Susano Posted December 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Just finished' date=' on the second of two nights, the Civil War epic [i']Gettysburg[/i]. The first thing you have to know about the movie is that it is long -- about four and a half or even five hours total. It was originally planned as a miniseries for cable and released in theaters as an afterthought. That said, it's a really good movie. Its central conceit is that it deals with the stories of two men on opposite sides of the battle: Confederate general James "Pete" Longstreet and Union colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a former college professor who commands the 20th Maine Infantry regiment. Each has major challenges to face: Chamberlain must somehow deal with a group of mutineers from another Maine regiment, while Longstreet has all the problems of commanding a corps -- including the fact that the commanding general of the army, Robert E. Lee, is not really listening to his well-founded advice. Eventually Chamberlain must hold the very edge of the Union line at a hill called Little Round Top with an under-strength regiment and no help coming, while Longstreet must command the doomed attack known to history as Pickett's Charge. Why does one man succeed and the other fail? That is the central question asked by this movie. Given the length of the film, there are many subplots, from the intellectual limits of Pickett (graduated dead last in his class at West Point), played for comic effect, to the story of Armistead and Hancock, officers who were best of friends before the war who find themselves with the agonizing prospect of facing each other in battle. then there's Buford, the Union cavalry officer whose delaying action on the first day saves the Union army. There's some very good work from Sam Elliot in the role. It's also an excellent and fairly direct adaption of the novel The Killer Angels. That said, it does have a few historical inaccuracies, mostly dealing with when Chamberlin took command of the mutineers (it wasn't a day before Gettysburg... I recall it was several weeks), and that the 20th Maine wasn't brought down to the center of the Union line just in time for Pickett's Charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahuna's bro Posted December 17, 2010 Report Share Posted December 17, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? justice league comfort and joy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted December 17, 2010 Report Share Posted December 17, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? justice league comfort and joy Always a great one, especially when we see how Hawkgirl celebrates the holidays (and ropes GL in for the ride). And the Flash/Ultra-Humanite subplot is great. "I liked it better when he [a robot toy] made farting noises." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escafarc Posted December 17, 2010 Report Share Posted December 17, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Big Bang Theory guest staring the JLA:D and no I didn't mean to post this in the Cross-genre nightmares. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireTiger Posted December 18, 2010 Report Share Posted December 18, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Doctor Who - 101 - The Androids of Tara (1978) Doctor Who - 102 - The Power of Kroll (1978-1979) The "Key to Time" storyline continues. The Sarah Jane Adventures - 001 - Invasion of the Bane (2007 New Year's Day special) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted December 18, 2010 Report Share Posted December 18, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Big Bang Theory guest staring the JLA:D and no I didn't mean to post this in the Cross-genre nightmares. penny :nice: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted December 19, 2010 Report Share Posted December 19, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Santa Claus (1959) A Mexican movie about how Santa Claus does his job, how the devil tries to make children not just bad, but downright evil, and how Merlin the Magician helps save Christmas and thwart the Devil. Entertainingly Bizarre, in a Santa Clause Conquers the Martians sort of way. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated) It just doesn't seem like Christmas until I've seen this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escafarc Posted December 19, 2010 Report Share Posted December 19, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Speaking of Santa Clause Conquers the Martians I just watched that this morning:D And Santa Clause is on YouTube so I'll have check that out later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahuna's bro Posted December 19, 2010 Report Share Posted December 19, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? avengers emh widows bite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. MID-Nite Posted December 20, 2010 Report Share Posted December 20, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Ok...just suffered through Twillight: Eclipse. I don't get the appeal of these films....at all. The only way this would have been interesting is if Edward and Jake shook hands...announced "Bros Before Hos" and tore apart the wishy washy manipulative Bella before the end credits. At least THAT would have made sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted December 20, 2010 Report Share Posted December 20, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Santa Claus (1959) A Mexican movie about how Santa Claus does his job, how the devil tries to make children not just bad, but downright evil, and how Merlin the Magician helps save Christmas and thwart the Devil. Entertainingly Bizarre, in a Santa Clause Conquers the Martians sort of way. Didn't they show that film on MST3K once? Ok...just suffered through Twillight: Eclipse. I don't get the appeal of these films....at all. The only way this would have been interesting is if Edward and Jake shook hands...announced "Bros Before Hos" and tore apart the wishy washy manipulative Bella before the end credits. At least THAT would have made sense. Well, I like their werewolves (in wolf form); they look like wonderfully nasty big badass wolves. But the rest of it? Ugh, where's Blade and Van Helsing when you need them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahuna's bro Posted December 20, 2010 Report Share Posted December 20, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? justice league the savage time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted December 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Ok...just suffered through Twillight: Eclipse. I don't get the appeal of these films....at all. The only way this would have been interesting is if Edward and Jake shook hands...announced "Bros Before Hos" and tore apart the wishy washy manipulative Bella before the end credits. At least THAT would have made sense. My sister (who's 30) asked for this for Christmas, so i got it for her. I feel dumber for buying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escafarc Posted December 20, 2010 Report Share Posted December 20, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? My sister (who's 30) asked for this for Christmas' date=' so i got it for her. I feel dumber for buying it.