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

[Josh Steinberg]

#124 - Deluge (1933)
Viewed on: July 17th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Kino)

Deluge was considered to be a lost film until recently, and Kino has brought the restoration from Lobster Films to disc in the U.S. A classic disaster movie, Deluge was surprisingly entertaining and vital - something like a cross between King Kong and the end of the world. A series of earthquakes sets off a mass wave of destruction, which then cause a series of tsunamis to wipe out New York and other major cities. Different people around New York prepare for the end and make preparations to try to survive the storm. Those that do survive must work to rebuild civilization from the rubble.

Running a lean 70 minutes, the film nonetheless is effective and compelling. It's an oddly satisfying blend of crowd-pleasing effects, depression-era moralizing, and pre-code innuendo, with a little bit of dreaminess left over from a silent movie. The special effects were incredible for their time and are convincing within the context of the film. The whole movie carries an otherworldly, dreamy feel to it that makes it a compelling time capsule for what the end of the world used to look like. And, for what it's worth, I found it to be far more enjoyable than Things To Come, another 1930s movie about the end and then beginning of the world.

I'm grading on a curve here considering that the film was thought to be lost, but I am extremely satisfied with the restoration on the disc. There are age-related defects and some print damage, but it's never unclear what's happening onscreen, and the audio is at least as good as the video. English subtitles are also available. The disc includes a commentary and an unrelated bonus film "Back Page" which, like Deluge, also stars Peggy Shannon.

Deluge was an enjoyable disaster movie that I was glad to discover. Though I may find myself alone in this, I found it just as enjoyable as the best of the 1970s disaster films. The combination of epic disaster and special effects along with the stories of individual stories proved a compelling mix for me.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

#125 - Back Page (1934)
Viewed on: July 17th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Kino)

Included as a bonus feature on Deluge, Back Page was an enjoyable low key film starring Peggy Shannon as a female reporter in an era when women weren't expected to be working jobs alongside men. Though the film is modest in scale, Peggy Shannon's character, a reporter who gets fired from the big city newspaper for discovering a story her editor would have preferred to keep hidden, moves to a small town and convinces the down-on-its-luck local paper to take a chance on her. Soon, through a mixture of hard work, perseverance, and brains, she manages to find a scoop which could save the town from ruin and bring the paper back from the brink of bankruptcy.

The film was an extremely low budget affair, taking place mostly in a few rooms and with a small cast. But it's compelling as an early story of everyday feminism, and I'm a sucker for a good newspaper drama. (It's a coincidence that this ended the night that began with Ace In The Hole.) Peggy Shannon makes for a compelling lead, and Sterling Halloway shows up in a small part as a fellow reporter.

Though this film doesn't include subtitles, the mono audio was presented via DTS-MA HD, and the video was generally pleasing. It's not a reference quality transfer, but actually looked better than Deluge, and is certainly more than good enough to get the film's story across.

Back Page was a nice little unexpected surprise. While I'm not sure I'd say it was worth buying in and of itself, if you do get the Deluge disc, it's absolutely worth taking a look at after you've finished with the main feature.

 

[bujaki]

Ace in the Hole is required viewing. Top Douglas performance and a great Jan Sterling. What a cynical view of mankind, though.

 

[bujaki]

Josh, keep in mind three box sets released by Criterion that are musts in any film collectors library. Ask RAH who has already written A few words about...the first two I'm recommending. The first one is The Apu Trilogy directed by Satyajit Ray. The second one, which I already recommended to you is The Marseille Trilogy. The third one is Rossellini's War Trilogy. Even if you don't get them this time around, keep them in your wish list. These are essentials: towering achievements of world cinema.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I picked up Ace in the Hole during the last B&N sale, too. My wife and I watched it last week, and both were blown away by the film. Kirk Douglas gives a career-type performance. I have seen quite a few of Wilder's films, but somehow this one had fallen through the cracks. The extras have a couple of very engaging interviews with Wilder, too, which really show off his wonderful humor and personality. Even apart from Hollywood, the man led a very interesting life.

The next film we watched after Ace in the Hole was Wilder's The Spirit of St. Louis, which I got as part of a Jimmy Stewart 4-film set on DVD. While probably not considered one of Wilder's greatest works, his talent is still evident in telling a compelling story. Stewart is terrific, too, as usual.

