A couple of weeks ago, I said I wouldn't get the new Shawscope boxset because it cost a lot and I knew I wouldn't watch all the movies. Well, I was so frustrated by the Canada Post strike that I bought it on Amazon (that'll show 'em). Heath Holland from Cereal at Midnight (and ex FTM collaborator) is also partly to blame 😜. So, I got the boxset and it's as glorious as expected. I kinda regret it, but not really, my collector OCD took over. Kung fu is fun.
Also from Arrow, I watched Demolition Man (1993) in 4k, the Pizza Hut cut (aka the International Cut), because why not. I always have a blast watching this and the disc is packed with extras.
Also, I finally got Scarface (1932) Criterion 4k, no thanks to Canada Post (seriously, they suck! I hate them!). I don't care much for the De Palma version because pop culture diluted it so much, but this one is fun. I'm always a sucker for gangster-noir.
I Like Movies (2022): Man, the synopsis on IMDB is very much not what the movie is about. Also, still according to IMDB, it came out in 2022. I guess it hit streaming only this year. Anyway, thank you Adam for pointing out this movie to us, I enjoyed it.
I Am Legend (2007): The 4k disc is extra cheap on amazon, so of course I had to get it, I always enjoyed the movie. Back then Will Smith was not quite the weirdo that he is today, but there were signs, and the quality of his movies was starting to dip. He was still the man though, and I miss that period of his. I mean, dude's alone for more than half the movie, and he's good.
Whenever you have those feelings of regret, Kunider, you can always look at the box and think about the possibility of watching everything in it. Maybe you will actually get around to it.
I have not spent much for discs at all this month. I got a handful things from the MVD sale and a few older releases from Vinegar Syndrome (Angel, Sweet Sugar) during the Black Friday sales. The Mondo Macabro order from October arrived last week, adding five more releases to what I already have for that label.
LOL at the Shawscope! ive resisted so far but know that, as with sets 1 and 2, its just a matter of time before i own it. They do an amazing job with movies that many of us discovered via realllllllllllllly crappy transfers long ago. Its amazing to have them looking/sounding SO good on blu!
The DVR will not be functioning next week, so I got to a few more watches before everything on it is lost. Over close to nine years of use, I recorded hundreds of films onto that machine.
ENNIO on Prime (2024, dir. Giuseppe Tornatore) – From the time I began watching spaghetti westerns thirty years ago to the present, Ennio Morricone’s music has been part of my life. Watching this brought back a lot of memories of my cinematic journey, but it is also a thorough documentary about his life and work. Morricone's life was all about music, and his “instinct”, as someone phrased it, to understand what a movie scene required is unrivaled. To me, he is the greatest film composer. Some of Morricone’s opinions about his scores are surprising, including a general dismissal of the first two films of Dollars trilogy. At 2.5 hours, much of it reading subtitles, Ennio is not a casual watch.
BLOODY MAMA (1970, dir. Roger Corman) – A few years after the success of Bonnie and Clyde came this nihilistic story of Depression-era outlaws. The Barker-Karpis gang was a real thing, but the actual history is quite different from the narrative of Bloody Mama. In the spirit of exploitation, everything is sensationalized, with Ma Barker (Shelley Winters) leading her sons into a violent crime spree. Winters is terrific in the lead role, and one of her sons is a young Robert De Niro. Despite the humor in the film, the violence can get surprisingly dark for the time period.
MULTIPLE MANIACS (1970, dir. John Waters) – It was one last TCM Underground watch this week with this demented low-budget amalgamation of art house, horror, and exploitation from the crazy people of Dreamland Productions, courtesy of Baltimore, Maryland. I can only imagine what audiences back in 1970 thought of this. Besides giant lobster r*pe, there is a stations of the cross sex sequence that was really pushing the surreal, and bad taste, envelope. I believe this was Waters’ first feature length production, and it really sets the stage for the rest of his 1970s output. Multiple Maniacs was likely recorded on the DVR in 2021.
