Shallow DVD movie review-the JBL-a/d/s sound

[SEAWOLF97]

Since last shallow review I've viewed:

Bram Stoker's DRACULA , about 10 minutes was enough.
then ..BEN-HUR. same result. I guess that SPARTACUS had
maxed me out on Roman Centurions.

then , Hitchcock's THE BIRD's ...this was fun. Watched with the OL.
She is not a native English speaker and sometimes gets lost in English dialogue.
NO problem with some AH movies. You don't even need audio with some of his flicks.

The disc had a nice extras section and it was interesting how "green screen" could
not handle the action, so a newer process - sodium matting- was used. 9/10

A wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people there in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056869/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1



lastly ..The Sand Pebbles (1966) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060934/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

I didn't realize that this was a "roadshow movie". ie: with intro/intermission. That's the version on the disc that got viewed. 192 minutes and most likely SMQ's best performance.

• In 1926, U.S. naval engineer Jake Holman is assigned to the gun boat U.S.S. San Pablo - nicknamed the Sand Pebble - this being the latest in a very long string of assignments due to a unyielding view of his work leading to conflicts with many of his colleagues and ship captains. Life on the Sand Pebble is no different. The Sand Pebble is patrolling the interior waters of China, where the the U.S. government is trying to protect its interests in the face of Nationalist and Communist battles against the feudal warlords. On board the Sand Pebble, Holman must deal with a captain whose wants often do not match what Holman can carry out. Ultimately the Sand Pebble is placed under quiet siege by the Chinese who are using this action as a symbol of the unwanted U.S. presence. Holman is implicated in an incident which could cause the start of an "all out" war, and as such places him in a bad position with his shipmates. Amidst all this turmoil, two romances occur, the first between Holman's colleague, good-hearted Frenchy Burgoyne and a slave girl named Maily, and the second between Holman and missionary schoolteacher, Shirley Eckert. Both romances face major obstacles.
  - Written by Huggo

Really a pretty good movie. Had only seen snippets in the past. Real boat, filmed in Taiwan, no CGI,good story/acting , beautiful girl (half Thai - the writer of "Emmanuelle") , easily a 9/10.
I did find Candace Bergen's acting to be subpar, but maybe it's just the character that she was playing

[LowPhreak]

I can remember seeing the previews of that version of Dracula (when we called them previews, not trailers), and right away I knew I wasn't interested. Sorry I can't give you back those 10 minutes, man!

As kids, when we first saw The Birds in the 60's it freaked us out plenty well and good. No one wanted to go outside and play for several days later, and even then, we didn't trust anything on wings for some time. Haha!

That movie is what kept Hitch forever on my radar.

[SEAWOLF97]

As kids, when we first saw The Birds in the 60's it freaked us out plenty well and good. No one wanted to go outside and play for several days later, and even then, we didn't trust anything on wings for some time. Haha!

back in the ...90's (?) , the was a hats/shirts company called "NO FEAR" . The wifs sister (who was a boat refugee) ... is afraid of EVERYTHING* (maybe even her own shadow). I always joked that we should get her a cap that says "ALL FEAR". The only place she feels safe is in her backyard garden.

after we watched THE BIRDS , I remarked that we should take it over and play the movie for her. Was told that I'm a BAD MAN , that idea might kill the last safe place that she can go.

*fat/chemicals/phone calls/internet/doorbell ringers/spam/doctors/bills/cats/etc ... and maybe ME.

Oh yeah, in the DVD extras they noted that many of the birds were real. Gulls were too dumb to train, but ravens/blackbirds took direction well. Some are hard to train as adults, so eggs were bought and school started at day 1 of life.

the LoveBirds leaning on the curves was great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsNF6VedBl8

And the Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead was cool too.

http://www.classicdriver.com/en/arti...ead-coup%C3%A9

[SEAWOLF97]

so last month I was biking out to Gresham where 2 thrifts and one used DVD/games store are located. on the cheap shelf of CD/Game Exchange was

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: 36 Episodes + 4 Feature Films (DVD) for $1. I like SH and gambled on it. 4 DVD's.

