What's the main difference between English and American movies?

Im thinking you don't like Arnold.

I actually love Arnie :) If given a choice.. I watch movies when I am on the treadmill as I find exercise deadly dull.. I ALWAYS choose Action movies and usually American :)

I hate Harry Potter, but I digress.

Yeah y'all do make some fantastic comedy as long as you appreciate cynical and dry wit.   Which I do.   There's some great horror, fantasy, and sci-fi from the UK too.

This is one of the best  surrealist fantasy/horror films ever made. 
Anyone who hasn't seen it I recommend you do.




You make a good point though.   The lack of big budgets and less snazzy production tends to force British film makers to make more creative and impressive story lines and characters.  There isn't making up for crap writing and plots with bells and whistles like there is in Hollywood.   Especially as time progresses.

Thank you.

I'm lost in the comments now.   "Thank you" for what?

I know, it's all got a bit messy. Thanking you for the last paragraph there, financial disparities and all that.

('Eat Spotted Dick' - sort of English and menacing at the same time. Perfect for this thread, don't you think)

There's a place and time for everything Ms L, even for that which I refuse to name. )

The books are way better than the films re Harry Potter.. and I think the thing there was that the books captured a nation, as there was nothing really like that back then.  I remember my son reading it in 3rd grade :)

Serious question Day. Do you think that Harry Potter, you know , the books, are an accurate representation of the character and values of the British people? I had this discussion the other day, what do you think?

Um nooooooo because it's entirely fantasy.... there are elements that make it quintessentially British  of course.. like I say we DO very much support the underdog and HP was.. we always want the underdog to win.. but no lol we don't go around waving wands :P It's pure fantasy but yes a Britishness about it.. but no we don't go to Hogwarts.. 

Come on Day, you sure don't think I thought you guys went to Hogwarts and had an owl based postal service. I mean you don't, right?

You hate Harry Potter???
I knew there was something wrong with you. 
Daniel Heathcliff is a national treasure.

I really do.   I find it too fluffy and derivative.    

You're prolly gonna  tar and feather me for this one, but while I love the LOTR books.   I find the Peter Jackson LOTR films to be CGI garbage.



( BTW:  It's Daniel Radcliff.   Heathcliff was an orange cat.)

(Glis, my friend, I know )  )

LOL and I utterly despise, with a passion LOTR.. i hate it, hate it, hate it.. utter over-rated twaddle and I mean the books :P I loathe it so much I couldn't even bear to read a parody called Bored of the Rings because it mirrored LOTR too much..   Harry Potter however, the books, captured the world and at the time, there was nothing quite like it AND we love the underdog spirit of it all.. the author was an underdog, a penniless single mother, and Harry was a weedy neglected child.. I am a fan of the books, which actually are quite well written and say what you will they capture the reader.. We should remember that Harry P was written as a children's book. 

I have the complete opposite view as you.   I find harry Potter to be a  cuddly and fluffy rip-off of LOTR and other fantasy.
Frodo and Bilbo are the epitome of underdogs.   Harry and his friends were just dorky wimps.  Okay,  that was kind of a dig for fun, but basically the Harry Potter series is way too saccarine and syrupy sweet with no  real meat or serious darkness to me.   It's so  Disneyesque and happy. Too cutesy and innocent.   I kinda like how Tolkien created a whole mythos and landscape top go with the story too.

( and yes I have read some of the novels) This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at January 4, 2017 3:53 PM MST

I know what you mean, about Harry Potter. The story is really not sure literary jewel by any means. But I think, honestly, that it is an interesting story, the creatures and magic thing are clever, and it is one of the few things I can watch with my daughter without having to have my finger on the fast forward trigger button. 

LOL aww take that back about HP not being a literary gem :P It wasn't meant to be.. it was a kids book... written to foster children's imaginations.. as I say my son read it when he was in 3rd grade..  it was escapism.. and underdog comes good... the weakling geeky kid turns out to be the most important wizard... truly I don't think it was meant for us adults.. just for kids. 

I know, I know, I agree. The only, and im sure it's just me, the only thing I had an issue with was that the character of Harry Potter acts too much like a girl would act. Especially during his teenage years when he was having " issues " with Ron. I think that later on, the character of the writer as a female started to come thru Harry, and he was acting like a teenage girl having troubles with her best friend. no?

lol noooooo we Brits aren't into all that macho c*ap - we don't feel the need :P  So no I didn't find he acted like a girl :P And what issues? Boys have issues too ya know.. and I think perhaps we are more into equality here.. and not a bad thing.. boys arent given the message, *quite so much anyway* that they have to be big and brave and tough.. so perhaps, bringing this back to the hugh Grant thing.. we do find it more acceptable for boys and men to be in touvh with their feelings ?

Come on Day, not into the macho image,  men and boys in touch with their feelings and deal with boy issues? we're talking about males here right?   )

I hear ya kinda.   I don't know if I would call it girly exactly, but he is such an overly emotional little wimp.  He had no backbone and in the real world would have been eaten alive.  Too much " there there, special snowflake".
It was even too much for a stereotypical girl character really.

I don't agree with the wimp or no backbone. but still, that doesn't keep him from acting in a certain way. Women, can be just as courageous. And im not saying he was actin effeminate, I say that the character of the writer, being a woman, came thru, and she had him acting like a female. Or, before I get accused of being anti women, or at least like the girls I saw my daughter growing up surrounded by. very moody, and emotional acting. I think im digging myself a hole . so I'll stop here. 

lol....   Nah, I do know what you mean and yes you are digging a hole.  I'm sure of it.
You're kinda right  about the female teenage  experience being applied to a male character though. People can say that is sexist if they want to, but the coming of age experience is different between the sexes.   Sorry, but it's true.  Despite there being plenty of commonality as well. This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at January 4, 2017 4:34 PM MST

That's what I meant, you said it better. Unless you get attacked, in which case I don't know what any of that means. )