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Jan 7, 2016 10:12:15 GMT -5
Post by stardustpilgrim on Jan 7, 2016 10:12:15 GMT -5
I saw Room yesterday. It's about a young woman, 24, who was kidnapped at 17 and held captive in a 10'x10' Room. When the film starts her son, Jack, who also lives in the Room, is about to have his fifth birthday. The only real world Jack has ever known is Room. It has a skylight, the only hint of the outside world, except "Old Nick", the captor, who visits regularly, visits Ma. Jack is kept in a small closet when Old Nick visits, and has virtually never even seen Jack. They have a TV that has bad reception, and books, Alice in Wonderland, and The Count Of Monte Cristo, others. Sunday is special day, where gifts might come, from requests, mostly from need.
Jack understands really only Room. He has absolutely no conception how big the outside world is. He understands some characters (books, TV) are imaginary. He understands the people on TV are 'flat', and Ma tries to explain that some are completely imaginary and some are real people acting imaginary parts.
It reminds me somewhat of the Academy Award winner for best (foreign) picture, Life Is Beautiful (parents and small son in Nazi concentration camp in WWII).
In many ways it's a difficult film to watch (but there isn't any violence shown between Ma and "Old Nick", the "horror" comes from another sense, and is mostly psychological), but for me the things explored made it an exceptionally interesting film. It has been on my list to see for months, second only to Star Wars.
Many are saying Brie Larson who plays Ma will win the Academy award for best actress. The boy who played Jack was eight at the time, and did a superb job. If you've seen anything about the film, the following isn't really a spoiler. The first half of the film takes place in Room, the second half, outside Room.
I think this qualifies as one of 'our' existential films.
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Jan 7, 2016 10:32:41 GMT -5
Post by stardustpilgrim on Jan 7, 2016 10:32:41 GMT -5
Sometimes it depends upon chance, sometimes it depends upon who you are up against. I remember in 1981 (probably '82 for the awards) Burt Lancaster in Atlantic City was up against Henry Fonda in On Golden Pond. Burt Lancaster should have won, he was very good, exceptional, I think he played an old gangster (?), but of course Henry Fonda was the sentimental favorite, and won, his first Oscar. (I learned later that Burt Lancaster had won years previously). So Leonardo will have that going for him this year, not having won yet. Hi SDP, sorry -- read only after my post what you said about di caprio in Aviator--wasnt meant to be rude to you--guess we differ here in appreciation Oh, no problem. I have always been interested in Howard Hughes (but have never read a biography). I thought Leonardo did an exceptional job, especially showing a man who knew he was very strange, and knew when to hide it. He was a 'mad' rich guy who it seems could pull himself out of the appearance of madness, when necessary (he absolutely killed at the Senate hearings, where days previously he was sitting among quart jars of his own urine) and was obviously brilliant. He designed, built and flew the biggest plane ever built, The Spruce Goose (it flew only that one time, but still exists as a tourist attraction). He turned his Dad's fortune into an even bigger fortune, he beat many rich guys at their own game. He was also a film producer. What's not to like? (No....seriously...he was a very weird guy. He became a total recluse, and so, it is for this reason it is still not clear what brought upon his death). Did he manipulate and use women? Let's say he found women who traded for perks by allowing to be manipulated. But it seems, from the film, that he loved Katherine Hepburn and she him...........but for the madness....... |
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Jan 7, 2016 10:46:17 GMT -5
Post by stardustpilgrim on Jan 7, 2016 10:46:17 GMT -5
I got 20 minutes into the Revenant and walked away, I can tell it's a really good movie, and one I would recommend, but only if you have the stomach for it. I'm a little bit fragile when it comes to violence in movies, and the violence is pretty strong, though non-gratuitous....in the way that 'Saving Private Ryan' is non-gratuitous. Funny little thing....after watching the bear scene, I felt slightly ill at ease with the bear family, and wanted to resolve it. So I went to a website, which is basically an 'animal spirit guide totem' website. You sit at the screen and look at the forest and then move the mouse to where you feel guided. When you click the button, your animal appears, and there is a vast range of animals, complete with description. It's a fun thing to do, and kind of heart warming. So, in this instance, guess which animal came up when I clicked the button! Force Awakens was good, much like I expected. Am going to watch MERU. Anything else I've watched lately....hmmm...'A Walk in the Woods' with Robert Redford and Nick Nolte was a very gentle, pleasant movie, based on Bill Bryson's book. 