Fe(brrrrrrrr)uary WATCHING Thread

[J.M. Vargas]

I Am Curious - Blue (1968) on Criterion DVD for the first time. The Nyman Institute is back in business in writer/director Vilgot Sjöman's sequel to his controversial '67 'Yellow' prequel (both were shot simultaneously but released a year apart). More so than in 'Yellow' the line between fiction and truth in 'Blue' is blurred as Lena seeks the opinions of her Sweedish countrymen on then-hot button issues (an interview with a Pentecostal church-going young man inside a car stands out) while 'struggling' to complete the movie she's starring in (the one we're watching) and dealing with personal issues with former lovers, including Lena's director (played remarkably well by Sjöman himself). There's still plenty of nudity and sexuality on display in 'Blue' but it clearly takes a backseat to an actual plot thread (Lena's search for the mother that abandoned her as a child) and the social commentary, which is more leftist-leaning and sure-footed than in 'Yellow.' When the movie's crew pops on camera unexpectedly singing a protest song while on the side of a road where a car carrying Lena just passed by it feels both totally natural and unexpected.

I really hope Criterion releases more of Vilgot Sjöman's body of work in its budget Eclipse line so we can get a chance to see the likes of '491' and 'Malacca' in these shores. They're dated but fascinating time capsules from their era that are sufficiently removed from Ingmar Berman's work (Vilgot was fixated on sex, violence and political commentary) to tell us more about the human condition as perceived by Sweedish filmmakers.

MST3K: Laserblast (experiment #706; 1978) on DVD. I'm proud that, for many years, my high-quality VHS copy of "Laserblast" (which is also the source for Joel Hodgson's "TV Wheel" pilot shown right after "Laserblast") was the basis for the fan-circulated DVD copies passed around by the most trusted "MST3K" traders (like skyroniter). Alas, Shout! Factory does justice to this seminal episode of "MST3K" (the last from the show's Comedy Central era) with an official DVD release. While the riffing isn't outstanding by the show's standards (way too many 'ready for some football?' and 'Eddie Deezen' cracks, although the latter are understandable since we're asked to buy Eugene from "Grease" as a HS bully! ) and the production values are above-average for an "MST3K" target (particularly the decent stop-motion animated aliens) the 70's cheesiness and lack of soul permeating every action and character in the flick are too good a target for Mike & the bots to pass. We also get to say goodbye to Trace Beaulieu's Dr. Forrester (ironic that the end of Season 7 dovetails into "MST3K: The Movie" with direct "2001: A Space Odyssey" comedy skits) and laugh out loud at the sight of Mike Nelson dressed as Kate Mulgrew's Captain Janeway from "Star Trek: Voyager" (yikes!). Overall I'd give this "MST3K" treatment of "Laserblast" three-and-a-half stars, a full star more than Leonard Maltin gave the movie itself.

Rewatched Galaxina (1980) on HD-DVD with the commentary track on. Writer/director William Sachs and Stephen Macht (Sgt. Thor) are living proof that even the most well-intentioned filmmakers can't help but s*** a turd of a movie. They perceive their laugh-free "comedy" (my quotes) as a classic, and God bless them for being fans of their own work. But other than the Dorothy Stratten behind-the-scenes stories there's not much enticing here for a repeat listen.

Atonement (2007) on HD-DVD for the first time. What I initially avoided watching for fear of the dreaded 'Oscar bait' label (have owned the HD-DVD for almost a year without looking at it) turned out over the weekend to be further proof that 2007 could rival 1939 as one of the best years for quality motion picture entertainment. Simply put, I love "Atonement" (the movie, not... you know) despite it being the very definition of a World War II chick flick. The movie's first act (the set-up for what transpires for the rest of the movie) is easily the best, anchored by Saoirse Ronan's mesmerizing portrayal of 13-year old Briony as a literate girl whose misunderstanding of what she sees/perceives will forever alter the lives of Robbie (James McAvoy) and sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) in the span of five years. Like "Once Upon A Time in America" the kid actor portraying the lead outshines her grown-up counterparts, which is a tall order when one of them is Vanessa Redgrave. With WW II England and France as backdrops (punctuated by a jaw-dropping uninterrupted shot at Dunkirk beach with hundreds of extras) and a non-linear structure keeping the motives, tribulations and fates of the characters away from mawkish predictability director Joe Wright ("Sense and "Sensibility") only misses a little in making the passionate love between Robbie and Cecilia believable. I can buy the ending and premise of the movie explaining it (which I won't spoil for those that haven't seen the movie) but on-screen I just didn't get why Cecilia was so in love with Robbie based on their few scenes together, particularly the one's not told from Briony's POV. Dario Marianelli's score (which often incorporates a typewriter sound into the mix) and Seamus McGarvey's cinematography are both things of beauty, particularly on the blemish-free HD-DVD version (the last released in that format by exclusive-till-the-end Universal Studios).

Agatha Christie's Poirot (2008) on ITV R2 DVD for the first time. I'd never seen this UK series before but someone I know shared her R2 DVD's of the latest four 90 min. movies (Season 11) with yours truly. Holy crap, David Suchet IS Hercule Poirot! This particular character (which, along with Sherlock Holmes, has been adapted into movie/TV character variations through a century of new media) belongs to either the written page or period pieces like this, not modern times when DNA samples are needed to arrive at the same solution Poirot will arrive to by simple process of deductive reasoning. It was a blast to watch Suchet bring to life Belgian's most astute detective putting all the murder mysteries together at the end with a calm and gentle demeanor missing from most American sleuths. I love Goren from "L&O: Criminal Intent" but those schizophrenic twitches and 'show and tell' finales can get tedious to watch. Of the four episodes in the latest "Poirot" series 'Appointment with Death' stands out by changing the scenery from the usual ornate countryside and moving Poirot & suspects (including Tim Curry) to Syria circa 1937. Even in the regular episodes there is plenty of fun guest stars and neat little twists. My friend tells me the new "Poirot" episodes aren't as good as older one's featuring Capt. Hastings and Chief Inspector Japp as foils/sidekicks (her opinion) so I may have to do some catching up to get the most out of Suchet's dead-on portrayal of Agatha Christie's most famous character.

