Thread: NonRussian films (work in progress)

Okay all you movie fans!!!

Two history (one on "Cleopatra: A Prototype for Today’s Ideal Modern Woman Leader and the other on Zheng He's Legacy), one science (on Myotonic Dystrophy including gene, hereditary and DNA analysis), and one theater (Mid Summers Night Dream) reports have all been completed!

So, I have loaded up my Archos with two movies: Gentlemen of Fortune and White Sun of the Dessert Rose and hopefully I will be able to sit back, relax and watch one if not both of these movies and then be able to write at least one long overdue review!

Rockzmom.

Originally Posted by rockzmom

As she pointed out that it is probably too soon for any of the non-native English speakers to have seen the movie "The Reader" ...

I am wondering if any of you have read "The Reader" as it was first published in German in 1995 and then translated into English in 1997???

According to Wikipedia, it has been translated into 37 languages, so I am guessing that it was translated into Russian at some point.

I know I have posted this question before and with Kate Winslet winning the Oscar for best actress for "The Reader" last night.

I have read the book and seen the movie and IMHO, these are both wonderful pieces of art. This movie is one of a very few that I have seen where it is actually fairly true to the book. There were a few changes of course, but all in all it was very faithful and I was not disappointed.

In addition, it was fascinating for me to know that the young man who played the teenage Michael, David Kross, only had a “school” knowledge of English and was spending as much as seven hours a day with a dialect coach to help him learn English for his role.

Finally, it was interesting for me to see this perspective of how this time in our history affected the people of Germany (the ones who lived through it and the future generations). The characters and relationship development didn't hurt either.

I know that this may be a difficult movie for nonnative English speakers to watch; however, I encourage you to give it a try or at least watch it once it has subtitles in your native language. Better yet, read the book first (it’s a quick read) and then try watching it in English with English subtitles!

Originally Posted by capecoddah

"Leave the gun, take the canolli"
WOW!!! Godfather 1 & 2 are quotable

Do Americans are really citing the "Godfather" as shown in the "You've Got Mail" movie with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan?!
More over, whether the "Godfather" is the most cited American movie?
The quote "It's not personal. It's strictly business." was deeply engraved in Russia.

Hi CoffeeCup!

Let me try to answers your questions one by one.

Originally Posted by CoffeeCup

Do Americans [s:2yg3taxe]are[/s:2yg3taxe] really go around citing the "Godfather" as shown in the movie, "You've Got Mail" [s:2yg3taxe]movie[/s:2yg3taxe] with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan?!

The answer is yes and no. It depends upon the age of the person and sometimes the gender. Now me, even a hard core film person has only seen PART of Godfather 1, yet I know a number of the famous lines from the movie; however, I rarely if ever cite them. I did upon occasion work with some males who were Godfather fans and they would find a way to work in a line from not only the Godfather but the HBO television series "The Sopranos" or the movie "Goodfellas" as well. So that might give you an idea of the types of films they like.

So, I guess it just depends upon how much you like the film and if you can find a way to work it into the conversation.

Originally Posted by CoffeeCup

More over (I would use the word "Additionally" instead of more over), whether the "Godfather" is the most cited American movie??!

According to the 2005, The American Film Institute (AFI), "100 Years of Movie Quotes" the top quote is:

"Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn." from GONE WITH THE WIND 1939.

The second is, "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." from GODFATHER, THE 1972

Now, on the first entry of this thread there is a video clip from AFI that has a number of these quotes with the actual scenes from the movies.

Also I have posted the PDF version of AFI's list, if you would like to see the entire 100 quotes.
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=b...fd8d2383f83d03

Finally, when reviewing this list from AFI, I noticed that a number of these quotes are from VERY old films. Most 20 or 30 year olds and under may not even know the reference being made.

Example:
I remember in the movie "Over the Hedge" there was the scene where Ozzie the Possum was playing dead after being struck by a car said…

Ozzie: [whispered] Rosebud.
[while playing Possum]
Ozzie: Rosebud!

I busted out laughing and then realized very quickly, I was the ONLY one laughing. None of the other adults understood the reference or joke (yes, I felt VERY old), yet, "Rosebud" is #17 on the AFI list.

Also from Over the Hedge:
Tiger: [calling after Stella sadly] STELLA!
Tiger: Stella? Stella? Where are you going? Stella? STEEEELLLLLLAAAAAAA!

