Here’s what we’re listening to / reading / watching right now: 3/31/2019
[ Mike ]
CDs:
(Currently in my MP3 or CD player)
Superorganism - Superorganism
Meghan Trainor - Thank You, Title
Taylor Swift - Reputation
Ani DiFranco - Binary
Randy Brown (aka BrownRandy) - Dream Big, But Wait...There's More
Tom Lumen - Manual Mode
Open Book - Grateful
The Chainsmokers - Memories Don't Open, Bouquet, Collage
Lake Street Dive- Free Yourself Up
Punch Brothers - All Ashore
The Big Broadcast (20's and 30's classic jazz)
The Next Day - David Bowie
They Might Be Giants - I Like Fun
(Highly recommended)
Flying Machines - Flying Machines
Bad Self Portraits - Lake Street Dive
Regina Spektor - Far, What We Saw From The Cheap Seats, Remember Us to Life
Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement, How Do You Do
The Kooks - Konk
Of Montreal – False Priest
Nickel Creek - Why Should the Fire Die?, A Dotted Line
Punch Brothers – Antifogmatic, Who's Feeling Young Now?, The Phosphorescent Blues
Rob Morsberger - The Chronicle of a Literal Man
The Strokes – First Impressions of Earth, Comedown Machine
Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Sarah Bareilles - Kaleidoscope Heart, Little Voice
Ben Folds - Supersunnyspeedgraphic
They Might Be Giants - Nanobots
Books:
(Currently reading or recently read)
Walking the Dog: And Other Stories - Bernard MacLaverty
Cal - Bernard MacLaverty *
Unsheltered - Barbara Kingsolver
Waking Up White - Debby Irving
The Relive Box and Other Stories - T. C. Boyle
Educated - Tara Westover *
Fear - Bob Woodward
The Yellow Birds - Kevin Powers *
The Hard Problem - Tom Stoppard
Future Home of the Living God - Louise Erdrich
Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
Into the Water - Paula Hawkins
A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles
Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink - Elvis Costello
Dietland - Sarai Walker
Sleeping Beauties - Stephen King & Owen King
How I Became a North Korean - Krys Lee
To The Bright Edge of the World - Eowyn Ivey *
Dear Mr. M - Herman Koch
Eating Animals - Jonathan Safran Foer
Like Life - Lorrie Moore
Anagrams - Lorrie Moore
Moonglow - Michael Chabon
The Terranauts - T.C. Boyle
Animal Dreams - Barbara Kingsolver *
Illywacker - Peter Carey
Number 9 Dream - Dennis Mitchell
The Peripheral - William Gibson
Drop City - T.C. Boyle
My Name Is Lucy Barton - Elizabeth Strout
A Plague of Doves - Louise Erdlich
The Zone of Interest - Martin Amis
The Silkworm - Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling)
BWLF - Dennis Nils
The Return of Little Big Man - Thomas Berger
(Particularly good * or noteworthy)
Challenger Deep - Neal Shusterman *
The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
The Orphan Master's Son - Adam Johnson (2013 Pulitzer Prize winner)
Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout (2009 Pulitzer Prize winner)
The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey (2013 Pulitzer Prize finalist) *
Looking For Alaska - John Green
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Nightwoods - Charles Frazier
The Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick *
The Bone Clocks - David Mitchell
The Good Luck of Right Now - Matthew Quick [Read by Oliver Wyman] *
The Luminaries - Eleanor Catton (2013 Man Booker Prize winner)
The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes (2011 Man Booker Prize winner) *
[ Mike ]
CDs:
(Currently in my MP3 or CD player)
Superorganism - Superorganism
Meghan Trainor - Thank You, Title
Taylor Swift - Reputation
Ani DiFranco - Binary
Randy Brown (aka BrownRandy) - Dream Big, But Wait...There's More
Tom Lumen - Manual Mode
Open Book - Grateful
The Chainsmokers - Memories Don't Open, Bouquet, Collage
Lake Street Dive- Free Yourself Up
Punch Brothers - All Ashore
The Big Broadcast (20's and 30's classic jazz)
The Next Day - David Bowie
They Might Be Giants - I Like Fun
(Highly recommended)
Flying Machines - Flying Machines
Bad Self Portraits - Lake Street Dive