[Future Man]

The Descent in HD On Demand.
For me the spelunking (sp) perils are more gripping than the main attraction which shows up alarmingly late.

[Stubblecat]

Slumdog Millionaire and The Reader.

Yesterday was my day to watch the front-runner and the dark horse back-to-back. I enjoyed both films immensely, but for different reasons.

Slumdog Millionaire has a lot going for it, as it's certainly different than most Hollywood movies, yet it's getting audiences that normally only ever watch Hollywood-style filmmaking. It's a film full of unknowns, partially subtitled, which jumps back and forth in time throughout. It also delivers what every traditional Bollywood film promises: Love, humour, action , drama, pathos and a dance number.

So I'm cheering for Slumdog.

The Reader is a quiet, serious and thought-provoking film, starring two of the finest actors of our time. It takes the Academy-baiting subject of the Holocaust, but removes itself from the subject to focus more on how lives are shaped based on the smallest decisions. It a leisurely-paced tragically romantic film which will leave you with a sense of melancholy.

So I'm cheering for The Reader.

[molly1216]

watching films from WHV Bogart collection..you know the ones in the thinpaks, All through the night, across the pacific, passage to marsaille.. and I am gonna flat out state...these have the WORST cover art of all WHV releases...
(i also think that their Garbo set was the worse conceived classic 'set' as none of the films have so much as a trailer) but the Bogart covers...fercrissakes...the image of bogart on all through the night is from High Sierra sheesh a drunken monkey with photoshop 3 can do better.

[Gabriel Girard]

Goodfellas - for the nth time. First time listening to the commentaries. The first one with Scorsese, Pileggi,cast and crew was great. The one with Henry Hill and the Fbi guy was interesting but I didn't listen to the whole thing cuz I was annoyed with Hill saying ''you know'' every 3 words.

Blindness - i was pretty sick when I saw it and I still thought it was great. I'm not sure it'll support many viewings though.

[Dunnyman]

Just got back from the NoirFest at the SIFF Theater here in Seattle, and both pictures rocked me good. While The City Sleeps was up first, and Fritz Lang knocked it out of the park with an All-Star cast, including Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, Ida Lupino, George Sanders, Vincent Price & the criminally underrated Thomas Mitchell (It's the land, Katie-Scarlet!). For a noir with a subplot about a psychotic killer preying on young beautiful women, it's damned funny in spots, full of innuendoes, double entendres, and a rather racy bunch of dialogue for 1956, and despite the massive competition for the good stuff, Ida Lupino owns every scene she's in, with Andrews a hammy second place. The scene of him looking up at the theater marquee with his name on it is sheer genius! I never knew Lang could do comedy, and according to our host, he considered this the best movie he ever made. Not out on DVD, but well worth hooking up the ol' VHS if you can find a copy. It's not a flaw, but I found it more of a comedy than a noir, and what respectable noir has a happy ending?
Then Shakedown, and wow, Howard Duff can play a total scumbag with the best of them. He's a photographer who will do anything to succeed, and while not as good as the first film, it's pretty good as veteran gangsters Brian Donlevy and Lawrence Tierney do their work quite well, and we get treated to one of the few appearances of the ethereally beautiful Peggy Dow. There's double crosses and twists galore as Duff's Jack Early plays everyone against each other in an effort to run off with all the cash, and it ends with a great little twist! Not out on DVD either, and apparently it has been seen barely a dozen times since it hit theaters in 1950. It luckily spared from the Universal vault fire a few years ago, and they struck new prints recently, so hopefully a festival will be showing it in your area someday. The host had a great story about finding the original film in the late 90's, and inviting everyone to see it, with several stars and critics attending, only to find out it was a British film of the same name as he had, uh, forgotten to screen it himself...

[J.M. Vargas]

Walter Hill's The Long Riders (1980) on MGM HD for the first time. What an inspired casting idea to have the Carradine (David, Keith and Robert), Keach (James & Stacy), Quaid (Dennis & Randy) and Guest acting siblings (Christopher and Nicholas) bring to life the legend of the James/Younger outlaw gang. And if that's not enough manly bad-assery for you James Remar shows up midway through the flick as a knife-wielding Indian! If 2007's "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" is the lyrical and thoughtful interpretation of the Jesse James legend then "The Long Riders" is the page-turning pulp version. Although the female characters aren't as developed or interesting as the men (except for Pamela Reed as a hooker wishing for respectability but settling for being the object of Cole Younger's affection) the movie takes its time showing these mythical outlaws as simple men trying to make a living (including settling down and starting families) in post-Civil War Missouri. David Carradine and a surprisingly good Randy Quaid (who out-acts Dennis off the screen by a mile) are the standout performers but the entire cast is aces. Shootouts are infrequent but when bullets start flying (especially during the Minnesota Northfield Bank robbery) Hill shows his skills at making bloody action come across as cinematic ballet. Long before John Woo became associated with slow-motion action shots Hill was already doing it better than anybody since Peckinpah. High-def picture is grainy and soft though, a sign that a re-master of this western isn't coming anytime soon.

