Sunday, May 08, 2022
Love Actually
- Who's watched: M & G, many times
- Mentions: *1*
-
Commentary: Okay, I don't know whether to be ashamed or not to say that I not only love this movie, I am in love with it. It has the ability to both soothe and encourage me. So, we watch it a lot. I know my mother enjoys it and sticks with it every time. I don't know if she has the same kind of gut reactions to it that I do. Fairly recently, toward the end of the holiday season, I watched this movie on dvd in the evening with Mom then turned right around and watched the entire movie again on cable. My mother did not stay up for the cable viewing.
Again, another post, written on 2/7/2005, that I managed to delete on 5/7/2020, found the hidden original, and have reposted it.
Update 5/8/22: This is a reposting of a previous post dated 2/7/2005 that I managed to recover.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Alan Rickman Harry Emma Thompson Karen Hugh Grant David Martine McCutcheon Natalie Colin Firth Jamie Lúcia Moniz Aurélia Liam Neeson Daniel Thomas Sangster Sam Bill Nighy Billy Mack Gregor Fisher Joe Chiwetel Ejiofor Peter Keira Knightley Juliet Andrew Lincoln Mark Laura Linney Rodrigo Santoro Kris Marshall Colin Abdul Salis Tony Billy Bob Thornton U. S. President Rowan Atkinson Rufus Heike Makatsch Mia Olivia Olson Joanna
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2003
Directed by Richard Curtis.
Labels: alan-rickman, Christmas, colin-firth, comedy2, emma-thompson, laura-linney, me-favorite4, popcorn-and-soda6, romance3
Tuesday, December 07, 2021
Die Hard
- Commentary: Roger Ebert didn't like this movie very much. He only gave it two stars and a middling review. Other reviewers were equally ambivalent. They, at the time and through time, were in the minority, although a rather large minority. Audiences, however, were not ambivalent. It's a crowd pleaser, a perennial favorite and, dare I say, one of my favorite Christmas movies.
Despite Roger Ebert's dismissal of it, it's been re-reviewed and revisited twice since the movie was released: Once in 2013 by Matt Zoller Seitz and again in 2015 by Brain Tallerico when a commemoriative set of the entire series of movies was released.
Truth be told, the only movie in the series I've seen is this one. In fact, until I read one of the articles above, I was only vaguely aware that there was a collection surrounding this character. I can't imagine that I'll be catching up on the sequels, but, this year, for some reason, I wanted this movie to be a part of my Christmas celebration, and the Christmas part of my movie collection.
More later, when I watch it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Bruce Willis John McClane Alan Rickman Hans Gruber Alexander Godunov Karl Bonnie Bedelia Holly Gennero-McClane Reginald VelJohnson Al Powell Paul Gleason Dwayne T. Robinson De'voreaux White Argyle William Atherton Richard Thornburg Tracy Reiner Thornburg's assistant Clarence Gilyard Theo Hart Bochner Harry Ellis James Shigeta Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1988
Directed by John McTiernan, Jr.
Labels: §, action3, alan-rickman, Christmas, dramaE, popcorn-and-soda7, suspense3, thriller2
Friday, February 10, 2006
Sense and Sensibility
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: *1*
- Commentary: We watched this one afternoon on TCM and our interest in it surprised us both. Every performance is a delight. The film of the story is much better than the book, full of character scrutinizing scenes. My mother teared up at the end of the movie; very unusual for her. When I saw a copy of it being sold, I had to have it. We watched it again, the day I bought it. Again, my mother was transported to tears at the end. We'll be watching this again.
It's notable that Roger Ebert reconsidered his initial two-and-a-half star review of this film. The article in which he talks about this is here, but surrounded by many other opinions on many other movies. Thus, I'm going to quote his reconsideration here:
"I didn't give 'Sense and Sensibility' a favorable review when it was first released. I preferred one of the year's other Jane Austen adaptations, 'Persuasion,' a tougher and more thought-provoking film. But as 'S & S' began to emerge as the Oscar front-runner, I went back to see it again. I enjoyed it, yes, and if I had it to do all over again I might be tempted to give it three stars instead of two and a half. (I wouldn't change a word of my newspaper review, however, which expresses both what I liked and didn't like about the film.)
