Have to disagree strongly on PLEASANTVILLE. Sure, it was technically well done, but the ending takes forever and drips with sentimentality. As a wise man once said, sentimentality is what you have when you don't have real feelings. I can see how comedy can lead to sentimentality, as it often does, but it should never be allowed to. For me, a good comedy is utterly ruined by a sentimental ending. Puff, pant, gasp...okay, I've had my rant for today.
Wow! William Gibson and James Hilton on the same list. Can you say 'eclectic'?
How much King have you read? I prefer IT to THE STAND. The latest of his I've read is BAG OF BONES, in which I was very disappointed. However, the second-latest I've read, DESPERATION, is classic King - fully recommended.
Excellent lists! One thing I'd note . . . This list seems to be a subset of your "movies of the nineties" list, but All About My Mother and Out of Sight don't appear on the "nineties" list.
Glad to see Out of Sight included though; great movie!
1989, thanks for the catch. While I haven't seen Olivier's Henry V, I've seen other plays with him, and I've never been particularly impressed. But to be fair, that is probably because I've never seen him live. I imagine he shines onstage, but watching him do Shakespeare on video leaves me cold.
Branagh's liplessness never bothered me before, but now I won't be able to watch his stuff without thinking of it. Thanks alot. :-)
It's not a movie, but I just got reminded of the single most jarring line in the entire five-year run of Babylon 5: "As my great-grandfather would say, COOL!"
It's not just *jarring*, it's wrong, especially in a sci-fi series that actually managed to pull out some great dialogue. Personal favorite: "I'm sorry, Captain. We thought you were dead." "I was... I got better."
"Heart and Soul", T'Pau. Definitely the best song ever performed by a band named after an elderly Vulcan, at least until that guy at Polygram finds out about my new band, Surak and the Saaviks.
Here's what we might call the converse of this list . You'll see in the comments that I almost hit upon your brilliant idea before you did. But "almost" is as good as a mile - to coin a phrase.
Actually this list came about exactly as my comments suggest. What I didn't add was that this was several years ago and the Listology gave me a vehicle to share this foolishness with others. I visited the list you mentioned and made a couple of suggestions.
There were two WWII movies that might make this list, BATTLEGROUND (about the 101st Airbourne division besieged at Bastogne) and STALAG 17. STALAG by the way (and I know this sounds bizarre) would make my list of Christmas favorites
Yes definitely check out the library. I've never bought an audio book, that's where I get all mine. If your system is like mine you can have them get stuff from other libraries too. The St. Pete library system doesn't have that many good audio books but Clearwater does so I have them do intralibrary loans.
I would first like to thank you for your "history"
topic, I find it interesting...I teach history and would like to add some suggestions...
"Glory" -- although at times melodramatic, a fine look at African-American regiments in the Civil War, plus with Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Andre Braugher and impressive turns by Matthew Broderick and Cary Elwes, it's a powerful film
"Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam" -- an HBO film, out on video -- real footage of the war, with a voice-over of actual letters read by various actors and actresses...amazing soundtrack, heartbreaking film
Regarding the Henry V selection, are you referring to the 1944 version starring Olivier or the 1989 film starring Branagh? I thought overall the later version was the best (although I wish Branagh had lips) but I still believe the Crispin's Day speech by Olivier is one of the best Shakespearean soliloquies ever filmed. There is an informative article by Anthony Lewis that compares the two films to actual events published in "The Past Imperfect" edited by Mark C. Carnes.
DAS BOOT would be good as would RUN SILENT, RUN DEEP. But Bertie, you have reminded me of another great naval movie that perspires freely; MISTER ROBERTS. This definately belongs on my list.
I don't want to be a wet blanket, but two points: (1)your numbers 7 and 11 are the same, and (2) the case of Dexy's Midnight Runners raises this question: are a band one hit wonders if they only had one hit in the U.S.? I think you'll find DMR had more than one hit in Britain.
Yes, I was referring to the 99 release. As to Meyers, he was better than anyone except Doyle. The WEST END HORROR was written about the theater and included characterizations of Gilbert, Sullivan, George Bernard Shaw, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde. It is worth a read for this alone, although you will be appalled by Shaw's thoughts on Shakespeare.
BTW, Jim, what did you think of my "lists of classic science fiction" link? It hasn't been posted before, has it? - tell me it ain't so, Jim.
And isn't that "Internet Top 100" list the one you were looking for?
Yes, THE TIME MACHINE is long - practically a novel - but I urge you to give his short stories a try; they include sf, fantasy, horror, humour, and slice-of-life/social criticism. Of course, many of them are a bit dated now, but, for me, that just adds interest.
Thanks for the movie recommendation, but which TOPSY-TURVY do you mean? - the '99 one about Gilbert and Sullivan? - even if you don't mean that one, thanks for letting me find it, it looks great. Regarding the Meyer book, I'm not sure I'd want to read a Holmes story by anyone other than Conan Doyle.
Ah! - now I see the connection. I'll keep an eye out for it. (Hell, I find myself making promises like that A LOT at The Listology. I'm going to have to round them up and really do something about them.) And you haven't said whether you'd visited that other 'detective' list I linked above - click on the words "this list".
Have to disagree strongly on PLEASANTVILLE. Sure, it was technically well done, but the ending takes forever and drips with sentimentality. As a wise man once said, sentimentality is what you have when you don't have real feelings. I can see how comedy can lead to sentimentality, as it often does, but it should never be allowed to. For me, a good comedy is utterly ruined by a sentimental ending. Puff, pant, gasp...okay, I've had my rant for today.
Wow! William Gibson and James Hilton on the same list. Can you say 'eclectic'?