The Fantastic Four (2005) on DVD for the first time. I stayed away from this franchise just from the trailer and TV commercials completely turning me off (and then I read the reviews). Now that I've seen it it's even worse than I ever imagined. Ioan Gruffudd and Jessica Alba are seriously miscast and Reed Richards and Sue Storm. They don't look, act or in any way come close to even the ballpark of their comic book counterparts (or even a passable resemblance to a unique, more youthful take on characters much older than the actors portraying them). Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis fare a little better as Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm (respectively) but they, like Julian McMahon's Doom villain, are let down by a terrible script and vanilla direction that mixes haphazard coincidence with lame attempts at PG humor to tell the most mundane of origin stories. I'm not exaggerating when I say the Roger Corman produced '94 version of "FF" is infinitely more entertaining and worthy of attention than this kid-safe dog of a superhero fick.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) on DVD for the first time. There was no place for this franchise to go but up after the dead-on-arrival first movie. Unfortunately Gruffud and Alba are still miscast as the leads, Evans and Chiklis still think they're cool and/or funny (they're not) and McMahon still seems to be here just to collect a paycheck in-between his "Nip/Tuck" gig. Director Tim Story seems to realize this so the movie's attention is focused mostly on the Silver Surfer and his intergalactic quest. The Surfer is a one-dimensional character (with Laurence Fishburne's voice giving his ramblings more believability than they deserved) but at least (a) he's more interesting than the leads or main villain (a blessing when they're as badly cast as this bunch) and (b) his presence is an excuse to throw a ton of mindless action sequences with cool SFX shots at the screen hoping viewers think they're getting their money's worth. I saw both "FF" movies yesterday and I'm having a hard time remembering either one of them today (took notes to write this), a sign of creative failure by Marvel suits compared with their "X-Men" and "Spider-Man" success stories.

The Secret Life of Bees (2008) on DVD for the first time. Harmless and uplifting drama about a 14-year old runaway girl (Dakota Fanning, whose acting is improving with age) raised by a family of bee keeping black sisters in 1960's South Carolina. The intimacy and bond of these women's relationship with each other (the Civil Rights turbulence of the times is relegated to background) develops into a predictable but moving tale of friendship and foster home acceptance. Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo (along with the other child actors) make for a believable trio of sisters. Jennifer Hudson is weak as the nanny that takes Lily to live in the Boatwright household but Paul Bettany is excellent as Lily's redneck father that holds a grudge against his daughter for her mother's death. Had a friend not loaned me his DVD to watch overnight I wouldn't have watched "Secret Life of Bees," but I'm better off after seeing it knowing Dakota Fanning might turn out to be the next Jodie Foster.

[barnaclelapse]

Watched a movie called Snow Cakes last night.

I'm more convinced than ever than Alan Rickman can play off pretty much anybody in the world and still be awesome.

[molly1216]

Watched a movie called Snow Cakes last night.

I'm more convinced than ever than Alan Rickman can play off pretty much anybody in the world and still be awesome.

by grabthar's hammer, i agree.
still wouldn't want to see him in drag though.

[Andrew Forbes]

Ace of Hearts from the TCM Lon Chaney collection. The least of the three movies in the set, but with great atmosphere and a fairly compelling story revolving around a secret society with murderous aspirations. This set has turned out to be one of my favorite purchases of the past year. Anybody looking for a introduction to Chaney or silent movies in general should give it a look.

[Dunnyman]

Ace of Hearts from the TCM Lon Chaney collection. The least of the three movies in the set, but with great atmosphere and a fairly compelling story revolving around a secret society with murderous aspirations. This set has turned out to be one of my favorite purchases of the past year. Anybody looking for a introduction to Chaney or silent movies in general should give it a look.

Did not know this existed, will see if Scarecrow Video here has it.
Started on....Dark Shadows, and damnit....I'm hooked.

[Ptolemy]

Ghunga Din - still the best balls out action movie ever made IMO

[azul017]

Miami Vice - Plays like a more grittier and detached version of CSI with Farrell and Foxx playing two versions of David Caruso's character. It's way too long and self-indulgent, with an annoying overuse of handheld cameras. The movie also varies from being beautifully shot to crappy-looking (a lot of video noise during the night scenes gives away the shot-on-digital camera limitations), and Gong Li is terribly miscast. Michael McKenzie's review sums up my feelings better than I can.

[HGervais]

Lots of Doctor Who....."The E-Space Trilogy" aka Full Circle, State of Decay & Warriors' Gate....I'm really kind of a fan of Tom Baker's final season which I think has less to do with John Nathan-Turner taking over the producer's chair than it is with Chris Bidmead assuming the story editor job. The jokey, jokey days of Douglas Adams moved aside to more of a serious show somewhat grounded in actual science. I also don't find Adric to be all that offensive. Sure the special effects are pretty primitive and they do kind of undercut the ending of State of Decay but overall the storytelling is pretty solid. Then it was on to a pair of Sylvester McCoy stories, Battlefield & Ghost Light. Both were enjoyed and I have to say Story Editor Andrew Cartmel was taking the show and The Doctor in a pretty interesting direction. I love how The Doctor acknowledges how its possible he became the magician Merlin in his future in Battlefield and it was good seeing the Brig. Ghost Light gets a lot of complaints for not making any sense but everything seemed pretty clear to me. Production-wise period drama is something the BBC has always done well and this is no exception. This colder, more manipulative Doctor makes for interesting contrast to the way he is usually presented and that he borderlines on cruel in his treatment of Ace to get her to where she needs to be is even more fasinating. All of the discs are loaded with extras.

