Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
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Post by Odysseus on Oct 15, 2020 0:05:15 GMT
In keeping with my last (or so) movie puzzler, I decided I needed to lower my blood pressure and popped in a DVD of The Sound of Music the other day.
I remember when this first came out. My older sister, who had moved out of the house to get her own job and apartment, decided to treat the rest of the family. I think it must have been 1965 or 1966. She'd already seen it, and wanted the rest of us to see it, in part because the movie family's flight from disaster sort of, in a very small way, matched our own family's not too distant experience.
I was about 14 at the time, and it was my first widescreen full sound movie experience. I remember being totally blown away by the opening, plastered back in my seat. What cinematography. What soundtrack. Awesome. Truly one of the great movies of all time. I haven't watched it in years; brought back sweet/sad memories.
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Oct 31, 2020 16:41:59 GMT
Two weeks ago I was in the hospital ER/ICU for about 24 hours. Not a pleasant experience, but it was lightened when I figured out how to operate the cable TV in the ICU room. I found an interesting movie by the name of "Alpha", and watched that all the way through (albeit having to restart it a few times due to the awkward interface).
It's basically about a young ice age boy/man who gets injured and separated from his tribe, who assume he's dead, and winds up befriending an injured wolf, whom he names Alpha. The two have a series of adventures, saving each other's lives, and eventually the man/boy Keda makes his way back to his nomadic tribe, and they welcome both him and his wolf back with open arms.
It's a touching movie and the high point of my hospital stay. (Still recovering, but basically OK now, thanks for asking).
PS-If you can avoid the ICU, do so by all means, LOL.
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Nov 5, 2020 3:01:50 GMT
With regard to television, I find I am watching less and less "commercial broadcast TV", and more public TV. For more than one reason. Prime reason is that the programming on PBS and similar public TV is of much more interest to me. More informative and/or entertaining. Other reasons may include the incessant cloying for-profit commercials that plague most non-public TV station broadcasts. It's especially annoying during the evening news. You might get, if you are lucky, the first 10 minutes without any commercial breaks. After that it seems like more of the broadcast time is spent on commercials than on actual news coverage. The networks try to disguise this by running a few minutes of commercials, switching back to the newscast for maybe 30 seconds, and then jumping back into more minutes of commercials. Out of all of it, one might actually get about 15 minutes of actual news.
Of course, PBS has its pledge breaks, but they are limited to certain times and relatively easy to predict and avoid.
YMMV
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Post by william on Nov 5, 2020 4:44:01 GMT
With regard to television, I find I am watching less and less "commercial broadcast TV", and more public TV. For more than one reason. Prime reason is that the programming on PBS and similar public TV is of much more interest to me. More informative and/or entertaining. Other reasons may include the incessant cloying for-profit commercials that plague most non-public TV station broadcasts. It's especially annoying during the evening news. You might get, if you are lucky, the first 10 minutes without any commercial breaks. After that it seems like more of the broadcast time is spent on commercials than on actual news coverage. The networks try to disguise this by running a few minutes of commercials, switching back to the newscast for maybe 30 seconds, and then jumping back into more minutes of commercials. Out of all of it, one might actually get about 15 minutes of actual news. Of course, PBS has its pledge breaks, but they are limited to certain times and relatively easy to predict and avoid. YMMV The programming during the pledge bs is usually even better than their very good standard fare. I'm guessing that you don't do Prime. I also get Britbox and Acorn (also british). Both are very good. I recently watched Endeavour, Morse and am now on Lewis - inspector morse was 1st, endeavour a prequel and Lewis followed morse. |
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Nov 5, 2020 4:49:24 GMT
With regard to television, I find I am watching less and less "commercial broadcast TV", and more public TV. For more than one reason. Prime reason is that the programming on PBS and similar public TV is of much more interest to me. More informative and/or entertaining. Other reasons may include the incessant cloying for-profit commercials that plague most non-public TV station broadcasts. It's especially annoying during the evening news. You might get, if you are lucky, the first 10 minutes without any commercial breaks. After that it seems like more of the broadcast time is spent on commercials than on actual news coverage. The networks try to disguise this by running a few minutes of commercials, switching back to the newscast for maybe 30 seconds, and then jumping back into more minutes of commercials. Out of all of it, one might actually get about 15 minutes of actual news. Of course, PBS has its pledge breaks, but they are limited to certain times and relatively easy to predict and avoid. YMMV The programming during the pledge bs is usually even better than their very good standard fare. I'm guessing that you don't do Prime. I also get Britbox and Acorn (also british). Both are very good. I recently watched Endeavour, Morse and am now on Lewis - inspector morse was 1st, endeavour a prequel and Lewis followed morse.
Nah, I'm too cheap for Prime etc.
I prefer free TV. One of these days I might actually contribute to the local PBS station again, though. I cut the cable about ten years ago, when digital broadcasts started.
I will however buy DVD's of favorite movies/TV shows.
