Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull, watched only once (thank you), photos
© 2008 by ybonesy. All rights reserved.
Once in a blue moon, I do it. I watch a movie twice.
Not the kind of re-watching that comes naturally, over time, when you remember how much you liked a movie the first time you saw it and decide to watch it again. I do that, too.
The kind of movie re-watching I’m writing about is different. It happens when a movie gets a grip on my psyche. When as I’m watching it I find myself falling in a slow headlong for the actors. Where, when the snow blows, a chill runs through my body, and when the music creeps in, I pull knees to my chest and hunker down.
It’s the kind of movie where I don’t take leave of my chair nor the screen until the credits run, and as soon as the credits run, I know I want to see it again. Now.
Sometimes I’ll wait a day. This time I waited two.
I first saw Transsiberian on DVD with Jim on Saturday night. Jessie (played by Emily Mortimer) is a recovering alcoholic photographer whose train-loving missionary husband, Roy (played by Woody Harrelson) has booked an eight-day train trip from China to Moscow as a way to infuse their troubled marriage with adventure and, hopefully, make Jessie happy. Their cabin mates are a guapo Spaniard backpacker named Carlos (played by Eduardo Noriega) and his much younger and very quiet girlfriend, Abby (Kate Mara). You know Carlos and Abby are trouble the moment they tumble into the shared cabin.
When I watched the movie again, last night, I pleaded all through it with Jessie to not fall for Carlos’ traps. Yet, the fact that she wouldn’t listen to me—it endeared her to me all the more. I love Jessie—so street smart and mature, yet so not in control.
The first movie to get a hold of me this way was an indy production that came out in 1984: Choose Me. I was 23, went to see it at The Guild Cinema on Central Avenue in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill. That time it was Keith Carradine (Mickey), Lesley Ann Warren (Eve), and Genevieve Bujold (as radio talk show host, Dr. Love) that pulled me in. And the music—Feelin’ right, you’re my choice tonight—by Teddy Pendergrass.
I watched the matinee, walked out into the too-bright sun to Bow Wow Records a few doors down, bought a cassette by Teddy Pendergrass, and went back to see the movie again. I even saw it a third time, the next day.
Looking back, my first clue that movies could affect me this way came in 1973. That’s the year Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford starred in The Way We Were. I was 12 years old, and my best friend and I took the city bus to Winrock Theater to see the movie. Afterwards we rode back in silence and walked slowly from the bus stop to our houses. Once inside, I disappeared into the bathroom, drew a bath, and sat in the tepid water for half an hour, crying. I couldn’t get over how Streisand’s activist Katie and Redford’s military man Hubbell could love one another so deeply yet be incapable of creating a life together.
Now with movies out on DVD, it’s easy to indulge in my once-in-a-blue-moon obsession. Last movie before Transsiberian that I watched twice in a row was Sex & Lucía. That time it was actor Tristán Ulloa who captured my imagination. Short and with hair like a rooster, he played a writer, Lorenzo, who, once he finds a woman to love—or, rather, she finds him, enamored as she is with his books—he can’t suppress his debilities and become the man he wants to be.
As goes Lorenzo, so went Jessie. I suppose Mickey, Eve, and Hubbell all did, too. Complex humans, good and bad fighting for dominance. Maybe that’s what pulls me in—a desire to know that epic struggle. Like a song that gets etched into my brain, the characters cut grooves somewhere inside me, and once there, I can let them go.
I will tell you this. My obsession with certain movies doesn’t last. I went back recently and re-watched The Way We Were and Choose Me, and whatever it was that got inside of me those many years ago, it’s no longer there.
Which is a good thing, I think. Much as I enjoy the infatuation when it hits, I wouldn’t want to spend all my days watching then immediately re-watching movies.
I cried all during the Way We Were, I was 12 too. You summed it up very well, the reason why it was sad, as well as why I wouldn’t care to see it again.
I haven’t seen Transsiberean, but my husband did. I came in the room during the very last scene of the movie, and he sort of explained what was happening. The acting looked good, as did the photography. I guess I should sit still and watch it!
Interesting, your double watching thing. I don’t do that, but I should, because there are movies that grab me that way. Nice how you occasionally indulge that feeling.
The last movie that really and truly grabbed me was “Pan’s Labyrinth.”
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Jim rented Pan’s Labyrinth (LINK) last year or maybe even early this year. I loved it. It was such a magical tale. I’m always impressed when young actors pull off such complex roles. The girl whose mother marries the cruel military man—that girl was fabulous. I loved her mother, too. She had a plain beauty.
I meant to mention in this post that Ben Kingsley had an important role in Transsiberian, as Detective Grinko of the narcotics division. Kingsley is an actor of quiet versatility and power, someone who always makes me sit up and pay attention.