[/quote'] When I read this I had just looked at the post with the Cthulhu sex toys not a good segue at all:nonp: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted December 20, 2010 Report Share Posted December 20, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? When I read this I had just looked at the post with the Cthulhu sex toys not a good segue at all:nonp: Maybe we should start a thread for the "most disgusting Christas gifts"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireTiger Posted December 20, 2010 Report Share Posted December 20, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Doctor Who - 103 - The Armageddon Factor (1979) -- six chapter conclusion of the "Key to Time" storyline. Doctor Who - 104 - Destiny of the Daleks (1979) -- A change of actresses playing Romana, which has the interesting result of Romana going through at least five regenerations while finding a new body to wear. Doctor (to Romana in Princess Astra's form): "What are you doing in that body?" Romana: "Regenerating. Do you like it?" Doctor: "But you can't wear that body." Romana: "I thought it looked very nice on the Princess." The Sarah Jane Adventures - 002 - Revenge of the Slitheen (2007) Part One Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) Bueller... Bueller... Edition The Batman S01E01 The Bat in the Belfry (2004) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escafarc Posted December 21, 2010 Report Share Posted December 21, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? The episode Adam-12 with a 8 year old Jodie Foster. Damn, she was a creepy kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahuna's bro Posted December 21, 2010 Report Share Posted December 21, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Warrior 1 mma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted December 21, 2010 Report Share Posted December 21, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? I watched a few episodes of Dr. Who I hadn't seen before. Because of my mental disorders I am unreasonably reluctant to start watching an episode but I'm glad I did when it gets to the end. The only thing I don't like is when there's a multi-parter my Dish Network listings don't make it perfectly clear whether that "Part II" episode showing several hours after another Part one (and several intervening other episodes) is actually part 2 to that episode. Often they (multi-part episodes) don't have the same title, so "Part II of two" isn't that helpful. I watched Jay Leno last night as well. I love the Headlines segment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireTiger Posted December 22, 2010 Report Share Posted December 22, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? I watched a few episodes of Dr. Who I hadn't seen before. Because of my mental disorders I am unreasonably reluctant to start watching an episode but I'm glad I did when it gets to the end. The only thing I don't like is when there's a multi-parter my Dish Network listings don't make it perfectly clear whether that "Part II" episode showing several hours after another Part one (and several intervening other episodes) is actually part 2 to that episode. Often they (multi-part episodes) don't have the same title, so "Part II of two" isn't that helpful. I watched Jay Leno last night as well. I love the Headlines segment. Until the new series began in 2005, the last Doctor Who story to have individual names for each chapter was #025 The Gunfighters (1966). One place that shows which stories take place in more than a single episode is this Wikipedia page: List of Doctor Who Serials The current list that I'm working through has reached Season 17, Episode 12: Doctor Who - 104 - Destiny of the Daleks (1979) Doctor Who - 105 - City of Death (1979) -- Written in part by Douglas Adams, ideas and elements from here appeared later in the first Dirk Gently novel, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987). John Cleese has an appearance in Chapter 4. The Madagascar Penguins in: A Christmas Caper (2005) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahuna's bro Posted December 22, 2010 Report Share Posted December 22, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? hpok and shoot revalations is it just me ordoes the term hook and should sound more like basketball than martial arts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireTiger Posted December 24, 2010 Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Doctor Who - 107 - Nightmare of Eden (1979) Doctor Who - 108 - The Horns of Nimon (1979-1980) -- And the series reaches the year that Sarah Jane was living in when she first joined the Doctor in his travels. Season 03 of American Dad! The Sarah Jane Adventures - 002 - Revenge of the Slitheen (2007) Part Two Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted December 24, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? I watched the Patrick Stewart A Christmas Carol today. Patrick Stewart was excellent as Scrooge. The sets and music were good, as were the transitions into new scenes (for the most part.) I also like the fact they included a lot more from the original novel. However... I felt the Ghost of Christmas future was an utter fail SFX wise. It lacked the menace of the George C Scott version, which, I'll have to say, is my favorite version of the novel. Just came back from True Grit. Excellent Western. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted December 24, 2010 Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Saw Up In The Air last night, and several episodes of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, a series I've missed out on. Ver'¨funny, ver' zany, ver' madcap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahuna's bro Posted December 24, 2010 Report Share Posted December 24, 2010 Re: What Have You Watched Recently? music choice sounds of the season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.