Austin Movie Nights! (1 Viewer)

[Hank Frankenberg]

Sorry, but I'll be playing in the Wurst Band downtown at Scholz Garten for FREE beer!! Come on down everyone - we'll be playing every Thursday night, 8:00-10:00 through September.

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

Hmmm....
Large drunk men in lederhosen (at least I hope they aren't in dirndls ) playing tubas...
or
Large angry men in tights fighting over a pig's skin...
Tough choice.
I tell you what, next week I'll come and have a stein of bier with you Hank - but tonight its football night!

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

If anyone is interested I have a few passes for advanced screenings of the following films (click on images for more info):
Link Removed
"The Transporter" was produced and co-written by Link Removed, directed by Link Removed (the great Hong Kong Director of many Link Removed films), and stars Link Removed (who had his major break out performance in Link Removed).
Click here to watch the trailer for "The Transporter"
The screening will be at Regal Cinema's Metropolitan on Thursday, Sept. 12th at 7:30pm.
Link Removed
Stealing Harvard was written by
Link Removed (brilliant comedy writer!), directed by Link Removed, and stars Link Removed, and Link Removed.
Click here to watch the trailer for "Stealing Harvard"
The screening will be at Cinemark's Barton Creek Cinema on Tuesday, Sept. 10th at 7:30pm.
If you are interested, send me a note.

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

I'm down to only three more passes (each pass will admit 2 people) for "The Transporter", and one pass for "Stealing Harvard".

To answer some of the questions:

1) Yes, these are free - you just have to make the effort of picking them up from me.

2) The passes don't guarentee a seat, in otherwords the studio gives away more passes than seats in order to assure a full house. It is recommended you show up at least 30 minutes before showtime to get a seat, and hour before hand to get a prefered seat.

3) These advanced screenings are not focus group screenings, so there wont be any Q&A sessions, or comment cards to be filled out.

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

September 11th, is just around the corner, and I thought some of you might be interested to know what DVDs are available that have to do with the events that occured nearly one year ago.
I added and listed all the DVDs that I am aware of in my DVD Profiler database under the heading "Ordered". Simply click on the link in my signature, and then click on "Ordered".
"Our heroes will live forever, as long as we remember them"

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

I heard JD is in the process of putting together a 007 Theme Movie Night?
If so, you can count me on in on a RSVP.
Also Hank suggested we do some Halloween Theme Movie Nights. He has offered up a viewing of his copy of "The Blob", which I hope is the Criterion Collection version, as I have heard great things about this DVD!
Besides some great B-Movie Horror films, we could also add in a few classic B&W films, and even some newer fright night style films.
I have a large collection of these types of movies, but I would have to say the most frightening film I own has to be Link Removed, but there are a few others that will also make your bones shiver, cause you to cough up your cookies, and some that will just make you (ROTFLYAO).
Now if I can only get my DVD Profiler working again... *sigh*
On that note, have any of you DP useres upgraded from 1.1 to 2.0 yet? If so, be careful! I don't know how, but when I updated, the new version wiped out my entire database. I had a backup, but due to the collection's size (+1200 titles) I only backed up the listings and not the cover scans. That shouldn't have been a big deal as I should have been able to download all the cover scans from the server side database, but for some reason my copy of version 2.0 keeps giving me an error message each time I try and download from the server side database to my database... argh....

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Nils, yes my new "Blob" is the Criterion Collection version that I happily stumbled on at BB. It came with a poster that I will frame. I watched most of the supplemental material and the first couple of minutes of the movie, and look forward to seeing it at the Miniplex. Steve McQeen's first big role. BTW, my DP version is 1.1.0 Good thing I didn't know about the new version, eh?
Showgirls is your most frightening movie? I haven't seen it, but I could read a couple of interpretations into your comment, but we'll save that for a movie night
I have the James Bond Martini recipe and a book about martinis, "Shaken, Not Stirred", plus some other items, to take to J's James Bond theme night. Jonathan, do you plan to take votes for the Bond movie to be shown?

 

[mike_decock]

Showgirls is your most frightening movie?

