Once upon a time, movie night meant going to the cinema with friends and having fun discussing the movie afterwards over drinks or coffee.
These days movie night has taken a different meaning, as in working crazy hours, switching off the work computer, grabbing some food and collapsing on the couch, too knackered for anything, except undemanding entertainment. Luckily, I have found some great movies and shows fitting the bill perfectly.
The Remains of the Day is ideal for the autumn. The butler Stevens has reached his own personal autumn and is now looking back at a life, which could have been so much more. I am not a fan of the big classic romances and I mostly suffer through modern rom-coms. But OMG, The Remains of the Day is a love story, which breaks my heart every time. It’s poignant, suppressed, sometimes frustrating and it’s superbly acted by Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. Here is a movie, where the eyes accompanied by subtle facial movements tell the full story, which is never expressed in words. I love the book, I love the movie.
With October being the time for Halloween, Practical Magic, about two witch sisters, caught my attention. Well that and the lovely Sandra Bullock. However, once again I got confirmed that rom-coms are not for me, not even when camouflaged by spells and magic. The predictable ending was sugary and unrealistic. “Why on earth would you expect a story about witches to be realistic”, I hear you asking? To which I answer, “good point”! As entertainment for a tired brain, it wasn’t too bad and Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman were charming as the Owens sisters.
Many books make me chuckle, but only a few make me laugh out loud. Good Omens belong in the latter category and I’ve stayed away from the adaptation, because how can you possibly translate such a hilarious, imaginative and completely bonkers story to the screen? Seeing all the praise from fans of the book, I gave in though. The verdict? Well, it wasn’t as funny as the book and some of my favourite lines had been left out. But it did turn out to be thoroughly good entertainment. Despite of a fast-paced plot and a long list of characters, Good Omens is really carried by Aziraphale and Crowley. Michael Sheen and David Tennant turned out to be spot on in capturing these two personalities, making it a joy to watch. Great fun!
The Road doesn’t qualify as “great fun”, but it certainly kept me mesmerised in front of the screen. The post-apocalyptic story about a father and his son offers visually impactful scenes with bare, lifeless landscapes and excellent acting from the relatively few characters. The harsh reality of trying to survive in a dying world, where other people are mostly seen as either enemies or food, isn’t sugarcoated. But besides from a few adrenalin inducing scenes, The Road is quite slow with the relationship between father and son at its core. Amazing story, which I won’t forget it in a hurry.
So in the end I really enjoyed my movie nights. I suspect there will be more coming up the next couple of weeks. If you have any recommendations, I would love to hear them.
I agree, these autumnal evenings are perfect for film nights. I love both the book and the film of Remains of the Day. And I’ve seen Practical Magic a couple of times, probably for the same reason as you – it’s easy entertainment for a tired brain. I’ve always shied away from The Road, too bleak for me right now. But you’ve tempted me with Good Omens. Wish I could offer some recommendations in exchange but my brain is still too tired at the moment!
Sandra, good to see you again, I hope you are well! I agree that The Road may feel too depressing at the moment; on the other hand it puts the mess we are currently in into perspective. Normally, I don’t watch much entertainment at home, but I’ve quite enjoyed browsing around to see what I could find. I added A Month in the Country to my watchlist based on your review of the book – I look forward to watching it! 😀
Not sure how much I’ll be around at the moment, but I’ll pop in when I can. A Month in the Country is about as far from The Road as you can get! For when you feel the need for a change of tone!
Judging from the pictures, A Month in the Country might be more suitable to watch in the summer, but I have a feeling it will serve as great escapism!
I absolutely adore the Good Omens book, but the TV show didn’t cut it for me. I imagine for someone who hasn’t read the book, it would be excellent, but, as is often the case, the book is just on another level. I had also been interested in watching The Road for awhile, and your description has really sold it to me. Thanks. For recommendations I always go to The Wire, since it’s just so good – but it’s something you might have seen already considering its popularity. I’d also recommend Good Will Hunting, and The Dead Poet’s Society, and for something more niche there’s a pretty creepy Scandinavian drama called Jordskott which I really enjoyed.
Ahh, too bad about Good Omens. I always feel it’s risky to watch adaptations of favourite books, but actually I was positively surprised by the show. Still prefer the book, though. The Road is one of these movies, which is relatively quiet without too much plot or action, but I have a feeling it’s going to stay with me for a while. Hope you will enjoy it, if you decide to go ahead. Thanks for the recommendations, actually I’ve already seen Good Will Hunting and The Dead Poet’s Society, both are excellent choices which deserve a rewatch. And I will definitely check out Jordskott – I grew up in Scandinavia and used to read / watch lots of Scandi crime!
