UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN - Harmless I guess, but need I say CHICK FLICK? The most difficult decision of this poor woman's life was what color she should have her staff of tradesmen paint her newly remodeled foyer in her newly purchased villa in the Italian countryside. Yeah, isn't that always the problem?
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You're comment proves it is a chick flick. LOL the color of her walls was not her biggest decision! sheesh, crack me up. Didn't you get that she wanted many things? She wanted someone to love, she wanted to cook for people, she wanted to understand the railroad tracks, she wanted to figure out why her marriage blew up in her face. So much more than what color to paint the walls.
Never having been a part of the leisure class (which the heroine of this saga must certainly be) I have difficulty relating to the angst they may experience as a result of ordinary life. YMMV
I've never been a huge fan of in flight entertainment of any kind.
Of course, now they have "strip-o-flights".
Anyway, my work-issued laptop computer has a DVD player, so when I fly to Connecticut on Monday, I may bring a DVD for the flight. Of course, it is only a 2 1/2 hour flight, so I will probably finish watching the movie on the return trip.
George: Your review of Under the Tuscan Sun is very generous. It was an embarrassing sequence of superficiality and melodrama. I mean, it was so short on plot they had to rely on thunderstorms, and changing weather conditions, to move the story along. That's just lazy screenwriting. She probably did want all of those things Shellon mentions, but they relied on cliches to let the audience know that, which I thought was a little insulting.
I haven't seen any of the other movies you mention, but I think I would have opted for the book anyway.
Where have your travels been taking you? I was leafing through Life Magazine's 2003 photographs, and thought that visiting those macaques in the hotsprings at Yamanouchi might be a good tourist destination.
Geeze, this has been the year for me to travel, I guess.
Beijing (and later Japan) in November, New Jersy - New York - Boston - Cape Cod in January,
Cambodia in February, back to Japan last week, and now it looks like I'll be going back to China (I think Hong Kong and Shanghai) in 6 weeks or so.
And lest anyone think that I've BECOME one of those members of the leisure class, I didn't plan (or pay for) any of these trips except the one to Beijing. They just sorta came my way. Funny...
I've thought about seeing those macaques as well. I've sorta "been there - done that" with most of the other attractions in Japan. I don't know as I need to see any more Jinja or Otera (shrines and temples), though I'd always like to go back to Nara or Nikko. Both of those places are too cool. And I did manage to get into the Kabukiza in the Ginza district and my "girlfriend" took me to the Sumo match in Osaka. Lotsa sashimi, lots of sake, lots of yelling and laughing. Couldn't have been more fun!
So when are you going over? Brushing up on your Nihongo? JR rail passes are about $250. USD for 7 days and about $375. USD for 2 weeks. It's a "must have". Just the connection from Narita airport to Tokyo is $45. and one round trip from Tokyo to Kyoto is about $230. so it doesn't take long to pay for the pass. And it's so convenient. You can literally see the whole country in a matter of hours, if you wanted to,
though it would get a tad boring to see it from the window of a train.
That's an impressive itinerary. Your last trip to China sounded a little nerve-wracking. Are you really going back? Oh, wait. Maybe that was Cambodia. I'm losing track. Wherever it was, I don't ever want to go there.
I sure can't match your travels, unless visiting relatives counts. But I did go see an exhibit of sixties poster art. So there. Plus I've seen a few movies, like Spellbound, the movie/documentary about eight students who competed for the national spelling bee championship in D.C. If you haven't seen it, and you watch it with your family, make sure you have a thick dictionary nearby to settle a few rowdy disputes. It could get ugly. My money was on Neil. In fact, I want him to be my son-in-law. Let's see. There was also Miracle, another good family flick. And that's about as adventurous as my life has been since November.
Yes, I will do Japan one day. Maybe at Easter I'll mention the idea to my sisters and see who wants to take me up on it.
Keep up with your travelogue, if your plans for China go through. It makes for entertaining reading.
quote:SCHOOL OF ROCK - An abysmal waste of film. If you can't figure out the plot in the first 20 seconds, you haven't been paying attention. The cinematic equivalent of a "Partridge Family" episode. Sappy and uninspired...
Geo... son, it was a comedy! It wasn't supposed to have a strong plot or be inspiring... it was for us fans of Jack Black! simple, yes... stupid, yes... so what? I didn't get ready to watch it thinking I was going to see a cinematic masterpiece.
Gotta agree with you on Seabiscuit, I think in a different year it would've garnered more awards.
tsk tsk... I don't know if I can even consider the opinions of a guy who admits to actually seeing "Under the Tuscan Sun"... tsk tsk... :D-->
"I don't know if I can even consider the opinions of a guy who admits to actually seeing 'Under the Tuscan Sun'".
Indeed, but I WAS a captive audience (and tired of reading - Hey, it was a 14-hour flight).
Yeah, I know SOR was SUPPOSED to be a comedy. I just didn't see ANY humor in it. I just didn't get it. And I don't find Jack Black (I think this is the only film I've seen him in) anything but annoying. He's just a chubby, homely, bonehead. I guess he reminds me of too many roommates I've had. Nothing humorous about those clowns either...
