What are you watching

I’ve just watched three episodes of Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey, and I’ve cried at each portrait reveal. I’m quite surprised at how emotional I felt.
 
The brother phoned me last week just as I was coming to the end of another viewing of one of my all time favourite films [on DVD], Red River (John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Walter Brennan), and he laughed while I explained, "If in doubt stick on Red River".

Well, I've just watched another favourite and I have to say it's so good I'm glad I watch it less often. It's an absolute classic.

The Man who Shot Liberty Valance.

Right up there with The Searchers etc.
 
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I watch a lot of those Sky Arts programme about actors or directors and resolve to watch all of the films they mention but never get round to it. There are so many amazing films that I’ll never get round to watching. I do like to discover a director or actor or musician and then go back and watch or listen to their work over the years and see their influences and how their work evolves. It happened years ago when I saw Pans Labyrinth and, being laid up with a bad leg I devoted a lot of time watching all of Guillermo del Toro’s previous films. I thought that, when I retired ten years ago I’d catch up on all the films and books that I wanted to watch or read. So much for that!
 
I’m very late to the party, but have been binge-watching the thoroughly-excellent Yellowstone (just started S4) over the last two weeks.
 
Desert Orchid said:
The brother phoned me last week just as I was coming to the end of another viewing of one of my all time favourite films [on DVD], Red River (John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Walter Brennan), and he laughed while I explained, "If in doubt stick on Red River".

Well, I've just watched another favourite and I have to say it's so good I'm glad I watch it less often. It's an absolute classic.

The Man who Shot Liberty Valance.

Right up there with The Searchers etc.
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I'm not sure if any of you remember a series BBC ran on Friday nights in early 70s- 'Wayne In Action.' My Dad used to allow me stay up late to watch the films - his admiration for John Wayne is on a similar level to mine with Margot Robbie. Anyway, when I first saw Liberty Valance the goosebumps I got at the 'big reveal' still stay with me. In fact I'm getting some now just typing this.

I once had a birthday party (in my 30s) and the dress theme was 'The Man who shot Liberty Vlanace.' I kid you not.
 
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My 50th was fancy dress...everyone had to dress up as the name of a racehorse! I went as Sun Princess in a gold dress and I made a sort of halo headdress. Literally every person who came dressed up. I decorated the room with lots of sets of colours hanging up, I painted some large silhouettes of racehorses with their colours picked out. I also put up furlong markers and a winning post. Then the food table I made into a steeplechase fence with birch and white wings plus two bookies boards. Looked amazing!
 
an capall said:
I'm not sure if any of you remember a series BBC ran on Friday nights in early 70s- 'Wayne In Action.' My Dad used to allow me stay up late to watch the films - his admiration for John Wayne is on a similar level to mine with Margot Robbie. Anyway, when I first saw Liberty Valance the goosebumps I got at the 'big reveal' still stay with me. In fact I'm getting some now just typing this.

I once had a birthday party (in my 30s) and the dress theme was 'The Man who shot Liberty Vlanace.' I kid you not.
Click to expand...

Did anyone come as the John Otway song?


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an capall said:
I'm not sure if any of you remember a series BBC ran on Friday nights in early 70s- 'Wayne In Action.' My Dad used to allow me stay up late to watch the films - his admiration for John Wayne is on a similar level to mine with Margot Robbie. Anyway, when I first saw Liberty Valance the goosebumps I got at the 'big reveal' still stay with me. In fact I'm getting some now just typing this.

I once had a birthday party (in my 30s) and the dress theme was 'The Man who shot Liberty Vlanace.' I kid you not.
Click to expand...

A few years back I happened to ask Orchidette if she had ever seen the film as I wanted to recommend it to her.

She said, "OMG, that's an amazing film! It was on TV in the background one day when I was studying and I found after 20 minutes I had to give up on the studying and watch it through to the end. I was a wreck at the end!"

Re the party, who did you go as? Link Appleyard? :lol:
 
Desert Orchid said:
A few years back I happened to ask Orchidette if she had ever seen the film as I wanted to recommend it to her.

She said, "OMG, that's an amazing film! It was on TV in the background one day when I was studying and I found after 20 minutes I had to give up on the studying and watch it through to the end. I was a wreck at the end!"

Re the party, who did you go as? Link Appleyard? :lol:
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Vera Miles if I remember correctly. Apropos of nothing - Lee Marvin was an excellent bad guy as Liberty, but by far my favourite western 'baddie' was the peerless Jack Palance as Wilson in Shane. Last 20 mins of that film..jeez, more goosebumps!!
 
Berlin:1945 BBC4. Told through recorded words of people who were there on all sides. Very harrowing at times, especially after the Russians arrived although the Germans were atrocious to their own citizens at the end, or rather the Nazi fanatics were.
 
I did catch some of it: think I’ve seen parts of it before and remember thinking how good it was. I must watch the whole of it but need to pick the right time given that it’s extremely harrowing albeit being incredibly good, too. It beggars belief how cruel human beings can be to other human beings, doesn’t it.
 
I recall reading a book about the battle of Berlin and the stats they were throwing around were horrendous. They estimate that 9,000,000 German women and girls were raped during the Red Army march through Germany.

9 effing million! :confused:
 
Simmo -I'd guess the book was written by Anthony Beevor -an excellent read. Saw the programme on BBC-also very Good.
 
One of the narratives read was by a German lady, who with her friends was trying to shelter from the bombardment but were found by the Russians, and she said, paraphrasing, 'they raped Frau xxxx , then all of us, including Inge ,who was 8'.
One of perhaps the most amazing facts to come out of the programme is that there were Jewish people still in hiding in Berlin at that stage of the war.
 
I started watching the Sopranos intending a bing but after the first 4 episodes of Season1 I deleted the lot. Was bloody awful watching the late Gandolfini and his cronies playing 2nd rate Godfather tough guys.

I moved to Better Call Saul which I am thoroughly enjoying.
 
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Just started watching The Last of Us on dvd but frustratingly it doesn’t come with subtitles and I really struggle with understanding what’s going on without them.
 
Judgement at Nuremberg was a film on BBC4 last night. Sadly I did my usual trick of falling alseep towards the end, and then not sleeping all night - but fabulous cast would make me watch it on iplayer which I actually don't like doing. Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster - you have to look twice, ditto Montgomery Clift, Judy Garland, a very young and good looking William Shatner. A very badly cast Richard Widmark in a big role somewhat annoys when watching but otherwise worth a view. Tracy looks older than his 61 years at the time of filming whether intentional or not sure but class actor.
 
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