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

[audiomagnate]

What's really sad is that was the first movie I'd seen at the theater in over two years. I don't like superhero, post-apocalyptic or horror movies so I don't have much to choose from.

[SEAWOLF97]

What's really sad is that was the first movie I'd seen at the theater in over two years. I don't like superhero, post-apocalyptic or horror movies so I don't have much to choose from.

Hope that doesn't keep you away for another 2 .
I've usually enjoyed Coen Productions, especially "Blood Simple" .. WOW, that one is good.

The OL isn't feeling well today, so I stayed home to assist. While she napped, I watched ...

Battle of the Bulge (1965)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058947/

In the winter of 1944, the Allied Armies stand ready to invade Germany at the coming of a New Year. To prevent this occurrence, Hitler orders an all out offensive to re-take French territory and capture the major port city of Antwerp. "The Battle of the Bulge" shows this conflict from the perspective of an American intelligence officer as well as from a German Panzer Commander. Written by Anthony Hughes <[email protected]>

I'm not really a war movie buff & WW2 was before me (so I can't judge the accuracy) , but since the 50 year memoriam on secrets has been lifted , "Secrets of the Dead" (PBS) has had some really interesting shows and perked up my interest a bit.

On BD it looks great , lots of stars , anticlimactic (I knew the ending) , but worth watching once. Funny how the enemy officers fought in dress uniforms & on the US side, only Bronson seems to get dirty, but still I'd give it a 7/10

Later: Tho it's before my time, thot it ODD that in the entire battle ... No one bled. No blood in the whole thing. Now I'm NOT a fan of blood & gore, but really ? when shot ... they would raise their hands in the air, spin around and cleanly fall ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle...e_Bulge_(film)

The filmmakers attempted to condense the Ardennes Counteroffensive, a World War II battle that stretched across parts of Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg and lasted nearly a month into under three hours. They also shot parts of the film on terrain that did not resemble actual battle locations. This left them open to criticism for lack of historical accuracy, but they claimed in the end credits that they had "re-organized" the chronological order of events to maximize the dramatic story.

Unlike most World War II epics, Battle of the Bulge contains virtually no portrayals of actual senior Allied leaders, civilian or military. This is presumably because of controversies surrounding the battle, both during the war and after. Though Allied forces ultimately won the battle, the initial German counteroffensive caught them by surprise and caused many casualties.

Reaction

Former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower came out of retirement and held a press conference to denounce the film for what he considered its gross historical inaccuracy.[6]

The film was one of the most popular movies at the British box office in 1966

[SEAWOLF97]

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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052415/

Spinning three story lines into motion the film follows the activities of Christian Diestl (Marlon Brando) - Christian Diestl, a German soldier troubled by the drive of Nazism in his beloved country and his association via the war with Noah Ackerman (Montgomery Clift) a Jewish American soldier and Michael Whiteacre (Dean Martin) a popular singer who is coerced by a loved one to join up and fight for his country. As the American soldiers Ackerman and Whiteacre go through training to eventually be sent to fight for their country, their story is balanced by the German soldiers Diestl and Capt. Hardenberg (Maximilian Schell) in their adjusting to the war defeating their country and their own unfounded beliefs in a national philosophy. Ultimately the forces at work are reduced to a personal level as the human quality in Man supersedes the ravages of war.

I would subtitle this movie "The Sensitive Nazi"

Marlon Brando as a blonde, Nazi officer (quite the German accent ) , Montgomery Clift as a private , Dean Martin as ... Dean Martin ?? ...the supporting women were good.
Altogether a different kind of WW2 story.
MB was resplendent in his tight uniform (back when he was well built ) .... movie was different, not in a bad way.

8.5/10

[SEAWOLF97]

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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056264/

Marlon Brando ...
Trevor Howard
Richard Harris

In 1787, British ship Bounty leaves Portsmouth to bring a cargo of bread-fruit from Tahiti but the savage on-board conditions imposed by Captain Bligh trigger a mutiny led by officer Fletcher Christian.

Ultra Panavision 70 (anamorphic)
2 hr 58 min (178 min)

somehow I'd never gotten around to viewing this. It is panned online and did not make money nor earn awards .

