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Post by Mighty Jack on Nov 23, 2009 15:22:51 GMT -5
North By Northwest 50th Anniversary EditionI wonder how many more times I’ll buy this movie? This version promises a new restore on VistaVision “elements” – don’t know what that means and haven’t read any reviews from more knowledgeable folk - but the previous restoration was pretty and this one is equally beautiful, but the colors aren’t as bright/garish so it’s probably closer to how it originally looked. There are 2 new extras. Both have today’s directors (among them del Toro and Scorsese) discussion Hitches style. Though very well done, it appears they only had rights to a handful of film and they don’t use the best examples. For example, discussing Alfred’s use of color without using Vertigo and Marne as examples, doesn’t give full account of his genius. They also don’t make parallels to German Expressionism (Hitch would have used rear screen and Mattes regardless of what technology offered, because it was part of those expressionistic touches). The other new extra explores the film. Very good too, the menu is funny as it places Hitch’s head among those on Rushmore. Classic movie, brilliantly directed, sharply scripted, photographed with a unforgettable Bernard Herrmann score. Also… FranklynA blind buy, as I couldn’t find it for rent anywhere. This British release was listed at the “Superhero Lives” website, but it’s not a traditional crime fighter flick. It’s a unique and challenging motion picture. It might take another viewing before I completely understand it all, and even then some things might forever escape me (and so far no one has been able to explain what was the deal with the Janitor?). It’s about these parallel worlds, traditional London, which is filled with these sad, lost people (a hopeless romantic, a father searching for his lost son, a suicidal artist). And a futuristic place called Meanwhile City where a masked detective (Ryan Phillippe) hunts a fanatic who he believes killed a young girl that was under his protection. In this world, it is mandatory to choose a religion and the detective (a bit Rorschach like) is an outlaw as its only atheist (I love how every one is greeted with a “May your God bless you”) It’s a movie that makes you work, needs you to work with it and concentrate as these seemingly random stories gradually converge into one. It won’t be a movie for conventional tastes but I loved it. Eva Green (Casino Royale) also stars – I’m not sure if it belongs in my Superhero Marathon, but maybe I’ll add it, as there are comic book elements. This is probably the best ‘true’ blind buy I ever made.
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Post by Captain Hygiene on Nov 23, 2009 16:30:57 GMT -5
Never heard of it, but it sounds pretty great. I'll have to keep that in mind.
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Post by Skyroniter on Nov 23, 2009 17:34:49 GMT -5
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Post by Mighty Jack on Nov 25, 2009 1:18:08 GMT -5
Never heard of it, but it sounds pretty great. I'll have to keep that in mind. I wrote a fuller review of it at my blog... FranklynI also Bought Star Trek - Which I liked. I hope on the next one Abrams kind of cuts back the Star Warsian stuff and tightens the Kirk/Spock/Bones releationship. Which was the heart of the series (listening to his comments on the DVD, I don't know that he really 'gets' that aspect) And sky, did you buy that because of who the director was or because of Monica Gayle? (I've never seen the film myself, but what ever happened to Monica? She up and disappeared didn't she?)
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Post by Joseph Javorsky on Nov 29, 2009 22:40:23 GMT -5
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Post by Mighty Jack on Dec 1, 2009 5:40:53 GMT -5
I wasn't planning on buying myself anything until after Christmas, but I saw Kurosawa's "Ran" from Criterion on sale so I grabbed it (and I've read they no longer hold the rights to this, have cancelled their blu ray plans).
Great extras and the movie is genius, though not typical Kurosawa. While the composition is pure Akira (and the color is stunning) the story is a lot more dark and pessimistic, and pretty slow paced for him (and I don't think I saw a slo-motion shot. Kurosawa was the father of the slo-mo in action scenes. Now imitated by many these days) - still a bold, powerful masterpiece.
The picture is grainy at times. I don't know why this release has been so troublesome to remaster, but this is the best looking version so far.
Criterion is also releasing "AK 100", a 25 movie set. It's bare bones (no extras) and missing a few titles but if you just want these amazing films, Deep Discount is offering it for $279 (the cheapest I've seen) I'm hoping Netflix adds the early films to its site. If they do I might reactivate my account and do a Kurosawa review thread just for schmidts and giggles.
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Post by Dr. Henry Krasker on Dec 2, 2009 3:34:57 GMT -5
I bought Star Trek and Up. I love the new addition to the Star Trek franchise. I especially enjoy seeing the new actors bring their own interpretations to the characters. There are some plot holes, things that have me asking "Why did they...? Why didn't they...?", but on the whole, I enjoyed it too much to let it bother me. I'm a big Pixar fan, saw Up in the theater, so it was no surprise I got it on DVD. Great new short about Dug. ("I am watching you, rock!") I still need to check out the commentaries and other extras, but I love the movie. I never would have thought I'd see an animated movie about an old man coming to terms with his wife's death. I guess it's no surprise there's so little merchandising of the title. The same shopping trip got me MST3K v. XVI and Sgt. Frog Season 1 Pt. 1 and Season 1 Pt. 2. So I got plenty to tide me over for the next month or so.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Jan 9, 2010 2:05:30 GMT -5
Shoot 'em Up on Blu-ray Blu-rays rent for freaking $6 and I found a used copy of this for $9 so I just bought it.
I don't like Tarantino films in the least so I always assumed that I wasn't a fan of absurd, over the top, ultra violent, irreverent material.
But then I found myself enjoying Wanted and the new Punisher and then this... I guess I do have a taste for this blood soaked craziness (just not Quentin's type).
Love this movie, it's completely nuts.
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Post by Krissette on Jan 13, 2010 0:23:43 GMT -5
Picking up Halloween 2 tomorrow.
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Post by callipygias on Jan 13, 2010 1:41:13 GMT -5
I've been in the mood for '70s sci-fi for quite a while now, and since I'd never seen it and it was only $5, I got Omega Man. I liked it, though it's definitely something I need to be in just the right mood for. The romance between the desperately un-hip Heston and the super-cool sista was... strange, to say the least, but I guess in a last-man-and-woman-on-earth kind of way it should have been.
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Post by reaperg on Jan 13, 2010 10:14:46 GMT -5
"Uzumaki"
The residents of a Japanese town become obsessed with spirals and start turning into snails. Good weird fun.
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Post by spackle on Jan 16, 2010 18:34:55 GMT -5
"Uzumaki" The residents of a Japanese town become obsessed with spirals and start turning into snails. Good weird fun. Had to watch this after your description. My cup o' tea, thanks!
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Post by reaperg on Jan 17, 2010 11:08:20 GMT -5
Glad to be of service!
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Post by Mighty Jack on Feb 3, 2010 4:33:47 GMT -5
There is some grain and a few bit where compression and ill defined blacks are an issue (why does bluray struggle with that so much?)... but for the most part the colors on this thing are vibrant, and they did a great job on the important fight sequences. A solid bluray release and an outstanding movie. I miss ya Bruce.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Feb 9, 2010 19:04:39 GMT -5
The Phantom on Bluray For the film: This one gets mixed reviews but I've always enjoyed it.
For the disc: I looked over some bluray sites that are gushing over the picture quality. While agree that this lushly colored film is beautifully rendered in the daylight scenes, the night scenes - the bits inside the cave and whatnot, look horrendous. It is riddled with artifacts; grain and white specks dot the black coats and shadows. There's a scene where Phantom is talking with the English commander where it's as if the film stock changed.
So for me it's hit and miss: in the light it's crisp and colorful (the details on the Phantom's purple uniform pop out better than they did on DVD), at night the picture quality stinks.
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