Josh's Blind Buys: Watching The Unseen Collection (1 Viewer)

[Josh Steinberg]

The 1974 version of The Front Page was such a disappointment. Putting back in all the profanity didn't make it one bit funnier, and, you're right, it DRAGS.

There's that sinking feeling when you start watching a movie you've been looking forward to, and realize early into it that it's not quite firing on all cylinders. I almost never turn off a movie without finishing it (especially if I've never seen it before), so just that awareness that it had barely begun, wasn't much liking it, and that I still had almost two hours to go was deadly.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

#14 - The Searchers (1956)
Viewed on: January 30th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Warner)

I finally saw The Searchers. It only took it sitting on my shelf for six months to get around to it. I have to make a confession that I don't think will be well received: I didn't love the movie. I enjoyed it, but perhaps due to years of hype, it didn't register to me as The Greatest Thing Ever. The story is fairly straightforward, and I've seen enough westerns at this point to have generally known where it was going to go. John Wayne is a Civil War veteran out in search of his niece, who was kidnapped by Indians. On the trail with Wayne is his adopted nephew, Jeffrey Hunter, who has left a fiance (Vera Miles) behind. Everyone in the cast is fantastic, and I did enjoy the movie. I was often turned off by Wayne's character, particularly the character's racism, but I don't think it's an accident that I feel that way; I think that's what the movie is going for. The scenes with Wayne and Hunter out on the trail, especially the lighter moments, were a real highlight of the movie for me. I also enjoyed the relationship between Hunter and Miles, including the climactic fight between Hunter and Miles' would-be replacement suitor. For a movie that didn't quite grip me, it never left me bored, with plenty of little moments that held my attention better than the larger story did.

The transfer from Warner has been considered controversial in some circles, so I'll tread lightly here. I will note that it's usually easier to be more accepting of a transfer when I don't have a frame of reference for what it's supposed to look like. So while I did note that at times the picture had maybe a little bit more yellow in it than would seem necessary, I was pretty satisfied with how it looked. (That said, if a more accurate version was one day released, I'd certainly give it a shot.) The lossy Dolby Digital mono sounded fine to my ears, and English subtitles were available. The disc offered a commentary and some featurettes, but I haven't gotten around to them yet. Since I picked up this disc in a set with The Cowboys and The Green Berets, the actual cost was less than $3 - I certainly have no complaint about the quality for the price.

Perhaps because of the years of hype, when I watched The Searchers, I'm not sure that it lived up to its reputation with me. I felt like I had seen this kind of story told before, and perhaps even better. When I see a film like this, where its reputation has been cemented long before I got to it, I sometimes am underwhelmed on a first viewing. I have a feeling, based on my past history of moviewatching, that my opinion and enjoyment will improve when I watch it a second time. I know when I see it again, I won't be subconsciously comparing it to what I think it should be, but will instead be able to focus more on what the movie actually is, rather than on what it isn't. With all of that said, there's a John Ford western with Jimmy Stewart and Richard Widmark called "Two Rode Together" that I watched last year, which covers much of the same ground, and which I enjoyed a lot more. (Since The Searchers is often cited on lists as the best western ever, and since John Wayne is often considered the best western star ever, I'm now going to go into hiding after suggesting that I liked another western with a different actor more.) Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie and think it was well made; but I think I need another viewing to more fully appreciate it.

 

[Doug Wallen]

#14 - The Searchers (1956)
Viewed on: January 30th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Warner)

I finally saw The Searchers. It only took it sitting on my shelf for six months to get around to it. .

I had never seen this movie until about 15 years ago during a TCM showing. I was used to John Wayne the "hero" and it was surprising to see him as a darker, racist character. What was even more surprising was that he made me believe that Ethan felt that way. I never gave much thought to his acting "ability" until I saw this movie. I grew up in the 60's and 70's and was more familiar with the older Wayne films. I was impressed that a movie made before I was born starring John Wayne would cast him in such an unlikable? role. The film changed my idea of what he. as an actor, could do. I think that is what caused me to really become a serious John Wayne fan.

I appreciate you stating your honest opinion. I await your opinion when and if you view it again.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

I'm enjoying your reviews, Josh, and think this is an excellent thread idea. I know what it's like to feel a little let down by a much-hyped classic. I'll just echo Doug and hope you'll give THE SEARCHERS another watch sometime. Over time, I've come around to thinking it really does deserve all its praise. To me, it's not necessarily the story that makes the movie so special, not even the superb acting job by Wayne...it's really John Ford's wonderful direction. It's such a prime example of visual storytelling. To me, it's a rich film that repays repeated viewings. Hopefully someday you'll give it another chance.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I'll just echo Doug and hope you'll give THE SEARCHERS another watch sometime.