'Paper Town' I also enjoyed, it's a good high school type movie. What is the animal spirit website address Andrew? I googled but couldn't come across one like you described.. ..I don't watch violent movies, either.. I keep saying I must see Shining, because it's a classic I heard... but...  I don't watch horror films, virtually, period, well...very few. I stumbled upon A Cabin in the Woods, on cable, couldn't stop watching it. I thought it quite good. Very interesting story line. (I actually think I did see The Shining...not 100% sure? If it came out between 1980 and 1982, probably did see it, I was dating a girl who loved Stephen King. Otherwise, probably not. I remember some scenes, but the remembering may just be from documentaries and what-not). |
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Jan 7, 2016 10:59:42 GMT -5
Post by silver on Jan 7, 2016 10:59:42 GMT -5
I'll have to check out Cabin in the Woods. I read The Shining when it first came out and I'm glad i did. The movie was great, as well. Naturally, they vary a bit, but it's always best the first time but I've watched it a few times over the years. While I don't typically go for horror, Stephen King has always been the exception plus I've become semi-apathetic to movie violence over the years, ha ha.
I hope Di Caprio wins - he's done a lot of really interesting movies...I just watched Shutter Island two days ago.
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Movies
Jan 7, 2016 20:54:46 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2016 20:54:46 GMT -5
I got 20 minutes into the Revenant and walked away, I can tell it's a really good movie, and one I would recommend, but only if you have the stomach for it. I'm a little bit fragile when it comes to violence in movies, and the violence is pretty strong, though non-gratuitous....in the way that 'Saving Private Ryan' is non-gratuitous. Funny little thing....after watching the bear scene, I felt slightly ill at ease with the bear family, and wanted to resolve it. So I went to a website, which is basically an 'animal spirit guide totem' website. You sit at the screen and look at the forest and then move the mouse to where you feel guided. When you click the button, your animal appears, and there is a vast range of animals, complete with description. It's a fun thing to do, and kind of heart warming. So, in this instance, guess which animal came up when I clicked the button! Force Awakens was good, much like I expected. Am going to watch MERU. Anything else I've watched lately....hmmm...'A Walk in the Woods' with Robert Redford and Nick Nolte was a very gentle, pleasant movie, based on Bill Bryson's book. 'Paper Town' I also enjoyed, it's a good high school type movie. What is the animal spirit website address Andrew? I googled but couldn't come across one like you described.. ..I don't watch violent movies, either.. I keep saying I must see Shining, because it's a classic I heard... but... watch The Shining, ya' big scaredy cat, it's very good... as are all Kubrick films and if you want to learn a little bit about a lot of things... Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything is an interesting book |
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Jan 7, 2016 21:53:48 GMT -5
Post by Theodore on Jan 7, 2016 21:53:48 GMT -5
I'll be posting here my experiences with tv series, if that's alright with you. It's my favorite moving picture medium, and my most extensively traversed one. So, what shook me a while ago is a two-season series called The Leftovers. It's a harrowing, visually stunning show about the world after 2% of the population suddenly and mysteriously disappears into thin air (some might say good ol' Consciousneeeess  ), ensuing existential angst despair, psychological chaos, and otherwise. Add to that a visually striking, musically terrifying and altogether haunting first season title sequence, a lovable, attachment-friendly skillful cast, and everything else (incuding Lindelof's strokes of genius) and you get 20 hours that stay in your heart. And your mind. And your gut. Unless you are an established Zen Master. Then you won't give a fack. |
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Jan 8, 2016 3:13:53 GMT -5
Post by andrew on Jan 8, 2016 3:13:53 GMT -5