He was poignant beyond compare in House of Sand and Fog, which, had it not been so wrenchingly painful to watch, it would have made my double-view list.
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ybonesy, I want to see Transsiberean after reading this. My brain’s working OT now trying to remember any movies I’ve watched twice in a row. The one that sticks out for me the most is The Usual Suspects with Kevin Spacey and “Keyser Söze.” It came out in 1995 at a time when I was watching tons of movies every weekend. I remember being glued to the TV and then after it was over, I was so blown away, I put the video tape in a second time and watched it all again so I could catch all the details I missed the first time.
I felt similar when I saw Pulp Fiction for the first time. Even though it was violent, it was so well-done and the way it played with time, I had not seen anything that refreshing in a while. That one came out in 1994, I think.
I watch a lot of movies now, too, mostly documentaries and art films, but also across all genres. I like mysteries, suspense, drama. Many documentaries about artists or writers we put on DVD to watch again later. I’m fascinated with their lives. Really sappy or emotional movies, I can’t watch more than once usually.
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Oh, I wanted to say I always get Pan’s Labyrinth mixed up with The Last Mimzy. Mimzy’s about a labyrinth (I think it showed up in other comments on red Ravine) and has child actors as well that pull off complex scenes. Liz put Pan’s Labyrinth on a DVD but I don’t think we’ve watched it yet. Hmmm. We’ll have to pull it out.
Ben Kingsley is the most intense actor. He pulls me in by the intensity alone. House of Sand and Fog was an incredibly hard movie to watch. Beyond intense. I can only watch movies like that once, too. Harvey Keitel is another amazing actor who chooses his roles carefully. Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Apocalypse Now, Thelma and Louise, The Piano, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs. Some great movies.
I also like almost everything Susan Sarandon and Jodie Foster have done.
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You know, QM, I realized after I wrote this that my double watching probably has something to do with thrillers or movies that have subtleties. Probably the reason I re-watch the movies is to catch what I missed. Certainly I caught a lot of details in Transsiberian, and today I shared those with Jim, who had missed them, too, in that first viewing.
Harvey Keitel is intense, too, isn’t he? I loved The Piano and Pulp Fiction (yes, that one was so fresh) but could hardly stand to watch Reservoir Dogs. Torture scenes. I just can’t take them. I have to warn that Transsiberian has a short torture scene. I did cover my eyes then but tried not to on the second viewing, as there was dialog there that held clues to what was happening.
I used to see so many movies, and even now we rent quite a few. In fact, we have a Netflix account, but only one movie at a time. Jim often goes to Hastings and picks up a few once a month to supplement. I should just up my Netflix account; don’t know why I don’t.
I’d like to be more aware of the movies I watch and love. Sometimes I’ll see something that blows me away and then forget all about it later on. I would be hard-pressed to list all of my favorite movies I saw (most on DVD, some in theaters) these past two or three years. I know there were great ones, but my mind can’t seem to hold on to which ones they were.
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QM, I also liked The Usual Suspects. And American Beauty. Good stuff.
Love Susan Sarandon and Jodie Foster. I still haven’t seen The Brave One (LINK to the post you did about it). Can you believe it? I’ve been wanting to watch it since then, even though I have a feeling it will be super intense.
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Yeah, The Brave One is intense. Foster seems to choose intense movies, many times with messages about societal violence. Silence of the Lambs. I watched that movie several times. In fact, just last weekend, Liz and I watched Hannibal Rising, the first act of Hannibal, how he got to be the person he was in Lambs. It was pretty good, too.
I have a hard time these days with movies that contain violence against women. I’ve just seen so much of it in a lifetime, spread across television and movies and films. Not to mention all the real life accounts. It’s tough for me to watch anymore.
I’ve seen my fill. But if the movie has a deeper message and the scenes are short enough, I can get pulled in. Torture is always tough to watch. Sometimes I close my eyes if I know something is based on a true story.
I do like movies with lots of layers. But sometimes I just want something that entertains me, action, adventure, sci-fi. I also like Meg Ryan, though she’s sometimes done a little fluff; there’s still usually an emotional thing that pull me in, usually related to relationships or love. City of Angels for instance. I just didn’t want to lose her at the end. 😦
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Oh, BTW, City of Angels is a remake of Wim Wenders’ 1987 German film Wings of Desire, set in Berlin. I did watch the original film after I saw City of Angels. It’s always enlightening to compare the original of a movie to remakes decades later.
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I like Meg Ryan, too. Recently in an interview she talked about how the break-up with Dennis Quaid and how she’d been labeled with the Scarlet A—how it had liberated her.