Regina Spektor - Far, What We Saw From The Cheap Seats, Remember Us to Life
Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement, How Do You Do
The Kooks - Konk
Of Montreal – False Priest
Nickel Creek - Why Should the Fire Die?, A Dotted Line
Punch Brothers – Antifogmatic, Who's Feeling Young Now?, The Phosphorescent Blues
Rob Morsberger - The Chronicle of a Literal Man
The Strokes – First Impressions of Earth, Comedown Machine
Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Sarah Bareilles - Kaleidoscope Heart, Little Voice
Ben Folds - Supersunnyspeedgraphic
They Might Be Giants - Nanobots
Books:
(Currently reading or recently read)
Walking the Dog: And Other Stories - Bernard MacLaverty
Cal - Bernard MacLaverty *
Unsheltered - Barbara Kingsolver
Waking Up White - Debby Irving
The Relive Box and Other Stories - T. C. Boyle
Educated - Tara Westover *
Fear - Bob Woodward
The Yellow Birds - Kevin Powers *
The Hard Problem - Tom Stoppard
Future Home of the Living God - Louise Erdrich
Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
Into the Water - Paula Hawkins
A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles
Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink - Elvis Costello
Dietland - Sarai Walker
Sleeping Beauties - Stephen King & Owen King
How I Became a North Korean - Krys Lee
To The Bright Edge of the World - Eowyn Ivey *
Dear Mr. M - Herman Koch
Eating Animals - Jonathan Safran Foer
Like Life - Lorrie Moore
Anagrams - Lorrie Moore
Moonglow - Michael Chabon
The Terranauts - T.C. Boyle
Animal Dreams - Barbara Kingsolver *
Illywacker - Peter Carey
Number 9 Dream - Dennis Mitchell
The Peripheral - William Gibson
Drop City - T.C. Boyle
My Name Is Lucy Barton - Elizabeth Strout
A Plague of Doves - Louise Erdlich
The Zone of Interest - Martin Amis
The Silkworm - Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling)
BWLF - Dennis Nils
The Return of Little Big Man - Thomas Berger
(Particularly good * or noteworthy)
Challenger Deep - Neal Shusterman *
The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
The Orphan Master's Son - Adam Johnson (2013 Pulitzer Prize winner)
Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout (2009 Pulitzer Prize winner)
The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey (2013 Pulitzer Prize finalist) *
Looking For Alaska - John Green
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Nightwoods - Charles Frazier
The Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick *
The Bone Clocks - David Mitchell
The Good Luck of Right Now - Matthew Quick [Read by Oliver Wyman] *
The Luminaries - Eleanor Catton (2013 Man Booker Prize winner)
The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes (2011 Man Booker Prize winner) *
Arthur and George - Julian Barnes
Pulse - Julian Barnes
A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon *
The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
The Good Lord Bird - James McBride (National Book Award winner)
Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn
Salvage the Bones - Jesmyn Ward (National Book Award winner) *
Swamplandia! - Karen Russell (Pulitzer Prize nominee) *
MetaMAUS - Art Spiegelman *
Amaryllis in Blueberry - Christina Meldrum *
The Invention of Wings - Sue Monk Kidd
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet - David Mitchell *
Bootstrapper - From Broke to Badass on a Northern Michigan Farm - Mardi Jo Link
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell*
The Farmer's Daughter - Jim Harrison *
11/22/63 - Stephen King *
Life During Wartime - Lucius Shepard *
Pulse - Julian Barnes
A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon *
The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
The Good Lord Bird - James McBride (National Book Award winner)
Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn
Salvage the Bones - Jesmyn Ward (National Book Award winner) *
Swamplandia! - Karen Russell (Pulitzer Prize nominee) *
