Slitherine

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ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

Two excellent 3-part series about the Civil War

Downfall of a King

and

Killing of a King

I definitely should read more about this fascinating subject.

I presume that is the English Civil War which set things up for the Pilgrims to settle New England.

And all because they could not decide on the color for the rose . . .

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

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ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Two excellent 3-part series about the Civil War

Downfall of a King

and

Killing of a King

I definitely should read more about this fascinating subject.

I presume that is the English Civil War which set things up for the Pilgrims to settle New England.

And all because they could not decide on the color for the rose . . .

warspite1

No. The Pilgrims began their voyages iirc around 20 years before the Civil War.

The English Civil War between Royalists and Parliamentarians was about 150+ years after the War of The Roses - although that was a sort of civil war. Charles I, Oliver Cromwell et al was nothing to do with the House of York (white rose) vs the Lancastrians (red rose) that saw the Tudors take control of England.

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I'll tell you how it happened. I read a story in Reader's Digest the night before. It was one of those human interest things. It was a half page. It was by Pete Hamil and it started off by saying "Here's a story I heard in a Greenwich Village pub that's been handed down through the ages about a soldier coming home from the Andersonville Prison during the Civil War and he told the stage coach driver that he had written a letter to his girl that he was coming home after being in the Confederate prison for 3 years. There was a big oak tree outside of town. If she wanted him to get off the stagecoach, put a handkerchief on it. He had told the story to the driver and a few other people on the stagecoach. He said he couldn't bear to look. When they got in front of the tree, it was all filled with handkerchiefs." It put a chill up my neck. The next morning I drove up to my partner's house and asked if I could tell him the story before we wrote a song. He didn't want to hear it. I insisted on it and he said "Well, tell it fast." So, I told it fast and he said "Larry, I just got a chill up my neck and my arm. A rush. Tell it again." So, I told it again. He said "I love that story, but handkerchiefs, they have snot in them. Disgusting." I said "Well, what can we do about that?" He said "Let's change handkerchiefs to ribbons. That's prettier." I said "I like that." And he said "Stagecoach...that's yesterday. Let's make it a bus." I said "I love it. What are we gonna call it, Irwin?" Irwin Lavine. To which the late, great Irwin Lavine replied "What do you think if we call it 'Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree'?" I looked at him and said "I think that's fantastic!" I picked up the guitar. I wrote the first verse and the chorus as if I knew it. Right off the bat it popped out of me, like I knew it like my name. And then I got to the end of the chorus. I'd written the verse and the chorus, all the words on a piece of yellow paper. At the time I'd gotten to the end of it, Irwin says "You didn't tell me you liked it, but I've got the second verse." I looked at him and said "Oh yeah? What is it?" He said "Write this down." So I wrote it down. He said "Sing it." So I sang the first verse, chorus, second verse, chorus. Irwin Levine says "I have the ending." I said "You're kidding. Let me hear it." Just disbelief. "Show me." He wrote the words and melody to the end of the song - "I can't believe I see..." We put it on a tape recorder, jumped up, listened to it one time and gave ourselves a powerful high-five. We both knew that it was fabulous and that's the story of how we wrote it. Not how we got it recorded, that was another story. Nobody wanted to hear it. We first played it for Ringo Starr. The people who listened for Ringo Starr put their hands on the guitar and said I should be ashamed of showing songs like this to people. It's ridiculous about a ribbon in a tree. We should be ashamed of ourselves. It could ruin us and to never show this song to anybody again. The guy's name was Al Steckler. He was the head of A&R for Apple Records in New York.

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

For some relaxation I've started to watch Band of Brothers again. Haven't seen this since it first came out but it's even better (a couple of irritations nothwithstanding) than I recall.

What a truly wonderful piece of storytelling. Some fine acting performances too (strange seeing David Schwimmer as the bad guy but he carried it off). It's good to see some fine young British and Irish acting talent on display too; Scott, Warren, McAvoy, Pegg, Graham and of course Lewis - all of whom went on to bigger things.

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ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

For some relaxation I've started to watch Band of Brothers again. Haven't seen this since it first came out but it's even better (a couple of irritations nothwithstanding) than I recall.

What a truly wonderful piece of storytelling. Some fine acting performances too (strange seeing David Schwimmer as the bad guy but he carried it off). It's good to see some fine young British and Irish acting talent on display too; Scott, Warren, McAvoy, Pegg, Graham and of course Lewis - all of whom went on to bigger things.

They even did the American accents pretty well too. Have you ever read the book?

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

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ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

For some relaxation I've started to watch Band of Brothers again. Haven't seen this since it first came out but it's even better (a couple of irritations nothwithstanding) than I recall.

