What Movie Did You Just Watch? ... And Robin

[Disney Guru]

Return from Witch Mountain (1978)

Watched it last night and was just as good as I remembered it. Funny first time I ever saw it was about 13 scared me to death a few years later had bought it when it came out on dvd and LOVED IT. Was never a fan of Escape to Witch Mountain though found it rather boring and stupid. But this one is amazing I mean the casting was great Tony/Tia you can't beat it Bette Davis and Christopher Lee were amazing together. Loved Bette's one liners "be careful with him victor, he inherits my bankruptcy", "thanks to you my credit rating is like swiss cheese" "I gamble with my own money, your the worst kind of gambler you use somebody else's."

Christopher Lee was soooo evil it was ridiculous and Anthony James as Sickle Bette Davis's dimwitted nephew/bodyguard was a hoot.

[Goliath]

@ TheSequelOfDisney:

That's so cool you watched those! I've seen them last year and was very enthusiastic about them. I haven't read the books, so it was easier for me to enjoy the films for what they were, I guess. Have you seen the theater versions or the extended tv versions? I've seen the latter and ejoyed it very much. I though the second installment was better than the first; but the third was the best.

I'm surprise you didn't comment on Destino.

I am and probably always will be a dvd-devotee. So I don't have it on dvd, because Disney, in its infinite wisdom, decided that the 80% of people who still buy dvd-only are not big enough a part of the market to cater to.

I don't think YouTube-clips could do it justice, so I refrain from commenting.

Goliath, you're pretty much dead on with your analysis of the Fantasia's or that is to say, I agree with EVERYTHING as written

Wow, thanks. And here I was thinking I would get all of UD riled up with my commentary on a beloved Walt-era Classic. It's not that I hate it, or that I don't appreciate what Walt tried to make. I'm just a bit tired of people calling it 'art'. It isn't. It's popular culture, and it's good at that, albeit a bit slow and uninteresting at times.

As for being uneven, why the fuck would anyone want that much consistency in a concert feature made up of essentially different animated shorts?

I would want to see consistency in *quality* in all animated shorts. Not having some really great ones and some really kitschy ones.

[SmartAleck25]

Shrek Forever After (2010)- 7/10
It was MUCH better than 2 and 3, but it's still lacking from the first. It was heartwarming in a sense, but everything felt really rushed. Shrek's misery was something new, he didn't seem as repulsive in this one as others. It's a very relatable experience, but I could've done without some of the jokes. Also, is it just me, or did Puss and Donkey do like absolutely nothing? Oh well. A fitting end to the Shrek series.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

@ TheSequelOfDisney:

That's so cool you watched those! I've seen them last year and was very enthusiastic about them. I haven't read the books, so it was easier for me to enjoy the films for what they were, I guess. Have you seen the theater versions or the extended tv versions? I've seen the latter and ejoyed it very much. I though the second installment was better than the first; but the third was the best.

I'm guessing that they were the theatrical versions. I just watched whatever Netflix had on their website. I have heard of the extended versions, and I've read that they will be released by the end of this year over here, but I just got that from Amazon, so I don't know if that's totally true or not. I enjoyed all three of them, but I like the novels much more. Hopefully the US versions will be just as good as the original Swedish versions. I've read that director David Fincher isn't shying away from the gore and sex (in fact, I read that it was heightened in his Dragon Tattoo), which I'm glad for. Not because I necessarily want to see all that, but it's integral to the plot. Even though Fincher has totally changed the ending (to what I have no idea), I'm quite excited for his version. I hope to see the extended versions of the original trilogy sometime in the future, though.

[BelleGirl]

@ TheSequelOfDisney:

That's so cool you watched those! I've seen them last year and was very enthusiastic about them. I haven't read the books, so it was easier for me to enjoy the films for what they were, I guess. Have you seen the theater versions or the extended tv versions? I've seen the latter and ejoyed it very much. I though the second installment was better than the first; but the third was the best.

I'm surprise you didn't comment on Destino.

I am and probably always will be a dvd-devotee. So I don't have it on dvd, because Disney, in its infinite wisdom, decided that the 80% of people who still buy dvd-only are not big enough a part of the market to cater to.

I don't think YouTube-clips could do it justice, so I refrain from commenting.

Indeed Youtube clips won't do it justice. I saw one recording of 'Destino' on Youtube that was clearly sneakily made with a hidden camera in the cinema (hence the image was shaking and the sound wasn't very good) but it was the best and most complete I could get. It was taken down very quickly of course.
I don't understand why Disney behaves so 'elitist' about their bonus feautes. It would have been very easy for Disney to put Destino on the Dvd- special edition, but apparently it's not meant for 'the common Dvd buying folks'.

(but maybe I do - Disney wants to tell me: buy a Blu ray player and all these beautiful extra's are for you to watch).

