Movies You've Seen Recently

[Kathryn]

My husband and I really enjoyed the new version of "True Grit" though we both agreed that the ending wasn't as good as the ending in the first version.

Both movies are very well done though, with excellent acting. I thought Jeff Bridges was really great as Rooster - he did a fine job of interpreting a role that most thought could never be done as well as John Wayne pulled it off.

 

[Caladan]

I thought it was entertaining. I thought it was an excellent portrayal of the first gulf war. That is to say, it seemed to match up with the first hand accounts I heard "from the field" regarding the first gulf war.

I liked the style of the movie - the sort of tongue in cheek humor.

I also thought it was a good portrayal of the boredom that many troops endure on long deployments to that region.

What did you think about it from your perspective?

Pretty much the same. the gulf war was very different than other wars and conflicts. the Americans and the coalition won the war swiftly, no forces were deployed for years to come. I especially related to the experience of being deployed for a period of time, running the routines, overcoming boredom, the evolving relationships in the unit, and the unexpected incoming artillery assault.
I also liked the surreal portray of being in a conflict zone, the sight of burning oil fields, the strayed horses, encountering locals.

 

[Kathryn]

Pretty much the same. the gulf war was very different than other wars and conflicts. the Americans and the coalition won the war swiftly, no forces were deployed for years to come. I especially related to the experience of being deployed for a period of time, running the routines, overcoming boredom, the evolving relationships in the unit, and the unexpected incoming artillery assault.
I also liked the surreal portray of being in a conflict zone, the sight of burning oil fields, the strayed horses, encountering locals.

Yes to all points.

And I thought that the scenes of the burning oilfields and the others you described were particularly good.

They also seemed very realistic. I've seen photos from military personnel (including photos of the infamous Highway of Death) and this movie really seemed to capture the reality and surreality of the conflict.

 

[Caladan]

Yes to all points.

And I thought that the scenes of the burning oilfields and the others you described were particularly good.

They also seemed very realistic. I've seen photos from military personnel (including photos of the infamous Highway of Death) and this movie really seemed to capture the reality and surreality of the conflict.

I think that in general movies which are based on the books written and experienced by soldiers and veterans are reliable and are the most engaging.

 

[Kathryn]

I think that in general movies which are based on the books written and experienced by soldiers and veterans are reliable and are the most engaging.

I agree. Hey, have you ever read "Black Hearts - One Platoon's Descent into Madness?"

"This painstaking and balanced book studies the experience of one airborne platoon in Iraq’s deadly “Black Triangle,” where U.S. forces have racked up a larger number of casualties than in any other area of the country. The stress of combat on the platoon eventually led to what can be described only as a war crime, in which rape and murder overtook an entire Iraqi family. Frederick’s thorough research makes this a dense book, one not for the novice in studying the Iraq War or any other, but his compassion for all parties involved has enabled him to get an amount of cooperation from all of them that makes the book an exceptionally rich and valuable document of an aspect of the war the coverage of which is not always free from political bias or just plain sloppiness. Although not for the beginner, this is a valuable addition to any serious study of this war. --Roland Green"

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Hearts-Platoons-Descent-Triangle/dp/0307450759

This is the best book I've read about the recent conflicts in the Middle East. My son was with the 502nd and his unit replaced the one in this book in 2007. He was stationed exactly where this unit was and his unit had to deal with the stigma and psychological burden (not to mention the anger from the local populace) of these events.

The book is very well written and balanced.

 

[Caladan]

Thanks for the heads up Kathryn. the last book I read about the second Iraq war is Generation Kill. I can see that 'Black Hearts' deals with a more specific subject, must be fascinating read.

 

[Kathryn]

Thanks for the heads up Kathryn. the last book I read about the second Iraq war is Generation Kill. I can see that 'Black Hearts' deals with a more specific subject, must be fascinating read.

I haven't read Generation Kill. What are your thoughts on it?

 

[Penumbra]

I very much enjoyed Limitless. Good actors, good idea.

But the takeaway message I got from the film was, "Your life sucks? Drugs and money can fix it!" So it was somewhat underwhelming when considered as a whole, in my view, despite being an enjoyable and decent movie.

 

[Caladan]

I haven't read Generation Kill. What are your thoughts on it?

I liked it. its very readable and captures one of my favourite elements in war literature. mainly the soldiers themselves, their personalities, the way they handle each other. it was a good source about the Recon Marines in modern warfare and specifically about Iraq. there is much more I can say about it, specifically that as a former recon man, I couldn't help but sympathise with the way they have been used operationally out of context during the invasion, which is one of the many peculiarities of serving in this type of unit, where the higher commands consider you as a dynamic force that can answer their needs.

 

[cablescavenger]

My husband and I really enjoyed the new version of "True Grit" though we both agreed that the ending wasn't as good as the ending in the first version.

Both movies are very well done though, with excellent acting. I thought Jeff Bridges was really great as Rooster - he did a fine job of interpreting a role that most thought could never be done as well as John Wayne pulled it off.

