Ongoing: Ron's Blu-Ray Discoveries Thread (renamed) (1 Viewer)

[Scott Merryfield]

Ron, since you enjoyed Rita Hayworth so much in Gilda, you may want to check out Cover Girl. Not only do you get the lovely and sexy Hayworth, but also Gene Kelly. The Twilight Time release of this title is very good.

 

[Matt Hough]

Ron, since you enjoyed Rita Hayworth so much in Gilda, you may want to check out Cover Girl. Not only do you get the lovely and sexy Hayworth, but also Gene Kelly. The Twilight Time release of this title is very good.

AND in gorgeous Technicolor.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Thank You HTF Members! Thank You Robert Crawford!

What another outstanding recommendation that has led to another highly satisfied Criterion purchase.

What an outstanding performance by Kirk Douglas as a down and out newspaper reporter who looks to resuscitate his career by exploiting the misfortune of a treasure seeker trapped in a cave.

It provides a message about the media that one could perhaps think is still relevant today.

I was so engaged with the story that I didn't even pay attention the quality of the Blu-ray presentation. Best I can tell you is that the transfer looked great. There was nothing glaring as far as dirt or debris that detracted from the enjoyment of the film.

I must say, I am really proud of the Criterion titles I have watched thus far. Not a clunker in the bunch. Ace In The Hole is particularly memorable. This is another one of those films that, for me, came out of nowhere and just blew me away.

If you are still taking advantage of the Barnes and Noble sale that is taking place at the time of this review, I urge you to buy this blindly.


​

 

[Robert Crawford]

Ace in the Hole/The Big Carnival is simply a great film with one of Kirk Douglas's best acting performances.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Yeah, Robert. I really LOVED this film. Very well acted.

While watching, I knew something was very "familiar" about one of the actors in the film....

Then it hit me!

"That's Sam Drucker," I said to myself.

(Sam Drucker of Petticoat Junction and Green Acres)

 

[Charles Smith]

I only watched this for my first time a couple of years ago. It's a stunner, all right.

 

[Matt Hough]

Frank Cady, yes, a reliable character actor who can be seen in scores of films and TV shows for decades.

I reviewed the film on both DVD and Blu-ray, but I was particularly struck by the bitter satire Wilder used to scorch the shameless mercenary nature of the entire enterprise of this man's tragic fate. Besides Douglas' character squeezing every bit of newsworthiness about it, every carnival barker and flim-fam artist was also making a buck off the tragedy with prices escalating for every hour more the man stayed alive. It was a VERY ugly picture of man at his basest and most detestable.

It doesn't surprise me the film wasn't a hit on its initial release. People don't often like to see unflattering images of themselves.

 

[bujaki]

This one and Sweet Smell of Success made me want to run out of the theater and take a shower. Extraordinary, ugly films about the worst of mankind.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I take it you've never seen Requiem for a Dream.

 

[DavidJ]

This one and Sweet Smell of Success made me want to run out of the theater and take a shower. Extraordinary, ugly films about the worst of mankind.

And this is why, despite knowing it's a great film and being a Wilder fan, I've avoided this one. I'll get to it eventually and I've seen plenty of films about the worst of mankind (like Requiem). I just don't seek them out very often.

 

[bujaki]

I take it you've never seen Requiem for a Dream.

I have seen it, and the first Straw Dogs as well. Yes, these two made me feel dirty as well. Now back to Ron's thread...Ace in the Hole is indeed an extraordinary film, one of Wilder's best.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I take it you've never seen Requiem for a Dream.

The depressing movie I have ever seen and hopefully, will never see again.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

As someone who has seen Requiem for a Dream and Sweet Smell of Success, but not Ace in the Hole, I'm intrigued and will be checking this out in the near future. Might make an interesting double feature with Nightcrawler.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

The depressing movie I have ever seen and hopefully, will never see again.

I felt the same way after the first and only time I saw Requiem for a Dream.

 

[TravisR]

As someone who has seen Requiem for a Dream and Sweet Smell of Success, but not Ace in the Hole, I'm intrigued and will be checking this out in the near future. Might make an interesting double feature with Nightcrawler.

Ace has the same amount of love for the media that Nightcrawler has.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

First time I have ever seen this film. Pretty decent film, considering the assorted characters that climb aboard a Stagecoach.

Noticed the iconic quick zoom into John Wayne, as we are introduced to the Ringo Kid. Have seen that shot so many times over the years never knowing where it was from.

This doesn't quite feel like a John Wayne movie. I suppose, at the time, he still was not a huge star. The picture seems to be shared amongst all the other actors, particularly a very young John Carradine.

A little confused by the stagecoach driver. I could have sworn, while watching the film, that the driver was played by a young Slim Pickens. I mean the driver had the same raspy voice as the actor. Found out afterwords, looking through IMDB, that it was actually Andy Devine. THAT actor I recognize from some Disney animated movies.

Blu-ray quality is exceptional, print is questionable in some areas. From my understanding, the original negative was not in very good condition. Overall, I am quite confident that this presentation is as good as it gets.

Overall, a good film. I enjoyed it. Not one of the better John Wayne pictures, but the ensemble cast makes up for it.

​

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

A little confused by the stagecoach driver. I could have sworn, while watching the film, that the driver was played by a young Slim Pickens. I mean the driver had the same raspy voice as the actor. Found out afterwords, looking through IMDB, that it was actually Andy Devine. THAT actor I recognize from some Disney animated movies.​

Andy Devine was also the sheriff in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World: "Well I don't know so I'll have to call ya' back"

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Andy Devine was also the sheriff in It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World: "Well I don't know so I'll have to call ya' back"

Yeah, I just came back here to post that. Then I saw your post. Funny.

I knew I recognized the voice. I associated it with Slim Pickens. However, yeah, now I know *exactly* where I know that voice from. Thanks for the help.

 

[Rob_Ray]

Andy Devine's also in the John Ford-directed segment of "How the West Was Won".

 

[B-ROLL]

Andy Devine's also in the John Ford-directed segment of "How the West Was Won".

He was also the voice of Friar Tuck in Disney's Robin Hood