REMINDER: Constantine’s Sword
Discussion begins tomorrow, Monday, March 15.
Elena and I recommend movies to each other off of Netflix. We have both enjoyed the fact that we can just drag them down from cyberspace and watch on the computer when we want to.
We have decided to try out a new idea on the blog, We will announce a movie and dedicate a thread to it a week later. Those who want to watch and discuss, great. Those who don’t, no problem. We will suggest the first film and hopefully contributors will suggest additional films that they have enjoyed. The only rules right now are that it has to be a film that you can watch instantly on Netflix.
This week’s film: Constantine’s Sword
The thread will go up next Monday for discussion.
Let us know by comment what you all think of this new blog twist.
Cool.
I suggest Woody Allen’s “Deconstructing Harry”. It’s a portrait of Allen as a miserable, depressed man with deep-seated misogyny. Presumably, a true portrait. It goes against the genteel grain of his other films in its joylessness and rubbed 90% of his fans the wrong way. But it’s one of his best IMO, deep and funny.
They also have “Husbands and Wives” on instant, another one of his best films. It’s a more serious one, a rumination on marriage/monogamy being an unrealistic state. Not a happy perspective but he makes the arguement well.
When you make a movie suggestion, MH, can you link it to a description or something so we will know what you are recommending?
I like to watch PBS Miss Marple (Agatha Christie) movies on the computer via Netflix.
“Tut tut. How could he have been the killer after all?”
Thanks you guys. This is off to a good start. Rick, we had you in mind when we decided to try this.
Thank you for the forum. Yes, I love to talk about movies. The sarcasm and fatalism go on hold when I talk about movies.
And I think Netflix is a godsend.
Me too, Netflix is great! The instant view feature is a lifesaver when I’m on travel – there’s so much on there that I no longer have to worry about taking DVD’s along to keep myself occupied at the hotel in the evenings.
I like Woody Allen films too – some are really funny, others are more serious – it’s kind of interesting to see how his films have changed over the years.
He’s made some great underrated movies – “Radio Days”, “Match Point”, “Stardust Memories” … the little pervert is a great artist.
Radio Days and Stardust Memories were good movies. I must confess I’ve never seen Match Point.
He’s still living with his adopted daughter (or was it his wife’s adopted daughter) – right?
I’ll see if I can get time to view “Constantine’s Sword” over the weekend. It looks like an interesting movie as I like historical films. Sounds like a good idea to pick a movie and discuss it each week on the blog – and since many of us have Netflix we can easily do it for “free” on the instant view feature. That’s a great idea actually.
“Match Point” is actually not comedic at all. It’s a suspense in the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock, a story about an amoral action and whether the perpetrator gets caught. You would never guess Woody made the movie, it bears little relationship to his other films. But I thought it was a great classically made movie.
He and Soon-Yi were married in the late 90’s I think. They have adopted two daughters. I do not approve of the relationship or its origins, but it seems to be real and enduring. She is seen with him in the documentary “Wild Man Blues” which follows his dixieland band around on a small swing around Europe maybe 10 years ago. (Strangely, I don’t see it on netflix). My observations and most other people’s of her from that movie is that she is not what most of us would assume from Asian stereotypes and from her running away with Woody – she does not seem especially intelligent or cunning. Rather she seems, as some of her siblings have said of her, pretty slow mentally.
And he actually comes off quite charming in that movie. Though I’m sure, as others have said, that he turns that on and off.
It’s an unusual relationship but they let a guy follow them around at length with a camera, and day to day it looks a lot like of other marriages probably would.
I still will never get past what I see as child abuse. I just can’t sorry. I haven’t seen a Woody Allen movie since the fiasco.
Constantine Sword is fascinating, truly fascinating. I love historical religious documentary’s. so much of our world revolves around religion.
I look forward to discussing it next week!!!
Let’s just decide now that next Monday starts Constantine’s Sword and the week after that will be “Deconstructing Harry”. Do we need a week or should we step it up some and only seperate with a few days? How does everyone else feel?
Rick will you lead discussion on your film? And don’t laugh at the rest of us who might not have your fine eye for film. I just want to be entertained or learn something. Nothing intellectual.
GR, will you be suggesting a film for us?
I’ll be glad to if you like. But I know that film won’t be to everyone’s taste, watching Woody walk around calling women the c-word and being misreable and justifying his aftions. I’d rather suggest this one, “Doubt”, at the risk of doing two in a row that could offend Catholics – http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/Doubt/70100377?strackid=6b013e4c7cc587a0_0_srl&strkid=585769706_0_0&trkid=438381
because
A. It’s a good one to provoke discussion
B. It’s well-made
C. It’s recent
D. It has a great actress and a great actor leading it
Ok, then Doubt it is.
I will check it out today. I will be honest. I don’t like Woody Allen. He symbolizes the ewww factor to me, but I was going to be a good sport. I could probably stomach the C word more than Woody being miserable.
I am not a big fan of comedy. Someone needs to make me like comedy films.
I am cheating…watching Doubt now.
been there done that, LOVE Streep!!!!!!!!!
What an old bitch…
Finally, we agree on something.
Done. I really enjoyed that film, Rick. So many levels. wow.
LOLOL 🙂
@PWC Taxpayer
I’m going to try to watch Constantine’s Sword, hopefully this weekend.