I didn't know they had done a remake, but now you mention Jeff Bridges I don't know who else it could be.

 

[Sgloom]

i watch random movies all the time on netflix. i just watched castaway on the moon, i thought it was a really cool korean film. i definately reccomend it if your into foreign films. This is from a reviewer on the sight that sums it up pretty well "The main character tries to take his own life only to find that he is isolated on an island and just out of reach from the city that he is familiar with. An unidentified woman, as isolated as he, begins to throw bottles from the bridge that he, himself, had tried to committ suicide. It is a remarkable film of two people finding peace within each other"

 

[Kathryn]

Sgloom, that sounds very interesting. I like some Korean films so I'll add that to my playlist on Netflix.

My husband and I went to see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo last night. We thought it was very well done, and the casting and acting were both excellent. The ending was poignant and perfectly balanced the rest of the film as well.

 

[Dirty Penguin]

I just watched Sucker Punch last night and I loved the action but hated the story line. It seemed a little disjointed. Has anyone else seen it? There is a point in the movie where you see some trolls on a bridge at a castle...They look just like the Orcs from Lord of the rings (the movie)....wow!

SPOILER (Orcs - Blue Ray Edition)
[youtube]-8kUHwthXIc[/youtube]
Sucker Punch "Orcs in the Courtyard" - YouTube

 

[Sgloom]

Sgloom, that sounds very interesting. I like some Korean films so I'll add that to my playlist on Netflix.

My husband and I went to see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo last night. We thought it was very well done, and the casting and acting were both excellent. The ending was poignant and perfectly balanced the rest of the film as well.

castaway on the moon starts off slow, i didnt like the lead character at first, i was almost ready to turn it off he actually was quite annoying, but if you give it time to develope it really is a good story!

another foreign movie i enjoyed recently was aftershock, its pretty long but touching

 

[Kathryn]

castaway on the moon starts off slow, i didnt like the lead character at first, i was almost ready to turn it off he actually was quite annoying, but if you give it time to develope it really is a good story!

another foreign movie i enjoyed recently was aftershock, its pretty long but touching

Hey, that one's already in my Netflix queue!

 

[Watchmen]

Fish Story

It's an amazing, quirky little Japanese film and I absolutely LOVE it.!!!

AND it's on NETFLIX right now!

 

[Kathryn]

We watched "The Way Back" a couple of nights ago (Netflix!) and it was really, really good:

After narrowly escaping from a wretched World War II Siberian labor camp, a small band of multinational soldiers desperately undertakes a harrowing journey to traverse Siberia, the Gobi Desert and the Himalayas on foot.

Cast:Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong, Dragos Bucur, Gustaf Skarsgård, Sebastian Urzendowsky, Alexandru Potocean
Directoreter Weir
Genres: Dramas, Dramas based on real life, Military Dramas, 20th Century Period Pieces
This movie is:Emotional, Dark, Gritty
Availability:Streaming, DVD and Blu-ray

 

[Kathryn]

Oh and here's another one we watched recently - one of my favorite genres: DARK COMEDY.

The Perfect Host
2010R92 minutes
A fugitive on the lam decides to crash a dinner party. But he seriously regrets it when the mysterious and unusual host soon has him convinced that he would have been better off hiding somewhere else. David Hyde Pierce plays the memorable Warwick Wilson; Nathaniel Parker, Clayne Crawford and Helen Reddy also star in this thriller from first-time feature writer-director Nick Tomnay.

Castavid Hyde Pierce, Clayne Crawford, Nathaniel Parker, Helen Reddy, Megahn Perry, Joseph Will, Tyrees Allen, Cooper Barnes, Annie Campbell
Director:Nick Tomnay
Genres:Thrillers, Crime Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
This movie isark, Suspenseful
Availability:Streaming, DVD and Blu-ray

 

[Dirty Penguin]

Oh and here's another one we watched recently - one of my favorite genres: DARK COMEDY.

The Perfect Host
2010R92 minutes
A fugitive on the lam decides to crash a dinner party. But he seriously regrets it when the mysterious and unusual host soon has him convinced that he would have been better off hiding somewhere else. David Hyde Pierce plays the memorable Warwick Wilson; Nathaniel Parker, Clayne Crawford and Helen Reddy also star in this thriller from first-time feature writer-director Nick Tomnay.

Castavid Hyde Pierce, Clayne Crawford, Nathaniel Parker, Helen Reddy, Megahn Perry, Joseph Will, Tyrees Allen, Cooper Barnes, Annie Campbell
Director:Nick Tomnay
Genres:Thrillers, Crime Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
This movie isark, Suspenseful
Availability:Streaming, DVD and Blu-ray

hmmm, I may have to put this one in my NetFlix queue.

 

[Kathryn]

hmmm, I may have to put this one in my NetFlix queue.

We really liked it - and it has a cool twist.