[Andrew Forbes]

Le Doulos. Oh, Jean-Pierre Melville's corpse, won't you be my valentine?

[Steve T Power]

Miami Vice - Plays like a more grittier and detached version of CSI with Farrell and Foxx playing two versions of David Caruso's character. It's way too long and self-indulgent, with an annoying overuse of handheld cameras. The movie also varies from being beautifully shot to crappy-looking (a lot of video noise during the night scenes gives away the shot-on-digital camera limitations), and Gong Li is terribly miscast. Michael McKenzie's review sums up my feelings better than I can.

I'm in total disagreement there. I think it's a wonderfully executed police procedural. I think Farrell and Foxx don't so much play cops as inhabit their roles completely.

But that's how it goes.

[Dan Mancini]

Courtesy of Netflix, I finally got around to checking out Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence -- pretentious yet awesome, just like the original.

I also purchased and watched Friday the 13th on Blu-ray. It's such a sh*tty movie, really, but it hits my brain squarely in the nostalgia button. I can't resist. Plus, the flick looks damn fine on BD (I wish Halloween looked as good).

[Steve T Power]

Courtesy of Netflix, I finally got around to checking out Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence -- pretentious yet awesome, just like the original.

you watch it in English?

[Dan Mancini]

Courtesy of Netflix, I finally got around to checking out Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence -- pretentious yet awesome, just like the original.

you watch it in English?

Yeah. I always watch anime in English unless the dub sucks ass.

[J.M. Vargas]

Le Doulos. Oh, Jean-Pierre Melville's corpse, won't you be my valentine?

EEEEUUUUU, gross! Anywho, in chronological order over a busy weekend:

Benjamin Christensen's Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Years (1922) on Criterion DVD for the first time. Talk about being way ahead of his time, yet timely given today's political climate about the reliability of information obtained from war prisoners through torture. Danish writer/director/performer (as both the devil and Jesus Christ) Christensen effectively creates the intellectual great-great-great-granddaddy of "Religulous": a staged documentary mixing scholarly thesis and staged re-enactments with a strong POV (Christensen's, who appears on camera and often refers to the movie as his in the title cards) about the ignorance of people from the Middle Ages being abused by religious institutions in their quest for control. Even though audiences must have been horrified back when this movie came out (the few that were allowed to see it close to its present, uncensored form) in the right frame of mind "Häxan" can also be hilarious. How can anyone not laugh at the sight of an older woman birthing several midget-sized devil babies to wacky music? Take note ladies: cat feces mixed with dove hearts make for a potent love potion. Criterion's bevy of supplements, as expected, enhances an already strong movie.

Orson Welles' Touch of Evil (1958) on TCM for the first time. Joyce described this movie in another Jury Room thread as the turning point for film noir in which 'the snake began to eat its own head' (paraphrasing). While I appreciate that Wells is applying all his skills to a genre picture with a top-tier cast (Chuck Heston, Janet Leigh, Dennis Weaver, Marlena Dietrich, Joseph Calleia, etc.) and amazing set-pieces (the opening shot) this is a pretty bleak and nasty piece of work filled to the brim with either stupid (the Vargas' don't seem to have a brain in anything they do or say) or unlikable characters (Akim Tamiroff's suitably creepy 'Uncle' Grande). It's a good thing I was in the mood for a hardcore noir when I saw this because, on a normal day, "Touch of Evil" would have been just too much for me to take. Plus I have a new favorite movie character I can treasure forever in Wells' portrayal of Capt. Hank Quinlan. Holy smokes, whenever he's on-screen Quinlan is a mofo (technically the movie is more about him than Heston's lead character) and his arc is the stuff film noir thrives on.

Rewatched Equinox... A Journey Into the Unknown (1967) on Criterion DVD with the commentary track on. A nice 'in memoriam' for the on-screen cameo, memory and legacy of the late Forrest J. Ackerman.

Bob Rafelson's Five Easy Pieces (1970) on HDNet Movies for the first time. Damn! I knew Jack Nicholson owned the 70's but I wasn't ready for this masterpiece. I'd seen the classic 'chicken' diner scene many times, but the context in which its presented within the movie is better than I ever imagined. Bobby Dupea is one of Nicholson's best characters, a walking and living contradiction of a human being that feels uncomfortable living in his own skin. Musically talented but living off menial non-musical jobs, in love with his dorky brother's classy girl (a fetching Susan Anspach) but attached to his low-class pregnant girlfriend (Karen Black, making the best out of a thankless role), moody and unfaithful but capable of emotion and guilt (like when he tries to have THE TALK with his ailing father), etc. Dupea truly is a rebel without a cause, and co-writer/director Rafelson ("The King of Marvin Gardens," "Blood and Wine," etc.) surrounds him in a world of polar opposites (either Tammy Wynette songs or Chopin/Mozart classical music, in trashy bowling nights or with East Coast elite intelligencia, etc.) that traps him to the point that his final act or rebellion doesn't feel out of place or unrealistic. Great supporting performances (were there any movies in the 70's NOT starring Billy 'Green' Bush?) are icing on the cake of a slice of 70's cinema that doesn't feel too dated because of its laser-like focus on character development.

