platon
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"All we can know is that we know nothing. And that's the height of human wisdom.? Tolstoy
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Post by platon on Feb 26, 2021 23:51:02 GMT -8
Yes, I thought that The Queens Gambit was great. It was much better then I first expected. I did not know that that she had ever existed. Another great find was “ Radioactive (2019)”. And another one that is related is “ Radium Girls (2018)”. Also based on a true story, but can be a little rough to watch. Watched the Curie movie and enjoyed it. Had some stuff on her I was not aware of. At first I was sure the movie would show the US as the evil force who used the terrible weapon, especially after the first flash to the future and the detonation of the nuclear weapon. I was surprised they didn't extend that theme, but moved to the good that came about from her discoveries and remained silent on the bombs use. On a side note, I read somewhere that the plan was to invade and the US had a half million Purple Hearts made in advance. We will never know for sure but the estimates go as high as 20 million Japanese and a million Americans would have died in an invasion attempt. I like to think Curie saved those 21 million lives at the expense of the 200K (1998 number estimate) that were killed in the bombings. Hopefully we have learned from that, but as long as there are nuclear nations controlled by communists or radical Islamists there is always that chance. Did you know that Operation Meetinghouse, a firebombing raid on Japan in March 1946 by 334 B-29 bombers which dropped 1665 tons of ordnance on Japan and killed a 100,000 Japanese, had a higher immediate death toll than either of the two nuclear blasts? The suffering the bombs put on Japan would have been nothing compared to their suffering with an invasion. Irregardless of that we owed it to those 1 million men we would have lost, to use the bombs. They (Japanese government) brought the war to their cities, and I hope they have learned that lesson, because they are quite the success story now.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Feb 27, 2021 3:30:18 GMT -8
Platon, you may have heard the saying ‘that nothing is impossible for someone that doesn’t have to do it’. It’s easy for people to look back at history and be critical of the decisions made in the heat of battle while they sit in the safety of the result of those battles. I think George Patton’s desire to take the war to the Soviets in 1945, as he saw communism as the next great threat to the world was a great idea, but who knows how that would have turned out. Just think of how different this world would be if the Soviet’s had been pushed out of Europe. But the past is gone and it’s sometimes fun to speculate on the ‘what if’s’, but we only have today.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Mar 15, 2021 3:21:56 GMT -8
Spitfire: The Plane that Saved the World. I’ve watched this documentary several times in the past and have always enjoyed it. The handful of veterans that experienced this aircraft firsthand tell their stories and their love for this airplane. This is a top quality, beautifully made documentary. Made in 2018. On Netflix. Also, for those that like British detective dramas that are set during this time period then checkout Foyle’s War. I bought the DVD sets as they became available many years ago and always enjoyed watching them. They may be available on Amazon Prime and Acorn. I understand that these may not be for everyone, but this could be a break from the garbage being made available elsewhere. Such as THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT In case you haven’t already guessed by the title, this is not a documentary. The most shocking thing about this movie is that I wasted a couple of hours of my life watching it. This is not Hollywood at its best. I will never look at Sam Elliott the same.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Mar 18, 2021 2:37:14 GMT -8
“Seven Days in Utopia” (2011). Staring Lucas Black and Robert Duvall. I’m not a big fan of golf but I found that this movie wasn’t about the game but what is truly important about life. But it also left me wanting to move to the town of Utopia. On Amazon Prime.
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platon
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"All we can know is that we know nothing. And that's the height of human wisdom.? Tolstoy
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Post by platon on Mar 18, 2021 20:03:31 GMT -8
Watched this and it was very good. Someone out there can still make movies that inspire you. But the talent to do so is waning.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Mar 19, 2021 2:47:15 GMT -8
Watched this and it was very good. Someone out there can still make movies that inspire you. But the talent to do so is waning. Yes, with all of the online streaming services there is such a high demand for content. And so the quality is suffering, the story lines are repetitive and what were once top rated actors become nothing more then extras just so their names can be on the credits. In this movie Robert Duvall did a great job of play the “ been there, done that sage”. I also thought that he played a great role in “The Natural” as the crooked sports reporter. Another of my favorite movies.
