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523+ Best Picture Nominees in 365 Days attempt #2 (1 Viewer)

bujaki

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Warren, I lived through this incident via live TV, and I lived in Manhattan at the time. I believe the film Dog Day Afternoon sticks pretty much to the facts as I recall them. Quite a ride, both the incident and the film.
 

battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 38, Film #49 - The Social Network
View Date: 2/7/16
Scott Rudin Productions, 2010
Run Time: 2h 00m
Genre: Bio Pic
Rated: PG-13
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Armie Hammer, Andrew Garfield
Best Quote: "Who are you gonna to send it to?" "Ah, just a couple of people. The question is, who are they gonna send it to?" -
Eduardo Saverin & Mark Zuckerberg
Harvard University student Mark Zuckerberg may be a whiz at computer programming, but he is also an @$$hole. When he gets dumped by his girlfriend, he takes out his revenge on all the women at Harvard.

Zuckerberg creates a program comparing women at the ivy league school, which lands him in a lot of hot water. This, in turn, leads to the creation of a social networking site, the likes of which the world had never experienced before. However, problems arise when Zuckerberg is accused of intellectual property theft, and two different lawsuits are thrown his way... one by his best friend.

It's amazing how much Facebook has changed the world. Some say for the better, others say for the worse. Whatever camp you sleep in, I'd wager a lot that you've used the site at least once in your lifetime. I use it all the time. Zuckerberg helped create a monster, a beast so massive it will never die. This monster interconnected people who might never have seen each other again. they say that the internet made the world smaller. if that's true, and I think it is, then Facebook didn't just put us in the same country, it put Russians and Australians in the same room even though they are 18,000 KM apart.

David Fincher's The Social Network is a very taut, well written look in the cloudy origins of one of the biggest inventions of the last 20 years. The writing is witty and faced paced, perfectly written by Aaron Sorkin, and delivered extremely well by Jesse Eisenberg, who has shaken off the silly teen comedies he had been doing before (Camp Hell, Zombieland, Adventureland) for a more mature image.

His performance was spot on, according to people who knew the real Zuckerberg. Apparently, Eisenberg had to deliberately speak in such a way that was so close to the way he spoke in his real life, and this was the most difficult aspect of the role. But he pulled it off, creating a compelling character who, in real life is fairly mysterious, but here becomes much more human.

David Fincher used a score by Trent Reznor of the Nine-Inch Nails. His score is dark, and at times a little bit haunting, but fully sets the mood and dark tone of the film perfectly. These days, composers try not to do the typical movie score; they like to think outside the box and create a very unique score that people will remember. This has been done in films like Birdman; Reznor's score here is very unique and the perfect accompanying sound for this film.

It is very interesting to learn just how nasty Zuckerberg was; treating friends and even authority figures with complete contempt. When you are the world's youngest billionaire, money and power will do that. Mark Zuckerberg said he would never see the film, but did anyway. He said there were a few inaccuracies, "but at least they got the clothing right."

The Blu Ray

Picture quality on the Blu Ray is perfect, except for a stupid white bar at the top and bottom. I don't know why so many Blu Rays have this on the picture. It's very annoying. Aside from that, there is nothing on screen in the way of artifacts, detritus, etc. The darkness of the picture comes out perfectly.

Audi is likewise very good.

Bonus Features

Firstly, there are two audio commentaries; one with David Fincher, the other with Aaron Sorkin and the cast.

Then, we have a very good, in-depth documentary on the making of the film with interviews by cast and crew.Then there are features on post production, the score (including one on Reznor's first draft score), visual effects, and a breakdown of several scenes by angle.

The one thing I love about this two-disc set is that the bonus features on are a separate Blu Ray, not just a DVD. I don't usually comment on the packaging, which I should, because to me that adds a great deal to the value of a Blu Ray (to me, at least.) This Blu Ray's package is made of a suedeish material, very unique. I love it.

Blu Ray: 4.5/5

Audio/Video: 4.5/5
Bonus Features: 4.5/5
Film: 4.5/5
 
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battlebeast

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Warren, I lived through this incident via live TV, and I lived in Manhattan at the time. I believe the film Dog Day Afternoon sticks pretty much to the facts as I recall them. Quite a ride, both the incident and the film.
Yes, it stick pretty close the actual event. But like all Hollywood films, it does have its fictional aspects.
 

battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 39, Film #50 - American Graffiti
View Date: 2/8/16
Lucasfilm, 1973
Run Time: 1h 50m
Genre: Drama
Rated: PG
Director: George Lucas
Starring: Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Candy Clark, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips
Best Quote: "Rock and roll's been going down hill ever since Buddy Holly died." - John Milner

1962 was the last year before times really changed across the United States, and indeed, there was a great loss of innocence. In 1963, President Kennedy was killed. The war in Vietnam was soon escalated. Counter-culture became a thing. The British invaded, and rock n' roll exploded. Symbolically, 1962 was the end of an era.
George Lucas captures the "valley culture" of California with his moment-in-time snapshot, American Graffiti.

Having just graduated, Steve (Ron Howard) and Curt (Richard Dreyfuss) are about to head east to go to collage. They have one last night before they go, and it's a night both of them will never forget.

While Steve deals with the emotions of leaving behind his girlfriend (Cindy Williams), Curt must figure out if he really wants to go or not. Meanwhile, John Milner (Paul Le Mat) is tasked with watching young Carol (Mackenzie Phillips) while Terry the Toad (Charles Martin Smith) is trying to woo blonde bombshell Debbie (Candy Clark).