 

[Bert Greene]

I enjoyed "Deluge" quite a bit myself, as it was pretty offbeat and not really all that predictable. Plus, being an independent feature (released through RKO), it didn't really abide by any familiar studio house-style, adding to its uniqueness. Always love seeing Fred Kohler doing the villain bit, one of my favorite b-western baddies (although I'd probably put Harry Woods as my top fav). His villainy sometimes seems straight out of an old-time comic strip, yet still maintains an aura of brutal menace. Lois Wilson really seemed to specialize in these wife/motherly roles at this latter stage of her career, in a lot of poverty-row type offerings. I really liked her in "Miss Lulu Bett" (1921), and look forward to seeing her again when Kino puts out its blu of "The Covered Wagon." Really great of Kino to add that "Back Page" feature, giving us a further look at Shannon's work as an actress. She had a pretty spotty career, which was mostly on a downward projection, due to her personal problems. You see her every now and then in 30s-era fare, but nothing that really spotlights her like these two films. The print quality of "Back Page" looked about as good as any I've ever seen of an early-30s poverty-row item. So many of these films seem to exist only as worn 16-mm tv prints, often struck as far back as the 1940s, when such fare proliferated on the earliest days of television. Real eyesores, oftentimes, in terms of print quality. A number of such poverty-row items as this are still believed lost. Anyway, the release of "Deluge" is still something I consider a key highlight of the year, in terms of Blu-ray releases.

 

[TJPC]

If you get a chance, try suffering through a few minutes of the version with the Italian only soundtrack. This was the only surviving version up until a few years ago. TCM used to show it. The new version is an immense improvement.

#124 - Deluge (1933)
Viewed on: July 17th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Kino)

Deluge was considered to be a lost film until recently, and Kino has brought the restoration from Lobster Films to disc in the U.S. A classic disaster movie, Deluge was surprisingly entertaining and vital - something like a cross between King Kong and the end of the world. A series of earthquakes sets off a mass wave of destruction, which then cause a series of tsunamis to wipe out New York and other major cities. Different people around New York prepare for the end and make preparations to try to survive the storm. Those that do survive must work to rebuild civilization from the rubble.

Running a lean 70 minutes, the film nonetheless is effective and compelling. It's an oddly satisfying blend of crowd-pleasing effects, depression-era moralizing, and pre-code innuendo, with a little bit of dreaminess left over from a silent movie. The special effects were incredible for their time and are convincing within the context of the film. The whole movie carries an otherworldly, dreamy feel to it that makes it a compelling time capsule for what the end of the world used to look like. And, for what it's worth, I found it to be far more enjoyable than Things To Come, another 1930s movie about the end and then beginning of the world.

I'm grading on a curve here considering that the film was thought to be lost, but I am extremely satisfied with the restoration on the disc. There are age-related defects and some print damage, but it's never unclear what's happening onscreen, and the audio is at least as good as the video. English subtitles are also available. The disc includes a commentary and an unrelated bonus film "Back Page" which, like Deluge, also stars Peggy Shannon.

Deluge was an enjoyable disaster movie that I was glad to discover. Though I may find myself alone in this, I found it just as enjoyable as the best of the 1970s disaster films. The combination of epic disaster and special effects along with the stories of individual stories proved a compelling mix for me.

 

[Matt Hough]

The next film we watched after Ace in the Hole was Wilder's The Spirit of St. Louis, which I got as part of a Jimmy Stewart 4-film set on DVD. While probably not considered one of Wilder's greatest works, his talent is still evident in telling a compelling story. Stewart is terrific, too, as usual.

I saw for the first (and so far only) time The Spirit of St. Louis as a fourteen-year old boy at summer camp, and it put me to sleep. (They also showed The Bridge on the River Kwai during that month of camp, and I stayed awake for it.) I have never gotten around to giving it a second chance. I have that same four-disc Jimmy Stewart DVD collection that contains it, and one of these days I've got to get around to watching it. I'm sure I'll find much more to appreciate as a adult than I did as an adolescent.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I saw for the first (and so far only) time The Spirit of St. Louis as a fourteen-year old boy at summer camp, and it put me to sleep. (They also showed The Bridge on the River Kwai during that month of camp, and I stayed awake for it.) I have never gotten around to giving it a second chance. I have that same four-disc Jimmy Stewart DVD collection that contains it, and one of these days I've got to get around to watching it. I'm sure I'll find much more to appreciate as a adult than I did as an adolescent.

Been there, done that! As a kid in the 1960's, I hated movies like The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. I wouldn't be caught dead watching either of those films. My have times changed for me.

 

[DavidMiller]

#122 - The Great Wall 3D (2017)
Viewed on: July 15th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray 3D (Universal - UK region-free import)

I agree with your review. I saw it in 4K not the 3D release but I thought the movie was pretty entertaining. Amazing colors and demo quality soundtrack. I was surprised how bashed it was after watching it. One more sign the professional reviewers take themselves way to seriously. This is why I enjoy your takes on the movies. Well done once again.