On the topic of violence against women, I am shocked by how many of the crime series on TV are all about violent and sick cases against women. Can’t they find other themes? I mean, it’s so blatant. I don’t know how people watch CSI and all the others. I can’t take it. Certainly stay away from it in movies, too.
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Yeah, I had forgotten about that. How she was branded and it was Quaid that cheated throughout their marriage. I just looked it up again and found this older interview. She does look good in these photos, the leather jacket especially. I’ve always had a terrible crush on her. Liz teases me about it. 8)
Public Pain – Meg’s Back (LINK)
About CSI, it’s going to sound like a contradiction (and it is) but I do like that show. I think it’s because it reads like a mystery novel to me or something. If there’s a mystery there, I can separate it into fantasy. The problem-solving pulls me in. But I know what you mean — there are so many violent cases against women in it and in so many shows on TV.
Oh, I just thought of another movie I think I watched twice – Play Misty For Me with Clint Eastwood when it first came out. I think I was in my teens or something. Anyway, this time the woman went bonkers, a kind of femme fatale. Women seem to get boxed into these roles. It’s always so refreshing to see them break out.
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I just saw Pan’s Labyrinth 3 days ago. Fantastic!
When I read your piece, the movie that instantly popped into my head was The Piano. I saw your later reference to it and smiled. That movie hit me deeply on so many levels. The music and the woman’s reference about the sound “creeping into you” was spot on. I loved the beauty of her young daughter dancing at the shore while she played as if her life depended on it and that a strange man, with foreign symbols on his face, could understand what was in her soul…without words. The story and Harvey Keitel were brilliant. I will also watch anything with John Malkovich, Jeremy Irons or Emma Thompson in it. Such gifted actors.
And QM, man that Play Misty for me brought back memories! I was scared to death on that one…also the one about the truck driver gone mad…I think it was Duel? whoa!
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Another one that struck me as epic and dramatic as The Piano was The English Patient with Ralph Fiennes. And that one had Emma Thompson. Beautiful movie, based on a novel by Michael Ondaatje, a great writer and poet. With both those movies, I carried around a certain melacholy for hours afterwards.
Play Misty for Me—hmm, I saw it, but I was too young for such a tense thriller to appreciate it. Ah, but one I did watch from the living room (as I was supposed to be asleep)—Love Story. It was my sisters’ generation, but a story I definitely got into.
QM, I think Meg Ryan is beautiful, and almost an overlooked beauty, given that she played so many girl-next-door/funny roles.
Jim’s a big fan of CSI, and I sometimes catch what he’s watching. I like the actors in the Miami version, and I like the way the show is shot, and I can understand the draw to the problem-solving.
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heather, oh, good, another Play Misty For Me fan. Yeah, we’re dating ourselves but that movie was so suspenseful, I jumped out of my skin when she started the slashing of the paintings. I love Emma Thompson, too. And who was the woman, the mother in The Piano? The name’s escaping me but she’s a great actor, too.
ybonesy, Meg Ryan has an understated beauty that draws me in. Yeah, she started as the girl next store. I think she got her start in a soap opera in the early 80’s, didn’t she? Maybe As The World Turns?
I went through a phase of about a year around that time where I watched soap operas (I was unemployed for part of that time so was home during the day). I can’t believe it but there you have it. When I went to college in the early seventies, half the dorm would be in the rec room at lunch time watching soap operas. Hard to believe. 8)
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Yeah, I remember the Luke and Laura wedding craze. That was in the early 80s, no? I wasn’t into it, although I can perfectly picture Luke and Laura. Luke had a Mr. Brady style perm. 8)
I didn’t know Meg Ryan got her start in soaps.
Oh, the actress in The Piano: Holly Hunter. She’s fabulous.
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Count me in as another Play Misty For Me fan! I remember seing it for the first time at a drive-in when I was in my teens! Classic! Another movie that I’ve seen many times has also been mentioned here. It is Pulp Fiction. I will never tire of either one of them.
My all time favorite is The Wizard of Oz. I always get something new after watching it.
I can watch movies over & over. What I watch depends on my mood at the time. Sometimes it’s a chick flick like Sleepless in Seattle, or Must Love Dogs, or Time In A Bottle, or The Notebook. Other times it is a mystery movie. The only movies that turn me off are sci-fi, which happen to be J’s favorite. D
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Ok – must jump in here— ANYTHING with Genevieve Bujold the queen of ALL queens is definitely a fave of mine! A splice of here in this film here 🙂
http://splicd.com/IXFBnwIqjpU/109/284
And if you like Ben Kingsley- check out Photographing Fairies (review here)– I’ve had the film for many years and just discovered it was based on a book- I found the book in a second hand store in fact and just purchased it after all this time.
