What DVD have you just watched?

Posted by: u5227470736789439 on 27 November 2005

Just about to watch the secong half of 'The Odessa File.'

All the best from Fredrik
Posted on: 02 August 2018 by Drikus

Only seen Season 1 so far, outstanding show but picture quality sucks for a blu-ray.

Posted on: 06 August 2018 by Haim Ronen

"Inequality, injustice and the demands of the world we live in cause stress and depression for many people. Some of them, however, explode. This is a movie about those people. Vulnerable in the face of a reality that shifts and suddenly turns unpredictable, the characters of Wild Tales cross the thin line that divides civilization and barbarism. A lover's betrayal, a return to the repressed past and the violence woven into everyday encounters drive the characters to madness as they cede to the undeniable pleasure of losing control."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIT-nVKBLOo

Posted on: 08 August 2018 by Jeff Anderson

"All The Money In The World" (2017) Pretty much displays the historical, current and probable future state of the world as I have observed it.  

Posted on: 10 August 2018 by Yetizone

Wind River: Netflix. 

A meditative slow burn of a movie. Atmospheric, mournful, unpredictable and eerily uncomfortable. I thought this tight, low budget movie utterly compelling. Hard going in places but worth the commitment. Missed on initial cinema release, but I’m very glad I caught up with it via streaming. Highly recommended.

Posted on: 14 August 2018 by Jeff Anderson

"Dunkirk"  (2017)  The human race is certainly (often) a cruel species.  The DVD is amazing visually and sparse on dialogue, which is probably consistent with the realities of war.

Posted on: 14 August 2018 by Happy Listener

Over 4 evenings I have viewed my Band of Brothers box-set, which I last played c.2005 - and am very glad I did. Epic on so many levels. I recollected the outline but not the detail of 'Easy' Company's journey. 

Amazing to think this is now >17 years-old and filmed largely in the UK. IIRC, each of the 10 parts (perhaps 11) was given separate film status by HMRC, which gave rise to meaningful tax benefits. The latter wouldn't have been so generous were it to be treated as a single series. Given the enormous budget, a fair call.

Posted on: 14 August 2018 by thebigfredc
Yetizone posted:

Wind River: Netflix. 

A meditative slow burn of a movie. Atmospheric, mournful, unpredictable and eerily uncomfortable. I thought this tight, low budget movie utterly compelling. Hard going in places but worth the commitment. Missed on initial cinema release, but I’m very glad I caught up with it via streaming. Highly recommended.

We were fortunate enough to catch this at the cinema. The snow scenes on the reservation were terrific. My favourite film of 2017 by a country mile.

Posted on: 15 August 2018 by Mr Underhill

Yes, Wind River is a film that lives on in the mind long after you watch it.

Posted on: 15 August 2018 by MDS
Mr Underhill posted:

Yes, Wind River is a film that lives on in the mind long after you watch it.

You've piqued my interest, Mr U. 

Posted on: 15 August 2018 by MDS

Bought this some weeks back and have just got around to watching it.  Lots of familiar actors among the cast. Can't say much without spoiling the plot for others.  What I can say is I enjoyed it and can recommend it.

Posted on: 15 August 2018 by Haim Ronen
Mr Underhill posted:

Yes, Wind River is a film that lives on in the mind long after you watch it.

They kind of ruined it for me by having so many people killed.

Posted on: 22 August 2018 by MDS

A while since I've watched this.  The score and opening scene is still in my view one of the most impressive I've ever seen in a movie.

Posted on: 22 August 2018 by ewemon
MDS posted:

A while since I've watched this.  The score and opening scene is still in my view one of the most impressive I've ever seen in a movie.

The son of a member of my staff worked on the production of the movie.

Brilliant movie.

Posted on: 23 August 2018 by kevin J Carden

We moved home last week into a ‘project’ doerupper. No internet, no working landline, almost no mobile signal. Knee deep in boxes, I managed to hook up a small TV with a DVD player and raided a box of old DVD’s that had lain unopened for over 10 years in the attic of our former home. Terrible picture quality, but still hugely enjoyed rediscovering the charms of this gem of a movie. 100% pure gold entertainment.

