Thursday Thirteen #45

Here's another look at some of the DVDs we have.  No theme other than that -- I've mixed moves and TV.  This is the sort of thing we watch in our house. 

  A Random Selection of 13 DVDs

“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”   Very successful when it was released, this film deserved to be.  Nia Vardalos wrote this based on her one-woman stage show, and stars as the main character, a Greek-American woman who is part of a loving but oppressive family, who falls in love with a man from outside her own culture.  Lots of laughs, and very good performances all round.  You’ll enjoy it!   IMDB link

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“The Contender”  A movie not without a certain relevance today.  The Vice-President of the USA is dead, and the President (Jeff Bridges) is looking for someone to appoint, subject to confirmation, to serve for the reminder of the unexpired term.  He wants  Joan Allen, from the left wing of the Democratic party, but elements of the right, led by Gary Oldman, have other ideas, and their dirty tricks department is out to scupper Allen’s appointment with evidence of her rather racy, to put it mildly, life as a student.  But is the evidence true or faked?  This is a very good film and I don’t know why it isn’t more widely known.  Gary Oldman, playing a middle aged, balding American with a pitch perfect accent, is especially good.  It’s rather a shock to see him in the Special features section, talking as himself in own English voice.   IMDB link

.

.

.

“Beverly Hills Cop”   There were two or three sequels to this film, but the original was by far the best.  Eddie Murphy as a hard bitten cop from Detroit goes to LA to investigate the murder of a friend of his.  I suppose there was a time when the scenario of the cop being warned by his chief to drop a case, so he investigates it, against orders, on his own time was original.  Anyway, that’s how our Eddie ends up in Beverly Hills, treading on the toes of the local police, before getting them to co-operate with him and then bending all the rules, but in a very cheeky chappie manner, so that makes it all okay.  Stephen Berkoff is the bad guy, since this was made during the period when all villains had to be played by British actors, as Hollywood leading men were afraid to play villains in case it damaged their image (apparently some moviegoers can’t tell movies from real life).  This film was very successful, justifiably so.   IMDB link

.

.

“It”   I hate it when movie titles incorporate the writer’s name in the possessive case, and I refuse to describe them that way.    IT was Stephen King’s major work of the late 1980s, with some scary moments, which was turned into a miniseries for TV based on it.  If you are scared of clowns, this won’t be much help in getting over it!  Set in small town Maine (big surprise) this story is in two time streams, following a group of children as they encounter a monster and the same people as adults years later when they have to meet and overcome it. Good performances all round and Tim Curry as Pennywise the clown is especially good.   IMDB link

.

.

.

.

“One Foot In The Grave”   There was talk of doing an American version of this sitcom, starring Bill Cosby,  but they would have had to water it down so much that it would have lost the essence of the whole thing.  I suspect that the project was abandoned.  Some people think this was the best British sitcom ever.  I might be tempted to agree.  Richard Wilson and Annette Crosbie play Victor Meldrew, a cantankerous old man forced to retire before he was ready, and his long suffering wife Margaret.  Life seems to conspire against Victor Meldrew.  Things happen  to him through no fault of his own, and circumstances, misunderstandings and plain coincidences dog his every waking moment, it seems.  The show veers from funny to dramatic and back again, sometimes dizzyingly quickly.  Not a single word of David Renwick’s writing is padding, and not an action is wasted.  This is a master class of the genre.   IMDB link

.

.

“30 Rock”  Tina Fey is my new crush!  She is the creator and star of this brilliant sitcom about the writers and stars of a bad TV comedy.  NBC must have a sense of humour, as it takes frequent pot-shots at the corporation, and Alec Baldwyn is brilliant as a network executive.  Like a lot of the better comedies these days, it  doesn’t have a studio audience or (praise be!) a laugh track.  Season two has not yet been show in its entirety because it was interrupted by the writers’ strike (It's over!).  I wish the writers well, but I want my show back!   IMDB link

.

.

.

.

.

“Topsy-Turvy”  I first saw this on a plane and wasn’t that thrilled by it, but then being crammed into an economy class eat and watching it on a screen not much bigger than a cigarette packet may have robbed the experience of a lot of possible enjoyment.  When I saw it on DVD a few years later I loved it, and bought it. Jim Broadbent and Allan Corduner play W.S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan during the period when they wrote, rehearsed and produced “The Mikado”.   Lots of period detail, Oscar wining costumes and as you’d expect, some brilliant acting.  Timothy Spaul is no singer but Kevin McKidd, lately of “Rome” and “Journeyman” has a surprisingly good voice.   IMDB link

.

.

.

.

.

“Catch 22”   Joseph Heller took nine years (or was it twelve?) to write the book from which this film is taken.  It became one of the major novels of the early 1960s.  The movie is pretty faithful to the book, with some good performances and some very shocking moments – and a lot of laughs.  The title has now passed into the language, to mean a problem or a dilemma.   Heller was originally going to call it Catch-18, which wouldn’t have sounded at all right!  IMDB link

.

.

.

.

.

.

