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Post by Claire on Feb 13, 2013 19:07:59 GMT 1
Hi all, wanted to do this for a while and finally been spurred into it by vera's thread and kunuma's boot ;D A slightly different approach in that we will watch both the original My Friend Flicka Film from 1943 with the much more recent Flicka film of 2006 in which the Ken character was transformed into a girl! then compare the two as well as making the usual comments. Both the DVDs are easy to find on amazon, ebay etc and not too expensive, but if anyone wants to borrow copies I have them both (if I can find them!) I've never actually been able to bring myself to watch the newer version and its donkey's years since I've seen the original so I'm quite looking forward to it. As there are 2 films to track down and watch we will give it at least 3 weeks before discussing. PLEASE NOTE WHEN VOTING - IF YOU WANT TO VOTE FOR BOTH FILMS YOU MUST VOTE FOR BOTH AT THE SAME TIME (If you just watch one of the films you can still vote for just one however)
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Post by rallycairn on Feb 14, 2013 11:52:34 GMT 1
2006 version = unwatchable to me. I look forward to watching the Roddy McDowall version again.
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Post by Claire on Feb 14, 2013 12:37:28 GMT 1
2006 version = unwatchable to me. I look forward to watching the Roddy McDowall version again. Hehe I know what you mean someone gave me the DVD a while back but I've never been able to bring myself to watch it - Ken being transmogrified into a girl - its a travesty! I'll force myself to watch in the interests of science.
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Post by kunuma on Feb 14, 2013 15:20:53 GMT 1
Having watched both - although speed watched (can you do that lol) the later one as really didn't want to watch it - will watch original again and to do it properly prob have to borrow and watch other one - but here's a hint of how my review will go, concise version...................
Original - brilliant 2006 version - crap
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Post by rallycairn on Feb 14, 2013 16:38:13 GMT 1
I really meant more like kunuma -- I HAVE watched it, speeding through parts -- not just making Ken a girl but pretty much the film is just awful. Shudder.
I wouldn't call the original the best horse movie, but it is at least reasonably okay.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2013 19:46:05 GMT 1
I've never watched any My Friend Flicka films. The books have never really interestd me but I thought I'd try and find the film on youtube just to see if I might like it.
It doesn't appear to be on there but Thunderhead the follow up to the origional film is.
Has anyone watched that and is it very similar to the first film?
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Post by darenc1 on Feb 14, 2013 22:50:06 GMT 1
I've seen the original Flicka and the remake.
I don't remember much of the original, but the remake is watchable at best. I haven't bothered with the sequels.
I did have the boxed set of the original Flicka series at one point. The Green Grass of Wyoming is a bit harsh to watch as it features some pretty hairy sulky crashes during the film.
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Post by Claire on Feb 15, 2013 13:24:43 GMT 1
I can't remember Thunderhead or Green Grass, so don't know if I've seen them or not! I certainly havent got the DVDs.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2013 13:58:39 GMT 1
This a bit of the Thunderhead film...
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Post by Claire on Feb 15, 2013 15:19:12 GMT 1
Thanks Rosie, still can't remember seeing it. Could mean anything tho as my memory is so bad! I think it was my favourite of the 3 books. Green Grass had too much icky romance in it!
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Post by darenc1 on Feb 18, 2013 10:40:58 GMT 1
The Flicka collection is available on Amazon - but you'd need to pay quite a price even for a used item....
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vera
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Post by vera on Feb 18, 2013 14:09:32 GMT 1
I think the biggest mistake the makers of Flicka did was to call it that, instead of making it a whole new script. There are so many annoying things, like changing Flicka from chestnut to black, Ken to a girl etc. The actual novel on which the film was based was much more the story of a boy's growing up and his relationship with his father than the story of his relationship with his horse. I have Thunderhead, but I haven't watched it. In that last Flicka film that excited Zane so much, a paint Thunderhead is introduced right at the end...
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Post by Claire on Feb 18, 2013 21:22:00 GMT 1
A paint Thunderhead! Good grief thats worse than a piebald Blackboy! ;D
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Post by Claire on Mar 7, 2013 14:58:56 GMT 1
In that last Flicka film that excited Zane so much, a paint Thunderhead is introduced right at the end... Just watched that film (Flicka 3) and Thunderhead actually looked to me like a dapple grey or possibly roan. Was hard to tell tho as he was only in it for a few secs and I was watching from a streaming service on laptop so colour may not be 100%. Anyhow back to these 2 films - have added a poll. Please vote twice, one for each! Going to try and watch them over the weekend back to back and then vote/discuss early next week so if you have them both you can join in then. You are also welcome to join in the discussion if you only have 1 of the films but do PM me if you can't get hold of either of the films.
