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Shallow DVD movie review-the JBL-a/d/s sound
the gear: Denon AVR-2105 7.1 receiver , cheap Philips DVD player (that plays avi's & mpegs too) , JBL L7 mains, JBL swoopy unnumbered center , JBL PS-100 sub , ADS L100 surrounds, 26 inch TV.
the DVD Movie: North by Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock) score by Bernard Herrmann ...http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053125/
recently remastered.
now I can upload tons of wacky waterfalls of the soundtrack and random screen shots to reinforce my opinions.
Oh wait !! darn..I dont have any waterfalls & screen shots to post...will just do the poster shot.
The Analysis: Great flick !! one of my favs ....frequency response is nothing special, but the score ? BH did an outstanding job, dont think there is a possible better one. The score melded with the screen action and added very much to the environ of the scenes. ...this remastered version looks and sounds like it was produced yesterday. :applaud: ...casting was superb....Cary Grant was at the top of his career , EMS was beautiful and seductive , the mockups of the U.N. and Mt. Rushmore were believable ....and there was no fuggin CGI ..and it was a fine story....;)
highly recommended :bouncy: (SSR=5)
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OKAY, I'm not a war movie guy, but
I like aviation. Watched the PBS show abt "Who shot down the Red Barron" last week and remembered that somewhere in the past I'd seen part of "The Blue Max" and wanted to see the whole thing someday. Picked it up/down 2 days ago.
It's a 1966 movie in glorious 2.0 ....most likely George Peppards best work...the photography is outstanding , the aerial scenes almost as good as Apocalypse Now.
Sound quality is much better than what you would expect from the era.
a couple of synopsis from IMDB http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060177/
the tactics of a German fighter pilot offend his aristocratic comrades but win him his country's most honored medal, the Blue Max. The General finds him useful as a hero even though his wife also finds him useful as a love object. In the end the General arranges for him to test-fly an untried fighter. Written by Ed Stephan <[email protected]>
Promoted from the ranks after spending two years in the trenches, Bruno Stachel becomes a flying officer in Germany's World War I air force. Most of the officer corps comes from Germany's aristocratic elite and Stachel feels out of place. This does not dampen his ambition however as he single-mindedly pursues his goal: to be awarded the Blue Max, given for shooting down 20 enemy planes. His blind ambition leads him to claim a kill that is not his and when he confides in the beautiful wife of a General, disaster is inevitable. Written by garykmcd
All in all, it had a real story that was interesting , No fuggin CGI , and a good cast ...recommended :yes:
Oh yea...eqpt has changed to AR90 mains, JBL CL-505 center and a/d/s surrounds
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was listening to a Julie London record
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and did a "related search" to see what else was available ....turns out she was in a Western along with Gary Cooper ..called "Man of the West"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051899/
IMDB says "On his way to hire a schoolteacher, a homesteader is left a hundred miles from anywhere when the train he is on is robbed. With him are an attractive dancehall girl and an untrustworthy gambler and he decides to get shelter nearby from outlaw relatives he used to run with. They don't trust him and he loathes them but they decide he can help them with one last bank job." Written by Jeremy Perkins <[email protected]>
anyway..its in glorious MONO and contains NO LFE or fuggin CGI ....just a good story and acting....recommended. :applaud:
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
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we watched this oldie again yesterday , sure, it's low brow , slapstick ,etc. , but it sure is funny , and is a huge cast of Hollywood faves.
sound ? MONO
picture quality ? very good (Cinerama)
story ? cornball, but fitting
Jonathon Winters & Phil Silvers were especially "over the top" ;) (and Edie Adams slit skirt/long legs were nice too)
Lennie Pike (JW): "*Everybody* has to pay taxes!- Even businessmen, who rob and cheat and steal from people everyday, even *they* have to pay *taxes*!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apHZKlQJI_c
one reviewer noted : "What can you say about a comedy where the Three Stooges are the most sedate people on screen?"
Jimmy Durante "kicks the bucket"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h57UR-oIE_g
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_a_...Mad,_Mad_World
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I have a pile of movies from the library and ..
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it was a wet/windy day, so ....decided to watch "Nixon" ... have a small interest in that tragedy.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113987/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
It was typical Oliver Stone crap ...you know, beat you over the head repeatedly with his point until you submit. I could only handle 20 minutes of it
rating = D
but then I put in a disc that I knew nothing about ..The Conspirator
Director: Robert Redford
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0968264/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2
Storyline from IMDB
"In the wake of Abraham Lincoln's assassination, seven men and one woman are arrested and charged with conspiring to kill the President, the Vice-President, and the Secretary of State. The lone woman charged, Mary Surratt, 42, owns a boarding house where John Wilkes Booth and others met and planned the simultaneous attacks. Against the ominous back-drop of post-Civil War Washington, newly-minted lawyer, Frederick Aiken, a 28-year-old Union war-hero, reluctantly agrees to defend Surratt before a military tribunal. As the trial unfolds, Aiken realizes his client may be innocent and that she is being used as bait and hostage in order to capture the only conspirator to have escaped a massive manhunt, her own son."
