H
Hotspur
Guest
Out of curiosity, how many people here are into Shakespeare? I know this is an off topic but I can't think of anything to bring up fitnesswise.
It depends!
I am not too keen on reading him because reading literature and literary theory is what I do for a living 24/7 as a grad student of Spanish American lit, but I love to watch his plays performed either in live theatre or on film adaptations of quality.
I am lucky enough to be at the U of Michigan and we have a 3 year contract with the British RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company) who come over in the Spring/Winter semester and perform 3 Shakespeare plays and hosty a variety of actor/theatre training workshops, as well as co-teach a bunch of Undergrad English lit classes on Shakespeare to help integrate the plays' performance into the curriculum. It's fabulous.
LAst Winter I got discount tickets to see "Merry Wives of WIndsor" which was truly splendid, a complete riot of a play. But the "Coriolanus" sent me to sleep because the narcissistic central actor who played the lead role mumbled and shouted all his lines and I understood nothing of what he said and he bored the pants off me, sorry.
The old black and white film of "Richard the 3rd" with Laurence Olivier is definitely worth watching, your local library may have it. But I don't much rate Mel Gibson's "Hamlet", I think it was.
Absolutley fabulous and very haunting an experience is to watch Julie Taymor's recent adaptation to the screen of "Titus Andronicus" under the sole title of "Titus." Man oh man that was an experience!!! Anthony Hopkins in the lead role: if you like him in "Silence of the Lambs", well that role of Hannibal Lector pales next to Titus the Roman general out for revenge.......never again eat meat pie any of you!!! WHose meat?!?!?!?!?!?! }(
If you ever get the chance for a big screen presentation of the film I really recommend it. Take a barf bag for just in case...:7
Have a great Monday and love this thread!!!!
CLare
I am not too keen on reading him because reading literature and literary theory is what I do for a living 24/7 as a grad student of Spanish American lit, but I love to watch his plays performed either in live theatre or on film adaptations of quality.
I am lucky enough to be at the U of Michigan and we have a 3 year contract with the British RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company) who come over in the Spring/Winter semester and perform 3 Shakespeare plays and hosty a variety of actor/theatre training workshops, as well as co-teach a bunch of Undergrad English lit classes on Shakespeare to help integrate the plays' performance into the curriculum. It's fabulous.
LAst Winter I got discount tickets to see "Merry Wives of WIndsor" which was truly splendid, a complete riot of a play. But the "Coriolanus" sent me to sleep because the narcissistic central actor who played the lead role mumbled and shouted all his lines and I understood nothing of what he said and he bored the pants off me, sorry.
The old black and white film of "Richard the 3rd" with Laurence Olivier is definitely worth watching, your local library may have it. But I don't much rate Mel Gibson's "Hamlet", I think it was.
Absolutley fabulous and very haunting an experience is to watch Julie Taymor's recent adaptation to the screen of "Titus Andronicus" under the sole title of "Titus." Man oh man that was an experience!!! Anthony Hopkins in the lead role: if you like him in "Silence of the Lambs", well that role of Hannibal Lector pales next to Titus the Roman general out for revenge.......never again eat meat pie any of you!!! WHose meat?!?!?!?!?!?! }(
If you ever get the chance for a big screen presentation of the film I really recommend it. Take a barf bag for just in case...:7
Have a great Monday and love this thread!!!!
CLare
gelfling
Cathlete
Very. I love to read him, watch the plays and watch the movie adaptations and the ballets! I don't like the modern re-writes, like the DeCaprio version of Romeo and Juliet, for example, *at all* One of my very favourite adaptations is Much Ado About Nothing. I remember going to see that on opening night in a cinema filled with teenagers who wanted to see something else but coule only get tickets for Much Ado... And everyone loved it without exception - and they understood it too. Such a contrast to (when compared to Much Ado) the dreadful A Midsummer Night's Dream with Kevin Kline: I couldn't wait for that film to be over. It was almost good but fell short over and over again. Much Ado on the other hand was so uplifting that (to bring it back on topic) it would be perfect for getting you into the mood for working out 
ATB,
- Lisa
ATB,
- Lisa
H
Hotspur
Guest
My fav. plays are Hamlet and Macbeth. But I'd have to say Hamlet is the number one on my list. Honestly, I do not care for movies or plays because oftentimes the actors seem to act differently from the play. Know what I mean? I think Kenneth Branaugh is one of the best Shakespearean actor I've seen. I was not crazy about Hamlet with Mel Gibson in it. I saw the movie 12th Night and it was not too bad. I saw the movie A Midsummer's Nights Dream with Kline in it. I was laughing because it was so bad! ) The Midsummer's Nights Dream with Mickey Rooney in it was not bad! Othello is another great play. Romeo and Juliet is too easy.
