what movie(s) have you watched lately?

[Conor Dary]

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold

Wow, if you thought TTSS was slow paced, and no action....

An excellent movie.

[Conor Dary]

Was it not Le Carré's intent to have the players a mystery, the spy's flawed? Both reflect the reality of intelligence work.

Also a criticism of the Old Boys network, especially Cambridge (a wonderful university and library, I might add). In the TTSS tv series one of the characters makes a cutting remark to Smiley, I believe, about someone, by saying he went to a Red Brick university. Smiley replies that he went to such and such College, Oxford. And the other character says that is 'red brick'....

All pretty funny and pretty incomprehensible to an American audience...

[Daisy]

All pretty funny and pretty incomprehensible to an American audience...

Now that all the old polytechnics are universities too, the red bricks have as much esteem as the ancient ones.

[Conor Dary]

All pretty funny and pretty incomprehensible to an American audience...

Now that all the old polytechnics are universities too, the red bricks have as much esteem as the ancient ones.

And as popular. Nottingham, when I was there, was the most popular in the number of applicants to number of places.

Turning the polys into universities, was not a smart idea. Suddenly everyone is going to university.

[Marlow]

That's the real world. I remember when Blunt got caught and while it was big news, not much emotion. The secrets that get passed are often mundane stuff. And that people die is a remote thing, not front line battles. Seems to me that the movie mirrors the real world of spies pretty well.

"Mundane stuff" is stultifyingly boring to watch in a movie.

I think you need to add "for me," somewhere in there.

You are correct, sir:

"Mundane stuff" is stultifyingly boring to watch in a movie . . . for me and everyone else.

[jeremyp]

That's the real world. I remember when Blunt got caught and while it was big news, not much emotion. The secrets that get passed are often mundane stuff. And that people die is a remote thing, not front line battles. Seems to me that the movie mirrors the real world of spies pretty well.

"Mundane stuff" is stultifyingly boring to watch in a movie.

I think you need to add "for me," somewhere in there.

You are correct, sir:

"Mundane stuff" is stultifyingly boring to watch in a movie . . . for me and everyone else.

I'll take BAFTA's award for T,T,S,Spy over your boredom any day of the week.

[Marlow]

I'll take BAFTA's award for T,T,S,Spy over your boredom any day of the week.

To say BAFTA loved it is redundant.

[jeremyp]

I'll take BAFTA's award for T,T,S,Spy over your boredom any day of the week.

To say BAFTA loved it is redundant.

How about 11 wins and 38 nominations including numerous american film awards as well. You don't like it O.K. Others better versed than you in picking good films see otherwise.

[Daisy]

jeremyp, have you seen the new adaptation of TTSS yet?

[Marlow]

Others better versed than you in picking good films see otherwise.

We've been through this before, and I realize my 20 years of teaching Film Analysis gets me nothing, but as far as 'better versed", EVERYone's opinion is biased and therefore as 'good' (or bad) as others.

[SQUACKEE]

The man who would be King- very funny
The new Planet of the Apes- even funnier, it was a comedy, right? Good computer monkeys but script looked like it was written by a Walt Disney reject.

[jeremyp]

Others better versed than you in picking good films see otherwise.

We've been through this before, and I realize my 20 years of teaching Film Analysis gets me nothing, but as far as 'better versed", EVERYone's opinion is biased and therefore as 'good' (or bad) as others.

Until you said: "for me and everyone else. " Sounded like my taste should be everybody elses. I did not like The Artist, but I do not begrudge it it's awards.

[jeremyp]

jeremyp, have you seen the new adaptation of TTSS yet?

Yes I've commented on it earlier. I much preferred it in TV serial form.

[jeremyp]

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold

Wow, if you thought TTSS was slow paced, and no action....

An excellent movie.

With one of my favorite actors: Oskar Werner.

[Daisy]

jeremyp, have you seen the new adaptation of TTSS yet?

Yes I've commented on it earlier. I much preferred it in TV serial form.

Apologies I missed that. The original was great and I had low expectations for this one given the time constraint. But I'm learning that going into a movie with low expectations is a great way to get good value for money.

