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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 25, 2013 7:38:40 GMT
They told her to soak it in isopropyl alcohol and then put it into a bag of dry rice. That is absolutely amazing! So the camera in the phone works & everything? Did she put it into the rice unwrapped & do you know for how long? Wonder who figured out that trick. Petty personal trauma: had to go to the supermarket today, Christmas eve. Actually, considering how crowded it was, I did quite well until the check-out line. The girl behind me was right on top of me, as is the wont here -- something that doesn't sit well with my Anglo culture sense of space. And besides, why? The third time she bumped me, which was practically a full body slam, I turned around & snarled at her in a most unjollyseasonal way.
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Post by htmb on Dec 28, 2013 1:39:05 GMT
So, is is "small screen" when you watch a film on television? I've just activated a free month trial of Netflix and watched Haute Cuisine based on Hortense Laborie's experiences as personal chef to Mitterrand.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 28, 2013 4:31:03 GMT
Good question, Htmb, especially as we're 45 pages into this thread & many people may not have seen the OP. Also, it needs to be clarified in the "What is the last movie you saw?" thread, so it's doubly good that you brought it up. Here is the Opening Post of this, the "Recent Small Screen Viewing Thread": For those of you who watch films at home, have you seen anything interesting lately? DVDs are a last resort for me, when there is no way to see (or see again) a film that interests me on a big screen.
Therefore the last DVD I saw was Terry Zwigoff's documentary Crumb from 1994. At last word, R. Crumb is still hiding out in France somewhere and continues to resist selling the movie rights to Mr. Natural.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 28, 2013 4:33:37 GMT
And how did you enjoy Haute Cuisine, Mrs. Htmb? I just watched the 2013 Christmas special of Downton Abbey. *sigh* How do I love it? Let me count the ways. But, *sigh*, there is no more until autumn of 2014.
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Post by htmb on Dec 28, 2013 13:53:30 GMT
It's Ms. HTMB, Bixa dear and, yes, I enjoyed Haute Cuisine, though I tried not reading subtitles so missed some of the French dialogue. I doubt I would have enjoyed it as much if it had been in English and I wasn't using it to try to improve my language skills. I also found that I could watch Merlin, so I started at the beginning and watched three episodes. I have a long way to go before catching up to the last season, which is the only one I've seen. I have not had the pleasure of viewing any of the new season of Downton Abbey, since the typical way to watch in the US is via PBS. Broadcasting starts on the next Sunday or two.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2013 10:13:14 GMT
I finally saw the documentary "Sugar Man" this morning on television. Fascinating story.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 29, 2013 21:46:09 GMT
Kerouac, I saw in another thread that you are/were watching Beautiful Creatures on tv -- in English this time. (You commented right after this quoted post that you'd accidentally watched BC in French on tv ;D) I looked up my report on it so we can compare notes. I have to report that I finally bit the bullet & watched Beautiful Creatures the other night. The reason I felt I needed to see it was because it was partly filmed in my home town. Really, for something based on a YA fantasy novel, it was fairly enjoyable on a campy level, although I admit I let myself get into the plot after a while. I imagine Emma Thompson pounced on her role, which she performs with chewed scenery flying from her lips at times, to great effect. The acting was pretty decent throughout, although there is a section where Alden Ehrenreich gets rather shrill, to the point I expected him to break into a "honey badger is a badass" riff.
You should watch this movie if you feel yourself sinking into dangerous levels of intellectualism or because you have a thing for Spanish moss. Check out the User Review at www.imdb.com/title/tt1559547/. I like the part where he explains who Jeremy Irons is. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2013 21:50:49 GMT
I did enjoy seeing it on a campy level, and I really enjoyed the southern accents from which I was deprived the first time. In fact, that is perhaps what I enjoyed the most, since I don't think any of the actors were from the South. It was sort of a competition to see who could do the best accent.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 31, 2013 8:56:59 GMT
Okay, I swore to myself that I would wait & watch this movie on the big screen. However, I had an opportunity to watch it online & once again Loopner's disease won out, so yes, tonight I watched AMERICAN HUSTLE.
Oh lordy lo, it is so GOOD, just devastatingly good. The script is out of this world and the actors know what to do with it. Every single performance is stellar, but the prize for completely inhabiting a role and creating a living, breathing, complex human being out of it has to go to Christian Bale. David Russell's direction is pretty damned brilliant, with much of the chaotic action seeming to spring organically from the characters themselves -- no puppeteer in evidence.
The 70s look is completely natural, with none of that arch "do you recognize this" placement that plagues films about periods we might remember. I also really liked how the music was handled, with well-known songs interspersed in some unexpected but ultimately perfect ways.
I loved the humor in this movie, somewhat offbeat but again, naturally funny without pushing for laughs in any ungainly way.
I'm not sorry I watched it on the small screen, but will probably go see it in the movie theater as well. It's really a movie with staying power.