I totally love films and often get lost in them. Keeps me sane! (Ok well SORT OF lol!) :)))
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Oh my, Sib, Bujold was so young in that clip! She looks even younger than how she looked in Choose Me, although she must have been pretty young then, too.
I have not seen Photographing Fairies, although I read the review. I am fascinated by the Fairy Hoax and the overall fascination in those days with supernatural and other worlds. It must have been such a splendid time to live, but also a dangerous one in terms of being different and out there and expressing beliefs that might have been against the grain.
diddy, do you buy any DVDs? My sister has a bunch and we’ll often borrow hers. The few we have are almost exclusively movies the girls wanted. I have seen the Harry Potter series, on movie about Lemony Snickett (sp?), and the Pirates of the Caribbean series so many times each, it’s amazing. Of course, this is all spread over time, so it’s not quite the same as my watch and immediately re-watch obsession. Nonetheless, I never ever tire of those fantasy movies. They are all so well done.
Of the movies my daughters wanted to watch the first time, I only did the watch/re-watch of Lord of the Rings. I tell you—those movies were so packed with detail that I had to see them all again almost immediately after seeing them the first time. Dee re-watched one with me—it must have been three hours, so in total we spent six hours that day, back-to-back, watching and then re-watching. It was so fun.
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yb, your thinking of Kristin Scott Thomas (4 Weddings and a Funeral, Horse Whisperer, English Patient). Emma is from Howard’s End, Sense and Sensibility, Remains of the Day, even Nanny McPhee and Harry Potter. She’s witty, lovely and can play absolutely any part. You can’t help but love her;)
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was amazing. They were my beloved childhood books and I couldn’t imagine them being pulled off without real magic. Low and behold, they were!
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ybonesy, J & I have tons of DVD’s! I would purchase one a week for the longest time. One time a store in our area had a terrific sale & I walked out the door with 13 new ones. I haven’t purchased any new ones since the beginning of summer, but I also pick a few up at yard sales now & then. We still haven’t made it through the 13 that I purchased at once. I try to mix it up so that both J & I get the movies we enjoy. There is nothing more relaxing than building a fire in the fire place on a cold winter night & watching movies. Oh, & popcorn is a must!
We don’t go to the theatres very often. Last time I was in one was to take Brant & E. Elise to see Kung Fu Panda. I don’t know what was more enjoyable. The movie or the childrens laughter! Great fun! D
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Oh I LOVE fantasy stories! I have one actually linked on my blog somewhere (it’s an old one) – some other great ones in addition to those mentioned above are the Golden Compass (based on the fabulous writings of Pullman from His Dark Materials) — and also Spiderwick – wonderful artwork! I could dwell in fantasy world forever— I’m sure I probably do lol! Another great series to watch for the period fans out there is the original Pride and Prejudice featuring Colin Firth- there is no other version older or newer that even comes close to the chemistry he portrayed (with co-star Elizabeth Ehle) – sorry to say but Keira Knightly in the new version simply doesn’t have the emotional authority. I love all kinds of films though- the ones others mentioned above are all good ones!
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Oh, diddy, you took Brant and E. Elise to see Kung Fu Panda without Liz and me?! I’m so 😦 I missed it. I bet that was a lot of fun. I can hear the laughing now. Yeah, a movie on a winter’s night, nothing like it.
It’s great to read all the comments of movies that people love. There’s just something about going to the movies, even if it’s in your own living room.
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Oh, Heather, you’re right. Not Emma Thompson! I love both those actors, though…Emma Thompson and Kristin Scott Thomas. I, of course, loved Thompson’s Professor Trelawney (sp?) and Nanny McPhee. You know what, it’s fun watching kid movies!
And speaking of, Kung Fu Panda was one that Em and I went to see together at the theater. Our own little date. What a great movie. I even cried at the end. I’m such a sap.
Sib, loved Golden Compass and Spiderwick. I also remember the original Pride and Prejudice, which seems like it wasn’t made so long ago as to warrant a remake.
QM, you’re right…magical stuff.
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Ok girls, even that Pride and Prejudice was a remake as well although Colin’s is by far the best! 2 thumbs and 2 big toes up!
(Brigette Jones Diaries is a modern knock off) I will tell you what an absolute freak about that remake I am. I made my poor husband trek all over England so I could stand at Pemberly and retrace every step. I ran the lawn and up and down those stairs Darcy goes down trying to catch Lizzy. Been to the crotchity old aunties house with the giant topiary, sat at Darcy’s writing desk, walked that old town they strolled through and even went to the Bennett’s home. A lovely little old lady owns it and she came out, knew instantly I was loony, took my husband by the arm and gave him the grand tour. He hadn’t the slightest idea what she was talking about…but I trailed behind and took in every word. HA!