 

[Nelson Au]

Josh, your review of The Great Wall has me curiously to see it. When first announced, I had no idea it was a monster film! Nor was I too interested. One of the interesting things I thought about while reading your post was whether the monster is based on ancient Chinese myths. It appears it might be. Also, when researching the film something that is typical of Hollywood when dealing with films about a white character in another country was mentioned, that Matt Damon would be the great white savior. I'm glad to read it doesn't appear to be. The Chinese characters are not diminished. I also had no idea this is a co production between US and China film companies. I think I'm going to have to buy this movie and check it out.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I thought the controversy about Matt Damon that began prior to the movie's opening was silly, though obviously I hadn't seen the movie. The thing was, from the beginning, this was a film being made by Zhang Yimou where he had stated that he had a desire to a do a massive co-production and wanted to try working with an English-speaking star. If the most well-known and well-respected of Chinese directors working today has decided that he wants to make something a little different than he usually does, and work with an international cast, who am I to say he's wrong? But that seemed to get lost in the press coverage. The press coverage seemed to distort all of that to make it seem like a movie couldn't get made unless it features a white movie star shoved into a film at the last minute. When you watch the movie, that's obviously not the case.

Matt Damon might be the lead, but he's far from the only actor in the film, and I don't think the film is about how the world needs more white saviors. I think it's more accurate to say that it's a film about a Chinese legend (whether it's an existing legend or one made up for the movie, I'm not sure), and if anything, having an outsider character like the one Damon plays gives everyone else in the film an excuse to give exposition without it seeming like exposition. And, if anything, the white characters are (mostly) portrayed to be untrustworthy mercenaries, while the Chinese characters are mostly shown as honorable and strong warriors.

It's not the best movie I've ever seen, but is so far from the disaster that it's portrayed as. I feel like one of the things that's getting lost in modern filmmaking, with the focus on franchises and big box office hits and extremely expensive ticket prices, is that sometimes it's nice when a movie is just fun. This movie sets up a convincing world and then spends a couple hours just playing in that world. It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, nor does it stretch things out too far. It's refreshing to see a big budget movie that has a beginning, middle and end, instead of a "picking up where we last left off, facing and defeating a new conflict, then setting up a tease for the next sequel" pattern that a lot of newer films are following. And I think Zhang Yimou has a great eye; the action sequences felt like he staged them, they didn't have that generic second-unit feel that a lot of blockbuster action sequences have (at least, to me).

If stuff like Transformers can be a big hit, something like The Great Wall deserves better than being a giant flop.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I agree with Josh about The Great Wall. The white characters are portrayed as untrustworthy mercenaries without honor to any cause except how they can profit from war and are better humans after their interaction with the Chinese. At least, some of those white characters.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

#126 - The Hurricane (1937)
Viewed on: July 18th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Kino)

This was the impetus behind my recent Kino order - this title was going out of print on July 31st and was onsale for just $10. But Kino charges $8 for shipping unless you order $50 or more, so I padded it out with Deluge and a couple other items that weren't blind buys. And then, the day after they arrive, Kino announced a giant sale - figures! But with The Hurricane, I'm 2/2 for blind buys, which makes it much easier to live with.

Directed by John Ford (with an uncredited assist from assistant director Stuart Heisler on the storm sequences), the story concerns the residents of a South Pacific island in the era of colonialism. Terengi (played by Jon Hall) is a native in love with Marama (Dorothy Lamour), who takes a job on a sailing voyage to Tahiti; unfortunately, when Terengi is provoked with racist taunts at a Tahetian bar and punches back, he's arrested and sentenced to an unjust jail sentence. The sadistic jailer (played by John Carradine) delights in adding time to Terengi's sentence each time he tries to escape - as the film flashes forward, we see that Terengi has missed the birth of his child and that she's grown into a beautiful young girl. Finally, Terengi escapes, just as a hurricane begins sweeping through the island. Terengi must find his family and try to escape or survive the storm, while the other island residents seek shelter. Look out for a wonderful Thomas Mitchell, nominated here for Best Supporting Actor, as the island doctor, and Raymond Massey as the strictly-by-the-book governor.

I really enjoyed The Hurricane, which moved along faster than its hour-and-forty-five minute running time. Though I found Terengi's imprisonment to be a bit melodramatic, it's not a stretch to say that other people in his situation and of his time faced similarly harsh treatment. The supporting actors, as I'm discovering is common for John Ford films, all deliver fantastic performances, and the leads hold their own. The hurricane effects are impressive, particularly scenes where you see real actors being battered with wind and rain as props and sets are demolished in the background.

The transfer on this disc was satisfactory, if not quite up to the level of a Warner Archive or Sony-type release. Visually, the film occasionally shows some damage and age, and has a little less detail than I might have liked, but it's very watchable. The audio is generally good if unspectacular, and is presented in mono via lossless DTS-HD MA. There are no subtitles. Bonus features include a commentary and trailer.

