What I Watched This Week (w/e November 2nd 2008)

This may be the shortest WIWTW ever as it's basically a review roundup - there's only one thing I watched that I haven't reviewed!

Blu-ray

:

30 Days of Night - A good film to watch around Halloween and a really interesting take on the vampire subgenre. Based on a graphic novel, this looks great on BD and has a nice selection of extras. :)






Mad Detective - The first release (I hope of many) from Eureka's Masters of Cinema Series on Blu-ray Disc is a fantastic take on the Hong Kong cop/buddy movie genre and is a visual treat. :)






The Colour of Magic - Terry Pratchett's books are so personal because every reader will have their own idea of what each character and location looks like. The adaptation of Pratchett's first two novels is very good and Vadim Jean does a good job in the director's chair. It's not flawless and some of the green screen work is terrible but it's a good watch. :)





Baraka: Remastered - From some of the team that made Koyaanisqatsi and Chronos comes this fantastic wordless documentary/meditation on the world and our connection to it. The BD is breathtaking with stunning visuals and a gorgeous soundtrack - true demo material. :D

DVD

:

Halloween - What else is there to watch on October 31st? This year I decided to give the TV version an outing and realised why I stick with the theatrical cut - less is more in this superb horror film. Accept no sequels or remakes - this is the best! :D





The Godfather - I've watched this two weeks in a row and it doesn't get old or stale, with your appreciation growing each time. I spent most of the time going over one 10 minute sequence and analysing it for a university assignment - it's so visually rich that I could have chosen any section. :D

Books

:

Hiyama: Vol. 1 - I didn't just read this as I read plenty of textbooks and other publications too, but this is the one that stands out and is a really interesting graphic novel, the first of six planned volumes by part time artist/author Gruff79. :)




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