“My Fellow Americans”   A very clever comedy about two ex-Presidents of the USA who heartily loathe each other, a sitting President, a Vice-President and various Washington functionaries.  Throw in corruption, shady deals, murder, car chases, explosions, gay pride, illegal immigrants, unwitting civilians caught up in it, and you have a recipe for a fun two hours.  The DVD version is the true version.  The TV version was toned down, a few scenes cut out and so-called bad language was replaced with annoying euphemisms.   IMDB link

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Ugly Betty”  Another show that ground to a halt because of the writers’ strike.  We have the first season on DVD.  Based upon a Colombian soap opera, this is about a plain (not really ugly) girl who goes to work at the offices of a top fashion magazine.  The subtext is about differing values – family and home as opposed to the multi-million industry that promotes irrelevant but highly marketable fluff.  Very well played, very funny.  Beautiful Vanessa Williams plays a villain so nasty that you’ll want to boo and hiss whenever she appears.  IMDB link

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Das Boot”  It isn’t an understatement to say that a movie, or in this case miniseries, would have to be good to make you root for sailors in Hitler’s navy.  But in this case you do. You actually care what happens to them, and you want them to survive.  Probably the best submarine film ever made.  They don’t behave like Nazis, and in fact are very critical of the regime they serve, but like men with a job to do and trying not to die in the effort.  It’s so claustrophobic you can feel it.  Brilliantly done. It’s not a girlie film at all, but if you do decide to give it a try, watch the version with subtitles, not the dubbed one.   IMDB link

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Vanilla Sky”  When I saw this, I started out enjoying it but at the end of two hours I was feeling very irritated.  That’s what the film did to me but of course you maybe completely different.  Tom Cruise is a rich, successful young man who has everything he wants, and enjoys life to the full. Until something happens!  After that, we find ourselves bouncing from reality to dreams, but we aren’t sure which is which.  Let’s call it an interesting movie.   IMDB link

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Sneakers”   Anything about computers that takes place in pre-internet days is automatically dated.  So while the characters in this movie go on  about the latest innovations in technology, they are all looking at black screens with green lettering.   Here Robert Redford heads a small firm of techno geeks who specialize in  computer security.  The government  coerce them into doing a special job for them.  Nothing is as straightforward as it seems, and there are double crosses, danger, chases – tension, action and some laughs.   IMDB link

.

.

.

.

.

x

Comments

[Karen]

That is an eclectic selection indeed. Hard to imagine any other collection that would include both Das Boot and Ugly Betty!

[Morgan]

The movie "IT" is why I am still to this day afraid of Clowns, and the movie Vanilla Sky is why we have so many crazies in this world, LOL. :)

[chuck]

Gr8 list - thx for sharing. Happy VDay/TT. *hugs*

[pjazzypar]

I've seen three of the movies and "ugly Betty".

[Tink]

Quite a selection! Some classics among them.

The poem in my TT is from Stevens' first book of poems, Harmonium, published in 1923.

[Chelle Y.]

I tried to read "It," but had to stop after Chapter Two. I am afraid of clowns, so that book was starting to freak me out! :)

[SJ Reidhead]

The only one I have of this batch is Sneakers. Good movie.

SJR
The Pink Flamingo

[Comedy Plus]

I've seen one of these and I guess that's not bad for someone who gave up TV and movies. Beverly Hills Cop and I laughed and laughed. Great list as always. I did movies too. Have a great TT and Valentine's Day. :)

[pussreboots]

I've seen It, Das Boot and Sneakers. Happy TT.

[Malcolm]

Whenever I think of Windex, I am reminded of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", one of the best romantic comedies ever. I also enjoyed "My Fellow Americans" (Lemmon and Garner played off each other beautifully) and "Beverly Hills Cop".

Bill Cosby did wind up doing a U.S. version of "One Foot In the Grave". It was simply called "Cosby" and ran on CBS from 1996-2000. Since I have never seen "One Foot In the Grave", I am not sure how much "Cosby" veered from it.

[Jill]

I really like Ugly Betty!! It is really close to reality, I think!
I wanted to watch 30 rocks when it start, but I watch already too much tv!

[Adelle Laudan]

Gotta luv Ugly Betty! Very diverse group of movies. I read IT, but by the looks of the movie jacket, I might pass on that one LOL Happy Valentine's Day!

[Susan Helene Gottfried]

I keep meaning to watch 30 Rock, but like almost every other TV show on the planet, I keep forgetting. Shows you where my priorities are, huh?

Either that, or I need a life!

[Lori]

Love the first one on your list--My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I tried to get into Ugly Betty, but it's a little too campy for me. Also, the "clown" factor in "It" creeps me out a bit (smile).

[Joely]

Oooh, we loved Sneakers (despite being dated compared to Matrix, etc.) Happy Valentine's Day!

[mama kelly]

A lot of movies I like on this list. Happy Th13

[ellen b]

I so enjoyed Beverly Hills Cop and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Happy TT to you and have a wonderful Valentine's Day...

[SandyCarlson]

I need to catch Catch-22. I loved the book. Anything by Heller is a winner as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for more great info!

[The Gal Herself]

I am yet another clown-o-phobe and was so proud after I made myself watch -- and finish -- IT. The ending was so supernaturally silly that I almost forgot how terrifying the preceding hours were. And I agree, Tim Curry was a hideously wonderful Pennywise. (Thanks for visiting my TT)

[Di]

I loved The Contender!!! Joan Allen is a brilliant actress who chooses her roles carefully. I've loved everything she's done.

I could never watch the DVD of It. Too scary!

[Nicole Austin]

Great movie list. I have several of those in my collection. While I love Stephen Kings books, I've been disappointed with the movies. Haven't even seen IT.

[Bethany]

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is one of my favorite movies! Since the writer's strike, I've really gotten into 30 Rock...good show :)

[Winter]

I soooo enjoyed Das Boot. I got a love of war flicks from my dad. In our house, Band of Brothers got watched so much on HBO that we had to buy the DVD and we rarely buy TV stuff on DVD. Great list!

[susiej]

I really need to watch Vanilla Sky -- have not seen that. For some reason, Greek Wedding did not resonate with me.

[Brenda ND]

Is that your cat in the picture? I love cats. My favorite of your DVDs here is "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."