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Post by geode on Apr 25, 2019 6:55:52 GMT
If I had to pick a favorite, got to go with "The Wild Angels." Cormon sure was ahead of the curve with this one. You can say that again. OK, I will. Corman was ahead of the curve with this one.
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Post by geode on Apr 25, 2019 6:28:04 GMT
Is "Black Panther" (2018) a Blaxploitation movie?
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Post by geode on Apr 24, 2019 20:33:10 GMT
I used to love the "Logan's Run" movie. I loved it so much I read the book. After reading the book, I disliked the movie. I agree with the author/critic (IIRC it was Jeff Rovin) who wrote that the film adaptation "should have been called 'Logan's Ruin', because that's exactly what it does to the excellent novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson." The film "Logan's Run" had moments, but I really disliked the book that I subsequently read as I found it to be a near total ripoff of Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451"...not very well disguised. For instance "firemen" became "sandmen" and the lead character goes renegade from a controlling society. Bradbury's book is far better written.
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Post by geode on Apr 24, 2019 20:22:46 GMT
I read all of them about 50 years ago. Some of the novels and short stories are very good, some rather mediocre. Bond in the books is generally more interesting than the character in the movies. In general the closer a moview was to the book, the better. The movie versions improved upon already good books in a couple of cases, "From Russia With Love" and "Goldfinger"...
The best of the books is "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and is the only novel I re-read. I think it is a major reason why the film is also the best in my opinion as it is the closest filming of any of them in terms of following the book. I read some of the short stories again about a decade ago.
Fleming is easy to read but very good at description of exotic locations,food, etc. He imparts real flavor to what Bond experiences. For a vivid experience read his chapter in "Thunderball" where Bond scuba dives under the Disco Volante at night. Fleming's Bond is vulnerable. He goes into a panic attack while just flying on a commercial aircraft, I think in "Dr. No" which is one of the best novels, but one of my least favorite films.
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Post by geode on Apr 24, 2019 15:04:17 GMT
The 1962 third season episode of The Twilight Zone, "I Sing the Body Electric" in honor of Veronica Cartwright's 70th birthday. I know some fans of the series dislike this one, but I have always liked it with its different flavor than the rest of the series due to Ray Bradbury's authorship.
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Post by geode on Apr 24, 2019 11:16:21 GMT
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Post by geode on Apr 22, 2019 22:38:03 GMT
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Post by geode on Apr 22, 2019 15:42:01 GMT
"Shoplifters" is a typically family centered Japanese movie by Hirokazu Kore-eda that once again explores the theme of “nature” versus “nurture” in the impact upon children in an unconventional family unit. It won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. I actually prefer his “Like Father, Like Son” (2013) that more directly explored this theme. Kore-eda is a director well worth following. I think that unlike most of his fans, I also preferred his “The Third Murder” (2017) more than "Shoplifters" ...it seemed to me to be a variation on “Rashomon”…and the nature of truth.
"Shoplifters" was nominated for the Best Foreign language Academy Award and President Obama placed it on his favorite movies of the year list.
Did anybody else see it? What did you think of it?
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Post by geode on Apr 22, 2019 8:43:38 GMT
The Eiffel Tower plunged into darkness when the clock struck 12 last night in honour of the people killed and injured in the multiple blasts in Sri Lanka. On Sunday night, the official Twitter handle of the iconic Paris landmark said: “Tonight, from 12:00 am, I will turn my lights off to pay tribute to the victims of the Sri Lanka attack.” Following this, the iconic landmark went dark by turning off its decorative lights as a mark of respect to the lost lives link
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Post by geode on Apr 22, 2019 6:56:31 GMT
Here is the memo: "The NTJ is a radical Islamic group in Sri Lanka. While no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, Sri Lanka’s defense minister, Ruwan Wijewardene, identified the culprits as religious extremists. He said that while they have been identified, their names will not be released to the public for security reasons." link
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Post by geode on Apr 22, 2019 4:49:27 GMT
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Post by geode on Apr 22, 2019 4:16:07 GMT
NHK just showed a document in their news broadcast that warned of an attack from an obscure Muslim extremist group. It was named but I missed recognizing it. Yeah! Extremism...maybe either Buddhist or Muslim? They ALL suck. From the Japan Times: “A foreign intelligence agency has reported that the NTJ (National Thowheeth Jama’ath) is planning to carry out suicide attacks targeting prominent churches as well as the Indian high commission in Colombo,” the alert said. The NTJ is a radical Muslim group in Sri Lanka that was linked last year to the vandalization of Buddhist statues"
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Post by geode on Apr 22, 2019 4:10:39 GMT
Thirteen arrested so far.
I find it strange that no-one is attributing blame to any group yet though it is sadi in that article that the government had some warning and NHK just showed a document in their news broadcast that warned of an attack from an obscure Muslim extremist group. It was named but I missed recognizing it.
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Post by geode on Apr 21, 2019 14:51:17 GMT
The tree....
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Post by geode on Apr 21, 2019 12:52:48 GMT
I think the group that did it should always be mentioned. Otherwise, the goofballs will associate it with the whole which also raises tensions. Yeah that's fair enough and I agree with you in principle.
Already the attack is goning to have wider repercussions. Tourism industry (massive for them) of the small island is very likely to suffer.
From the nature of the attacks, including the targeting of international standard hotels, leads me to believe that the most likely primary goal was to heavily impact tourism.
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Post by geode on Apr 21, 2019 11:41:19 GMT
Two new blasts, hours after the first series. This is really sad.
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Post by geode on Apr 21, 2019 8:03:16 GMT
I have yet to see Blue Velvet. Of those I have seen this is the best Lynch film.
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Post by geode on Apr 20, 2019 12:16:18 GMT
In "The Mirror" Mina, a first grader, gets increasing frustrated when her mother does not pick her up at school so she sets out on her own to get home. She encounters people who are helpful and sympathetic as well as some who are not in the hustle and bustle of Tehran. I could relate to her plight as it brought back memories when I waited for my own mother and she was late. Perhaps children around the globe and through time have felt this way?
Jafar Panahi has directed films that have gotten him in trouble with Iranian authorities. He often has themes that evaluate the place of women in Iranian society, but usually with older actresses than the one playing Mina, an actress named Mina.
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Post by geode on Apr 20, 2019 11:32:36 GMT
Roma probably is a "coastal" kind of movie as it is true International / Indie kind of fare. No recognizable actors to an American audience, Spanish language subtitled and in black and white. Such movies play well in NY, LA, and SF. Not so well elsewhere. Maybe with Netflix distributing it this was different and led to it being a front runner to win the Academy Award for Best Picture?
Except for an intense section near the end, this is what I term a movie set at the pace of life. The cinematography was a big plus (by director Alfonso Cuarón), with some very long continuous takes adding to its effectiveness. This is one that I probably need to see a second time to know exactly what I think of it.
One thing I didn't like was the end credits. They are white and superimposed on a static shot largely of a light grey sky, and for the most part are not legible. Surely someboy must have noticed how badly done these are. Why were they not corrected?
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Post by geode on Apr 20, 2019 11:12:54 GMT
The Indiana Jones reboot looks great. But I wish they didn't give him a superhero origin just to fit the times. I don't recall Harry Knuckles having a superhero origin. He has no alien past or super powers. His filmed exploits also were filmed before there was such a proliferation of comic book characters with special powers on the screen. He is more of a James Bond type, "AKA Special Agent Spanish Fly"...
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