These four stories culminate in a climax that has everyone stop and take a good hard look at themselves.

American Graffiti takes place over the course of one evening, telling four different stories that are ultimately connected to each other. George Lucas does an excellent job telling each story while blending them seamlessly with the others. The film contains over 40 classic rock and roll songs, used as the film's score, with each song fir precisely to a specific scene. This was one of the very first films to utilize popular music as the film's score, as opposed to using a traditional orchestral film score.

Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss and Harrison Ford were young in their careers; only Ron Howard was well-known, having played Opie on the Andy Griffith Show. But they all work extremely well together, including all the other actors. They are believable as children of the 1950s, In fact, this film helped start the 1950s nostalgia boom of the 1970s, along with shows like Happy Days.

American Graffiti perfectly captured an era in time, a time of innocence, a time of cars and having fun. This way of teenage life is long gone, and all that is left are movies like this that help us relive a time when life was much simpler, when all we had to worry about was gas for the car, and if a girl would go steady.

Where were you in '62?

The Blu Ray

Universal's 100th anniversary Blu Ray is very good in its presentation this classic film. The Video is nearly perfect, with no artifacts or debris present. Being set at night, the colors aren't bright bright, but still look very good when the screen isn't totally dark. the only problem I found is that there seems to be a lot more film grain than normal. I noticed two scenes where the blacks looked full of film grain. I don't much care for film grain; in my opinion it should be removed entirely.

Audio is terrific, no crackle, hiss, or other unwanted noise. Song come through very nicely; the classic rock and roll score sounds crystal clear.

Bonus Features

There are four bonus features on the Blu Ray. First, there is a video commentary with George Lucas. Second is a "making of" feature that goes in depth on everything from casting to writing to filming, with interviews from cast and crew alike. Next, there are screen tests featuring Ron Howard and Cindy Williams among others. Finally, there is the film's trailer.

A decent crop of bonus features.

Blu Ray: 4/5

Audio/Video: 4/5
Bonus Features: 4/5
Film: 4.5/5
 
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battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 40, Film #51 - Fargo
View Date: 2/9/16
Gramercy, 1996
Run Time: 1h 38m
Genre: Crime Drama
Rated: R
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring: William H. Macy, Francis McDormand, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare
Best Quote: "So that was Mrs. Lundegaard on the floor in there. And I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper. And those three people in Brainerd. And for what? For a little bit of money. There's more to life than a little money, you know." - Marge Gunderson

Inept Car Salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is in debt way over his head, and needs money. Desperately. To scam money out of his wealthy father-in-law, he hires to criminals to kidnap his wife. Plans go awry when the kidnappers are forced to shoot a police officer and two eye-witnesses, leading to a dogged investigation by Marge Gunderson (Francis McDormand), local chief of police.

Fargo is a brilliant crime drama set in late 1980s Minnesota, the home of the two directors. The "Minnesota nice" accents used throughout the picture are painfully irritating, but takes nothing away from the brilliant lines written by the Coens, and the way the lines are delivered by the exceptional cast.

Bill Macy shines as the inept car salesman who just can't do anything right, never-mind set up a crime to extort money from his in-law. But the real star of the film is Francis McDormand, who doesn't appear until the 33 minute mark of the film. Her "pregnant police chief" role is as quirky a role as any in a Coen brother's film, and this film is filled with the quirk and eccentricities we've seen in all Coen films. McDormand's Marge is irritatingly annoying with her equally annoying accent, but hard-nosed in her police work, and much desrving of her Oscar win.

The only complaint about this picture that I have is the excessive use of swearing. While I don't mind some swearing in films, going overboard like they do in some films only takes away from the film. It doesn't add anything. Could you tone down the swearing a bit, please?

The wacky characters, the outrageous dialogue and preposterous situations make this a fun crime drama that has stood the test of time, still a great film today as it was when Siskel and Ebert declared it the best film of 1996. A Coen masterpiece.

The Blu Ray

I did not watch the newer, 4K Blu Ray Edition of Fargo; however, I watched what is, I guess, the first Blu Ray edition. The picture looks great and is free of artifacts and debris, with Roger Deakins' cinematography shinning through. The only downside I found is that is a few places there is a lot of film grain; more than there should be.

Audio is very good, with no hiss, clicks, pops, crackle or anything else to bother the ears.

Bonus Features

There are a few Bonus features on the Blu Ray, but sadly, there are more on the DVD. I don't know why all of them were not ported over; that's pretty sad. There's plenty of room on the Blu Ray to fit everything.

First, there is an audio commentary by cinematographer Roger Deakins, and a trivia track. Then, a short, but in-depth "making of" featurette, followed by a still photo gallery and the text of an article from American Cinematographer.

The DVD has an additional interview with the Coen Brothers and Francis McDormand, as well as a gallery of advertising materials (presumably the trailer as well.)

Blu Ray: 4/5

Audio/Video: 4.5/5
Bonus Features: 3/5
Film: 4.5/5
 
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battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 41, Film #52 - Here Comes the Navy

View Date: 2/10/16
Warner Brothers, 1934
Run Time: 1h 27m
Genre: Romantic Drama
Rated: PG
Director: Lloyd Bacon
Starring: James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Gloria Stuart, Frank McHugh

Cocky, arrogant young Chesty O'Connor (James Cagney) joins the US Navy to get revenge on another man who insulted him, Biff Martin (Pat O'Brien). He is subsequently assigned to the famous USS Arizona, the same ship as Martin.