What a truly wonderful piece of storytelling. Some fine acting performances too (strange seeing David Schwimmer as the bad guy but he carried it off). It's good to see some fine young British and Irish acting talent on display too; Scott, Warren, McAvoy, Pegg, Graham and of course Lewis - all of whom went on to bigger things.

They even did the American accents pretty well too. Have you ever read the book?

warspite1

Yes, I find British and Irish actors and actresses are generally good at accents. Not sure why that would be. I seem to recall Bruce Willis deciding (upon being cast as Fallow in Bonfire of the Vanities) he couldn't be arsed to do an English accent and so didn't.....

No, I've never read the book. I should do really but there is always something else that needs attention first over and above this kind of tome

I suspect I will one day.

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ORIGINAL: shunwick


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Just finished watching Normal People. No spoilers so will keep comments brief. I felt it didn't quite live up to its potential that I assumed it would after watching the first two episodes. But it was still worth watching. The two lead characters were very watchable. Happy to expand on this once you two have finished watching.


..
Well, just finished watching the series. My thought's on it are mixed. Will wait until loki100 has finished watching it before commenting further.

Best wishes,
Steve

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ORIGINAL: loki100

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ORIGINAL: shunwick


..

Just finished watching Normal People. No spoilers so will keep comments brief. I felt it didn't quite live up to its potential that I assumed it would after watching the first two episodes. But it was still worth watching. The two lead characters were very watchable. Happy to expand on this once you two have finished watching.


..
Well, just finished watching the series. My thought's on it are mixed. Will wait until loki100 has finished watching it before commenting further.

Best wishes,
Steve

Just finished it this evening.

Found the middle say #7-#9, a wee bit repetitive but watcheable. Really liked the way it ended up. Now some of that may be recognition of circumstances, small rural community, first in family at University, all sorts of alienation on both sides of the equation and so on.

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

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ORIGINAL: warspite1


...

As said, I enjoyed the series and felt at the end it was worth watching. However a few things wrankled. The two leads appeared to be really likeable characters at the outset, but I wonder just how likeable Connell actually was - or maybe I just didn't understand his motivations....

I don't think they made clear enough (or I am a bit slow) that it was entirely his decision to conduct the relationship in secret. I think more should have been made of that. It would make Marianne's hurt over the prom more understandable. But perhaps the biggest gripe I have is about the break up after they get back together at Uni. Why did he not want to stay with her that summer? What was that all about? He soon latched on to someone new too. His actions didn't ring true for someone who is supposedly so in love with Marianne. I mean he effectively just said - out of the blue - I'm off.... really? Why? I didn't really get that.

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ORIGINAL: loki100

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ORIGINAL: warspite1


...

As said, I enjoyed the series and felt at the end it was worth watching. However a few things wrankled. The two leads appeared to be really likeable characters at the outset, but I wonder just how likeable Connell actually was - or maybe I just didn't understand his motivations....

I don't think they made clear enough (or I am a bit slow) that it was entirely his decision to conduct the relationship in secret. I think more should have been made of that. It would make Marianne's hurt over the prom more understandable. But perhaps the biggest gripe I have is about the break up after they get back together at Uni. Why did he not want to stay with her that summer? What was that all about? He soon latched on to someone new too. His actions didn't ring true for someone who is supposedly so in love with Marianne. I mean he effectively just said - out of the blue - I'm off.... really? Why? I didn't really get that.

I think he ended up acknowledging some of that - a few times in the end he was clear that he added himself to the list of people who had hurt her?

The scene towards the end of episode 3 (the school prom) was telling, he'd asked out someone who was popular in his group (Marianne really not being so) and all of a sudden he's back in the centre of his peer group, so he traded what he knew was the right thing to (& his mum was brutally explicit about this) for social popularity?

I saw their breakup at the end of Year 1 at Uni as what I'd call hedgehog mating. They were both so scared of being hurt (& of hurting) that neither of them was being clear. So he didn't tell her that he actually needed somewhere to stay and if not with her then he'd have to go back to Carrickfergus for the summer - on the other hand she wouldn't do the obvious (to everyone else) thing and just ask him.

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

Started re-watching Game of Thrones. Still remains a quality piece of TV (although I haven't got to Series 8 yet)...

Just starting on Series 3 and Lord Bolton's B****** son has just made his presence known.... this I recall, is going to be harrowing.



Psycho from hell or just mis-understood?

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ORIGINAL: bomccarthy

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

Started re-watching Game of Thrones. Still remains a quality piece of TV (although I haven't got to Series 8 yet)...

Just starting on Series 3 and Lord Bolton's B****** son has just made his presence known.... this I recall, is going to be harrowing.



Psycho from hell or just mis-understood?

Probably the most memorable line from a tv show or film in the past 20 years: "If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention."