Showgirls is terrifying. anybody who has seen it would understand why.

The most frightening movie experience of my life was seeing "The Blair Witch Project". I went alone to a midnight showing on opening week BEFORE I found out that it wasn't "real". I was sitting there, watching the end credits, freaked out and reluctant to go home when the end credits started to indicate that it was all made up.

No movie will ever scare me like that again.


-Mike...

 

[Jonathan DA]

Okay, once again I opened my big mouth before the Miniplex is ready (sidenote, Nils and I both have Miniplex's, so from here on out I'll refer to mine as the Mirus Miniplex to avoid confusion). Here's the plan, as soon as the Mirus Miniplex is done (target completion date 10/7) I'll have a Grand Opening week and we'll do 4 movies that week, one of which will be a 007 feature. No one is allowed in the door without a martini ingredient. I have seating for 6 (in addition to myself) and 2 or 3 more can fit on the floor or folding chairs if you don't mind that front-row feeling.
Let's vote! The Bond film with the highest number of votes will be shown.
Filmographies can be found at:
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/B...lmography.html
and
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...018998-2306529
Don't vote for something I can't get on DVD.
As soon as the theater's completion date is firm I'll post the movie night date.

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Okay, as a long-time Bond fan (sometimes I think I AM Bond), I'll muse here a bit. Warning: what follows are my opinions only, no rebuttal needed.
Sean Connery was the best Bond, and my personal Connery favorite is From Russia With Love, so that's my vote.
Goldfinger was good, and introduced Q's gadgets big-time with that Aston-Martin DB7. "Do you expect me to talk?"
Roger Moore was a bit shallow and clownish as Bond and all his films are a weak charicature of Bond. Most people say his best Bond was The Spy Who Loved Me, but I have a soft spot for Live And Let Die, because my cousin Jane Seymour (her last name really is Frankenberg) did well as a sultry Domino and I can't resist a Caribbean setting, where some of the action took place. Nice aligator-hopping scene done by the aligator farm owner in Jamaica.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service was a good story and an excellent film, and some say one of the best - closest to the novels.
Best Bond theme song? Hmm...Goldfinger, From Russia With Love, Thunderball and You Only Live Twice are good, but my heart turns to peanut butter when I hear Sheena Easton's For Your Eyes Only :b I'll bring my double CD Bond music album.
There were some silly movies and then there's the big embarrassment, Moonraker.
Thanks for indulging me. Put me down for From Russia With Love.
BTW, did you know that Ian Fleming's estate, Goldeneye, on the north shore of Jamaica, can be rented? When I win the lottery, I shall take a group of friends for a week of wretched Caribbean excess, so be nice to me.

 

[mike_decock]

I feel ashamed... The only Bond films I've seen are the last few with Pierce Brosnon :frowning:.
-Mike...

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

mike_decock wrote:

Don't vote for something I can't get on DVD.

If it helps, I have a few of the OOP THX 007 titles (all of which include the much talked about, and now lost Easter Eggs):
Dr. No
From Russia with Love
Goldfinger
The Spy Who Loved Me
I also have the 2nd editions of:
Live and Let Die
The Man with the Golden Gun
Personally I agree with Hank's assessment of the different bond actors and their films, but my vote would have to be for "The Man with the Golden Gun", not because it is the best bond film (its not), but because it is incredibly entertaining. I mean what kind of genius pairs up Christopher Lee (famous film villain and also happens to be Ian Fleming's cousin) with Hervé Villechaize (of Fantasy Island "Tattoo" fame). Not only that, but they both get two of the best Bond Villain names in the series: Francisco Scaramanga and Nick Nack. BTW: I personally think Nick Nack would kick Odd Job's ass!
Add into that the infamous spiral "Javelin Jump" - where Bond does a spiral jump over a river in a 1974 AMC Javelin Hornet.
And as for those special "toys" - this film has the famous car/plane. Although this time, the Villain owns this toy!
Lets not forget the Bond women. In this case we are treated with two stunning Swedish ladies: Britt Ekland and Maud Adams. Of course Maud would also later be recognized as one of the only bond women to star in two bond films - she returned to star in Octopussy (one of my least favorite 007 films).
So there it is, my vote goes to "The Man with the Golden Gun".

