UHD Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ Last Night in Soho -- in 4k UHD (1 Viewer)

[sultan of cinema]

I attended a private advanced screening of this film so I could review on my radio show on the day it opened in a theater with great sound. I had a lot of anticipation for the film but felt although the set design and color scheme were excellent, the film falls into boring land for me after 2 reels. I did not like where the story went and was saddened to see Tracy, I'm sorry Diana Rigg, in a less heroic part then she usually portrayed in motion pictures. And shame on the main character! She's down the street from a theater Running Thunderball, 1st run, and never attends the film!

 

[Jeff Cooper]

Now how weird would it have been if the theater was showing On Her Majesty's Secret Service?

 

[sultan of cinema]

Jeff, I thought about that and if the year was 1969! And they did some theater advertising for that film in '69. Saw it one and a half weeks before (maybe Dec 17th) Christmas, opening night at Totowa Cinema. Very nice banners, ushers wore movie poster tags, windows had different variations of the posters. Show was at 7:00 am, sold out, 1200 seats. While we were watching the film, there was an actual blizzard outside and as the parking lot was full, plows could only go in front of and behind cars blocking them in. When we got out, my dad had the heat on high and all of the cars around us were moving back and forth to push the snow down and get out. Perfect weather for the second best 007 adventure ever created. And as we drove back out onto Route 46, OHMSS was just ending at the Totowa drive in across the street and playing on a double feature of Guns Of The Magnificent Seven!

 

[Will Krupp]

Show was at 7:00 am, sold out, 1200 seats.

Please tell me you meant to write 7:00 PM and you didn't make your poor father go to the movies at 7 in the morning, lol!

(You must mean PM because now that I'm looking at the rest of your post, the drive-in across the way wouldn't be showing it that early in the day. PHEW!!!!!!!!)

What a great story and a great memory, thanks for sharing it!

 

[sultan of cinema]

Hey Will it was 7PM!, sorry but even the memory excites! Earliest show of any James Bond film was 6:00 am 1981 at one of my theaters. I had 12 theaters and a drive in. A friend of mine, who was a composer in Philadelphia called me at 2:00 am as I getting into bed/just like the scene of Jack Nicholson in Chinatown when he gets the mysterious phone call. He asked if it would be possible to put together a 35MM print that was delivered to a local theater for opening day several days later. His booth was Union and he couldn't get in. He wanted to know if he drove into NJ, hours away if I would put the film together and we could watch it. I agreed, called my assistant Manager Pete, who was and remains an ace projectionist and he said he would take care of business. I ran down to Dunkin Donuts which was open 24 hours a day and picked up two dozen, brought my grandmothers large coffee pot that serves 36 cups, hooked it up on the candy stand and my friend drove in at 5:45. We put the film together, Pete snipped a frame from reel one that says "For Your Eyes Only reel one leader", which I still have as a memento, ran the picture and then took it apart. My friend headed back to Philly and Pete and I headed out for breakfast.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Hey, I remember that story.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I bought this 4K disc release as a blind buy because Amazon had it on sale for $9.99. Now, I have to find time to watch it.

 

[benbess]

I bought this 4K disc release as a blind buy because Amazon had it on sale for $9.99. Now, I have to find time to watch it.

Looking forward to your review. Since you are a fan of film noir, my guess is that you'll like this movie.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Looking forward to your review. Since you are a fan of film noir, my guess is that you'll like this movie.

Is this movie a film noir or thriller?

 

[benbess]

Is this movie a film noir or thriller?

Both a neo-noir and a thriller—and with an additional element that qualifies for another movie category as well, at least from my pov.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Is this movie a film noir or thriller?

It's a thriller, with a bit of noir, and a ghost story mixed in with a sort of love letter to 1960s London and that era's filmmaking. Very solid picture. Certain casting choices are definitely a nod to the past. Very enjoyable film.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Edgar Wright is one of my favorite directors actively working today. I'm an early fan, having watched the DVD of Shaun of the Dead plenty of times while in college and got to see Hot Fuzz at the campus theater when it came out. He's a director that makes every frame matter. His previous film Baby Driver tends to get overlooked a bit, though, I'm probably more fond of it because of the careful attention paid to the Atlanta setting (I had a huge smile on my face when "Baby" turns a radio to the local classic rock station that I grew up on).

Last Night in Soho is perhaps Wright's "Vertigo" in a sense that it's his most mature and insightful film to date. It's always fun to see someone try something new. Even better when it's successful. I think the film got caught up in the low attendance rut with Covid, but I hope more people discover it. The stylistic nods to Bava and Argento are wonderful, with a bit of Roeg thrown in. There's some great behind-the-scenes footage showing how some of the complex long takes were achived. One particular shot seems to be full of digital magic, when most of it was just good old fashioned choreography and timing with just a second or two of help from CGI to patch in the gaps.