Lamenting his decision to enlist, Chesty struggles with duties on board the ship until he spots Dorothy, a pretty dame, who just so happens to be Biff's sister.

Chesty starts to feel more at home in the Navy, and that changes even more for the better when he is decorated for heroism.

Man does something stupid, overcomes adversity, becomes amiable with his nemesis and wins the girl. I think I've seen this picture before. Here Comes the Navy isn't a spectacular picture, but it does have some nice shots of dirigibles and Naval vessels out at sea. Cagney is his usual hard-nosed, cocky, arrogant self, but plays well against Pat O'Brien and with Gloria Stuart. (I wonder if Gloria Stuart would have ever guessed she'd be in a floating ship picture in 1934 and a sinking ship picture 63 years later?)

A decent romantic drama with some nice shots, but not much else. Notable, because it was filmed on one of the US Navy's most infamous ships, the USS Arizona, which was sunk on December 7th, 1941 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The DVD

Released from the Warner Archive vault on MOD DVD in 2014, Here Comes the Navy looks very, very good for an 80+ year old film. There are very few artifacts and/or debris, and no scratches that I noticed. Some scenes are a tad too grainy, and the contrast is a bit too high. The image is also a tad soft; a good scan would do wonders. For what it is though, this film looks very good compared to 1931's Five Star Final, also released on Warner Archive MOD DVD.

Audio quality isn't as good as the picture quality, but is much better than
Five Star Final, in comparison. There is some crackle, hiss and pops, but only REALLY noticeable when the volume is turned up high.

I was quite surprised with this release's quality.


Bonus Features


Like most Warner Archive releases, this one has no bonus features, save for the film's trailer, and i'll say it again, I'm thankful it's there.

DVD: 3.5/5

Audio/Video: 3.5/5
Bonus Features: 1/5
Film: 3/5
 
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battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 42, Film #53 - Room

[SPOILERS]

*As this is a new movie, I don't wish to spoil it, but let it be know there will be spoilers below.


View Date: 2/11/16
Element Pictures, 2015
Genre: Drama
Rated: R
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Starring: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, William H, Macy
Run Time: 1h 58m
Best Quote: "There's so much of "place" in the world. There's less time because the time has to be spread extra thin over all the places, like butter. so all the persons say "Hurry up! Let's get going! Pick up the pace! Finish up now!". Ma was in a hurry to go "boing" up to Heaven, but she forgot me. Dumbo Ma! So the aliens threw her back down. CRASH! And broke her." - Jack

Joy Newsome (Brie Larson) was abducted when she was seventeen years old, and held prisoner in back-yard shed where things were done that I won't speak of. You know. Sadly, she had a baby whom she named Jack (Jacob Tremblay).

Joy and her son are forced to live in a squalid, 10x10 dwelling they call "room." They eat, sleep, watch TV, read, bathe, everything... all inside this cramped, tiny room. Every night, Joy's captor, "Old Nick," comes by with some supplies for the duo to live on, in exchange for... well, you know.

After Jack's fifth birthday, things start to change. Jack is growing more inquisitive, and it is then that Joy realizes they have to make their escape... NOW.

Room (not to be confused with Tommy Wiseau's masterpiece-of-crap The Room) is a powerful, thrilling, mostly edge of your seat drama about the power of hope and staying strong, holding on to what you can.

They don't come out and say what has happened to Joy; she tells how she was kidnapped, but not what happened after. All we know is that she has a son, and that tells us everything. This film, hauntingly powerful, has many similarities to the Jaycee Dugard case, although the author says the story wasn't based on any real case.

Nevertheless, both brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay give outstanding performances. Brie Larson won the Golden Globe and is the front runner for the Oscar. Is it because of performances like this that the Academy should bring back the juvenile award.

Horrifying and chilling but powerful, this film not only deals with captivity, but the after effects with a very sad realism. A film not to be missed.

The Blu Ray

There isn't one yet.

Film: 5/5
 
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battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 42, Film #54 - The Emigrants

View Date: 2/11/16
Svensk Filmindustri, 1971
Genre: Drama
Rated: PG
Director: Jan Troell
Starring: Max Von Sydow, Liv Ullman, Eddie Axberg, Pierre Lindstedt
Run Time: 3h 12m
Best Quote: "Americans are the most upright and honest people in the world." - Robert Nilsson

The story of the immigrant has existed since the first man left his home to go to another land. Families have emigrated to new lands all over the world, which is why we have different ethnic backgrounds in countries like Canada, Australia, and the United States.

Karl Oskar Nilsson (Max Von Sydow) and his wife Kristina (Liv Ullman), are poor Swedish farmers living in rural
Småland, a province in southern Sweden. Living in near poverty, they decide to leave their home. With others from the area, They head for America, but are not prepared for the long and grueling journey that lies ahead of them. If they are to make it, it will take all of their strength and faith in God to survive.

My Great Grandparents emigrated from Poland in the late 1920s, heading for a better life in Western Canada. Like the Nilssons in this film, they took a ship (a steamship, not a clipper ship) and a train to reach Alberta.

Their journey, from what I understand, was not as hard as shown in this film; no one died on the voyage, and they were relatively comfortable... but that's not saying much. Both my family and the Nilsson's in Jan Troell's The Emigrants shared similar journeys, and made it to the new land to start a new and better life.

Max Von Sydow and Liv Ullman give exceptional performances as the immigrant couple dealing with the hardships of loosing a child, travel by clipper ship in squalid conditions, and walking for days on end to reach the ultimate goal. Their performances are not great because of overacting, but because of subtleties. I have said it before that I love acting with the face, and especially the eyes. Sydow and Ullman do a great deal of that here. the looks they give at certain times show pure emotion oozing out without having to flap their arms or wander in circles.
Even the supporting characters give exceptional performances, right down to the children.