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platon
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"All we can know is that we know nothing. And that's the height of human wisdom.? Tolstoy
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Post by platon on Mar 21, 2021 21:09:46 GMT -8
Watched this and it was very good. Someone out there can still make movies that inspire you. But the talent to do so is waning. Yes, with all of the online streaming services there is such a high demand for content. And so the quality is suffering, the story lines are repetitive and what were once top rated actors become nothing more then extras just so their names can be on the credits. In this movie Robert Duvall did a great job of play the “ been there, done that sage”. I also thought that he played a great role in “The Natural” as the crooked sports reporter. Another of my favorite movies. My favorite Duvall movie was probably "Secondhand Lions" with "Open Range" a close second. Of course my favorite role of his overall acting career is as Augustus McCrae in "Lonesome Dove". You can't go wrong with a well done Texas Ranger movie. Speaking of "The Natural" are you aware of what inspired Malamud to write the novel of The Natural? A Chicago Cubs player named Eddie Waitkus had a stalker, a young girl named Ruth Steinhagen, who was 19 at the time. She tricked Waitkus into coming to her room at the hotel that the Cubs were in and shot him. Steinhagen passed away in December 2012 and when it was finally noticed in March of 2013 some stories started circulating about it. Here is a blurb from one of those stories that quoted an old AP article from the time Waitkus was shot. Steinhagen spent 3 years in a mental institute and was never tried for her crime. Here is the AP quote from the story.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Mar 22, 2021 4:01:11 GMT -8
Thank you Platon, I did not know that the movie had been based on any true events. There were two versions of the movie. The version that plays today tries to tell the story a little better with less jumping around with the timeline. Either way, it’s been one of my favorite movies. I also enjoyed Robert Redford in “Out of Africa”. I liked the character that Redford plays in the movie, but I think that his double rifle with its cigar sized cartridges was the real star.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Mar 24, 2021 2:19:50 GMT -8
“News of the World” staring Tom Hanks. I rented it last night on AppleTV and enjoyed every minute of it. Set in Texas about 5 years after the end of the Civil War. Tom Hanks plays his character perfectly, as he always does. Well worth the cost of admission.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Apr 4, 2021 2:20:32 GMT -8
“Wonder Woman 1984”. Staring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. It was a pleasant movie to watch about the usual battle between good and evil. The evil this time involves mans limitless desire to have his wishes fulfilled and to have ultimate power over the world. But truth prevails and the power of confession and forgiveness corrects all. In many ways this movie reminded me of “Bedazzled” staring Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley. Be careful what you wish for, you may just get it. There’s the saying that “ Evil will take you farther than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay and cost you more than you wanted to pay.” Watched it on AppleTV.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Apr 5, 2021 2:07:43 GMT -8
“Rememory” staring Peter Dinklage. (2017)
A strange but interesting and thought provoking movie.
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platon
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"All we can know is that we know nothing. And that's the height of human wisdom.? Tolstoy
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Post by platon on Apr 7, 2021 23:14:56 GMT -8
“Wonder Woman 1984”. Staring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. It was a pleasant movie to watch about the usual battle between good and evil. The evil this time involves mans limitless desire to have his wishes fulfilled and to have ultimate power over the world. But truth prevails and the power of confession and forgiveness corrects all. In many ways this movie reminded me of “Bedazzled” staring Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley. Be careful what you wish for, you may just get it. There’s the saying that “ Evil will take you farther than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay and cost you more than you wanted to pay.” Watched it on AppleTV. I can't handle the idea of super-heroes created in the mind of a liberal. They never live up to what I want them to be. I will probably skip this one and the innuendoes it conjures up, if revues I have read are accurate. Thanks for the review though.
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platon
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"All we can know is that we know nothing. And that's the height of human wisdom.? Tolstoy
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Post by platon on Apr 7, 2021 23:16:04 GMT -8
“ Rememory” staring Peter Dinklage. (2017) A strange but interesting and thought provoking movie. Sounds interesting I will give it a look. Thanks for pointing it out, and I have been wanting to see "News of the World". Maybe soon.
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Post by macster on Apr 9, 2021 19:00:34 GMT -8
Everyone knew, but no one said anything. Parallels of what’s been happening in the modern world.? An unprecedented documentary event 10 years in the making. This is #FinalAccount, in theaters May 21. www.imdb.com/title/tt12789212/
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Apr 10, 2021 2:23:20 GMT -8
Thank you Macster for telling us about this upcoming movie. When it is made available I will try and watch it. It’s been said that the first country that AH invaded was Germany. The part of the movie “Spitfire” that I enjoyed most, that I listed above, were the interviews with those that were there experiencing it firsthand. I’m confident that this movie will show how an otherwise intelligent nation can be led like sheep to the slaughter and what the other sheep do as they watch from the sidelines.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Apr 11, 2021 6:53:29 GMT -8
I watched “In Time“(2011) on Amazon Prime last night. Staring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried. The plot: A very interesting, thought provoking movie. What if you knew, down to the second how long you would live? What would you be willing to do if you could add time to your life? How much of your time would you give up to buy something? What would you do differently if you knew that you were truly “wasting your time”? It shows the comparison between the common people and the elite. Population control through price controls. How much of the story is fiction and how much of it is based on reality? I think it’s well worth “spending your time” to watch.