ALPHABET CITY (1984, dir. Amos Poe) – Though this does not work well as a gritty crime drama, it is an enjoyable exercise in style. There is a New Wave soundtrack blasting, neon colors are everywhere, and the fashions scream the early 1980s. The lighting was the most impressive aspect of the film for me; it had to have taken a lot of time to get those shots set up. Vincent Spano is a drug dealer and street hoodlum working for a mobster in downtown Manhattan assigned the task of burning down the apartment building where his family lives. He also has a family of his own, a situation that is pushing him to reconsider his future. Michael Winslow, famous from the Police Academy films, has an amusing supporting role. File under Cars!, Gangsters!, and 80s Action! for Junesploitation.
I hesitate to watch Ennio. While i love his stuff, i'm tired of documentaries like this. 'he grew up there' 'he met his wife' 'he had troubles, but overcame'.
At this point i'll just read the wikipedia page a listen/watch their stuff
While Ennio is like what you describe, there is a lot more emphasis on the musical side of his life. Beyond composing and, later in his life, conducting around the world, there was not a lot that he seemed to do. His youth and early career gets the most attention because it set the stage for his distinct blending of classical and popular musical styles. The tension between his serious classical training and his career trajectory is a big part of the narrative. As a big Morricone fan, I enjoyed the interviews with his long-time musical and cinematic collaborators.
KRAVEN THE HUNTER (2024) I don't know. There's a father/son drama set in the Russian mob that threatens to become interesting, but mostly this was disappointing. The Rhino is a John Romita Sr. creation, and deserves way better than how he's depicted in this.
WICKED PART ONE (2024) It was Thursday afternoon a month after the movie came out, and the theater was packed with people. This would seem to be a bigger sensation than I thought.
THE THIN MAN (1934) I must admit I couldn't follow the plot of this one bit, but I really dug Nick and Nora's breezy chemistry and the overall old-timey detective movie vibes.
DAY OF THE DEAD (1985) George Romero goodness!
BATMAN RETURNS (1992) I love how this is a huge blockbuster that's also all weird and twisted. Devito has the most show-offy part as the penguin, but the Bruce/Selina stuff is the heart of the story to me. And the scene where Michelle Pfieffer trashes her own apartment? Movie magic.
Oddly enough, with thirty years of watching Golden Age Hollywood films, I think I have only seen one of those Thin Man films. In recent years, TCM has shown those around New Year's Eve. If you liked William Powell as a debonair detective, you should check out 1933's The Kennel Murder Case.
Tomie (1998): Part of the j-horror wave of the late 90s, it's not as flashy as Ring or Ju-On, but it's nonetheless good. My friends and I are big fans of the manga creator Junji Ito, who also did Uzumaki. The movie spawned a series of films that don't exist on blu-ray yet and I wish they will release them soon.
Gamera - Guardian of the Universe (1995): Man that was a blast. We were not familiar with Gamera, but I recently got both Arrow boxset for a good price, and I'm always a sucker for a good box. This is written by the Ghost in the Shell co-writer, which we're obviously a fan of. I can't wait to watch the other movies, especially the first one, and dig through the tons of extras contained on the discs.
For some reasons, this week I was on a Liam Neeson kick, so I found most of his action-thriller-b-movie of the last 7-8 years (skipping the boring dramas 😎) and spent my whole day saturday watching a few of them. My sunday will be the same, with the added bonus of not having anything planned sunday night, so that's a couple more I'll be able to watch. They're not masterpieces, but they're easy watch and Neeson is always cool.
I am only familiar with the earlier Gamera films. I always wonder how the character gained the the property of jet propulsion in his shell. (Definitely a case of overthinking the material.)
This evening I watched a film that J.B. wrote about earlier in the year. Tormented (1960), recorded off of TCM recently, is an interesting experience. While the optical effects can make the film seem schlocky, there is a serious story behind everything silly thing. Richard Carlson of many notable B-films plays the tormented lead character, grappling experiences that he is not sure are even real. The little girl portraying the sister of his fiancee was great in her part, interacting with the adult actors in a very believable way. Interestingly, she was the director's daughter.
We are fine. The Franklin Fire proved very destructive. National treasures Dick Van Dyke, Cher, and Barbra Streisand had to be evacuated. Yet another reason to live in Oxnard, NOT Malibu! (I consider Oxnard to be “North Malibu,” but I am the only one who thinks that.)
