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< Television ~ It's Not TV -- It's HBO! |
billyweeds |
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 10:55 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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And as far as Ms. Kurtz is concerned, she has broken my heart in every episode. GOD, she is amazing.
For me, the truly amazing thing about the great Swoosie is how she can be heartbreaking, lyrical, and gut-bustingly funny almost at the same time. This has been true back to the first time I saw her, in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds. |
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billyweeds |
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 10:58 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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Three great actresses, all on Huf[/i[i]]f: Kurtz, Stone, and the creme de la creme, the perpetually underused (until now) Blythe Danner, possibly my favorite of all living actresses.
Thank God she is escaping being known as "Gwyneth Paltrow's mother." Nothing against Gwyn, who is underrated in her own way, but Blythe provided the genes, and still is the standard. |
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billyweeds |
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 10:59 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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LOL at the citation of the show title above. It's Huff, for those who can't read it. |
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Marj |
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 2:43 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 10497
Location: Manhattan
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Plus, I think you can glimpse the essential niceness of the lady beneath all the glitz and phoniness. People who know her swear she's a doll, and I can believe it. (I've met her myself, and she was exceedingly pleasant, but...shall we say...a little...oh. shitfaced at the time.)
Billy - Joe knows this story. I knew her when I was a teenager, and then ran into her again in the 80's. She was anything but pleasent, in fact, downright nasty. And from what I could tell was totally sober. But I've never been good at assessing things like that.
But today she's become a parady. Pathetic really. So I suppose I will watch her show. But trust me, it will be more for you than her. |
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Marj |
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 3:03 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 10497
Location: Manhattan
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Getting back to HUFF:
The only reason I didn't mention the great, and I do mean great Ms. Danner is because of the amount of time we spent discussing her during the first season.
The point I was trying to make earlier is that this show is made up of some of the very best actors one could find anywhere. It's an ensemble that is incomparable. This includes Oliver Platt, Faith Prince, and I can't wait to see Angelica Houston. I don't know the actor's name who plays Madeline's husband, but isn't he marvelous?
And you're right about Swoosie Kurtz. One moment she's breaking your heart and the next she's making you laugh. And I would be remiss not to mention Paget Brewster. Btw, she still reminds me of Irene Dunne. And what about the actor playing Bird? What a find he is!
While I'm glad Blythe Danner is now known not only as Paltrow's mother, I'm just as happy that Hank Azaria may become known as more than just a bunch a character voices. And trust me, I know how hard that is. IMHO, he maybe one of the finest actors around today. |
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billyweeds |
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 9:34 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Marj--Agree with everything you said (and must think Irene Dunne again with Paget Brewster) except for two misspellings. Angelica spells it "Huston," the same as dad John and grandpa Walter, and Huff's son is spelled "Byrd" like the admiral, not the flying creature. |
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billyweeds |
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 9:36 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Marj--And I can certainly see Liza being a genuine 14-carat bee-yotch, so I don't doubt your evaluation. |
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Marj |
Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 10:48 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 10497
Location: Manhattan
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billyweeds wrote: Marj--Agree with everything you said (and must think Irene Dunne again with Paget Brewster) except for two misspellings. Angelica spells it "Huston," the same as dad John and grandpa Walter, and Huff's son is spelled "Byrd" like the admiral, not the flying creature.
Billy -- I must admit I never thought about the spelling of Huston. But even as I look at it now, it looks funny. Maybe that's because my mother's maiden name is Houston!
Look at Paget Brewster's profile and especially her mouth when she's smiling. I'm certain you'll see it. |
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lulu |
Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:01 pm |
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Joined: 27 May 2004
Posts: 83
Location: Alexandria
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I will just have to watch this show! |
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Ghulam |
Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 12:43 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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Watched two episodes of Huff. I think it is just a soap opera. Just doesn't ring true. I shall go back to watching Big Love instead. |
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billyweeds |
Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:56 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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Ghulam wrote: Watched two episodes of Huff. I think it is just a soap opera. Just doesn't ring true. I shall go back to watching Big Love instead.
I will now drag out, not for the first time, one of the immutable rules of the universe.
If someone has raved and raved about a television show and told you you just have to see it, the very first time you watch the show you will catch the worst episode to date.
This is what happened to Ghulam, I'm afraid. Not last night's, but last week's episode, played like what he called it, a soap opera. Last night's was not precisely a return to form, but it was better. It, however, carried with it a whiff of the second-rateness of the preceding ep. Sorry, Ghulam. I still maintain, however (though Angelica Huston has become a parody of herself and her "therapy" turned me off big, big, big time), that Huff is better than Big Love.
Meanwhile, not many things are as good as last night's episode of The Sopranos. I felt for a blissful hour that we were back in the middle of Season One. For a charler member of the Sopranos fan club, this episode was a long-delayed nirvana. When Tony recalled the dinner in the rain at Artle's restaurant (the final episode of Season One) I felt it was my life he was talking about. Also got to see what seems like a semblance of the "real" Sir Ben Kingsley we hear about, and managed to make one feel sorry for Miss Lauren "Superdiva" Bacall.
Love/hate Tony's allusion to "the Adriana card." |
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Ghulam |
Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 11:51 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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Billy, I fully agree with you about Sopranos. Last week's episode on how the mob would deal with the situation if they found out that one of the captains was gay was a gem.
I am in two minds about whether to give Huff one more chance or not. |
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lulu |
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 10:16 am |
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Joined: 27 May 2004
Posts: 83
Location: Alexandria
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Anyone want to be it's Artie that will get whacked. He is totally off the wall this season.
Still, this is one of the best seasons for the Sopranos and will probably go out with a real bang (no pun intended).
I just wish my head is better on names of the characters. I'm bad on names to begin with but on television shows, it's damn near impossible. |
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lulu |
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 10:24 am |
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Joined: 27 May 2004
Posts: 83
Location: Alexandria
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Just finished the two episodes. I have no idea why every movie and television show insists on having Mary and Elizabeth meet! they never did and never will and the closest the two ever got together is where they are buried, not far from each other. Helen Mirren was good, one of the best Elizabeth. And I loved the actress playing Mary although she sounded more like I would imaging Katherine of Aragon would sound like. Whether or not she killed or conpsired to kill Darney, she was one not too bright person, or rather, emotionally obsessed and mentally unprepared to take the throne and stupid enough to go to England.
I'm just curious if Elizabeth and Leicester had sex. After all, she was the Virgin Queen and couldn't afford to get pregnant and why her "lovers" would fall for her (yes, I know they wanted the thrown). But they sure as hell risked their lives for her.
Great viewing except for Mary and Elizabeth meeting and that sticks in my craw. Guess it's too much to expect accuracy from television, even for HBO. |
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jeremy |
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 6:28 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 6794
Location: Derby, England and Hamilton, New Zealand (yes they are about 12,000 miles apart)
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I think they made two or three short series' of A Little Bit Of Fry And Laurie . I used to enjoy it, but I suspect its appeal was too narrow to warrant an extended run. Fry and Laurie worked together after they met at University, but I don't know if they will ever get back together now - their careers are too divergent. |
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