MetaMAUS - Art Spiegelman *
Amaryllis in Blueberry - Christina Meldrum *
The Invention of Wings - Sue Monk Kidd
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet - David Mitchell *
Bootstrapper - From Broke to Badass on a Northern Michigan Farm - Mardi Jo Link
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell*
The Farmer's Daughter - Jim Harrison *
11/22/63 - Stephen King *
Life During Wartime - Lucius Shepard *
The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War On Terror Turned Into
a War On American Ideals - Jane Mayer
Wild - Cheryl Strayed
World War Z - Max Brooks
Flight Behavior - Barbara Kingsolver
Telegraph Avenue - Michael Chabon
A Working Theory of Love - Scott Hutchins *
Infidel - Ayaan Ali Hirsi *
Escape - Carolyn Jessop
Sniper - Nocolai Lilin
She Drove Without Stopping - Jaimy Gordon *
Once Upon A River - Bonnie Jo Campbell *
The Land of Decoration - Grace McCleen *
The Lower River - Paul Theroux *
Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro *
Jaimy Gordon - Bogeywoman *
Jonathan Safran Foer - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close *
M. T. Anderson - Feed (National Book Award finalist) *
Barbara Kingsolver - Prodigal Summer *
Barbara Kingsolver - The Lacuna (PEN/Faulkner Award finalist) *
Cormac McCarthy - The Road (Pulitzer Prize winner) *
Cormac McCarthy - No Country for Old Men *
Cormac McCarthy - Blood Meridian *
Cormac McCarthy - All the Pretty Horses (National Book Awd winner) *
Jaimy Gordon - Lord of Misrule (National Book Award winner) *
Martin Amis - House of Meetings *
Charlie Smith - Three Delays *
Aron Ralston - 127 Hours Between a Rock and a Hard Place *
Paolo Bacigalupi - The Windup Girl
(winner Hugo, Nebula and Campbell awards)
Jon Armstrong - Yarn
fashionpunk sci-fi
Susan Heyboer O'Keefe - Frankenstein's Monster
Sequel to Mary Shelly's novel
Emma Donoghue - Room
Roz Savage - Rowing the Atlantic
Dana Spiotta - Stone Arabia
Erik Larson - Thunderstruck
Colson Whitehead - Zone One
Film / Video:
The Girl in the Spider's Web - Sorry, didn't like this. Bad script, and Clare Foy is no Rooney Mara.
Us - Excellent...though liked Get Out! better.
Vice
Bohemian Rhapsody
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Roma
Coco
Marshall (2017)
Baby Driver
Doctor Strange (2016)
Mowana (2016)
A Hologram for the King (DVD)
Spotlight (2015)
Boyhood (2014)
Birdman (2014)
Parkland (DVD) - Some good moments
After Earth (DVD) - Incredibly awful!
Before Night Falls (DVD) - Very good, but harrowing. Excellent unexpected cameo by Sean Penn, and two strange cameos by Johnny Depp.
August, Osage County (DVD) - This goes on my all-time best list. Pitch-perfect writing and amazing acting, especially Streep and Roberts.
Interstellar (2014 Imax) - Very disappointed, especially considering all of the hype. Why did this get such good reviews?
Whiplash (2014) - Must see!
Hunger Games - Catching Fire (Netflix) - Laugh if you want; I liked it
Get On Up (2014) - (James Brown biopic) Good
The Lone Ranger (DVD) - Not bad!
Noah (2014) - Got a free movie ticket. Worth every penny.
The East (DVD)
Panic Room (DVD)
The Machinist (DVD) - wow!
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
Oz The Great and Powerful (DVD) - Awful. Michelle Williams somewhat less awful.
The Great Gatsby (DVD)
American Hustle (2013)
Her (2013)
Catfish (DVD) - Must see!
War Horse (DVD) - Great cinematography. Horses were excellent. Corny script.
Morning Glory (DVD) - Barbara wanted to watch romantic comedies
Friends With Benefits (DVD) - Barbara wanted to watch romantic comedies
The Fighter (DVD) - Highly recommended
Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) - Space opera fun
The Dark Knight Rises - DVD
Looper - DVD - Very good
One Day (DVD) - Awful. Couldn't even finish it.
Contagion (2011) DVD - Surprisingly realistic, not comic book.
Ruby Sparks DVD - Cute
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) - Wasn't expecting that this would be so good. Well acted, especially DeNiro.