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Shellon
Geo said:
UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN - Harmless I guess, but need I say CHICK FLICK? The most difficult decision of this poor woman's life was what color she should have her staff of tradesmen paint her newly remodeled foyer in her newly purchased villa in the Italian countryside. Yeah, isn't that always the problem?
---------------------------------------------
You're comment proves it is a chick flick. LOL the color of her walls was not her biggest decision! sheesh, crack me up. Didn't you get that she wanted many things? She wanted someone to love, she wanted to cook for people, she wanted to understand the railroad tracks, she wanted to figure out why her marriage blew up in her face. So much more than what color to paint the walls.
Men, sigh
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George Aar
Never having been a part of the leisure class (which the heroine of this saga must certainly be) I have difficulty relating to the angst they may experience as a result of ordinary life. YMMV
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Steve!
I've never been a huge fan of in flight entertainment of any kind.
Of course, now they have "strip-o-flights".
Anyway, my work-issued laptop computer has a DVD player, so when I fly to Connecticut on Monday, I may bring a DVD for the flight. Of course, it is only a 2 1/2 hour flight, so I will probably finish watching the movie on the return trip.
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laleo
George: Your review of Under the Tuscan Sun is very generous. It was an embarrassing sequence of superficiality and melodrama. I mean, it was so short on plot they had to rely on thunderstorms, and changing weather conditions, to move the story along. That's just lazy screenwriting. She probably did want all of those things Shellon mentions, but they relied on cliches to let the audience know that, which I thought was a little insulting.
I haven't seen any of the other movies you mention, but I think I would have opted for the book anyway.
Where have your travels been taking you? I was leafing through Life Magazine's 2003 photographs, and thought that visiting those macaques in the hotsprings at Yamanouchi might be a good tourist destination.
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George Aar
Laleo,
Geeze, this has been the year for me to travel, I guess.
Beijing (and later Japan) in November, New Jersy - New York - Boston - Cape Cod in January,
Cambodia in February, back to Japan last week, and now it looks like I'll be going back to China (I think Hong Kong and Shanghai) in 6 weeks or so.
And lest anyone think that I've BECOME one of those members of the leisure class, I didn't plan (or pay for) any of these trips except the one to Beijing. They just sorta came my way. Funny...
I've thought about seeing those macaques as well. I've sorta "been there - done that" with most of the other attractions in Japan. I don't know as I need to see any more Jinja or Otera (shrines and temples), though I'd always like to go back to Nara or Nikko. Both of those places are too cool. And I did manage to get into the Kabukiza in the Ginza district and my "girlfriend" took me to the Sumo match in Osaka. Lotsa sashimi, lots of sake, lots of yelling and laughing. Couldn't have been more fun!
So when are you going over? Brushing up on your Nihongo? JR rail passes are about $250. USD for 7 days and about $375. USD for 2 weeks. It's a "must have". Just the connection from Narita airport to Tokyo is $45. and one round trip from Tokyo to Kyoto is about $230. so it doesn't take long to pay for the pass. And it's so convenient. You can literally see the whole country in a matter of hours, if you wanted to,
though it would get a tad boring to see it from the window of a train.
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laleo
George:
That's an impressive itinerary. Your last trip to China sounded a little nerve-wracking. Are you really going back? Oh, wait. Maybe that was Cambodia. I'm losing track. Wherever it was, I don't ever want to go there.
I sure can't match your travels, unless visiting relatives counts. But I did go see an exhibit of sixties poster art. So there. Plus I've seen a few movies, like Spellbound, the movie/documentary about eight students who competed for the national spelling bee championship in D.C. If you haven't seen it, and you watch it with your family, make sure you have a thick dictionary nearby to settle a few rowdy disputes. It could get ugly. My money was on Neil. In fact, I want him to be my son-in-law. Let's see. There was also Miracle, another good family flick. And that's about as adventurous as my life has been since November.
Yes, I will do Japan one day. Maybe at Easter I'll mention the idea to my sisters and see who wants to take me up on it.
Keep up with your travelogue, if your plans for China go through. It makes for entertaining reading.
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Tom Strange
Gotta agree with you on Seabiscuit, I think in a different year it would've garnered more awards.
tsk tsk... I don't know if I can even consider the opinions of a guy who admits to actually seeing "Under the Tuscan Sun"... tsk tsk...
:D-->
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George Aar
Tom,
"I don't know if I can even consider the opinions of a guy who admits to actually seeing 'Under the Tuscan Sun'".
Indeed, but I WAS a captive audience (and tired of reading - Hey, it was a 14-hour flight).
Yeah, I know SOR was SUPPOSED to be a comedy. I just didn't see ANY humor in it. I just didn't get it. And I don't find Jack Black (I think this is the only film I've seen him in) anything but annoying. He's just a chubby, homely, bonehead. I guess he reminds me of too many roommates I've had. Nothing humorous about those clowns either...
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Tom Strange
"Captive"... well... OK then...
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