What's on your Daily Viewing List? (3 Viewers)

[Matt Hough]

I watched the 1940 Gaslight since I hadn't seen it in awhile. Hard not to throw things at the screen with Walbrook's villainy at the forefront. Wonderful performance by him. Quality needs to be better. I think I read in the Gaslight thread that the UK Blu-ray looks wonderful. I wonder if the free streaming version on Prime is that one or something as old or older than the Warners SD transfer. If I get time tonight, I'll check it out.

 

[bujaki]

I watched the 1940 Gaslight since I hadn't seen it in awhile. Hard not to throw things at the screen with Walbrook's villainy at the forefront. Wonderful performance by him. Quality needs to be better. I think I read in the Gaslight thread that the UK Blu-ray looks wonderful. I wonder if the free streaming version on Prime is that one or something as old or older than the Warners SD transfer. If I get time tonight, I'll check it out.

Get the UK version. You won't be sorry.

 

[bujaki]

The Leopard Man (Scream BD) Lovely transfer of Tourneur's atmospheric film. Please buy these Lewton films so Shout will release the others!
I am embarking on an ambitious project. I intend to view the contents of 3 Criterion Boxes during the next few weeks (months?). These are the Zatoichi, Bergman and Olympic boxes. I started last night with:
Zatoichi First film in the series. Auspicious beginning to the series.
1912 Stockholm Games First disc up to the intermission. Great silent footage.
Crisis Bergman's first film. Still learning the trade but quite interesting.

 

[Dave Moritz]

July 31st, 2019 Wednesday

Drive
1080p DCP upconverted to 4K
5.1 Dolby

 

[JohnRice]

It seems to be stylish to bash any American remake of a foreign film, but occasionally they can be well done. Personally, I think The Ring is superior to Ringu, for example. I had seen Let the Right One In at least twice, when I first saw Let Me In. I wasn't expecting much, but they're different enough to stand on their own. While there are aspects I really enjoy about Let the Right One In, especially the scenes showing the great relationship between Oskar and his father, and the way that aspect of the story is fleshed out more, there are also things I tend to prefer about Let Me In. The solitude of Owen's (aka: Oskar in the original) life is more on display, and it gives the story more distinctly "Horror" aspects, without going overboard. I also find it interesting how his mother is portrayed as so distant for Owen. She's there, but barely. Always incomplete or out of focus. It's clear she's fought her ex for parental rights, but she doesn't want to actually be inconvenienced with Owen. The fact is, I like both movies, but I kind of prefer the US version. So, shoot me.

 

[bujaki]

A Ship to India (Criterion BD) From 1947. Ingmar's Bergman moody tale of Oedipal rebellion. Lush, melodramatic musical score which he'll soon outgrow. Noirish cinematography, high angles, lots of tricks which he'll also eschew later on.
The Tale of Zatoichi Continues (Criterion BD) 2nd installment. Takes up the story where the first one ended, one year later. This is the last one shot in B&W. The use of WS is very imaginative. The fight scenes are exciting.
1912 Stockholm Games (Criterion BD) Finished the 2nd half. Quite good documentary for a 1912 record. Imaginatively shot. Footage in very good condition.

 

[JohnRice]

A Ship to India (Criterion BD) From 1947. Ingmar's Bergman moody tale of Oedipal rebellion. Lush, melodramatic musical score which he'll soon outgrow. Noirish cinematography, high angles, lots of tricks which he'll also eschew later on.

I really need to start knocking off some of the unviewed titles in that Bergman set.

 

[bujaki]

I really need to start knocking off some of the unviewed titles in that Bergman set.

A massive undertaking. I started watching some of these titles in my adolescent years (born in 1950) when they were shown on TV in Puerto Rico; then in college; then in NYC repertory houses; finally, as the films premiered. Ripe for re-acquaintance, particularly in these new transfers.
Since throughout my life I've already seen all the films, my intent is to watch them now in chronological order so as to appreciate Bergman's artistic growth.

 

[Robin9]

Yesterday I watched the new Blu-ray disc of Cockleshell Heroes which is presented as The Cockleshell Heroes on the disc. It's fairly easy to find shortcomings with this film but I enjoyed it enormously. Jose Ferrer and Trevor Howard are both excellent.