Love this post! I haven’t seen any of these but I have been tempted by Good Omens a few times and must give it a go. I’ve been thinking of doing a similar post as I’ve enjoyed a few films on Netflix recently too. 😀
Thanks Nicki! I would love to see a post about films you have enjoyed. These days most of us spend more time at home than usual, so I guess we could all use ideas regarding what to watch!
I get on to it then! 😀
Yay – I will look out for your post! 😀
Despite being a huge David Tennant fan, I haven’t watched Good Omens yet!
You should! The role as Crowley is perfect for him!
I’ve read the book The Road and I was shocked, in a very positive way. I still haven’t watched the film, but Viggo Mortensen sounds very encouraging 😉
Haha, I have to say, it is a rather shabby version of Viggo Mortensen, we get to see in The Road, but the acting is – as usual – superb. 😉
Interesting suggestions, thank you
You’re welcome! 🙂
We’ve been watching all the autumn films in my house. Donnie Darko (my fav), When Harry Met Sally, Corpse Bride, Nightmare Before Christmas.
I only know When Harry Met Sally, but I will check out some of the others. Nightmare Before Christmas sounds quite fun.
It’s been a while since I saw The Road but it would definitely be in my top 10 to watch. So sad but so worth watching. Thank you for the recommendations!
Absolutely, it really made a strong impression on me as well. Even if it was sad, it also left a little bit of hope. You’re welcome! 😀
I remember trying to watch Remains of the Day years ago and my head wasn’t in the right place. It sounds perfect for me now. Excellent reviews, Stargazer💜 I might even tackle The Road!
The Remains of the Day really is a slow burner and if you are not in the right mood, it may feel a tad boring. But I’ve always have a soft spot for stories with focus on the characters and where there is a lot going on below the surface. Hope you will enjoy it, if you decide to try again. The Road is highly recommendable as well!
Have you ever read the book The Remains of the Day? It’s one of my favorites. Great post!
Thanks! Yes, I have read the book and it’s a favourite of mine as well. I also love Never Let Me Go by the same author, even if it’s completely different from Remains of the Day.
That one is on my To-Be-Read list!
Hope you enjoy it! Try to avoid reading reviews if possible, I think it has the biggest impact, if you know as little as possible in advance!
I don’t watch many films these days but I really intended to watch The Road after I enjoyed the book so much – well, not enjoyed, exactly! So I’m glad to hear you found the film mesmerising – that was pretty much how I felt about the book. Must get around to watching it…
I haven’t actually read The Road – sometimes I find it’s better to watch the film first, then you don’t have a lot of expectations and ideas of what the characters look like, etc. but can watch with an open mind. From what I hear, the adaptation follows the book relatively closely, though.
I enjoyed Good Omens too! To some extent it improved upon the book by including Crowley and Azirophale in every episode (in the book there are chunks where they are absent).
Glad to hear! I agree about the added scenes with Crowley and Aziraphale, I quite enjoyed the brief look at their friendship through times and laughed at “Look the unicorn is getting away. Ah well, they still have one left”. Ok, I might have been the only one who found that funny… I think it also helped that Neil Gaiman worked on the production to make sure the alterations stayed through to the original spirit of the book.
I appreciate this thoughtful list, Stargazer, because while I’m not much of a TV watcher, I have been watching lately because I’ve not been able to focus as well on reading. I have been watching Game of Thrones and The White Princess so far, shows I was well behind on, and I’ll be adding these to my list!
Jennifer, I am exactly the same. Normally, I don’t watch much entertainment at home, but some days I have been too tired or unfocused to do much else. I never got started on Game of Thrones, but that is a great recommendation! With eight seasons it sounds like a bit of a project, though.
Wowwww what a great movie night! I have not seen any one of them although I’m curious about Practical Magic since I love the book! I’m not a fan of modern rom com either or any other stories focused on romance but I do plan, someday somehow, to read Remains of the Day 😅Great post, my friend!
Thanks Jee! 😀 I haven’t read Practical Magic, but I understand the film is only very loosely based on the book. So you might be disappointed if you decide to watch it. Remains of the Day really is a treat, although you may have to be in the right mood to enjoy it. Definitely a favourite of mine and one of the few cases where the adaption – more or less – can live up to the book.
An excellent selection for October! The Road is an absolutely classic and one that I need to read the book from which it was based on. I do want to check out Good Omens in the near future though. Thanks for sharing! 😀
I also want to read The Road! Have fun with Good Omens if you decide to watch it. In a way, it is quite British, but I hope other people will get the humour as well.