The Last Movie You Saw On DVD or VHS or TV.

I'm running out of movies to watch. I watched the Boston Symphony play in Prague with Itzhak Pearlman, Yo Yo Ma, and Seiji Ozawa music by Dovrak. I especially enjoyed "Humoresque."

Robot & Frank
Set in the near future,this is a sci-fi film that isn't a sci-fi film.Grumpy ex con Frank,who is just starting the effects of Alzheimer's Disease is given a health care aid Robot (VGC-60L) by his son.Frank is an avid book reader and finds out that his local library is to be subject to "augmented reality".Frank takes Robot on a steal to the library for a certain book.All goes well so "they" plan and execute another heist,this time for high end jewelery.That also goes well until the fickle finger of fate is pointed at Frank.He has to erase Robot's memory to protect himself but,at the same time,looses a dear friend.Robot,Susan Sarandon and Frank Langella put a BIG smile on my face this morning.Movie quote - "Check the Robot's gardens under the tomatoes! Have fun kids!!"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1990314/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1

I bought Dancing With Wolves from Target ($5), and watched it last night. Good move with Kevin Costner. When my wife and I did the National Parks tour last year, we visited his casino-restaurant in Deadwood where we had lunch. Costner has many of the memorabilia from his movies displayed in his restaurant.

Caught the tail end of "gaslight" on TCM tonight. Ingrid Bergman & Charles Boyer.

Watched Good Will Hunting last night with Matt Damon and Robin Williams.
Robin Williams did a fantastic job as the psychologist, and won himself the "best supporting actor" during the 1997 Academy Awards.

I saw Mr. Damon in a newer film, Promised Land, about the dangers of fracking.

Also fantantistic.

Promised Land shows, among other things, where the real attacks on our free speech are coming from -- namely, from corporate gag orders.

I watched it at a hotel with my mother. She was worried it would be too upsetting, but I could tell from who the star was I'd agree with its message. Liberal movie-goers can't go wrong with Matt Damon.

Went to Big Lot yesterday, and bought five DVD movies. I watched Lions for Lambs with Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise. Somewhat a complicated movie that moves from one scene to another that confuses more than anything else. Not much is really resolved, on left with a lot of questions.

Can't complain for $5 bucks.

Just watched Sling Blade again - written, directed by and starring Billy Bob Thornton. When I first saw it years ago, it was the first time I think I had ever seen Thornton act. It's an amazing movie.

I watched "Ray", the film about Ray Charles, with Jaimie Foxx in the title role.
When it's been on cable before, I kept bypassing it because I've been under the impression I had seen it, and, as it turns out, I hadn't.

I'm so glad I finally got to see it! It's a very good movie, and Jaimie Foxx is fantastic--he really becomes Ray Charles. He definitely deserved his Best Actor Oscar for this performance. And it was so wonderful to hear all of that great music! So much of it is very familiar, these are classic standards now, but I had really forgotten it was Charles who had written them. I remember Ray Charles well from his TV appearances, but, at the time, I don't think I realized how innovative he was, or the kind of impact he was having on the music scene. And, listening to his music now, I appreciate it so much more, and I thank this movie for that--Ray Charles was an incredible talent, and this movie captures that talent. I love his music, and I want to keep listening to it.

The storyline fills in the background of the man, his struggles with racism and blindness and drug addiction, his womanizing, the childhood trauma of seeing his younger brother drown, etc., but the main focus of the movie is on his music and his developing career until he's about 40 and fully established as a major success. And it is the focus on the music that sets this movie apart. All of it sounds great!

This was 2 and a half hours very well spent. I'd definitely recommend it.

Thanks for your report on Ray. I'll keep it on my "see list."

It's Jamie.

Jamie did a wonderful job with "Ray." I have a complaint that covers most bio movies. They spend too much time on their troubles and flaws and not enough time on the aspects of the subject that made him or her so popular. And when they sing, no matter if they sing well or not, I want to hear the real thing.

I think this biopic struck the right balance in that regard. They drew upon Charles' own written biography and he didn't try to gloss over his flaws, they were part of who he was. And the source of his uniqueness as a musical artist was made very clear--that's why I gained an even greater appreciation of his artistry and music through this film, and I could better understand what made him stand out and become so popular.

I did a little reading about it after I saw the movie, and one reason the director ended it at the point in Charles life that he did was because he had achieved major stardom and acclaim by then (his early 40's) and there wasn't sufficient conflict or struggle after that to be of sufficient dramatic interest for a movie, or to contribute to knowing the man any better. So, putting in all those troubles and flaws may be necessary to making a dramatically interesting bio film.

One thing I also read somewhere, and I'm not sure how true it is, is that after Charles stopped using drugs, he never again achieved the creativity, or the major smash hits, that he was able to attain during the period of his life covered by this movie--and the movie does start wrapping up right after he got off drugs. The implication being that the drug use helped to fuel his creativity and, without that catalyst, his productivity and creativity significantly diminished. The movie didn't address that possibility at all.

What was great about this movie was that you were hearing the real thing--that was Ray Charles doing the singing. And Charles was involved in selecting. the particular performances of those songs that were used on the soundtrack--he was still alive when the movie was being made. Foxx did very little singing, although he was playing the piano onscreen. This is the soundtrack from the movie.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0350258/soundtrack

When I watched the movie, I wasn't sure who was doing the singing--I just knew it sounded like Ray Charles and it sounded great--now I know why, it was the real thing.

the last movie i saw on dvd was a good day to die hard....

I was including all bio pics I have seen in my criticism. Naturally they do not all follow the formula to the last detail. I stand by my words that we did not see enough of the aspects of Ray's life that made us love him. As for the fact that he was not as creative, post drugs, he was also older and had already conquered most of the genres he could have conquered anyway.

I watched "Wall Street" last night with Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen. It's a two disc dvd, so I'll watch the "special edition" tonight.

It's about 'greed' and making as much money as possible without any regard to the laws or other people's lives.

Just like how the US is run today; the American dream gone wrong for most Americans.

"Wall Street" is a good movie, C.I.. Michael Douglas was wonderful in that.

Did you see the sequel, "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps"? I didn't enjoy that one as much as the first one.

No, didn't see the sequel, but I do enjoy Michael Douglas' acting ability.

Did you notice Michael Douglas is playing Liberace in a new movie?

Yea, we saw that when we went to see a movie in a theater.