Enlightenment Guaranteed (german) Midnight (with the young Don Ameche and Claudette Colbert) Chilly Scenes of Winter Sleepless in Seattle 49up series Wordplay Bread & Tulips (italian) Spirited Away (and other Miyazaki films) King of Hearts (french) Good Bye Lenin (german) Blue Vinyl Rivers and Tides Tootsie My Cousin Vinny Dave Holiday (and other Kate Hepburn movies) North by Northwest Groundhog Day De-Lovely While You Were Sleeping Mad Hot Ballroom mostly British/Canadian series on dvd: Slings & Arrows Hustle Hetty Wainthropp Investigates Rosemary & Thyme Yes Minister Weeds Monk

I've gotten to the point of allowing myself to put down a book (and never pick it up again) if it just doesn't resonate with me fairly early on. There's not a set number of pages I'll read before making the call - I just kind of know it when I've reached the "not gonna work" point. I'll admit I feel slightly guilty when I stop reading a book, but am understanding (and trying to accept) the fact that it ain't all gonna gel. I can't think of a specific example right now, but I can say that I don't have a lot of patience for smarmy romance novels. I guess the same would hold true for rom-com, chick flicks as well. Most of them bore me senseless. (Katherine Heigl makes me want to run screaming from the room.) I prefer offbeat, quirky flicks. I adored Borat - can't remember laughing so hard at a movie in a long time, so maybe that says something about my crassness. ;-) The one movie I remember feeling physically ill while watching was Videodrome with James Woods. It came out in the early 80s and was one of the first movies I'd seen with gory special effects, and I just recall how it literally turned my stomach.

I've watched many a subtitled movie and much prefer it over dubbing. Try it. It doesn't take but a minute or so to get into the story and forget you're even reading the subtitles. Of course, it helps if it's a good movie, and most of the foreign movies that make it to the library are good movies. The only time subtitles bug me is if they use the wrong color of print against the background and it's hard to see, or if they go by too fast. That doesn't happen all that often, though. The only other problem with subtitles is you can't multitask while watching the movie. You have to pay attention. (Sometimes I like to cross stitch while watching tv.) I'm going to look for Year in Provence, but I know it will make me want to pick up and move. Sally

I read the book last summer and LOVED it! At the time I had just graduated college and gotten my first "real job" as an assistant in NY city, so I was completely able to relate. The only thing I did not like about the book was the ending- but it WAS realistic, not a typical happily ever after story-book ending... so in a way it was good. I just saw the movie with my mom last night (who also read the book) and although we both enjoyed the movie, we were a little dissapointed. I expected it to be a different, but there are so many things they could've done better. First of all I CANNOT STAND Anne Hathaway!!! She's weird looking first of all, she was WAY too nerdy for this role, and she completely over-acts. I think she's painful to watch. The role of Andrea should've been played by someone more natural, funny/sarcastic, and she shoulve been kinda unmotivated at first- crashing on her friend's couch b/c she has no apartment, eating a lot, drinking, smoking, sleeping til noon- still in college mentality...the way she's portrayed in the book. I think Kate Hudson would've been a good choice. She's a little too mature for the role, but if this movie came out 4 or 5 years ago, she would be it. Anne Hathaway was just HORRIBLE. She was too flimsy and jittery and not funny AT ALL. Ugh she's such a bad actress. Meryl Streep however is a brilliant actress. Anything she does is great! However, the role was definitely written too nice. The character of Miranda in the book didnt have conversations with Andrea, she simply just ordered her around. She was meaner and showed no emotion. Whoever said they made her too human was right... I know however for the movie they want to show more of a relationship between her and Andrea, but the writers could've made her just a tad meaner. And my final complaint is the lack of build up with her outside-work relationships. Lily in the book gradually became an alcoholic, hooking up with shady guys in bars b/c she was neglected by her over-working friend. In the movie she had 4 lines and no personality. Also they made the boyfriend so DULL in the movie. Plus I wasn't feeling their relationship AT ALL. They looked unnatural together. Other than all that, it was a cute movie. I just think they could've made it SO much better. "That's all"