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

  1. #61
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    TRON: Legacy (2010)

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    OK...the sequel/followup has graphics & sound about 200 years advanced from the original.

    The story & characters were more complete , but it didn't have the heart & charm of the first film. It was OK , but rather cold , wasn't so much of an "IN" movie. Quorra was great , and afterwards I had to look up who it was ??? Olivia Wilde , not recognizeable from my times watching HOUSE. I did enjoy parts of the ST that came from Daft Punk. Jeff Bridges almost reprises his role The Dude from "The Big Lebowski".

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104001/

    Storyline

    Sam Flynn, the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn, looks into his father's disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 20 years. Along with Kevin's loyal confidant Quorra, father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous. Meanwhile, the malevolent program CLU, who dominates the digital world, plans to invade the real world and will stop at nothing to prevent their escape. Written by ZootCatchy
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  2. #62
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    The Lone Ranger (2013)

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    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1210819/

    I'm not sure what to make of this flick .... it certainly wasn't as bad as most reviewers tagged it. Wasn't low budget , sound and photography were first rate ...Depp was very entertaining as Tonto (and completely unrecognizable. Many have called him "Captain Jack Sparrow in Indian paint" ) . Sure, I watched the TV series as a kid and don't really want to do a comparo with that, except to say that in the character buildup , was disappointing to see the LR as a semi-klutz. Action parts got almost "comic book-ey".

    I didn't realize that Monument Valley was in Texas ? Sorry 'bout that, Utah.

    Was a little frustrated by the time I finally got to view it. My Visio BR player would not play past the main menu. Then hooked up an older DVD player and couldn't get past that menu without the remote , no player buttons equaled an "enter" ...finally wired in the DVD player that I use for audio and the 'play' made it past the menu.

    Most likely won't view 2nd time before returning to lib. Guess I've give it 7 of 10 rating. It was better than last nights TV lineup ... worth the 3 month library wait

    Storyline

    In the 1930s, an elderly Tonto tells a young boy the tale of John Reid, the Lone Ranger. An idealistic lawyer, he rides with his brother and fellow Texas Rangers in pursuit of the notorious Butch Cavendish. Ambushed by the outlaw and left for dead, John Reid is rescued by the renegade Comanche, Tonto, at the insistence of a mysterious white horse and offers to help him to bring Cavendish to justice. Becoming a reluctant masked rider with a seemingly incomprehensible partner, Reid pursues the criminal against all obstacles. However, John and Tonto learn that Cavendish is only part of a far greater injustice and the pair must fight it in an adventure that would make them a legend. Written by Kenneth Chisholm ([email protected])
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  3. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by hjames View Post
    Johnny Lee Miller, best know for playing Sherlock on the CBS show Elementary ... .
    Quote Originally Posted by SEAWOLF97 View Post
    Funny, as I avoid that show (despite being a SH fan) because his accent is very difficult for me.
    Bored ...I viewed an episode of "the CBS show Elementary" and found it rather mediocre .

    conversely ...

    I checked out the BBC season 2 DVD of "Sherlock"

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1942612/?ref_=tt_ep_ep1

    Ratings: 9.5/10 from 13,722 users

    and found it to be most likely the best story/production/acting of anything I've ever seen from the Beeb , and possibly the best thing that I've ever seen on broadcast TV ... it surpassed almost all "made for theater" releases.

    Critical reception has been highly positive, with many reviews commenting on the quality of the writing, performances and direction. Sherlock has been nominated for numerous awards including: BAFTAs, Emmys and Golden Globe, and winning several awards across a variety of categories.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_(TV_series)

    It is a modern update to the old story that does take many liberties. As someone who read the entire series in HS , I was unsure of tinkering with the original , but this new series is spectacular.
    Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

  4. #64
    Moderator hjames's Avatar
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    Yep - Sherlock is the BBC series from Stephen Moffat, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Moffat
    who took over the new Doctor Who series from Russel T Davies ...
    It runs in seasons of 30 90 Minute episodes - series 3 just concluded recently on Masterpiece Theater -- cool stuff!

    Much different than Elementary, much different than the Robert Downey Jr Action-adventure Sherlock movies too ...
    Much different than The Seven Percent Solution, a 1976 film with Nicole Williamson as Holmes, Robert Duvall as Watson,
    Alan Arkin as Freud (working to cure Holmes of his cocaine addiction), Lawrence Olivier as Moriarty ...
    its quite a cast, a beautiful but slow film ...