I got 20 minutes into the Revenant and walked away, I can tell it's a really good movie, and one I would recommend, but only if you have the stomach for it. I'm a little bit fragile when it comes to violence in movies, and the violence is pretty strong, though non-gratuitous....in the way that 'Saving Private Ryan' is non-gratuitous. Funny little thing....after watching the bear scene, I felt slightly ill at ease with the bear family, and wanted to resolve it. So I went to a website, which is basically an 'animal spirit guide totem' website. You sit at the screen and look at the forest and then move the mouse to where you feel guided. When you click the button, your animal appears, and there is a vast range of animals, complete with description. It's a fun thing to do, and kind of heart warming. So, in this instance, guess which animal came up when I clicked the button! Force Awakens was good, much like I expected. Am going to watch MERU. Anything else I've watched lately....hmmm...'A Walk in the Woods' with Robert Redford and Nick Nolte was a very gentle, pleasant movie, based on Bill Bryson's book. 'Paper Town' I also enjoyed, it's a good high school type movie. What is the animal spirit website address Andrew? I googled but couldn't come across one like you described.. ..I don't watch violent movies, either.. I keep saying I must see Shining, because it's a classic I heard... but... Stephen King was my favourite author in my teenage years, he tells one hell of a story. Scared the cr@p out of me every time Have fun with the animals! |
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Jan 8, 2016 12:34:18 GMT -5
Post by zin on Jan 8, 2016 12:34:18 GMT -5
I saw Room yesterday. It's about a young woman, 24, who was kidnapped at 17 and held captive in a 10'x10' Room. When the film starts her son, Jack, who also lives in the Room, is about to have his fifth birthday. The only real world Jack has ever known is Room. It has a skylight, the only hint of the outside world, except "Old Nick", the captor, who visits regularly, visits Ma. Jack is kept in a small closet when Old Nick visits, and has virtually never even seen Jack. They have a TV that has bad reception, and books, Alice in Wonderland, and The Count Of Monte Cristo, others. Sunday is special day, where gifts might come, from requests, mostly from need. Jack understands really only Room. He has absolutely no conception how big the outside world is. He understands some characters (books, TV) are imaginary. He understands the people on TV are 'flat', and Ma tries to explain that some are completely imaginary and some are real people acting imaginary parts. It reminds me somewhat of the Academy Award winner for best (foreign) picture, Life Is Beautiful (parents and small son in Nazi concentration camp in WWII). In many ways it's a difficult film to watch (but there isn't any violence shown between Ma and "Old Nick", the "horror" comes from another sense, and is mostly psychological), but for me the things explored made it an exceptionally interesting film. It has been on my list to see for months, second only to Star Wars. Many are saying Brie Larson who plays Ma will win the Academy award for best actress. The boy who played Jack was eight at the time, and did a superb job. If you've seen anything about the film, the following isn't really a spoiler. The first half of the film takes place in Room, the second half, outside Room. I think this qualifies as one of 'our' existential films. Did the child live any difficulty in getting used to outside world? Most probably I won't watch this film so I read some comments.. It looks like he didn't, but I wondered whether the 'exceptionally interesting' things include that kind of thing, too? Like, he is too innocent, etc... |
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Jan 8, 2016 12:50:43 GMT -5
Post by zin on Jan 8, 2016 12:50:43 GMT -5
What is the animal spirit website address Andrew? I googled but couldn't come across one like you described.. ..I don't watch violent movies, either.. I keep saying I must see Shining, because it's a classic I heard... but... watch The Shining, ya' big scaredy cat, it's very good... as are all Kubrick films and if you want to learn a little bit about a lot of things... Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything is an interesting book I watched it today! Just didn't look at corpse scenes! Otherwise it was very good, very funny! I liked the cook's and the boy's talk on their secret talent a lot. (This is the thing I like most in S. King books: special kids..) And, looked some at A Short History... (online book). That has a nice language, too. I may read bit by bit (thanks for telling)... I'll take here the first saying in it: ---The physicist Leo Szilard once announced to his friend Hans Bethe that he was thinking of keeping a diary: "I don't intend to publish. I am merely going to record the facts for the information of God." "Don't you think God knows the facts?" Bethe asked. "Yes," said Szilard. "He knows the facts, but He does not know this version of the facts." Hans Christian von Baeyer, Taming the Atom |