WOW ..great flick. I would rate this = A-
a high quality cast and an interesting story well acted. I couldn't figure who was the fine actress who portrayed Mary Surratt ? Turns out it was Robin Wright , who I didn't care for in Forest Gump :o:
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Metropolis - 2010 KINO version
. I had seen one of the chopped up, short versions of Metropolis sometime in the past , it was murky and hard to follow, but this 2010 Kino restored version brought it up to within 8 minutes of it's original run time (153 min now) . Some of those edited copies are only 90+ minutes.
There is now a newly recorded score that is wonderful.
My reaction ? WOW , I was left almost speechless.
on a 1-10 scale ? about 14.
B&W silent , but with musical soundtrack ( the bonus disk had snippets of the 90's version with Pat Benetar and others ..hideous :eek:)
1926
Science fiction landmark German film
from IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0017136/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
- Sometime in the future, the city of Metropolis is home to a Utopian society where its wealthy residents live a carefree life. One of those is Freder Fredersen. One day, he spots a beautiful woman with a group of children, she and the children who quickly disappear. Trying to follow her, he, oblivious to such, is horrified to find an underground world of workers, apparently who run the machinery which keeps the above ground Utopian world functioning. One of the few people above ground who knows about the world below is Freder's father, Joh Fredersen, who is the founder and master of Metropolis. Freder learns that the woman is Maria, who espouses the need to join the "hands" - the workers - to the "head" - those in power above - by a mediator or the "heart". Freder wants to help the plight of the workers in the want for a better life. But when Joh learns of what Maria is espousing and that Freder is joining their cause, Joh, with the assistance of an old colleague and now nemesis named Rotwang, an inventor, works toward quashing a supposed uprising, with Maria as the center of their plan. However, Joh is unaware that Rotwang has his own agenda. But if any of these plans includes the shut down of the machines, total anarchy could break loose both above ground and below. - Written by Huggo
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In scene after scene, you see devices that have been copied in later movies from Blade Runner to 1950's SciFi flicks. This is most likely better than anything made since 1978. The bonus disk traces the worldwide search for other copies that were patched together and then restored to make this current definitive copy. Fades, montages, stop action ... features of the future. Truly not to be missed by any serious film fan (2010 Kino only). Will need to view again before reluctantly returning it to the library.
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Don't know how I missed it for soo long ..
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Some Like It Hot (1959)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053291/?ref_=nv_sr_1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_Like_It_Hot
American Film Institute lists
Was voted the 9th Greatest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly, and is ranked on this list high enough to be the greatest comedy of all time.
Upon its original release, Kansas banned the film
Storyline
When two Chicago musicians, Joe and Jerry, witness the the St. Valentine's Day massacre, they want to get out of town and get away from the gangster responsible, Spats Colombo. They're desperate to get a gig out of town but the only job they know of is in an all-girl band heading to Florida. They show up at the train station as Josephine and Daphne, the replacement saxophone and bass players. They certainly enjoy being around the girls, especially Sugar Kane Kowalczyk who sings and plays the ukulele. Joe in particular sets out to woo her while Jerry/Daphne is wooed by a millionaire, Osgood Fielding III. Mayhem ensues as the two men try to keep their true identities hidden and Spats Colombo and his crew show up for a meeting with several other crime lords. Written by garykmcd
THIS FILM IS SERIOUSLY FUNNY ...:rotfl::rotfl:
9.7 OUT OF 10
Oh yeah, during the film I kept saying the story's hotel looked like the Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island. Checked the credits and it was .
I had remembered it from the days that I took C.I. training (1969) at the Naval Amphibious Base ... just 300 yards down the beach.
We used to go up to The Hotel Del and pretend NOT to be military and hang out at the beach bar. A single beer would eat up all my discretionary funds.
I don't "go out to the movies"
.
but if I did , guess I'm in the right place to do so ...;)
Portland ranked No. 1 best city for movie lovers
http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/ind...best_city.html
According to Movoto, the Rose City is the No. 1 city for movie lovers in the U.S., besting San Francisco, Seattle, New York and even Los Angeles, which somehow didn't crack the top 10 (and casting a suspicious light on the whole process).
Here's what Movoto had to say about PDX:
When it was all shot, edited, spliced up, and pieced back together, the clear winner for Best City for Movie Lovers was Portland, OR. It has five film fests per year, a film museum, multiple film societies, tons of movie theaters, indie theaters, a drive-in theater, and is even home to the unique Kennedy School movie theater.
