Blu-ray Review Lost Horizon (1973) Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[haineshisway]

Bruce, I never made homophobic comments on any board towards you or anyone else. I said fans of the movie MAME are primarily Lucy fans and gay men. Hardly homophobic. I was responding to people who come to boards primarily to trash a film for no other reason but to be cynical. Frankly, I don't read all the comments on a thread. I was also responding to your comment about LH not being a good film. Not good in what sense? In the sense that it's not going to transcend the art of cinema, win awards or be embraced by critics or the mass public? Okay, then I agree with you, but then I don't believe those things are the definitive word on a films merit. If one can say LH is entertaining, diverting, nice to look at, funny, enjoyable to watch and nice to listen to, then for those reasons the film is good. Maybe for other reasons than what people who support AFI lists would agree on . "A good bad film" perhaps? Lost Horizon's biggest fault is it's elements don't mesh the way they should, but many of the criticisms launched towards it can be said for any number of movies. Would you say HELLO DOLLY is a good film? Is MAN OF LA MANCHA a good film or ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, HALF A SIXPENCE, THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE, DARLING LILI, STAR!, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, PAINT YOUR WAGON, SWEET CHARITY or TOM SAWYER?
There are embarrassing dance movements in great musicals too, WEST SIDE STORY, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, GIGI, etc.
Lost Horizon is an ensemble piece. It isn't like MAME where as the entire film rests on the shoulders of one person being good. It was cast with foreign markets in mind. We all know that Ross Hunter wasn't happy with the score, nor did he want Bacharach for the job. Bottom line with Lost Horizon is if you don't like the music, you won't like the film. Lost Horizon singled the end of an era. Even if it had worked, dramatic big lavish musicals were not only going out of style but too expensive to make. Even great musicals like CABARET and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF weren't blockbusters.
Richard Zanuck's quote about "THE SOUND OF MUSIC doing more damage to the industry than any other picture" can be argued. Yes, the studios poured millions into musicals that didn't recoup their costs, but many of these films grosses were big. They would have turned a profit if they hadn't been so exorbitantly expensive to make.

Well, sadly the thread was deleted, otherwise I'd be happy to give you quotes from your posts, none of which were about Mame and all of which were comments to me, attempts at personal slurs. But that's past history. Are you really looking for discourse? Because I've made my thoughts very clear about the film, as have others, in this very thread and in the thread I began weeks ago. Not good in what sense? Lumbering direction, horrid choreography, and several performances that leave a lot to be desired. That is my opinion and it obviously differs from yours. As I have stated ad nauseum there are things in the film I enjoy - I'm a huge Bacharach fan and I love the underscore and I love most of the songs. But the overall film is plodding and a bore - in MY opinion. That doesn't mean I don't pull it out and watch it every now and then, because I do. You're acting like I've said it's the worst film ever made or that I have made terrible and specious comments about it. Afraid not. You respond only to me, not to others who have stated similar opinions but who feel much more negatively about the film than I do. Why do you only respond to me? Interesting question.
To address your other points, which are all directed at me as if I've made pronouncements on any of the subjects, which I haven't. I don't know about "people" who support AFI lists. I find all lists a bore, including AFI. You then list a lot of films and ask me if I'd say they were good films. Let me take them on a case by case basis: Man of La Mancha. Not a good film. On a Clear Day. Not a good film. Half a Sixpence. Like Lost Horizon, I really like the score, and the film, like Lost Horizon, has its moments - that said, overall it is not a good film. The Happiest Millionaire. Nice songs, terrible movie, but a nice opening number and good performances. Darling Lili. Huge Blake fan, but this film is a failure in just about every way. Nice to look at, good Mancini, good performances, all for naught. Star! Really not a very good film, although I know it has its followers. Nice music, Julie, but it doesn't work at all, IMO. Thoroughly Modern Mille. Enjoyable. Not great. Some fun choreography and Bea Lillie is great. Paint Your Wagon. One of the worst ever. Sweet Charity. I like it. I think it works. Tom Sawyer. Not a good film.
Moving on: I find no embarrassing dance movements in West Side Story. Please do point out the ones you find embarrassing because Mr. Jerome Robbins hasn't done many embarrassing dance moves in his career - he was, in fact, a genius. I find no embarrassing dance moves in The Sound of Music - I do see excellent choreography throughout. I don't know Annie Get Your Gun well enough to comment. Then about Lost Horizon you say "If you don't like the music you won't like the film." I love the music. I don't like the film. Oops.

