movie recommendations

[Art Blade]

I either read "the book" or watch "the film". Never mix those :)

[JRD]

I read all the books first hand... eventually, as the movies hit the rental store, I bring them home on a rainy sunday  ;)

[spaceboy]

et al

= ? probably a typo, but I can't decipher it. sorry, but what does that mean?

"Et al.' is a scholarly abbreviation of the Latin phrase et alia, which means "and others." It is commonly used when you don't want to name all the people or things in a list, and works in roughly the same way as "etc."

Now I didn't know all that exactly, just the proper use (I ganked that description from http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/etal.html).

Anyways, way too many good movies listed above to comment on them all, but I've got to at least say something about Harry Potter.

Absolutely wonderful books, extra long lunch hours (and late nights) when HP books were out so I could find out what happened next.  I just love the universe. 

Of course the movies don't compare to the books but they are fun and wonderful for what they are.  They are beautiful to watch with decent acting (by the adults - what a great cast).  I think they did a good job with them.

However, I sat and read those books to my boy before he could see the movie for each book.

[Art Blade]

thanks for the help with "et al" - I think it is uncommon where I come from.

About HP - I had no reason to want to know about HP at all (not et al) (haha) because I don't have kids and I don't follow "hypes" or mega-trends just for the sake of hip-ness. However, after the hype had vanished and no one was talking about HP any more, they started to sell the vids in collectors editions. That's when I can't resist  ;D So I actually got the flicks at last, and watched them all in a row. Which was pure and utter fun. Remarkable was the fact that they kept hiring the same kid-actor whom you could watch grow old(er), litterally. Good job, I admit :)

[JRD]

I don't follow mega-trends either but my wife got the first book and was amazed (she works with kids) so I couldn't resist reading the first HP.
One thing led to another and soon enough I was completely addicted to the story. I was checking the net on a regular basis to see when the next book would be out (like I am now waiting for OFP2  ;D ).

spaceboy... its great to see a father reading a book to his son these days.. its something that seem to be outdated, but shouldn't be   :-X.  spacekid will grow to be a reader in addition to a gamer, which is excellent  ;)

[RedRaven]

JRD is sadly correct when he says

"its something that seem to be outdated, but shouldn't be"
and much kudos to spaceboy 8)

reading & understanding language is the best key to advancing yourself (if you can read and understand what your reading you can teach yourself ANYTHING)
my son is an avid reader of allsorts (Harry Potter thru to History)

its good to know that other parents value the ability to read :-X

[spaceboy]

Thanks guys.  Yeah he does like reading and even dropped $25 of his own to buy a couple books for himself the other week.  I always say I'm more concerned that the interest is there and keep that up, than exactly how good he is at reading - that'll come if the interest is there.

I've got a small library of classic literature that I've read, but my lunchtime reading has been diminished because of you lot! - OWG is too addictive.  :-[

On a somewhat on topic note that segways reading.  I highly recommend watching to the DVD "Here Comes the ABCs" by They Might Be Giants.  Yes it is for kids to learn, but even if you don't have little kids the music is fabulous, the lyrics ingenious, and a lot of fun.  The CD is good enough to just listen too, but you've got to see the videos as well to get the full vision of TMBG.  "Here comes the 123s" came after and is ok, but not as good as the ABCs.

I just know a lot of folks on this site would appreciate a kids song called "C is for conifers".  Just great.

[Art Blade]

reading & understanding language is the best key to advancing yourself (if you can read and understand what your reading you can teach yourself ANYTHING)

basically I learned real English by reading and listening (Ok, I had English at school for starters). But I learned Spanish from scratch, reading only grammars (in the end like 20 grammar books, LOL). I was able to read newspapers and watch films after about three months. Of course it took a while to speak fluently due to the lack of specific words that I kept learning when needed.

[Kokopelli]

I guess I am a stick in the mud - I cannot stand the anime stuff.  Since I have six year old however, we tend to watch a lot of the new Disney movies.  I actually prefer them over the stuff that came out between the late 80s and 90s.  I cannot stand musicals.  They sing about anything and everything, and with the stuff that's been turned into musicals, I am surprised they don't have a musical based on Fallout.  Okay, that would probably be funny, if they kept it sardonic like FO3

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not some uncultured caveman not open to new stuff.  I'll watch a Broadway show if it's in here town, and I have the time and cash to do so.  Like I wanted to see Avenue Q, but it was around Christmas.  As for the new stuff from Disney, most of it good.  My daughter didn't understand the message of Wall-E, but she has a better grasp of why not to trash the Earth.  However, Bolt, she loves that movie.

spaceboy... its great to see a father reading a book to his son these days.. its something that seem to be outdated, but shouldn't be   :-X.  spacekid will grow to be a reader in addition to a gamer, which is excellent  ;)

I think it depends on the parents.  My sister, she doesn't read much to her kids, which is why their 7-year daughter's reading isn't as sharp as my 6-year old's.  Which is why we have always read to her, even when she was in the womb.  It is actually nice when go to a bookstore, and she wants to spend her allowance on a book.

Right now, my wife and her read the books, and I tell the stories.  I would like to keep in the area of my creations, Billy the Blue Jay and Captain Black-tail. (named after our beagle mix, who has a black tail and is loosely based of Ragnar Danneskjold.)  Unfortunately, she's obsessed with Rudolph and the Danger Rangers.  So at her request, the lovable reindeer has had all sorts of adventures... from running away from home, getting mauled by the Bumble, to getting arrested.  The funny thing about it, is that I try to steer away from that stuff.  It is all her dark sense of humor, which is a clone of myself.  LOL

[Fiach]

Well my kids are weird, My little girs fave movie when she was 2, was Lord of the Rings! She could even tell me which part of the trilogy was which and could give a synopsis lol. Shes 4 now and likes BRATZ ! :-[

My other kids, two sons, 6 and 9 love reading, think they get it from me, I'm an avid reader, same as my dad.