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The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0122689/...?ref_=tt_ov_pl
"Originally filmed in December 1968, "The Rock and Roll Circus" was originally intended to be released as a television special. The special was filmed over two nights and featured not only the Rolling Stones but The Who, Jethro Tull (with future Black Sabbath guitarist Tommy Iommi filling in for the recently departed Mick Abrahams), Marianne Faithful and an all-star jam featuring John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Mitch Micthell. Sadly, this also marked the final appearance of the Stones founder and original guiding light, Brian Jones, who would be dead within six months after filming the special."
What an artifact ...fine for 1 viewing, but not more. LIVE sound , hookey costumes , but nice to see them all w/o current wrinkles ;)
Yoko's "song" almost stopped my viewing all by itself. :eek: :banghead:
I had to view (to verify)
.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988045/?ref_=nv_sr_4
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
to see if it was any better than the reviews ... it wasn't
coming from seasons 1 & 2 of the current gold standard (IMHO) , RDJ didn't stand a chance.
have so many library BD's sitting here
.
that I'm going through a movie every night.
2 days ago ... Eldorado http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061619/?ref_=nv_sr_1
John Wayne standard stuff , lots of budget and name actors surrounding him couldn't
save this semi-schlock. BluRay transfer couldn't save this one either. 4 of 10 on rating scale. :(
last night ...HIGH NOON http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044706/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Gary Cooper , low budget black & white , just surrounding character actors , but a whole different experience from ED above
Good story,high tension , GC was great in lead role which is probably why this is such a classic. Good bonus's/interviews included. BluRay was no better than standard DVD in this case.
9 of 10 on rating scale. Only 2 quibbles that kept it from being a 10. Theme music was constant and tiring. Grace Kelly seemed really not cast very well.
Just finished SHERLOCK ..season 3
.
the reveal from season 2's cliffhanger was OK
#2 episode ... wedding best man was the weakest of the lot , I was starting to
worry that the series had "jumped the shark"
but then , an incredible finale that made up for the 2 weak eps.
Oh well, back to whatever season of TOP GEAR is next in line
Clarkson, while entertaining , just isn't SH. :(
the parts of the BBC that get exported sure do wax what on my local channels ..;)
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Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943)
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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036348/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
During WWII several murders occur at a convalescent home where Dr. Watson has volunteered his services. He summons Holmes for help and the master detective proceeds to solve the crime from a long list of suspects including the owners of the home, the staff and the patients recovering there. [I]Written by Col Needham <[email protected]>
Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce in the lead roles. This was the first time I've experienced the BR versions and it was fun, far surpassing the TV and wretched RDJr depictions.
Not super great acting and won't displace the Beeb modern Sherlock , but nice for fans of the genre.
b&w mono
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dr_gallup
Corinna Schumacher, the wife of Michael Schumacher, has said he is getting better after coming out of a coma in her first comments since the former Formula One driver's skiing accident last December. Let's hope for the best.
that is good to hear.
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Operation Crossbow (1965)
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Storyline
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059549/
This is the story of the methods used to defeat Hitler's V1 (doodlebug) and V2 (rocket) "revenge weapons" towards the end of the second world war. Even though the Nazis were in retreat these weapons could have turned their defeat into victory. The film includes references to Hannah Reich, who in real life was a German test pilot. Written by Steve Crook <[email protected]>
Pretty good for a 1965 film. Effects not too cheesy. Retells a story that I didn't know well.
Sophia's character was un-needed, but then it was the lowpoint of the movie when she was murdered ..:(
The DVD extras go into the history of rocketry and how Goddard is really the father of the science. He did all the hard research , then applied for patents , then the Germans requested the whole patent details from the US govt at a cost of 10 cents a page and were able to start their research from the middle (1930's).
I'd rate it 7.5 of 10 , loses half a point for Sophia's early exit.
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I've been stockpiling DVD's for this winter,
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but for some reason decided to revisit the old "Rockford files" TV shows.
Season #1 was great, a little wobbly ..getting their footings.
then Season #6 (the last one) ..a disaster , everyone was coasting , even a Hawaii episode
short and not sweet.
backtracked to #5 and it was still good
#4 waiting in my que.
re: my prior comments on SHERLOCK,
huffpost had this article today ...
14 Awesome British TV Shows To Stream On Netflix
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/0...n_5812136.html
the comment on Sherlock was "Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes is the best thing ever, and that's all we have to say about that."
Oh yeah, slight gear change ....ADS L-1290's for mains, ADS L-300's for surrounds, Mission center , same AVR , Visio BR , Panny DVD player