Jeff, Who Lives At Home - DVD
Melancholia - DVD
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Lincoln (2012)
Argo (2012) - The acting and script were nothing special, but the story is amazing. Based on a true story - I wonder how much of it was made up?
John Carter (2012) - Looks good, screenplay and plot changes range from so-so to bad; based on the Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, which still stands up as a terrific read. Why couldn't they have just stuck to the book?
The Iron Lady (2011) - Decent, interesting biopic with nice twist (Thatcher with dementia), incredible acting by Streep.
The Descendants (2011) - Well acted, but best picture/actor? I don't think so. Very nice scenery.
The Debt (2011) - Well acted, suspenseful thriller. Mostly believable, except for the final scenes, and no car chases, astonishing leaps from buildings or pyrotechnics. One evil Nazi.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) - You might think it was me who wanted to see this movie, but in fact I've never liked the Planet of the Apes movies, and this one didn't change my mind. (The book was interesting, though.) It was Barbara who really wanted to see this. I assume it was some fond association from her college days - I didn't ask her who her date was when she saw the original film. Or maybe she just liked Charlton Heston.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) (2011) - A few inexplicable minor changes from the book, but what the heck. Still fun. And the very end works better in the movie; was horrible in print.
The Triplets of Belleville (2003) - DVD
I loved this strange, beautiful, darkly humorous and unpredictable animated film! It was nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature. And the music is fabulous; a combination of Django Reinhardt and crazy percussion jams. Highly recommended.
Atlas Shrugged (Part I)
Not bad, really (despite having been panned universally by critics), especially considering that it was a low-budget, no-movie-star rush job. Mostly faithful to the book which, of course, is far far better and really makes you think. Check your premises - and check for the flaws in Ayn Rand's philosophy. A couple of genuinely bad performances here, but mostly decent performances, and some really good ones.
The Perfect Stranger (2005) - JCTV
Stumbled upon this one while channel-surfing. Alternate title could have been My Dinner with Jesus. Not bad, really, especially considering that it was a low-budget, no-movie-star production. Sort of faithful to the Book which, of course, is far far better and really makes you think. Check your premises - and check for the flaws in Jesus' philosophy. Decent performances, all talk and no action, and a nice multi-course dinner, elegantly served, with the Eternal One footing the bill.
Memento (2001) - DVD
This one goes onto my all-time favorites list. The film is an innovative and wonderfully executed puzzle, a philosophical thriller - and very funny as well. Part of the fun is figuring it out for yourself so I won't reveal anything at all about the movie. I had to watch it three times to work out all the details (since there is so much nuance and attention to detail, so many cool and/or significant things you'd never notice the first time through), but I still have a few questions that keep me up at night. Anyone who wants to discuss, let me know!
Following (1998) - DVD
This was director/ screenwriter Christopher Nolan's first movie (just before Memento), shot in B&W 16 mm on the weekends on an almost non-existent budget ... and it's really good. Like Memento (or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) it jumps between different timelines; visual clues indicate each scene's timeframe. (Nolan discusses this in the DVD commentary.) Also like Memento, there are unreliable characters and delightful plot twists. Oh yeah - the plot? It's about an aspiring writer who looks for inspiration by choosing random people to follow - a different person each day. But when he breaks his own rules he is drawn into an unpredictable and dangerous situation with an unusual burglar and a blonde. Highly recommended.
The Road (2009) - DVD
Based on Cormac McCarthy's superb post-apocalyptic novel. I knew this could never be translated to film, but I had to check it out. Lots of close-ups and minimal lighting to save FX $. But worse, without McCarthy's biblical/poetic prose, the film is reduced to a series of Mad Max incidents, without the colorful comic book characters. Read it, don't watch it.
The Way (DVD)
My Week with Marilyn (DVD)
Snow White and the Huntsman (DVD) - Don't bother. Even Charlize is not particularly good. Good special effects, though.
Jeff Who Lives at Home (DVD)
Ruby Sparks (DVD)
Drive (DVD) - Do not see this movie! Just plain bad. Although John Hurt is actually terrific in a small role. So just watch the end.