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Post by Claire on Mar 13, 2013 19:36:29 GMT 1
Well I am doing this the wrong way round. Should have watched the original and then the later version. But I can't find where I've put the original one, so I watched the 'remake' first. I also thought what the hell I may as well watch Flicka 2 as well since I'd watched 3. More later when I've found the other film but in the meantime I think Flicka 2 is prob the best of the three, although none bear much (in fact two bear zero) resemblance to the original.
How is everyone else getting on with the films?
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Post by susanb on Mar 13, 2013 20:34:15 GMT 1
My weekend got sucked into the IRS maw...gah, taxes! I don't know which is worse, paying 'em, or filling out the forms. Well, yes, I do....the Federal tax form isn't bad, but the Massachusetts tax code was written by a demon. Seriously. If I had to option to not fill out the form and just say "keep my refund", it would be worth it (they're missing such a revenue raising option there!).
Anyway, will try again this weekend to get to the films!
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Post by Claire on Mar 14, 2013 0:07:04 GMT 1
Taxes yukk! Ours have to be in by Jan so at least they're well out of the way now. Am I right in thinking that everyone has to do tax returns in the USA not just self employed people?
Anyway there's no hurry in getting the films watched, it will prob take me til the weekend to find the missing DVD anyhow, my house is such a bombsite!
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Post by susanb on Mar 14, 2013 17:31:08 GMT 1
Yes, in the US everyone has to do tax returns....Federal/State and Local, if you're a property owner (I'm not, so "only" two for me).
Good luck with the DVD hunt!!!
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Post by Claire on Mar 14, 2013 17:49:38 GMT 1
Yes, in the US everyone has to do tax returns....Federal/State and Local, if you're a property owner (I'm not, so "only" two for me). That sucks. So some people may have to do 3!!! Its all worked out for us if we are employed, and even self employed like moi only do one.
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Post by kunuma on Mar 14, 2013 19:22:28 GMT 1
Erm, you know how easily I get confused - which film is number three? OMG just wikied it and realised they have tried to turn their horrendously fake Flicka into some sort of franchise - HOW did they get permission do make the first travesty, never mind the others!!
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Post by Claire on Mar 14, 2013 21:45:53 GMT 1
The one I sent you is no. 1 Kumuma.
Thankfully the kiddiwinks who love the new Flicka franchise will probably not have heard of the original so in a way its not actually denigrating it - well thats what I am trying to tell myself anyhow!
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Post by kunuma on Mar 17, 2013 23:04:13 GMT 1
OMG it is a pop video - or should I say a Country Western vid YUK YUK. I could rant for hours about how dare they make light of the appalling cruelty of wild horse rodeo, how dare they pretend it has anything to do with the original book, and wtf was that ghastly twee song and those icky photos at the end!!! They had a chance to do something for real mustang rescue at the end at least - and what do we get - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! The Electric Horseman got the message across better! (PS Could do that next!) And as already mentioned, horses don't neigh their heads off all the time, nor do they spend so much time waving their front legs in the air like ananimated praying mantis!! Eeeek sorry Claire, I seem to be being rude about everything I borrow at the moment - I won't dare ask again!
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Post by darenc1 on Mar 17, 2013 23:10:57 GMT 1
I quite like The Electric Horseman - although Jane Fonda does my head in!
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Post by Claire on Mar 18, 2013 0:13:09 GMT 1
OMG it is a pop video - or should I say a Country Western vid Precisely what I thought of at first! Eeeek sorry Claire, I seem to be being rude about everything I borrow at the moment - I won't dare ask again! Don't worry about it - makes me laugh. I've never seen The Electric Horseman would like to do that one.