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Post by htmb on Jan 1, 2014 14:24:55 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2014 15:21:45 GMT
I have been avoiding most films by Christophe Honoré. His movies are not considered musicals even though they have some songs in them. I am particularly allergic to Louis Garrel and it was only because I am such a big fan of Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi that I managed to see her last film even though he was in it.
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Post by htmb on Jan 1, 2014 15:44:27 GMT
I found Louis Garrel to be fairly creepy.
I'm guessing you would have considered this one a musical if you'd seen it.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2014 17:23:33 GMT
Yes, I think that he has been increasing the number of songs over the years. When he started doing that there were only maybe one or two inexplicable songs in the film.
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Post by htmb on Jan 1, 2014 17:54:30 GMT
Oh, i'd say there were 10 - 15 in this one. Even Catherine Deneuve had a couple of songs.
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Post by htmb on Jan 2, 2014 19:23:25 GMT
I read the book "The Shipping News" when it was first published, but never saw the film version, particularly since I often find good books made into films rather disappointing. It has been long enough since reading the book to allow me to forget most of the details, so I thoroughly enjoyed the film which I watched last night.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 2, 2014 19:34:58 GMT
I never read the book, but thoroughly enjoyed the movie, which I saw some time back. Kevin Spacey is about as good as an actor can be & it really shows in that part.
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Post by htmb on Jan 2, 2014 19:40:53 GMT
Yes, he is such a talent and I think it's amazing how he demonstrates growth of his character in the film, but I wasn't surprised.
I had no idea his wife was played by Kate Blanchett until the ending credits. Judi Dench is always brilliant, and Julianne Moore, too.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2014 19:52:58 GMT
I can no longer say anything meaningful about The Shipping News since I saw it so long ago and have forgotten all of the specifics, but I remember finding it a bit boring for precisely all of the reasons that most people found it charming. Julianne Moore is the only one of those actors who still holds any appeal for me. All of the others will do anything for money. They might be brilliant in their roles, but they don't mind appearing in trash.
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Post by htmb on Jan 2, 2014 19:59:32 GMT
True, regarding appearing in trash. However, the movie was made in 2001, I think, so none had appeared in trash at that point.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2014 23:34:00 GMT
Well, the new episode of Sherlock was everything I had hoped it would be.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2014 0:49:14 GMT
I must wait.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 3, 2014 1:00:45 GMT
Not I! I was most happy with it. In a way, I found it disjointed, but I also see why it was constructed that way. Really enjoyed the humor in the episode.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2014 2:02:18 GMT
No, I really enjoyed it, Bixa, I did. I liked the emphasis on the problematic relationship between the guys, and the fact that Mary looks like she won't put a damper on anything. And the moment between Moriarty and Sherlock on the roof. Oh my!
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 3, 2014 2:47:57 GMT
Oh, I enjoyed it as well! The ''not I'' was in answer to Kerouac saying he had to wait to see the epsiode. So, ''not I -- I did not have to wait.'' I already love Mary, plus was thrilled to see an age-appropriate woman in that role. They rilly, rilly, rilly need to come up with a satisfactory explanation of why poor Watson was kept in the dark, for his sake as well as mine. I'm quite miffed on his behalf.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2014 3:02:40 GMT
I simply think that Sherlock knows that John would become the first target if anything went wrong with the takedown of Moriarty's empire. The blogosphere is already rife with theories that Mary is a baddie, planted by either Mycroft or Moriarty to keep an eye on John. Only two more episodes to go . And Kerouac, you needn't wait if you don't want to. Just give Bixa or me the word.
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Post by htmb on Jan 11, 2014 2:04:22 GMT
I can no longer say anything meaningful about The Shipping News since I saw it so long ago and have forgotten all of the specifics, but I remember finding it a bit boring for precisely all of the reasons that most people found it charming. Julianne Moore is the only one of those actors who still holds any appeal for me. All of the others will do anything for money. They might be brilliant in their roles, but they don't mind appearing in trash. I started watching The English Teacher because Julianne Moore is the star actress, but 1/4 of the way through it looks like a major sell out for the esteemed actress. englishteachermovie.com
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2014 12:28:15 GMT
I enjoyed The Shipping News although I thought the book was far better. I guess I just wanted to see what New Foundland looked like on film because it's a place that has always intrigued me.
I will scope out The English Teacher. I love Julianne Moore as well.
I'm struggling through The Iron Lady with Meryl Streep.
It may be that I was real tired when I started it and found myself drifting off through many scenes.
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Post by htmb on Jan 12, 2014 12:46:27 GMT
Casimira, I could not watch more than 1/4 of the English teacher, so would be interested to see what you think. However, I certainly do not recommend watching unless you have a lot of time to waste.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2014 14:03:04 GMT
Duly noted. Thanks HTMB
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2014 14:11:39 GMT
JEEZ!!! My memory is shot!!! I did watch The English Teacher some weeks back. It was indeed mediocre and very disappointing !!!!
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