One of the best scenes showing the pure emotion is when the families arrive at the train station and see, for the first time in their lives, a genuine, real train that they've only heard about from books. Their look of awe and wonder is simply stunning to see.

Jan Troell and his cinematographer, himself, capture the magnificence of the Swedish countryside, the ocean and the American landscape with a humble beauty. These nature shots are powerful, showcasing the breathtaking beauty not just of one's homeland, but of the new world to which to journey. It must have been something else to see sights which one has never seen before.

This film is masterpiece of Swedish Cinema. Clocking in at 3 hours and 12 minutes, it is a very long film, but worth every minute. No other film that I have seen has captured the story of the immigrant so completely or effectively. Possibly the scenes of Ellis Island near the beginning of The Godfather Part Two, but only in part.

Throughout this whole film, I thought of my Great Grandparents. When the family Nilsson is on their Swedish farm, I thought of what it must have been like on their farm in Poland. When the Nilssons set sail, I thought of My Great Grandmother and Uncles of their ship. And when they finally landed in America, I again thought of my family and what it must have been like.

I can only imagine what it must have been like.

The Blu Ray


The newly released Criterion Blu Ray is stunningly beautiful compared the last version I viewed in March, 2011, which was a VHS copy with dubbed voices. This new release by Criterion improves on EVERYTHING.

Video is 100% perfect. Colors are stunning, trees and grasses are all shades of green, skies are the warmest blue, a sunset is a beautiful pink/orange, and snow sin't blue anymore, but a powder white. The picture is crystal clear with no specks, artifacts, blemishes or detritus of any kind. The only nitpick I have is some flicker at one moment in the film, but that's really negligible when you compare old versions of this film (Like the VHS and TCM) to this new restoration. The difference is remarkable!

The previous audio left much to be desired; mostly, the horrible dubbing of the English voice actors over the proper Swedish language. This time, we have the proper soundtrack with subtitles (they go a bit too fast for someone with bad eyes to read, and sometimes appear over bright colors which makes them harder to read).

Anyway, there is no hiss, crackle, pops, clicks, or other extraneous noise present on the soundtrack to ruin the experience. Criterion has really done a terrific job with this title, and I expect that the New Land will look just as good when I watch it sometime next year.

Bonus Features

On disc one we have The Emigrants, an introduction to the film, and a 1 hour "making of" documentary (in Swedish with subtitles), featuring director Jan Troell, the producer, actress Liv Ullman and other cast members, with behind-the-Scenes footage. Finally, we have the film's trailer.

On disc two, there is The New Land, the sequel to The Emigrants. There is also an interview with Liv Ullman and a conversation with director Jan Troell, as well as the trailer for The New Land.

Also included is the perennial essay, found in the Blu Ray case's booklet.

I was pleasantly surprised that Criterion was able to not only get The Emigrants from Warner Brothers, but also the New Land as well, and another great surprise was that they put both films into one package! A very special thanks to Warner Brothers for making it possible for this film to see the light of day on Blu Ray.

Blu Ray: 5/5

Audio/Video: 5/5
Bonus Features: 4.5/5
Film: 5/5
 

battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 43, Film #55 - A Thousand Clowns

View Date: 2/12/16
Harrell, 1965
Genre: Comedy
Rated: PG
Director: Fred Coe
Starring: Jason Robards, Barry Gordon, Barbara Harris, Martin Balsam, William Daniels, Gene Saks
Run Time: 1h 58m
Best Quote: "
Murray Burns: "Nick, you are about to see a horrible, horrible thing," "What's that Murray?" "People going to work." - Murray and Nick Burns

Murray Burns (Jason Robards) is an iconoclast. He thumbs his nose at conventionality. Tired of the tedium of the daily commute, Murray quits his job. This does not help matters because as his reckless and irresponsible sister had left her five-year-old son, now twelve, for Murray to care for.

Murray becomes quite attached to his nephew (Barry Gordon), who's current name is Nick, so it comes as an annoyance that two social workers show up at his apartment: one who threatens take Nick away, the other who falls in love with him.

A Thousand Clowns is the funniest film I have ever seen. I haven't ever laughed at a film so much in my life, except for the first time I saw the Naked Gun 2½. The picture stars Jason Robards in a hilarious performance as Murray Burns, an eccentric, irrational non-conformist, who spews out nonsense as fast as he can while thumbing his nose at authority. He makes a joke out of everything, even when it is time to be quite serious.

Robards plays well against Barry Gordon, who plays his nameless nephew. Gordon's character, Nick, can spit out the wisecracks just as well as his uncle can. Together, the pair make a lovable duo who will tickle your funny bone more than most characters can in any movie.

The film is a laugh a minute with a satisfying ending. A very pleasant surprise. I was not expecting to laugh so hard the first time I saw this picture; I was expecting even less on the second viewing. I don't laugh nearly as hard (or even at all) on the second viewing of comedies, but this film is so bizarre, so brilliant, one can't help but laugh out loud.

Early in the film, a very young looking William Daniels plays the straight man to Robards eccentic Murray, to gret success and many, many laughs. The surprise of this picture is the fact that Martin Balsam won the supporting Oscar for his performance. I am puzzled as to why the Academy would vote for a performance that is small, and really has no substance. There is nothing special about Martin Balsam's performance; it isn't powerful in anyway, nor does it contribute a great deal to the story. There are winners for a lot less work; I wonder if two others split the vote and Balsam won?

