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Post by Kapitan on Aug 22, 2019 12:50:23 GMT
In September on PBS, they will be airing an 8 part, 16 hour Ken Burns' documentary on the history of Country Music. Burns' documentaries are always well done and I'm really looking forward to this one. That sounds great! I loved his jazz documentary, though (as probably only a jazz lover could) I thought it was too short (at 10 episodes totaling 20 hours).
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 10, 2019 22:22:56 GMT
I finally caught the movie, Ray, on cable TV. I thought it was a very good movie. Jamie Foxx really nailed his performance as Ray Charles. The director made the songs come alive by showing how the audiences got into the Ray's music during live performances. The movie skipped around to all of the major happenings in Ray's life. I then read a little bit about the movie and the director took pretty many liberties. Not judging Ray Charles, but I didn't realize the kind of life he led after achieving success. He would've fit right in with The Beach Boys!
I was already familiar with some of Ray Charles' songs, but I heard a couple of good ones in the movie that I never heard before. I thought about buying a Ray Charles comp, then I remembered that a long time ago I purchased a Ray Charles' Greatest Hits CD for DJ work. So I pulled it out and guess what song was on the comp? "That Lucky Old Sun". I was never crazy about the song in the first place, and Ray's version did nothing to change my mind. Ray kind of Georgia'd his version. Good performance I guess, but still don't like the song.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 15, 2019 18:55:36 GMT
A quick TV reminder... At least in my viewing area, PBS is airing the first installment of Ken Burns' documentary, Country Music, tonight at 8:00 PM. That's just about the same time the Eagles/Falcons kickoff.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 15, 2019 23:01:53 GMT
I'm looking forward to this. Plus maybe, combined with my later-afternoon pleasure of early fall/late summer backyard relaxation, it will help me wash away the filth that was the Vikings!
Seriously, I am really interested in this doc. I have some knowledge of country music, but it's really just hit and miss with what I happen to have enjoyed over the years. So I expect I'll learn a lot. And Burns & Co always make things interesting, even if quite frankly I otherwise couldn't care less.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 16, 2019 22:58:44 GMT
I watched Part 1 of Ken Burn's Country Music last night and enjoyed it very much. It really got going with the entrance of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. I always heard of Maybelle Carter but never realized it was Sara Carter's voice which was most prominent in their music. Jimmie Rodgers reminded me of an early version of a rock star. He loved the life - the road, the spotlight, the money, and most of all, the music. He recorded a batch of songs right before his death, and he died young and became a legend.
Love the photos and the little film that exists. Unfortunately there weren't many actual interviews with the historical figures in Part 1, but that should change with Part 2, which airs tonight, again at 8:00 PM.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 17, 2019 11:58:37 GMT
Part 2 was excellent with focus on Gene Autry, Bob Wills, Bill Monroe, and Roy Acuff. This was the music which influenced the likes of Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard. A lot of comments from Hag in Part 2. Willie Nelson offered a few stories, too. There were more film clips, obviously, than Part 1. Watching this documentary is like taking a history course. It should be required viewing for all music fans, especially rock and roll fans.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 18, 2019 13:16:48 GMT
Watched Part 3 last night. The documentary keeps getting better. Part 3 featured Hank Williams prominently, in addition to Bill Monroe, Eddy Arnold, Little Jimmy Dickens, the Maddox Brothers, and Flatt & Scruggs. The films clips are getting better/clearer and some of the artists being featured are still alive and being interviewed. Tonight, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson enter the picture.
This documentary could be used as a college course. As I'm watching it I'm thinking that I'm being educated or reading a book or taking a course on Country Music 101.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 19, 2019 11:49:02 GMT
Part 4 was great! Johnny Cash, Patsy Klein, and Willie Nelson enter the picture. A lot of Sun Records and early Elvis. A nice live performance from Ray Charles. Too much Brenda Lee. And Owen Bradley and Chet Atkins were featured as Nashville producers. A great time in music. I was alive for some of this time frame.