I really enjoyed it , (a little different than my "Connie" time.) 9.9 of 10

[SEAWOLF97]

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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056937/



In 48 B.C., Caesar pursues Pompey from Pharsalia to Egypt. Ptolemy, now supreme ruler after deposing his older sister, Cleopatra, attempts to gain favor with Caesar by presenting the conquerer with the head of Pompey, borne by his governors, Pothinos and Achillas. To win Caesar's support from her brother, Cleopatra hides herself in a rug, which Apollodorus, her servant, presents to Caesar. The Roman is immediately infatuated; banishing Ptolemy, he declares Cleopatra Egypt's sole ruler and takes her as his mistress. A son, Caesarion, is born of their union. Caesar, however, must return to Italy. Although he is briefly reunited with Cleopatra during a magnificent reception for the queen in Rome, Caesar is assassinated shortly thereafter, and Cleopatra returns to Egypt. When Mark Antony, Caesar's protégé, beholds Cleopatra aboard her elaborate barge at Tarsus some years later, he is smitten and becomes both her lover and military ally. Their liaison notwithstanding, Antony, to consolidate his position in Rome, marries Octavia, sister of the ambitious Octavian. The marriage satisfies no one. Cleopatra is infuriated, and Antony, tiring of his Roman wife, returns to Egypt. There he flaunts his liaison by marrying Cleopatra in a public ceremony. Sensing Antony's weakness, Octavian attacks and defeats his forces at Actium. Alarmed, Cleopatra withdraws her fleet and seeks refuge in her tomb.
- Written by alfiehitchie

I've heard mostly negs about this film ever since it was released, and so never pursued it. Actually quite a fine epic , fine acting, sets, music..etc 8.5 of 10

here's a review that I agreed with ...
It has it all
10/10
Author: John W Wirtanen
2 November 2002

Breathtaking photography, fabulous costumes, wonderful lead and supporting role performances, a dual love story that is timeless - the romance with Caesar for power and the romance with Marc Antony for love, unmatched music by Alex North, that's what's in Cleopatra. From the time that it came out, I have remained a person who has not been afraid to say that I have loved it.

Elizabeth Taylor's legendary beauty is very evident here. My favorite scenes of hers are Cleopatra's anguish upon finding out about Marc Antony's [Richard Burton] marriage and the closing scene with her reunited with the dying Marc Antony. Similarly, Caesar's [Rex Harrison] opening war scene, Marc Antony's gut-wrenching soliloquy as a broken man after the defeat at Actium , Octavian's [Roddy McDowall] harsh scolding of an officer that let him know of Marc Antony's death, Sosigenes' [Hume Cronyn] death scene, Apollodorus' [Cesare Danova] support for Cleopatra, and Rufio's [Martin Landau] support for Marc Antony are all permanently etched in my memory.

The shear lushness of the production has to be seen to truly believed. Remember, this was released in 1963 far before the gimmickry of computer enhanced effects. The crowds in these scenes are real, the buildings are real, this is not a movie that was put together with the smoke and mirrors of computers. I truly do hope that restorers are able to eventually find the footage that was deleted, primarily due to Zanuck's influence and not Mankiewicz's desire, so that we may see more of what Mankiewicz had in mind.

I also strongly recommend that one view the DVD release. The included documentary about putting the film together helps one get a good perspective about the real headaches involved in getting this film made.

I really enjoyed "Bounty" and went back to check the trivia on it ...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056264/...ef_=tt_trv_trv

The scene where the ship arrives in Tahiti to be rapturously greeted by the natives was filmed in exactly the same spot where the real Bounty dropped anchor in 1788. 6000 local extras were used for the sequence.

The ship built for the film sank in the Atlantic Ocean after taking on water on October 29, 2012 during Hurricane Sandy off of the East Coast of the United States. It was last seen with only the masts standing above the water.

Marlon Brando's notorious on-set antics reached a pinnacle on this film. According to Peter Manso's Brando biography, Brando had so much clout by this point that he got MGM to green-light virtually every outrageous idea he had. At one point, he pulled people off the film crew to decorate and design a friend's wedding in Tahiti. Another time he had airplanes filled with cases of champagne, turkeys and hams flown to Tahiti for parties.


Marlon Brando, wearing his naval uniform, was widely booed and jeered at the New York premiere, while Trevor Howard received thunderous applause. Brando walked out of the cinema after the audience started laughing at his English accent.