Now this one had a few people laughing, but also, not that many and it is #45 on the AFI list.

So, CoffeeCup... quotes really are age, gender and the right setting!

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI%27s_10 ... vie_Quotes

Originally Posted by Lampada

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI%27s...0_Movie_Quotes

Oh, thank you Lampada! I did not recall that the "100 Years of Movie Quotes" was posted on Wiki and with hotlinks to information about the movies too!

That could be much more useful than the PDF I uploaded!!!

Gold Stars for you today!!!

Hi Rockzmom!

Thanks for corrections.
I've never seen the "Godfather", while also know some lines. But this movie assures me to be the majestic milestone in the history.

The second is, "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." from GODFATHER, THE 1972

This quote is also very citied in Russia. As you noted people use the quote without knowledge of the reference.
"100 Years of Movie Quotes" list contains the only two quotes that Russians go around in ENGLISH (All movies in Russia are displayed in Russian). These are

#37 I'll be Back
#76 Hasta la vista, baby.
both performed by The Terminator

As for Russia the most cited movies are also from 60's - 70's. Probably that time was the time of cinema raising. The total number of movies was not too high while the passion of audience was overfilled. Each movie was seen many times saturating people with quotes. The quotes started to live among people by their own life and come to our days sometimes lost their references.

I'm disappointed that I didn't find there "The first rule of Fight Club is, you do not talk about Fight Club..."
Don't you cite this?

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

I'm disappointed that I didn't find there "The first rule of Fight Club is, you do not talk about Fight Club..."
Don't you cite this?

No, I don't nor have I heard anyone...but I do love this

The 8 rules of Fight Club - Kinetic Typography
[video:1ntzg50h]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbMa4MGFCOg[/video:1ntzg50h]

Originally Posted by CoffeeCup

Hi Rockzmom!

I've never seen the "Godfather", while also know some lines. But this movie assures me to be the majestic milestone in the history.

Coffecup.. just so you know, we are not alone in not seeing the Godfather!

[video:1a8idp3c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avddxEad7u8[/video:1a8idp3c]

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Example:
I remember in the movie "Over the Hedge" there was the scene where Ozzie the Possum was playing dead after being struck by a car said…

Ozzie: [whispered] Rosebud.
[while playing Possum]
Ozzie: Rosebud!

I busted out laughing and then realized very quickly, I was the ONLY one laughing. None of the other adults understood the reference or joke (yes, I felt VERY old), yet, "Rosebud" is #17 on the AFI list.

Also from Over the Hedge:
Tiger: [calling after Stella sadly] STELLA!
Tiger: Stella? Stella? Where are you going? Stella? STEEEELLLLLLAAAAAAA!

Now this one had a few people laughing, but also, not that many and it is #45 on the AFI list.

Having read the Wikipedia’s article on Citizen Kane I got the joke, really funny.
I missed the second one though
There is The Simpsons episode called Rosebud, have we got Citizen Kane’s allusion there? Or you don’t like The Simpsons as I came to understand most of the Americans do lately.

Originally Posted by alexB

Having read the Wikipedia’s article on Citizen Kane I got the joke, really funny.
I missed the second one though
There is The Simpsons episode called Rosebud, have we got Citizen Kane’s allusion there? Or you don’t like The Simpsons as I came to understand most of the Americans do lately.

Hi Alex!

Me, I like the Simpsons it is just on too early for me here, so I usually don't have a chance to watch it. Anything on before 8pm, is hard for me because it is still, primetime for homework or basketball practice or other things like that.

Yes, the episode was based upon Citizen Kane here is the wiki link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosebud_(The_Simpsons)
however, I am not certain that most viewers actually know the title of the episodes that they watch! So, I am guessing that most "kids" or young adults would NOT have seen the connection betweeen the show and the movie.
So... 10 points for you Alex!

Now, about STEEEELLLLLLAAAAAAA! This comes from the play and the movie "A Streetcar Named Desire"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Stree...re_(1951_film)

Here is the scene from the movie with Marlon Brandon
[video:bn2y0f9j]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1A0p0F_iH8[/video:bn2y0f9j]

And here is the scene from Over the Hedge:
[video:bn2y0f9j]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVAWLO0mPOY[/video:bn2y0f9j]

Hey Alex (and/or others) .... did the episode of The Simpsons called "Treehouse of Horror" air in Russia? If so, was it well received? Was the connection made and understood about the poem "The Raven?"