 

[GMpasqua]

Watched three film new to Blu-ray this week:

"Lost Horizon"
"The Blue Lagoon"
"Dick Tracy"

"Lost Horizon" was the best

 

[Mark B]

My LOST HORIZON ’73 Blu-Ray arrived this week. I was 4 at the time of release, and didn't see the film. I do remember a Fifth Dimension cassette tape; in the song listing was this behemoth Living Together, Growing Together From Ross Hunter's Production Of 'Lost Horizon' For Columbia Pictures. “Day By Day” was on that album. No mention of GODSPELL. I recall the album cover. We sang “The World is a Circle” in elementary school. I finally experienced the film in the 90s on AMC (before the fall). Awful film. Terrible film. I could not tear myself away. So naturally I ran out to find the record and the laserdisc, the DVD and now the Blu.
I could have made do with the DVD but the isolated music track deemed this a must buy. The incidental score is the part of the film that best works for me. Watching it with no dialogue and singing was wonderful.
It seems to me what really sinks the film is the “Living Together” sequence. It’s really beyond silly and the staging is disastrous. The fertility dance, climaxing with giant orange fabric sperm flying around…wow. Visually arresting. But it is bookended by a lyrically awful, melodically dirge like tune with zombies all in a row choreography. It's the big stumble that it never recovers from in any cut of the film.
Thank you Twilight Time. Think I’ll pop that Blu back in… .

 

[Cineramic]

I'm done arguing with you Bruce. You and I disagree on practically everything except AFI and the Bacharach score. Let's leave it at that. Suffice to say you act as if your word is THE word. Well, I'm here to tell you, your wrooooooooooonggg.
Peace out.

 

[haineshisway]

I'm done arguing with you Bruce. You and I disagree on practically everything except AFI and the Bacharach score. Let's leave it at that. Suffice to say you act as if your word is THE word. Well, I'm here to tell you, your wrooooooooooonggg.
Peace out.

Good, argue with one of the other twenty people who feel more severely than I do about the film. I act as if my word is THE word? I think you're looking at the wrong person, Cliff. I act as if my opinions are my opinions. You'd have to point out to me very specifically where I'm saying "I'm right and you're wrong." I'll save you the trouble, Cliff, you can't. When you say, "Well, I'm here to tell you, your (sic) wrooooooooonggg (even sic-er) isn't it you who act as if your word is THE word? I don't really know what your problems are, but it's best to move on and just ignore my posts.

 

[donidarko]

Bruce, I borrowed a friends DVD of Lost Horizon and watched it last night. It's a BAD movie. I don't know why some people are rabid when defending this mess. However, I love XANADU, for personal reasons. And just like Lost Horizon, I know its a BAD movie.

 

[RobHam]

Good, argue with one of the other twenty people who feel more severely than I do about the film. I act as if my word is THE word? I think you're looking at the wrong person, Cliff. I act as if my opinions are my opinions. You'd have to point out to me very specifically where I'm saying "I'm right and you're wrong." I'll save you the trouble, Cliff, you can't. When you say, "Well, I'm here to tell you, your (sic) wrooooooooonggg (even sic-er) isn't it you who act as if your word is THE word? I don't really know what your problems are, but it's best to move on and just ignore my posts.

Bruce - as an observation, you do come across on this board as someone who provokes annoyance in other people (and knows it).
I have seen this movie many times over the years - (IMHO) compared to the less-than-great Capra original, it is an embarrassment.
Debate, even heated debate is good, but when it becomes high camp farce over a forgotten queenfest disaster of a movie, it descends into the funny - and not in a good way.
And so we beat on.

 

[haineshisway]

Bruce - as an observation, you do come across on this board as someone who provokes annoyance in other people (and knows it).
I have seen this movie many times over the years - (IMHO) compared to the less-than-great Capra original, it is an embarrassment.
Debate, even heated debate is good, but when it becomes high camp farce over a forgotten queenfest disaster of a movie, it descends into the funny - and not in a good way.
And so we beat on.

I understand you "think" I come across that way, but the fact is I think you'd be hard-pressed to show me examples of it. Oh, I USED to do that a lot here, but not under my own name. If I provoke annoyance I think it has little to do with me and lots to do with the people responding. My posts, even in this thread, are very even-keeled - others, not so much.

 

[TonyD]

I have a hard time figuring out or understanding how anyone can think this is a good movie.
It's more of a curiosity, have to see it to believe it.

 

[GMpasqua]

Originally Posted by haineshisway /t/326025/lost-horizon-1973-blu-ray-review/30#post_4015703
Let me take them on a case by case basis: Man of La Mancha. Not a good film. On a Clear Day. Not a good film. Half a Sixpence. Like Lost Horizon, I really like the score, and the film, like Lost Horizon, has its moments - that said, overall it is not a good film. The Happiest Millionaire. Nice songs, terrible movie, but a nice opening number and good performances. Darling Lili. Huge Blake fan, but this film is a failure in just about every way. Nice to look at, good Mancini, good performances, all for naught. Star! Really not a very good film, although I know it has its followers. Nice music, Julie, but it doesn't work at all, IMO. Thoroughly Modern Mille. Enjoyable. Not great. Some fun choreography and Bea Lillie is great. Paint Your Wagon. One of the worst ever. Sweet Charity. I like it. I think it works. Tom Sawyer. Not a good film.

When speaking to Angie Dickinson about "The Chase" my friend told her how much he love that film and Angie replied - "Oh, then you never saw it in a theater" she went on to explain how some films worked better on tv than the big screen, "The Chase" was one of those films - fine on tv, but blown up - not so good

After viewing "Paint Your Wagon" "On a Clear Day" "Darling Lili" "Happiest Millionaire" "Half a Sixpence" "Finian's Rainbow" (A personal favorite) and even "Sweet Charity" on the big screen, I can safely say - they are not good films - they may work on TV to some degree and have moments that are wonderful (the dance numbers in "Charity" are excellent), and Astaire and Petual Clark do no wrong in "Finian") , but, on a big screen the flaws are magnified to epic proportions and you can't hide that fact.