This movie is incredible!! For me it was one of those "ill get to it some day" that, when i did, just blew me away. Incredible performances by every single character. Phenomenal writing filled with great moments of tension and surprise as the web of deceit and duplicity weaves deeper and deeper. A wonderful cinematic discovery for me.
Bullit (1968 blu)
First..with regards to the #1 reason this movie is talked about: the car chase through san francisco was and remains amazing. Its relatively "simple" in that its a straight forward chase but its execution is great (especially the sound design..i love that each car has a distinctly different engine sound).
Now..as for the movie? wow its terrible. im realllly bummed as id been saving this for a while. Its a cop procedural devoid of: Plot, Story, Investigation, Characters, etc. It just meanders with no real point. Now..before you attack me for trashing a classic...hear me out cuz its about to get interesting......As the credits rolled i was so dissapointed but my love of bonus features sent me looking for more....as it turns out the bluray contains a documentary on Steve McQueen.....
Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool
A surprisingly frank documentary about Steven McQueen both cinematically and personally. Lots of interviews with directors, cast, and family that knew him. Rather than just constant praise, they do discuss him critically as he was a "difficult" person in many ways. Solid small segments on most of his movies. Now...here's the interesting thing...when it got to Bullit there were a lot of people involved..and almost every person interviewed throws shade on the writing! Robert Vaughn, laughing, says he couldnt understand a thing about the script until they threw him lots of money. Another costar said that any time McQueen was given more than a line or two of dialogue, he'd make someone else say it cuz he just wanted to "react". This made me feel better that i wasnt being overly critical..and its a shame as if the movie had more of a story/plot it could have been soooo much better.
Agreed about Bullit. I put in on once in a while, but I'm always reminded it did not age well. I'll need to rewatch the documentary, that one I haven't watched since I got the blu-ray a long time ago
If you are interested in seeing a different adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley, there is a French film called Purple Noon. I wrote a paper for a film class in college comparing the novel with both versions. The American film follows the plot of the novel very closely but softens the Tom Ripley character, while the French version is its own thing but has the sociopathic Ripley of the novel.
Not every "classic" holds up. It has been a long time since I saw Bullitt, and I do not remember it leaving much of an impression. The story of McQueen not liking his lines reminds me of Christopher Lee choosing not to talk in some of his Dracula films.
Yo A.C.L....thanks so much for the heads up about Purple Moon! Ill totally track it down! Much appreciated. Thanks too for the heads up on Le Mans....i do like McQueen as an actor when his brooding/confidence/tough-guy is used well...alas that appears to be only some of the time.
New animated series from DC, i believe its the first official product released under the new leadership of James Gunn (who also wrote it). It feels like a "safe" move for Gunn in that: 1) it very much follows the rag-tag band of misfits that he did with Guardians, Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker. 2) it, of course, stars several players he works with regularly. Now..that being said...as with the aforementioned movies/show...its a lot of fun! Its got the freedom of being R rated so it gets to revel in moments of over the top violence, language and even a bit of sex. Its episodes arent very long and appear to be devoting some time each ep to a character back story. The plot is bare bones but enough to move along swiftly. Im digging it.
So, a friend invited me to go see Kraven The Hunter, and since I'm curious to see why these things are trashed so bad, I paused my Neeson marathon and went...
It's actually pretty good. It won't win any awards, but it's a competently made movie, with deep faults and bad dialogues, but we had fun. It's a bit better than Morbius. I can't compare it to Madam Web though. That one is not 'so bad it's good' or 'so bad it's bad'. It's actually 'so bad it's weird'.
A couple of weeks ago, I said I wouldn't get the new Shawscope boxset because it cost a lot and I knew I wouldn't watch all the movies. Well, I was so frustrated by the Canada Post strike that I bought it on Amazon (that'll show 'em). Heath Holland from Cereal at Midnight (and ex FTM collaborator) is also partly to blame 😜. So, I got the boxset and it's as glorious as expected. I kinda regret it, but not really, my collector OCD took over. Kung fu is fun.
ReplyDeleteAlso from Arrow, I watched Demolition Man (1993) in 4k, the Pizza Hut cut (aka the International Cut), because why not. I always have a blast watching this and the disc is packed with extras.
