What DVD have you just watched?

I see that someone might have been enjoying Mark Bros films - excellent - ditto Maltese Falcon/piles of great old mono movies which I seem to have on videotape.

My oldest DVD is now 5 years old, and I hope that the digital media lasts (at least) as long as the old tapes.

steveinxs,

Blood Simple.....agreed, even though Fargo is also very good.

Martin

quote:

Originally posted by Hammerhead:
Layer Cake. It's such a cool film. I can see Daniel Craig being a great Bond based on his performance in this. Michael Gambon brilliant as ever.

Yet to unwrap 'Lost in Translation' and 'War of the Worlds'.

Have to agree. Layer Cake is a superb film. A bit like the Usual Suspects in that you have to concentrate on what's going on.

Also , check out 'The Way of the Gun'. Another cracking film by the director of the aforementioned Usual Suspects.

Italian Job 2005 ...darned good and showcase the BMW red,white and blue mini's and Charlize Theron rather well.

Italian Job 1969 ... a classic re-release with awesome audio and video production that I have been looking out for about 20 years now. Showcases classic red,white and blue mini's of the kind that JV tuned and raced...and Michael Caine.

War of the Worlds '53 ... with full glory 3-strip technicolor and features that I want to watch again. A Sci-Fi classic for the ages and includes the infamous Orson Welles Radio show...

Battle of Britain '69 ... awesome movie, cast, true story, sound, video, added features...showcases the spitfire and Michael Caine again.

Pink Floyd concert in Pompeii

Starry night DVD that came with the telescope I bought for one of my daughters...and an eyeful of Mars! (my first random pick in the nights sky on our first starry night here in Chicago since xmas) and the moon in all it's glory.

...and I was going to pickup layer cake as I have rented it before.

also can recommend:

Cinderella man
Garden State ...music and the whole enchilada
Poltergeist re-release!
Close Encounters of the 3rd kind - Bloody awesome sound when the aliens communicate using the universal language of music.

Star Wars Episode III on Saturday night. I hadn't bothered going to the movies to watch it and I had to have the DVD just to complete the set (sad I know). Not a bad movie if you forgive the crap acting. Fabulous DVD, very well put together.

Had real fun playing it through a Sim C3X (yes, the £12000 jobbie) onto an 8 foot screen with sound by a full Arcam FMJ and M&K speaker system. Of course, the best system in the world won't get around the poor acting, but it certainly helped.

Poor old Windu...

Quite enjoyed Layer Cake too. Sienna Miller certainly makes it easier on the eye!

Just watched The Island. A poor copy of Logan's Run but passably entertaining, I suppose.

Inspector Morse 33 Episodes/DVDS &£69 from amazon.co.uk were surprisingly excellent watched over 5 days.

Having started off at beginning of 1987 Episode 1 with Rega RB300 on (?Logic? DM101 deck?- Episode about 'Richards Research Audio') he tended to favour cassettes (car use) before eventually in final 33rd 2000 episode showing us for the first time a CD - he had in between seemed to have JVC system then Yamaha stack.

Stereo sound on DVDs commenced in 23rd Episode/DVD. I won't mention the women/alcohol, although he favoured Wagner and thought Vivaldi is just for enjoyment. The sound/picture-quality/presentation of the DVDs is IMO fine/excellent apart from in the final 33rd Episode comical consultant surgeon badly miming church solo to a Faure Requiem piece.

... 'Richards Research' record deck in 1987 Inspector Morse DVD 01 'Jericho...' looks like a Heybrook with RB300 arm ...

Just finished Episode 25 of Lost. Awaiting delivery os 1-5 of season 2.

Howard

Great story so I watched Layer Cake again after reading here that it was 24-bit clean up to the D-D transfer. The very boring transfer (UK, ex-rental). And what is it with Daniel Craig that he showers in every film? Does nothing for me.

Kingdom of Heaven was good. This could have something to do with it. I recall Runaway Jury sounding great so it looks like Underworld 2 could have been in safe hands (#1 was absolutely the bomb!).

C

Monty Python & the Holy Grail. Can't wait till tomorrow when it's the turn of The Time Bandits.
Even the teenage daughters 'got it'.

Just had Batman Begins on. I really enjoyed it. It's in a much darker place than the previous offerings. More in line with the early DC comics I think.

Howard

Don't laugh - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - got it dirt cheap in a sale and was blown away by the awesome remastered picture quality.

Still can't get over it being written by Ian Flemming...

Next up - Fifth element (from same sale )

IMO 'Fifth Element' nice DVD. Plenty of nice DVDs around at good price if people look/wait ...

I don't think that I'll be repurchasing my DVD titles in newer whizzier-bang formats if they are re-marketed though ...

All 3 Lord of the Rings extended versions - much better than the cinema versions. Much as I am in awe of the work involved to produce these films I much prefer the book by a long way. The excellent score is worth buying on it's own.

'The house of flying daggers' - quite possibly the most visually stunning and achingly beautiful film to watch ever.

'The Battle of Britain'Restored version - worth the buying price for the five minute William Walton 'dogfight' scene alone - arguably one of the best pieces of film music ever written.