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Post by Claire on Mar 19, 2013 13:56:40 GMT 1
Bloomin annoying still can't find my copy of My Friend Flicka. Unfortunately I have loads of boxes of books and other stuff lying around and things sometimes end up in one of them. I could try the old standby of under the bed - most stuff seems to gravitate there at some point in its lifetime
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Post by kunuma on Mar 19, 2013 17:33:30 GMT 1
Claire I've got the set of three - if I get my act together and stop watching Frasier episodes I can watch the Flicka one and let you have the DVDs
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Post by susanb on Mar 19, 2013 19:32:54 GMT 1
Gah......still haven't got round to it...I found that I can rent the new version on Amazon, I do have the original. If streaming is working tonight (it can get iffy when the weather is bad, and we're in the middle of yet ANOTHER SNOWSTORM), I'll watch it with a big glass of wine (or whiskey, depending on how bad the commute is!).
Re Electric Horseman.....can do that one next too!
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Post by Claire on Mar 19, 2013 22:32:33 GMT 1
Sounds like you still have winter there too susan! Starting to think we have entered the next ice age. Easter in less than 2 weeks and we still have snow. (Oops should be on the moan about the weather thread...) Kunuma thanks If I haven't found it by the end of the week it would be great if you could lend me them. In fact I'd love to watch Thunderhead and Green Grass even if I find Flicka.
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Post by Claire on Mar 22, 2013 0:49:51 GMT 1
Finally tracked the elusive film down! Not under the bed either, tho at least raking around under there got my bi-annual under bed clear-out out of the way for another 6 months.
Anyway will hopefully be able to watch this and get my thoughts down about the 2 films at last!
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Post by Claire on Mar 22, 2013 13:45:07 GMT 1
OK my thoughts on the 2 films. Original -very horsy, fairly realistic portrayal of ranch life, looked beautiful and made me long to be a cowboy! Followed the book quite well, certainly had a lot of the characters both human and horsy. And at least Flicka was the right colour! Acting was OK, tho Roddy was a bit wooden at times. Loved the little girl who played Ken's sister - she was a hoot! had a smile at the Hollywood representation of the rancher wife, who looked more like a Stepford wife The film was on the whole a bit over-sentimental, which is par for the course for a USA family film, and still is! Slightly annoyed by the cougar (mountain lion) incident. I've read quite a few American ranch/wild horse type stories now and the cougar seems to be the equivalent of the UK gypsies and bogs in terms of cliches. There always seems to be one lurking around threatening the horses and men! Oh and one last thing, haven't read the book in a long while - was Ken's dad really such a humourless grump as he was in the film? New Flicka - Putting aside the obvious that the main character was a girl and not Ken, it followed the main storyline very loosely. Apart from the sex change 'Ken' aka Katy was a lot older too. Flicka was for some reason transformed into a black, probably because its considered an exciting colour, although for me the horse in the original film was a stunning colour. The rodeo/race incident and the cougar attack were obviously stuck in to add excitement. The horse becoming ill through a prosaic accident with barbed wire was obviously considered too tame! To be fair, it did attempt to address the troubled relationship of father and son (daughter) in the original film/book. This gave the film a little much needed depth, but unfortunately they took it too far (see below). Compared to the original this was not realistic - a non-horsy person's reconstruction of what they think ranch life is like with little real knowledge about horses. The way the girl tames and breaks Flicka is ludicrous. One day she just jumps on her back and is then galloping off on her! However one of the silliest things in the film (and the subsequent new Flicka films) is the ridiculous notion the film-makers/scriptwriters or whatever have got into their head about what a mustang actually is. Rather than a breed they seem to think it means a horse that cannot be properly tamed (possibly they are getting mixed up with the original film where Flicka was considered potentially untrainable because she came from a dodgy strain of 'loco' horses) People in the film keep going on about ooh you'll never tame a mustang she'll always be wild etc, and indeed even after Flicka has been trained she keeps reverting to the wild state! The main character was annoying. Ken was likeable just a klutz and a daydreamer, Katy whilst also a dreamer, is a petulant teen who seems to stir up trouble for the sake of it. And her father makes the original Mr McLaughlin seem like a fairy godmother. What sort of father would send the horse his daughter adores to be cruelly treated in a rodeo? This film has had far more of the Hollywood treatment than the original. In the original only the wife looked a bit too glam, in this film everyone looks like a model! The sentimentality too was laid on with a trowel and I agree with kunuma, the end credits with all those photos of kids on horses and that revolting song about a fathers love for a daughter, were enough to make you hurl. It seemed to turn the film from a story about a child's love for a horse into one about a father's love for his 'ickle girlie' In fact the film really concentrated more on the father daughter thing than on the horse angle. Its not quite bad enough for a horse dropping booby prize but not one I'd watch again.
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