Now the series takes a break and resumes on Sunday night.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 20, 2019 21:28:14 GMT
The local PBS station in my viewing area is repeating the first four segments starting this Sunday at 12:00 Noon leading up to the new 5th segment at 8:00 PM. Maybe yours' is too. Worth checking out if you've missed any.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 24, 2019 3:25:54 GMT
Watched Episode 6 of Country Music tonight. A lot of Johnny Cash, George & Tammy, and surprisingly but welcomed, Kris Kristofferson. The Byrds got some heavy coverage with their Sweetheart Of The Rodeo album, as did Bob Dylan with his country phase. Near the end they featured Willie Nelson's leaving Nashville for Texas, so Episode Six tomorrow night should have the advent of the "Outlaws" movement.
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Post by kds on Sept 24, 2019 12:58:52 GMT
I've posted on other forums before about Ryan Murphy's "trash horror" series American Horror Story. I've watched each series, and they range from very good (Murder House, Asylum, Roanoke) to utter crap (Freak Show, Hotel).
The current series, 1984, premiered last week, and it's an homage / spoof of slasher movies. The first episode was pretty good, but one thing that series always does well is Episode 1.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 24, 2019 13:27:06 GMT
Last night I watched the Netflix movie “Between Two Ferns,” based on the web series from Will Ferrell’s Funny or Die platform. For those not aware, the premise of the series is that Zach Galifinakis is an inept talk-show host whose questions basically either mock his celebrity guests or, by showing his cluelessness and lack of preparation, himself. The movie isn’t great, I’ll make that clear. But especially if you like the show, you’ll probably like the movie. It’s funny, and sometimes very funny. I won’t give away much—although it’s hardly the sort of suspenseful movie where you worry much about spoilers—but the movie ties together new segments of the show “Between Two Ferns” with just enough of a plot to make it semi-coherent. Yet in that, it reminds me of great TV-to-film comedies like Strange Brew and Wayne’s World, or even the road hijinks of the Muppet Movie. And because of the premise of the show, it’s also loaded with guest star cameos (sometimes as themselves as guests on the show, others as characters).
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Post by B.E. on Nov 22, 2019 19:11:29 GMT
Earlier this week I randomly started watching Variety's 'Actors On Actors' and The Hollywood Reporter's 'Roundtable' on YouTube. Some of the pairings were better than others, some provided more insight and interesting backstories. If you're interested enough to check out a video, I'd recommend a 'Roundtable' featuring directors or producers. Anyway, it got me in the mood to watch movies. I watched two very good movies (IMO) that I'd never seen before: 1) Brian De Palma's 1981 film, Blow Out, starring John Travolta and 2) Jim Sheridan's 1997 film, The Boxer, starring Daniel Day-Lewis. They didn't really have much in common other than the main characters both being caught up in the violent worlds of political intrigue or strife, and both characters responding with, what I might call, a reserved defiance. Anyone see either of these? Or, any other films recently? Do you have any favorite actors or directors? I've been in a movie mood this week. Edit: FYI, you can watch Blow Out and The Boxer on the free streaming service, tubi. tubitv.com/
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Post by kds on Nov 22, 2019 19:19:24 GMT
I've posted on other forums before about Ryan Murphy's "trash horror" series American Horror Story. I've watched each series, and they range from very good (Murder House, Asylum, Roanoke) to utter crap (Freak Show, Hotel). The current series, 1984, premiered last week, and it's an homage / spoof of slasher movies. The first episode was pretty good, but one thing that series always does well is Episode 1. Thanks to BE for bumping this thread, because I'd forgotten I wrote this. American Horror Story: 1984 might've been their best series since the original - Murder House. It was highly entertaining, while not taking itself too seriously.
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Post by Kapitan on Nov 22, 2019 19:21:50 GMT
Earlier this week I randomly started watching Variety's 'Actors On Actors' and The Hollywood Reporter's 'Roundtable' on YouTube. ... I watched two very good movies (IMO) that I'd never seen before: 1) Brian De Palma's 1981 film, Blow Out, starring John Travolta and 2) Jim Sheridan's 1997 film, The Boxer, starring Daniel Day-Lewis. ... Edit: FYI, you can watch Blow Out and The Boxer on the free streaming service, tubi. tubitv.com/I haven't seen either movie (I don't think), but I have seen a few episodes of those two series you mentioned. They can be good.
Also I don't think I've ever heard of tubi, so thanks for that tip!
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