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Now how did you manage to get to England? Did you take a ship?? Really, knowing how much you hate to fly, this was the first thing that I wondered about. Of course, once there, it’s makes perfect sense that you’d run around like a mad hatter retracing Darcy’s steps. 8)
Any photos from Bennett’s home? And how did you know where to go? Is there a map one can follow?
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Annuvue- TOTALLY JEALOUS! You went there? Lucky YOU. Yes, it’s a remake but I call it the original because it was the best among the different versions. Pemberly is just magical.
I must have watched this movie 72 times and I think I know every line by heart. My kids think I’m crazy but truth be told, when they were little it was the one thing I could put on and they would go right to sleep! It was AWEOME! Really, every time I need to just “get away from the 21st century”, that’s when I get out “Mr. Darcy” – sit with my tea (ok, I’m a liar, I mean WINE) and chill out. 🙂
What a wonderful journey this must have been for you in England!
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If I remember right yb, I took some major “knock me out” cold medication to calm me down…OMG, I HATE to fly! Whew! 😉
Getting to these places is a funny story. I had bought a “making of the movie” book but they were very careful not to give exact directions to the “Bennett Home” because it’s a private residence. Lyme Park (Pemberly) is of course on the National Registry so you can tour it. *Side note, the inside was a different historic home because they were renovating the interior of the massive mansion when the movie was made.
In the book they gave you round about directions to the old town of Laycock. While there, I spoke to some townfolk and found there was animosity over the crew spreading dirt over the streets to make it look authentic. Apparently their sewer lines were screwed up for some time 😉
From there, in the book, the people that chose the filming sites described driving around the small towns looking for a perfect “Bennett Home”. They talked about certain trees and different little things that gave me some clues. My poor husband drove through back gravel roads until he was ready to scream. Then I saw the top of the church where the family had come out of in a few scenes. I directed him to the spot, hoping that (like in the movie) they could walk from the church to the home…and low and behold…I found it! The tiny little woman allowed tours at certain very limited times, but when I told her we were from California, she obliged me (or rather my bewildered husband).
Sibyllae, If you’re a big fan of Austen, I won’t sound like a dork telling you I’ve been to all her still existing homes (one with the costumes from Emma) and I can tell you Kate Beckinsale has to be one of the tiniest waisted woman on earth. I also had high tea at the Pump Room in Bath and took a turn around the assembly rooms 😉
I too can recite Pride and Prejudice but prefer to skip Mr Collins’ parts. His greasy hair makes my skin crawl….HA!
BTW…Two other very good period pieces are Forsyte Saga (Series 1, not 2) and Bleak House. If you haven’t seen them (you prebably have), you should check them out.
Best regards!
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Thank you Anuvue! How glorious about the other films you mentioned- I have seen some bleak house but not full through – and Forsythe not at all. I have been wanting to see the other film in the intro of the Pride series (famous book – can’t recall the name but I bet you know it- it’s a character name)— but i never can find the right VERSION. I will check out your suggests now that you mention they are very good ones. As for Mr. Collins, he was HILARIOUS! The facial expressions were brilliant and I never cease to laugh at the part where he attends the first “ball” and dances in the opposite direction of all others like an enormous nitwit – and with that idiotic “skip hop and jump”. David Bamber is a genius — and utterly hilarious in this role I think!
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“Choose Me” is a great one…I seen it about 4 times. Genevieve Bujold’s character is somewhat freaky and sketchy, but that makes her great and Keith Carradine is ultra cool…breaking off the butts on the cigs, ordering his beer with a 1″ head. So cool!
Tania and I like “Sideways”. We have watched it several times and enjoy it each time.
I also like a ‘chick flick’ she bought, “The Devil Wears Prada”. I’ve watched it several time just for once scene…when Meryl Streep goes off on the main character for laughing at the belts because they look the same. I could watch that scene over and over. Steep is excellent in that movie.
“That is all…”
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I didn’t know you were a Choose Me fan, MM! All this time I’ve known you. Yeah, the 1″ head was great. And Keith Carradine’s character had just gotten released from a psychiatric ward, remember?
I loved Sideways. The guy who played the sidekick, the real jerk—he was especially good. Seemed like someone I knew—couldn’t put my finger on who, but the kind of guy I know I’ve known before. And I love it when someone you know primarily from television pulls off a film.
I haven’t watched Devil Wears Prada. The girls have watched it on DVD, but I never got to see the thing whole. I saw dribs and drabs. It looked funny.
Heather, what a trip, literally, to read about how you figured out where to go. You should write about this experience. It’s really one of those “bucket list” kinds of things, it seems. (Speaking of movies.)
I’m also just blown away by what true fans you and Sib are of Jane Austen. That’s really cool.