We Need to Talk About Kevin (DVD) - Really good. Mind-blowing.
Water For Elephants (DVD) - The book was much better.
Never Let Me Go (2012) DVD - Pretty good, but don't bother - read the book, which is really, really good (and really, really depressing).
Night of the Hunter DVD - Cult classic ??? !!!
In Time (2011) DVD - Interesting concept, but I can't recommend this movie.
Where the Wild Things Are (DVD) - Got this from the library, and it could not be read by my DVD player, desktop or laptop. Just thought I'd complain.
The Green Zone (2010) DVD - Decent action adventure political thriller. So who were the bad guys, really? Based on actual military invasion, ha ha.
In the Valley of Elah (2007) DVD - Good, well-acted. But I still don't believe it, even though it's based on actual events.
Inception (2010) DVD - Sorry, nowhere near as good as prior Nolan films Memento and Following.
Margot at the Wedding (2007) - DVD Fabulous: wonderful, clever, offbeat screenplay and terrific performances. Highly recommended.
A Single Man (2009) - DVD Good, well-acted. Sometimes slow. Cheats a bit.
Shutter Island (2010) DVD Fascinating and really good. After you think about it, some things just don't make sense, but what the hell - a fun ride.
Love and Other Drugs (2010) - DVD Recommended. Anne Hathaway was especially good.
Straw Dogs (1971) - DVD Not as good (or as violent) as I had remembered it.
The Help (2011) - DVD Very good. A bit too neat and sweet at times.
Jack Goes Boating (2010) - DVD Everyone is great in this bizarre yet moving and sophisticated film, with Philip Seymour Hoffman. Two thumbs up.
Cold Souls (2009) - DVD Tries to be Being John Malkovich, not as good, but still very good and well worth watching, especially Paul Giamatti.
The Lovely Bones (2009) - DVD The book was much better. Excellent and creepy performance by Stanley Tucci. Really annoying CGI vistas of the in-between world via Peter Jackson.
The Kids Are All Right (2010) - DVD Really good, especially Annette Bening and Julianne Moore.
Please Give (2010) - DVD Excellent: really funny, also really moving.
Rango (2011) - DVD Visually stunning computer animation, inventive plot, and one of Johnny Depp's best roles.
Bridesmaids (2011) - DVD Good silly fun.
Crazy Heart (2010) - DVD Good songs, good acting (Jeff Bridges), otherwise predictable.
State of Play (2009) - DVD Don't bother.
Step Brothers (2008) - DVD Dumb, immature, and very funny.
City Island (2009) - DVD Quirky, charming.
TV:
Who can keep up? What we're watching regularly: The Walking Dead, Talking Dead, Survivor, Project Runway. Summer shows we watched: Falling Skies (still dumb), Extant (dumb), Halt and Catch Fire (interesting, well acted), Under the Dome (trying to be "Lost" but no way)
Started to watch Olive Kitteridge mini-series on HBO, well acted but even though the story is the same as the book, the feel and characters are very different. Book much better.
Checked out Ascension (SciFi) - awful
Breaking Bad - AMC
Got Netflix specifically so we could watch this series. We don't go out any more - any spare time spent watching this! Finishing the final season this week... [finished - best show ever]
The Walking Dead - AMC
We're officially addicted. Even Barbara. Now we have to wait till Fall for Season 5. &*^(($%$*^$!
Terra Nova - Fox
Ok, watched the first episode, but the alternative was watching people drown again in The Perfect Storm. No need to watch this show again. It made Falling Skies look good.
Survivor: Brains vs Brawn vs Beauty - CBS
This show is still fascinating.
Falling Skies - NBC
Unfortunately, this falls into the "fascinatingly stupid" category. The best portrayal of an alien invasion is in book form: David Gerrold's "War Against the Chtorr" series. Nothing else, in any format, comes close. Fascinatingly smart. [Update: This show was popular and was renewed for summer 2012. But SyFy's "Stargate Universe" was canceled. Go figure.]
Project Runway: All-Stars - Lifetime
Less talk, less drama, better garments. Also checked out 24-Hour Catwalk - awful!