If you are in the mood to laugh yourself silly, this is one of the best comedies I have ever seen, and indeed, the funniest film I have ever seen.

The DVD

A Thousand Clowns was released on MGM's Limited Edition MOD service in 2011, and can still be purchased from Amazon.com.

The MOD DVD looks pretty good: the overall greyscale is somewhat dark, with the whites being a bit too bright.
The Pictures has artifacts/debris present, but isn't overly noticeable. the picture is mostly sharp, but could still use a new scan and some clean up.

Audio is very good, with no crackle, hiss, hum, etc.

Bonus Features

There is only one bonus feature on the DVD, and that is, you guessed it, the film's trailer.

DVD: 3.5/5

Audio/Video: 3.5/5
Bonus Features: 1/5
Film: 4.5/5

 
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bujaki

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Wouldn't it be great if Kino or TT had access to A Thousand Clowns? BTW, you forgot to mention the woefully underrated Barbara Harris, who won a Golden Globe for her performance in this film.
 

battlebeast

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I asked kino if they had "A Thousand Clowns" a while ago and they said no. :( maybe TT has it...

Yah, I should smhave mentioned her because I really did like her performance.
 

battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 44, Film #56 - Beauty and the Beast

View Date: 2/13/16
Disney, 1991
Genre: Animation
Rated: PG
Director: Don Hahn
Starring: Robby Benson, Paige O'Hara, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers,Richard White, Angela Lansbury, Rex Everhart
Run Time: 1h 24m
Best Quote: "It's not right for a woman to read. Soon she starts getting ideas, and thinking..." - Gaston

In an old French castle lies a secret. When a kindly old inventor stumbles upon the castle, he is taken prisoner by the castle's master.

Belle (Paige O'Hara), is young woman who prefers reading to men. She lives with her Father, the kindly old inventor. When he goes missing, Belle searches for him. Finding him imprisoned at the castle, Belle trades her life for that of her father, and becomes the master's new prisoner. Belle is horrified to learn that the "master" of the castle is a hideous beast, and that a powerful spell has enchanted the entire castle and all who live there.

The Enchantress who cursed the castle offered the master a single red rose; the rose was an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his 21st year. If the master, now the Beast, could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal of the rose fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast forever. As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?

Walt Disney popularized the "animated feature" genre when he introduced the world to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. For the next thirty years, his team of animators and creators gave us many popular characters and beautiful films including Dumbo, Bambi, Lady and the Tramp, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Walt's last great animated masterpiece, The Jungle Book, in 1967.

For the next twenty years, Walt Disney Animation didn't perform as well without Walt's input. Such fare as Robin Hood, The Rescuers, The Black Cauldron, and Oliver & Company, to name a few, were good, but not great.

It wasn't until 1989, when a new generation of animators and storytellers came to the studio that a renaissance or sorts in Disney animation came about. It started with The Little Mermaid and arguably hit it's peak with the box-office smash The Lion King in 1994. But it was 1991's Beauty and the Beast that earned an accolade that Walt himself was never granted: an Academy Award nomination for Beast Picture for an animated film.

Walt should have earned a nomination for Snow White, but the Academy at the time would not allow an animated film to be nominated for Best Picture as they did not want to set a precedent. By 1991, their mindset had changed, and Beauty and the Beast won the second highest honor a film can earn outside of winning.

The story of Beauty and the Beast is a "tale as old as time," one that has been recounted by many cultures in one form or another, but holds the same basic properties: monster earns the love of beautiful girl and they live happily ever after.

The story was easy to start, but no so easy to finish. Walt and his team tried, and ultimately failed, to produce this picture. They couldn't figure out a proper ending. Fast-forward several decades: producer Don Hahn and his team figured out the ending to a brilliant story, gave us some beautiful, timeless songs and unforgettable characters, choose the right voices, and put it all together in a beautiful package that is a wonder to behold.

The animation of Beauty and the Beast is just as beautiful as anything Walt's team gave us: wondrous backgrounds, bright, vivid colors and powerful imagery. A stunning display of the power of the drawing. I think the powerful imagery is no better than in the incredible animations set to the song Be Our Guest, where dinner plates, silverware and champagne bottles dance for our enjoyment. now, they did use computer animation in its early form to help create this masterwork of an animated sequence, but you can't really tell. It all looks so stunning, especially the first time you see it.

Another item Walt Disney gave us early on was the song. No, he didn't invent the song; that's crazy. He did, however, help make popular music out of the songs he included in his cartoons. Starting with Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? from The Three Little Pigs in 1933, continuing with songs like Heigh-Ho from Snow White, to When You Wish Upon a Star, A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes, Zip-ah-dee-do-dah, and The Bear Necessities.

The Little Mermaid gave us Part of Your World and Under the Sea, and The Lion King gave us Hakuna Matata. Beauty and the Beast gave us Belle, Gaston, the incredible Be Our Guest, and the Oscar winning masterpiece, Beauty and the Beast. The songs are incredible. Howard Ashman's brilliant lyrics paired with the incomparable Alan Menkin's melodies help not only define the characters, but expand them and put some soul into them.

The film gives us a beautiful, satisfying conclusion, one we can all be happy with. It may be a "tale as old as time," but methinks Walt would be very proud.

