Dave B Ferris
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Josh's Blind Buys: Watching The Unseen Collection (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Josh Steinberg
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It didn't, haven't heard of that one.
Joseph Bolus
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Weird how these things work: After reading Josh's "The Dish" review I scoured my collection to find something that would satisfy my sudden NASA 60's itch. I came across "The Right Stuff" SE DVD which I hadn't viewed in at least a half-decade. (There is now a Blu-ray out which I wish I had opted for.) This proved to be an exceptional movie to view on Memorial Day!
Thanks for the inspiration!!
Thanks for the inspiration!!
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The Right Stuff is a fantastic film - great choice!
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#97 - The Darn Cat! (1965)
Viewed on: May 28th, 2017
Viewing Format: DVD (Disney)
That Darn Cat is the third Disney film with Dean Jones that I've watched within the past few weeks, and I'd put it somewhere in the middle between Blackbeard's Ghost (which I liked more) and Monkeys, Go Home (which was just OK). This was a recommendation from someone on this thread, and I apologize but I've had difficulty locating the original post - but please come forward and claim some credit for this! And thank you, mysterious benefactor, for the recommendation.
Looking over my notes that I took while watching the movie, I see one comment that sums up the movie: A tangle of subplots in search of a through-line. At the center of it all is the titular Darn Cat (often shorted to "DC" by the film's characters), who happens upon a kidnapping while prowling the streets one night. Frank Gorshin and Neville Brand have robbed a bank, and kidnapped the teller (Grayson Hall). When DC sneaks into their apartment, Hall swaps his collar for her wristwatch, which she inscribes with a call for help. Returning home to sisters Hayley Mills and Dorothy Provine, Mills notices the wristwatch, notices an article in the paper about a bank robbery, and begins to put it together. With the help of an FBI agent (Dean Jones), and despite distractions from her would-be boyfriend (Tom Lowell) and her sister's would-be boyfriend (Roddy McDowall), Mills and Jones press DC into service and embark on the most ridiculous manhunt ever to try to find the bank robbers and rescue the kidnapped woman. All of this unfolds in a loosely plotted fashion in about 116 minutes. Look out for favorites like Ed Wynn, Elsa Lanchester and Richard Deacon in small roles.
I enjoyed the movie and had fun watching it, but was also aware of its flaws. Though Robert Stevenson is a reliable director and gets good performances out of the entire cast, human and feline, he's hampered by a messy script from Bill Walsh and original novel authors The Gordons. The most important part of the story is the Mills-Jones-DC adventure, but too often the film cuts to subplots that, while pleasant enough, keep it from achieving any momentum. This is a movie that defies most of the conventions of plotting and pacing, but still manages to work in spite of being all over the place.
The DVD from Disney is difficult to recommend, but hard to completely disdain either. First off, the film is not currently available on any digital services, or at least wasn't at the time I picked it up. Though many of the old Disney DVDs are MAR version, most of those movies have been upgraded to nice HD OAR streaming versions. But sadly, That Darn Cat hasn't gotten the upgrade yet. The film was shot open matte, and the 1.33:1 DVD appears to be slightly zoomed in or cropped, with headroom rarely excessive but a little tight on the sides to attempt a 1.66:1 or 1.85:1 zoom on the player. Of course, I've never seen the movie before and don't have access to any prints, so I could be completely wrong in my guesses. The overall color and clarity seemed pretty good for a DVD. No complaints on the audio, which is a satisfying mono track. English subtitles (in a distracting yellow color) are also available.
Though the presentation on disc and the pacing of the film left a little to be desired, on the whole, That Darn Cat was an entertaining bit of Disney live action innocence. I would have been satisfied with a rental, but for the $5 purchase price, I really can't complain. I'd say this is a movie worth seeing but perhaps not worth owning if you don't already have a nostalgic attachment to it.
Viewed on: May 28th, 2017
Viewing Format: DVD (Disney)
That Darn Cat is the third Disney film with Dean Jones that I've watched within the past few weeks, and I'd put it somewhere in the middle between Blackbeard's Ghost (which I liked more) and Monkeys, Go Home (which was just OK). This was a recommendation from someone on this thread, and I apologize but I've had difficulty locating the original post - but please come forward and claim some credit for this! And thank you, mysterious benefactor, for the recommendation.