Dear Erik,

The story of how Walton only wrote 'The Fugue In The Air' and not the rest of score I have never really grasped. It is a fantastic bit of music within the context and in concert.

Do you know 'The First Of The Few' about RJ Mitchell and the Spitfire. Walton provide an absolutely splendid score for that as well. Leslie Howard and Divid Niven star and the film was supported by Churchill.

I think there is much more great music in film scores than probably is found in the modern art music in the concert hall nowadays, and a really fine score is often the making of a film. Olivier even said so of his own film of Henry V to Walton who provided another splendid score. In that case some scenes were re-cut to fit the music as Olivier did not want the muisc spoiled! Not all the great actors were beyond seeing the value in others' efforts!

All the best from Fredrik

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Dear Erik,

The story of how Walton only wrote 'The Fugue In The Air' and not the rest of score I have never really grasped. It is a fantastic bit of music within the context and in concert.

Do you know 'The Firts Of The Few' about RJ Mitchell and the Spitfire. walton provide an absolutely splendid score for that as well. Leslie Howard and Divid Niven stare and the film was supported by Churchill.

I think there is much more great music in film scores than probably is found in the modern art music in the concert hall nowadays, and a really fine score is often the making of a film. Olivier even said so of his own film of Henry V to Walton who provided another splensis score. In that case some scenes were re-cut to fit the music as Olivier did not want the muisc spoiled! Not all the great actors were beyond seeing the value in others' efforts!

All the best from Fredrik

Hi Fredrik,

Hvordan har du det? As I recall Walton was replaced because he was way behind schedule and simply could not be relied upon to get the whole score finished so he was passed over in favour of Goodwin (a worthy composer but up to the standards of Walton I think you would agree. Good news.....the full Walton score is available on the UK version as an alternative score (not on the US version)!!. £7 on amazon.co.uk very well spent.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Dear Erik,



Do you know 'The First Of The Few' about RJ Mitchell and the Spitfire. Walton provide an absolutely splendid score for that as well. Leslie Howard and Divid Niven star and the film was supported by Churchill.

Oh yes, excellent film and excellent score. Agreed. HenryV ditto.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Dear Erik,

The story of how Walton only wrote 'The Fugue In The Air' and not the rest of score I have never really grasped. It is a fantastic bit of music within the context and in concert.

It seems I may have been misinformed or my memory is playing up - I just googled the Walton score rejection and came up with this - http://wwuh.org/program/articles/julaug99/keith1.htm

quote:

Originally posted by erik scothron:

Hi Fredrik,

... Good news.....the full Walton score is available on the UK version as an alternative score (not on the US version)!!. £7 on amazon.co.uk very well spent.

Dear Erik,

I saw the film on first release, and never since, but the Battle in the Air is incredible. actually, being a rather sensitive child I could not watch and I cried a bit, but I never forgot that music only once heard for years until I got a CD of it conducted by Carl Davis. Funnily enough it also brought a tear as I can never really get over what a state this country had found itself in and what was involved in holding the line till things could be brought round.

I don't do amazon (no credit card), but will attempt a hunt in HMV as it must be available.

I knew Walton's score was written and rejected, but never knew the whole story as retold in that link, but certainly that additional music will be perhaps my main reason for getting it.

Thanks for the effort and links, All the best from Fredrik

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by erik scothron:

Funnily enough it also brought a tear as I can never really get over what a state this country had found itself in and what was involved in holding the line till things could be brought round.

A year before WW2 started (and therefore over a year before Churchill was PM)Churchill called together a bunch of like minded inviduals (those who thought war inevitable and who rejected appeasement)and asked them to perform an audit for war - an audit of, if you like, what remained of the Empire. They went away and added up all the gold reserves, money, bonds, you name it that we had at our disposal and reported back to Churchil at another secret meeting (remember Churchil was alone, out in the cold and shunned by virtually all in parliament as a warmongerer). Churchill asked them how long, if we cashed in the family silver so to speak, could we sustain all out total war against Germany - the answer came back...................'six months'.

It seems to me that the winning of the war was not just dependent on a miracle but on a whole string of miracles and that if any one of those miracles had not happened then we would have fallen to Germany. I found it incomprehensible then when a few years back the BBC held the 'Greatest ever Englishman' poll that anyone - anyone other than Churchill should have been voted for (and as for the half-wits who voted for Princess Diana......im still recovering from a severe fuse in the cerebral cortex).

Yours (writing in english and not in German)

Erik

Erik, look at my Thread on what book are you reading! I agree 100% on the issue of Churchill and his forsight... Fredrik

PS, The six volumes are a real struggle, however beautifully written!

"Classic Concerts" Muddy Waters. Wonderful footage of 3 different Muddy gigs, starting with grainy b&w footage from Newport 1960 through to a much later gig in glorious colour. Muddy made what he did seem so effortless. He also attracted excellent supporting players and let them show their chops. Wonderful stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by erik scothron:
'The house of flying daggers' - quite possibly the most visually stunning and achingly beautiful film to watch ever.

Is there an English-dubbed soundtrack on this? I physically can't read subtitles usually, so was glad I was able to hear "Crouching tiger..." on the DVD issue