Sand Serpents - SyFy
Not as good as MegaPython vs. Gateroid.
a War On American Ideals - Jane Mayer
Wild - Cheryl Strayed
World War Z - Max Brooks
Flight Behavior - Barbara Kingsolver
Telegraph Avenue - Michael Chabon
A Working Theory of Love - Scott Hutchins *
Infidel - Ayaan Ali Hirsi *
Escape - Carolyn Jessop
Sniper - Nocolai Lilin
She Drove Without Stopping - Jaimy Gordon *
Once Upon A River - Bonnie Jo Campbell *
The Land of Decoration - Grace McCleen *
The Lower River - Paul Theroux *
Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro *
Jaimy Gordon - Bogeywoman *
Jonathan Safran Foer - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close *
M. T. Anderson - Feed (National Book Award finalist) *
Barbara Kingsolver - Prodigal Summer *
Barbara Kingsolver - The Lacuna (PEN/Faulkner Award finalist) *
Cormac McCarthy - The Road (Pulitzer Prize winner) *
Cormac McCarthy - No Country for Old Men *
Cormac McCarthy - Blood Meridian *
Cormac McCarthy - All the Pretty Horses (National Book Awd winner) *
Jaimy Gordon - Lord of Misrule (National Book Award winner) *
Martin Amis - House of Meetings *
Charlie Smith - Three Delays *
Aron Ralston - 127 Hours Between a Rock and a Hard Place *
Paolo Bacigalupi - The Windup Girl
(winner Hugo, Nebula and Campbell awards)
Jon Armstrong - Yarn
fashionpunk sci-fi
Susan Heyboer O'Keefe - Frankenstein's Monster
Sequel to Mary Shelly's novel
Emma Donoghue - Room
Roz Savage - Rowing the Atlantic
Dana Spiotta - Stone Arabia
Erik Larson - Thunderstruck
Colson Whitehead - Zone One
Film / Video:
The Girl in the Spider's Web - Sorry, didn't like this. Bad script, and Clare Foy is no Rooney Mara.
Us - Excellent...though liked Get Out! better.
Vice
Bohemian Rhapsody
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Roma
Coco
Marshall (2017)
Baby Driver
Doctor Strange (2016)
Mowana (2016)
A Hologram for the King (DVD)
Spotlight (2015)
Boyhood (2014)
Birdman (2014)
Parkland (DVD) - Some good moments
After Earth (DVD) - Incredibly awful!
Before Night Falls (DVD) - Very good, but harrowing. Excellent unexpected cameo by Sean Penn, and two strange cameos by Johnny Depp.
August, Osage County (DVD) - This goes on my all-time best list. Pitch-perfect writing and amazing acting, especially Streep and Roberts.
Interstellar (2014 Imax) - Very disappointed, especially considering all of the hype. Why did this get such good reviews?
Whiplash (2014) - Must see!
Hunger Games - Catching Fire (Netflix) - Laugh if you want; I liked it
Get On Up (2014) - (James Brown biopic) Good
The Lone Ranger (DVD) - Not bad!
Noah (2014) - Got a free movie ticket. Worth every penny.
The East (DVD)
Panic Room (DVD)
The Machinist (DVD) - wow!
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
Oz The Great and Powerful (DVD) - Awful. Michelle Williams somewhat less awful.
The Great Gatsby (DVD)
American Hustle (2013)
Her (2013)
Catfish (DVD) - Must see!
War Horse (DVD) - Great cinematography. Horses were excellent. Corny script.
Morning Glory (DVD) - Barbara wanted to watch romantic comedies
Friends With Benefits (DVD) - Barbara wanted to watch romantic comedies
The Fighter (DVD) - Highly recommended
Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) - Space opera fun
The Dark Knight Rises - DVD
Looper - DVD - Very good
One Day (DVD) - Awful. Couldn't even finish it.
Contagion (2011) DVD - Surprisingly realistic, not comic book.
Ruby Sparks DVD - Cute
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) - Wasn't expecting that this would be so good. Well acted, especially DeNiro.