Also, I finally got Scarface (1932) Criterion 4k, no thanks to Canada Post (seriously, they suck! I hate them!). I don't care much for the De Palma version because pop culture diluted it so much, but this one is fun. I'm always a sucker for gangster-noir.
I Like Movies (2022): Man, the synopsis on IMDB is very much not what the movie is about. Also, still according to IMDB, it came out in 2022. I guess it hit streaming only this year. Anyway, thank you Adam for pointing out this movie to us, I enjoyed it.
I Am Legend (2007): The 4k disc is extra cheap on amazon, so of course I had to get it, I always enjoyed the movie. Back then Will Smith was not quite the weirdo that he is today, but there were signs, and the quality of his movies was starting to dip. He was still the man though, and I miss that period of his. I mean, dude's alone for more than half the movie, and he's good.
Whenever you have those feelings of regret, Kunider, you can always look at the box and think about the possibility of watching everything in it. Maybe you will actually get around to it.
DeleteI have not spent much for discs at all this month. I got a handful things from the MVD sale and a few older releases from Vinegar Syndrome (Angel, Sweet Sugar) during the Black Friday sales. The Mondo Macabro order from October arrived last week, adding five more releases to what I already have for that label.
Don't get me wrong, the only thing I regret is the price I paid for it. That thing is not cheap. But yeah, now I have a ton of stuff to watch.
DeleteLOL at the Shawscope! ive resisted so far but know that, as with sets 1 and 2, its just a matter of time before i own it. They do an amazing job with movies that many of us discovered via realllllllllllllly crappy transfers long ago. Its amazing to have them looking/sounding SO good on blu!
DeleteGood weekend to everyone.
ReplyDeleteThe DVR will not be functioning next week, so I got to a few more watches before everything on it is lost. Over close to nine years of use, I recorded hundreds of films onto that machine.
ENNIO on Prime (2024, dir. Giuseppe Tornatore) – From the time I began watching spaghetti westerns thirty years ago to the present, Ennio Morricone’s music has been part of my life. Watching this brought back a lot of memories of my cinematic journey, but it is also a thorough documentary about his life and work. Morricone's life was all about music, and his “instinct”, as someone phrased it, to understand what a movie scene required is unrivaled. To me, he is the greatest film composer. Some of Morricone’s opinions about his scores are surprising, including a general dismissal of the first two films of Dollars trilogy. At 2.5 hours, much of it reading subtitles, Ennio is not a casual watch.
BLOODY MAMA (1970, dir. Roger Corman) – A few years after the success of Bonnie and Clyde came this nihilistic story of Depression-era outlaws. The Barker-Karpis gang was a real thing, but the actual history is quite different from the narrative of Bloody Mama. In the spirit of exploitation, everything is sensationalized, with Ma Barker (Shelley Winters) leading her sons into a violent crime spree. Winters is terrific in the lead role, and one of her sons is a young Robert De Niro. Despite the humor in the film, the violence can get surprisingly dark for the time period.
MULTIPLE MANIACS (1970, dir. John Waters) – It was one last TCM Underground watch this week with this demented low-budget amalgamation of art house, horror, and exploitation from the crazy people of Dreamland Productions, courtesy of Baltimore, Maryland. I can only imagine what audiences back in 1970 thought of this. Besides giant lobster r*pe, there is a stations of the cross sex sequence that was really pushing the surreal, and bad taste, envelope. I believe this was Waters’ first feature length production, and it really sets the stage for the rest of his 1970s output. Multiple Maniacs was likely recorded on the DVR in 2021.
ALPHABET CITY (1984, dir. Amos Poe) – Though this does not work well as a gritty crime drama, it is an enjoyable exercise in style. There is a New Wave soundtrack blasting, neon colors are everywhere, and the fashions scream the early 1980s. The lighting was the most impressive aspect of the film for me; it had to have taken a lot of time to get those shots set up. Vincent Spano is a drug dealer and street hoodlum working for a mobster in downtown Manhattan assigned the task of burning down the apartment building where his family lives. He also has a family of his own, a situation that is pushing him to reconsider his future. Michael Winslow, famous from the Police Academy films, has an amusing supporting role. File under Cars!, Gangsters!, and 80s Action! for Junesploitation.