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I’ve seen many films more than once. But one that I watch again and again, once a year, perhaps and have done since I first saw it aged 20 is Withnail and I. It’s perfect. Recently The Lives of Others blew me away and I am ready to see it again already. I watched Atonement twice in four weeks, ditto Little Miss Sunshine. Oh, and Lost in Translation and Sideways. I like quirky films that make me laugh.
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Oh, I definitely want to see The Lives of Others. Thank you for reminding me about that one. I remembered seeing the trailer and just feeling this build up.
I really loved Little Miss Sunshine. Alan Arkin (the heroin-addicted grandfather) lives in NM, and I seem to remember that some of that was filmed in NM. I also liked Greg Kinnear in that. He’s an odd one; another you have to take notice of given the roles he typical does. The girl was the best, though. Another case where a child pulls of a complex role.
I enjoyed Lost in Translation, too. And I’m trying to remember Atonement. I don’t think I saw it.
I remembered another movie today that I watched and immediately re-watched. Little Children with Kate Winslet, one of my favorite actors.
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Ybonesy,
I think we watched “Choose Me” together when you and Jim lived on 4th street. It was a loooong time ago.
Remember Leslie Ann Warrens’ face at the end of the movie when they were on the bus? Kind of a classic, “What have I done” moment.
MM
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Oh, that’s right, MM. I remember telling you that it was my all-time favorite movie, and then we all watched it. I forgot about that and thought that this past year, when I got it on Netflix, that was the first time I’d seen the movie since first watching it at the theater.
Yeah, Leslie Ann Warren’s face as she’s riding away, wow, you have a good memory! Don’t you think she’s sexy? I mean, she’s not a classic beauty, but something about her, especially in that movie, she’s just so sexy.
I remember my dad used to always have a crush on Ellen Barkin. Even if you ask him today who he thinks the sexiest actress is, he’d probably say Ellen Barkin. I can understand how he feels that way. She’s just got this appeal, kind of like Leslie Ann Warren.
And Mom’s favorite actor: the guy who played Zorba the Greek—Anthony Quinn. My mother *loves* that man. She says he is so masculine and sort of wild. 8)
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yb, I’m a big foreign movie fan and really like a lot of the stuff coming out in Spain, Italy, France, etc., lately (I’m on the fence as to whether Britain is really foreign) but for me the best of a very good lot is The Lives of Others. Lots of movies begin well but then something silly or implausible damages the affect; it’s the rare movie, I think, that improves. American Beauty was one. The Lives of Others was another, and I look forward to seeing it again.
Only once in my life have I sat in a theatre and watched a movie twice, straight through. You mentioned Redford and coincidentally he as in it. I was told The Hot Rock wasn’t very good, but somehow the mix of comedy and drama resonated in my teenage soul; perhaps lowered expectations helped. I sat through it twice, and have always had a special place for that film. I can still joke with friends who know it about the trance-inducing line, whispering to each other: Afghanistan banana stand.
It’s not one of my all-time favorites any more, but if i catch a bit of it, it still makes me laugh, and has a special nostalgia all its own for me. (The motor-mouth car nut obsessed with traffic and quickest routes through Manhattan, and the flamboyance of Zero Mostel!)
And I’m so with you on the advantages of seeing a movie twice. I always notice all kinds of things – how events are foreshadowed and set up, etc.
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Oh, and I meant to add something about movies / TV shows that portray women as victims. I don’t watch that stuff, generally, and don’t defend it, either, but I have a theory on why/how it works.
There is a cable channel called “LMN” (formerly called the Lifetime Movie Network). In our household it’s called the Women in Peril channel.
Watching women as victims allows the channel’s viewers varying shades of moral superiority, identifying with characters being wronged somehow gives the characters an opportunity to cope and also exercise the moral upper hand. Sometimes. Perhaps.
As I say, I don’t watch that stuff. And my guess is a lot of men don’t either. But it does get an audience, so it must work somehow on some level.
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[…] Jaynova, anhinga, ybonesy, Corina, Ombudsben & Bo. Also aefiel. Because you have invoked the inner muppet. Have fun! […]
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I enjoyed reading your post, and all of the comments.
I am terrible with remembering movie titles (as I am with people’s names). :O Reading the comments reminded me of many of my favorite movies and made me want to see some that I have not.
For some reason, I can remember the titles of childhood favorites much better. Could be because my sister and I always “acted out” the movies afterward. People would find me stranger than they already do if I did this as an adult. 🙂
I do know, movies and music influence me…at least until something or someone breaks the spell.
I am going to jot down some of the favorites listed here..maybe, just maybe I’ll find the time to watch some of them this winter.
