annika Bengtzon - the one with the actress, Malin Crépin). "Annika Bengtzon is a fictional character in a Scandinavian noir book and film series created by the Swedish journalist and crime writer Liza Marklund. With the Annika Bengtzon series, Marklund introduced a female tabloid journalist as the protagonist, in a genre where the main characters had often been men. Current events, like political scandals or women's issues, are often intertwined with the plot, or introduced in subplots." It was okay. I may watch more episodes. It was in Swedish with English subtitles.
LOTR soundtrack website ~ magpie avatar gallery
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(This post was edited by Magpie on Jun 23 2014, 3:30am)
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cats16
Half-elven
Jun 23 2014, 3:56am
Post #2 of 75
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I've gotten through LOTR, with AUJ and the TE of DOS left to go. I thought I would watch them once more before heading over there, so I'm writing last-minute mental notes of things to see.  I've been happily surprised this time around. Normally I find the EEs (specifically the second half of TTT and most of ROTK) to be nearly impossible to get through, but it's been much easier to do. No idea why, but I'm happy with it.
Speaking of Attack on Titan: I have a couple of friends who watch it. I have never asked them about it (although I think they enjoy it a lot). The plot description you quoted sounds quite similar to that of Pacific Rim--especially with the surname Jaeger present. Does the series itself actually have many similarities to the film (or the material from which it is derived)? Perhaps this is painfully obvious and I'm not aware of it...I'll blame it on the heat. 
I hope the flooding there starts to go down soon. We have gotten several inches lately, but nothing compared to what you've received there. 
After-thought: Oh, and I continue to add titles to my list of things to see when I get around to them. I'm really eager to explore the rest of Alexander Sokurov's filmography (the director of Russian Ark), as well as Tarkovsky, whom I am ashamed to have not watched one of his films before (despite the fact that I seem very drawn to films that are compared to his again and again!). The list seems endless for me!
(This post was edited by cats16 on Jun 23 2014, 3:59am)
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SirDennisC
Half-elven
Jun 23 2014, 4:09am
Post #3 of 75
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'Attack on Titan' sounds like it's worth checking out, thanks for the recommendation!
I saw Godzilla again... glad I caught it one more time before it left our local theatre. Amazingly well done.
Youtube videos: Arcade Fire's 'Reflector' and 'Afterlife', Radiohead 'Fake Plastic Trees', Smiths 'Well I Wonder (Keep me in mind)', and Sia 'My Love'.
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Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea
Jun 23 2014, 4:13am
Post #4 of 75
(351 views)
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I'm doing my end-of-school-year filing and other paperwork
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Thank God for Netflix.
I finished the Inspector Alleyn Mysteries and enjoyed them. I liked his character and the mysteries were fun.
Then I moved on to a non-mystery period piece - The Grand. It's about The Grand Hotel in Manchester after WWI and all the intrigue that goes on upstairs and downstairs. It was good enough for me to watch the whole miniseries. I have to admit to holding a real grudge against one of the characters. It was good to see him get what he had been giving. What always intrigues me about the Post-WWI period pieces is the expected and unexpected places the war cause upheaval. The men returning had a wide specturm of experiences trying to reintegrate, the women had had their first taste of a kind of freedom, people were celebrating being alive, others were wishing they had died. Every corner of society was affected. Fascinating stuff.
Then I finished Land Girls. I'd watched it last year and forgot about going back once the new episodes came out. I liked the series alot. I never knew much about the Land Army in England during WWII. This series and a couple mentions in Foyle's War got me interested enough to look them up. Those women did an enormous amount of work on the farms. Amazing how much the civilians did in that country did during (and after) that war.
Under the Greenwood Tree - a Thomas Hardy book where the right guy gets the right gal and they live happily ever after. I know, rare for a Hardy book. I loved the characters, as always with his books. He builds them in such a unique way, exposing them to the reader so that we almost know their thoughts. Keeley Hawes (Zoe for those of you who watched Spooks/MI-5) played the lead and was lovely. The music was the co-star for me. I love the old ballads and hymns.
I finished off the last of the Boy Scout paperwork watching Daniel Deronda. I haven't read the book yet, but I will now. It is a who's who of BBC period dramas. Romola Garai and Jodhi May (I know them from the latest Emma), Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Hugh Dancy (I saw him in... and I ask everyone's pardon for this... the Jane Austen Book Club. Stupid movie but he was the resident cutie) and poor David Bamber playing another sniveling nasty man like he did in Pride and Prejudice (He was Mr. Collins). Lovely sets, beautiful costumes, the interactions of the characters made me cheer and curse and once I even punched the air. I like Romola Garai who managed to make two characters of similar age and station and almost similar period and temperament completely different. Her Emma was an unfinished young woman itching to get out of her own skin. Her Gwendolen was driven by fickle winds and willing to take other's assurances that she deserved the best of everything, even at the expense of others. It could have been a repeat but it wasn't.
