What DVD have you just watched?

A Canterbury Tale.

Parts are dreadfully poorly transferred but this in no way reduces the pleasure of the film.

Dated but even more charming than I had remembered.

I had really looked forward to a "cinematic" experience with many favourite B&W films - it seems this will not be. They are still wonderful but I cannot believe they would ever have been released in the state they have put onto DVD.

Sadly old film stock, like analogue gramophone recording master tape, deteriorates, and what may be left is a sad reflection of its former glory.

DVD rescues may be the best we can hope for in some cases.

I love the great old B & W films, though probably not so high-brow as you!

Goodnight, G

quote:

Originally posted by Adam Meredith:
A Canterbury Tale.

Just watched "One of Our Aircraft is Missing" - for the first time. Yet another brilliantly human Powell & Pressburger film - this time with a decent transfer.

David Lean was Film Editor - whatever happened to him?

Next - the long avoided (because of Black Narcissus?) Red Shoes - highly recommended by a film producer friend despite my doubts.

quote:

Originally posted by Adam Meredith:
Finally watched Mulholland Drive.

I wish someone had warned me what a pile of rubbish it is.

Adam, you are right about everything - except this!

watching l'avventura by antonioni, recently released on dvd for the 1st time, pure and haunting cinematic pleasure.
Next up is Hotel Harabati with laurent lucas, who was brilliant in Lemming, remains to be seen if this film compares.
And I thoroughly enjoyed Mulholland Drive

mat

quote:

Originally posted by droodzilla:
Adam, you are right about everything - except this!

I suspect you are entirely right - apart from about Mulholland Drive.

quote:

Originally posted by mjamrob:
watching l'avventura by antonioni, recently released on dvd for the 1st time, pure and haunting cinematic pleasure.
Next up is Hotel Harabati with laurent lucas, who was brilliant in Lemming, remains to be seen if this film compares.
And I thoroughly enjoyed Mulholland Drive

mat

I saw L'Avventura at the BFI a few years ago. Disorientating, arguably pretentious and overlong, but, ambitious, and as you say, quite haunting. Years later, the many "plot" details are forgotten, but the mood it evoked remains vivid.

quote:

I saw L'Avventura at the BFI a few years ago. Disorientating, arguably pretentious and overlong, but, ambitious, and as you say, quite haunting. Years later, the many "plot" details are forgotten, but the mood it evoked remains vivid.

Hi droodzilla, that sums up my own experience very well, it is what lingers powerfully in the mind, long after actually viewing this film, that marks it out, and yes the plot is almost redundant.

regards,

mat

Scooby Doo
Madagascar
Cars
Sharks Tale
Asterix vs Ceasar

School Holidays and a new projector makes film the preferred medium - until I can spin a record...

the bucket list.........very disappointing.
the whicker man........weird ?

Adam,

Can I take it you've bought one of the Powell & Pressburger box sets!

The Canterbury Tales was not what I had been expecting, and I found it very moving.

Have you watched The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp yet? I was leant it by a friend a year or so ago - brilliant.

M

Atonement

I hired it, and then almost didn't watch it - but my eldest daughter did, and some of her comments spurred me on to watch it. Not one I'll buy but I think it is worth the effort of watching once.

M

Vantage Point.
Very interesting way to direct and shoot a movie. Fun and exciting thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. However, if you are looking for depth look elsewhere. I still think it was great to watch.

A great Norwegian black comedy/farce ; the main message appears to be our dissociation from our emotions and senses in this modern dog-eat-dog world of McSalad shakers et al! Great acting from the main male lead and some very funny moments such as when he tells his wife he is leaving her. But I won't spoil it for you ; go watch and enjoy

Steeve

Hal Hartley... Trust.

Very good. It was the only Hartley film I had yet to see.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr Underhill:
Can I take it you've bought one of the Powell & Pressburger box sets!

No - already had Blimp, Life & Death and I know where I'm. I was just catching up on One of Our Aircraft and had never seen Red Shoes.

All are very good - River Plate is not bad. Looking for a copy of Small Back Room and re-tempted by (?) 49th Parallel.

I'm not sure that there exists a better team and their actors are wonderful - lead roles and bit parts.

Not for everyone but ...

Superhero Movie

Funny brainless comedy. Good to watch on a weekend when u wanna turn your brain off

It's a Dutch film with the dialogue split between Dutch, German and English. It takes place in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam in 1944 and follows the life of a Dutch Jewish woman, Rachael Stein (who changes her name to Ellen de Vries for obvious reasons) who ends up working for the Dutch resistance. One of her tasks is to befriend a German officer and plant a bug in his office. Despite her dedication to the resistance, she grows fond of the German officer who is sentenced to death by his own commander. I liked it a lot and it's certainly a compelling watch. It's a very humanist take on the situation ; the most interesting thing for me was the way it was shown how pervasive the views of any ruling class can be on a society - especially the racism shown by some of the Dutch resistance towards Rachael/Ellis when they suspect, incorrectly, that she has betrayed them.

From a personal point of view it was also great to hear all those Dutch 'g' 's again as well!!

Steeve

Superbad

Title says it ALL.

I suppose if you think 40yr Virgin was a good film you'll probably enjoy this.

I'm going to put on National Lampoons Animal House now, I need to watch something that is off the wall AND funny.

M

- Popcorn

Rather funny and cleverly thought out comedy, all of it taking place inside a cinema. And lovely Jodi Albert is in it!

JohanR

Shoot Em Up

Oh Dear.

Well this is really one of the nastiest pieces of film I have watched this year - it really has no redeeming features.

The action is cartoon - in the extreme, no reality at all.

I felt no tension for any character - or any empathy with any of them. I feel genuinely sorry for the writers if they feel that the world they live in bears any similarity with what is on the screen.

This is really poisonous nonsense. The nearest thing it has to subtlety is protagonist A shooting protagonist B such that the nervous reflex shoots protagonist C.

Clive Owen delivers his standard wooden performance. Reminds me of a comic I read in my teens when they had published the same photograph of Charles Bronson 20 times, with different emotions printed under each photo.

AVOID AVOID AVOID.

quote:

Reminds me of a comic I read in my teens when they had published the same photograph of Charles Bronson 20 times, with different emotions printed under each photo.

I remember that but now you've got me racking my brains for the name of the comic - damn you!

We are working our way through "24 Series1" as my partner hasn't seen it. I had forgotten what a cracking start the whole thing had!

Eastern Promises

I am not a great Cronenberg fan - I enjoy parts of what he produces, normally. This film is by far my favourite Cronenberg film.

I have read people refering to 'The Dark Knight' as an adult film, to me it is a kidult film, this is an adult film. Violence is graphically presented, and some of the consequences.

This is the best film I have watched this year, and the first Cronenberg film I have watched that I feel really works on every level.

M

Die Hard 4.0

Greaaaaaaat movie. Very very very entertaining. Completely lacks substance but it is very enjoyable to watch. The action scenes are extremely extremely exaggerated but never get u to say "give me a break!!" cause they are well excecuted. The plot is energetic and you are kept at the edge of your seat for the whole movie. Recommended!

Regards...