The Blu Ray

The Platinum edition DVDs were very, very good in their presentations of Walt Disney Studio's animated master works. The Blu Rays leave a bit to be desired. While there are no anomalies, artifacts, detritus, etc. to ruin the beautiful artwork, there is no film grain, and the picture looks a tad flat. Too clean. The colors and picture look too enhanced by digital clean up. Aside from that, the breathtaking animation shines brightly.

Audio is likewise great, with a very good soundtrack and stereo mix available. Song come through squeaky clean, with their beautiful melodies ringing loud.

Bonus Features

There are a whole host of bonus features on this Diamond Edition Blu Ray. They pack them in just like they did on the Platinum Edition DVD, although they left off a great documentary on the making of the film from the DVD in favor of a new documentary, that, in my opinion, isn't as good.

From the original DVD, there was a so-called "Work in progress" version, that the studio was asked to show at the New York Film Festival. This version is not the same one on the Blu Ray, which is a shame. However, there are still plenty of features to enhance your viewing of this masterpiece.

First, there are three version of the film: The original theatrical version; a special "extended" edition, and a storyboard version.

It seems that with every new edition of an animated film, Disney mysteriously "discovers" a new deleted scene or musical number or concept that was previously unknown the last time the title was released. Obviously the company holds back material for future releases; here, they have a "never-before-seen" alternate opening and a deleted scene, as well as the deleted song "Human Again."

We next have a documentary on the untold stories from the making of the film, and two music videos: Jordin Sparks singing Beauty and the Beast, as well as the Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson video for their version of Beauty and the Beast.

There is also a conversation between the producer and songwriters, a sing-a-long mode, and a featurette on the Broadway musical.

Then, we have some of the bonus features from the classic DVD, as well as a couple of silly games.

A great amount of features to complement this masterpiece of animation.

Blu Ray: 4.75/5

Audio/video: 4.75/5
Bonus Features: 4.75/5
Film: 5/5
 

battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 45, Film #57 - The Towering Inferno

View Date: 2/14/16
Warner Bros./20th Century Fox, 1974
Genre: Disaster
Rated: PG
Director: Irwin Allen, John Guillerman
Starring: Paul Newman, William Holden, Fred Astaire, Faye Dunaway, Jennifer Jones, Robert Wagner, O.J. Simpson, Steve McQueen
Run Time: 2h 42m
Best Quote: "What building's on the corner of Montgomery and... aw Jesus, it's the Glass Tower... ...the Glass Tower! I sure hope the fire's on the first floor..." - Scott

The Glass Tower is the most state-of-the-art building ever built. 81 floors of offices and then 54 more of residential. An architectural marvel. However, during the dedication ceremony and party, faulty wiring shorts out and a fire starts in the middle of the building, quickly becoming an inferno, and trapping hundreds of people over 80 stories in the air. Now it is up to quick thinking men at the party and the heroic fire department to rescue everyone, if they can...

Disaster films became popular with the theater going public in the early 1970s. They had always been popular, with films like San Francisco and In Old Chicago. Universal released Airport in 1970 to great acclaim, and Irwin Allen made The Poseidon Adventure in 1972, which was also very popular.

Warner Bros. won a bidding was for a short story called The Tower, and several weeks later Fox bought The Glass Inferno. Rather than make competing films, the two studios teamed up - the first such team-up in cinema history, but not the last. The resulting film was a brilliant, glorious, star-studded thriller of epic proportions, that took plot points, characters and ideas from both books.

The special effects of this picture are amazing: it must have been terribly hard to work with fire they way they had it going in this picture. As we all know, fire is horribly unpredictable and not easily tamable. To get shots of the inside of the burning building, fire front and center, must have been incredibly challenging. However, the stunt men and special effects artisans were up to the challenge and performed admirably, crafting effects that make this epic disaster film one of, if not the best of them all.

The supporting cast of actors and actresses is top notch, from Jennifer Jones to Faye Dunaway, to William Holden, Paul Newman and Robert Wagner, and Fred Astaire, who apparently came to the set every day impeccably dressed and looking like a movie star should look. Every single person give a damn good performance, even a pre-murderous O.J. Simpson.

I was going to watch this film in September, but I thought some make take offense to that. Then I discovered that this film actually wrapped production on September 11, 1974. An eerie coincidence, to be sure. It is said that the building of the twin towers was an inspiration for both books this film was based on; another eerie coincidence, and I'm sure you could find more.

Every time a blast of fire went off I jumped a little; when people jumped out the window, I gasped. The film is a non-stop ride of thrills, chills, spills and kills as heroes of the film rush to save the innocent lives trapped inside.
The was a fun film to watch and indeed, a pleasant surprise. You won't look at skyscrapers the same way ever again.

The Blu Ray

Fox did a great job restoring The Towering Inferno. Picture quality is very good; no artifacts, debris, spots, etc. Fire looks orange and deadly as ever.

Audio is likewise very good, with no hiss, crackle, pops, etc. to ruin O.J. Simpson's performance!


Bonus Features:

This Blu Ray is packed with bonus features, starting off with the Blu Ray case, which contains lobby cards and a reproduction booklet. Items like this always please me when I find them in the case. IMO, all important films should have a booklet like Criterion and Twilight Time give us. It's just a little touch that, to me, adds so much.

Next, we have two audio commentaries, one by film historian F.X. Feeney, the other one Scene-specific commentary by Special Effects Director Mike Venzina and Stunt Coordinator Branko Racki.

Then there are 9 new featurettes, as well as archival "making of" featurettes, and AMC Backstory:
The Towering Inferno, as well as an vintage interview with Irwin Allen. Also present is a presentation reel shown to NATO.

