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

[Keith Cobby]

Yesterday and today:

Masquerade 1965 - first (and last) viewing of this comedy thriller, couldn't wait for it to end. Some poor back projection. KL blu ray.

The Prize - I hadn't watched this for decades (television). Never been very keen on Paul Newman, but the supporting cast is great (Edward G. Robinson, Elke Sommer, and Micheline Presle in one of her few English language films). I like this period (late 50s to early 60s), everyone is elegantly dressed (except for the nudist scene!). WAC blu ray.

Code 7 Victim 5/Mozambique - first time viewing of these actioners. Although obviously low budget, Harry Alan Towers shot on location and they look more expensive, probably as there are limited process shots. Code 7 is the better film. Blue Underground blu ray.

 

[Robin9]

Yesterday I watched a little known - not known at all by IMDB - British ghost film House Of Mystery. I thought it was well done on a shoe string budget. I wonder why IMDB has never heard of this film when I have it on a legitimate DVD.

 

[HawksFord]

Yesterday and today:

Code 7 Victim 5/Mozambique - first time viewing of these actioners. Although obviously low budget, Harry Alan Towers shot on location and they look more expensive, probably as there are limited process shots. Code 7 is the better film. Blue Underground blu ray.

I watched these two about a year and a half ago. I found the stories to be formulaic, but the nice location footage in each of these made them worth watching. It's an interesting look at a particular time and place.

 

[Dave Moritz]

Sunday May 15th, 2022

Star Trek: Discovery
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Wednesday May 18th, 2022

Old
HD DIgital / HBO Max / Upscaled to 4K
Dolby 5.1 upmixed to Auro 7.2

 

[Keith Cobby]

Look Back in Anger - some films seem to diminish over time or with repeat viewings, but this film just gets better. A mesmerising performance by the very beautiful and luminous Mary Ure in one of her few films. She and Richard Burton reunite ten years later in Where Eagles Dare.

 

[DFurr]

Going back to a weekend of 3D.
Tonight is Final Destination 5, 3D, 35mm, 2:35:1, SDDS, DTS. One of the more exciting 3D movies IMO.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Great Expectations
Originally Released: 01/30/1998
Watched: 05/19/2022
1080P HD digital streaming on Apple TV app, upscaled to 4K via Roku Ultra

Recommended?

On What? Whether the captivating first act is enough to compensate for the more frustrating and flawed movie that follows.

Coming off the tremendous success of his adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess, acclaimed director Alfonso Cuarón tackled one of Charles Dickens's most famous novels, Americanizing and modernizing the setting and trimming most of the subplots. The coastal marshes of Kent become the bayous of the Gulf Coast, and early 19th century London becomes late 20th century New York City. The childhood story, told over the first half-hour, is captivating -- a Southern gothic fairy tale with all of the sharp edges and danger intact, anchored by a rivetingly grotesque turn by Anne Bancroft as the very Havisham-esque Nora Dinsmoor. Once the plot jumps forward, however, the movie starts to stumble. The first mistake is trying to pass off Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow -- both then closer to thirty than twenty -- as teenagers. And then, as the movie shifts gears again, contemporary New York City takes the movie to a far more undercooked, pedestrian place.

The supporting cast -- which aside from Bancroft includes Robert DeNiro as the convict and Chris Cooper as kindhearted Joe -- is pretty excellent. For most of the movie, Gwyneth Paltrow exactly captures how I'd always pictured Estella, better than the other adaptations I've seen, both the weaponized femininity and the scarred humanity that drives it.

The fatal flaw is Ethan Hawke's protagonist. Hawke is only so-so in the role, far from his best performance, and his ascent as an up and coming artist in New York City's art scene feels perfunctory at best. The ongoing voiceover narration detracts, rather than adds, as well.

But it's a beautifully shot movie and that first act really is magical.

 

[Keith Cobby]

The Road - second viewing (will probably leave it for a decade before watching it again). Great film, wonderful performances, it inevitably won nothing. Currently reading the book.

 

[DFurr]

Tonight streaming The Night Watchman, Prime.

