Pat

I WISH we got the newer ones....

We only recently discovered that we get BBC America and I made note that they will be showing Rosemary & Thyme this Saturday.

Bill I enjoyed Waiting For God and the Black Adder series...and I think I am probably older than you LOL!

Pat

"Allo Allo" is silly but funny. The man who writes LOSW also writes The Mrs. Bucket series.
We used to get some really good series in the past but I guess they cost too much $$ to have now. I remember the good old days with Den and Angie Watts in "Eastenders" the show fell flat for me after they left and then they stopped carrying it here in the states.
I think "Vicar of Dibley" is a riot.
Just sticking my 2¢ in (an occasion to use the ¢ symbol)

Just watched a real oldie: the original B & W 1936 "Mayerling", in French, with Charles Boyer and Danielle Darreaux. I find some of these old films quite mannered, but they are interesting, in terms of contrast of Modern cultures.

The second series of 'Green Wing' is running now, one of the few unmissables on telly for our family (not suitable for children though, VERY rude). Not getting much time for films right now, what with that, X-Files season 3 and Buffy season 2 (re-watch). 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' and 'North by Northwest' are our current rentals, waiting for a slot. Did find time for another viewing of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' while ironing the other night.

Also saw Aeon Flux with Charlize Theron. Now this one may not have been a box office hit, but as a fan of sci-fi, I really liked it. What substance the storyline lacked was made up for by exquisite costumes, set design and visual effects which were imaginative, to say the least. It was refreshing to see 'the future' in other than bladerunneresque tones! Theron did 95% of her own stunts (impressive) which seemed more like a choreography that 'action moves' for the sake of action sequences.

I have Aeon Flux in my queue and might be up next.

Last night I watched Rosemary & Thyme on PBS-what a disappointment-they had two back to back episodes-it seemed so poorly acted and the storylines were almost non-existant-I suppose we were suppose to just enjoy the scenery-not! I was hoping for those glorious English gardens!

Pat

"The Squid and the Whale"-Really quite wonderful. My only complaint was that I wanted it to be longer.

"Kings and Queen"-Wild mood swings in tone are at first off-putting but as character expectations are suprisingly derailed a tremendous emotional wallop follows. The kind of film you need to see twice to fully appreciate just how finely constructed it actually all was.

"Nobody Knows"-I'm speechless. An instant classic. Runs the entire gamut of human emotion. Sheer cinematic poetry that will leave you devastated.

"Squid and the Whale" on the other hand, was one of the worst, IMHO. I can totally see why many people like it; just didn't personally grab me at all...an art movie that tried way, way too hard to be mainstream. The cliches, which could have been funny or even sad, if done right, were just forced and pathetic.

Back OT,

Think I forgot to mention I just saw "Goodnight and Good Luck" recently. Definitely a very good film and yet I couldn't put it on a best of year list.

Last night I saw "Munich". Wow. Ridiculously overrated and very disappointing: a massive missed opportunity. You've got Kushner to adapt and we get little more than a decent thriller? To myeyes, hardly a glimpse of the depth or profundity so many claimed was there.

Reliable cast does predictably well but the true stand-out here is the phenomenal actor who plays the duplicitous Louis. His name is Mathieu Amalric and he also stars in the aforementioned "Kings and Queen". I could not fathom how these two wildly different preformances could be given by the same actor. A truly miraculous transformation worthy of Oldman, Streep or Blanchett.

friedag, I agree with you about "Capote". Just didn't do it for me either and I know it wasn't interuptions for me since I saw it at the theater. One of my friends described it to me as "just sooo long" before I saw it. Wasn't sure what she meant considering it was under two hours. Now I get it.

I broke a vow I made to never watch "I Capture the Castle." Oh dear! Now I will have to do my best to forget it. I loved the book and these characters too much, perhaps, to ever accept any adaptation wholeheartedly. I knew that going in, but still it was disappointing. It's funny how I can watch six versions of "Jane Eyre," three versions of "Wuthering Heights," three versions of "Pride & Prejudice," two versions of "Rebecca," and two versions of "Sense & Sensibility," and like all of the films well enough to watch them multiple times. But the film of "I Capture the Castle" ranks with "To Kill a Mockingbird" as a book adaptation that I wish I had never bothered to see -- not that I Capture the Castle, the book, is on the same plane as Mockingbird, but it's still an all-time favorite of mine.

woodnymph2, glad u appreciated MBUTTERFLY as much as I did. Wow! I think the entire cast made the film what it was. Truly masterful, particularly the final scenes in the prison...

I watched The Family Stone last night, and despite the oh-so-many clichés, I thought this was a successful ensemble of a movie. Sometimes ensemble casts don't work, but I saw true magic, gut-wrenching emotion and delicious wit throughout the movie. The scenes involving Diane Keaton (mom) and her children were very well directed, imho.

Also watched "Jarhead" again having seen it in theatres and am still baffled by the mostly cold critical reception it received, especially in light of disproportionate Speilberg brownnosing "Munich" reviews. That film had no depth whatsoever, this one is overflowing with it.

Don't listen to the reviews. "Jarhead" is easily one of the best American films of last year. Beautifully written and directed with some of the most flawless ensemble acting you could ever ask for-as great as Sarsgaard and Gylenthall consistently are, they have never been better and their support which comes mainly from unknowns could not feel more authentic. There's not a moment in this film that feels like any "acting" is taking place.

So not nearly so much an "anti-war" movie then as it is an anti-"war movie", it appears many people were bothered by its lack of plot or action; which naturally is precisely the point. For those who, like me, believe that character IS plot you will be mesmerized and riveted. A profound and insightful examination of what it means to be a soldier when you realize it's not at all like what you were always led to believe it would be.

Also watched The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys with Jodie Foster. Pretty good, a coming of age movie, 2 teen Catholic school boys plan revenge on their teacher, played by Foster, with tragic consequences.

Pat

I watched "Tristan + Isolde" last night. Not spectacular, but good and worth watching if you like the genre.

Yes Sherwood,

"In Her Shoes" I thought was one of the most touching and underrated Hollywood films of the year. As for Diaz, I think people are most impressed that she seemingly gets better with every film. Unlike most who started their careers as models.

Bill,
You're very, very welcome! Glad you like it so far but honestly I'm pleased to say that as good as the first half is, you haven't really even seen anything yet. Part two is where the full impact of part one's events start paying off left and right! I was emotionally overwhelmed more times than I could count. Definitely a film to add to any serious international collection.

Pat

I'll probably try to catch the DaVinci Code within the next few days, despite bad reviews.

Pat

Pat

I watched another oldie, a B & W 1941 flick with Laurence Olivier and Vivian Leigh: "That Hamilton Woman." What an incomparable pair....But almost everytime I watch V. Leigh, I see her as playing Scarlett, with a faked southern accent, not in the role at the moment.