I hesitate to watch Ennio. While i love his stuff, i'm tired of documentaries like this. 'he grew up there' 'he met his wife' 'he had troubles, but overcame'.
DeleteAt this point i'll just read the wikipedia page a listen/watch their stuff
While Ennio is like what you describe, there is a lot more emphasis on the musical side of his life. Beyond composing and, later in his life, conducting around the world, there was not a lot that he seemed to do. His youth and early career gets the most attention because it set the stage for his distinct blending of classical and popular musical styles. The tension between his serious classical training and his career trajectory is a big part of the narrative. As a big Morricone fan, I enjoyed the interviews with his long-time musical and cinematic collaborators.
DeleteKRAVEN THE HUNTER (2024)
ReplyDeleteI don't know. There's a father/son drama set in the Russian mob that threatens to become interesting, but mostly this was disappointing. The Rhino is a John Romita Sr. creation, and deserves way better than how he's depicted in this.
WICKED PART ONE (2024)
It was Thursday afternoon a month after the movie came out, and the theater was packed with people. This would seem to be a bigger sensation than I thought.
THE THIN MAN (1934)
I must admit I couldn't follow the plot of this one bit, but I really dug Nick and Nora's breezy chemistry and the overall old-timey detective movie vibes.
DAY OF THE DEAD (1985)
George Romero goodness!
BATMAN RETURNS (1992)
I love how this is a huge blockbuster that's also all weird and twisted. Devito has the most show-offy part as the penguin, but the Bruce/Selina stuff is the heart of the story to me. And the scene where Michelle Pfieffer trashes her own apartment? Movie magic.
What did you think of Wicked, Mac?
DeleteOddly enough, with thirty years of watching Golden Age Hollywood films, I think I have only seen one of those Thin Man films. In recent years, TCM has shown those around New Year's Eve. If you liked William Powell as a debonair detective, you should check out 1933's The Kennel Murder Case.
Tomie (1998): Part of the j-horror wave of the late 90s, it's not as flashy as Ring or Ju-On, but it's nonetheless good. My friends and I are big fans of the manga creator Junji Ito, who also did Uzumaki. The movie spawned a series of films that don't exist on blu-ray yet and I wish they will release them soon.
ReplyDeleteGamera - Guardian of the Universe (1995): Man that was a blast. We were not familiar with Gamera, but I recently got both Arrow boxset for a good price, and I'm always a sucker for a good box. This is written by the Ghost in the Shell co-writer, which we're obviously a fan of. I can't wait to watch the other movies, especially the first one, and dig through the tons of extras contained on the discs.
For some reasons, this week I was on a Liam Neeson kick, so I found most of his action-thriller-b-movie of the last 7-8 years (skipping the boring dramas 😎) and spent my whole day saturday watching a few of them. My sunday will be the same, with the added bonus of not having anything planned sunday night, so that's a couple more I'll be able to watch. They're not masterpieces, but they're easy watch and Neeson is always cool.
I am only familiar with the earlier Gamera films. I always wonder how the character gained the the property of jet propulsion in his shell. (Definitely a case of overthinking the material.)
DeleteThey don't explain it in the first movie of the reboot. He just does.
DeleteThis evening I watched a film that J.B. wrote about earlier in the year. Tormented (1960), recorded off of TCM recently, is an interesting experience. While the optical effects can make the film seem schlocky, there is a serious story behind everything silly thing. Richard Carlson of many notable B-films plays the tormented lead character, grappling experiences that he is not sure are even real. The little girl portraying the sister of his fiancee was great in her part, interacting with the adult actors in a very believable way. Interestingly, she was the director's daughter.
ReplyDelete"grappling with experiences..."
DeleteYou can NEVER go wrong with a recommendation from ME.
DeleteHave you been affected by any of the wildfires this week, JB?
DeleteWe are fine. The Franklin Fire proved very destructive. National treasures Dick Van Dyke, Cher, and Barbra Streisand had to be evacuated. Yet another reason to live in Oxnard, NOT Malibu! (I consider Oxnard to be “North Malibu,” but I am the only one who thinks that.)
