OT - Bad movies

I saw that and my thoughts are that it was just a bit over the top.

I think the English school system a few years ago (like when I was there) was over the top. They probably don't equate at all with US schools.

Last time I was with friends from school we remembered the things that remain with us

1) Someone stole something (a cardinal crime even to us) all 300 hundred of us were summoned to the Great Hall and told we would remain there until the offender confessed. After about two hours, we were allowed to sit on the floor. Finally an unfortunate girl stood up, we never saw her again. 2) Not long after the beginning of the term one girls mother died. She was called to the Headmistresses office and told her mother had died. She was reminded by the Head that she had known when she left home that her mother likely would die during the term, so it was not unexpected.

After being tearful she was told to dry her eyes and return to class. When her father telephoned to see if she could come to the funeral the Head explained it would be far better for her, she would forget her mother sooner, if she didn't go to the funeral.

On a curious note, we talked about bullying in the schools today and could not remember a single case in our school, one friend sagely remarked that nobody bullied because we had a us against them mentality and one wouldn't want to bully the other victims.

None of us thought our education particularly out of the ordinary, it was how schools were run then.

A constant favorite is "Father Goose". I just love that movie. Also, since BBCAmerica is showing) is "My Favorite Year" which I expected to hate and loved it.

C

That is a favorite of mine as well as Donovan's Reef. Bobbie

...up to the old inn door He whistles a tune to the window And who should be waiting there But Bess the landlord's daughter The landlord's dark eyed daughter Plaiting a dark red love knot Into her long brown hair.

I used to memorize poetry all of my own accord because I liked it.

Elizabeth

And African Queen and Hatari!

Cheryl

Oh dear! Titanic was one of the pus movies of all time for me. Why tell a far-fetched story like that when everyone knows what really happened? Waste of film, IMHO!

Other pus movies:

Troy (Paris didn't really get away with the girl - he karked it!) King Arthur (leather bikinis hadn't been invented then and Guinevere would've *died* if she'd worn such a get-up in the northern winter) Independence Day (OMG! Talk about jingoism gone *mad*!!!) Centre Stage II (there is *no way* a street-dancer could possibly dance en pointe after just one lesson - she'd break her ankles!)

And finally, the greatest of them all: Australia.

Dear Lord! Do not pay to see that movie. It is the most awful thing to have left my country in many years! The storyline is ridiculous, the acting (at least from Nicole Kidman) is self-conscious and hokey, the aboriginal culture is portrayed more like some kind of benevolent leprechaunism ('I will sing you to me' - gimme a break!) and the character development is hilarious.

Kidperson (an uppah clahss British leddy) hops in the cot with a hairy, spit'n'swear, rough ridin' bloke (the exceedingly easy-on-the-eye Hugh Jackman) whose real name she never bothers to find out. He goes by the tag 'Drover' because he drives stock. This is the equivalent of a person being called 'Butcher' or 'Postman' or 'Shop Assistant'. We never do find out anything about him except that by marrying an aboriginal woman, he put himself beyond the social pale and elected to stay there. Ooo the angst! Not only that, but for the first chunk of the film, all we ever see him do is drive an unlikely massive mob of brumbies (feral horses) past Kidperson's door.

A particularly galling thing for me, myself, personally is that Huge Ack-Man has the most awful seat on a horse. He stands in his stirrups while cantering, leans forward and sticks his bum out as if there's a burr on his saddle. Euuwwww! Not good! He should've used a riding double!

I think Baz Luhrmann was trying to do something involving a heartwarming story of aboriginal lore combined with boy-meets-girl-in-unusual-circumstances. It didn't work. Just a tad more research and a good bit more attention to detail would've made a reasonable movie. Instead, he made one that was utterly laughable.

Have you ever heard the Phil Ochs rendition of this? If not

McKennitt does a lovely version (just in time for St. Patty's Day) Cheryl

Elizabeth, remind me to share Lorena McKennit's rendition of The Highwayman. I always loved it, but she does it in a Bardic tradition. Just Lovely,Bobbie V

Great stuff! A few years ago, my DD had a Year Five teacher who got the kids to recite poetry. They *loved* it! And isn't it amazing how, all these years later, we can still remember the great poetry we loved as children?

There's a breathless hush in the Close to-night Ten to make and the match to win A bumping pitch and a blinding light, An hour to play and the last man in. And it's not for the sake of a ribboned coat, Or the selfish hope of a season's fame, But his Captain's hand on his shoulder smote 'Play up! play up! and play the game!' (Sir Henry Newbolt)

and

Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. 'Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns!' he said: Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. (Alfred, Lord Tennyson)

Just one more:

Effingham, Grenville, Raleigh, Drake, Here's to the bold and free! Benbow, Collingwood, Byron, Blake, Hail to the Kings of the Sea! Admirals all, for England's sake, Honour be yours and fame! And honour, as long as the waves shall break, To Nelson's peerless name! (Sir Henry Newbolt again)

There's a US radio station where they read poetry - very diverse and interesting and well read but they play gd awful music between poems and I couldn't take it anymore.

Arrrrgh!!!!! It's a POEM. Poems are meant to be recited, not sung. It's about the words and they don't need any music. That's a travesty.

You'd be run out of Southie for suggesting that an Englishman's poem, set in England (likely Hampstead Heath), was appropriate for St. Patrick's day.

Elizabeth

And this despite the fact that they had real ballet dancers, including a well known ABT principal who is also the Dean of the NC School of the Arts (major dance school) and knows a thing or two about dance pedagogy.

Best wishes, Ericka

I will disagree - I like that piece as read to myself, read aloud or sung

Especially since as I think about it, they are both Scots.

Oh - well, she's in the Celtic tradition

C

lol I must confess I was shocked !

Hey don't go dropping us poor Scots in the Irish box.

Yeah! The first Centre Stage was believable, at least. I was sorry they left Sascha Radetsky out of the line-up in the second one: he's a honey! ;->

Ethan Stiefel was *gorgeous* in the first one, but in the second he seemed to have been bleached or something. He had no colour in his skin or his eyes and hair! Remarkable! Bloody good dancer, though! (I thought he had left the ABT?)

It's been done. How exactly do you think the British created the problem in Ulster, anyway?

Elizabeth

Our favourite is "A Canterbury Tale" (1944) which shows some scenes of a way of life that was about to disappear for ever.