So went thru disc 1. It's the 1954 UK Ron Howard TV series. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherloc...4_TV_series%29 Now I know why Ron looked so old in his Apollo 13 interview ... he was born in 1918.

This has all 39 episodes and is quite fun. Ron does a good, younger, more energetic SH. Watson is intelligent , not like the buffoon in the Basil Rathbone series. 1954 B&W 1.0 sound, variable pic quality, filmed in France and many questionable British accents, but some future/past recognizable actors in the cast. One was very appealing, but I couldn't put a name to the face. Was Paulette Goddard, who I didn't know much about.

reviews: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046642/reviews?ref_=tt_urv

If you are interested , there are currently eBay auctions for a cheap copies.

RE: The Birds. On the extras was an interview with Rod Taylor in 2007. He was unrecognizable. The years had certainly ruined his athletic profile ..

[LowPhreak]

RE: The Birds. On the extras was an interview with Rod Taylor in 2007. He was unrecognizable. The years had certainly ruined his athletic profile ..

Aw, that's too bad. He and Tippy cut good figures in their day.

[SEAWOLF97]

I got through disc 1 of the Ron Howard "Sherlock Holmes" set. It was a 1954 half hour TV series, so an epp is about 23 minutes. Not really enough time to go deep. Liner notes say that Watson changed later in that series to ...Ian Fleming. We'll see.

But I was grabbing DVD's for 2E at the library and noticed a Jeremy Brett 1984 3 disc set for checkout.
It's the GRANADA TV series. Lavishly produced. Not so much studio filming. Actually using large estates and lots of extras. Jeremy does a fine job and in my book, this is second only to the BBC "Sherlock"

The "Scandal in Bohemia" (Brett) has scenes that were directly lifted for the BBC current series. The person who played the character of "Irena Adler" seemed familiar ...it was
Gayle Hunnicutt . http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402281/
http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0107...nm_flmg_act_16

In fact, if I had to rate the ones that I know, my ranking would be:

1. Cumberbatch
2. Brett
3. Howard
4. Rathbone
5. Downey
6. that current TV thing

[SEAWOLF97]

In fact, if I had to rate the ones that I know, my ranking would be:

1. Cumberbatch
2. Brett
3. Howard
4. Rathbone
5. Downey
6. that current TV thing

After finishing the GRANADA/Brett series and on reflection, a re-ranking seems in order. (out of 6)

1. TIE - Cumberbatch & Brett
3. Howard
4. Rathbone (would be higher w/o the idiot portrayal of Watson)
173. TIE - Downey & that elementary current TV thang

Brett really does a fine/enduring job. He is helped by a learning/intelligent Watson, in the vein
of Martin Freeman. GRANADA production is first rate. I don't know where they got all those horses/carriages/extras , some are readied and only have a quarter second film time. The props and houses/decorations appear authentic . England must have tons of Victorian artifacts still in use.
The production does not attempt to replicate London of the times the way the Downey film did, but it feels like you are genuinely there. Mycroft was Charles Gray* (Blofeld from DAF)
Mrs. Hudson is charming , Moriarty seems brilliant and believable and the finale "The Final Problem" is lavishly filmed in the Swiss Alps.

I have the 2 other sets (The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes & The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes ) on holds . both same production company.

Next up: Titanic. (no, not the one with little Leo) - Barbara Stanwyck, Clifton Webb, Robert Wagner.