The Hurricane is a pretty good disaster movie, with effects that hold up surprisingly well more than half a century later. While some of the setup is a little melodramatic, the actors play it well, and once the storm kicks in, it's an impressive ride. I enjoyed watching this on back to back nights with Deluge. The Kino edition may now be out of print, but if you're a fan of classics, John Ford and/or disaster movies, the film is worth seeing.

 

[Matt Hough]

In the "No Time Like the Present" Department, I took the opportunity tonight to watch The Spirit of St. Louis on DVD. Unlike my fourteen-year old experience where I drifted off during the movie, I had no trouble staying awake and enjoying myself tonight. Very impressed with the 5.1 surround sound on the DVD.

 

[Robert Crawford]

In the "No Time Like the Present" Department, I took the opportunity tonight to watch The Spirit of St. Louis on DVD. Unlike my fourteen-year old experience where I drifted off during the movie, I had no trouble staying awake and enjoying myself tonight. Very impressed with the 5.1 surround sound on the DVD.

Yeah, I figured you would appreciate it more today than back then.

 

[DavidJ]

What a cynical view of mankind, though.

I love Wilder, but I've always avoided Ace in the Hole because I've read and heard similar comments from many sources. I've found it hard to get motivated to watch it.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I love Wilder, but I've always avoided Ace in the Hole because I've read and heard similar comments from many sources. I've found it hard to get motivated to watch it.

It's a great film though!

 

[DavidJ]

#126 - The Hurricane (1937)
Viewed on: July 18th, 2017
Viewing Format: Blu-ray (Kino)

This was the impetus behind my recent Kino order - this title was going out of print on July 31st and was onsale for just $10. But Kino charges $8 for shipping unless you order $50 or more, so I padded it out with Deluge and a couple other items that weren't blind buys. And then, the day after they arrive, Kino announced a giant sale - figures! But with The Hurricane, I'm 2/2 for blind buys, which makes it much easier to live with.

Directed by John Ford (with an uncredited assist from assistant director Stuart Heisler on the storm sequences), the story concerns the residents of a South Pacific island in the era of colonialism. Terengi (played by Jon Hall) is a native in love with Marama (Dorothy Lamour), who takes a job on a sailing voyage to Tahiti; unfortunately, when Terengi is provoked with racist taunts at a Tahetian bar and punches back, he's arrested and sentenced to an unjust jail sentence. The sadistic jailer (played by John Carradine) delights in adding time to Terengi's sentence each time he tries to escape - as the film flashes forward, we see that Terengi has missed the birth of his child and that she's grown into a beautiful young girl. Finally, Terengi escapes, just as a hurricane begins sweeping through the island. Terengi must find his family and try to escape or survive the storm, while the other island residents seek shelter. Look out for a wonderful Thomas Mitchell, nominated here for Best Supporting Actor, as the island doctor, and Raymond Massey as the strictly-by-the-book governor.

I really enjoyed The Hurricane, which moved along faster than its hour-and-forty-five minute running time. Though I found Terengi's imprisonment to be a bit melodramatic, it's not a stretch to say that other people in his situation and of his time faced similarly harsh treatment. The supporting actors, as I'm discovering is common for John Ford films, all deliver fantastic performances, and the leads hold their own. The hurricane effects are impressive, particularly scenes where you see real actors being battered with wind and rain as props and sets are demolished in the background.

The transfer on this disc was satisfactory, if not quite up to the level of a Warner Archive or Sony-type release. Visually, the film occasionally shows some damage and age, and has a little less detail than I might have liked, but it's very watchable. The audio is generally good if unspectacular, and is presented in mono via lossless DTS-HD MA. There are no subtitles. Bonus features include a commentary and trailer.

The Hurricane is a pretty good disaster movie, with effects that hold up surprisingly well more than half a century later. While some of the setup is a little melodramatic, the actors play it well, and once the storm kicks in, it's an impressive ride. I enjoyed watching this on back to back nights with Deluge. The Kino edition may now be out of print, but if you're a fan of classics, John Ford and/or disaster movies, the film is worth seeing.

I ordered this on the last day it was available. It's a blind buy for me too. I ended up ordering ten discs and a few of them are blind buys. It'll probably be a while before I get around to watching them. I just hope the box arrives when my wife isn't around.

Regarding The Great Wall, I kind of enjoyed it, but my wife thought it was pretty bad. Of course, we started it really late at night and she fell asleep during it. My biggest complaint was that a lot of the CGI didn't look great. The performances were pretty decent and every now and then you got some great moments of visual grandeur that Yimou is known for.

 

[DavidJ]

It's a great film though!

That's what I hear. I'll watch it eventually I'm sure.