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platon
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"All we can know is that we know nothing. And that's the height of human wisdom.? Tolstoy
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Post by platon on Apr 12, 2021 15:24:19 GMT -8
Spitfire: The Plane that Saved the World. I’ve watched this documentary several times in the past and have always enjoyed it. The handful of veterans that experienced this aircraft firsthand tell their stories and their love for this airplane. This is a top quality, beautifully made documentary. Made in 2018. On Netflix. Also, for those that like British detective dramas that are set during this time period then checkout Foyle’s War. I bought the DVD sets as they became available many years ago and always enjoyed watching them. They may be available on Amazon Prime and Acorn. I understand that these may not be for everyone, but this could be a break from the garbage being made available elsewhere. Such as THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT In case you haven’t already guessed by the title, this is now a documentary. The most shocking thing about this movie is that I wasted a couple of hours of my life watching it. This is not Hollywood at its best. I will never look at Sam Elliott the same. Had I not been too tall I would have tried my best to get into flight training while in the service, but these "surly bonds" have defeated me time after time. When I was a kid I had the same dream night after night of jumping in the air repetitiously until my arms became wings and suddenly I would soar. One of my bucket list items not to be----being a pilot. I watched this documentary today, what a beautiful plane and brave pilots. It reminded me of one of my favorite quotes and favorite sonnets: Nazis and vampires, like rats, 3 things you can kill without remorse. “Too bad the Nazis aren't vampires, Ollie thought. At least with vampires, they could be deterred with holy water, crosses, and cloves of garlic. But with Nazis, we need antiaircraft guns, Hurricanes, and Spitfires. Ollie glanced back at the lofts. And maybe pigeons.” ― Alan Hlad, The Long Flight Home 'High Flight (An Airman’s Ecstasy)’ is the one well-known poem by John Gillespie Magee (1922-41) Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air . . . Up, up the long, delirious burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or ever eagle flew — And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Apr 13, 2021 2:16:05 GMT -8
Thank you Platon for sharing that.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Apr 23, 2021 9:07:51 GMT -8
Synchronic on Netflix. It stars Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan.
This movie started developing a little slow and it seemed to be just another predictable drug story of abuse. I start to turn it off a couple of times and look elsewhere, but I’m glad that I stayed with it. It showed a world where drugs were legal and readily available with the predictable results on lives. But it also shows what is truly important and meaningful and how we should treat each day. As the pieces of the plot are put together one starts to wonder about time.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Apr 25, 2021 1:49:27 GMT -8
RUSH (2013). If you enjoy Formula One racing then you will enjoy this movie. It tells the story of the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda for the position of World Champion. It stars Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl, directed by Ron Howard. It displays two different personalities and how they approach the competitive and dangerous world of Formula One. I enjoyed it. On Netflix.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Apr 26, 2021 1:49:18 GMT -8
I was thinking of Ron Howard and if I can remember any movie that he has directed that I didn’t enjoy. It would seem that any movie project that he directs becomes a classic. Cinderella Man (2005) is a great example of his work. Staring Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger. The story of the “comeback kid” during the Great Depression. I’ve watched it many times and always enjoy it.
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platon
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"All we can know is that we know nothing. And that's the height of human wisdom.? Tolstoy
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Post by platon on Apr 27, 2021 10:44:36 GMT -8
I was thinking of Ron Howard and if I can remember any movie that he has directed that I didn’t enjoy. It would seem that any movie project that he directs becomes a classic. Cinderella Man (2005) is a great example of his work. Staring Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger. The story of the “comeback kid” during the Great Depression. I’ve watched it many times and always enjoy it. Dave I have watched "Rush" and tried to watch "Synchronic". I enjoyed the Rush but could not finish Synchronic, but perhaps on your recommendation I might try again. I have thought about watching "Cinderella Man" but Ron Howard is not Andy's Opie anymore, in my opinion. My life is so focused on politics that it leaves me little time to spend watching really good movies like "Braveheart", "The Patriot", "Maverick" (see video). Isn't it strange that such a flawed man (Gibson) can participate in some really great movies? That said Howard has the talent but like all Hollywood liberals he wants his politics out there. I am not sure he is as liberal as Hollywood but when you can trash Trump for his obvious transgressions but you refuse to recognize the even more harmful (for the Country) faults from the likes of the Obamas, Clintons, Bidens, I lose my desire to support them. I am the antimatter to the liberal dogma that pervades this Country, I am just like them in the exact opposite way. I am guilty, I politicize everything. Sorry for that. ETA: Sorry this is the version I meant to paste:
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Apr 27, 2021 13:44:24 GMT -8
Platon I understand, but there always seems to be “a fly in the ointment” somewhere in life. I think that Ron Howard does a great job of telling a story, usually from a very humanistic prospective where I can become involved with the story line. When you are taken to that point in history, as if you were there, weather fact or fiction, it is worth dropping the dime in time to me. There are lessons to be learned from “Cinderella Man” that can be learned and maybe applied to today. Give it a go and tell me if you don’t also get drawn into the characters. Tell me the ones you relate to the most.