I think a week apart is too far between movies.
I also think I am going to have to re-watch Constantine’s Sword. Doubt almost washed away some of the Sword stuff.
Rick, I will take more recommendations like that one. There was another one I watched that you recommended…a while back. Jewish underground resistance. Now I can’t remember the name. It was just excellent.
I LOVE that you are doing the movie thing. I hope I can watch the film before Monday. Sounds like a fabulous idea:)
DG,
It was really fascinating to watch. Sad in many parts but also uplifting. Watch it, you won’t regret it!
M-H,
Are you talking about The Long Journey Home or is this another movie I need to watch?
Long Way Home, Elena. The one we both watched and talked about regarding Holocaust survivors. Ooops I think I called it the wrong thing. Excellent excellent film.
Great, DG. I think it should be fun also. I wish I knew how to do a live session. Probably one of those meeting programs would do it. I will ask around. Does anyone know?
The movie was “Defiance”, about some Polish Jews who escaped capture living in the woods (a true story). Great underseen movie.
LOVED Defiance, well, loved probably not the right word. The scene when Liev Shrieber finds out about his wife and child, tears were running down my cheeks, almost uncontrollably. The bravery of some during that time period is just unfathomable to me.
And it was a great recommendation, Rick. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Elena is right…love just isn’t the right word.
Moon-howler if I were to recommend another film, it would be “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” from 1938, one of my all-time favorites. Though 70+ years old, it is surprising how completely relevant it is to today – not much has changed, we have the same system of government now as then. And it’s extremely compelling despite its age, a great film by any era’s standards.
Does it past the test? Downloadable from Netflix?
Yep.
As of today, anyway. Some of the instant downloads go up and down over time. I would have recommended “Standard Operating procedure” which i watched on Instant a few weeks ago, but it’s no longer available for Instant Access.
They seem to be focusing on providing instant access to :
Recent movies, where the copyright holder is amenable – and I think sometimes the permission to do this is only granted for a specific period of time
TV shows – which makes perfect sense
Foreign movies – which is what I actually watch the most this way, nice to be able to casually browse a Herzog or a Fassbinder film when you’re in the mood
Love the idea of mr.smith goes to washington as a movie review!
I don’t know about that (my suggesting a film). A large percentage of films I watch are really action/sci-fi type films – not the kind that would provoke much thoughtful commentary/analysis/discussion! That’s not to say I don’t enjoy other types of films, but somehow it seems the majority of films I watch just aren’t really meant to be thought provoking!
For me, weekly is good. I don’t often have a lot of time in the evenings for watching a 2 hour movie. However, far be it from me to say it shouldn’t be every few days. I could just participate in every other film viewing.
Now that is a classic film – if ever there was one! And it is interesting how it stands up to the test of time.
That’s true – I’ve added some to my “instant access queue” as it were – only to find them no longer watchable because they pulled them. Some stay on there forever, but others seem to have a shorter lifespan. I haven’t exactly figured out the pattern.
That must explain why some movies tend to only be on for shorter periods of time. It must be the recent ones – I hadn’t really noticed that. I do like that they stick a lot of old TV shows on there and those seem to for the most part stay up for long periods of time.
Even though “Standard Operating Procedure” isn’t available on Instant anymore, I’d definitely recommenbd putting it on one’s regular queue. It’s a documentary about Abu Girab. I found that it did not have a real axe to grind politically – it was a real explanation, from the mouths of those who were there, of what happened in that prison and of how those torture photos came to be.
another classic….12 angry men
Why is Netflix pulling the instant access off the films? I wouldn’t even mind paying a surcharge.
I love 12 Angry Men also. Yeah that would be a pretty good choice for discussion.
I think netflix has to get permission from the film studios to do Instant Access, and the studios sometimes grant it only temporarily. I’m surprised it goes up and down as much as it does though, I don’t really understand it. I know that “digital rights” is the next great frontier of moneymaking, and of negotitaion between copyright holders and unions (directors union, actors union, screenwriters union). Maybe sometimes they allow instant access mostly just to see how many people will seek to watch that film, but don’t want it left up for long.
“Today, titles regularly come in and out of license and there is a natural ebb and flow to what we have on license at any given point in time.” – Steve Swasey, Netflix VP, late 2008
I certainly like the instant access feature. I got a blue ray that allows me access on the TV just so I could take advantage of it.
Of course, we could always do one that isn’t instant access if we gave enough advance notice.
I agree, that is a great film and would also be a good film for discussion.
I have an older Blu Ray that doesn’t have the newer features of internet access. However, for $99 Netflix sells this device that lets you watch the Instant Access stuff on your TV, and either hooks to a wired or wireless internet connection. http://www.roku.com/ – it also connects to Amazon’s pay service where you can rent or purchase TV or movies in digital form. I will confess to not trying that – as there is a huge catalog of stuff there and I know if I ever started looking at it – I’d be too tempted to push the “buy” or “rent” button! However, that device is great for watching the Netflix Instant View stuff – it puts out 720p HD as long as your internet connection is fast enough to download the movies or TV shows in that form (and they are in HD – of course a lot of the instant view stuff is older and is NOT in HD). I’m happy with my Blu Ray player even though it doesn’t have the newer “interactive over the internet” feature – so this was a good alternative to letting me watch Netflix Instant View on the TV rather than the computer.