Lieutenant Bligh (his rank was only that of a Lieutenant, but as he commanded the ship, he was automatically called Captain) was chosen for the mission to Tahiti because he was considered one of the most skilled navigators in the world, having been personally selected by Captain James Cook as Master (his title now would be Navigator) on his third voyage around the world. Additionally, Captain Bligh had with him the second copy (referred to as K2) of the John Harrison 'Longitude; watch, the world's first Marine Chronometer (a clock or watch accurate and rugged enough to be used for navigation at sea). It was recovered, still functioning, from Pitcairn Island and is stored at the National Maritime Museum near London.

Trevor Howard was initially reluctant to play Bligh, because he felt he was far too old for the part. The real life Lieutenant William Bligh was 33 when the Bounty set sail, and 35 at the time of the mutiny. After all the problems filming, Howard said he wished he had turned the film down.

In reality Captain Bligh was not a "flogging captain." The ship's log shows that Bligh flogged less, not more, than most other captains. But he had an acid tongue, believed he was always right, and did not hesitate to berate his officers in front of the men, destroying their authority. This was the real cause of the mutiny.


When Richard Harris arrived in Tahiti, bottle of bourbon in hand, the clerk at the check-in desk said, "Good morning, Mister Harris". A bemused Harris asked, "How do you know my name?" The clerk replied, "I recognized you from your hand luggage".

Even though The Bounty was larger than the original ship, the vessel was so small crew members were hard pressed to find places to hide so they would be out of camera range. (30 feet longer, 6 feet wider)

The Bounty's original reason for going to Tahiti was to transport breadfruit seedlings to Jamaica where they would be cultivated to provide inexpensive food for the slaves working on British plantations. Ironically, the breadfruit seedlings which Bligh brought to Jamaica as an inexpensive food for the slaves working on British plantations were an utter failure. The slaves took one bite, and refused to eat any more. In effect, they mutinied, just like Bligh's crew.

Not only did Marlon Brando improvise his lines in scenes with Trevor Howard, making it impossible for his co-star to pick up his cues, but he even started putting cotton in his ears so he couldn't hear Howard's lines.

In 1811, Bligh was appointed to Rear Admiral and in 1814 to Vice Admiral, but never commanded a ship again after his governorship.

Marlon Brando turned down starring roles in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Cleopatra (1963) in order to star in this film.

Marlon Brando's death scene was filmed with Richard Harris talking to a log, because he refused to act any more with the star. When Brando wanted to film his close ups, Harris threw the log down and said, "Let him talk to this.

The MGM built vessel was to be burned at the conclusion of the movie, as the historical ship had been: Marlon Brando said if they burned the ship he would not finish the film. A 40-foot model Bounty was constructed and burned instead.

Marlon Brando's death scene was directed by an assistant, as Lewis Milestone couldn't bear dealing with him. An actress was kneeling beside Brando off-camera with his lines written on her forehead.

[SEAWOLF97]

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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086879/?ref_=tttr_tr_tt

Storyline

Antonio Salieri believes that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's music is divine and miraculous. He wishes he was himself as good a musician as Mozart so that he can praise the Lord through composing. He began his career as a devout man who believes his success and talent as a composer are God's rewards for his piety. He's also content as the respected, financially well-off, court composer of Austrian Emperor Joseph II. But he's shocked to learn that Mozart is such a vulgar creature, and can't understand why God favored Mozart to be his instrument. Salieri's envy has made him an enemy of God whose greatness was evident in Mozart. He is ready to take revenge against God and Mozart for his own musical mediocrity. Written by Khaled Salem

The BD copy I viewed was the 3 hour "Directors Cut" .. although only 20 minutes longer, there seemed to be many scenes that I couldn't recall from a prior viewing.
Lavishly done, awarded acting , great story ... what more could you want ?

interesting..among the trivia = Mel Gibson, Mick Jagger, Sam Waterston, and Tim Curry all auditioned for the role of Mozart.

It was a Saul Zaentz movie ... you may remember him from the days of president of Fantasy Records & the contractual fights with CCR's John Fogerty . He used much of those profits to develop his film company that eventually produced = One Flew Over the Cuckoo's ,The Lord of the Rings & Amadeus, among others.

an easy 10 of 10

[hsosdrum]

an easy 10 of 10

+1 on that. IMHO one of the best movies ever made.