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Ben, I never heard of Redford’s The Hot Rock. In fact, I looked it up because you piqued my curiosity (LINK). It came out in 1972, and after reading the synopsis, I do wonder if perhaps I saw it as a kid—it does sound familiar. But back then, there were so many serials and films that had a sort of comedy intrigue—Get Smart and all the Pink Panther movies.
Suz, I’m with you on being forgetful of movie titles. That’s why these few stand out so much to me. I, too, can remember the childhood ones (although I never acted them out 😉 ) but I must have been a prolific moviegoer as a kid. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Love Bug, all the Barbra Streisand movies (like Yentl—-one of my best friends loved to sing like Streisand, which is why I think we always went to her movies). Ah, lots of others.
I, too, have to really make time for watching movies, and when I do I always so enjoy it. Watching movies is such a relaxing thing for me. I love losing myself for a couple of hours into some other story.
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Funny to see it came out in ’72. Another instance where my memory plays tricks, and rearranges chronology.
Redford didn’t get a lot of acclaim for the role (compared to other things he did), and somehow, years later I had the impression I had liked him before his great fame – that this was an also-ran movie that never got a lot of credit.
Now that you post the year it came out, I realize it was 3 years after Butch & Sundance, so he obviously already was a big movie star.
And how often does this mnemonic rearrangement happen without knowing it?
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Yeah, I know what you mean. I often rearrange events and swear on their chronology—and then get proven wrong.
I wanted to come back to this post to note another movie I loved and watched 2x over Christmas last year—Reign over Me (LINK). Jim loved it, too, and went out and bought the soundtrack, which we listened to over and over. I love Adam Sandler, funny guy, but in this one he was heart-breaking.
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Oh, wow!! I so need to watch the movies you’ve discussed, yb.
@Everyone else: There are even more movies I also want to watch as well! For the past two years or so, I’ve been catching up on movies from the 90’s and present, although I do squeeze in a few of old classics. I think I’ve been watching a movie weekly, and I’ve lost count with all the movies I’ve seen. I so do enjoy foreign movies and even animated ones such as Amelie, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle. I love inspirational movies too such as August Rush and October Sky.
I recently was given Kung Fu Panda as a gift (someone mentioned it in a previous comment), and I can’t wait to watch it!!
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Good ones, A~Lotus. I loved August Rush and October Sky. Jim often picks out foreign movies, and he’s the one who brought the recent number of Mexican and Spanish movies that I’ve so loved.
I should aim for a movie a week. They’re so relaxing and much better than what’s normally on TV.
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I agree with all that’s been said about the great Emma Thompson. I didn’t see any mention of the movie “Stranger Than Fiction” which also starred Will Ferrell, Dustin Hoffman and Queen Latifah. If you haven’t seen it, you might want to check it out. It is a writers’ movie. Thompson’s performance as the chain-smoking, self-absorbed novelist makes the movie work. I can imagine lesser actors going over the top in the role. Instead, Emma captures the right balance.
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Hey, this is great. I can comb through the titles mentioned here for new movies to see. I have worked on so many that were not great, were not even worth mentioning. I used to think, well, I’m not working in a machine gun factory, I’m working in an industry that doesn’t hurt anyone. But I don’t think I believe that anymore. So much of what is produced is corrosive and poisonous, twisted and demented.
Okay, it is shoes for the baby and it puts food on the table and some of the things I have worked on are terrific, and most of the films I have worked on could be considered harmless entertainment, disposable art designed to fill a ninety minute slot on a cable channel. But a walk through the racks at the video store shows me that so much of the industry’s end product is vile.
But I have to admit that watching movies allows me to escape myself for a little while, and when I am in the mood to escape I want action and adventure, not fine art, although I love the art of the movies, too. Did anyone else experience movie violence as especially replulsive after 9/11?
Some repeat-worthy movies that come to mind are Sundays and Cybele, King of Hearts, The Iron Giant, 2001, City Lights, Modern Times, Persona, Deer Hunter, Raging Bull, Three Days of the Condor, Searching for Bobby Fisher, To Kill a Mockingbird, Moulin Rouge, Modern Times, The Princess Bride, The Professional, Run Lola Run, La Femme Nikita, The Fifth Element, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Wings of Desire, and the Russian vampire movies, Daywatch and Nightwatch, Monty Python… I walked away from Persona thinking I had seen something really important, but whatever it was was too elusive. I could never really name it. (But I was so much younger then, and life so much more dreadful.)
..not a definitive list, but fun to think back over. I would appreciate a list of movies that are great to watch with children.
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Great list of movies, rick. Of the ones you mentioned, Deer Hunter, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Professional (loved that one), The Fifth Element, Kiss of the Spiderwoman (intense), and Wings of Desire (original of Meg Ryan and Cage in City of Angels) all stick out for me.