Michelangelo Antonioni's The Passenger (1975) on DVD for the first time. My first Antonioni film (yes I know, shame on me for not yet seeing "L' Avventura") and what do you know, Nicholson's David Locke character could be construed as a continuation/extension of his "Five Easy Pieces" Dupea character. Nicholson dials down his 'Jack' persona considerably in "The Passenger" (except for one outburst when his Jeep gets stuck in the African sands), almost to the point one feels Locke is sleepwalking through his fantastic European takeover of David Robertson's personality/life. Maria Schneider (the Penelope Cruz of the 1970's) is both fetching and hilarious as the muse-type figure that Locke relies on for moral support and assistance when his charade begins to unravel. Like Bertolucci's better work ("The Last Emperor") Antonioni lets the camera do most of the storytelling, capping the movie off with an amazing uninterrupted shot and ambiguous ending that I'll be damned if I understand but haven't been able to get off my head since I saw it. James Cameron owes the Antonioni state some royalties for stealing the Nicholson/Schneider 'flying' shots for his soapy "Titanic" flick.

John Carpenter's Assault on Precint 13 (1976) on DVD. Though "Dark Star" was his first feature film "Assault on Precint 13" is the low-budget movie where Carpenter's directorial trademarks (widescreen anamorphic composition, catchy synth score, Howard Hawk archetypes, Debra Hill partnership, regular actors like Charles Cyphers and Nancy Loomis in supporting roles, a foreboding sense of suspense, etc.) take shape before the big stuff happened. The flick is an unassuming modern-day western siege flick, with L.A. gangs replacing Indians and automatic weapons with silencers instead of bow & arrow weapons. Darwin Joston is cool as Napoleon Wilson but the entire cast has that grindhouse appeal of a movie permanently stuck in the 1970's. And who else but a young Carpenter could get away with shooting Tia from "Escape to Witch Mountain" (Kim Richards) point blank and on camera?

Hal Ashby's Being There (1979) on Blu-ray for the first time. This is the second movie I was mostly hating all the way through (too simplistic, too moralistic, flatline humor, etc.) only for the very end to made me reboot my entire opinion of the flick upwards. The first was 1999's "The Sixth Sense." I'm not talking about the outtakes over the credits (which was a stupid, mood-shattering decision by Ashby) but the final five minutes leading up to that last shot. "The Sixth Sense" made for lousy repeat viewing after 'the twist' reboot though. Which means I'm going to have to see "Being There" again to see how the end retrofits the 125 minutes that preceded it. On first impression: terrific Sellers (everything and everyone bounces off of his serene/calm demeanor), terribly dated ("Match Game" on the TV, disco version of Sprach Zarathustra, etc.), Shirley MacClaine is OK (female masturbation in a mainstream PG movie??!! ), great supporting cast (Melvyn Douglas, Dick Dysart, Jack Warden, etc.) but idiotic premise (everybody has to act stupid for Chance's 'wisdom' to come through) saved by that last scene/shot. Even in his most mainstream movie Hal Ashby retained an indie filmmaker's love for the quirky and the offbeat.

And, last but not least, rewatched Appleseed: Ex Machina (2007) on HD-DVD with the commentary track on. In the absence of the people we really want to hear from (producer John Woo, director Shinji Aramaki or manga creator Masamune Shirow) producer Joseph Chou and some dude that bitches constantly about the lack of theatrical releases for anime movies in America (or their lackluster box office performance when they do get theatrical bookings) get to talk about the hardship of having an American-based producer (Woo) interact with a Japanese crew in bringing the "Appleseed" universe up to contemporary CG standards. While it borders on inconsequential the commentary allows one to just watch the pretty CG pictures with the dialogue and plot turned off, which in the case of this eye candy-filled anime is a blessing.

[mona]

what about the Yentl directors edition release anybody a babs fan out there?

[J.M. Vargas]

Welcome to the Jury Room mona. Can't speak for anybody else but Streissand isn't in my radar yet (I own three of her movies on DVD that haven't gottten around watching yet). Why don't you post your thoughts on "Yentl" DC or any other movie/TV show you've seen recently? We love opinionated people around here (whether we agree with them or not) so come on in, the water is warm and cozy. Join us!

[hoytereden]

Bolt at our $1.00 theater. Not bad; not Pixar, but not bad at all. The pigeons were hilarious!

[azul017]

I'm in total disagreement there. I think it's a wonderfully executed police procedural. I think Farrell and Foxx don't so much play cops as inhabit their roles completely.

But that's how it goes.

I just can't buy either of them as cops. As much as I wanted to like this film, I simply couldn't.

Although Mann's Public Enemies looks AWESOME.

[Dunnyman]

Just finished off Red Victoria, and if you liked Shaun of the Dead, I highly recommend this film. Tony Brownrigg might be the next Simon Pegg, because he wrote, produced and directed one brilliant film. Very funny, in a black comedy vein, with some real horror to prevent it from becoming too silly, and Arianne Martin plays the hottest girl/ghoul/psycho/muse/lover/best friend ever filmed. In a sort of twisted, "oh my god that's kind of sick" way. Must see.

[Steve T Power]

My weekend went a little something like this:

Punisher: War Zone on Blu-ray - There were elements of this film that were handled in fantastic fashion. Ray Stevenson played the character perfectly, he WAS the Punisher. The writing, as far as Frank Castle/The Punisher goes, was also excellent stuff, touching on everything that actually gives the character an identity and doing it well, this wasn't the Tom Jane 'revenge' fest, or the completely alien Lundgren B-flick. Stevenson's scenes worked, and his 'support team' (Detective Soap, Microchip) were very well executed, along with Colin Salmon's rogue FBI-agent. The action scenes were also great stuff, very well executed, and the whole film looked amazing (Loved Leni's use of colored lighting). Then we get to the villains, and the whole film CAREENS off the rails. Jigsaw and his brother (Looney Bin Jim? COME ON!) were goddamn awful, horrid, wretched characters. Everything about them, from the script, to the look, to the acting, just completely tears down, burns, and pisses all over what works in the film. Add in the wretched Meth-head free-runners and you get a completely useless gang of cartoon characters that felt like they fell out of an episode of Black Scorpion. It's a shame really, as the mean-spirited nature of the violence works so well for the film. I'm amazed that after three tries, no one has really nailed it. If you could combine what worked in the Jane film with what worked here, you'd have the PERFECT Punisher film. As it stands, three strikes, you're out. Please people, just leave this character alone.