Can't wait to find out what else Netflix has to offer. I'm also starting up a 30 day free subscription to Acorn TV just to watch the latest season of Murdoch Mysteries. It's the only way to see it in the US outside of sailing the seven seas. It looks like it has some other shows I might enjoy so it won't go to waste.
Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
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Kim
Valinor
Jun 23 2014, 4:30am
Post #5 of 75
(351 views)
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The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
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Finally watched this (the one with Ben Stiller). I went into it with no expectations, and found it to be a nice little movie with fantastic visuals and music. Although, I figured out where the photo was almost from the moment it was introduced, not sure if it was supposed to actually be a surprise.
I also watched a special on the Secrets of Underground London on PBS tonight about various historical underground sites around London, including the Fleet river, the Churchill War Rooms and the original Roman Amphitheatre. Interesting.
Currently watching episode 3 of Halt and Catch Fire - still haven't decided what I think of this series yet.
"Jagatud rõõm on topelt rõõm - a shared joy is a double joy". ~Estonian saying
“As such, you will address His Majesty as His Majesty, the Lord of Silver Fountains, the King of Carven Stone, the King Beneath the Mountain, the Lion of Erebor, the High King of the Dwarves, the True Treasure of Erebor, the Face that Launched 10,000 Sighs, or Thorin the Majestic..."
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Jun 23 2014, 4:32am
Post #6 of 75
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What We Do in the Shadows - 3.5/5
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Did you know that not all vampires are cool?
WWDITS is a New Zealand mockumentary about four vampires who are flatting in Wellington and how they deal with everyday issues such as household chores, long-suffering familiars and how to dress for a night out when you have no reflection in a mirror.
This is an utterly dead-pan, sometimes (deliberately) lame and very funny movie with some quite familiar faces - including Jemain Clement (Flight of the Conchords), Taika Waititi (Boy, Two Cars One Night) and Rhys Darby (Murray the manager in Flight of the Conchords). WWDITS is also written and directed by Jemain and Taika, although only they had the script - every other actor is ad-libbing.
Keep an eye out for this film at film festival near you - it really is worth seeing. (Here's the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/...zZ-i8&feature=kp)
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."
"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.
Ataahua's stories
(This post was edited by Ataahua on Jun 23 2014, 4:33am)
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Meneldor
Valinor
Jun 23 2014, 5:06am
Post #7 of 75
(337 views)
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2009. Family film with Jackie Chan doing what he does so well. Being a risk-taker who does his own stunts, he chose to work with both children and animals, and managed to not get upstaged by any of them. What a guy. 
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.
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Arannir
Valinor
Jun 23 2014, 7:36am
Post #8 of 75
(340 views)
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X-Men - Days of the Future Past & Desolation of Smaug
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X-Men: Quite good, far better than the over-hyped and over-rated other Marvel movies (especially everything Avengers-connected).
Fassbender/McAvoy/McKellen/Stewart are an incredible double-duo! What a cast! They really give the plot a deeper feeling although - in the end - it just re-visits the "old" topics X-Men has always dealt with.
The kitchen-scene with a mutant spinning through a room moving faster than anything else is a wonder of CGI! I wonder whether TH might end up with zero effect Oscars... although the quality of the CGI-shots did not live up to that scene later in the movie.
Desolation of Smaug: My friend got sick from the air-conditioned cinema... so we spent the SUnday watching DoS. I am actually starting to enjoy the hell out of Smaug vs. Dwarves ;)
"I am afraid it is only too likely to be true what you say about the critics and the public. I am dreading the publication for it will be impossible not to mind what is said. I have exposed my heart to be shot at." J.R.R. Tolkien
We all have our hearts and minds one way or another invested in these books and movies. So we all mind and should show the necessary respect.
(This post was edited by Arannir on Jun 23 2014, 7:39am)
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Jun 23 2014, 12:22pm
Post #9 of 75
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"His Girl Friday" and "Penny Serenade"
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We checked out a DVD from the classics shelf at our local video rental place. This one had two Cary Grant movies on it. The first one was very silly, based on a play with lightning repartee. It's about a women who was the wife and employee of a newspaper editor. She was a crack reporter. She's left him, and he's trying to woo her back by getting her involved in a breaking news story about a man waiting to be hanged for shooting a policeman. It sounds a lot grimmer than it really is.
The second one really was grim, about a couple who lose a child through miscarriage and go through heartbreak trying to adopt another one, and go through heartbreak again that threatens to destroy their marriage. I was in tears at the end, but (highlight to read spoiler) it has a surprise happy ending.