 

[Keith Cobby]

Today I watched 'Old', unusual but well made film. But like many contemporary films, I doubt I would need to see it again.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Firestarter (2022)
Originally Released: 05/13/2022
Watched: 05/21/2022
In theaters: 2:30 PM matinee on Screen 7 at Regal Crossgates & IMAX

Recommended?

Why Not? It's not really that it's a badly made movie so much as it is a mechanical and unengaging one. Pretty much every divergence from the source material is for the worse. It can't decide whether Charlie is a victim to empathize with or a menace to guard against. It can't decide whether Rainbird is a good guy or bad guy either. All of the humanity and context is stripped out of the story, so that all we're left with is a girl setting things on fire with her mind. The idea of Charlie as a person, with agency and the ability to strategize and choose her future, is completely lost in the shuffle.

* * *​

George Carlin's American Dream (Part 1)
Originally Released: 05/20/2021
Watched: 05/21/2022
1080P HD digital streaming on HBO Max via Roku 3

Recommended?

Why? Judd Apatow's incredible new two-part documentary about George Carlin charts the evolution of his comedy against the times in which he lived and the ups and downs of his life with his family. I just watched Part 1 tonight, which was feature-length in and of itself, and charted Carlin from his birth through the late-seventies nadir in his career following the ebbing of the counterculture movement. It celebrates his genius without downplaying his flaws, including his very tumultuous decades-long first marriage. And it's less interested in the big moments of his career than how those big moments reflecting his ever-evolving sense of self and of comedy: the type of comedian he thought he should be, and the kind of material he wanted to share. It reminded me how much I've enjoyed Carlin's work over the years, and provided insights into areas of his life that I knew nothing about. The documentary includes talking head interviews with Carlin's family and friends as well as some of the greatest stand-up comedians of the past half-century. But most of the documentary's power comes from the propulsive assembly of archival footage and audio so that it feels at times like Carlin is narrating his own life's story from beyond the grave.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Navalny (2022)

I viewed the CNN Films documentary on Alexei Navalny earlier today. It was a pretty gripping film documenting the subject of the film and his family. We see footage from political events, footage prior to the attempt on his life, his recovery, the investigation into his poisoning, and eventual return to Russia in January of 2021.

It paints a pretty interesting portrait of Navalny and we see detailed footage of the investigation into the attempt on his life, which might be the most compelling aspect of the film. There are some genuinely funny moments in the film, including a segment dealing with a Russian official from whom you should never take password advice.

Navalny is a pretty charismatic individual and I can see why he has struck a nerve with some in his country. In some ways it was kind of strange viewing the film in light of the current situation in Ukraine.

Definitely recommended.

- Walter.

 

[Dave Moritz]

May 21st, 2022

Star Trek: Discovery S1/E14 The War Without, The War Within


John Wick
4K Blu-ray / HDR
Dolby Atmos 7.2.4

May 22nd, 2022 Sunday

The Marksman
HD Digital upconverted to 4K
Dolby 5.1 upmixed to Auro 7.2

 

[Keith Cobby]

Five Day Lover (1961) - an almost unrecognisable Jean Seberg (much more attractive with longer hair). Lovely soundtrack and main theme.

The Dambusters (1955) - probably my second favourite British WW2 film after Went the Day Well.

 

[Thomas T]

 

[bujaki]

View attachment 139699

Mi piace moltissimo la versione italiana di questo film.

 

[Dave Moritz]

May 24th, 2022 Tuesday

Doctor Strange
4K Blu-ray / HDR
Dolby Atmos 7.2.4

 

[Thomas T]

Mi piace moltissimo la versione italiana di questo film.

In che modo quella versione è diversa dalla versione francese?

 

[bujaki]

In che modo quella versione è diversa dalla versione francese?

Scherzavo. I was just referencing your choice of the Italian poster.

 

[Keith Cobby]

A Night to Remember (1958) - I prefer this to Titanic (which I enjoyed on release but haven't seen since), the b&w cinematography shows the cold. On a similar theme, The Last Voyage (1960) needs an upgrade to blu ray.