"The Past is a Foreign Country. They Do Things Differently There.” L.P. Hartley
. Rewatching
movies: THE GO-BETWEEN was made in 1971 with Julie Christie and Alan
Bates in the two lead roles. This version by Joseph Losey and Harold
Pinter emphasized "class" rather than romance. I am not sure the book
would not have allowed for a bit more romance. I read it back in the
day, but can't remember if you got any feel for them as romantic couple.
If you don't remember, it is the story of a twelve-year old boy who
becomes a go-between for two lovers and how it affects the rest of his
life. It was very hard to watch the behavior of this ultra-rich family.
Of course, that is the whole point. If the story is about people you
aren't meant to like, you can't fault that in it. But sometimes it is
hard not to. But I am still interested in seeing the newer BBC version
Also rewatched A SINGLE MAN, which was gorgeous to look at and very sad. It's the story of a man who loses his male partner is a car accident. Julianne Moore is beautiful in it although her character didn't quite work for me.
Still working on reading the Pandemic book (PALE DRIVER), the book on how Hollywood made stars (STAR MACHINE) and novels that I don't seem to finish. I read Laura Lippman's MY LIFE AS A VILLAINESS, which alarmingly had a multitude of words missing letters. How does something like that happen?
Watching HALT AND CATCH FIRE and RITA on Netflix. Trying to follow GIRI/HAJI. Plus ENDEAVOR on PBS.
What about you?
22 comments:
Read The Revelators by Ace Atkins which I liked and am now reading Dead West a P.I. novel by Matt Goldman. Received an overabundance of goodies from the library including new books by Joe Lansdale, James Lee Burke, Stephen Graham Jones and T. Jefferson Parker.
Haven't watched a lot of tv this week. Enjoyed the first episode of Lovecraft Country on HBO last night. One reviewer referred to it as Nightmare On Jim Crow Street. And John Oliver and Bill Maher.
Light on the movie front also. Did rewatch Blood Simple. What a great movie. And And Prince of Tides. A great book but disappointing movie. Also The Outlaw Josey Wales, one of my favorite Clint Eastwood films.
Saw The Go Between when it was first released and remember liking it but haven't seen it since.
I've never watched that version of The Go Between, Patti. I've wondered what it would be like, though, so thanks for the reminder.
We binged on THE BREAK and THE CODE, both very interesting but flawed. The "gotcha" at the end of THE CODE was trite and not necessary. Also watched PROJECT POWER with Jamie Foxx,Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dominique Fishback, a sci-fi thriller that was much, much better than I thought it would be.
Celebrated my father's and Jessie's birthdays this week. Jessie, Christina and their gang went to Bonefish while we were stuck waiting for the plumber to come and fix a kitchen leak. **sniff** The girls picked Bonefish because Michael was working for them when he died; he opened new restaurants in the chain up and down the East Coast and trained the staff; the restaurant has a special meaning for Jessie and her girls.
Most of my reading has been from pulp-ish novels of the 40s (THE SPIDER, a masked crimefighter facing up against dastardly villains, and with a body count into several hundreds) and the 70s (EDGE, an anti-hero whose books are billed as "The Most Violent Westerns in Print"). All are fast-paced, exciting reading. The immense body count in these fictional works helps blunt the real-life body count from Trump's coronavirus -- at least for me.
We are still hitting the beach almost every morning. It's beautiful and relaxing and we see dolphins almost every time. For some reason, the beauty and the grace of the dolphins help center us for the rest of the day. A 20-foot juvenile whale (adults grow to about 30 feet) was spotted in the water just off of Destin and Pensacola Beach, but we did not see it -- worse luck. Some ambitious divers swam next to it and took videos.
Public schools open here a week from today. It is going to be mess and we are concerned about Jack, who will be going into the third grade. Our county school board has said that they are very concerned about the health of students and staff, so social distancing will be in place -- WHERE FEASIBLE -- and masks will be worn -- WHEN FEASIBLE -- and the school buses will seat elementary student two to a seat rather than three to a seat -- WHEN FEASIBLE -- and that the first kids picked up will be seated at the rear of the bus -- and the logic there escapes me. I give it about six weeks before the county is forced to close the schools. Bah! I truly hope Kevin isn't faced with such a @#$%^& this year, Patti.
And don't get me started on the White House blaming the media for the reports that Kamala Harris might not be eligible to run as VP! Every time I think this administration cannot go lower, they prove me wrong.
But do get me started on wishing you a fabulous week, Patti. May it be filled with sunshine, lollipops, and roses!