A great kids movie I recommend, is The Princess Bride.

[spaceboy]

"As you wish"

I love Princess Bride.  If anyone doesn't know that movie, that sentence sounds strange coming from a grown man, but it is so damn funny.  "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!"

Definitely go rent this movie if you haven't seen it.  It is not really a "little" kids movie, it's not animated, Plus it's got Andre the Giant, Mandy Patinkin, and the lovely Robin Wright Penn.

[PZ]

Although probably not entertaining for today's kids, The Wizard of Oz.  In the olden days, before there was color TV there was B/W TV in which you (i.e, me) had to change glass vacuum tubes when they burned out.  It is during that era that I first watched that fabulous movie, and every year in the spring time it was aired again.  I used to wait for weeks for the night it aired and got cozy and comfortable with a large pile of snacks to watch Dorothy and her zany friends w@&k their way through Oz.

[JRD]

Have you tried the Pink Floyd trick while watching the Wizard of Oz?
Try this if you haven't:
Have a Dark Side of the Moon CD (it's an acronym for Compact Disc PZ, your grandson should have one  ;D) at your player ready to start track #1.
Put the Wizard of Oz in your DVD player (again pops, ask your grandson to help you  ;D).
At the second roar of the MGM lion during the intro, press play on the CD player and watch the movie with the sound off.....
It's just amazing how the music goes with the movie!

[RedRaven]

 what a coincidence , some one was telling me about that couple of days ago.
and cheezy as it is Mary Poppins is a favorite from my youth, such a brilliant film ;D, not a big disney fan but good old Mary gets me singing along like child again.
and when you feel the need to be sad and emotional Watershipdown tops my list, :'(

[Art Blade]

Mary Poppins! "chim-chimney, chim-chimney, la lala lala..." <sings>  yeah, when I was a kid... good stuff :)

oh, and Robin Hood. Not the Costner character, the old stuff, haha

[RedRaven]

yeah... the cartoon with the animals, got that on DVD somewhere. quality family entertainment :-X

[retiredgord]

Wizard of Oz..Pink Floyd and  couple of Highball glasses of Rye n ginger...what a movie night   hehehhe

[PZ]

You are one funny guy JRD!  You just wait until you're old enough to be a gramps - oh wait... you're here on these forums just like the rest of us old geezers!

supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Another old favorite is the original Parent Trap with Hailey Mills.  Newer favorites include Babe, Cars, and Ratatouille - spectacular in Blu-Ray

[Art Blade]

I was just thinking, what if we renamed this topic to "movie recommendations"?

• The already posted reviews or recommendations would still fit.
• We already have deviations towards adult movies
• We could add any movie rather than start many more topics

Waltz with Bashir

A few days ago I watched this film that is both animated and not exactly for kids, yet impressive. It is a documentation with interviews and scenes depicting memories of a man (the Israeli film maker himself) who doesn't remember where he was during a certain Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War in 1982. Step by step his memory returns... The first animated film to be nominated for an Oscar as "Best Foreign Language Film". With this film, the director was presented with an unexpected problem: He had to decide whether to go to Berlinale or Cannes film festivals! He was invited to both events LOL

A sidenote: Just to mention one thing that goes for all my recommendations: I always watch films undubbed, that means I read subtitles if I don't speak the language. I do that because I believe the sound and dialogue, specifically the voices of the actors, is part of the artwork and cannot be improved by dubbing. I mention this because I know some examples that are great in the original version and utter crap as dubbed versions. In one case I would never have recommended that one film if I had watched only the dubbed version.

[JRD]

I'm glad you suggested changing the topic name.
Now I can post a video from a guy from Argentina I found on youtube some time ago. I was about to post it somewhere here because I want you guys to see it. Now, here is the place  ;D
It's an animation with graphitti painted over the walls of Buenos Aires.. a real urban intervention and a great w@&k. Enjoy

[smg id=625 type=av]

[Art Blade]

that is very unique, cool  :-X thanks for that vid, JRD  :)

[PZ]

Wow, those little things crawling out of the mouth remind me of my wife's toy poodle...

[RedRaven]

not sure when its released in every bodies part of the world....
went to see TERMINATOR SALVATION last night,
really enjoyed it, if your a sci-fi fan its defo worth seeing on a big screen.
   a good addition to the story (makes up for T3 being crap i guess!)
at times felt like was watching a twisted Terminator/MadMax/FarCry/Matrix existence.

and American Psycho / Batman does a good job as John Conner. :-X ;D :-X

[Art Blade]

sounds good... will have to wait until it hits the shelves of my DVD seller (avoiding the German dubbed version)

[PZ]

Now watching "Where Eagles Dare" with Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton.  An old WWII movie that is set in winter.  Clint and Richard are supposed to rescue a captured general, but there is mystery and intrigue in their quest.  This is a great example of the military genre of which I am quiet fond.  :-X

Other military movies I recall are:

• Von Ryans Express with Frank Sinatra
• The Train with Burt Lancaster,
• The Longest Day with John Wayne and a host of big names from the golden years of film production
• The Blue Max with George Peppard
• All Quiet on the Western Front with Lew Ayres
  
• The Great Escape with Steve McQueen
• The Battle of the Bulge with Henry Fonda
• The Heroes of Telemark with Kirk Douglas
• The Guns of Navarone also with an all star cast