[SEAWOLF97]

Sherlock season 2[/B][/SIZE] in blu-ray was on the shelf, so I grabbed it. (again)

A Scandal in Belgravia (ep 1) was outstanding , an easy 11 of 10

this may be the highest ranked feature that I've seen on IMDB

I've really enjoyed the BBS series "Sherlock" ...some of the best broadcast viewing that I've experienced.

There are usually about 2 years between the series 1,2,3 .... and now S4. Had been eagerly awaiting 4.

Somehow missed the broadcasts on PBS and so logged the TV onto the net to view.

IMHO .... S4 Sucked. It was so bad that if that is now the end, that's OK.
they departed from all that made it great and turned it into an incomprehensible drug fueled mess with no warmth or character dev.

https://inews.co.uk/essentials/cultu...tical-reviews/

http://www.vox.com/2017/1/16/1427958...problem-review

[SEAWOLF97]

Haven't done one of these in a while.

For Xmas my son gave me a years worth of Netflix. So there are just too many movies to review anymore. That said, when I was last at the library grabbing DVD's for the little Boss, usually the Blu-rays get a look-over. I grabbed the DVD of StarTrek TNG:Insurrection . not going to bother with a review ... rates 2 of 10 . Waste of TIME.

Now I just watched all 3 seasons of the original Star Trek TV series. Remastered and some scenes subbed and re-shot. Sure looks great. Saw some eps that I'd missed it the past.

S3E6 was my pick as best of litter. Called "SPECTRE of the Gun" , it's another worldly recreation of the "Shootout at the OK Corral". http://trekguide.com/padd/tos56.htm


BUT, Netflix is creating original series. I read a review of them and they highly recommended "The Crown" . I have a slowly developing interest in the UK and gave it a try. Wow. Really enjoyed the 10 one hour epps. Starts at 1933 and is essentially the development of Queen Elizabeth 2. More twists & turns than any Soap Opera. rates 9.5 of 10

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4786824/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt

The Crown focuses on Queen Elizabeth II as a 25-year-old newlywed faced with the daunting prospect of leading the world's most famous monarchy while forging a relationship with legendary Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. The British Empire is in decline, the political world is in disarray, and a young woman takes the throne....a new era is dawning. Peter Morgan's masterfully researched scripts reveal the Queen's private journey behind the public facade with daring frankness. Prepare to be welcomed into the coveted world of power and privilege and behind locked doors in Westminster and Buckingham Palace....the leaders of an empire await. Written by Netflix

[SEAWOLF97]

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3 reviews in 1 post


Mr. Holmes
The story is set in 1947, following a long-retired Holmes living in a Sussex village with his housekeeper and her young son. But then he finds himself haunted by 30-year old case. Holmes memory isn't what it used to be, so he only remembers fragments of the case: a confrontation with an angry husband, a secret bond with his beautiful but unstable wife. Written by Anonymous

Ian McKellen does a great job in this rather different Sherlock story. 9 of 10

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3168230/

While watching some History of WW2 feature, I came across the "Battle of Los Angeles", which of all things really happened.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Los_Angeles

it came up with links to the Speilberg movie "1941" . All star cast, comedy, renowned director , .....must be a missed jewel

Quick summation: a lousy turd = 1 of 10 = a time waster.

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (2016)

Storyline

In the 1960s, the Beatles exploded on to the public scene, seemingly out of nowhere as the band's formative years of constant performing at home and in Hamburg, and Brian Epstein's grooming, finally paid off beyond their wildest dreams. Accompanying new interviews of the remaining Beatles, their associates and fans as well as archival interviews of the late ones, this film features footage of the heady concert years of 1963 to 66 when the band became a worldwide cultural phenomena topping them all. Furthermore, it also follows how the Fab Four began to change and grow while the excitement of Beatlemania began to sour their lives into an intolerable slog they needed to escape from to become more than what their fans wanted. Written by Kenneth Chisholm ([email protected])

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2531318/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Much of the footage felt new , some was colorized , music/sound has been remastered. A Ron Howard film, and that usually stands for quality. Well done, and may make you want to drag out some of your Beatles tunes.

8 of 10

MORE: interesting trivia. The group had a lousy contract and made very little money from record sales , concerts were much more lucrative and that's why they did 250 concerts from 1963 to 1966.

