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Ian, I'm very glad that you've now obtained the restored 2015 Blu-ray release of "Spartacus". Just watched this magnificent Blu-ray of the film Saturday afternoon. And in checking on this thread today, when encountering your initial impression that the PQ of your "Spartacus" BD was less...

Rich, that young lady's comment about disliking pre-1990s movies had me thinking about 2 events that took place in 1981 that may be germane to the subject of why a number of younger people bear such negative attitudes toward older films. (My own 34 year old daughter-in-law, who was a...

Philip, I really think you made an excellent point in saying that Peter O'Toole's 8 best actor nominations, considered in total, particularly his nomination for The Lion in Winter having stood in competition with the rest of the field that was nominated for 1968, actually does constitute a...

Peter O'Toole being denied the Oscar for his towering performance as T.E. Lawrence, IMO, was not a case of him being victimized by some sort of criminal offense, as much as it was simply a case of Academy voters seeing O'Toole's role as Lawrence as being less relevant to events that were then...

You make a great point about how very highly reviewed films would often be among a year's biggest box office hits, in past decades. Films as diverse as 1959's Ben-Hur, 1962's Lawrence of Arabia, 1965's The Sound of Music, 1972's The Godfather, 1973's The Exorcist, 1975's Jaws, 1977's Star...

Robert, I particularly like your point about George C. Scott in Dr. Strangelove. He was such a hoot in that film. Just love that flick, and you've reminded me that I should watch it again soon.

Yes, all 3 of those are really good films, IMO. Last spring we watched the Criterion Collection Blu-ray of Ace In The Whole. When Kirk Douglas said on 60 Minutes that he was known as a son of a bitch in Hollywood, I wondered then how much of that could have derived from some people believing...

I'd sure like to echo that Happy 99th birthday to Kirk Douglas. I've always felt that Mr Douglas was unfairly overlooked by never winning the Best Actor Oscar. IMO, Kirk did a number of roles that were more powerful and compelling than the one for which his son, Michael, was given the Academy...

James C. Katz

Yes, they do act as a balm that can soothe nerves frayed from dealing with the regular regimen of insane realities that so often seem to parade before us.

Philip, scheduling the showing of restored films for times like 1:00 and 2:00pm, seems to indicate that theater management thinks that "older audience members", like yours truly, may doze off during evening showings, unless we've been recently restored ourselves.

Well Oblivion138, maybe the management of those brick and mortar stores that you refer to, is making the dubious assumption that the appeal of the 1916 Sherlock Holmes would basically be limited to those who actually saw the film back in the silent era, when it was released.

Honestly, that precise thought had also occupied some space, for a short time, somewhere under the scalp of my noggin. But when the manager at our local Barnes & Noble confirmed to me that his store had only ordered one copy of the My Fair Lady 50th Anniversary BD, which I bought, ever since...

I too couldn't be more grateful for the Spartacus that we can now see, thanks to the extensive efforts of RAH, and others, who work to safeguard our film legacy. But I would also enjoy a different sort of gratitude if it appeared that any substantial portion of Americans, outside of the small...

I agree Mike. Think that the conversation veered seriously off track, after the popular idea was introduced that Tony Curtis's modern New York accent clashed with that of the rest of the actors in Spartacus, making Mr Curtis a weak link in a film that was trying to evoke some of the atmosphere...

Yes, some good points, Philip. But would you not concede that even Shakespeare being subjected to a rendering by Tony Curtis, would likely prove preferable to an interpretation voiced by Sylvester Stallone? (but really did like Sly's portrayal of Rocky, in the first 2 or 3 films of that series)

Sometimes, when in junior high school, in taking short cuts to get book reports done, I would depend on a source that was even lighter reading than Cliff Notes, namely, the popular Classics Illustrated series, which consisted of colorful illustrated, comic book-like versions, of some of the...

Back in 2006 or 2007 I was channel surfing one day, when a showing of The Greatest Story Ever Told grabbed my attention. It happened to be a standard definition broadcast on the the Trinity Broadcasting network. That was shortly before I got my first hi-def TV, and on the 35 inch Sony XBR 4X3...

Well, I'd be lying if I said there wasn't. But by the same token, I have also wondered if the parents of a certain baby, who grew up to be a televangelist, were at least making a subconscious pun, by giving their baby son the name of Oral. But, most likely, that would merely indicate that they...

I also agree that a high quality presentation can greatly affect one's appreciation of a film. However, no matter how meticulous a restoration, followed by a high quality presentation, that could be given to Deep Throat, in the end, the film would still suck.

Yes, absolutely! How The West Was Won is also "simply gorgeous" looking on BD, and with its ultra-wide aspect ratio, if any film is going to make many of us wish to have a larger screen, HTWWW is it.

Charles, I agree with everything you said, and definitely, IMO, that terrific score is absolutely one of the very best in film history.

But at least by buying the new version, in effect, you cast a vote to indicate that the efforts and expense required to do justice to a classic film, really are worthwhile.

Yes, sure agree with all that you are saying. And have always been in awe of that terrific Alex North score. That music is such a wonderful mixture of power and utter beauty, that it's one of the major reasons that multiple viewings of Spartacus are so enjoyable. I like the score for Exodus...

Lolita a masterpiece, really ?! It's actually pretty good considering that the sexually fearful times in which it was made forced Mr Kubrick to tiptoe around "shocking" (for the times) ideas and incidents so that his film resembles a priest making a bad attempt at discussing sex. IMO, Kubrick's...

Occasionally, when I recommend Spartacus to someone who hasn't seen it, that person will reply with, basically, these exact words: " Isn't that a movie about gladiators?" In my response I always fight the tendency to break into a slight smile while thinking that the person is very likely to...

Yes, Mr Laughton's reply is terrific, and particularly effective in the DC setting you referred to, because anyone even casually connected with the legislative process has to be amused to realize that while things like medical science and technology have advanced greatly since ancient Rome, the...

I'm on the same page with you in all that you said. Ever since, as a kid, seeing 1935's Mutiny On The Bounty on TV, I've been a big Charles Laughton fan. But I think it's Laurence Olivier and Peter Ustinov who gave the 2 most indelible performances in Spartacus, although Kirk Douglas was...

Am very eager to see the Trumbo movie, and considering how amazingly powerful Bryan Cranston was throughout the Breaking Bad series, the makers of that movie would have had a difficult time casting anyone who is better.

Yes, Spartacus certainly isn't Ben-Hur. One of my favorite pieces of dialog in Spartacus is where Charles Laughton as the elderly Senator, Gracchus, says to his friend " Privately, I believe in none of the gods, and neither do you. But publicly, I believe in them all." That's the kind of dialog...