Liz and I watch a lot of movies, tons of documentaries. But you are right — for escape, I like the thrillers, mysteries, things that take me out of my own reality for a while. Nothing like it! We are going to see Changling this afternoon at a matinee. I smell popcorn. 8)
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Robert Morse, I saw the previews to Stranger Than Fiction and it’s one I want to see. I looked for it out in the dollar theaters online yesterday and didn’t see it. I love Emma Thompson. We may have to rent it one night. I’m always up for a writers’ movie.
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To Quoinmonkey,
I hope that you’re able to locate “Stranger Than Fiction”. An important role is also played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Two actors I hadn’t seen for a while, Linda Hunt and Tom Hulce, have small roles. For anyone who might have been turned off by Will Ferrel being in the cast, I assure you this movie is not a typical Will Ferrell vehicle. It’s almost as if he’s playing the anit-Will Ferrell.
Another film I discovered recently that I recommend is “August Rush”. Robin Williams and Terrence Howard play supporting roles.
Tastes are understandably subjective. Nonetheless, here is a partial list of movies that I hold in special regard: Pleasantville, 12 Monkeys, V for Vendetta, The Verdict, The Mission, The Graduate, Groundhog Day, and The Great Dictator.
About Pleasantville. I think it is, at its core, about the 60’s. Movies written specifically about that decade don’t usually work for me. The subject is too big. Writing about it symbolically works better.
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Thanks, rick and Robert, for the additions. I have not seen Stranger than Fiction, but I will try to. A writer’s movie—yes, that’s as good a testimonial as they come.
rick, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a movie that is so vile I think it is harmful to society or those who watch it, although I do think the way we hunger for celebrity—not in ourselves but in others—is odd, and I suppose the industry has a hand in that. But then again, don’t the consumers have even more of a hand? What comes first…demand or supply?
Anyhoo, tis late and I’m pooped. I just wanted to say thanks for the adds. I’ll use this thread, too, to look for a good title when I need one and/or add as I find them.
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Robert, I’m kind of intrigued by your comment about Pleasantville and films about the 60’s working better if written about symbolically. That time in history encompasses so much, it makes sense to either use symbolism, or tackle only one topic or one aspect of that time and taking it deeper.
Last night we went to see Changeling with a friend. First time I’d been to the big screen for a while. Long movie with amazing sets (Clint Eastwood style) but a lot of good messages about social standards in LA in the 1920’s, particularly those around women and insane asylums. Jolie was great. I’m still thinking about parts of the movie this morning.
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QuoinMonkey, I agree. Movies that deal with one small part of the 60’s work better than those that try to capture the whole era. I think part of the reason is that the biggest changes may have been subjective, so many people seeing the world anew. Everyone has their own story. And their own soundtrack. For that matter, how can you truly impart to a younger person the impact The Beatles had on people? Simply telling them that it was the equivalent of the Martians landing isn’t enough.
All that said, a movie that should be on my above list is “The Wanderers”. On the surface, it’s a film about New York street gangs in 1963. But by the end of the movie, there is a sense that one era is ending while another one, mostly hinted at, is dawning.
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Robert, yeah, the Beatles are a tough one to explain, how crazy it was when they landed in the U.S. But, you know, we watch this show about current artists recording at the Abbey Road Studios that the Beatles used and they are just as excited as ever about following in their mentors’ footsteps. At least part of the legacy lives on. 8)
I’ll have to check out The Wanderers. It’s true — it’s so subjective and everyone has their own story or angle about what happened in the 60’s. I guess it depends on who you were, and maybe how old you were. There was so darned much going on.
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ybonesy, we watched the Spike Lee 1994 film, Crooklyn yesterday. It’s semi-biographical and co-written and directed by Spike Lee.
The film takes place in Brooklyn, New York during the 1970s. And for anyone who came of age in the 1970’s in the US, the soundtrack is to die for. I read that a two-volume release of the soundtrack became available on CD along with the release of the film and I’m positive I want to get it. I was singing along almost the whole film.
I liked the story, too. Spike Lee is a master at indicating passage of time and keeping the storyline real. His filmmaking reminds me of memoir but in film form. I love movies like that because they teach me a lot about writing memoir. I’d recommend it.
I’d like to see his latest, too, Miracle at St. Anna. Has anyone seen it yet? It follows four black soldiers of the all-black 92nd Infantry Division through a certain time period during WW II.
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I am looking to purchase on dvd “Sundays and Cybele” . Do you know where I can find this??
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I would try searching on Amazon, lori. Although, I honestly don’t have any idea of whether you’d find it there. Good luck.
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[…] For previous conversation on good movies, red Ravine post Movie Infatuation Syndrome […]
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