I really like the Ember books, Carley. I thought the movie was quite good, 'though not equaling the book (but isn't that usually the case? ). It has been quite awhile since we have seen the film, but the part with the mole irked us the most, I think. It was just silly and, I found, pulled me out of the story. Lina was cast well; Doon was just okay. He seemed a bit bland. We thought the sets were great.

I'm glad you saw it and enjoyed it! And, btw, welcome to NarniaWeb!

Thanks, johobbit!

I know what you mean about the giant mole. That part just felt totally out of place, but that's usually what happens when things like that are added to an adaptation. Obviously, the filmmakers added it in only for some extra, unnecessary action.

And, yes, about Doon. I don't think he did a terrible job acting, but he was way too old to play the part. I think Doon is supposed to be twelve in the book, but the actor playing him was in his twenties at the time.

Oooh, yes, I had forgotten how old Doon's actor was at the time. Good grief. Not responsible casting there.

I'm picky when it comes to movies, and I have some weird tastes (I usually don't like watching the really popular movies that everyone's talking about )

I am similar, not usually being drawn to those films that are all the rage. Good to know I'm not alone in this. My preference is true stories that are brought to film (if done well), rather than fictional movies. (That's my strong leaning in reading material too—biographies.)

Hello, SnowAngel!

You said that you'd been on a Western kick lately. I watched a lot of Western TV shows growing up but have only seen a couple of John Wayne movies (El Dorado and Island in the Sky, which isn't a Western anyway ). Do you have any other suggestions or favorites?

I should probably come with a warning when it comes to classic westerns. Growing up if we weren't watching 1940s romantic comedies, we were watching Roy Rogers and John Wayne. More recently we added Tim Holt, George O'Brien, and others.

In addition to El Dorado, my favorite John Wayne films are McLintock!, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, The Horse Soldiers, Stagecoach, and Rio Grande. McLintock! has a great cast and is highly entertaining, I wish I knew how many times my younger sister and I watched it together when we were little. We drove our older brother crazy with how often we would get permission to watch during nap time on weekends.  It's the movie that made me want a hat pin, something I still haven't gotten my hands.

Some of my other western favorites are Night Passage (1957), The Rare Breed (1966), Escape From Fort Bravo (1953), Rachel And The Stranger (1948), Drum Beat (1954), Branded (1950), Whispering Smith (1948), Drums Across The River (1954), Gunsmoke (1953), and Robbers Of The Range (1941), oh, and Dark Command (1940) starring John Wayne and Roy Rogers (haven't seen this one for a long time, but I remember really liking that had both John Wayne and Roy Rogers). The list could go on for quite a while if I don't stop now.

For my birthday yesterday, the family and I watched Whispering Smith (1948) and The Duel At Silver Creek (1952). I had been thinking about watching McLintock!, however the siblings gifted me a set of westerns that included the above mentioned and I had been wanting to see both movies again for a while. I couldn't miss the chance to watch two of my favorite actors (Alan Ladd and Audie Murphy) on my birthday.  

SnowAngel

I watched Song of the Sea a few weeks back. It was just okay. I had heard it wasn't as good as Secret of Kells, so I was expecting that, but to me it wasn't even close.  

Also made an attempt to watch Sonic the Hedgehog with my son, but that was painful. I finally left.  

Posted by: @fantasia

I watched Song of the Sea a few weeks back. It was just okay. I had heard it wasn't as good as Secret of Kells, so I was expecting that, but to me it wasn't even close.  

Also made an attempt to watch Sonic the Hedgehog with my son, but that was painful. I finally left.  

Haha I was able to finish Sonic the Hedgehog, but I think it was one of the most average movies I've ever seen. Bland, generic, and totally forgettable. It's disappointing because, while I'm not a huge Sonic fan or anything, I used to read the comics when I was younger and there is potential there for good movies if they dug deeper into the mythology.

Posted by: @fantasia

I watched Song of the Sea a few weeks back. It was just okay. I had heard it wasn't as good as Secret of Kells, so I was expecting that, but to me it wasn't even close.

I love Song of the Sea so I will try not to cry too much. For me it's perfect! I'm not such a fan of The Breadwinner, which is excellent but is darker and more serious in tone and doesn't have quite the same deep mythological elements I love about the other two. I am really looking forward to Cartoon Saloon's next film, Wolfwalkers. Annecy (a big animation festival in France) had an online festival last month - it was lovely being able to go without having to travel! - and there were some previews from different movies, including this one. It looks stunning.

Recently I haven't seen any new releases because I resent paying a lot to see one film online. I've been watching quite a lot through Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ though! I saw Skyscraper last week, which was surprisingly good if anxiety-inducing whenever Dwayne Johnson was hanging off a building (which was often). It was also nice to see an action movie where the good guy wasn't shooting a gun off all the time.

I finally got to watch the Downtown Abbey movie!

This spring, I watched a bunch of old movies but of course I can't remember most of them now! One was called Bachelor Mother starring Ginger Rogers. It's very cute and funny. Flamingo Road starring Joan Crawford was another good one. That was a drama and it doesn't have a good reputation but I don't see why. I enjoyed it. 

I finally headed over the The Chosen store to purchase the DVD of the first season. Ha, they don't have International Shipping yet.  Anyway, I wrote them about this, and they said they are actively working on getting this in place. He did suggest watching it on an app or streaming it on our TV, but we don't have a TV that is used as a TV (we only use it for watching DVDs), and would much prefer not to watch it via an app on our phones. So for now, we wait.  

To continue on with my controversial posts.... My husband and I watched Castle in the Sky last night. We really liked it. Howl's Moving Castle is the only other Studio Ghibli movie that I really like. The rest are very 'meh' to me, particularly Spirited Away *dodges all the tomatoes*

I love Castle in the Sky! I'm not sure whether it or The Wind Rises is my favourite. Spirited Away is okay. With many of the others I enjoy the visuals but don't appreciate the stories so much. This has earned me lots of tomatoes in the past, too ...  

Has anyone seen Radioactive, the movie about Marie Curie? It's fascinating. I loved the structure of the film, and the use of visuals to explain parts of the scientific language. There was wonderful consideration given to the good and the bad of their discoveries.

I actually love the stories (maybe it's because I grew up on stories like Hansel and Gretel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Chronicles of Narnia) but I don't particularly care for the visuals. Go figure.

I remember enjoying Castle in the Sky. I need to instigate another Studio Ghibli marathon at our house so we can enjoy some of those again. I think Howl is the only one we've watched more than once.

@col-klink, I grew up reading all those things too (though I'm not a huge fan of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) plus tons of Scottish and Irish mythology, but even so I feel that I don't understand a lot of the stories being told by Studio Ghibli. I didn't watch any anime or much world cinema until my very late teens, so in some cases I know it's simply a lack of familiarity. Now, I appreciate films I wouldn't have before, even if I don't like them. But when I first started watching Ghibli movies I felt I wasn't getting key moments in the story, that I didn't understand the 'why' when something happened. Perhaps it's because I was more willing to accept stories like that written down? I don't know. I do get frustrated with any film (or book) that jumps around too quickly without explanation.

I watched My Neighbour Totoro for the first time a couple of months ago. I wouldn't have liked it a few years ago. Nothing really happens ... but I did enjoy it. It felt a bit like a long poem, with some surprising and magical parts to it. In some ways it was a bit like going to a classical music concert. Everything is beautiful, and wonderfully played by the orchestra, but there isn't much of a story overall. Or not as much story as I personally would like. It's not something I'll return to again and again.