Go - This is really one of my favorites from the 90's. Everything just meshed so well and clicked, the script, the cast, the direction, the soundtrack. Just a damn fun time.

[J.M. Vargas]

Orson Welles' Touch of Evil (1958) on TCM for the first time. Joyce described this movie in another Jury Room thread as the turning point for film noir in which 'the snake began to eat its own head' (paraphrasing).

Found Joyce's actual quote from 2007: http://www.dvdverdict.com/juryroom/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=27&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=150#p2086

The beginning of noir is spotty...i don't consider Maltese Falcon as true noir, Spade isn't a tormented character making bad decisions, he's a regular guy who is slightly corrupt who find out just where his line in the sand is.There are plenty of noirs before Double Indemnity - Laura, This gun for Hire, etc...the oldest one in my collection is Von Sternburgs' The Shanghai Gesture (1941) though an argument could be made that that film colmpletes the throughline between German expressionism and Noir. I think the most reasonable benchmark for the end of the noir period was Kiss Me Deadly (1955) though just to be contrary i would say Touch of Evil (1958) as the point where we came full circle on noir , basically the snake was eating it's tail by then.

[molly1216]

Orson Welles' Touch of Evil (1958) on TCM for the first time. Joyce described this movie in another Jury Room thread as the turning point for film noir in which 'the snake began to eat its own head' (paraphrasing).

Found Joyce's actual quote from 2007: http://www.dvdverdict.com/juryroom/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=27&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=150#p2086

The beginning of noir is spotty...i don't consider Maltese Falcon as true noir, Spade isn't a tormented character making bad decisions, he's a regular guy who is slightly corrupt who find out just where his line in the sand is.There are plenty of noirs before Double Indemnity - Laura, This gun for Hire, etc...the oldest one in my collection is Von Sternburgs' The Shanghai Gesture (1941) though an argument could be made that that film completes the throughline between German expressionism and Noir. I think the most reasonable benchmark for the end of the noir period was Kiss Me Deadly (1955) though just to be contrary i would say Touch of Evil (1958) as the point where we came full circle on noir , basically the snake was eating it's tail by then.

wow i wrote that? more unbelievable is that someone remembered it.
i still think that about Touch of Evil, it was probably TOO self aware of what it was.
kinda stripped all the nuance away and only left the finger nails on a blackboard parts of noir.
One of the reasons we remember the dolly shot at the start is that that's the last time anyone feels safe.

[Andrew Forbes]

CJ7. Not quite at the same level as Stephen Chow's previous two movies, but funny and sweet. The young actress playing his son is excellent. Some of the casual abuse was a bit off-putting but, in the context of Chow's earlier work, the violence is never as severe as it seems. I will probably pick this up at some point.

[hoytereden]

Orson Welles' Touch of Evil (1958) on TCM for the first time. Joyce described this movie in another Jury Room thread as the turning point for film noir in which 'the snake began to eat its own head' (paraphrasing).

Found Joyce's actual quote from 2007: http://www.dvdverdict.com/juryroom/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=27&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=150#p2086

The beginning of noir is spotty...i don't consider Maltese Falcon as true noir, Spade isn't a tormented character making bad decisions, he's a regular guy who is slightly corrupt who find out just where his line in the sand is.There are plenty of noirs before Double Indemnity - Laura, This gun for Hire, etc...the oldest one in my collection is Von Sternburgs' The Shanghai Gesture (1941) though an argument could be made that that film completes the throughline between German expressionism and Noir. I think the most reasonable benchmark for the end of the noir period was Kiss Me Deadly (1955) though just to be contrary i would say Touch of Evil (1958) as the point where we came full circle on noir , basically the snake was eating it's tail by then.

wow i wrote that? more unbelievable is that someone remembered it.
i still think that about Touch of Evil, it was probably TOO self aware of what it was.
kinda stripped all the nuance away and only left the finger nails on a blackboard parts of noir.
One of the reasons we remember the dolly shot at the start is that that's the last time anyone feels safe.

I still think; for me, the end of the noir era finished with Wise's Odds Against Tomorrow. And talk about full circle; Robert Ryan started his great noir career as a racist in Crossfire and ended it as another racist in this film.

Yesterday was French cinema on TCM:
Mr. Hulot's Holiday-I love all of the Hulot films but this is my favorite.
400 Blows-Speaks for itself. I especially enjoy the 1st half which is more lighthearted than the rest. His playing hooky with his classmate made me think of Ferris Bueller for some odd reason. Love the centrifuge ride he goes on. Maybe the most haunting finale on film and it's just a simple freeze-frame. Brilliant.
Au Revoir, Les Enfants-Terrific film, but heartbreaking.
Then switched gears and watched Master and Commander on Blu-ray. I agree with comments I've read online that the video isn't dramatically different from the DVD but the audio Sure is. Wow! When they were below decks; the audio mix sounded like people were walking above my seat. Now that's surround sound! And speaking of the below deck scenes-these are torture tests for non-CRT displays to display black and shadow detail. My RPTV did pretty well but I haven't seen any current sets that don't struggle with it.