We also have an abundance of deleted scenes (over 30!) and storyboard-to-film comparisons, with galleries of stills: shot comparisons, publicity, costumes and concept art.

Finally, and some would say most importantly, there are two trailers: one is a teaser trailer, the other is the full theatrical trailer. A wonderful supply of bonus features to go behind the scenes and learn the secrets and stories of this classic disaster masterpiece. Everything one could want in supplemental material.

Blu Ray: 5/5

Audio/Video: 5/5
Bonus Features: 5/5
Film: 4.5/5
 

battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 46, Film #58 - Airport
View Date: 2/15/16
Universal, 1070
Genre: Disaster
Rated: PG
Director: George Seaton, Henry Hathaway
Starring: Dean Martin, Burt Lancaster, Helen Hayes, George Kennedy, Van Heflin, Maureen Stapleton
Run Time: 2h 17m
Best Quote: "Don't talk to me about consequences! When Congress voted to cut airport appropriations, you never even sent in a letter of protest. And where were you when the airlines and the pilots and the rest of us were... were pleading for... for more airports and better traffic control? You were picking out the colors in the ladies' lounge. So now you've got your consequences!" - Mel Bakersfeld

The goings on at a snowbound Chicago airport are interrupted when a suicidal man brings a bomb on board a Rome-bound airplane and the only ones who can save the day are the Captain (Dean Martin), the intrepid ground crew, and a kindly old stowaway (Helen Hayes).

Airport was one of the films that helped popularize the disaster genre in the early 1970s. Despite its great cast, this film is slow to take off. The buildup takes far too long; character introductions are slow and almost tedious. The action doesn't start until near the end of the film, which is too long to begin with.

Character performances are very good; Burt Lancaster once said it was the worst film he ever made, but that's far from true. He gives a very good performance as the administrator of the airport, and Dean Martin, the rat packer himself, is very, very good as the captain of the airplane.

But the best performance is that of Helen Hayes, who won the 5th Best Actress award for the Sin of Madelon Claudet in 1932, and took home the supporting Oscar here, 38 years later. Hayes plays Ada Quonset, a frequent stowaway, thief if you will, on flights to and from New York City. A fun little role for the veteran actress. A worthy winner.

One thing I did not like were the special effects on this film. Shots of the airplane flying across the sky looked incredibly phony, and "turbulance" of the airplane looks as though teamsters are rocking the plane with 2x4's.

I did like the performance of the cast, however, but the whole film is slow with not a lot of action until the end. Both Martin and Lancaster got 10% of the gross profits, a nice little payday, as this was a surprise hit at the box-office. Popular then, but today, not one of the better disaster films.

The Blu Ray

Universal again has done a great job restoring one of their classics. No Detritus, debris, spots, dust, etc, and film grain looks good, too. Colors are nice and appropriate.

Audio is very good too; no crackle, pops, hiss, or other extraneous noise to ruin the soundtrack.

Bonus Features:

There is only one bonus feature on the disc, which is a crying shame, and that is the film's trailer.

There are two Universal 100th Anniversary featurettes, one on Universal film's of the 1970s, and one of the studio lot, but are these really bonus features or Universal just tooting it's own horn?

Blu Ray: 4/5

Audio/Video: 5/5
Bonus Features: 1.5
Film: 3.5/5
 
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battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 46, Film #59 - True Grit
View Date: 2/15/16
Paramount, 2010
Genre: Western
Rated: PG-13
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin
Run Time: 1h 50m
Best Quote: "I'm a foolish old man who's been drawn into a wild goose chase by a harpie in trousers and a nincompoop!" - Rooster Cogburn

When her father is murdered by a cold-hearted friend, 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) sets to settle her father's business... and avenge his death by capturing her father's killer. Hiring the curmudgeonly drunken U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), and with the help of a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon), they set off into Indian territory to bring the scoundrel to justice.

True Grit is not a remake of the 1969 classic that earned John Wayne his only Oscar; no, the Coen brothers have stated this is more of a remake of the book, as their screenplay was closer to the source material, much like Tim Burton's version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory versus the original 1970 film.

The Coen's earlier film, No Country for Old Men had elements of the western genre in it, but was not a full western. This is a full western, with everything from a hangin' to horses, guns, a saloon... everything a good western needs. The story is fun, like most westerns; thrilling as well.

The Coen brothers usually have a myriad of eccentric characters in their films, who are mostly of their own creation. But Rooster Cogburn is not their creation, but eccentric none the less. He is the only "eccentric" character in the film; the rest are pretty normal.

Jeff Bridges portrayal of Rooster Cogburn makes this a fun western. His his drunken curmudgeon act is not a new type of character; we have seen this type of anti-hero many times before. It doesn't always work well, but Bridges pulls it off amazingly well. I would like to say that Jeff Bridges performance steals the show, but it doesn't.

Riding side-saddle is young Hailee Steinfeld, who acts toe to tow with Bridges in just about every scene. Some might say she steals the show, and in part, I wouldn't dissagree. Hailee plays a spunky, headstrong young lady out to avenge the death of her father, and she pulls off the power of the character admirably. Once again, it is performances like this that proves just how badly the academy needs to bring back the juvenile Oscar award. When nominated, a jouvenile has little chance of winning over an adult. I would still allow the performance to be nominated with the adults, but give the juvenile award to the best under 16 performance of the year. In this way, younger actors can be recognized for their terrific work. There have been so many great performances by juveniles over the last few years, and while a nomination is some recognition, they deserve more.

But I digress.