I absolutely will! It may not be this calendar year, but I'm not done with the movie yet.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I also think it's worth noting that the transfer for The Searchers is over 10 years old and that a new image harvest, combined with the latest technological abilities to restore colour, could do wonders. The archived interview with Ned Price by RAH is worth a read to put the current transfer's "issues" in perspective: http://www.thedigitalbits.com/site_archive/articles/robertharris/harris082106.html. The detail is fantastic, though.

 

[FanCollector]

If you're looking to be a completist, you should probably take a look at Switching Channels, the fourth movie version of The Front Page. It's back to a female Hildy (Kathleen Turner) as a cable news reporter divorced from her unethical producer (Burt Reynolds) and about to marry pleasant yutz Christopher Reeve.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Lee - I dunno, I may be Front Page'd out for the moment!

Stephen - thanks for the link, I was an avid reader of that column back in the day but it's nice to revisit now that I've seen the movie.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Josh, a second viewing of The Searchers may change your opinion some. Every time I watch the film, I come away seeing more and appreciating it -- and John Wayne's performance -- more. There are a lot of layers to the film, IMO. I just watched it again a few days ago myself. There is a documentary on the BD called "The Searchers: An Appreciation" where John Milius and Martin Scorcese discuss the film, which provides some great insight into the movie.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I knew I was gonna get it for that Searchers post...

Just to be clear, I didn't hate the movie. I liked the movie. The performances were great, the location photography was fantastic, and I was generally entertained by and swept up by what was happening onscreen. And I'm sure I will enjoy it when I watch it a second time - I should definitively say "when" and not "if" so you guys stop telling me you hope that watch it again

I just felt that a later John Ford movie which I had seen previously, "Two Rode Again", covered a lot of the same ground, and I liked Two Rode Again more due to the wonderful onscreen camaraderie between Jimmy Stewart and Richard Widmark. I get that The Searchers is considered the all time great, and Two Rode Again has been forgotten by most of the general public. And perhaps if I had seen them in a different order I'd have a different opinion, though I doubt it. Both films deal with serious subject matter, but there's very little in The Searchers that I felt was "fun" - whereas Two Rode Again, which was also pretty dark, had a lot that was "fun". I admire the achievement of The Searchers, but I was also okay with leaving its world when it ended. (With Two Rode Again, I could have followed Stewart and Widmark on another trail all night long.)

As another point of comparison, I had watched "The Cowboys" the night before The Searchers, and probably by any objective measure, The Searchers was the better made film. But I had more fun watching The Cowboys. Totally different movies, totally different subject matter, and not really fair to directly compare. But one is clearly more fun than the other.

"Fun" isn't my only requirement when watching a movie or even a requirement at all, but when you watch one movie with an actor and have fun, and then watch another one the next day and don't, that difference in experience can't help but subconsciously affect your opinion, or at least, that's how it is with me. The Searchers was a great movie that held me a little bit at arm's length, whereas the other movies I mentioned might be a little less great, but I felt warmly embraced by them. And it's possible that next time around, I might feel more welcomed by the movie. But it's also possible that I could find even more to appreciate about it artistically but still not feel a connection to it.

 

[Tino]

Great thread Josh!

Glad to see you've finally seen The Searchers. It sat on my shelf for years also.

Suffice to say I was blown away by it. I knew virtually nothing about it before watching it so that may have helped. It started my fascination and subsequent obsession with classic westerns. I now have a deep admiration for those films and especially John Wayne.

You'll come around. Come see it at the Loews Jersey on the 24th and you'll see.

Btw I also LOVE The Cowboys!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Come see it at the Loews Jersey on the 24th and you'll see.

If you can write a note to my boss that excuses me from work that night, I'd do it. Alas, I don't think there's a chance I'll be able to get out in time. I normally work Friday and Saturday nights, but if you see that Loews Jersey is hosting any Sunday screenings of classics, especially being shown on film, let me know and I will do my best to make it!

Btw I also LOVE The Cowboys!

Yes! There were some crickets after I posted that review so I was wondering if I was the only one. The Searchers, The Cowboys and The Green Berets for a total of $8 - how do you say no to that? I didn't.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

"Fun" isn't my only requirement when watching a movie or even a requirement at all, but when you watch one movie with an actor and have fun, and then watch another one the next day and don't, that difference in experience can't help but subconsciously affect your opinion, or at least, that's how it is with me. The Searchers was a great movie that held me a little bit at arm's length, whereas the other movies I mentioned might be a little less great, but I felt warmly embraced by them. And it's possible that next time around, I might feel more welcomed by the movie. But it's also possible that I could find even more to appreciate about it artistically but still not feel a connection to it.