Funny you should mention RITA. Never heard of it until I got a notice about series 5 from Netflix. Jackie wanted to try it so we watched the first episode last night and it was better than I expected. We finished series one of the Finnish DEADWIND and still have a couple more episodes of series three of MARCELLA (which I must admit I am not loving; besides everything else, I have disliked Amanda Burton for years and dislike her sourpuss). We're watching THE OLDENHAM 12 and VERA (series 10) and THE UMBRELLA FACTORY (we like it more than George did) SRUGIM (series 2; still want to smack Natti every week). Once we wrap up the old series, Jackie wants to catch up on the new series of shows we've seen - RAIN (Denmark), DARK (Germany), HIDDEN (Wales) - before starting any new shows, though we always manage to stick one or two in (as in RITA). Jackie was a bigger fan of GIRI/HAJI than I was (though I always like Kelly Macdonald). She is hoping for a second series.
I liked THE GO BETWEEN a lot and remember reading the book several years after seeing the movie. I didn't know there was a new version. I read A SINGLE MAN years ago when I went through a big Isherwood phase, and I was very impressed with the job Tom Ford did on the movie.
This week we watched:
THE EVACUEES (1975). This was noted as Alan Parker's first film when he died. I just read that it is available on YouTube, but I bought (from England) JACK ROSENTHAL AT THE BBC, with five of the television movies made from his scripts, starting with this and BAR MITZVAH BOY (1976), which we saw years ago. It was based on Rosenthal and his brother, who were evacuated from Manchester to Blackpool when WWII started, and ended up with a less than happy situation. Rosenthal's widow, Maureen Lipman, plays the boys' mother (she was only in her late 20s and looks so young!) as well as introducing the play.
THE TRIP TO SPAIN (2015). The Observer commissioned Steve Coogan to do a road trip through Northern England visiting restaurants with his friend Rob Brydon, and turned it into a series, THE TRIP. This was later edited into a feature length film. The highlight was the byplay between the two of them (Brydon is a wonderful mimic). It was successful enough that they did a second series, THE TRIP TO ITALY, and this was the third. (The fourth, THE TRIP TO GREECE, just ran, and I supposed the movie version will follow.) Frankly, the formula is wearing a little thin for me, as other than the Spanish scenery and a few laughs, this was pretty much a waste of 90 minutes.
BRESLIN AND HAMILL: DEADLINE ARTISTS (2018). After Jimmy Breslin died in 2017 (at nearly 89), HBO made this documentary about the two great New York tabloid columnists. Now that (sadly) Hamill has died too (at 85), this is running on HBO. Breslin does seem to get the lion's share of the attention, larger than life as he was when alive. It covers all the big stuff - Son of Sam, 9/11, etc. Definitely worth a look.
Also, I read five books this week!
Like Steve, I watched LOVECRAFT COUNTRY and liked it. My review will be up on my blog tomorrow.
I'm about to go to my Ears/Nose/Throat specialist for another appointment. Since February, I've been trying to get CPAP supples for my sleep machine, but Medicare demands a doctor's visit and an At-Home-Sleep Test before they'll pay for durable medical equipment. Medicare protocols are exact and any deviation results in the loop I'm in right now: seeing the doctor again and having to take the At-Home-Sleep Test again. What a waste of time and money!!
On a happier note, Diane and I Facebook PORTALed with Patrick and Katie yesterday. Both are doing well.
Although the Virtual Democratic Convention starts today, I'll just watch the highlights.
During the years we spent a couple months in La Jolla, going to Delmar to watch the dolphins was special. And they do bring a sense of calm.
I have to make an appt with an ENR. Keep having dizzy spells. Also might have to have a second CT scan.
Thanks for the lists, guys. I really do followup on a lot of your recs.
Yes, THE TRIP movies really petered out. They only have one or two schtiks
ENT!
As usual, didn't watch any TV or movies, just reading. THE GROOTE PARK MURDERS (FFB last week), and IN AT THE DEATH by Francis Duncan (FFB this coming Friday), as well as several short stories, so a pretty good week.
I'm doing a personal moratorium on national news. I've gotten so angry and incensed over the President handing and mismanagement of the USPS, all to try and rig the November election, that I've just had it. I have never in my years of political awareness and Presidential observation been so angry and upset. I can't say the President's name without an expletive attached. I may, however, watch some of the Democratic Convention this week.
The kitten is in a constant battle with our older adult cat, and it's driving us nuts. The squirt water bottle is in full play.
The heat is awful, at least for me. It's hit 100 the last couple of days, and will be in the mid 90s today, with high 80s the rest of the week. Our humidity is high for us too, in the high 20%, and yesterday while it was 92 it rained for a half hour. Yuck. Our A/C is running around the clock. We got out to do some pruning that was necessary, but did it in the morning.