The film was released by Columbia and although the credit titles do not seem to have been given any remedial treatment, the film itself is presented immaculately. There is a very informative "talking heads" type interview which I recommend.

The disc is Zone B locked and has English sub-titles.

 

[Matt Hough]

I have a review assignment for today, but I hope to get last night's Elementary watched later today and maybe Road to Utopia.

 

[bujaki]

Ten North Frederick (TT BD) CinemaScope B&W and directional dialogue! Unfortunately it must be an old master since it doesn't shine like other TT titles of the same vintage. Nice to see it in 'Scope at last. Cooper and Fitzgerald are so good!
New Tale of Zatoichi (Criterion BD) First one shot in color! The franchise is making money! Slight tangent tying it to the previous chapter. Perfidy besets our poor masseur on the road. Will his values survive?
Flower Drum Song (VUDU stream purchase and was it worth it!) Beautiful transfer in stereo. I hadn't seen this since 1961. Many pleasures therein.
The Chairman (TT BD) Exciting thriller starring Gregory Peck. J. Lee Thompson directs.

 

[JohnRice]

Perfect Sense (2011) - An epidemic is systematically causing outbursts of emotion, followed by loss of a sense. This is a unique and fascinating bit of metaphorical storytelling. The ambiguous nature of the movie doesn't work for a lot of viewers, but for those who it works, it really seems to work. I definitely does for me. It's almost impossible to explain the impact of this movie. It could mean so many different things. One is definitely the tendency of people to take the most important things in life for granted, especially each other. I think it's brilliant, but it'll probably bore some people to tears. The mix of drama and pseudo documentary styles might put some people off, but it's just one of the things that works for me. Despite the appearance that this is a romance, it's mainly a piece of hard-core science fiction, in the best sense. Like the best science fiction, it's not about the science. It doesn't even explore what is happening, because that's not what it's about. Like the best science fiction, it simply asks "What If?" and goes from there.

 

[Matt Hough]

I had planned on watching Road to Utopia tonight, but today I stumbled on one of the few Bette Davis movies I had never seen: Storm Center available for free streaming for Prime members so I watched that tonight. It was a good quality print (widescreen which I was glad to see). Not as riveting a movie as the volatile subject matter warranted, but still pertinent to the era (accusations of Communist sympathy during the escalation of the Cold War) and Davis was fine if a trifle subdued. This was the kind of subject I might have expected a fiery Bette at her most volcanic, but she really underplays it.

I understand this was originally meant as a comeback vehicle for Mary Pickford. Would like to have seen what she might have brought to it.

 

[Robin9]

Last night I watched a little-known Dan Duryea film, Do You Know This Voice? I'd never seen it before and I found it interesting. The U. K. DVD has superb picture quality. No Blu-ray upgrade necessary for this disc!

 

[bujaki]

The Midnight Man (Kino BD) Co-directed and scripted by Burt Lancaster. A police procedural of sorts and what a femme fatale! So many things happen in just 3 days...
The Quake (Vudu HDX stream) The unfortunate Norwegian family from The Wave suffers through another natural catastrophe, this time in Oslo. No The Rock in this one.
Zatoichi the Fugitive (Criterion BD) Spectacular finale and this one shows more of Zatoichi's nature and soul.
Rich Man, Poor Girl (TCM) Starring Ruth Hussey (always good) and the wonderful Lew Ayres in his first MGM film. I found this B film to be delightful. A remake of a 1929 film which I've seen but would love to see again.

 

[dana martin]

in 3D

 

[Toronto Argonauts]

I got my copy today and I hope to watch it tomorrow or Monday.
in 3D

 

[Dave Moritz]

August 3rd, 2019 Saturday

The Sound Of Music
1080p Blu-ray 45th Anniversary Edition upconverted to 4K
7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio

 

[Robin9]

I watched the Warner Archive Blu-ray disc of The Rounders yesterday. A very good disc. I saw the film when it first came out and although I enjoyed it, it didn't seem anything special to me. All these years later, my feeling is exactly the same!

In view of the debate in another thread about the the Kino Lorber disc of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? I'm going to watch the U.K. disc tonight.

 

[dana martin]

today caught BBC/Amazon adaptation of the Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman book , as to be expected it was nice and accurate as Agnes Nutter would have predicted.