I know that my daughters had not heard of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven (not even Poe and he spent a good amount of time in this area and is burried here!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe

Not certain if you will be able to open the below URL; however, it has part of the episode.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video....&v=40294228539

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Hey Alex (and/or others) .... did the episode of The Simpsons called "Treehouse of Horror" air in Russia? If so, was it well received? Was the connection made and understood about the poem "The Raven?"

Oh, I remember that one! It WAS funny. "Raven" was in the school programm, somewhere around 7th grade (not everywhere, though), and anyway Poe is rather well known here, so most people probably made a connection.

BTW, I LOVED Poe when I was 7-9 y/o. His "Murders in the Rue Morgue" and a few other stories ("The Masque of the Red Death" and "Black cat", for example) were my favs. Me and my bro were reading them (along with Wells's "The Island of Doctor Moreau") when we wanted to "get scared". There were no other source of "spookiness" in USSR, you realise. Horror movies and such didn't exist, and kids like to be scared once in a while. The nice part was that the adults never minded this, beacuse it was "classics". ))

Searching for the poem I came upon this http://dotsub.com/view/58591756-7128-48 ... 463d46d907, even with subtitles. I don’t remember Poe from the school program so I wasn’t able to make a connection when watching «Treehouse of Horror" and I sadly admit this part of the episode was lost on me, ye English of yore is hard to understand and there were no subtitles to boot.
They air sometimes in Russia, but I wish they didn’t. Lousy dubbing eradicates all of the humor. DVDs are my choice.
Thanks for the lowdown on "A Streetcar Named Desire". Now all the pieces fit

Originally Posted by alexB

Searching for the poem I came upon this http://dotsub.com/view/58591756-7128-48 ... 463d46d907, even with subtitles.

Check this link: http://lib.ru/INOFANT/POE/crown3.txt (there are 8 or 9 different translarions, made in the 19th-20th centuries + original poem)

I don’t remember Poe from the school program ...

I guess our teachers got a little creative... They did bend a program a little (we studied 'Lolita' and '1984', for example. I'm not sure kids in the other shools had to do this).

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

BTW, I LOVED Poe when I was 7-9 y/o. His "Murders in the Rue Morgue" and a few other stories ("The Masque of the Red Death" and "Black cat", for example) were my favs. Me and my bro were reading them (along with Wells's "The Island of Doctor Moreau") when we wanted to "get scared". There were no other source of "spookiness" in USSR, you realise. Horror movies and such didn't exist, and kids like to be scared once in a while. The nice part was that the adults never minded this, beacuse it was "classics". ))

gRomoZeka,
Being a dark and twisted soul, I was reading Poe at an early age as well, though not to be scared, I just identified with his writings! I too, remember very clearly (a little older than you were) taking my mom's large pale ice blue/green (like a seafoam green almost) covered book off the shelf with all of his work in inside of it and I would read it over and over.

Originally Posted by alexB

Having read the Wikipedia’s article on Citizen Kane I got the joke, really funny.

Alex, I remembered another cartoon show, "Pinky and the Brain," not certian if you have seen this show or not, that used the Rosebud theme.

In this eposiode, they are for certain referencing Citizen Kane, yet don't say "Rosebud."

So, here is the real clip from Citizen Kane (sorry, it was the shortest one I could find online) and the Pinky and the Brain one so you can see how they did it!

Citizen Kane
[video:10hwjws1]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjVjyxzutwg[/video:10hwjws1]

Citizen Kane - Pinky and the Brain
[video:10hwjws1]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-cS2Y2-Cds[/video:10hwjws1]

You're making me discover America.

Originally Posted by alexB

You're making me discover America.

Okay so now I am going to question EVERYTHING and wonder what you get and don't get about The Simpson's .. poor you!!! (no disrepect I hope you know)

Okay, here is a link to last night's episode of The Simpsons.Yes, I actually watched it, now, I would like to know, at the very end of the show at around 19:38, Principal Skinner says he is throwing out the schools ban on dancing and they play a song and start dancing. Now, I would like to now, Alex, as your quiz... do you understand this???

Do you know the song that is being played because that is the clue. If you don't know the song... you won't understand the joke. So, once again, most kids won't get this, only old people like me!

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=1S0HGJJV