I have two books at the library, but couldn't get an appointment to pick up until Wednesday. Until then I'm reading short stories from a couple of anthologies.
Stay well and safe, Patti. We love you.
Thanks, Rick. And I loved all of you, more than I can say.
Not much new here. I have been doing as much gardening as I can handle with the temperatures up a bit and no overcast in the first half of the day.
We have watched some TV shows (NCIS and Person of Interest and Mission Impossible) and we are in the middle of the 3-part And Then There Were None adaptation (BBC). We all like Mystery Science Theater 3000 so we watch some of those now and then.
My reading is slow and I actually ran into a book I had to stop reading because of torture and rape. It has been years since I did not finish a book I started.
Done barely any reading. Over the past months I've been rewatching some '70s movies on Amazon. WILD GEESE being the latest.
School starts September 1st in-person and I am not happy about it. Jerry's comment on how low the administration can go reminds me of this song from three years ago: https://youtu.be/sNNX0qrzFw8
This past weekend I did a two night canoeing trip on the Black River with the Scout Troop and Boy #1. My son will be a high school senior and was not too happy taking a trip with a few middle school Scouts. 10 people and five canoes over about 22 miles. We slept on sand bars and had thunderstorms each night. But, the days were great weather. Sand gets everywhere but there is the major bonus of NO MUD.
...And my wife just sent a message that the 9.1% COVID rate means the County may require virtual school for the start of the school year. The limit is 8% and that has to meet the rolling two week average.
I think our Governor and a lot of other people are amazed that New York has been able to stay at around 1% positive (or under) for the last two weeks. We got hit harder than anyone in April, but we showed that unlike the @sshole in the White House, if you have leadership that leads and the right way of talking to people, they will more often than not do the right thing. We did over 80,000 tests yesterday and had a 0.78% positive rate. At least we haven't been sitting home all this time with no result. Good luck, Gerard.
And the news today that some cities, NY included, might have herd immunity is great. I had blood work done today and if I have antibodies it will show up hopefully.
WI has not done well as IL. MI is a bit better but not IN and OH.
Read several Stephen Mertz novels over the weekend, now going back to an old favorite, Day Keene.
I always enjoyed an Alan Bates performance especially in ZORBA THE GREEK and WOMEN IN LOVE. I don't believe I've ever seen this particular movie.
HALT AND CATCH FIRE is a good series, though the degree to which the same knot of people are on the ground floor of every major development in home computing is cheerfully risible. I was also amused that I realized the first season was about Compaq computers before my sister, who's actually been in the industry all her adult life, did
I've been meaning to read THE GO-BETWEEN for quite some time. So, the Lippman novel was printed that way for no obvious intended reason? Your own copy, or someone else's? You deserve a refund.
Watching ST. ELSEWHERE on Hulu still. The 2-part episode "Time Heals", jumping back and forth in time with a frame of gathering oral histories for the 50th anniversary of the hospital, St. Eligius, featuring among other new cast members Edward Herrman as the somewhat rebellious priest who founded the hospital with church backing initially, is about as brilliant as I remembered, and seeing all the episodes previously within a short span allows me to catch some of the in-jokes and references I missed when seeing it on broadcast--35 years ago. It's also exactly the kind of thing, in part, you don't need to see, Patti. But, still.
Glad there are some good things in everyone's life.
Rick--of course, Pres. Expletive is also trying to destroy the USPS, much like his predecessors, so its functions can be assumed by completely private enterprise and kickbacks aplenty ensue...as has been made clear by Pres. Insult himself. Ah, well, it seems likely that despite the incumbent Injury's attempts at not losing again (most important to him would be the blow to his brand, I suspect), and losing in such a way that he won't be installed anyway, Pres. Amtrak is on the horizon. And, like most Dem winners of late, it will be difficult to disimprove on the GOP example which preceded him. Wish they would try harder to actually improve things, though.
Glad to see the good flowing through various folks.
Same old, same old here so enough of that.
Currently reading FAIR WARNING by Michael Connelly in LP from the library.
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Need to see WOMEN IN LOVE. Love Bates in AN UNMARRIED WOMAN. And Jill Clayburgh.
Listening to TOm Hanks read THE DUTCH HOUSE which is so wonderful. Almost transports me but not quite. So much bad all the time
WOMEN IN LOVE struck me as (possibly) unintentionally funny at first viewing. One rarely fully knows with Russell.
UNMARRIED instilled a media crush on Clayburgh...she also was one of the good aspects of the sitcomish SILVER STREAK...and was good up till the end.
She knew how to not come across as a movie star. So rare then.
Here is an update: my library shut down for three days due to an infected staff member. The staffer is already doing better. Our plan calls for a 72 hour closure and we are in day #2.
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