What I watched this week (w/e Sunday, March 26th)
On DVD:
Autumn Sonata - Far from Ingmar Bergman`s greatest film but with powerhouse performances from Ingrid Bergman and especially Liv Ullmann who first appears as a passive and calm wife of a parish priest but, drunk on wine one night, lets rip on her mother (Bergman) who has come to visit. The central argument in the film carries immense power and not a single word is wasted as Bergman and Ullmann `reflect` on their mother/daughter relationship. :)
Bush 1994/1999 - As music DVDs go, this is one of the better types with a full video collection, concert footage and some special features; does anyone know what's happened to Bush? :)
Fawlty Towers series 1 and 2 - One of my favourite British sitcoms; Fawlty Towers is wonderfully written by Connie Booth and her then husband John Cleese, whose Torquay hotel manager/owner has become a comedy icon. Not all episodes are brilliant but, with 'Communication Problems', 'Basil the Rat', 'The Psychiatrist', 'The Kipper and the Corpse' and 'The Germans' amongst the episodes, this is clever, funny, anarchic and cringe-worthy often at the same time. :D
Videodrome - David Cronenberg's controversial and seemingly prophetic statement on the dangers of an all-pervasive media has been given the Criterion treatment and now has a flawless transfer, a crystal clear mono soundtrack, cuts restored and a very good array of extras. Videodrome has an extremely strong central performance from James Woods, an intelligent script, clever direction and visual effects that stand up over twenty years later. :D
Commentary 1 - David Cronenberg and his DP Mark Irwin provide a very good account of the making of the film including the difficulties of shooting without a finished script or money and some of the meanings in the film. :)
Commentary 2 - James Woods, a member of MENSA, is an extremely intelligent and articulate man and navigates the viewer through the film from his point of view, pointing out how far ahead of the times Cronenberg was. The contributions from Debbie Harry are less illuminating but still provide an interesting view into her experiences whilst making the film. :D
Looney Tunes: Golden Collection Volume 2 - Four discs of brilliant Warner Bros cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny, Sylvester, Tweetie Pie, Elmer Fudd, Wyle E Coyote, the Roadrunner plus a host of earlier cartoons. The commentaries are slightly hit and miss with some offering real insight into the making of the cartoons with others feeling slightly unnecessary. :D
Delicatessen - A wonderful surreal comedy from Jean-Pierre Jeunet with some delightful visuals and sight gags. The characters are as fully rounded as Jeunet`s caricatures (in a similar way to Amelie) get and the ending has more than a hint of Monty Python madness. :)
Invisible Ghost - Bela Lugosi is an aristocrat mourning for his wife who has disappeared and, unbeknown to him, hypnotises him into murdering those in his house. I don't know if this was supposed to be scary but it wasn't and many scenes were unintentionally funny. :(
Scared To Death - Boring, silly and with annoying flashbacks after a promising opening involving a corpse in a morgue narrating the story in flashback - Bela Lugosi's only foray into colour could scarcely have gone any worse. >:(
White Zombie - Considering the quality of the other two films on this Lugosi triple bill disc, White Zombie is the equivalent of Citizen Kane! This is not to say it's a bad film - on the contrary and despite its' flaws, it is a atmospheric and well constructed zombie film with Lugosi as a witch doctor who raises the dead to work in factories. :¦
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - One of Leone's best three films, this epic western is well scripted with some good humour, beautifully directed by Leone and features strong performances by the three leads and a tremendous score by Morricone. :D
Jaws - Even 30 years after it's release, this remains Speilberg's best film as it is what he does best, a popcorn thriller and an audience pleaser. The more I watch it, the less I consider it a horror film and that's why it's not on my YMDB list any more. :D
At the cinema:
Lucky Number Slevin - Paul McGuigan, as Gangster no. 1 shows, is an excellent director and he is given a very good script to work with, although much of the good work is undone by the unnecessary explanation of what has preceded it at the end of the film. :)
The Inside Man - Although there were good performances by Denzel Washington and Christopher Plummer, it`s not as good as Dog Day Afternoon or Serpico (which it referenced) but is a well directed and cleverly plotted thriller with a plot that keeps you guessing until the final reel. :)
V For Vendetta - I didn`t think V was as bad as some of the critics have said (and I feared), neither did I think it was a masterpiece, it is good popcorn fun with an interesting message in the subtext although the opening onomatopoeic speech by V did strike me as mental masturbation by the Wachowski's. :)
Television
Friday Fight Night - David Haye may want to get the rounds in but, when he has an opponent where he wants him and is in complete control of the fight, he is better off knocking him out then rather than letting him back into the fight and taking unnecessary punches en route to the stoppage victory. :)
India vs. England: Third Test - Excellent cricket: good bowling, good batting, good fielding and umpiring controversy, this had it all as England squared the series as India self-destructed after lunch on the final day. :D
London Irish vs. Sale Sharks - A game that Irish lost rather than Sale won, had some lovely attacking rugby from both sides and probably the try of the month from Delon Armitage. The day was made even better by Bristol's victory at Gloucester, Leicester's defeat of Bath and Liverpool's victory over Everton. :)
Birmingham City vs. Liverpool - I was really enjoying myself whilst watching Liverpool almost having a training run against Birmingham but, by the time the sixth goal went in, I almost felt schadenfreude as Steve Bruce began to look more and more suicidal on the touchline. :)
Manchester United vs. Birmingham City - After a livel opening, this turned into a bit of a snooze fest as the almost silent record crowd of just under 70,000 people could attend to. :(
Downloads
24 514 - There is still no let-up in the quality of this series with another excellent episode. :D
The Simpsons 1714 - After the desperately poor showing of last week, this was back to the general quality of the last few seasons. :¦
Hasim Rahman vs. James Toney - Considering the quality on show, the state of the heavyweight division is set to continue following this close fight with a fair result - a return would be worth watching. :)
Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield I - 1996's 'fight of the year' is a quality heavyweight match-up with one of the most unexpected results in the history of the division. :D
South Park 1001 - Not the greatest episode but very funny, another lampooning of Scientology and a great twist on Stan and Kyle's famous catchphrase. :)
The Sopranos 602 - With similar elements to the ending of season 2, this is still a superb show and I can't wait for the next 18 episodes. :D
My Top 20 Horror Movies ---- My DVD Collection
Long live the new flesh!
This item was edited on Monday, 27th March 2006, 08:17
RE: What I watched this week (w/e Sunday, March 26th)
RE: What I watched this week (w/e Sunday, March 26th)
Get my 24 here
Gordy
RE: What I watched this week (w/e Sunday, March 26th)
Not a lot, as usual.
Managed to find time for Thumbsucker, Return of the Jedi, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, King Kong and True Romance DC. Also watched a few episodes of Monk on DVD. Quiet week. I only have this wek left before I take a self-imposed break from contracting to have a rest and catchup on my reviewing/movie watching.
Still got to get through Gremlins 1 & 2, Crying Fist, Once Upon a Time in High School, King of Beggars, Save the Green Planet, Ichi the Killer (Dutch uncut version) and AB-Normal Beauty (among others).
RE: What I watched this week (w/e Sunday, March 26th)
Quote:
"Elizabethtown" - dreadful first act, amusing second, emotional and cathartic thirdI didn`t make it as far as the third act as the film was so nauseating and pointless that (for the first time in my life) I left before the film finished for the good of my health!
As for 24 and other downloads, I use mininova.
My Top 20 Horror Movies ---- My DVD Collection
Long live the new flesh!