    Lotsa Holmes out there - ask BMWCCA he's tracked a lot of them!



    Quote Originally Posted by SEAWOLF97 View Post
    Bored ...I viewed an episode of "the CBS show Elementary" and found it rather mediocre .

    conversely ...

    I checked out the BBC season 2 DVD of "Sherlock"

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1942612/?ref_=tt_ep_ep1

    Ratings: 9.5/10 from 13,722 users

    and found it to be most likely the best story/production/acting of anything I've ever seen from the Beeb , and possibly the best thing that I've ever seen on broadcast TV ... it surpassed almost all "made for theater" releases.

    Critical reception has been highly positive, with many reviews commenting on the quality of the writing, performances and direction. Sherlock has been nominated for numerous awards including: BAFTAs, Emmys and Golden Globe, and winning several awards across a variety of categories.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_(TV_series)

    It is a modern update to the old story that does take many liberties. As someone who read the entire series in HS , I was unsure of tinkering with the original , but this new series is spectacular.
    2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
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  5. #65
    Senior Member grumpy's Avatar
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    Elementary ... often not as left-brain engaging as BBC Sherlock, but it's Lucy Liu as Watson!

    I enjoy most Sherlock-based stories as separate entities... they just fire off different entertainment centers in my brain.

  6. #66
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    Quote Originally Posted by grumpy View Post
    but it's Lucy Liu as Watson!
    she has always seemed annoying to me ... if she were attractive, maybe .... but she would not merit a second glance in the population centers of Asia that are in my past.

    BC as Sherlock certainly does have a distinctive look. And IS annoying in character. I got more than a few chuckles at some of Watson's barbs aimed at him.

    Watson: Remember—
    Sherlock: Yes.
    Watson: Remember—
    Sherlock: Yes.
    Watson: Remember what they told you. Don't try to be clever—
    Sherlock: I know.
    Watson: —and please just keep it simple and brief.
    Sherlock: I'm confident a star witness at a trial should come across as intelligent.
    Watson: Intelligent, fine. Let's give smartass a wide berth.
    Sherlock: I'll just be myself.
    Watson: Are you listening to me?

    Watson: Punch you?
    Sherlock: Yes. Punch me. In the face. Didn't you hear me?
    Watson: I always hear "punch me in the face" when you're speaking, but it's usually subtext.


    Sherlock: Okay, I think we've done now, John.
    Watson: You want to remember, Sherlock, I was a soldier. I killed people.
    Sherlock: You were a doctor!
    Watson: I had bad days!
    Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

  7. #67
    Senior Member BMWCCA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SEAWOLF97 View Post
    she has always seemed annoying to me ... if she were attractive, maybe .... but she would not merit a second glance in the population centers of Asia that are in my past.
    You're probably in the minority here with that opinion, not that it will matter to you. She's one of the most attractive (from a Western aesthetic) Chinese women I can name, and very talented and aware beyond just her acting. My opinion, FWIW.

    I appreciate both versions of the Holmes story that we're lucky to have available to us on TV and my eighteen-year-old daughter, who loves the literary character, finds room to appreciate even the Robert Downey, Jr. characterization as well as Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller. The more the merrier for her. It's all good!
    ". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers

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    Quote Originally Posted by BMWCCA View Post
    You're probably in the minority here with that opinion, not that it will matter to you. She's one of the most attractive (from a Western aesthetic) Chinese women I can name, and very talented and aware beyond just her acting. My opinion, FWIW.


    continuing on in that vein ... a while ago there was a contest for the world's funniest joke. many accounts put this SH one as number one.

    Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson go on a camping trip. After a good dinner and a bottle of wine, they retire for the night, and go to sleep.
    Some hours later, Holmes wakes up and nudges his faithful friend. “Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.”
    I see millions and millions of stars, Holmes” replies Watson.
    And what do you deduce from that?
    Watson ponders for a minute. “Well,
    Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets.
    Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo.
    Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three.
    Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.
    Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful, and that we are a small and insignificant part of the universe.
    But what does it tell you, Holmes?
    Holmes is silent for a moment.
    Watson, you idiot!” he says. “Someone has stolen our tent!

    back to serious:
    >>You're probably in the minority here with that opinion

    in todays upside-down society/America, I'm rather happy NOT to be in the majority opinion often. thanx.





    Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

  9. #69
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    My Visio BR player is getting picky ... it just won't play the movie (after the menu) on more & more disks. So I wired in the dedicated audio hi-DAC DVD player back into the HT.