Don't get me started on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with those pre-pubescent simpletons! They made another movie called "O" based on Othello. What is this world coming to with these movies???? I think they just ruined Shakespeare in a way. I know directors and writers want to be originial but come on...Do better than that!
Laurence Olivier is a very good actor. I have his Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and something else. I can't remember.
Do they have the movie with Anthony Hopkins in Blockbuster? I LOVE that guy especially when he plays a nutcase! He's one of the most brilliant actors I've ever watched.
) The Midsummer's Nights Dream with Mickey Rooney in it was not bad! Othello is another great play. Romeo and Juliet is too easy. Don't get me started on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with those pre-pubescent simpletons! They made another movie called "O" based on Othello. What is this world coming to with these movies???? I think they just ruined Shakespeare in a way. I know directors and writers want to be originial but come on...Do better than that!
Laurence Olivier is a very good actor. I have his Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and something else. I can't remember.
Do they have the movie with Anthony Hopkins in Blockbuster? I LOVE that guy especially when he plays a nutcase! He's one of the most brilliant actors I've ever watched.
garance
Cathlete
I love Shakespeare. I am a college English teacher and I wrote my dissertation on Macbeth. I love Kurosawa's Throne of Blood (based on Macbeth) and Roman Polansky's version of the play as well--just to add to the list of great film versions. Branagh's Henry V and Hamlet are both superb, and yes, Olivier's Richard 3 is mesmerizing. Can't find a good Antony and Cleopatra or Coriolanus to show my students though.
Wow, it's been a while! I used to just roll watching/reading some of the comedies! Much Ado and Taming of the Shrew are my favorites. I've had a crush on Denzel ever since he played the Prince. Kenneth Branagh has done some really brilliant work, I think.
I don't care as much for the history plays, but that's just personal preference. Some of the tragedies are fabulous, though. There was a version of Othello with Maggie Smith that I really loved, although I can't say I liked the idea of Olivier playing the lead, not in Othello, anyway.
I can't wait to see Titus. I hadn't heard about it. I adore Anthony Hopkins. I remember being so moved by his performance in The Remains of the Day. I'm betting he's incredible!
I agree, the Mel Gibson version of Hamlet was none too fabulous, but he's just so beautiful. If worse comes to worse, I could just turn the sound down and watch him.
I used to teach adapted versions of some of Shakespeare's comedies to my seventh graders. Believe it or not, they absolutely loved them! They thought they were such hot stuff--studying Shakespeare. They could hardly wait for high school so they could study Romeo and Juliet! The high school teacher hated me, of course, for teaching (gasp!) adapted versions etc., but I say if it gets kids interested, it's a go. (I just hope she didn't suck all the enthusiasm out of them once she finally got hold of them.)
Glad to know there are so many others who love lit! Here in my little corner of the world, there aren't many, and I miss discussing it. It's one of my great pleasures in life.
Shari
I don't care as much for the history plays, but that's just personal preference. Some of the tragedies are fabulous, though. There was a version of Othello with Maggie Smith that I really loved, although I can't say I liked the idea of Olivier playing the lead, not in Othello, anyway.
I can't wait to see Titus. I hadn't heard about it. I adore Anthony Hopkins. I remember being so moved by his performance in The Remains of the Day. I'm betting he's incredible!
I agree, the Mel Gibson version of Hamlet was none too fabulous, but he's just so beautiful. If worse comes to worse, I could just turn the sound down and watch him.
I used to teach adapted versions of some of Shakespeare's comedies to my seventh graders. Believe it or not, they absolutely loved them! They thought they were such hot stuff--studying Shakespeare. They could hardly wait for high school so they could study Romeo and Juliet! The high school teacher hated me, of course, for teaching (gasp!) adapted versions etc., but I say if it gets kids interested, it's a go. (I just hope she didn't suck all the enthusiasm out of them once she finally got hold of them.)
Glad to know there are so many others who love lit! Here in my little corner of the world, there aren't many, and I miss discussing it. It's one of my great pleasures in life.
Shari