[jeremyp]

jeremyp, have you seen the new adaptation of TTSS yet?

Yes I've commented on it earlier. I much preferred it in TV serial form.

Apologies I missed that. The original was great and I had low expectations for this one given the time constraint. But I'm learning that going into a movie with low expectations is a great way to get good value for money.

May I suggest a shot of caffeine or a couple of amphetamines before seeing it, the plot and scene changes are quick and I really had to concentrate.

[Daisy]

the plot and scene changes are quick and I really had to concentrate.

So it's not "stultifyingly boring" ?

[Marlow]

the plot and scene changes are quick and I really had to concentrate.

So it's not "stultifyingly boring" ?

On the contrary, it's the total lack of character DEVELOPMENT that makes it so boring!

[jeremyp]

Just saw "A Separation" the Iranian film that won the foreign (usually means better) film Oscar. It's the best movie I've seen in a couple of years. If you are fascinated in stepping into another culture's way of doing things and like movies that show people being real people (i.e. various shades of black, grey and white) then I recommend it. Now it does (obviously) have sub titles. It's not political, nor a propaganda film, and shows some of how Irans judicial sytem works (blood money; debtors prison; sharia court), and a glimpse of 2 different (middle class and poor) marriages.

[lapsus]

Watched TTSS, liked it. Having never read or watched other Le Carre spy stuff, I still enjoyed it quite a lot. Slowish, but the show don't tell attitude works pretty well - at least it avoids the problem of script doctors writing the same hammy, cliched dialog that's been used so many times in any number of similar movies.

Not a perfect movie, though. I thought that the early parts were pretty jumbled and I wasn't really sure how much sense the end really made - the internal logic of the movie stretched my credulity in some parts.

[Grasshopper]

I just finally got around to watching the first Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr. version) movie this weekend. I really enjoyed it, mostly due to RDJ's great combination of humor and action. Something about that guy amuses me greatly (love the Iron Man movies). I'm now anxious to see the sequel (which got some rather mixed reviews on this board, IIRC).

[mike renfro]

We watched Jerichow (DVD) the other night. A German film with echoes of "The Postman Always Rings Twice". Very dark, but pretty good. On tap for a loong night, we will finally get around to Das Boot. Three hours of submarine clausdrophobia. Damn, where is Squak when I need spelling help.

[SQUACKEE]

We watched Jerichow (DVD) the other night. A German film with echoes of "The Postman Always Rings Twice". Very dark, but pretty good. On tap for a loong night, we will finally get around to Das Boot. Three hours of submarine clausdrophobia. Damn, where is Squak when I need spelling help.

Yur spealing is purfect. Watch an edited for tv Blazzing Saddles, still funny!

[jhc68]

The Guard
Irish and it takes a few minutes to tune in to the dialog, but if you are someone who likes, say, Justified on TV this is a great film.

[jeremyp]

We watched Jerichow (DVD) the other night. A German film with echoes of "The Postman Always Rings Twice". Very dark, but pretty good. On tap for a loong night, we will finally get around to Das Boot. Three hours of submarine clausdrophobia. Damn, where is Squak when I need spelling help.

Have you seen "The lives of others"? A great German film.

[Marlow]

From the sublime to the ridiculous. 21 Jump Street is the worst/funniest movie since Bad Santa. The plot and script are atrocious, but Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum ad-lib many of the scenes and they are hysterical.

[SQUACKEE]

From the sublime to the ridiculous. 21 Jump Street is the worst/funniest movie since Bad Santa. The plot and script are atrocious, but Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum ad-lib many of the scenes and they are hysterical.

Marlow, do you think Blazzing Saddles could be made today, it is chock full of the"N" word.

[Marlow]

Marlow, do you think Blazzing Saddles could be made today, it is chock full of the"N" word.

Probably not, because no matter how satirical it got, some people would choose to be offended.

[SQUACKEE]

Marlow, do you think Blazzing Saddles could be made today, it is chock full of the"N" word.

Probably not, because no matter how satirical it got, some people would choose to be offended.

I agree, even though the people using the "N" word are protrayed as absolute morons. The movie is making fun of these ignorant clowns and that is what is funny. A KKK idiot would be wondering what the joke was!