What DVD have you just watched?
Posted by: u5227470736789439 on 27 November 2005
All the best from Fredrik
We watched this last night. A good bit of straight up action fun!
Enjoyed another older last night. This must have been one of Richard Burton's early films. Unlike some other contemporary war films this one doesn't have that English-class flavour. Impressed by James Mason's German and I appreciated that the German soldiers spoke in German and without English sub-titles.
The true story of a Jewish British Baroness who fell in love with the musical genius Thelonious Monk.
Helen Mirren is the voice of the Jazz Baroness and Sonny Rollins, TS Monk Junior, The Duchess of Devonshire, Quincy Jones, Lord Rothschild, Roy Haynes, Chico Hamilton help recreate her story. The documentary uses private family papers, rare archive, original recordings and location filming to evocatively recreate the extraordinary life and times of the Jazz Baroness.
Well worth a watch Jazz fan or not.
Graham.
Haim Ronen posted:
Eighteenth-century Armenian poet Sayat Nova parlayed his influence as a performer in Heraclius II's court to foster peace between Russia and its neighbors. This biopic follows his life from humble carpet weaver to archbishop to national treasure.
What did you think of it Haim? Paradjanov is one of my favourite film-makers, and this is his masterpiece. Certainly one of the most beautiful/poetic pictures I've ever seen. One of the greatest movies ever made, IMO.
If you enjoyed it, you should also check out Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, Ashik Kerib and Legend of the Surami Fortress.
The Martian.
A quality production all around. Great acting by Matt Damon. The costumes, sets and CGI were very convincing throughout - nothing cheap or cheesy looking. The Martian landscapes were impressive (if not a bit too genteel). You know where the film is heading all along, but it's still an enjoyable journey. Maybe a bit like a fictional take on "Apollo 13".
A very good film. The young actress who plays his daughter is a future star - a real scene stealer! Could have been perfect if it had gone for a Million Dollar Baby type ending though.
I forgot I had seen this when it first came out and it was great to watch it again after all these years. The graphics are very crude by today's standard but still great fun. Hallucinogenic enhancements are optional.
joerand posted:
A quality production all around. Great acting by Matt Damon. The costumes, sets and CGI were very convincing throughout - nothing cheap or cheesy looking. The Martian landscapes were impressive (if not a bit too genteel). You know where the film is heading all along, but it's still an enjoyable journey. Maybe a bit like a fictional take on "Apollo 13".
One of my fave films in recent years, good, if predictable, story line, excellent characters and Matt Damon nails it. Really enjoyable and I believe that they had nasa advisors through-out for the tech effects
Over the weekend we watched 99 Homes on DVD, courtesy of Lovefilm. Although there are some distressing scenes, I really enjoyed this one, particularly the powerful performance by Michael Shannon who plays ruthless real estate agent Rick Carver. This one will keep you thinking long after the final credits have rolled. However, even if I only learned one thing from this film it's just how much Florida has changed since my youth. Highly recommended.
For a love story that's just a bit different (OK, completely different), how about a romantic evening watching The Lobster?
Definitely a little bit odd, this one promised much, yet somehow ended up rather flat. There's a horrible scene that I won't repeat, but which so shocked me and repulsed me, not even Colin Farrell's stupendous 'tache could quite bring me back on side. Worth a watch, but hard to recommend fully.
Kevin-W posted:Haim Ronen posted:
Eighteenth-century Armenian poet Sayat Nova parlayed his influence as a performer in Heraclius II's court to foster peace between Russia and its neighbors. This biopic follows his life from humble carpet weaver to archbishop to national treasure.
What did you think of it Haim? Paradjanov is one of my favourite film-makers, and this is his masterpiece. Certainly one of the most beautiful/poetic pictures I've ever seen. One of the greatest movies ever made, IMO.
If you enjoyed it, you should also check out Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, Ashik Kerib and Legend of the Surami Fortress.
Kevin,
I liked it but I feel that I missed some of the symbolism because I am not familiar with Sayat Nova's poetry. I should have probably read some of his work and then watch the film again. Thanks for the recommendations.
Oscar nominated film by Jean Bach. The "great day" celebrated was the assembling of 57 renowned jazz musicians for a group photograph in front of one of Harlem's brownstones on 126th St. on an August morning, 1958. It was the first Esquire photography assignment for freelance art director Art Kane and the photo appeared as a double-page spread in the magazine - it has become one of the most iconic photographs in jazz history.
The film itself only runs for about an hour; interviews, stills, some 8mm. footage shot on the day and clips from "the Sound of Jazz" TV shows are cleverly edited to tell the story of the event and give some background to the people involved.
This is a slice of jazz history, it is not primarily a music disc - music pervades it throughout but it is heavy on talk - informative and entertaining nonetheless.
Incidentally I have copy of this photograph framed on my dining room wall and have the pleasure of viewing it everyday..
Rewatched this last night, prompted by Haim's post above. Beautiful.
Documentary about Chicago floor future traders dealing with the competition of computer trading.
I'm currently reading Jonathan Dimbleby's recent book, The Battle Of The Atlantic, so on this windy, grey afternoon, having walked the dogs, I broke open the cellophane on the Blu-ray release of Panzerschiff Graf Spee that i bought from Germany last year. Of course, the film is better known to most of us by the title The Battle of The River Plate. I had last seen this on TV many years ago and had read an online review particularly praising the quality of the transfer to Blu-Ray. Well, I had to admit the transfer was really good, with good colours, very little apparent damage and no signs of compression. It's probably never looked better, although the detail was so good in parts that most of the set fakery was clear to see, but it didn't detract. So long as you can get over the fact that the Graf Spee in the film was in fact the very different looking USS Salem, and that the very familiar backdrop of Valetta's Grand Harbour was used to portray Montevideo, then it's still a great watch.
Great Soundtrack by Eddie Vedder
Blueknowz posted:
Great Soundtrack by Eddie Vedder
That DVD is very good, the book, Krakauer's first, is even better. His succeeding book "Into Thin Air" is outstanding. Have yet to see the movie though.
Richard Dane posted:I'm currently reading Jonathan Dimbleby's recent book, The Battle Of The Atlantic, so on this windy, grey afternoon, having walked the dogs, I broke open the cellophane on the Blu-ray release of Panzerschiff Graf Spee that i bought from Germany last year. Of course, the film is better known to most of us by the title The Battle of The River Plate. I had last seen this on TV many years ago and had read an online review particularly praising the quality of the transfer to Blu-Ray. Well, I had to admit the transfer was really good, with good colours, very little apparent damage and no signs of compression. It's probably never looked better, although the detail was so good in parts that most of the set fakery was clear to see, but it didn't detract. So long as you can get over the fact that the Graf Spee in the film was in fact the very different looking USS Salem, and that the very familiar backdrop of Valetta's Grand Harbour was used to portray Montevideo, then it's still a great watch.
It is perhaps more than forty years since watching this in black and white on a Sunday afternoon on the BBC.
I was prompted to go and seek out the DVD as the result of Richard’s post. Till now I had never seen it, and I like shopping for DVDs at HMV, where you can be remionded of something from the long distant past! When shopping online it seems to me that you have to know exactly what you are aiming for, so there is element of reminding myself of a great and semi-forgotten film from the TV all those years ago!
Just about to press the play icon!
Best wishes from George