How much King have you read? I prefer IT to THE STAND. The latest of his I've read is BAG OF BONES, in which I was very disappointed. However, the second-latest I've read, DESPERATION, is classic King - fully recommended.
Did you know there are two versions of THE CITY AND THE STARS? - the other version is titled AGAINST THE FALL OF NIGHT.
I would include CHILDHOOD'S END and A FALL OF MOONDUST on this list. And what about short stories? - any favourites?
What stories did you like in The Greatest Science Fiction Stories of the 20th Century? - and who edited it, btw?
Excellent lists! One thing I'd note . . . This list seems to be a subset of your "movies of the nineties" list, but All About My Mother and Out of Sight don't appear on the "nineties" list.
Glad to see Out of Sight included though; great movie!
1989, thanks for the catch. While I haven't seen Olivier's Henry V, I've seen other plays with him, and I've never been particularly impressed. But to be fair, that is probably because I've never seen him live. I imagine he shines onstage, but watching him do Shakespeare on video leaves me cold.
Branagh's liplessness never bothered me before, but now I won't be able to watch his stuff without thinking of it. Thanks alot. :-)
It's not a movie, but I just got reminded of the single most jarring line in the entire five-year run of Babylon 5: "As my great-grandfather would say, COOL!"
It's not just *jarring*, it's wrong, especially in a sci-fi series that actually managed to pull out some great dialogue. Personal favorite: "I'm sorry, Captain. We thought you were dead." "I was... I got better."
"Heart and Soul", T'Pau. Definitely the best song ever performed by a band named after an elderly Vulcan, at least until that guy at Polygram finds out about my new band, Surak and the Saaviks.
Here's what we might call the converse of this list . You'll see in the comments that I almost hit upon your brilliant idea before you did. But "almost" is as good as a mile - to coin a phrase.
Actually this list came about exactly as my comments suggest. What I didn't add was that this was several years ago and the Listology gave me a vehicle to share this foolishness with others. I visited the list you mentioned and made a couple of suggestions.
There were two WWII movies that might make this list, BATTLEGROUND (about the 101st Airbourne division besieged at Bastogne) and STALAG 17. STALAG by the way (and I know this sounds bizarre) would make my list of Christmas favorites
Yes definitely check out the library. I've never bought an audio book, that's where I get all mine. If your system is like mine you can have them get stuff from other libraries too. The St. Pete library system doesn't have that many good audio books but Clearwater does so I have them do intralibrary loans.
I would first like to thank you for your "history"
topic, I find it interesting...I teach history and would like to add some suggestions...
"Glory" -- although at times melodramatic, a fine look at African-American regiments in the Civil War, plus with Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Andre Braugher and impressive turns by Matthew Broderick and Cary Elwes, it's a powerful film
"Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam" -- an HBO film, out on video -- real footage of the war, with a voice-over of actual letters read by various actors and actresses...amazing soundtrack, heartbreaking film
That's all for now... :):):)
Regarding the Henry V selection, are you referring to the 1944 version starring Olivier or the 1989 film starring Branagh? I thought overall the later version was the best (although I wish Branagh had lips) but I still believe the Crispin's Day speech by Olivier is one of the best Shakespearean soliloquies ever filmed. There is an informative article by Anthony Lewis that compares the two films to actual events published in "The Past Imperfect" edited by Mark C. Carnes.
DAS BOOT would be good as would RUN SILENT, RUN DEEP. But Bertie, you have reminded me of another great naval movie that perspires freely; MISTER ROBERTS. This definately belongs on my list.
LOL (= I'm laughing out loud)! You HAVE TO include at least one submarine movie on this list. Let's see...undersea...DAS BOOT?
I don't want to be a wet blanket, but two points: (1)your numbers 7 and 11 are the same, and (2) the case of Dexy's Midnight Runners raises this question: are a band one hit wonders if they only had one hit in the U.S.? I think you'll find DMR had more than one hit in Britain.
Tell the truth . . . You're just trying to get me to (finally) see The City of Lost Children, aren't you? :-)
Nope, looks like a completely original post to me! I enjoyed it quite a bit. And yes, that link does go to the pages that Clark lost. Thanks!
My favorite newcomer is Dennis Lehane. You should also try some of Robert Parker's early stuff like THE JUDAS GOAT or MORTAL STAKES.
Yes, I was referring to the 99 release. As to Meyers, he was better than anyone except Doyle. The WEST END HORROR was written about the theater and included characterizations of Gilbert, Sullivan, George Bernard Shaw, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde. It is worth a read for this alone, although you will be appalled by Shaw's thoughts on Shakespeare.
Yes I checked out the list. See my comments.
BTW, Jim, what did you think of my "lists of classic science fiction" link? It hasn't been posted before, has it? - tell me it ain't so, Jim.
And isn't that "Internet Top 100" list the one you were looking for?
Yes, THE TIME MACHINE is long - practically a novel - but I urge you to give his short stories a try; they include sf, fantasy, horror, humour, and slice-of-life/social criticism. Of course, many of them are a bit dated now, but, for me, that just adds interest.
Thanks for the movie recommendation, but which TOPSY-TURVY do you mean? - the '99 one about Gilbert and Sullivan? - even if you don't mean that one, thanks for letting me find it, it looks great. Regarding the Meyer book, I'm not sure I'd want to read a Holmes story by anyone other than Conan Doyle.
By the way, have you seen this list?
Ah! - now I see the connection. I'll keep an eye out for it. (Hell, I find myself making promises like that A LOT at The Listology. I'm going to have to round them up and really do something about them.) And you haven't said whether you'd visited that other 'detective' list I linked above - click on the words "this list".