*He played Henderson, an Australian intelligence officer assigned to the Australian Embassy in Tokyo, in the 1967 Bond film You Only Live Twice. Four years later he appeared as Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever,^[2] both films starring Sean Connery as Bond. These make Gray one of the small number of actors to have played a villain and a Bond ally in the film series,

[SEAWOLF97]

After finishing the GRANADA/Brett series and on reflection, a re-ranking seems in order. (out of 6)

1. TIE - Cumberbatch & Brett
3. Howard
4. Rathbone (would be higher w/o the idiot portrayal of Watson)
173. TIE - Downey & that elementary current TV thang

so, about 3 weeks ago I logged onto PDX's library site and put holds on every Sherlock Holmes DVD that looked interesting. And watched almost all.

At this point, I think elevating Jeremy Brett to solo #1 is in order. He doesn't just portray SH , Brett becomes him. The entire GRANADA SH series is superb.

I also got The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes . It has a great interaction between the submarine engineers + Mycroft and Queen Victoria, who is about as wide as she is tall


MYCROFT
This is the main engine, which propels it
under water at the rate of two knots --
the stabilizing mechanism -- the multi-
stage compressor -- the ballast tank
trimmer -- the air-pump which filters and
recirculates the air --

QUEEN VICTORIA
How charming.
MYCROFT
The air pump, Ma'am?
QUEEN VICTORIA
(pointing)
The canaries. Must make the crew feel at home.
MYCROFT
Yes, Ma'am. These are the levers for
firing the torpedoes, which are accurate
up to as much as 120 feet -- the
periscope for scanning the surface of the
water --
QUEEN VICTORIA
But where is the glass bottom?
MYCROFT
The what, Ma'am?
QUEEN VICTORIA
The glass bottom.
HOLMES
You know -- to see the fish --
QUEEN VICTORIA
-- and the plants and the corals --
MYCROFT
That's not quite the idea, Ma'am.
H.M.S. Jonah is being commissioned as a warship.
QUEEN VICTORIA
A warship?
(waving her hand)
Stop that noise. Stop it!
At a signal from Mycroft, the sub engines are turned off.

Mycroft:
Ma'am, if I may explain --
QUEEN VICTORIA
You had better.

MYCROFT
The Admiralty regards this craft as the
ultimate weapon in naval warfare. It can
seek out enemy ships and destroy them --
with these torpedoes -- while remaining
completely invisible.
QUEEN VICTORIA
You mean in can fire at other vessels while under water?
MYCROFT
Yes, Ma'am.
QUEEN VICTORIA
Without any warning?
MYCROFT
That is correct, Ma'am.
QUEEN VICTORIA
And without showing her colors?
MYCROFT
Indeed, Ma'am.
QUEEN VICTORIA
Mr. Holmes, we are not amused.
(Mycroft stares at her)
It is unsportsmanlike, it is un-English,
and it is in very poor taste. We will
have none of it!
MYCROFT
I beg your pardon, Ma'am?
He exchanges a look with Holmes.
QUEEN VICTORIA
Sometimes we despair of the state of the
world. What will scientists think of next?
MYCROFT
That's precisely it, Ma'am. At this very
moment the Germans under Count von
Zeppelin, are experimenting with a dirigible --

QUEEN VICTORIA
A dirigible? And what, pray, is that?
MYCROFT
A rigid balloon, which could fly over
London and drop a bomb on Buckingham
Palace. It is being developed at the
express orders of Kaiser Wilhelm the
Second.
QUEEN VICTORIA
Nonsense. We refuse to believe that our
grandson Willie would do a thing like that.
MYCROFT
We have conclusive proof, Ma'am. Our
agent in Friedrichshafen , a man named
Ibbetson , actually saw the dirigible, and
made a drawing of it. Unfortunately, he
was apprehended before he could cross the
border

QUEEN VICTORIA
(indicating sub)
Nevertheless, we don't want any part of
this beastly invention. Get rid of it!
Scuttle it! The sooner the better.
MYCROFT
May I point out, Ma'am --
QUEEN VICTORIA
And don't concern yourself about that
dirigible dropping bombs on us. We shall
write a very sharp note to the Kaiser.
Now we wish to return to
Balmoral.