DeleteHOWDY YALL!
ReplyDeleteThe Talented Mr Ripley (1999 dvd)
This movie is incredible!! For me it was one of those "ill get to it some day" that, when i did, just blew me away. Incredible performances by every single character. Phenomenal writing filled with great moments of tension and surprise as the web of deceit and duplicity weaves deeper and deeper. A wonderful cinematic discovery for me.
Bullit (1968 blu)
First..with regards to the #1 reason this movie is talked about: the car chase through san francisco was and remains amazing. Its relatively "simple" in that its a straight forward chase but its execution is great (especially the sound design..i love that each car has a distinctly different engine sound).
Now..as for the movie? wow its terrible. im realllly bummed as id been saving this for a while. Its a cop procedural devoid of: Plot, Story, Investigation, Characters, etc. It just meanders with no real point. Now..before you attack me for trashing a classic...hear me out cuz its about to get interesting......As the credits rolled i was so dissapointed but my love of bonus features sent me looking for more....as it turns out the bluray contains a documentary on Steve McQueen.....
Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool
A surprisingly frank documentary about Steven McQueen both cinematically and personally. Lots of interviews with directors, cast, and family that knew him. Rather than just constant praise, they do discuss him critically as he was a "difficult" person in many ways. Solid small segments on most of his movies. Now...here's the interesting thing...when it got to Bullit there were a lot of people involved..and almost every person interviewed throws shade on the writing! Robert Vaughn, laughing, says he couldnt understand a thing about the script until they threw him lots of money. Another costar said that any time McQueen was given more than a line or two of dialogue, he'd make someone else say it cuz he just wanted to "react". This made me feel better that i wasnt being overly critical..and its a shame as if the movie had more of a story/plot it could have been soooo much better.
Agreed about Bullit. I put in on once in a while, but I'm always reminded it did not age well. I'll need to rewatch the documentary, that one I haven't watched since I got the blu-ray a long time ago
DeleteIf you are interested in seeing a different adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley, there is a French film called Purple Noon. I wrote a paper for a film class in college comparing the novel with both versions. The American film follows the plot of the novel very closely but softens the Tom Ripley character, while the French version is its own thing but has the sociopathic Ripley of the novel.
DeleteNot every "classic" holds up. It has been a long time since I saw Bullitt, and I do not remember it leaving much of an impression. The story of McQueen not liking his lines reminds me of Christopher Lee choosing not to talk in some of his Dracula films.
Le Mans is another Steve McQueen film with some of the same issues as Bullitt. All of the effort went into the racing footage of that one.
DeleteYo A.C.L....thanks so much for the heads up about Purple Moon! Ill totally track it down! Much appreciated. Thanks too for the heads up on Le Mans....i do like McQueen as an actor when his brooding/confidence/tough-guy is used well...alas that appears to be only some of the time.
DeleteI second Purple Moon. It's great
DeleteCreature Commandos (2024 first 3 eps. Max)
ReplyDeleteNew animated series from DC, i believe its the first official product released under the new leadership of James Gunn (who also wrote it). It feels like a "safe" move for Gunn in that: 1) it very much follows the rag-tag band of misfits that he did with Guardians, Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker. 2) it, of course, stars several players he works with regularly. Now..that being said...as with the aforementioned movies/show...its a lot of fun! Its got the freedom of being R rated so it gets to revel in moments of over the top violence, language and even a bit of sex. Its episodes arent very long and appear to be devoting some time each ep to a character back story. The plot is bare bones but enough to move along swiftly. Im digging it.
So, a friend invited me to go see Kraven The Hunter, and since I'm curious to see why these things are trashed so bad, I paused my Neeson marathon and went...
ReplyDeleteIt's actually pretty good. It won't win any awards, but it's a competently made movie, with deep faults and bad dialogues, but we had fun. It's a bit better than Morbius. I can't compare it to Madam Web though. That one is not 'so bad it's good' or 'so bad it's bad'. It's actually 'so bad it's weird'.
Anyway, go see Kraven, it's fun
woot! great to hear. the trailers looked like passable violent action. glad you dug buddy!
Delete