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Jan 8, 2016 13:02:37 GMT -5
Post by zin on Jan 8, 2016 13:02:37 GMT -5
What is the animal spirit website address Andrew? I googled but couldn't come across one like you described.. ..I don't watch violent movies, either.. I keep saying I must see Shining, because it's a classic I heard... but... Stephen King was my favourite author in my teenage years, he tells one hell of a story. Scared the cr@p out of me every time Have fun with the animals! I read about many animals, thanks for the link : ) Btw it first came buffalo... I was hoping for unicorn or something like that.. after some clicks I said "now this one is the real animal".. It again came buffalo..  |
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Jan 8, 2016 13:18:35 GMT -5
Post by quinn on Jan 8, 2016 13:18:35 GMT -5
I read about many animals, thanks for the link : ) Btw it first came buffalo... I was hoping for unicorn or something like that.. after some clicks I said "now this one is the real animal".. It again came buffalo.. I got camel. "Self-sufficient survivor with a deep well of creativity and strength." Hummm... Funny coincidence - at a flea market years ago I fell for a 2' tall camel made of leather. Maybe I'll move him into my office to see if the second part of that quote rubs off on me.  (First part's pretty dead-on.) |
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Post by maxdprophet on Jan 8, 2016 13:26:50 GMT -5
I read about many animals, thanks for the link : ) Btw it first came buffalo... I was hoping for unicorn or something like that.. after some clicks I said "now this one is the real animal".. It again came buffalo.. I got camel. "Self-sufficient survivor with a deep well of creativity and strength." Hummm... Funny coincidence - at a flea market years ago I fell for a 2' tall camel made of leather. Maybe I'll move him into my office to see if the second part of that quote rubs off on me. (First part's pretty dead-on.) I got seagull  The seagull knows that freedom is a state of mind and of the heart and can beat the crap out of anyone who thinks otherwise. |
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Jan 8, 2016 13:27:01 GMT -5
Post by zin on Jan 8, 2016 13:27:01 GMT -5
I read about many animals, thanks for the link : ) Btw it first came buffalo... I was hoping for unicorn or something like that.. after some clicks I said "now this one is the real animal".. It again came buffalo.. I got camel. "Self-sufficient survivor with a deep well of creativity and strength." Hummm... Funny coincidence - at a flea market years ago I fell for a 2' tall camel made of leather. Maybe I'll move him into my office to see if the second part of that quote rubs off on me. (First part's pretty dead-on.) I think it's a good idea to move him into your office.. because from your description it must be a lovely thing at least.  For the buffalo it says things like "winter will pass and the green grass will again push through" Don't know what to make of it.. but it's not bad of course... |
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Jan 8, 2016 13:32:35 GMT -5
Post by zin on Jan 8, 2016 13:32:35 GMT -5
I got camel. "Self-sufficient survivor with a deep well of creativity and strength." Hummm... Funny coincidence - at a flea market years ago I fell for a 2' tall camel made of leather. Maybe I'll move him into my office to see if the second part of that quote rubs off on me. (First part's pretty dead-on.) I got seagull The seagull knows that freedom is a state of mind and of the heart and can beat the crap out of anyone who thinks otherwise. Hey there's no "can beat the crap" part there!  I just clicked and seagull came! "Soar in joy. Soar in freedom. Feel your power." Nice! |
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Jan 8, 2016 13:34:07 GMT -5
Post by quinn on Jan 8, 2016 13:34:07 GMT -5
I got camel. "Self-sufficient survivor with a deep well of creativity and strength." Hummm... Funny coincidence - at a flea market years ago I fell for a 2' tall camel made of leather. Maybe I'll move him into my office to see if the second part of that quote rubs off on me. (First part's pretty dead-on.) I got seagull The seagull knows that freedom is a state of mind and of the heart and can beat the crap out of anyone who thinks otherwise. Haha! What the hell does that mean? (I suspect you paraphrased...) |
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), ensuing existential 
(First part's pretty dead-on.)
I just clicked and seagull came! "Soar in joy. Soar in freedom. Feel your power." Nice!