[SEAWOLF97]

I ran out of Sherlock flicks and started digging in the pile, and came out with the "special edition"
of GOLDFINGER.
Didn't have enough time to watch the movie , so the extras were perfect.

They touched on a glaring fault that I've always ignored. The girl who gets gilded , Jill, is NOT the gilded one in the posters/albums.

She is Dink , the hotel masseuse. She has zero contact with Goldfinger , but was somewhat curvier/sexier. So there were 2 girls painted gold for the production and hardly anyone noticed the substitution.

[SEAWOLF97]

I snagged this during a big SH grab. Glad I did.
If you are interested, it's a worthy 2 hr. expenditure.

How Sherlock Changed the World (2013)

http://www.pbs.org/program/sherlock-changed-world/

About the Program

How Sherlock Changed the World reveals the impact Sherlock Holmes has had on the development of real criminal investigation and forensic techniques. From blood to ballistics, from fingerprints to footprints, Holmes was 120 years ahead of his time, protecting crime scenes from contamination, looking for minute traces of evidence and searching for what the eye couldn’t see. The film features interviews with forensic scientists, toxicologists, crime scene investigators and criminal profilers.

NEXT UP: On the Beach ....Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner , then :I'm not there. ..multi Bob Dylans

[SEAWOLF97]

But I started to want to hold favor, a book I enjoyed long ago, on the beach. That seemed to be almost all Australian cast, but Armando assante to a of the texas accent was just a little too much as the submarine captain Allen got around to furnishings get, so no rating as of this time.

.
I got to the end of on the beach, closing credits, and was disappointed and seem to be very incomplete.

The opening credits to normal, WT Health, and the story contended. Turns out it was a two part miniseries. The second port was much more emotional, and brought the two years for the eyes were intended.

That's a pretty good updating of the 1962 book and except for having Armando slumped a head an American submarine captain, but was terrible and aspen, the movie was for ticket. I'd given to seven out of 10.

So I have seen both adaptations of Neville Shute's "On the Beach" , a book that I read ..at sea ..in 1971.

The dictated quotes from above are for the later 2000 version. Last night I watched the 1959 - Gregory Peck one.

They are slightly different. Here's the synopsis ..for those unfamiliar.

In 1964, atomic war wipes out humanity in the northern hemisphere; one American submarine finds temporary safe haven in Australia, where life-as-usual covers growing despair. In denial about the loss of his wife and children in the holocaust, American Captain Towers meets careworn but gorgeous Moira Davidson, who begins to fall for him. The sub returns after reconnaissance a month (or less) before the end; will Towers and Moira find comfort with each other? Written by Rod Crawford <[email protected]>.

The 2 viewings were close enough to make a comparo.

CAST: By far the 1959 was better. Peck was born for the role of sub Captain. Assante was badly miscast. Moira: chunky Ava Gardner fit the role much better than Rachel Ward (tho I really liked her in "Against All Odds"). Tony Perkins was very good and surprisingly, Fred Astaire was too.

STORY: There were slight differences. The 2000 Aussie version cleared up details a bit better and had a more upbeat (and different) ending. Sadly, it's been so long since I've read the book, that I don't remember which one is more faithful

personal opinion : it should be illegal to have more than 25 choruses of "Waltzing Matilda" in one movie. (1959 version)

but, no matter ...it's such a greatly woven story that either version is entertaining.

stopped at cheap DVD store yesterday, picked up "From Here To Eternity" & "The Crossing Guard" . Gotta view the time dependent ones first, so Pee Wee's Big Adventure is up next.