RE: What I watched this week (w/e Sunday, March 26th)
RE: What I watched this week (w/e Sunday, March 26th)
DVD
The Score - With a cast like this (De Niro, Norton, Brando) this should have been a masterpiece but all we get is a competent heist movie. :)
The Thirteenth Floor - A story that would have made a good Twilight Zone episode is stretched to far at feature length and the lack of a charismatic lead doesn't help. :¦
The Cell - A music video without the music (something to be thankful for as it stars J-Lo) this is a nice looking but hollow film with a very silly premise. >:(
One-Eyed Jacks - Marlon Brando's only film as director is an epic western that is up there with the best of the genre. Brando plays Rio a bank robber looking for revenge on the man who deserted him and left him the do time in a Mexican jail. Karl Malden plays the man he's after now a respected sheriff in a border town (a performance that must have been an influence on Gene Hackman in Unforgiven.). It's slow paced but that just ads to the mounting tension and the unusual location (its set on the coast) give it a different look to the standard western. Brando and Malden are both excellent as is Ben Johnson as a very nasty villain. :D
The Colditz Story - British prisoner of war film with good performances from John Mills and in particular Eric Portman as the ranking British officer. Lots of British daring-do but the best escape is by a Frenchman who simply vaults over the fence. :)
The Cruel Sea - One of the best British war films with Jack Hawkins at his best as the Captain of a convoy escort ship who's haunted by some of the decisions he's had to make. The scene where he breaks down while drunk after ploughing through some shipwreck survivors in an attempt to sink a u-boat is deeply moving. Donald Sinden and Denholm Elliott give good support but this is Hawkins film and probably his finest hour. :D
The Pit and The Pendulum - There's a good credit sequence with some very creepy music but that and an over the top performance from Vincent Price are the highlights of this Roger Corman directed Poe adaptation. Price delivers his lines from Richard Matheson's script as if they were Shakespeare and it is a well written script but unfortunately to little happens until the finale. The final twist is a good one though. :)
Yojimbo - The classic Kurosawa film that would be remade as A Fistful Of Dollars is a little on the slow side but Toshiro Mifune stops your attention from wavering. It's a little hard keeping track of all the characters and there relationships but the main thrust of the story is simple enough to follow. :)
Have Gun Will Travel Season 1 Episodes 25-31 - Victor McLaglen guest stars in one of his last roles as a dam builder who persuades Paladin to switch sides. It's a great episode but so are the rest this week. :D
Downloaded
C.S.I. Season 6 Episode 17 - The team are the focus of a documentary show giving William Peterson the opportunity to have a dig at the other C.S.I. shows. When asked if he's ever seen the show he replies - 'There's too many forensic shows on TV.' It's a good episode but hardly an original idea. :D
The Goodies Season 2 Episode 2 - A timely episode as the Goodies represent Great Britain in the Commonwealth Games against August Bank Holiday Island (its between Easter Island and Christmas Island). :)
Cinema
Hostel - A film that shows Cabin Fever wasn't a fluke - Eli Roth really can't make a descent film. With a first half that's a teen comedy with the laughs removed and a second that's supposed to be all out horror but fails to go anywhere near far enough to be truly shocking. And then you've got the shear stupidity of the script -
SPOILER:
He makes his escape from the place then goes back in to rescue someone he hardly knows? I don't think so, if it was that scary he'd be gone.
Then while making his escape he happens to come across the two girls and the guy who set him up in the first place? Standing in the middle of the road? And after running them down he takes the time to go back and finish one off even though the bad guys are on his tail?
He also happens across the gang of street kids who he knows from earlier can be bought with bubblegum. And guess what? On the passenger seat of the car is a big bag of bubblegum!
Then at the station he stays hidden while the girl he risked his life to go back for throws herself in front of a train?
And finally on the train he just happens to see the guy who killed his mate! How convenient is that? Not to mention him going to the toilet (and being the only one in there) so he can kill him without interruption.
God knows what Roth will turn out from Stephen King's Cell. One thing's for sure - I won't be paying to find out. >:( (:¦
I see you`ve got the same cheap Bela Lugosi disc I watched a couple of weeks ago wossname. We agree on the first two films but I rated White Zombie a little higher. For a small independant film made with sets left over from Dracula and Frankenstein I think its a remarkable piece and its also an original story not that common at the time. I`ve also made an addition to your rating system - >:( (:¦ for the lowest of the low specially created for Hostel.
************************************************************
33939245[at]gpj.00N?1116937776">
`.....be nice until it`s time to not be nice`
This item was edited on Tuesday, 28th March 2006, 00:20
RE: What I watched this week (w/e Sunday, March 26th)
Quote:
cheap Bela Lugosi discDoes yours have some short gaps in the soundtrack where the sound is missing and a couple of words apear to be lost along the way?
I wasn`t overly impressed with the `camp` Vincent Price version of The Pit and The Pendulum and preferred the Stuart Gordon straight to video version with Jeffrey Combs and Lance Henriksen - it`s a lot darker (and nastier) than the 1961 release and is worth a watch, if only for a comparison.
My Top 20 Horror Movies ---- My DVD Collection
Long live the new flesh!