I've never been a real fan of Cary Grant, but these two movies showed his versatility. The two characters he played were really different from one another, the first a fast-talking swindler, the second a good-hearted bumbler.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
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"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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(This post was edited by Aunt Dora Baggins on Jun 23 2014, 12:25pm)
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jun 23 2014, 2:52pm
Post #10 of 75
(320 views)
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The new Three Musketeers series
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The new British Three Musketeers series finally started on BBC America. My expectations were so low I actually enjoyed the first episode. Ridiculous but fun, very stylish and presented with great panache. The new Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi, plays the evil Cardinal with surprising subtlety. Funny to see Ryan Gage, the actor who plays Alfrid in DoS, playing the king.
Nothing about the rest of the program was subtle, though! I suppose now that they've got everything set up they'll make up stories to fit the situation in the middle of the book, without the deaths and revelations that come at the end.
I was delighted by the color-blind casting of Porthos. The actor bears a passing resemblance to Alexandre Dumas, who was the grandson of a Haitian slave. Coincidence? I hope not.
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow....
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DaughterofLaketown
Gondor
Jun 23 2014, 3:01pm
Post #11 of 75
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I was watching masterpiece last night too!
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My family and I watched the second part of the escape artist with David Tenant on Masterpiece mystery. The show came on just after the one on the archives! Cool.
(This post was edited by DaughterofLaketown on Jun 23 2014, 3:02pm)
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Magpie
Immortal
Jun 23 2014, 3:10pm
Post #12 of 75
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I did notice the 'jaeger' connection immediately
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but beyond that, I can't say I see much similarity. I mean... I made a strong mental comparison of Pacific Rim to Twister (seriously) but not at all to Attack on Titan.
I'm not well versed in anime. That said, here's my vague sense. The characters and setting don't seem to be Asian/Asia. One character is Asian and it's pointed out she's the last of her race. The other characters mostly have Western names and there seems to be a strong German influence. So I think they use the word 'jaeger' for the same reason GdT did. It means 'hunter'. The opening song also uses some German.
But, they both do have 'giant monsters'. :-)
LOTR soundtrack website ~ magpie avatar gallery
TORn History Mathom-house ~ Torn Image Posting Guide
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Magpie
Immortal
Jun 23 2014, 3:14pm
Post #13 of 75
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It's one of those shows I'm watching on the recommendation of my son (30 year old). I like expanding my normal viewing material from time to time. But sometimes, I feel like the old person trying to figure out an alien culture. :-)
I started out interested and willing to be engaged. My interest spiked tremendously a few episodes in. And then it kind of plateaued a little. I guess I finished season one (although Netflix doesn't break the episodes up into seasons). So we'll see what the next episodes bring.
I'm looking forward to Godzilla quite a lot. I'll probably just wait for it to come to my neighborhood second run theater.
LOTR soundtrack website ~ magpie avatar gallery
TORn History Mathom-house ~ Torn Image Posting Guide
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Magpie
Immortal
Jun 23 2014, 3:19pm
Post #14 of 75
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I did check out a Canadian show called Bomb Girls about women working in a munitions plant. I had an aunt who did that during WWII and she used to tell stories about it.) I wanted to like it more than I actually did. I haven't been in a mood to click 'play' on the final few episodes. So I think my moderate response to that has kept me from checking out Land Girls. But I'll consider it a little more next time I'm browsing.
I might check out Under the Greenwood Tree as well. I don't think I've read it although there's a great country dance quote in that book that I saved out. The fact that you liked 'the old ballads and hymns' bumps it way up in interest. Was there any country dancing?
David Bamber was a great Mr. Collins, wasn't he? He had a moment in a country dance that made this country dancer laugh.
LOTR soundtrack website ~ magpie avatar gallery
TORn History Mathom-house ~ Torn Image Posting Guide
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macfalk
Valinor
Jun 23 2014, 3:20pm
Post #15 of 75
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Been watching so much World Cup
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Been watching 3 WC games a day and my brain is almost exploding, I have barely seen daylight this week! This WC has been wonderful with many memorable matches and events. I hope all those who are not interested by football/soccer can at least appreciate what a huge party this whole thing is, and just how much it means for the host Brazil.
I shall not step out of the WC-bubble until July 13.
The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.
(This post was edited by macfalk on Jun 23 2014, 3:21pm)
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Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea
Jun 23 2014, 3:50pm
Post #18 of 75
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I liked Bomb Girls for the same reason I liked Land Girls
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I got to learn a little bit of history and meet some new characters along the way. Both are rather soap-opera-ish but I've been an Upstairs/Downstairs-Downton Abbey type fan for years. I like getting to know the characters in these series. I guess it's one of my guilty pleasures - I rationalize it by saying I'm learning something.