[Steve T Power]

Then switched gears and watched Master and Commander on Blu-ray. I agree with comments I've read online that the video isn't dramatically different from the DVD but the audio Sure is. Wow! When they were below decks; the audio mix sounded like people were walking above my seat. Now that's surround sound! And speaking of the below deck scenes-these are torture tests for non-CRT displays to display black and shadow detail. My RPTV did pretty well but I haven't seen any current sets that don't struggle with it.

Yeah, visually it doesn't make too strong a first impression, but once it gets going i did notice a considerable difference in fine detail. Contrast and saturation were more DVD-like though. That audio track, man o man, best sounding DVD in my collection is now the best sounding blu-ray.

God i love the movie though. It remains a top 3 film regardless of how my moods change about the other filcks i call my favorites.

[Stubblecat]

I just finished a Blu-Ray marathon of all five Harry Potter films, from Philospher's Stone to Order Of The Phoenix.

Since they've been discussed and dissected for a good 8 years now, I'll keep my comments brief.

I found the first three were excellent adaptations of the books, being faithful but not obsessive in the tiniest details. It was sort of surprising to see how violent they are in retrospect.

Once the books beagn to get monstrous in size with Goblet Of Fire and Order Of The Phoenix, the films actually started getting shorter (?) and I felt that those two films came across as slightly jumbled 'greatest hits' collections of the story. Anything that wasn't directly related to advancing the plot was jettisoned immediately, and any scenes of important dialogue seemed to be shouted quickly while characters were sprinting to some other location.

With any luck, The Half-Blood Prince will have a running time which allows the dialogue-heavy story to unfold properly.
Funny that the final book, which contains a long middle section which could easily be covered with the title card "And a LOT of time passes just like this." is getting the 2-film treatment while others had to be cut so mercilessly.

[J.M. Vargas]

Rewatched Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922) on Criterion DVD with the commentary track. An interesting and downright weird film is made even more so by an ace commentary from Danish film historian Casper Tybjerg (even though he's clearly reading). Next up: the shorter, trippier version with William S. Burroughs narration.

Rewatched John Carpenter's Assault on Precint 13 (1976) on DVD with the commentary track. Carpenter is usually a excellent commentator of his own work but this track forces him to fly solo instead of teaming him up with a collaborator/friend that can bounce questions/anecdotes off of his memory (Debra Hill in "The Fog," Kurt Russell in "The Thing," etc.). The result is Carpenter repeating himself way too much and going over the same terrain (the Howard Hawks worship gets to be a bit too much) but the man remains engaging throughout.

István Szabó's Mephisto (1981) on TCM for the first time. Other than an ending too ambiguous for its own good (not a bad one, mind you, just a tad confusing and anti-climactic) this is a fascinating trek through the life, psyche and mindset of an actor in 1930's Germany willing to stick around when the Nazi regime takes over (instead of escaping like his friends and devoted wife) so that he can rise to the top of his profession. It's a Faustian bargain driven home by the fact Hendrik Hoefgen's best known role is that of Mephisto. As played by Klaus Maria Brandauer (Largo in the unofficial James Bond flick "Never Say Never Again") Hendrik is neither saint or sinner nor perfect or deeply flawed despite indulging in all manner of excesses (adultery, selfishness, vanity, ratting out Nazi opponents, etc.) which are counterbalanced (helping out friends escape Germany or find work, raising salaries for his theater group, etc.) to paint a multi-layered portrait of a man too much in love with his profession (and by extension himself) to realize he's in way over his head until it's too late. Although initially jarring the "Breathless"-like editing (which is only used sporadically) helps the movie achieve a dream-like passage of time in witnessing Hendrik's rise from provincial actor to Third Reich pet.

The Man In The Iron Mask (1998) on HDNet Movies. Despite having all the elements of an epic swashbuckling adventure (great cast, high production values, Dumas' highly-adaptable source material, "Braveheart" writer/director Randall Wallace at the helm, etc.) this is one choppy and very unpolished film. The sword-fighting and stunts look and feel second rate, the split-screen SFX shots of Louis XIV/Philippe (Leo DiCaprio) are weak and the cinematography is ugly, flat and garish (which stands out in high-def). It's as if MGM/UA rushed this movie out to cash-in on the then-hot DiCaprio/"Titanic" hype, then forgot to go back to post to even out the rough edges for home video. Shame because had they been given a better script to work with and a more competent director this cast (Byrne, Malkovich, Irons and Depardieu as the Musketeers, plus then-rising stars like Peter Sarsgaard and Hugh Laurie in supporting roles as well as Anne Parillaud) could have delivered the goods.

[hoytereden]

Then switched gears and watched Master and Commander on Blu-ray. I agree with comments I've read online that the video isn't dramatically different from the DVD but the audio Sure is. Wow! When they were below decks; the audio mix sounded like people were walking above my seat. Now that's surround sound! And speaking of the below deck scenes-these are torture tests for non-CRT displays to display black and shadow detail. My RPTV did pretty well but I haven't seen any current sets that don't struggle with it.

Yeah, visually it doesn't make too strong a first impression, but once it gets going i did notice a considerable difference in fine detail. Contrast and saturation were more DVD-like though. That audio track, man o man, best sounding DVD in my collection is now the best sounding blu-ray.

God i love the movie though. It remains a top 3 film regardless of how my moods change about the other filcks i call my favorites.

Same here. I'm sad that it ends. I know it didn't do well enough finacially to get more films done but wouldn't it make a terrific mini-series? Too expensive, I'm sure, and it would be hard to get past anyone other than Crowe as "Cap'n Jack."