For those expecting something funny, it does have moments of levity, but think of Last Night in Soho as the sort of film that belongs in the same conversation as Don't Look Now, 10 Rillington Street, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, and Blood and Black Lace.

The UHD looks and sounds spectacular, plus there's plenty of extras (as always with Wright's films). I'd also check out his incredibly fun documentary The Sparks Brothers, which he worked on concurrently due to Covid shutdowns.

 

[Robert Harris]

Edgar Wright is one of my favorite directors actively working today. I'm an early fan, having watched the DVD of Shaun of the Dead plenty of times while in college and got to see Hot Fuzz at the campus theater when it came out. He's a director that makes every frame matter. His previous film Baby Driver tends to get overlooked a bit, though, I'm probably more fond of it because of the careful attention paid to the Atlanta setting (I had a huge smile on my face when "Baby" turns a radio to the local classic rock station that I grew up on).

Last Night in Soho is perhaps Wright's "Vertigo" in a sense that it's his most mature and insightful film to date. It's always fun to see someone try something new. Even better when it's successful. I think the film got caught up in the low attendance rut with Covid, but I hope more people discover it. The stylistic nods to Bava and Argento are wonderful, with a bit of Roeg thrown in. There's some great behind-the-scenes footage showing how some of the complex long takes were achived. One particular shot seems to be full of digital magic, when most of it was just good old fashioned choreography and timing with just a second or two of help from CGI to patch in the gaps.

For those expecting something funny, it does have moments of levity, but think of Last Night in Soho as the sort of film that belongs in the same conversation as Don't Look Now, 10 Rillington Street, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, and Blood and Black Lace.

The UHD looks and sounds spectacular, plus there's plenty of extras (as always with Wright's films). I'd also check out his incredibly fun documentary The Sparks Brothers, which he worked on concurrently due to Covid shutdowns.

My best picture of 2021.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Edgar Wright is one of my favorite directors actively working today. I'm an early fan, having watched the DVD of Shaun of the Dead plenty of times while in college and got to see Hot Fuzz at the campus theater when it came out. He's a director that makes every frame matter. His previous film Baby Driver tends to get overlooked a bit, though, I'm probably more fond of it because of the careful attention paid to the Atlanta setting (I had a huge smile on my face when "Baby" turns a radio to the local classic rock station that I grew up on).

Last Night in Soho is perhaps Wright's "Vertigo" in a sense that it's his most mature and insightful film to date. It's always fun to see someone try something new. Even better when it's successful. I think the film got caught up in the low attendance rut with Covid, but I hope more people discover it. The stylistic nods to Bava and Argento are wonderful, with a bit of Roeg thrown in. There's some great behind-the-scenes footage showing how some of the complex long takes were achived. One particular shot seems to be full of digital magic, when most of it was just good old fashioned choreography and timing with just a second or two of help from CGI to patch in the gaps.

For those expecting something funny, it does have moments of levity, but think of Last Night in Soho as the sort of film that belongs in the same conversation as Don't Look Now, 10 Rillington Street, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, and Blood and Black Lace.

The UHD looks and sounds spectacular, plus there's plenty of extras (as always with Wright's films). I'd also check out his incredibly fun documentary The Sparks Brothers, which he worked on concurrently due to Covid shutdowns.

My best picture of 2021.

With such recommendations I need to make time for watching my 4K disc.

 

[uncledougie]

I have had this sitting on the DVR for a couple of months. Wonder if the quality upgrade of a disc would be meaningful before I watch it and lose the spontaneity of a first viewing.

 

[Trancas]

I have had this sitting on the DVR for a couple of months. Wonder if the quality upgrade of a disc would be meaningful before I watch it and lose the spontaneity of a first viewing.

I don't think that it's classic enough to warrant more than one viewing.
It loses it's charms by mid-movie when you realize who the heroine is channeling and finishes up with the hoariest of clichéd movie demises. A sort of adolescent "spooky" ending that raises several logical questions before the curtain falls.

 

[uncledougie]

RAH: “I found his use of analogue, in camera, or physical effects, combined (in certain cases) with digital and green screen to be immensely interesting From a tech perspective.
It all just works in concert with director, actor, DP, production designer. To me, it’s what the concept of true modern cinema is all about.”

I very much agree with Mr Harris, the mesmerizing effect of moving the characters back and forth, much of it accomplished apparently with timing and choreography in camera, was extremely effective and I was completely absorbed in the time bending tale - until about 2/3 of the way through. With the intrusion of supernatural “victims” floating about and the devolution into cliche, it deflated the built up momentum and I was left wishing the originality and freshness could have been sustained. I did feel grateful it gave Diana Rigg a substantive character part, but the finale seemed perfunctory and predictable, unlike much of the body of the storyline. Rigg’s character’s pithy comment about the music of the 60s being “much better” than nowadays was so spot on. Very glad I finally caught up with this. Overall it was far more hit than miss.

 

[Wayne Klein]

Loved this thriller.