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

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Well I'm not a film buff and I don't really know what would be considered 'Hollywood' as opposed to a.n.other but yes, there have been quite a few films about British monarchs other than Elizabeth I - although I'd have to say the film in question was more about Mary than Elizabeth.

There was a recent Oscar winner - The Favourite - about Queen Anne
There was The Madness of King George - King George III
There was a couple of Cate Blanchett films about Elizabeth I
The Kings Speech was about George VI
A Man for All Seasons was about Henry VIII (well probably Thomas More - but Henry figured heavily) There must be others with Henry VIII too - although usually centred on Anne Boleyn.
Then there is Elizabeth II in The Queen
Numerous Victoria films such as The Young Victoria, Mrs Brown etc
Didn't Kenneth Brannnaarrrggghhh do something about Henry V?
Then there is The Lost Prince which features George V and Mary (although is more about their son).

So I think, just off the top of my head, there have been a few. Probably not enough - what wonderful stories there are to be told - Charles I seems to be a glaring omission. But then if we wanted more such films its up to the British movie industry to get their fingers out of their behinds isn't it?

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ORIGINAL: nicwb

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Well I'm not a film buff and I don't really know what would be considered 'Hollywood' as opposed to a.n.other but yes, there have been quite a few films about British monarchs other than Elizabeth I - although I'd have to say the film in question was more about Mary than Elizabeth.

There was a recent Oscar winner - The Favourite - about Queen Anne
There was The Madness of King George - King George III
There was a couple of Cate Blanchett films about Elizabeth I
The Kings Speech was about George VI
A Man for All Seasons was about Henry VIII (well probably Thomas More - but Henry figured heavily) There must be others with Henry VIII too - although usually centred on Anne Boleyn.
Then there is Elizabeth II in The Queen
Numerous Victoria films such as The Young Victoria, Mrs Brown etc
Didn't Kenneth Brannnaarrrggghhh do something about Henry V?
Then there is The Lost Prince which features George V and Mary (although is more about their son).

So I think, just off the top of my head, there have been a few. Probably not enough - what wonderful stories there are to be told - Charles I seems to be a glaring omission. But then if we wanted more such films its up to the British movie industry to get their fingers out of their behinds isn't it?

Yes I know- I guess that's my gripe - in a comparison that "highly reliable source", Wikipedia lists some 21 films and TV series either about Elizabeth I or with her as a major character. But it seems like the producers seem to get fixated (maybe its cheaper just to rebuy unused Tudors sets and costumes?) After reading your list as I was reminded of The Lion in Winter -Henry II.

(Both Branagh and Olivier did Henry V. Charles I got a major part in Cromwell as I recall -Alec Guiness)

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

Mary, Queen of Scots

Not a bad film at all

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ORIGINAL: warspite1

She does indeed have a great range as an actress

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quote:

ORIGINAL: nicwb

quote:

Well I'm not a film buff and I don't really know what would be considered 'Hollywood' as opposed to a.n.other but yes, there have been quite a few films about British monarchs other than Elizabeth I - although I'd have to say the film in question was more about Mary than Elizabeth.

There was a recent Oscar winner - The Favourite - about Queen Anne
There was The Madness of King George - King George III
There was a couple of Cate Blanchett films about Elizabeth I
The Kings Speech was about George VI
A Man for All Seasons was about Henry VIII (well probably Thomas More - but Henry figured heavily) There must be others with Henry VIII too - although usually centred on Anne Boleyn.
Then there is Elizabeth II in The Queen
Numerous Victoria films such as The Young Victoria, Mrs Brown etc
Didn't Kenneth Brannnaarrrggghhh do something about Henry V?
Then there is The Lost Prince which features George V and Mary (although is more about their son).

So I think, just off the top of my head, there have been a few. Probably not enough - what wonderful stories there are to be told - Charles I seems to be a glaring omission. But then if we wanted more such films its up to the British movie industry to get their fingers out of their behinds isn't it?


Yes I know- I guess that's my gripe - in a comparison that "highly reliable source", Wikipedia lists some 21 films and TV series either about Elizabeth I or with her as a major character. But it seems like the producers seem to get fixated (maybe its cheaper just to rebuy unused Tudors sets and costumes?) After reading your list as I was reminded of The Lion in Winter -Henry II.

(Both Branagh and Olivier did Henry V. Charles I got a major part in Cromwell as I recall -Alec Guiness)
warspite1

Please spell Kenneth Brannaaarrggghhhh's name correctly

Its a real shame there has not been a decent Civil War film made. I wonder why that it is? Maybe that the guy who should have the audiences sympathy was arguably not a particularly sympathetic character and the winner that overcame him is equally not looked at with huge affection.