Jeff, Who Lives At Home - DVD
Melancholia - DVD
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Lincoln (2012)
Argo (2012) - The acting and script were nothing special, but the story is amazing. Based on a true story - I wonder how much of it was made up?
John Carter (2012) - Looks good, screenplay and plot changes range from so-so to bad; based on the Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, which still stands up as a terrific read. Why couldn't they have just stuck to the book?
The Iron Lady (2011) - Decent, interesting biopic with nice twist (Thatcher with dementia), incredible acting by Streep.
The Descendants (2011) - Well acted, but best picture/actor? I don't think so. Very nice scenery.
The Debt (2011) - Well acted, suspenseful thriller. Mostly believable, except for the final scenes, and no car chases, astonishing leaps from buildings or pyrotechnics. One evil Nazi.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) - You might think it was me who wanted to see this movie, but in fact I've never liked the Planet of the Apes movies, and this one didn't change my mind. (The book was interesting, though.) It was Barbara who really wanted to see this. I assume it was some fond association from her college days - I didn't ask her who her date was when she saw the original film. Or maybe she just liked Charlton Heston.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) (2011) - A few inexplicable minor changes from the book, but what the heck. Still fun. And the very end works better in the movie; was horrible in print.
The Triplets of Belleville (2003) - DVD
I loved this strange, beautiful, darkly humorous and unpredictable animated film! It was nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature. And the music is fabulous; a combination of Django Reinhardt and crazy percussion jams. Highly recommended.
Atlas Shrugged (Part I)
Not bad, really (despite having been panned universally by critics), especially considering that it was a low-budget, no-movie-star rush job. Mostly faithful to the book which, of course, is far far better and really makes you think. Check your premises - and check for the flaws in Ayn Rand's philosophy. A couple of genuinely bad performances here, but mostly decent performances, and some really good ones.
The Perfect Stranger (2005) - JCTV
Stumbled upon this one while channel-surfing. Alternate title could have been My Dinner with Jesus. Not bad, really, especially considering that it was a low-budget, no-movie-star production. Sort of faithful to the Book which, of course, is far far better and really makes you think. Check your premises - and check for the flaws in Jesus' philosophy. Decent performances, all talk and no action, and a nice multi-course dinner, elegantly served, with the Eternal One footing the bill.
Memento (2001) - DVD
This one goes onto my all-time favorites list. The film is an innovative and wonderfully executed puzzle, a philosophical thriller - and very funny as well. Part of the fun is figuring it out for yourself so I won't reveal anything at all about the movie. I had to watch it three times to work out all the details (since there is so much nuance and attention to detail, so many cool and/or significant things you'd never notice the first time through), but I still have a few questions that keep me up at night. Anyone who wants to discuss, let me know!
Following (1998) - DVD
This was director/ screenwriter Christopher Nolan's first movie (just before Memento), shot in B&W 16 mm on the weekends on an almost non-existent budget ... and it's really good. Like Memento (or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) it jumps between different timelines; visual clues indicate each scene's timeframe. (Nolan discusses this in the DVD commentary.) Also like Memento, there are unreliable characters and delightful plot twists. Oh yeah - the plot? It's about an aspiring writer who looks for inspiration by choosing random people to follow - a different person each day. But when he breaks his own rules he is drawn into an unpredictable and dangerous situation with an unusual burglar and a blonde. Highly recommended.
The Road (2009) - DVD
Based on Cormac McCarthy's superb post-apocalyptic novel. I knew this could never be translated to film, but I had to check it out. Lots of close-ups and minimal lighting to save FX $. But worse, without McCarthy's biblical/poetic prose, the film is reduced to a series of Mad Max incidents, without the colorful comic book characters. Read it, don't watch it.
The Way (DVD)
My Week with Marilyn (DVD)
Snow White and the Huntsman (DVD) - Don't bother. Even Charlize is not particularly good. Good special effects, though.
Jeff Who Lives at Home (DVD)
Ruby Sparks (DVD)
Drive (DVD) - Do not see this movie! Just plain bad. Although John Hurt is actually terrific in a small role. So just watch the end.
We Need to Talk About Kevin (DVD) - Really good. Mind-blowing.