This is a fair viewpoint, one which I certainly share most times when it comes to investing a couple of precious hours of free time out of my busy schedule to watching a movie. I'd go so far as to say a majority of great films do hold the viewer at a bit of a distance, at least during first viewing. There are plenty of classics that, while easy to admire, leave one feeling like watching once was enough.

And I concede that TWO RODE TOGETHER (a movie I also have a lot of time for) has a bit of an advantage over THE SEARCHERS in its lead characters. Jimmy Stewart's character in TWO RODE TOGETHER is a flawed hero, and certainly plenty curmudgeonly in his own right, but overall, more pleasant company than Wayne's Ethan. And he's balanced by the always splendid Widmark. As good as Jeffrey Hunter is in THE SEARCHERS, he doesn't have the charisma of a Richard Widmark. The story of Stewart's rescue of Linda Crystal's character, their subsequent quiet romance and her ill treatment by the townspeople also add considerable interest to TWO RODE TOGETHER.

In the end, though, somehow TWO RODE TOGETHER seems a (comparatively) minor work, compared to the sheer artistry of THE SEARCHERS. I'm sure glad to have both on Blu-Ray, that's for sure.

I'll shut up about THE SEARCHERS now.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

In the end, though, somehow TWO RODE TOGETHER seems a (comparatively) minor work, compared to the sheer artistry of THE SEARCHERS. I'm sure glad to have both on Blu-Ray, that's for sure.

I think I'd agree with that!

Sometimes the smaller, more minor films can pack a bigger punch with me, probably because their status as minor films had me underestimating them at the start, or if not underestimating, by virtue of not having expectations that might be impossible to meet.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

#15 - Hombre (1967)
Viewed on: January 31st, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Twilight Time)

Continuing with the western theme, I watched Hombre, which I purchased last year during a Twilight Time sale. I had heard about this movie over the years, but hadn't ever seen it. One of the TT or SAE sales last year happened to coincide with my western binging, and after hearing the movie described as being similar to Stagecoach, I figured it was worth a try. It also doesn't hurt that it stars Paul Newman.

The story is pretty straightforward: Newman plays a white man who was raised by Apaches, finally returning to the white world after news of his father's death. Deciding to sell the ranch he inherited, Newman ends up riding a stagecoach with some passengers that aren't quite open to his presence. After the coach is robbed by a gang, the passengers start warming up to Newman, who ultimately decides to help the passengers.

Frankly, I don't think I was in the right mood for this movie when I watched it. I was expecting a faster paced adventure story, whereas the movie is slower paced and more contemplative. I don't really have anything negative to say about the movie itself. Though he doesn't have much dialogue, Newman is able to convey so much with a properly timed glance.

Twilight Time's disc, from a master provided by Fox, looks pretty great. The widescreen cinematography looks great. The mono audio is clear and easy to understand, with English subtitles also available. Though I didn't get a chance to check them out, the disc does include an isolated score track, a commentary and a trailer.

Hombre was a well made movie that I just wasn't in the right mood for on the night I watched it. For those who prefer quieter stories, who prefer an unspoken word and a silent glance to an action scene or an argument, this movie will go over well. It's deliberate pacing and quiet lead character make it almost a complete opposite from the types of films that are popular today. At the time of its original release, it was a giant hit, which seems almost unfathomable by today's standards. Now that I know what the movie is (and isn't), I look forward to revisiting it at the right time. I will say that I appreciated that the film examined the issue of prejudice towards Native Americans, and doesn't look favorably on characters that are so dismissive of natives as people - the characters in the stagecoach who initially reject Newman for his Apache upbringing doesn't come across as noble or as civilized as they think they are. There's a lot to like in this movie and I suspect that whenever I see it again, I'll notice even more nuance in its storytelling.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

#16 - Big Hero 6 3D (2014)
Viewed on: February 2nd, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray 3D (Disney - UK import)

Big Hero 6 was Disney's next animated film following their megahit Frozen, and for whatever reason, I didn't get to see it when it was originally released. Since Disney cut back on which titles would get 3D releases on disc, I've been less interested in exploring their titles - I wasn't about to rent or buy Big Hero 6 in 2D knowing that there was a 3D version available. So I was very happy to receive this as a Christmas present from my wife's best friend, who knows me well enough to have ordered the 3D UK import for me - now that's friendship!

Inspired by a Marvel Comics team, and set in a futuristic hybrid of a city called San Fransokyo, the story concerns Hiro, a 14-year-old robotics genius who is too cool for school following the death of his parents. His older brother convinces Hiro to enroll at the science university he attends, and Hiro is impressed with his brother's creation, a fluffy robot called Baymax that has been designed as a portable healthcare robot. When an explosion at the school results in his brother's untimely death, Hiro falls into a deep depression until he accidentally activates Baymax. Amazed at his brother's creation, Hiro and Baymax discover that the explosion at the university might not have been an accident, and they set off to discover the truth. (Worth noting: like most of the Marvel movies, this one contains a post-credits scene that's very amusing.)