[Steve T Power]

Slumdog Millionaire - Where to begin. It's definitely not the best film of 2008, and there's some debate as to whether or not i'd even include it in my top 10, that said, it's an entertaining effort, pretty well acted, and full of Boyle's style. No American director could have made it, and i guess that says something. I'd probably feel a lot more strongly about the whole thing if the final scene wasn't so ludicrous. It really comes out of nowhere and proves that some things just don't translate across cultures. Everything up to that is actually pretty excellent. My initial reaction was a little more hostile, but i find it softening with time. It's something i'll go back to, i'm sure.

[Stubblecat]

Dawn Of The Dead (1978)

I've watched a load of Blu-Ray discs now, and I'm usually impressed as hell about the video quality for most of them, but this was the first time that I really saw all sorts of new things that I've never noticed before.
Tiny details that were previously just blurs on my old VHS and DVD copies are now clearly seen, like early on in the film when our scrappy heroes stop to refuel the helicopter. In the office, there are loads of notes stuck to the walls by people desperate to make contact with friends and relatives, letting them know where to find them.
And in the tiniest corners of the shopping mall, the small print on boxes and product labels are now clear as day. The colours are richer than ever, especially when the day-glo pink/red blood starts flying.

This may not be everyone's cup of brains, but Dawn Of The Dead is certainly a contender for 'most improved' on Blu-Ray.

[Boba Fett]

Quantum of Solace: Third time seeing this one, first time on DVD. I'm liking it more with each viewing, although the first 40 mins are over stretched and weak and it just misses my Top 10 list by one. At the end of the day, the story is Bond's emotional journey, not the small time plot of Greene. Also, if the audio on the screener is the final product, the DTS track kicks some major ass.

[Gabriel Girard]

Get On The Bus - Great characters and acting especially from Ossie Davis. I think the film rambled too much and I'm not really sure if it had a point.

RocknRolla - More great fun from Ritchie.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Just delightful. My favorite Allen movie since Everyones Says I Love You

Body Of Lies - Awesome.

[Andrew Forbes]

How Green was my Valley. I can easily see this taking the prize over Citizen Kane, though I do think the latter is the better film. HGwmV is a gorgeously composed, finely acted portrait of a small town in upheaval. Two minor villainous characters were overacted to a comical degree, but the rest of the cast was excellent.

[Stubblecat]

A mind-rot day at work today, so I watched 3 not-exactly-masterpieces (but fun anyway):

Role Models - Continuing the currently-unbeatable Apatow formula of the crude comedy-with-a-heart, Role Models earns quite a few of its big laughs, although the final third drags a bit with its whole LARPing subplot.

Hatchet - A low-budget slasher flick of some recent acclaim in the genre. Some bad acting and a wildly ridiculous premise quickly give way to some very inventive slasher kills which are the most entertaining I've seen since Peter Jackson's Dead Alive. Bonus points for Mercedes McNab ('Harmony' from Buffy The Vampire Slayer) finally realizing that the acting thing is going nowhere, as she spends half the film topless and making out with another girl.

Sex Drive - Unrated & Cream Filled - Okay, I had very low expectations on this one. The original trailers looked stupid and I expected just another lifeless comedy. I have to admit that I ended being pleasantly surprised at how much I gave up the big-time belly laughs on this one.
The big selling feature is that this 'unrated' edition is perhaps the first movie that lives up to the promise. Finally. Not only do they pack in more nudity, foul language and added scenes, but they also break the fourth wall by having naked people just randomly walk through scenes. And an extra bonus is that they throw in a bunch of outtakes during the film. The first time it happens and a cast member breaks up laughing and you hear the crew crack up as well, you know that you're getting something special.

Sure, the film was juvenile and too long by a good half-hour (it runs 130 minutes. Yikes!), but I haven't had a good cleansing laugh like that at a movie in a long time.

[Steve T Power]

Sex Drive - Unrated & Cream Filled - Okay, I had very low expectations on this one. The original trailers looked stupid and I expected just another lifeless comedy. I have to admit that I ended being pleasantly surprised at how much I gave up the big-time belly laughs on this one.
The big selling feature is that this 'unrated' edition is perhaps the first movie that lives up to the promise. Finally. Not only do they pack in more nudity, foul language and added scenes, but they also break the fourth wall by having naked people just randomly walk through scenes. And an extra bonus is that they throw in a bunch of outtakes during the film. The first time it happens and a cast member breaks up laughing and you hear the crew crack up as well, you know that you're getting something special.

Sure, the film was juvenile and too long by a good half-hour (it runs 130 minutes. Yikes!), but I haven't had a good cleansing laugh like that at a movie in a long time.

Been wanting to see this ever since i saw Seth Green's Amish guy, "good luck with your ride! Spaceman!" When Green is on, he's usually pretty awesome.

[Stubblecat]

Seth Green is awesome in this film! The extended dialogue scenes are priceless. You even get a couple of great outtakes where he busts up laughing.

[Andrew Forbes]

The Lodger (1944). I've seen two John Brahm flicks now, both from the Fox Horror Classics set, and the guy really knew how to do atmosphere. This was far superior to The Undying Monster, but I've heard great things about Hangover Square, which I hope to check out soon. It's a shame, but Brahm seems to have been something of a two-hit wonder.

[Steve T Power]

Finished my February with Empire Records, which is one of those slices of '90's that brought myself and my wife together all those years ago. I just have a ball with this flick. I still wish they'd left the deleted Rex Manning scenes intact, it would have been nice to see him redeemed in the end.