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

Hank wrote:

There were some silly movies and then there's the big embarrassment, Moonraker.

That was a stinker, but for me the worst of the Bond films had to have been "A View to a Kill". What a waste of an oppertunity to have Christopher Walken as your main villain.
The other two bond films that make my bottom of the barel list would have to be "Octopussy" and "Never Say Never Again" - yes, even Connery can make mistakes.

 

[Scott Oliver]

No the worst are the ones with Roger Dalton (isn't that his name, the guy before Pierce) as 007.

Where were they going with these?
License to Kill gets my vote for the worst.

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

"An old trick I remember for my bartending days..."

Well, well, Nils - so you were a bartender. That explains a lot about your quick wit and repartee, which led me to dub thee as "smartmouth" - okay, "smartmouth #2". Recall the evil organization in some Bond movies: S.P.E.C.T.R.E., wherein the villains were identified not by their names, but by numbers. Head bad guy was simply, "#1". Second in command was #2. Get my drift?

Nils, regarding your MWTGG nomination. Amongst us Bond devotees, it vies for the title of worst Bond film. Yes, casting Christopher Lee was quite a good move.

If Jonathan's prime seats become scarce, I may have to up the ante with a bottle of Dom Perignon or Bolinger's bubbly.

-#1

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Swatch has a very cool James Bond site based on their release throughout the year of commemorative watches, each one themed on a Bond film. 40 years since the first official Bond film, Dr. NO. Nicely done web site and you can order the released watches on-line. Jonathan, Raelene might like one of the two ladies watches (brownie point opportunity, man).
http://swatch.com/fs_index.php?haupt...nter=jamesbond

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Package just arrived from DVD Empire.

For the upcoming horror season:
THE CHANGELING, with George C. Scott and Trish Van Devere. "mixes a frightful ghost story with a great suspense plot and keeps you guessing all the way. Challenges the viewer to solve its mystery." Might be good for a group with a prize for first one to guess the mystery.

THEM, with James Whitmore and James Arness (marshall Matt Dillon of the famed Gunsmoke TV series). "Landmark movie about giant radiation-mutated ants that gets better with age and boasts remarkable Academy Award-winning special effects."

A classic: ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST Warner 2-disc Special Edition, 2001 digital transfer from restored elements. Soundtrack remastered in Dolby digital 5.1. Behind-the-scenes documentary and several minutes of never seen footage, commentary by director Milos Forman and producers Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz.

STAR TREK II THE WRATH OF KHAN 2-disc Director's Edition.

Nils, are you out there, boy?

 

[Colin Dunn]

I second Scott's nomination of "Licence to Kill" as the worst Bond movie. James Bond movies just aren't supposed to be a dour "Death Wish Lite" tale...

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Hey guys! You're supposed to be voting for the Bond film you want to see, not the one you think is worst, although your'e comments on those are interesting.

So far we have only two votes:
From Russia With Love
The Man With The Golden Gun

C'mon, lets have more votes please.

Jonathan, should we arrive in tuxes?

 

[Jonathan DA]

I was originally gonna say black tie and bring a date, but then I realized that we wouldn't have nearly enough seats for everyone. And if there are no women there (Raelene is in Kansas at the moment), I'm not sure it's worth the effort to dress nice :wink:

My vote is for On Her Majesty's Secret Service, because it's one I haven't seen, and I've heard it is closer to the feel of the novels than most of the other movies.

An update on the Mirus Miniplex:
Did a basic setup and convergence over the weekend. For some reason when the rasters are centered on the tubes the image is over a foot off center to the left on the screen. Not sure what's going on here, because physically the screen and pj are aligned. I'm going to remove the lenses and see if the spacers are installed incorrectly. One thing I can say for sure is that black levels are something else! After seeing Mark's DLP on a gray screen I thought that the CRT advocates were overstating their black level advantage. Having seen the Barco on the dark scenes in Amelie I don't feel that way anymore. I just need to get a sharper focus and the image shifted to the right and we'll be good to go.