There were a few country dances in Under the Greenwood Tree and a hilarious juxtaposition between a more refined upper class ballroom type dance and a country dance happening on two sides of a garden wall. (I find parts of Thomas Hardy's novels funny, just as I tend to laugh a lot reading Jane Austen but then my sense of humor may be odd too. ) Many of the main characters are members of the "choir", a group of musicians and singers who provide music for services and other events so you get to hear more music than might be in another movie about the same period.
David Bamber *is* Mr. Collins for me. He played him exactly how I read him. I felt like I needed to wash my hands after one of his speeches. Poor Lizzie... "This way, Mr. Collins." This montage video had me laughing out loud. Mr. Collins Folly  He really was perfect!
Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
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Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea
Jun 23 2014, 4:06pm
Post #19 of 75
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Two of my favorite Cary Grant movies!
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His career included a wide variety of roles but I think some of the best were his comedies. I love him in Operation Petticoat, Walk, Don't Run, of course the classic, Arsenic and Old Lace. He plays the suave man very well too in The Grass is Greener and another classic, An Affair to Remember. His straight drama roles surprised me at first except they didn't, because by then I was getting used to seeing him play just about anything. Penny Serenade, The Bishop's Wife, Only Angels have Wings - all very different characters played with depth and sensitivity. And of course there are all his movies with Hitchcock - North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief.
Watching his chemistry with Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief and knowing she played Samantha Tracy Lord in High Society, the musical version of Philadelphia Story, made me wonder what they would have been like together in that story. I never cared for Katherine Hepburn in that part as much as I did Grace Kelly. Imagine Kelly and Grant together in those scenes!
Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
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Elarie
Grey Havens
Jun 23 2014, 4:34pm
Post #20 of 75
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and it was definitely OK and entertaining. One review I saw called it "Groundhog Day meets Alien" or something to that effect, but it was done with a light touch, a fair amount of humor and a few unexpected twists, so I enjoyed it. A fun Saturday night movie.
And once again the world has not arranged itself just for me.
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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Jun 23 2014, 4:44pm
Post #21 of 75
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Halt & Catch Fire - REALLY disturbing! (Spoilers!)
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I have to talk about last night's "Halt & Catch Fire" episode, because it was SO Disturbing to me. First, the character Donna reminded me of what my own mother faced in the early 1980's. She was a Certified Public Accountant, graduated summa cum laude, passed the CPA exam on the first try (only 5% of CPA's manage to do that), and was a full business partner with my dad. And one of their clients referred to her as "my CPA's wife." So the character Donna was an engineering major from UC-Berkley, and her husband tells her she needs to "make his life possible," in other words take care of the kids so he can work on HIS project. Sadly, I don't know that things have changed alot since 1983.
But that was just annoying, the disturbing part was the physical beating that Lee Pace's character Joe got. Now, Joe had just screwed with one of his own employees (the one he's screwing, LOL!), and is a totally unlikeable character, but NOBODY deserves that! And then he finds out his boss orchestrated it, I mean WOW! And then at the end of the episode, Donna's husband is keeping quiet about Joe's sabotaging his employee, and Joe is keeping quiet about the beating, pretending he "got clumsy and fell down." Honestly, it's like the victim is participating in his own vicitimization, and I just feel so angry about that!
Well, just needed to say that. Totally unexpected, but at the same time probably improved the show's drama quite a bit.
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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Jun 23 2014, 4:51pm
Post #22 of 75
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Only problem with "Days of Future Past" (potential spoiler)
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I understand when they adapt a written work (like The Hobbit or X-Men) to the screen, they have to make changes to fit the medium, and that often requires the script to skip/ignore a good portion of the comic's history. BUT when the movie is part of a franchise and ignores it's own history, well I just have a problem with that. But yeah, the acting was good, and I think Jennifer Lawrence was REALLY good! In "First Class" she was a teenager named Raven, but in "Days" she was Mystique: skilled, driven and on a mission; totally different kind of person, great job!
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DaughterofLaketown
Gondor
Jun 23 2014, 6:43pm
Post #23 of 75
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Yeah it was good but it was a second part of the first show that came on last the week before
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It was good. If you like Sherlock and Endeavour I am sure you would like it.
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Kim
Valinor
Jun 23 2014, 7:04pm
Post #25 of 75
(270 views)
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Unfortunately, our local PBS station didn't show part 2 last night, they showed Endeavor instead. We got part 1 last Thursday, so I think that means we get part 2 this Thursday. The first one kind of creeped me out, but I suppose I'll watch the second just to find out the resolution.
"Jagatud rõõm on topelt rõõm - a shared joy is a double joy". ~Estonian saying
“As such, you will address His Majesty as His Majesty, the Lord of Silver Fountains, the King of Carven Stone, the King Beneath the Mountain, the Lion of Erebor, the High King of the Dwarves, the True Treasure of Erebor, the Face that Launched 10,000 Sighs, or Thorin the Majestic..."
http://newboards.theonering.net/...forum_view_collapsed
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