When friends and I saw "Lost Horizon" in a theater there were moments where we burst out in laughter...the dramatic ones.

But, it was a fun evening and Michael York spoke afterward. Enjoyable - maybe, a good film...no (but the mystic when Olivia Hussey turns 80 still intrigues me)

have yet to see "Man of la Mancha" (which I was told looked awful blown up in 70MM at the Rivoli in 72') on a big screen. But I believe the big screen would quickly do it in. "Mame", "Godspell" "A Little Night Music" and "Song of Norway" are bad even on the small screen

I've tried several times to watch "Scrooge" 1970 on the big screen, but I always fall asleep around "I hate People" and wake up just as the end winds up

And, loved it as a kid - as did many, many, many others.. but to me "Grease" is not a good film either

 

[GMpasqua]

Originally Posted by GMpasqua /t/326025/lost-horizon-1973-blu-ray-review/30#post_4015900
Watched three film new to Blu-ray this week:

"Lost Horizon"
"The Blue Lagoon"
"Dick Tracy"

"Lost Horizon" was the best

to quote me self,

"Dick Tracy" is a mess of a film. How it ever got released IS the crime Warren Beatty should have filmed instead of the Pacino/Madonna jumble that made little sense or was even the slight bit interesting

"The Blue Lagoon"was beautiful to look out, just turn down the sound, the dialogue is inane

so saying "Lost Horizon" was the best ...really isn't saying much (I just wanted to point out how bad the other two really are)

 

[haineshisway]

to quote me self,
"Dick Tracy" is a mess of a film. How it ever got released IS the crime Warren Beatty should have filmed instead of the Pacino/Madonna jumble that made little sense or was even the slight bit interesting
"The Blue Lagoon"was beautiful to look out, just turn down the sound, the dialogue is inane
so saying "Lost Horizon" was the best ...really isn't saying much (I just wanted to point out how bad the other two really are)

And yet there's a whole group of people who were kids when they saw Dick Tracy who love it - it's a very weird, peculiar 80s thing - that generation simply loves anything they saw as kids, no matter how terrible.

 

[Cineramic]

The first 40 minutes of the musical Lost Horizon is for the most part better than it is in the original. After the plane crashes I like the Capra version mainly due to the fact that it was filmed in a big freezer and looks really authentic. The trek into Shangri-La is visually nice in the Ross Hunter film but more ominous and dangerous the way Capra filmed it. The entrance into Shangri-La in both versions is nice, but I prefer the musical. Charles Boyer and his High Lama scene is far better than the Sam Jaffe one in the 37 one. The Capra version is more romanic as a film and Conway leaving Shangri-La has more feeling than the way it was filmed with Peter Finch. I prefer the supporting characters in the remake to the Capra version. Visually Capra's version is beautiful in black and white but the musical version is beautiful in color as well. Lastly, I prefer the brother relationship in the Capra film.

 

[Reed Grele]

I've always enjoyed both the '37 and '73 versions. I find it interesting to compare the screenplay differences.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

In particular the way the true age of the High Lama (Father Perrault) is revealed to Conway. In the '37 version, Chang tells Conway outside of the High Lamas presence. In the '73 version the High Lama tells Conway in person, but doesn't actually have to say it, because after telling the story of Father Perrault, Conway realizes that the High Lama and Father Perrault are the same person.

Always thought the '73 version of that particular scene worked better for me.

 

[Sky Captain]

I'm done arguing with you Bruce. You and I disagree on practically everything except AFI and the Bacharach score. Let's leave it at that. Suffice to say you act as if your word is THE word. Well, I'm here to tell you, your wrooooooooooonggg.
Peace out.

Well, he is a moderator on this board....

 

[TonyD]

No he isn't

 

[bigshot]

Back in the day, there was only two reasons to go see The Blue Lagoon, but they weren't really hers.

 

[Will Krupp]

Originally Posted by Cineramic /t/326025/lost-horizon-1973-blu-ray-review/30#post_4015693
I said fans of the movie MAME are primarily Lucy fans and gay men. Hardly homophobic.

Jesus Christ, I'm three for three!!

You're Lucyphobic!

 

[Will Krupp]

Originally Posted by haineshisway /t/326025/lost-horizon-1973-blu-ray-review/30#post_4016562
I understand you "think" I come across that way, but the fact is I think you'd be hard-pressed to show me examples of it. Oh, I USED to do that a lot here, but not under my own name. If I provoke annoyance I think it has little to do with me and lots to do with the people responding. My posts, even in this thread, are very even-keeled - others, not so much.

There's an old saying that, if you date a dozen guys and every one of them is an asshole, then at some point you really need to look at the common denominator to find the real problem.

 

[Ray H]

I haven't seen this version, but I'm sort of disappointed. When the Twilight Time release was announced, I thought it was for the Capra version.