Looking over my notes that I took while watching the movie, I see one comment that sums up the movie: A tangle of subplots in search of a through-line. At the center of it all is the titular Darn Cat (often shorted to "DC" by the film's characters), who happens upon a kidnapping while prowling the streets one night. Frank Gorshin and Neville Brand have robbed a bank, and kidnapped the teller (Grayson Hall). When DC sneaks into their apartment, Hall swaps his collar for her wristwatch, which she inscribes with a call for help. Returning home to sisters Hayley Mills and Dorothy Provine, Mills notices the wristwatch, notices an article in the paper about a bank robbery, and begins to put it together. With the help of an FBI agent (Dean Jones), and despite distractions from her would-be boyfriend (Tom Lowell) and her sister's would-be boyfriend (Roddy McDowall), Mills and Jones press DC into service and embark on the most ridiculous manhunt ever to try to find the bank robbers and rescue the kidnapped woman. All of this unfolds in a loosely plotted fashion in about 116 minutes. Look out for favorites like Ed Wynn, Elsa Lanchester and Richard Deacon in small roles.
I enjoyed the movie and had fun watching it, but was also aware of its flaws. Though Robert Stevenson is a reliable director and gets good performances out of the entire cast, human and feline, he's hampered by a messy script from Bill Walsh and original novel authors The Gordons. The most important part of the story is the Mills-Jones-DC adventure, but too often the film cuts to subplots that, while pleasant enough, keep it from achieving any momentum. This is a movie that defies most of the conventions of plotting and pacing, but still manages to work in spite of being all over the place.
The DVD from Disney is difficult to recommend, but hard to completely disdain either. First off, the film is not currently available on any digital services, or at least wasn't at the time I picked it up. Though many of the old Disney DVDs are MAR version, most of those movies have been upgraded to nice HD OAR streaming versions. But sadly, That Darn Cat hasn't gotten the upgrade yet. The film was shot open matte, and the 1.33:1 DVD appears to be slightly zoomed in or cropped, with headroom rarely excessive but a little tight on the sides to attempt a 1.66:1 or 1.85:1 zoom on the player. Of course, I've never seen the movie before and don't have access to any prints, so I could be completely wrong in my guesses. The overall color and clarity seemed pretty good for a DVD. No complaints on the audio, which is a satisfying mono track. English subtitles (in a distracting yellow color) are also available.
Though the presentation on disc and the pacing of the film left a little to be desired, on the whole, That Darn Cat was an entertaining bit of Disney live action innocence. I would have been satisfied with a rental, but for the $5 purchase price, I really can't complain. I'd say this is a movie worth seeing but perhaps not worth owning if you don't already have a nostalgic attachment to it.
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#98 - They Were Expendable (1945)
Viewed on: May 29th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Warner Archive)
I picked up They Were Expendable last summer upon its release, before my western kick, before my John Wayne kick, just because it looked interesting and came highly recommended from many people here. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a big war movie fan, and that's perhaps why I didn't find myself immediately motivated to watch it when I got it. It's funny how that works; there are moments where I can read a review or recommendation for something I wouldn't have otherwise been interested in, and in that moment feel 100% committed to watching that movie. But if I hesitate or have to delay in any way (like waiting for the disc to come in the mail), my resolve can fade and the movie can go back to being a low priority. I decided that Memorial Day was a good excuse to finally see this movie, and planned all week on watching it then.
Directed by John Ford and starring Robert Montgomery and John Wayne as PT boat commanders in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the film does a great job of portraying the obstacles and struggles of a unit that was initially mocked for their compact boats but eventually would prove themselves to be more effective than the top brass ever imagined. Montgomery is the more straightforward, gung-ho, committed to the unit officer; he believes in his boats and his mission. Wayne is more conflicted; he believes in the capabilities of the boats but recognizes that no one else sees things his way, and initially wants to transfer somewhere he can make more of a name for himself. But after being sidelined at the hospital with a case of blood poisoning, Wayne begins to change his mind. Meanwhile, their continued successes at sinking Japanese boats, despite taking on heavy losses, has put the PT unit into the favorable light that Montgomery always believed they deserved.
Though the movie is thematically very different, I got a similar feeling watching it as when I saw She Wore A Yellow Ribbon. On one hand, I was easily able to recognize the fine performances and direction, and both films were very evocative of a specific time and place and captured those environments so well. On the other hand, I was never completely gripped by the story. I watched with interest, I was impressed by the production, but I wasn't quite moved by it either. At two hours and fifteen minutes, the movie didn't feel too long, but it felt maybe a little more scattered than some of the other John Ford productions I've watched this year. And some of my reaction may be from not loving the war genre to begin with. But where I was completely gripped by something like Destination Tokyo (which I saw last year), this didn't have me quite at the edge of my seat. But it's a film that's easy to respect and admire, and it's something I'd like to give another look down the road.
