as if a magic lantern threw the nerves in patterns on a screen (nat)

This one will be one big clump of the movies I've watched in the past week. It's quite a few . . . I have a lot of time on my hands. From the oldest forward:



1. No Reservations (2007) - typical romantic comedy but with cooking so I like that. And I love cute little Aaron Eckhart with his Muppet hair, love the little Abigail girl, still not so much a fan of Catherine Zeta Jones but she's tolerable here even though she talks strangely.



2. The Taming of the Shrew (1967) - This was a re-watch. Even with my tentative dislike of reading Shakespeare, I absolutely love this movie even with it being bad for women (esp. that last speech of Elizabeth Taylor's). Taylor and Burton are just great together on screen and in a fight . . . . much like in real life.



3. The Young Philadelphians (1959) - (black and white). A melodrama about an illegitimately-born (unbeknownst to him) social climbing lawyer who redeems himself, of course. And starring in said film is the lovely Paul Newman, shirtless at one point--who could ask for more, really.



4. A Very Long Engagement (2004) - I love Audrey Tatou. That's it. Ok, so more -- it's a very pretty movie visually. And I thought it ended more or less optimistically--although I know Tracy disagrees--but I won't say what the ending entails for those who haven't seen it. But I think it's a very sweet love story.



5. The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) - I'm not a huge Steve McQueen fan, he just doesn't "do it for me" as JD would say, although I will say I've never seen any other movie of his so maybe it was just this one. Joel got me his boxed set so I have 2-3 other movies of his so we'll see. And I did not like the mod screen-splitting or the trippy blur to TV test screen as they make out. But I want Faye Dunaway's hair and I do like the ending to this one better than the ending to the newer version.



6. Live Free or Die Hard (2007) - Fun and action-y. That's what a Die Hard movie should be. And I like the cute little Mac commercial boy. I do want to know whether in an un-edited version somewhere 1. if we'll hear the "fucker" of "motherfucker"; 2. if the Mac boy eats the Snickers bar in the glove box of the car he cons the OnStar woman into starting (all he talked about before that was how hungry he was).

7. Harper (1966) - Another one from my Paul Newman boxed set. He's a private eye (this is one of his "H" movies, apparently he asked that the character's last name be changed to something beginning with an "H" and that the movie then be titled that last name because of the success of Hud and The Hustler or so Robert Osborne tells me in an intro to the movie) and is one of the movies to revitalize the genre after noir went black. Lauren Bacall is in it as a nod to the older version (as are Robert Wagner and Janet Leigh). Anyway, it's a fun whodunit with backstabbing women (and men, for that matter) and poor Paul getting beaten up and shot at at every turn. And a super creepy scene with a lot of Mexicans that reminds me of something that I can't quite put my finger on . . .

8. Talk to Me (2007) - This makes me want to watch Dirty Pretty Things again. I really like Chewy (I'm not looking up how to spell his name)--I also like Cheadle and Taraji Henson. I wish some of the time spans at the end had been more clear and a little better editing to pick up the pace in the second half. But I liked the story and the acting and the music and the costuming and the ever-changing hair-styles (those just made me laugh).

Ok, that's it. So, now I'll post with each movie or so. And I'll figure out how to make you guys authors too so you can post. Super fun! :)