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platon
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"All we can know is that we know nothing. And that's the height of human wisdom.? Tolstoy
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Post by platon on Apr 27, 2021 18:00:50 GMT -8
Platon I understand, but there always seems to be “a fly in the ointment” somewhere in life. I think that Ron Howard does a great job of telling a story, usually from a very humanistic prospective where I can become involved with the story line. When you are taken to that point in history, as if you were there, weather fact or fiction, it is worth dropping the dime in time to me. There are lessons to be learned from “Cinderella Man” that can be learned and maybe applied to today. Give it a go and tell me if you don’t also get drawn into the characters. Tell me the ones you relate to the most. I agree he has talent and Apollo 13 is one of my all time favorite movies, and historically he has been fairly good at keeping his political rumblings out of his movies. Once he has exercised his freedom to voice his opinion he runs the risk of the few people (like me) that tend to play the political game in the same form as Democrats. After his Trump statement (which I understand why he feels that way, after all big ego's tend to clash) I decided I would not watch any new movie he made until it was an old movie (I could not give up Apollo 13). However, all that said I will give Cinderella Man a try. I trust your opinion of the movie more than I distrust the motives of Hollywood.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Apr 28, 2021 3:03:22 GMT -8
I agree as I can also see the political twist that is present many times in a story. But today everything has been politicized and it becomes hard to overlook. Sometimes it can be subtle and sometimes it can be quite obvious. But equally there are positive examples to be had, if only one looks. Lessons to be learned or maybe just reinforced. I’ve experienced more than my share of bad movies that had little redeeming value and I would like to have that part of my life back, but maybe my recognizing their lack of value has some value in itself. So when you watch the story of James J. Braddock’s life, let me know what you honestly think.
Thank Platon
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platon
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"All we can know is that we know nothing. And that's the height of human wisdom.? Tolstoy
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Post by platon on Apr 28, 2021 10:56:27 GMT -8
I agree as I can also see the political twist that is present many times in a story. But today everything has been politicized and it becomes hard to overlook. Sometimes it can be subtle and sometimes it can be quite obvious. But equally there are positive examples to be had, if only one looks. Lessons to be learned or maybe just reinforced. I’ve experienced more than my share of bad movies that had little redeeming value and I would like to have that part of my life back, but maybe my recognizing their lack of value has some value in itself. So when you watch the story of James J. Braddock’s life, let me know what you honestly think. Thank Platon I will watch and let you know what I think, like I say I have not been disappointed with a single one of your recommendations so far, so I am betting it is a pretty good movie.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Jun 2, 2021 5:49:39 GMT -8
SOLOS on Prime Video. It's a new series, the two that I've watched have been about 30 min. long and are very well made with a strange twisted but interesting view of the future. The first is a story of a woman that is trying to connect to her future self and the second story is about a man that has had his clone made and isn't happy with the outcome.Both stories have been much more involved then this description incorporating deeper meanings to life. I'm guessing the rest of this series may follow the same pattern. You may enjoy them.
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4aapl
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Post by 4aapl on Jul 2, 2021 21:22:31 GMT -8
Finally made time to watch Greyhound. It was great, though the true compare I'm sure will be against Hunt for Red October which my son is about to read so I'm sure we'll have a video followup.
FWIW, we rewatched Remember the Titans a few months ago. It was great too. Maybe not for everyone, considering the various political and likely racial differences that some may have. But I'd recommend it for all, both for the great movie, but also for the reminder that there are times that we have to come together.
For all-time favorites, I'd rewatch Secret of my Success, Mr and Mrs Smith, and Thomas Crown Affair anytime, though the last might be the best.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Jul 4, 2021 2:44:12 GMT -8
Yes, I have watched Greyhound several times and would recommend it to anyone. But I think another great comparison to that movie would be Saving Private Ryan, also starting Tom Hanks. Both are examples of the unsung heroes that made a difference. Another great example of Tom Hanks acting is The Terminal, 2004, directed by Steven Spielberg and costars Catherine Zeta-Jones. And the second Thomas Crown Affair was far better then the original, which I thought was just strange.
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Dave
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"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." Yogi Berra
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Post by Dave on Jul 6, 2021 12:53:26 GMT -8
I watched The Tomorrow War (2021) last night on Netflix. I thought that it was entertaining and suspenseful. Maybe a good comparison could be a mix of the movies Alien/Aliens with a twist and a backdrop of global warming thrown in. A little bit of humor also thrown in to help you catch your breath. Stars Chris Pratt and Yvonne Strahovski. 2 hours 20 minutes.
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