The transfer from Warner Archive looks and sounds amazing. The transfer is impeccable, with great audio to match. Subtitles are available, and the disc also offers a transfer. I would have been interested to learn more about the film's production, but sadly, no other bonus features were offered. I don't watch bonus features nearly as much as I used to, but this is one film where I would have enjoyed having the option.
They Were Expendable is a well made film given a fabulous presentation on disc by Warner Archive. Though it didn't grip me in the way that some other John Ford-John Wayne titles did, it created a completely believable and compelling look at World War II PT boats, and is worth seeing for that.
Viewed on: May 29th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Warner Archive)
I picked up They Were Expendable last summer upon its release, before my western kick, before my John Wayne kick, just because it looked interesting and came highly recommended from many people here. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a big war movie fan, and that's perhaps why I didn't find myself immediately motivated to watch it when I got it. It's funny how that works; there are moments where I can read a review or recommendation for something I wouldn't have otherwise been interested in, and in that moment feel 100% committed to watching that movie. But if I hesitate or have to delay in any way (like waiting for the disc to come in the mail), my resolve can fade and the movie can go back to being a low priority. I decided that Memorial Day was a good excuse to finally see this movie, and planned all week on watching it then.
Directed by John Ford and starring Robert Montgomery and John Wayne as PT boat commanders in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the film does a great job of portraying the obstacles and struggles of a unit that was initially mocked for their compact boats but eventually would prove themselves to be more effective than the top brass ever imagined. Montgomery is the more straightforward, gung-ho, committed to the unit officer; he believes in his boats and his mission. Wayne is more conflicted; he believes in the capabilities of the boats but recognizes that no one else sees things his way, and initially wants to transfer somewhere he can make more of a name for himself. But after being sidelined at the hospital with a case of blood poisoning, Wayne begins to change his mind. Meanwhile, their continued successes at sinking Japanese boats, despite taking on heavy losses, has put the PT unit into the favorable light that Montgomery always believed they deserved.
Though the movie is thematically very different, I got a similar feeling watching it as when I saw She Wore A Yellow Ribbon. On one hand, I was easily able to recognize the fine performances and direction, and both films were very evocative of a specific time and place and captured those environments so well. On the other hand, I was never completely gripped by the story. I watched with interest, I was impressed by the production, but I wasn't quite moved by it either. At two hours and fifteen minutes, the movie didn't feel too long, but it felt maybe a little more scattered than some of the other John Ford productions I've watched this year. And some of my reaction may be from not loving the war genre to begin with. But where I was completely gripped by something like Destination Tokyo (which I saw last year), this didn't have me quite at the edge of my seat. But it's a film that's easy to respect and admire, and it's something I'd like to give another look down the road.
The transfer from Warner Archive looks and sounds amazing. The transfer is impeccable, with great audio to match. Subtitles are available, and the disc also offers a transfer. I would have been interested to learn more about the film's production, but sadly, no other bonus features were offered. I don't watch bonus features nearly as much as I used to, but this is one film where I would have enjoyed having the option.
They Were Expendable is a well made film given a fabulous presentation on disc by Warner Archive. Though it didn't grip me in the way that some other John Ford-John Wayne titles did, it created a completely believable and compelling look at World War II PT boats, and is worth seeing for that.
Dave, I fear I've somehow let you down.
[you choose the emoji]
Dave B Ferris
Screenwriter
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I'll do it!
No, there's no need to beat Ramin over the head.
This is just one of those cases common to all film buffs, where an introduction to one film, or one group of films, leads to countless paths to other films. In context, I believe Newsfront is another film that highlights Ramin's native Austrailia! Also, I think it might very well be a film that Josh would enjoy.
No, there's no need to beat Ramin over the head.
But there's nothing like a good fish-slap every once in a while to clear the senses!
(and, maybe the sinuses!)
Dave B Ferris
Screenwriter
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But there's nothing like a good fish-slap every once in a while to clear the senses!
Actually, I thought it should have been a loaf of bread instead of a fish, in a nod to one of your infamous guesses to a Criterion puzzle about one of their upcoming releases.
But there's nothing like a good fish-slap every once in a while to clear the senses!
Especially for you, Mike...
And before we move on to more of Josh's fine reviews...
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I did watch The Paradine Case last night but you guys are more entertaining than that...carry on with the fish...