True Grit earned a place in Academy history. Nominated for ten Oscars, it failed to win even one, joining The Color Purple, The Turning Point and Gangs of New York as the only films with 10 or more nominations and zero wins. Roger Deakins, the brilliant cinematographer, was thought to be the front runner to win for his amazing landscape panoramas and other brilliant camera work, but ultimately lost out to Wally Pfister for Inception. Deakin's work is beautiful, capturing the mood of the action and the beautiful landscapes to give this a true western feeling.

Having not seen the first True Grit, I can not comment or compare the two. Suffice to say, I enjoyed this version very much. I loved the performances, the story, everything. Not one of the Coen brothers typical films, but one of their best.

The Blu Ray

The Blu Ray from Paramount showcases this film beautifully. Roger Deakins cinematography shines through with beautiful colors and crystal clear picture with no artifacts, debris, dirt or dust present.

Audio is very good as well; surround sound brilliantly allows one to hear the sound of gunshots all around you.

Bonus Features

There are several featurettes on the disc, including: Mattie's True Grit; Dressing for the 1880s; The Guns of a Post-Civil War Western; Re-Creating Fort Smith; The Cast; Charles Portis - The Greatest Writer You've Never Heard Of and the Cinematography of True Grit.

Also included, thankfully, is the film's theatrical trailer.

No Audio commentaries or deleted scenes, but the trailer is there, and that's very important.

Blu Ray: 4.5/5
Audio/Video: 5/5
Bonus Features: 3.5/5
Film: 4.5/5
 

battlebeast

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531 Films, 365 Days: Day 47, Film #60 - On the Waterfront

View Date: 2/16/16
Columbia, 1954
Genre: Crime Drama
Rated: PG
Director: Elia Kazan
Starring: Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger
Run Time: 1h 48m
Best Quote: "You don't understand! I could’ve had class. I could’ve been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am." - Terry Malloy

Terry Malloy is a former boxer turned longshoreman, who works for corrupt union boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). Malloy has regrets about helping silence a stool-pigeon Joe Doyle.

When Malloy meets Doyle's sister, Edie (Eva Marie Saint), who wants answers to her brother's death, his guilt intensifies. After and meeting with Father Barry (Karl Malden), and his brother's murder, Malloy knows he must stand up to the corruption, even if it costs him his life.

On the Waterfront is one of the best films ever made, brilliantly shot like a film noir and impecably acted by all involved. Brando is particularly good, especially in the iconic scene with Rod Steiger, where he proclaims "I coulda been a contender..." Brando uses his body language to convey his emotions. Subtle movements by Brando give us a great depth to the character. In the "Contender" scene, Steiger point's the gun at Brando. While most actors would have simple thrust up their arms, Brando tilts his head, sighs "Oh, Charley," and gently pushes the gun away. So powerful, and yet so subtle. This is the genius method acting of Marlon Brando. He puts his all into the role, and was duly rewarded.

Eva Marie Saint is also very good, playing well opposite Brando. the scene with her dropping the glove and Brando putting it on shows this very well. Their chemistry is strong. She manages to man out of Brando's Malloy, taking him from a stooge to someone we can look up to. Another anti-hero.

Malden's Father Barry gives an impassioned speech about standing up to corrupt union leaders, which is his best scene in the film. It may be all talk, but the way he delivers this critical scene is powerful none the less. He isn't the saint that most catholic priests are portrayed as; he's gritty, dirty, and not afraid to stand up in the face of overwhelming odds.

Elia Kazan, whatever you may think of his politics, was a brilliant director who knew how to elicit the good performances from his actors. On the Waterfront was shot in B&W, which helps create the mood of a gritty, dirty seamy area of town where good folk's just don't go. Combined with a brilliant Bernstein score, this film feels like a noir in every sense.

On the Waterfront is a dark, moody piece that has given us one of the great performances in cinema history, and one of the most iconic lines and scenes. It was a contender. And it still has class.

The Blu Ray

Criterion's 2013 Blu Ray is nothing short of stunning.

There are three different "matte" versions of the film; one in 1.66:1, one in 1.33:1, the last one in 1.85:1. I viewed the version on disc 1, the 1.66:1 matte.

What got me the most was that the 4K scan picked up the tiny fibers of one of Eva Marie Saint's white gloves. Such tiny detail, but crystal clear. The picture is beautiful, with proper greyscale, blacks and whites. In one instance I thought the contrast was a little too bright, but that is insignificant. There are no specks, spots, artifacts, debris, nothing. The picture is razor sharp and clear as a bell.

Audio is also stunning; Elmer Bernstein's haunting score that perfectly captures the mood of the film has never sounded better. And so do all sound effects, like birds near the dock. There are no pops, clicks, hiss, static, nothing extraneous to ruin Brando's iconic "contender" speech.

I did feel that film grain was a bit high, but again, that's insignificant... the picture looks amazing.

Bonus Features

Being a Criterion release, On the Waterfront is plum full of extra material.

First, there is the ever-present booklet, which, this time, has more to offer than just an essay.

There is an audio commentary, a conversation between Scorsese and Critic Kent Jones, and interviews: a new one with Eva Marie Saint and ones with Thomas Hanley, James T. Fisher and Elia Kazan.

Next, we have a 1982 feature documentary on Elia Kazan, as well as a new "making of" documentary and a feature on the famous "contender" scene, plus a visual essay on the film's score.

Last is the important film trailer.

A very good crop of extras for this iconic and important film. Amazing job, Criterion!

Blu Ray: 5/5

Audio/Video: 5/5
Bonus Features: 5/5
Film: 5/5
 

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