[LowPhreak]

Interesting reviews, and some older flicks that I'd never seen or only had seen parts of. Getting so I like the 'Golden Age' of Hollywood more and more since the offerings of the past couple of decades are becoming increasingly unbearable and mindless.

Good job, Seawolf.

[SEAWOLF97]

Interesting reviews, and some older flicks that I'd never seen or only had seen parts of. Getting so I like the 'Golden Age' of Hollywood more and more since the offerings of the past couple of decades are becoming increasingly unbearable and mindless.

Good job, Seawolf.

There are many older flicks that I'm discovering that I just didn't have time for in the past. "Some like it Hot" , "Run Silent Run Deep" , even "Metropolis" have great reps, but I avoided, since they were "not my genre"

Agree that today's stuff is mostly just noise. I seem to be appreciating some of the BBC / UK productions more these days. (tho they are capable of crap too )

[Ducatista47]

Since there is interest here in BBC series, May I recommend Case Histories. There were two seasons. It does not closely resemble any other series from the Beeb that I have seen, and I have been watching them since the 1970s. And of all those I have seen, this is my favorite. The only complaint I could imagine being leveled against it is its very low key vibe. Not for action or complex who-done-it mystery fans.

This takes place in Scotland, centered on Edinburgh. I believe none of the principle actors are actually Scots, but they do accents perfectly over there. Jason Isaacs plays Jackson Brodie, a military man and policeman turned financially struggling private investigator. He is a completely kindhearted man, and that is what makes this unique. Literally all he wants to do is help people, and he does a fine job of it. The counterbalance is that personally, the character is so sad from life circumstances that it is not until the last shot of season one that he really smiles. The only private eye show this even remotely reminds me of is the late, great US series Harry O.

Everyone is good in the cast, but another strength of the show is that Amanda Abbington is second billed. She is so good I can't imagine anyone else in the part after seeing her do it.

A second recommendation is the Jack Taylor series of films. It was produced by ZDF, not the BBC. A Scot, Iain Glen, stars but the series is one hundred percent Irish. It is as brutal as Case Histories is gentle, and is one of the best watches I have caught in the last ten years. Possible criticisms? Not for the faint of heart. Psychologically down and intense. Lots of alcohol and cigarettes, and a fair amount of violence.

[hjames]

Thanks for the heads up -

Jack Taylor is available to stream through Netflix ... It shows as 1 season with 9 Episodes.

Case Histories seems to be only available for purchase from Amazon - did not turn up elsewhere.

Since there is interest here in BBC series, May I recommend Case Histories. There were two seasons. It does not closely resemble any other series from the Beeb that I have seen, and I have been watching them since the 1970s. And of all those I have seen, this is my favorite. The only complaint I could imagine being leveled against it is its very low key vibe. Not for action or complex who-done-it mystery fans.

This takes place in Scotland, centered on Edinburgh. I believe none of the principle actors are actually Scots, but they do accents perfectly over there. Jason Isaacs plays Jackson Brodie, a military man and policeman turned financially struggling private investigator. He is a completely kindhearted man, and that is what makes this unique. Literally all he wants to do is help people, and he does a fine job of it. The counterbalance is that personally, the character is so sad from life circumstances that it is not until the last shot of season one that he really smiles. The only private eye show this even remotely reminds me of is the late, great US series Harry O.

Everyone is good in the cast, but another strength of the show is that Amanda Abbington is second billed. She is so good I can't imagine anyone else in the part after seeing her do it.

A second recommendation is the Jack Taylor series of films. It was produced by ZDF, not the BBC. A Scot, Iain Glen, stars but the series is one hundred percent Irish. It is as brutal as Case Histories is gentle, and is one of the best watches I have caught in the last ten years. Possible criticisms? Not for the faint of heart. Psychologically down and intense. Lots of alcohol and cigarettes, and a fair amount of violence.

[SEAWOLF97]

Yesterday I picked up the Super Deluxe Special Edition DVD of "The Graduate"

Enjoy watching the DVD special features.

On the commentary the producer mentioned that Paul Simon wrote the first stanza of
"Mrs. Robinson" for the movie and was hesitant to write any more than that.

Once the film came out and was a hit, there was an immediate rush to capitalize on it's
success with tie-ins. (albums, posters, etc). Paul was then forced to complete the song and the
result is what we all know so well.

So the whole song was NOT in the film and would NOT have ever existed IF the film had
NOT been the hit that is was ...