Water For Elephants (DVD) - The book was much better.
Never Let Me Go (2012) DVD - Pretty good, but don't bother - read the book, which is really, really good (and really, really depressing).
Night of the Hunter DVD - Cult classic ??? !!!
In Time (2011) DVD - Interesting concept, but I can't recommend this movie.
Where the Wild Things Are (DVD) - Got this from the library, and it could not be read by my DVD player, desktop or laptop. Just thought I'd complain.
The Green Zone (2010) DVD - Decent action adventure political thriller. So who were the bad guys, really? Based on actual military invasion, ha ha.
In the Valley of Elah (2007) DVD - Good, well-acted. But I still don't believe it, even though it's based on actual events.
Inception (2010) DVD - Sorry, nowhere near as good as prior Nolan films Memento and Following.
Margot at the Wedding (2007) - DVD Fabulous: wonderful, clever, offbeat screenplay and terrific performances. Highly recommended.
A Single Man (2009) - DVD Good, well-acted. Sometimes slow. Cheats a bit.
Shutter Island (2010) DVD Fascinating and really good. After you think about it, some things just don't make sense, but what the hell - a fun ride.
Love and Other Drugs (2010) - DVD Recommended. Anne Hathaway was especially good.
Straw Dogs (1971) - DVD Not as good (or as violent) as I had remembered it.
The Help (2011) - DVD Very good. A bit too neat and sweet at times.
Jack Goes Boating (2010) - DVD Everyone is great in this bizarre yet moving and sophisticated film, with Philip Seymour Hoffman. Two thumbs up.
Cold Souls (2009) - DVD Tries to be Being John Malkovich, not as good, but still very good and well worth watching, especially Paul Giamatti.
The Lovely Bones (2009) - DVD The book was much better. Excellent and creepy performance by Stanley Tucci. Really annoying CGI vistas of the in-between world via Peter Jackson.
The Kids Are All Right (2010) - DVD Really good, especially Annette Bening and Julianne Moore.
Please Give (2010) - DVD Excellent: really funny, also really moving.
Rango (2011) - DVD Visually stunning computer animation, inventive plot, and one of Johnny Depp's best roles.
Bridesmaids (2011) - DVD Good silly fun.
Crazy Heart (2010) - DVD Good songs, good acting (Jeff Bridges), otherwise predictable.
State of Play (2009) - DVD Don't bother.
Step Brothers (2008) - DVD Dumb, immature, and very funny.
City Island (2009) - DVD Quirky, charming.
TV:
Who can keep up? What we're watching regularly: The Walking Dead, Talking Dead, Survivor, Project Runway. Summer shows we watched: Falling Skies (still dumb), Extant (dumb), Halt and Catch Fire (interesting, well acted), Under the Dome (trying to be "Lost" but no way)
Started to watch Olive Kitteridge mini-series on HBO, well acted but even though the story is the same as the book, the feel and characters are very different. Book much better.
Checked out Ascension (SciFi) - awful
Breaking Bad - AMC
Got Netflix specifically so we could watch this series. We don't go out any more - any spare time spent watching this! Finishing the final season this week... [finished - best show ever]
The Walking Dead - AMC
We're officially addicted. Even Barbara. Now we have to wait till Fall for Season 5. &*^(($%$*^$!
Terra Nova - Fox
Ok, watched the first episode, but the alternative was watching people drown again in The Perfect Storm. No need to watch this show again. It made Falling Skies look good.
Survivor: Brains vs Brawn vs Beauty - CBS
This show is still fascinating.
Falling Skies - NBC
Unfortunately, this falls into the "fascinatingly stupid" category. The best portrayal of an alien invasion is in book form: David Gerrold's "War Against the Chtorr" series. Nothing else, in any format, comes close. Fascinatingly smart. [Update: This show was popular and was renewed for summer 2012. But SyFy's "Stargate Universe" was canceled. Go figure.]
Project Runway: All-Stars - Lifetime
Less talk, less drama, better garments. Also checked out 24-Hour Catwalk - awful!
Sand Serpents - SyFy
Not as good as MegaPython vs. Gateroid.