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Post by william on Nov 5, 2020 4:55:04 GMT
The programming during the pledge bs is usually even better than their very good standard fare. I'm guessing that you don't do Prime. I also get Britbox and Acorn (also british). Both are very good. I recently watched Endeavour, Morse and am now on Lewis - inspector morse was 1st, endeavour a prequel and Lewis followed morse.
Nah, I'm too cheap for Prime etc.
I prefer free TV. One of these days I might actually contribute to the local PBS station again, though. I cut the cable about ten years ago, when digital broadcasts started.
I will however buy DVD's of favorite movies/TV shows.
Have you considered PBS online. You must have internet. I think I pay 6 bucks per month for PBS. |
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Nov 5, 2020 17:08:44 GMT
Nah, I'm too cheap for Prime etc.
I prefer free TV. One of these days I might actually contribute to the local PBS station again, though. I cut the cable about ten years ago, when digital broadcasts started.
I will however buy DVD's of favorite movies/TV shows.
Have you considered PBS online. You must have internet. I think I pay 6 bucks per month for PBS.
And I pay nothing to watch PBS over the air.
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Post by william on Nov 5, 2020 17:17:23 GMT
Have you considered PBS online. You must have internet. I think I pay 6 bucks per month for PBS.
And I pay nothing to watch PBS over the air.
True. I like having their full library open at any time. I had rather watch a full series than wait for the weekly. |
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Nov 8, 2020 5:43:26 GMT
Local PBS station is broadcasting "Bridge on the River Kwai" in its entirely w/o commercials or breaks, tonight.
Really a fantastic movie. Great acting all round. Love it.
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Post by william on Nov 9, 2020 23:59:04 GMT
Local PBS station is broadcasting "Bridge on the River Kwai" in its entirely w/o commercials or breaks, tonight. Really a fantastic movie. Great acting all round. Love it. Must be pledge week. |
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Nov 10, 2020 0:06:31 GMT
Local PBS station is broadcasting "Bridge on the River Kwai" in its entirely w/o commercials or breaks, tonight. Really a fantastic movie. Great acting all round. Love it. Must be pledge week.
Don't think so.
Local station KQED runs generally first rate movies every Saturday night.
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Post by william on Nov 10, 2020 0:09:54 GMT
Don't think so.
Local station KQED runs generally first rate movies every Saturday night.
Cool. The only time my local does anything like that it's pledge week |
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Nov 11, 2020 6:39:13 GMT
I watched a great show on PBS tonight.
It was about how Hitler managed to gain power in 1932.
Reminded me of how Trump is trying to cling to power in 2020.
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Nov 11, 2020 6:47:34 GMT
Full episode, "Rise of the Nazis":
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Nov 11, 2020 6:55:21 GMT
And here's a three hour documentary of the rise of the Nazis. Haven't watched it yet.
It's a bit dated... not just because it deals with events of 90 years ago, but also because it's a bit melodramatic. Still, lots of archival footage and commentary. The PBS series previously mentioned, I think, makes for better viewing. But this is still worthwhile.
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Nov 13, 2020 7:15:15 GMT
Watching this right now.
Stuart Canin was the concertmaster (1st Violin) for the SF Symphony from 1970-1980, during which time I took up the violin and was briefly a music major, so his name was familiar to me, although I didn't know of his past experience playing for the world leaders at the historic Potsdam conference until I saw this documentary about him.
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Nov 15, 2020 4:52:38 GMT
Local PBS station is showing West Side Story in its entirety this evening.
I'm of course familiar with the soundtrack but haven't watched the movie itself for many years. I'm very impressed with the dancing as well as Bernstein's score. It's a bit dated in terms of race relations, but perhaps analogies can be made to today's ethnic American mixture.
Another epic.
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Nov 15, 2020 6:32:07 GMT
And if there is one thing West Side Story, and the Romeo and Juliet play it is loosely based upon, can teach us, is that hate solves nothing, and can only create more tragedy.
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Post by thecitizen on Nov 17, 2020 0:04:54 GMT
The programming during the pledge bs is usually even better than their very good standard fare. I'm guessing that you don't do Prime. I also get Britbox and Acorn (also british). Both are very good. I recently watched Endeavour, Morse and am now on Lewis - inspector morse was 1st, endeavour a prequel and Lewis followed morse.
Nah, I'm too cheap for Prime etc.
I prefer free TV. One of these days I might actually contribute to the local PBS station again, though. I cut the cable about ten years ago, when digital broadcasts started.
I will however buy DVD's of favorite movies/TV shows.
Just finished binge watching Hanna on prime. Two seasons. Worth the watch |
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Odysseus
Legend
Trump = Disaster
Posts: 41,112
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Post by Odysseus on Nov 17, 2020 1:07:50 GMT
Watched a little more of West Side Story.
I was reminded in a way of the heated and ultimately violent political battles going on in America since Trump was elected. Not too different from the rumbles between the Jets and the Sharks. And to what end?
Looking forward to a return of civilized behavior to the American electorate.
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