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99. The Paradine Case (1947)
Viewed on: May 30th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Kino)
I've seen a great deal of Alfred Hitchcock's films, but by no means all. The Paradine Case was one that had eluded me over the years. It was never easily available on DVD, and I had never really heard anything positive about it, so I wasn't entirely motivated to go out of my way looking for it. The last time I binged through a bunch of Hitchcock stuff was summer 2010; I was unemployed at the time and watching nearly anything I could get my hands on, and Hitchcock's films were a reliable escape. (If only I had a time machine so I could go back and visit that version of me, and reassure him that he'd get a job and things would turn out alright. I'd also give him a projector and some stereo speakers so he wouldn't be stuck watching all those movies on a television. It's so funny how life is, I've got all the cool toys now but never enough time. Then, too much time, not enough toys.) I first saw The Lady Vanishes that summer. One of my professors had screened it in class way back in freshman year of college, and it was a poor quality VHS tape, and I snuck out. I wasn't opposed to seeing the movie, but seeing it in that condition was painful. When I did see Lady Vanishes, I was so blown away by the movie that I looked up my old professor on Facebook and sent a confession and mea culpa for cutting the class and not watching the movie. Anyhow, that was the last serious cycle through Hitchcock movies for me, and when Kino announced the release, I started looking forward to seeing one I had missed then.
In The Paradine Case, young wife Anna Paradine (Alida Valli) is accused of poisoning her blind husband for the inheritance; it's not immediately clear to the audience whether she's guilty or being falsely accused. The family solicitor (Charles Coburn, excellent in a small role) arranges for a brilliant and famous lawyer (Gregory Peck) to defend her. Despite Peck's long and happy marriage, one jail cell conversation with the widow is enough to make him have second thoughts about his wife (Ann Todd). As Peck gets deeper in the case, he falls more in love with her, with his wife realizing that his only chance of getting over this obsession is to win the case. Peck becomes fixated on finding alternate theories for how Mr. Paradine could have been poisoned, but his widow is opposed to all of the defense ideas, including the possibility of suicide with help from his valet (a young Louis Jourdan). Peck's only way to get her off is by going against her wishes, and he's torn at the thought of saving her life at the expense of her love. Charles Laughton has a few nice moments as the judge in the case.
After hearing how mediocre the movie was, it couldn't help but be better than expected. While not prime Hitchcock by any means, the director gets good performances from the cast and uses his mastery of photography and editing to put together a first rate technical presentation. But the biggest problem here is the script. While the twists and turns of the trial were pretty gripping, Peck's infatuation with the widow was more difficult to believe. The problem is, there's nothing in the screenplay, nor in Valli's performance, to explain why a professional such as Peck's lawyer character would suddenly be afflicted with these feelings. The film didn't convince me that Peck would fall so instantly and completely for this woman. He does his best to sell it, but the script doesn't motivate it. On the plus side, the movie was well paced and had some good performances from Peck, Todd, Valli, Jourdan, Coburn and Laughton.
The transfer on this Kino edition is inconsistent. Parts look very good, while parts look more dupey, with some visible wear, dirt and speckling. It's never unwatchable, but it's a little disappointing that it didn't have a more uniform look. The audio, fortunately, was clear and satisfactory. English subtitles are available. The disc includes a bunch of bonus features, but I did not sample any of them yet. A quick note on the running time: the packaging incorrectly lists the film as running 125 minutes, but it's actually 114 minutes long.
The Paradine Case isn't the best Hitchcock film I've ever seen, but going in with low expectations, I found it to be a decent courtroom thriller. Everything about the performances and the direction work; if the story doesn't fully motivate all of the actions onscreen, if you just go with it, it can be pretty entertaining. The transfer quality is nothing outstanding, but is good enough to get the point across. This would probably work better as a rental than a purchase for most viewers, but spending a couple hours with an undiscovered Hitchcock movie is never a bad way to end a night.
Viewed on: May 30th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Kino)
I've seen a great deal of Alfred Hitchcock's films, but by no means all. The Paradine Case was one that had eluded me over the years. It was never easily available on DVD, and I had never really heard anything positive about it, so I wasn't entirely motivated to go out of my way looking for it. The last time I binged through a bunch of Hitchcock stuff was summer 2010; I was unemployed at the time and watching nearly anything I could get my hands on, and Hitchcock's films were a reliable escape. (If only I had a time machine so I could go back and visit that version of me, and reassure him that he'd get a job and things would turn out alright. I'd also give him a projector and some stereo speakers so he wouldn't be stuck watching all those movies on a television. It's so funny how life is, I've got all the cool toys now but never enough time. Then, too much time, not enough toys.) I first saw The Lady Vanishes that summer. One of my professors had screened it in class way back in freshman year of college, and it was a poor quality VHS tape, and I snuck out. I wasn't opposed to seeing the movie, but seeing it in that condition was painful. When I did see Lady Vanishes, I was so blown away by the movie that I looked up my old professor on Facebook and sent a confession and mea culpa for cutting the class and not watching the movie. Anyhow, that was the last serious cycle through Hitchcock movies for me, and when Kino announced the release, I started looking forward to seeing one I had missed then.
