[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference bookie::movies

Title:Movie Reviews and Discussion
Notice:Please do DIR/TITLE before starting a new topic on a movie!
Moderator:VAXCPU::michaudo.dec.com::tamara::eppes
Created:Thu Jan 28 1993
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1249
Total number of notes:16012

365.0. "House of Spirits" by 49438::BARTAK (Andrea Bartak, Vienna, Austria) Tue Nov 02 1993 05:04

    A great movie based on the novel of Isabel Allende. Though a European
    movie (director Bille August from Denmark, producer Bernd Eichinger
    from Germany), full of Hollywood's best actors (Meryl Streep, Glen
    Close, Wynona Rider, Jeremy Irons, Vanessa Redgrave, Anthony Banderas).
    
    I liked the book, but I liked the movie even better. It is big cinema
    and will be worth some Oscar nominations. 
    
    
    Andrea
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
365.149439::RHOTONJohn Rhoton @AUI - DTN 754-2345Tue Nov 02 1993 08:4118
    re: .0
    
>    I liked the book, but I liked the movie even better. It is big cinema
>    and will be worth some Oscar nominations. 
    
    Well, I liked the film but I have to say that I like the book much
    better.  It might have had something to do with the fact that I read
    the book just a few days before seeing the movie so I probably compared
    the two too much.
    
    In any case, I was a little disappointed that so much was cut out (for
    example that Alba's and Blanca's roles were merged together or that a
    number of family members never were presented - Clara's uncle, the
    twins...).  
    
    Another opinion anyhow...
    
    John
365.2The best ending this year51219::GARLICK_NThu Nov 11 1993 09:5821
    After the first hour I was seriously thinking about leaving the cinema.
    I couldn't get used to Jeremy Irons' makeup or accent, Armin
    Mueller-Stahl being dubbed or the way the plot leapt from big moment to
    big moment like some bad TV mini-series.
    
    But, in the second hour, everything began to fall into place. If Jeremy
    Irons hadn't been made up with those weird teeth and used that crazy
    accent, he would have been 'Jeremy Irons', which isn't what the
    character is about at all. The plot settled down and began to gather 
    momentum, so that everything built up in the first half all paid off in 
    the second. And as for the end: wonderful. I went home sniffing and
    feeling great.
    
    (Although I never did get used to Armin Mueller-Stahl being dubbed.)
    
    Nick
    
    PS	I'm recommending it to everyone I talk to, but they all say: "House
    	of what? Never heard of it." 
    
    	Does anyone know if it's doing good business?
365.349438::BARTAKAndrea Bartak, Vienna, AustriaFri Nov 12 1993 11:565
    Here in Austria it seems to be quite a success, but it's only the 3rd
    week in the cinemas now.
    Number one is still Jurassic Park, I think.
    
    A.
365.451219::GARLICK_NMon Nov 15 1993 01:464
    How I'd love to be able to say, "Jurassic what?"
    
    
    Nick
365.5basically a dissapointmentVAXWRK::STHILAIREwhat's going onMon Apr 11 1994 15:4030
    I saw this over the weekend and was somewhat dissapointed with it.  I
    read the book several years ago, and thought it was engrossing,
    couldn't put it down, etc.  However, i don't think it translated well
    to the screen at all.  Where I found the book deep and meaningful the
    movie came across more like a soap opera, to me, anyway.
    
    The book had so much depth and the movie just seemed filled with one
    superficial event after another.  
    
    Also, there were certain aspects, such as the magic, paranormal stuff,
    and ghosts, etc., that, in the context of the book, seemed meaningful,
    just came across as almost silly in the movie, imo.
    
    In addition, I thought Meryl Streep was too old for her role.  She
    looked older than Glen Close who was supposed to have been already
    grown-up when Meryl's character was a little girl!!  I didn't really
    care for the way Jeremy Irons played his role, and I usually love him
    in movies.  However, I thought Winona Ryder and Antonio Banderas were
    good in their roles, and well cast.
    
    One addition comment - couldn't they have found someone more appealing
    to play Jeremy Iron's illegitimate son, by the peasant woman??  Yuck. 
    This actor has to be one of the least appealing I've ever seen in
    years.  I find it difficult to believe that two people as good looking
    as Irons and the peasant woman could create such a homely son!!
    
    ** out of *****
    
    Lorna
    
365.6NETRIX::michaudShe DevilWed Aug 31 1994 16:209
	Well this is out of video now.  I must say I was very disappointed
	with this film.  Maybe it was because I did *not* read the book
	(I don't read fiction in general), but the movie seemed to
	be all over the place and drawn out.  The supernatural part
	seemed to of been under-utilized, and none of the other characters
	seemed to of been interested in the notion.

	Not a total bomb, and I usually like artsie films, but this one
	did nothing for me.