There was so much about this film that I loved. First and foremost are the characters: Hiro and Baymax are fantastic creations. The story maybe leans a little too heavily on the expected "origin story" cliches that comic book adaptations often resort to, but if some of the third act twists and turns are predictable, the movie has banked up so much good will by that point that it doesn't really matter. The design of San Fransokyo is nothing short of genius, a perfect fusion of west coast and Japanese sensibilities; I wish it was a real place I could visit. The 3D presentation perfectly complimented the visuals, with some really nice depth and separation of objects.

The transfer quality is, as expected, fantastic. Colors are vivid, details are strong, and the audio is equally good; no complaints here whatsoever. Also, before I forget, the disc includes (in both 2D and 3D) the short that originally played before the movie in theaters, "Feast" - it was beautiful and heartwarming and absolutely worth watching.

Big Hero 6 was a delight. I had a feeling based on the trailers that I would like the movie, but even so, it still managed to exceed my expectations. Baymax and Hiro make a great team, and the design of the world they live in is impressive. For people who hate all things comic-book related, this movie might not change your mind, but you don't have to be a comic book aficionado to enjoy it.

 

[RMajidi]

#1 - The Enemy Below (1957)
Viewed on: January 1st, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Kino)

The Enemy Below is a World War II submarine movie that I've wanted to see for a long time. I grew up a big Star Trek fan, and one of my favorite episodes of the original series is "Balance Of Terror". Over the years, I had learned that this movie was an inspiration for that episode, and wanted to see it. In the past year, I watched a bunch of different war movies and sea movies, and when Kino announced they'd be releasing this on Blu-ray, it seemed like the right time to finally see it. I almost bought it for myself, until my father asked if there was anything I wanted for Christmas (I suspect "Christmas present" will be a common theme for my January movie viewing), and since he was the guy who introduced me to Star Trek in the first place, it seemed kinda fitting that if someone was going to get this for me, that it should be him. After the holidays, when I finally had a chance to sit down and watch a movie on my own, this was my first choice for the year.

The movie itself was really good. I loved Robert Mitchum as the American ship captain, and Curt Jurgens was equally fantastic as the U-boat commander. Theodore Bikel was great as the U-boat's second in command. Though the plotting was at least vaguely familiar from that Star Trek episode, the movie was still very suspenseful, and the ending took me completely by surprise.

Unfortunately, the transfer (provided by Fox) wasn't nearly as good as the movie; it was actually one of the more unimpressive transfers I've seen lately. Riddled with lots of dirt, speckles, scratches and other damage, it's always watchable but it never shines. If I had to guess, it looks like an older master made in the DVD era, taken from a worn element. This may be the best we ever get, and it's by no means terrible, but it's not reference material.

I'm very happy to add The Enemy Below to my collection, though I wish the disc was as good as the movie.

Onya Josh! Great follow-up to your Cary Grant thread.

I first saw The Enemy Below on TV in the late 70s. Robert Mitchum had not yet become one of favourite actors - that shaped later as exposure to his many great portrayals won me over.

At the time, I was more interested in seeing Curt Jurgens, as I had then just seen him in The Spy Who Loved Me.

I thought it was a great film, but a shameless theft of one of my favourite Star Trek episodes. Much later, I found out that it had preceded it.

Both versions of the story relied heavily on a central performance of serious gravity in the role of the enemy commander in order to win over our sympathies; otherwise on paper who could care for one of Hitler's sub skippers, or a theretofore unseen Romulan (magnificent Mark Lenard) daring to match wits with our beloved Kirk?

In the years that have passed, The Enemy Below has become one of my favourite WWII films. However, I've stayed away from the US release, due to the many negative reviews of the disc. Encouraged by John Hermes' comments in other threads about the Japanese Blu-ray's qualities... shall bite once the price drops.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I noticed his post about the Japanese disc for Enemy Below after already receiving the American one. For how much it usually costs to import Japanese editions to the U.S., I'd probably pass anyway - I liked the movie a lot but I don't know that a better copy is worth $50 extra to me at this point. That said, if you wanna invite me over to watch your copy...

 

[RMajidi]

I noticed his post about the Japanese disc for Enemy Below after already receiving the American one. For how much it usually costs to import Japanese editions to the U.S., I'd probably pass anyway - I liked the movie a lot but I don't know that a better copy is worth $50 extra to me at this point. That said, if you wanna invite me over to watch your copy...

Consider it a standing invitation, Josh.

But I fear the flight over might set you back a little more than 50 bucks!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Yeah, but at least I'd get some sightseeing in!