by Gregor 44 Replies latest social entertainment
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks John Wayne is totally overated. He's the same character in every movie.
Wayne once chided Kirk Douglas for playing Van Gogh; Douglas reminded him that an actor's job is to act, and not play himself. Wayne couldn't fathom that.
We saw True Grit yesterday and we really liked it. Highly recommended.
This is the first Coen Brothers movie that isn't odd. It's a straight western, no gimmicks.
'Winter's Bone' is a very good movie (DVD). The actress is Acadmy nominated. Very grity, it's not a western but it feels like one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE_X2pDRXyY
A Melissa Leo movie from a few years back 'Frozen River' is also very good (DVD): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5pPQdLN4mg
Rented 'Nowwhere Boy' last night (DVD). The young John Lennon pre Beatles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfU70TFWM3Y
I saw it a few weeks ago. I was told that Jeff Bridges was not trying to "be" John Wayne. I was relieved to hear that b/c John Wayne is a hard act to follow and any attempt to just play him would have failed. The movie build up said he plays the character according to the book. The character is not as "nice" as John Wayne, or loveable. The movie changes a number of things, first not letting the Texan ( Damon) die on the horse while pulling Matty and Wayne out of the snake pit. I like Damon better than Campbell. I recall when Campbell first did the movie he got a lot of mixed reviews,eg his acting was not all that great.
Matty was done nicely. I like what they did. I did not really like how they ended the movie. They changed it and I liked the original better.
All in all, Very good remake. It had more Grit in it than the first version. I was glad they were not trying to compete with Wayne, b/c he really does own that character.
I loved 3:10 to Yuma, continuity warts and all. Fantastic movie. Great ending.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdnasj3oaCY
BTS
You ever read the Bible Dan?
I read it one time
I was eight years old
My daddy just got his self killed over a shot of whisky
and my mama said:
"we're going back to start over East"
So, she gave me a Bible
Sat me down in the train station
told me to read it.
She gonna get our tickets.
Well, I did what she said
I read that Bible from cover to cover
It took me three days
...
She never came back...
'Winter's Bone' is a very good movie (DVD). The actress is Acadmy nominated.
Rented that a couple of weeks ago. Very good film. John Hawkes of Deadwood fame is also nominated for it.
Don't forget "Appaloosa" - another great film with gritty realism.
Enjoyed "Winter's Bone" a lot. Not only John Hawkes but also Garret Dillehunt are alumni of the great Deadwood series
I didn't want to start a new thread for this, but I thought the final song in the film, over the closing credits, was wonderful. It's an old hymn.
Iris Dement -- 'Leaning on the Everlasting Arms'