[SEAWOLF97]

.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0813547/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt

• The Counterfeiters is the true story of the largest counterfeiting operation in history, set up by the Nazis in 1936. Salomon "Sally" Sorowitsch is the king of counterfeiters. He lives a mischievous life of cards, booze, and women in Berlin during the Nazi-era. Suddenly his luck runs dry when arrested by Superintendent Friedrich Herzog. Immediately thrown into the Mauthausen concentration camp, Salomon exhibits exceptional skills there and is soon transferred to the upgraded camp of Sachsenhausen. Upon his arrival, he once again comes face to face with Herzog, who is there on a secret mission. Hand-picked for his unique skill, Salomon and a group of professionals are forced to produce fake foreign currency under the program Operation Bernhard. The team, which also includes detainee Adolf Burger, is given luxury barracks for their assistance. But while Salomon attempts to weaken the economy of Germany's allied opponents, Adolf refuses to use his skills for Nazi profit and would like to do something to stop Operation Bernhard's aid to the war effort. Faced with a moral dilemma, Salomon must decide whether his actions, which could prolong the war and risk the lives of fellow prisoners, are ultimately the right ones.
  - Written by Sony Pictures Classics

One of the best WW2 films that I've seen. Never have even heard of it. So how did it come into my viewing que ?

Bought a used DVD player whose drawer would not open. Took the cover off to clear the problem and there was this DVD stuck inside. A great find.

No CGI , explosions and minimal violence (well , for a concentration camp, and was it germane to the story)

Trivia: First Austrian film to win an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film Category.


I'd give this an easy 9 of 10.

[SEAWOLF97]

so I'd heard a lot about Inception (2010) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
the CGI looked good.

BUT , I shut it off after about an hour , just couldn't take any more. By the time I hit the button , whether the protagonists lived or died was of no concern.

The story was somewhat Matrix'ish , and I rarely find DeCaprio's acting believable (save Romeo & Juliette and The Beach (where he was a squirrelly little weirdo))

This film essentially substituted CGI and gun violence for a comprehensible story. Yes, it was a Chris Nolan movie, but he doesn't always make winners like Memento.

The benefit to this viewing was that parts of the soundtrack were reminiscent of Phillip Glass's in Koyaanisqatsi. So I started up iTunes and transferred that to the night pod and had an enjoyable listening experience.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085809/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Movie=3 , Koyaanisqatsi ST at good levels=8

Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming. Written by Warner Bros. Pictures

[SEAWOLF97]

Sherlocks I have known .. in best performance order: (there's more..I'm sure)

1. Brett
2. Cumberbatch
3. Peter Cushing (new)
4. Howard
5. Rathbone (would be higher w/o the idiot portrayal of Watson)
.
.
.
176. TIE - Downey & that elementary TV thang

After the BBC TV series with Cushing and the very good Nigel Stock as Watson, that combo
has rocketed to #3 in the ratings.

Although it is rather low budget, Cushing seems to get the essence of SH very well. The high budget production of the Granada/Brett series certainly helped it.

Also re-watched THE BEACH. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163978/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

• Garland's novel centers on a young nicotine-addicted traveler named Richard, an avid pop-culture buff with a particular love for video games and Vietnam War movies. While at a hotel in Bangkok, he finds a map left by his strange, whacked-out neighbor, who just committed suicide. The map supposedly leads to a legendary island paradise where some other wayward souls have settled.
  - Written by Mike Arndt <[email protected]>

Probably wasn't worth a second viewing. Not a bad plot , tho some funny holes. Little Leo playing
Rambo was a hoot. Moronic, unintentionally. In the end, not very satisfying. 5 of 10

[hjames]

If you want to be a complete at these things ... (tho its not from A.C.Doyle)
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976)

To treat his friend's cocaine induced delusions,
Watson lures Sherlock Holmes to Sigmund Freud in Vienna.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075194/

Nicol Williamson as Holmes
Robert Duvall as Watson
Alan Arkin as Sigmund Freud
Lawrence Olivier as Moriarty

An interesting film, good actors, and beautifully filmed, tho a bit long in places.
And utterly unavailable to purchase in the US DVD market (I bought a Region 2 copy overseas)


Thanks for the heads up for On The Beach - I'll try and hunt it down ...