Posted on: 23 August 2018 by Alley Cat

Utter perfection - visually, morally, pure enjoyment.

CGI peaked with this movie, I don't honestly think anything has come close since.

Posted on: 25 August 2018 by MDS

Watched this again last night, prompted by Tabby Cat posting about the sound-track earlier.  I'm always impressed by the rich dialogue and the skilful weaving together of initially unconnected mini-stories. A classic. 

Posted on: 25 August 2018 by Tabby cat

Nice one Mike,

It's great as you say so many memorable scenes......daddy's watch !......pretty far from ok !

My Dad loves it too and he's 91 and in a nursing home and funny enough when we went out to eat last week he said he was going to watch it when he returns to his room on Netflix.

Don't know about the football schedule today,but if your Pompey are playing hope they do well.

Cheers Ian

Posted on: 25 August 2018 by MDS
Tabby cat posted:

Nice one Mike,

It's great as you say so many memorable scenes......daddy's watch !......pretty far from ok !

My Dad loves it too and he's 91 and in a nursing home and funny enough when we went out to eat last week he said he was going to watch it when he returns to his room on Netflix.

Don't know about the football schedule today,but if your Pompey are playing hope they do well.

Cheers Ian

Thanks, Ian. My lot are away to Doncaster, which will be tough. I see your lot will be spanking Wolves today. Still enjoying that "all or Nothing' documentary on Amazon. You must get to see it.

Mike 

Posted on: 25 August 2018 by Tabby cat

I did save the first episode on my You tube account as someone posted it there.But they take stuff down quite quickly due to copyright infringement so hopefully it will be still there later.Yeah Can't see Wolves getting anything today with City.Tough one for Brighton away at Liverpool at 5.30 pm.Looking forward to Match of the day tonight....hopefully a City goal fest  

Posted on: 25 August 2018 by dave marshall
MDS posted:

Watched this again last night, prompted by Tabby Cat posting about the sound-track earlier.  I'm always impressed by the rich dialogue and the skilful weaving together of initially unconnected mini-stories. A classic. 

Reminds me of when, years ago, working in the Middle East, I bought a dodgy VHS rip-off copy of this.

The person at the copying facility must have checked his work, and confused by the "unconnected mini-stories", had re-edited the whole thing to join each of them together in sequence, resulting in a movie far removed from Mr. Tarantino's intentions!  

Posted on: 08 September 2018 by Richard Dane

Deliverance: 

Hearing the news of Burt Reynolds' death, I did a quick mental roundup of his films, and thought I'd dig out a few to view in the next few days or weeks.  Top of the list was Deliverance, a film I have seen many times, have owned on VHS twice (Standard and then the widescreen version), on DVD, and also had bought on Blu-ray.  The Blu-ray I realised was still wrapped in its cellophane, so what better excuse than to crack it open and toast Burt with a glass of wine while I watched the film.

The film itself is both engrossing yet unsettling - and that pivotal scene, still as shocking as ever. They're in the great outdoors, miles from civilisation, and yet the atmosphere is one of claustrophobia. Throughout the film you can detect elements so successfully utilised by John Boorman here, that he repeated them in later films such as Excalibur. Of course, I'm not sure whether the Georgia Tourist Board (if such a thing exists) have ever forgiven him for making the film.  I'd imagine ever since Deliverance, most people would cross camping or canoeing  in Georgia off their holiday wish list. The most remarkable thing about the film is that in spite of its age, it seems quite timeless - a sure fire sign of a true classic.

As for the Blu-ray, well thank fully it hasn't been cropped so retains its widescreen 2.40:1 aspect ratio. However the picture itself does not seem like such a big step up from the previous DVD.  There's a fair bit of print damage and colour instability in the first few minutes, which improves, but still has a greenish tint to the picture.  There's a softness to the picture too that may have been there all along - Boorman uses the effect of depth of field a lot and so often you find whole scenes where most of it is out of focus.  And some of the night time effects were pretty poor - Blu-ray only makes them more noticeable.  However, none of that really matters because you get the feeling its about as good as it gets (and it is otherwise very good and with no nasty compression artefacts neither), and you have to keep reminding yourself that this is a 45 year old film, not one made recently. So to sum up, one of the great classic films of our time, and the Blu-ray, while not perfect, is likely the best we will see it.  