    I managed to get it to play, but couldn't navigate menus .. went on a junk hunt and found a big MX-500 programmable remote. It will do menus, but is capable of so much more that it's almost criminally underused in this capacity.

    So I was able to get into disk setup and turn on closed captioning. This was recommended in one of the forums reviewing "Sherlock" , as he can speak so fast and sometimes the dialogue is a little thick.

    Re-watched "A Scandal in Belgravia" ... even better this time. On the "extras" the writers say that although the 3 shows per season are called episodes, they are more like stand alone movies and I thoroughly agree.

    Coming off DVD , the sound, picture and all are just super. Writers also mention that it's fun to see SH & DW early in their teams career , not aware of the adventures to come.

    There was a preview of the last SH movie with Robert Downey Jr., somehow it wasn't appealing ..to me. Maybe I'll check it out when there is nothing else to see.
    Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

  10. #70
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    Just finished "Sherlock" ..season 1. yeah, I know ... did season #2 before #1 , but they are mostly "stand alone" and when you get in the library ques, you take whatever order they give you ..... I'm 167th on 40 copies of season 3 , so it will be a while till I can find out if SH lives in the 2-3 cliffhanger (duh..a real death would rather cancel the series )

    You can see how the series matured from seasons 1 to 2. One is still far above whatever else is on the tube, but 2 is better and I expect 3 to be better still.

    1-1 was essentially a remake of the pilot and a fine intro into the pairing of SH & DW. I appreciate the EXTRAS on the DVD that broadcast viewers miss.

    Anyway, so much happens so quickly that season #1 will get re-watched before returning the DVD and most likely enjoyed as much as the first viewing. (or more)
    Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

  11. #71
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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.
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  12. #72
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    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.
    Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

  13. #73
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    Better than I expected

    .
    Rush (2013)


    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1979320/?ref_=nv_sr_1

    I liked it , much better than expected. yes, it was rather formula (no pun intended) and I'm reading that the true facts were massaged around a bit for dramatic license, but it was enjoyable.
    Left with a real respect for Niki Lauda , as I ignored F1 after 1968, and knew little of the 1976 season that is the focus of this movie. Hunt was a mystery to me , and his most redeeming moment of the film never happened in reality, Well acted and filmed , I'd give it just a half point below what I remember as the best Formula 1 movie .. Grand Prix. trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chbqa-u8c4c
    I did view the "extra/deleted" scenes , most would have been good left in.
    It would be a treat for those interested in motorsports, tho the story is as good as the action. Will probably get a second view before returning.

    trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_u3FODrenM

    Storyline

    Set against the sexy, glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing in the 1970s, the film is based on the true story of a great sporting rivalry between handsome English playboy James Hunt (Hemsworth), and his methodical, brilliant opponent, Austrian driver Niki Lauda (Bruhl). The story follows their distinctly different personal styles on and off the track, their loves and the astonishing 1976 season in which both drivers were willing to risk everything to become world champion in a sport with no margin for error: if you make a mistake, you die. Written by P. Morgan


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  14. #74
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    Gravity - 2013

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    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1454468/

    Picked this up on BD ..visually stunning ,,, had no expectations.

    Thin story, acting , but quite a ride. This is a one time viewer , no need for a second.

    I'm not a physicist , but to me much of the action did not ring true and I think that contributed to the hollowness of the experience. Just can't fathom constant "bar chatter" between trained astronauts in life & death situations. The Indian sounded just like Raj from "Big Bang" ... had to check his closeup to make sure it wasn't.

    Not sure how this was considered Academy award material

    I took my own recommendations from prior post and now have "Grand Prix" DVD , which will be next up.

    Storyline

    Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone - tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. Written by MuTaTeD
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    GRAVITY - redux

    .
    Before returning GRAVITY , i read some of the online reviews. They mention how good the BD extra features (behind the scenes stories) were.

    So I put the disc back in and ran that section ... yes, over an hour of production details. yes ..new techniques. They went on and on about the soundtrack , about the precision of the earths position in the background of shots , about the position of stars in the background , symbolism in certain scenes ..etc. About the 3 months it took to invert a 3 minute passage. About the 15 hours of computer time to render a single frame. etc,etc.

    Figuring that I must have missed all that, the whole movie got re watched. Most of those details added almost nothing. The symbolism was weak and rather basic ..ie: Bullock going into fetal position to show a "rebirth" and new determination to make it home.

    Was it better on the second viewing ? NO. The film was fine, just not as big a deal as all the hype.
    Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

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