In The Paradine Case, young wife Anna Paradine (Alida Valli) is accused of poisoning her blind husband for the inheritance; it's not immediately clear to the audience whether she's guilty or being falsely accused. The family solicitor (Charles Coburn, excellent in a small role) arranges for a brilliant and famous lawyer (Gregory Peck) to defend her. Despite Peck's long and happy marriage, one jail cell conversation with the widow is enough to make him have second thoughts about his wife (Ann Todd). As Peck gets deeper in the case, he falls more in love with her, with his wife realizing that his only chance of getting over this obsession is to win the case. Peck becomes fixated on finding alternate theories for how Mr. Paradine could have been poisoned, but his widow is opposed to all of the defense ideas, including the possibility of suicide with help from his valet (a young Louis Jourdan). Peck's only way to get her off is by going against her wishes, and he's torn at the thought of saving her life at the expense of her love. Charles Laughton has a few nice moments as the judge in the case.
After hearing how mediocre the movie was, it couldn't help but be better than expected. While not prime Hitchcock by any means, the director gets good performances from the cast and uses his mastery of photography and editing to put together a first rate technical presentation. But the biggest problem here is the script. While the twists and turns of the trial were pretty gripping, Peck's infatuation with the widow was more difficult to believe. The problem is, there's nothing in the screenplay, nor in Valli's performance, to explain why a professional such as Peck's lawyer character would suddenly be afflicted with these feelings. The film didn't convince me that Peck would fall so instantly and completely for this woman. He does his best to sell it, but the script doesn't motivate it. On the plus side, the movie was well paced and had some good performances from Peck, Todd, Valli, Jourdan, Coburn and Laughton.
The transfer on this Kino edition is inconsistent. Parts look very good, while parts look more dupey, with some visible wear, dirt and speckling. It's never unwatchable, but it's a little disappointing that it didn't have a more uniform look. The audio, fortunately, was clear and satisfactory. English subtitles are available. The disc includes a bunch of bonus features, but I did not sample any of them yet. A quick note on the running time: the packaging incorrectly lists the film as running 125 minutes, but it's actually 114 minutes long.
The Paradine Case isn't the best Hitchcock film I've ever seen, but going in with low expectations, I found it to be a decent courtroom thriller. Everything about the performances and the direction work; if the story doesn't fully motivate all of the actions onscreen, if you just go with it, it can be pretty entertaining. The transfer quality is nothing outstanding, but is good enough to get the point across. This would probably work better as a rental than a purchase for most viewers, but spending a couple hours with an undiscovered Hitchcock movie is never a bad way to end a night.
DavidJ
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Hitchcock is probably my favorite director, but like you, this is one I never had the opportunity to see. I preordered the Kino disc as soon as it was available. It arrived while my wife was out of town so I haven't watched it yet, but I will soon.
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It's surprisingly decent. Please let me know what you think once you've had a chance to watch it.
Robin9
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I've always liked The Paradine Case a lot. I'm sorry to learn that the disc is not very good.
I enjoy many Hitchcock films but his proclivity for using rear-projection shots intercut with location shots, in the same scene, are so obvious they frequently take me out of the story and subsequently ruin the film. Yet, he overuses this technique in almost every film he's done. There are several of his films, which are considered classics, I just can't stand to watch due to the poor rear-projection work and/or bad mattes. From your description it sounds like The Paradise Case might be one of those few films in which he didn't use the technique. I've never seen that one but would consider giving it a viewing for just that reason.
Scott Merryfield
Senior HTF Member
This is my biggest issue with the film, too, and considering it's the driving force of the entire film, it's important that the audience believes Peck's character has fallen for the woman. I hadn't seen the film in quite a few years, but watched my BD copy a few days ago and that was all that I could think of -- how can Peck be in love with that woman? From listening to the interview of the disc, I don't think Hitchcock was too happy with how the film turned out, either.
I thought the BD looked decent - not great, but the picture quality never took me out of the film. If you're a fan of Hitchcock, this is still worth having in your library... after all, even mediocre Hitchcock is better than good efforts from some other directors.
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