Rest in peace Burt.

Posted on: 08 September 2018 by Jeff Anderson

"Beaufort"  (2007)  movie of the book of the same name.  My thanks to Haim for recommending  the books "Beaufort" (fiction) and "Pumpkin Flowers" (non-fiction).  Powerful movie, I was glad I had read the book before watching.

Haim, I have filled my meager brain with quite a lot of information about unfamiliar places and unfamiliar events with tons of information and references in a fairly short period of time.  As I contemplate these readings and the movie, I am left wandering if I am making connections that are appropriate and accurate.  Can you confirm for me that both of these books are about the same conflict at the same location ?  Sorry if that is a stupid question.  I am currently under the impression the answer is "yes".  If not the same, I will pick-up the differences when I reread Pumpkin Flowers fairly soon.

Posted on: 08 September 2018 by Haim Ronen

Jeff, both books are about the same conflict, taking place toward the end of occupation of  southern Lebanon in 2000 (which started with the war in 1982).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Lebanon_War

Posted on: 08 September 2018 by Jeff Anderson
Haim Ronen posted:

Jeff, both books are about the same conflict, taking place toward the end of occupation of  southern Lebanon in 2000 (which started with the war in 1982).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Lebanon_War

What I watched in the movie is a (at least a partial) visualization of what you and Matti experienced during your active duty period there ?  Correct ?    That is all I want to ask right now. I am just trying to integrate the fiction with the non-fiction.    Seems like essentially it is all very, very real and the movie took that experience for me as a reader/viewer from my head to my heart.  Beyond that at this point, I am quite speechless.  My respect, sir.

Posted on: 09 September 2018 by rackkit
Richard Dane posted:

Deliverance: 

Hearing the news of Burt Reynolds' death, I did a quick mental roundup of his films, and thought I'd dig out a few to view in the next few days or weeks.  Top of the list was Deliverance, a film I have seen many times, have owned on VHS twice (Standard and then the widescreen version), on DVD, and also had bought on Blu-ray.  The Blu-ray I realised was still wrapped in its cellophane, so what better excuse than to crack it open and toast Burt with a glass of wine while I watched the film.

The film itself is both engrossing yet unsettling - and that pivotal scene, still as shocking as ever. They're in the great outdoors, miles from civilisation, and yet the atmosphere is one of claustrophobia. Throughout the film you can detect elements so successfully utilised by John Boorman here, that he repeated them in later films such as Excalibur. Of course, I'm not sure whether the Georgia Tourist Board (if such a thing exists) have ever forgiven him for making the film.  I'd imagine ever since Deliverance, most people would cross camping or canoeing  in Georgia off their holiday wish list. The most remarkable thing about the film is that in spite of its age, it seems quite timeless - a sure fire sign of a true classic.

As for the Blu-ray, well thank fully it hasn't been cropped so retains its widescreen 2.40:1 aspect ratio. However the picture itself does not seem like such a big step up from the previous DVD.  There's a fair bit of print damage and colour instability in the first few minutes, which improves, but still has a greenish tint to the picture.  There's a softness to the picture too that may have been there all along - Boorman uses the effect of depth of field a lot and so often you find whole scenes where most of it is out of focus.  And some of the night time effects were pretty poor - Blu-ray only makes them more noticeable.  However, none of that really matters because you get the feeling its about as good as it gets (and it is otherwise very good and with no nasty compression artefacts neither), and you have to keep reminding yourself that this is a 45 year old film, not one made recently. So to sum up, one of the great classic films of our time, and the Blu-ray, while not perfect, is likely the best we will see it.  

Rest in peace Burt.

Great review Richard.

Yes, a very unsettling film i've not seen for a long time. Hopefully it'll be shown with on tv soon.

 

RIP Burt Reynolds.