"What 'Sense and Sensibility' has, above all, is the image of a high-minded, literate, respectable Oscar winner. It is from Britain (the Academy loves British films and actors). It is attached to Jane Austen, one of the most beloved trade names in literature. It has no negatives like sex, violence, or naughty words. Hollywood can honor it and feel good about itself: See here, it can say, what wholesome films we make!"
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Emma Thompson Elinor Dashwood Kate Winslet Marianne Dashwood Alan Rickman Colonel Brandon Imogen Stubbs Lucy Steele Hugh Grant Edward Ferrars Greg Wise John Willoughby Gemma Jones Mrs. Dashwood Hugh Laurie Mr. Palmer Imelda Staunton Charlotte Palmer Tom Wilkinson Mr. Dashwood Harriet Walter Fanny Dashwood Elizabeth Spriggs Mrs. Jennings
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1995
Directed by Ang Lee.
Labels: alan-rickman, emma-thompson, imelda-staunton, period4, romance2, shared-favorite, tom-wilkinson
Monday, November 14, 2005
The Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare: Tragedy
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: I used to be a Shakespeare snob. Up until the late 70's when I took a college course in Shakespeare I just didn't get what was interesting or important about Shakespeare's plays despite the fact that I'd studied two of them in high school. The course I took finally opened up the language and the structure for me. The class took place as these BBC produced plays were being broadcast on PBS. They were recommended by the instructor. I bought a television just to see them. I get it, now. Although I have some other favorite productions of some of these plays: Laurence Fishburne's portrayal of Othello, for instance, my favorite version of Hamlet is the production starring Richard Burton and Hume Cronyn, the vocals for which I have on vinyl, and my favorite version of Macbeth is the production by Roman Polanski which I didn't see until the early 1990s, these BBC productions are excellent and do not disappoint. I hope to obtain the entire collection, since I've seen the entire collection.
When I queue up these plays Mom tries her best but I think she's where I was before I took that course and, as well, she has trouble with British accents. It's easy for her to get bored and switch to her tabloids or take a nap.
As for me, I'd love to obtain the entire BBC Television Shakespeare series. It's quite a bit beyond my pocketbook, now, though, so I expect I'll never manage it, which is a shame, because BBC did a masterful job! If you're unsure about your relationship to Shakespeare's works, try checking out a few of these from your library. I think you'll discover, Shakespeare is writing about you, and your world.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this series. It's loaded with information, not only about the series in toto but about each production. If you're interested in these productions, don't ignore this link! - Hamlet
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Derek Jacobi Hamlet Claire Bloom Gertrude Patrick Stewart Claudius Eric Porter Polonius
→ derek-jacobi
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1980
Directed by Rodney Bennett. - Julius Caesar
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Richard Pasco Brutus Charles Gray Julius Caesar Keith Michell Marcus Antonius David Collings Cassius
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1979
Directed by Herbert Wise. - Macbeth
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Nicol Williamson Macbeth Jane Lapotaire Lady Macbeth Tony Doyle Macduff Jill Baker Lady Macduff
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1983
Directed by Jack Gold. - Othello
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Anthony Hopkins Othello Bob Hoskins Iago Penelope Wilton Desdemona David Yelland Cassio
→ anthony-hopkins
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1981
Directed by Jonathan Miller. - Romeo & Juliet
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Patrick Ryecart Romeo Rebecca Saire Juliet Celia Johnson Nurse Alan Rickman Tybalt
→ alan-rickman
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1978
Directed by Alvin Rakoff.
Labels: alan-rickman, anthony-hopkins, buddy, derek-jacobi, dramaA, haunting2, hume-cronyn, me-favorite2, period5, romance3, royals, shakespeare, tragedy2, TV2, violence3








