Going Through The Backlog Or I Bought Way Too Many Movies

[Skitch]

I thought the trailer for Oblivion looked mediocre at best. I wont underestimate Kosinski again. Even the fire fighting movie he made was really good.

[MadMan]

I thought the trailer for Oblivion looked mediocre at best. I wont underestimate Kosinski again. Even the fire fighting movie he made was really good.

That one is up next for me from him. He is also making the new Top Gun so yey!

[MadMan]

The Great Escape (1963)



Despite liking the entire cast for this movie and knowing that this film is highly acclaimed I was unsure if I would like The Great Escape. Well this film exceeded my high expectations, and then some: especially the acting, direction, and that very catchy theme. Including everyone from Steve McQueen to James Garner sure helps, as does the underlying humor that at times eases the film's strong underlying feel of suspense. Also there are moments when even after witnessing triumphs those parts are followed up by crushing failures.

Naturally there is an escape, otherwise the title would be a lie. Even though like so many Hollywood movies the facts are elaborated a bit-ok, a lot-that doesn't detract from the overlying message. Nor does it obscure the desperate bravely of those who still fought for their country even behind enemy lines. What a picture.

Overall Verdict: Fantastic movie. However this copy is an old $5 one from Best Buy, and will be replaced by that shinny Criterion copy that came out recently.

[Morris Schæffer]

The Great Escape (1963)



Despite liking the entire cast for this movie and knowing that this film is highly acclaimed I was unsure if I would like The Great Escape. Well this film exceeded my high expectations, and then some: especially the acting, direction, and that very catchy theme. Including everyone from Steve McQueen to James Garner sure helps, as does the underlying humor that at times eases the film's strong underlying feel of suspense. Also there are moments when even after witnessing triumphs those parts are followed up by crushing failures.

Naturally there is an escape, otherwise the title would be a lie. Even though like so many Hollywood movies the facts are elaborated a bit-ok, a lot-that doesn't detract from the overlying message. Nor does it obscure the desperate bravely of those who still fought for their country even behind enemy lines. What a picture.

Overall Verdict: Fantastic movie. However this copy is an old $5 one from Best Buy, and will be replaced by that shinny Criterion copy that came out recently.

The original source is not in the best shape, so Criterion basically had little to work with. The first MGM blu-ray did not garner high scores for its video presentation at all, but the restorative work done by Criterion is apparently a major improvement on the MGM one. Screenshots reveal as much. I'm hoping Criterion will release it for European regions as well.

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?go=1&...142908&i=0&l=0

And despite its adventurous tone, you are right that there are crushing defeats too. [

Show Spoiler

The assassination of Bartlet and MacDonald

] on that hilltop is cold as fuck, and really messed me up when I was a little kid.

[Skitch]

I adore SNDN. It's so insane.

[MadMan]

I adore SNDN. It's so insane.

The second one, which I watched on Shudder last December for Joe Bob's Red Christmas, is even more insane and hilarious. But yes the first one has it's own brand of unique crazy.

BTW I wish B-Side still posted here. He loves John Ford.

[Skitch]

Isnt part 2 mostly flashbacks of part1?

[MadMan]

Isnt part 2 mostly flashbacks of part1?

Yes, but then the rest of the movie gets into gear and crazy shit happens.

[MadMan]

The original source is not in the best shape, so Criterion basically had little to work with. The first MGM blu-ray did not garner high scores for its video presentation at all, but the restorative work done by Criterion is apparently a major improvement on the MGM one. Screenshots reveal as much. I'm hoping Criterion will release it for European regions as well.

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?go=1&...142908&i=0&l=0

And despite its adventurous tone, you are right that there are crushing defeats too. [

Show Spoiler

The assassination of Bartlet and MacDonald

] on that hilltop is cold as fuck, and really messed me up when I was a little kid.

Yes the DVD I own kind of looks really grainy. After upgrading to Blu-ray and getting a smart TV I notice the difference in picture quality a lot. Criterion is really good at film restoration which is a plus.

[

Show Spoiler

Poor Donald Pleasence. I liked that Garner refused to leave him behind, but his fate was tragic and anger inducing.

]

[MadMan]

Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979)



Years ago I discovered The Ramones thanks to their greatest hits, which I found at Best Buy when I was still in college. Since then I have listened to several of their albums and other hits, and I consider myself a fan of their music. Naturally when I found a steelbook Blu-ray copy of Rock 'n' Roll High School at Best Buy last December, I had to buy it. Yes The Clash and The Sex Pistols are more beloved by me when it comes to classic punk rock, however The Ramones speak to me a bit more. Also they are American, existing as a tribute to a New York City punk scene long gone by.

The Shout Factory special edition looks marvelous, and this movie heavily involved one of my favorite directors, Joe Dante. P.J. Soles and Dey Young are a lovely pair of rebellious teens, and I was amused that The Ramones finally showed up only 40 some minutes in. Reminds me of how often Godzilla takes his sweet time popping up on screen in most of his movies.

Any movie that has Mary Woronov and Paul Bartel as part of the school staff will automatically get a favorable rating from me. Rock 'n' Roll High School works as a delightful film vehicle for The Ramones to play a bunch of songs, and there happens to be a teen rebellion subplot crammed in there somewhere. My favorite part has to be the giant mouse at the rock concert, simply because it is a joke that would only work in a 70s movie as goofy as this one.

Overall Verdict: Lots of fun, and the steelbook has tons of bonus features. Easily worth it. "Things sure have changed since we got kicked out of high school."

[MadMan]

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)



Unlike the hilariously outlandish sequel, Silent Night, Deadly Night is a nasty, brutal and straightforward slasher movie. I had to find it after learning that the movie was driven from theaters. Huh imagine that: people got angry over a killer Santa movie. Lame, yet expected. Even though the acting isn't the greatest in this one, I still think this is one of the better 1980s slasher movies.

Poor Billy sees his parents murdered by a guy dressed as Santa, then grows up abused in an orphanage. He grows up, takes a job at a store, and things are going well until he is forced to dress up as Santa. To say that things go south after that is an understatement. "NAUGHTY! PUNISH!" becomes his mission, and revenge pops up in his crazed mind. I liked the second movie ok, however I doubt I will bother with the other sequels. It is probably all diminishing returns anyways.

Overall Verdict: Good movie, lots of violence, slasher movie 101 stuff. The actual copy looked good on Blu-ray, but there was hardly any bonus features. I might keep it though since it is hard to find.

[MadMan]

Fort Apache (1948)



John Ford deservedly caught flack for his portrayal of American Indians in his westerns. However in Fort Apache he tried to treat them with some degree of respect. Henry Fonda and John Wayne clash in this gloriously shot black and white classic, featuring those marvelous shots of the American Southwest. In Ford's movies the desert looks splendid, even if it hides the dangers found within the caynons and beyond the mountains.

Having Fonda be the more rigid and hostile character was a smart move, although one could argue that Wayne does not really play against type here. In catching up with another famous western I realized that I still have far way too many left to see, and that my previous list on this site was horribly inadequate. The themes of duty, loyalty and honor would be revisited by Ford many other times, particularly in his other awesome and influential western The House Soldiers a decade later.

Shirley Temple felt out of place in this movie though, and the female characters kind of get shoved to the background. Ford's westerns still contained that unflinching masculine element. Oh and Ward Bond is probably one of the more under-rated character actors of his time.

Overall Verdict: Fantastic and the Blu-ray transfer is pretty good. I need to track down the rest of the Calvary trilogy.