memfree

joined 1 month ago
[–] memfree@piefed.social 3 points 11 hours ago

@diegantobass@lemmy.world has the best answer. Write a letter. Tell him stuff you remember doing together. Maybe include a physical printed photo of the two of you and/or the family together.

[–] memfree@piefed.social 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Alaska. Remote, expensive, so cold your car's tires freeze with the flat spot they had while you were parked so you thump thump thump down the graveled roads until they stretch out, and to paraphrase @poccalyps, 'ice storms, earthquakes,... and some of the dumbest, most entitled Jesus-humping maga fucks in the country.'

[–] memfree@piefed.social 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Very common saying with lots of links (merriam-webster, dictionary, wiktionary, grammarist)

Is your wife from somewhere very isolated or exotic? Or does she simply want you to add more variety to your discourse? Toh-may-toh/Toh-mah-toh

[–] memfree@piefed.social 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

"Silliness leads to tears" typically said after energetic goofiness has led to an 'owie'.

Bonus: Grandparents were fond of "Children should be seen and not heard."

 

I didn't know where to post this, so feel free to remove if it is inappropriate here. I don't represent the author, Cory Doctorow, I just like him and figured his kickstarter might not get much German attention... which I do not speak. I can recommend the English print version of Red Team Blue and its sequel, The Bezzle, but my favorite of his is Walkaway.

[–] memfree@piefed.social 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] memfree@piefed.social 7 points 3 days ago

I have to disagree on this one. I loved the movie then immediately read the book, whereupon I discovered that as good as I'd found the movie, the book was even better. While I've ended up seeing the movie several times (when it happens to air), I've only reread the book once, but the book was, is, and will always be superior.

[–] memfree@piefed.social 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I think my view of the English came from a cross between Monty Python and the Alec Guiness in both Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Bridge Over the River Kwai -- maybe with an unrelated bit of The Man Who Would Be King thrown in for good measure. Anyway, I only have the best things to say about the TV version, and I'm only now realizing that nere in the U.S., we missed 25 minutes of it to editing.

[–] memfree@piefed.social 1 points 4 days ago

I've only seen four Tarkovsky films, but yes, he's a fabulous director. I've not read the book and don't know if an English translation would do it justice, so I'll take your word for it that the extremely good movie was better than its source.

Note that I didn't make that list of 6. I just thought the movie community might like to read the article. Y'all don't have to call me out with all things they skipped because I'd have put stuff like the Wizard of Oz and Ran on there (and then quickly ducked because no one gets away with saying a movie is better than Shakespear's original work).

[–] memfree@piefed.social 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I wasn't gonna split that hair because it was based on some of Clarke's shorter works that were optioned for the basis of the film. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_(novel)

[–] memfree@piefed.social 8 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (4 children)

Well, if you're going to go there, then A Clockwork Orange and 2001: A Space Odyssey. One can easily complain that Anthony Burgess wrote a better book filled with imagery and politics (and a glossary!) which Kubrick failed to capture, so that one might be arguable. On the other hand, while Arthur C. Clarke wrote a good book that Kubrick largely ignored, the result was one of the most innovative films in history. The film brought space to life in a way that printed words could not. Sure, Kubrick's work can now be easily CGI-ed up, but he thought to do all of it and he did it the hard way before we had computers.

As far as Eyes Wide Shut goes... I kinda hated it because it felt like the default daydream of old men fantasizing about what they wish they'd done back when they couild still get it up. I read an article years ago about how for years Kubrick had script readers who would read hundreds of books and scripts to give him recommendations for what to make into his his next movie and they were all terrified of recommending something beneath The Master, and then he didn't like the things he did see, and this went on and on, and I feel like he was stuck with material that a concensus would find acceptable/interesting rather than anything that was more avant garde.

[–] memfree@piefed.social 5 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Have you rewatched it recently? I ask because I rewatched it a few years ago and (while I still love it) I thought that modern audiences would complain about the pacing and such.

 

We asked The Atlantic’s writers and editors: What’s a film adaptation that’s better than the book?

The article explains why they consider the movies Jurassic Park, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Devil Wears Prada, The Social Network, and Clear and Present Danger each to be better than their source material.

[–] memfree@piefed.social 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Mostly old B&W movies, as I'm want to do. The stand out was:

  • The Scarlet Empress (1934), which was absolutely gorgeous and full of horses charging about. Not walking, but galloping into towns, up stairs, and everywhere. It is littered with fantastic sets, dramatic lighting, and shots of Marlene Dietrich at her height, ranging from shy, to coquettish, to powerful, she chewed up every scene.

The rest are mostly skippable, but I recommend the first couple to film lovers for reference if for nothing else:

  • As the Earth Turns (1934) - the film gives a dichotomy between city and farm life in the desires of two of its characters. It isn't entirely successful at exploring different points of view, but overall, it was an interesting look back in time for: choice of subject, manner of delivery, set designs, and perhaps as reference for cinematography (it wasn't a standout like the Scarlet Empress, but it was shot well enough for a lower budget, simple film).
  • Civil War (2024) - Near-future dramatization of what it is like to be a photojournalist in a war. I appreciated that political parties weren't mentioned. We can make guesses based on stuff like the non-military racist who's killing people out in the boonies and similar hints, but that has nothing to do with the main story: photojournalist life during wartime.
  • Movie Crazy (1932) - The premise is that Our Hero accidentally mails a handsome headshot to hollywood instead of his own image, whereupon he sets off for a screentest and sees an actress in costume that he later can't identify as the some person such that he flirts with both her personnas and annoys her. Lots of pratfall-style silliness throughout via Harold Lloyd. Pre-code film with post-code content (nothing too risque, and an ending fight seen meant to be funny and long, but not that violent).
  • They Met in Argentina (1941) - predictable, repetitive light fare, but the singing was nice.
  • Baby Take a Bow (1934) - It's got Shirley Temple, if that works for you. She was about 5 and yes, she does some dancing.
  • The Blue Bird (1940) - It's got Shirley Temple. She was about 11.
  • Honeymoon (1947) - It's got Shirley Temple. She was about 18.
 

To commemorate the late director's films, Turner Classic Movies will will run a program they've titled "REMEMBERING DAVID LYNCH", which is a subset of some of his films with a bit of commentary before and after some of them. The below times are for Eastern Daylight Savings Time.

I wouldn't normally post this sort of advertising/hype. but @lemmyuser68@sopuli.xyz recently mentioned Lynch was a as a favorite director, so I thought folks might want a heads up. Other upcoming themes will include a look at the cinematography of Joseph Ruttenberg on July 25th and a Francis Ford Coppala thing on the 31st. Of possible other note, they're doing pre-code Robert Mongomery flicks on the morning of July 14th: Lovers Courageous (1932), Private Lives (1931), Untamed (1929), Love in the Rough (1930), The Divorcee (1930), When Ladies Meet (1933). TCM links: July overview pdf / daily schedules.

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