[Margos]

I am and probably always will be a dvd-devotee. So I don't have it on dvd, because Disney, in its infinite wisdom, decided that the 80% of people who still buy dvd-only are not big enough a part of the market to cater to.

I don't think YouTube-clips could do it justice, so I refrain from commenting.

Indeed Youtube clips won't do it justice. I saw one recording of 'Destino' on Youtube that was clearly sneakily made with a hidden camera in the cinema (hence the image was shaking and the sound wasn't very good) but it was the best and most complete I could get. It was taken down very quickly of course.

Someone has posted a rip of it on YouTube. It isn't in very high definition, because it isn't from the blu-ray. I think it says it's from some sort of special distribution disc. Anyway, it isn't perfect, but it's the whole thing without the shaking camera and bad audio quality of the one that got taken down.

[BelleGirl]

Indeed Youtube clips won't do it justice. I saw one recording of 'Destino' on Youtube that was clearly sneakily made with a hidden camera in the cinema (hence the image was shaking and the sound wasn't very good) but it was the best and most complete I could get. It was taken down very quickly of course.

Someone has posted a rip of it on YouTube. It isn't in very high definition, because it isn't from the blu-ray. I think it says it's from some sort of special distribution disc. Anyway, it isn't perfect, but it's the whole thing without the shaking camera and bad audio quality of the one that got taken down.

Thanks for telling, I shall have a look.

[dvdjunkie]

Goliath wrote:

I am and probably always will be a dvd-devotee.

Why such a devotion to DVD when there are so many things being offered on Blu-ray that make it worthwhile to go to the Hi-Def Blu-ray?

Just curious, not that I am expecting a reply, but have never heard of someone who isn't at least buying the Blu-ray/DVD combo discs planning for the future so it doesn't cost so much money to invest in re-buying the films you want on Blu-ray.

[BelleGirl]

Goliath wrote:

I am and probably always will be a dvd-devotee.

Why such a devotion to DVD when there are so many things being offered on Blu-ray that make it worthwhile to go to the Hi-Def Blu-ray?

Just curious, not that I am expecting a reply, but have never heard of someone who isn't at least buying the Blu-ray/DVD combo discs planning for the future so it doesn't cost so much money to invest in re-buying the films you want on Blu-ray.

Let me give a reply, though I'm not Goliath:

I rather like to start buying blu-ray discs AFTER I have bought a blu ray player. After all, you can play ordinary dvd's on a blu ray player and I find it quite frustrating to have a disc I cannot play yet, so I don't buy combos.
By the time I buy a blu ray player I think the first blu ray disc I will purchase will be Fantasia, because it was one of my first Disney vhs tapes, my first Disney dvd, and to continue this tradition it will probalby also be my first blu ray disc.
Lots of my Disney dvd's are loaded with bonus features, so I would find it a waste of money to replace them with blu ray discs. My, I haven't even replaced all my VHS-tapes yet!

[dvdjunkie]

BelleGirl wrote:

I rather like to start buying blu-ray discs AFTER I have bought a blu ray player. After all, you can play ordinary dvd's on a blu ray player and I find it quite frustrating to have a disc I cannot play yet, so I don't buy combos.

You are missing the whole point, however, I think you answered your own statement. Blu-ray players DO play standard DVD, and make them look even better than regular DVD players do. And the Combo Packs have a DVD and a Blu-ray disc, so you can still have your cake and eat it too.

Why not buy a Blu-ray player and then not double-dip on those movies you are satisfied with the extras. I don't buy every thing that comes on Blu-ray, I will only replace those standard DVD's that I really want in Blu-ray and then I don't buy them new, I usually go to a used DVD store that also deals in Blu-ray, like CD Tradepost.

And you should think about that, because you would save a lot of money now AND later.

www.cdtradepost.com

[dvdjunkie]

Really showing my age today, as I am having an Elvis Presley film festival in the Junkie Home Theater.

So far I have watched Blue Hawaii, King Creole, Love Me Tender, G.I. Blues, Speedway and am currently watching Spinout. Next in my stack of Elvis movies is Jailhouse Rock, Girls, Girls, Girls, and Kid Galahad. That should about do me for Elvis for a while.

Tuesday I am thinking about starting a Star Trek Festival, watching all Eleven Star Trek movies in order. That will probably take up most of the day.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

LA Confidential

I think this might be my favorite of the films I've seen for my Film Noir class. All of the actors were awesome, I could follow the story, and people didn't talk so fast that I couldn't understand them (ahem, Miller's Crossing). I really enjoyed it and I kind of want to watch it again (even though I just did).

[Goliath]

Why such a devotion to DVD when there are so many things being offered on Blu-ray that make it worthwhile to go to the Hi-Def Blu-ray?

Just curious, not that I am expecting a reply, but have never heard of someone who isn't at least buying the Blu-ray/DVD combo discs planning for the future so it doesn't cost so much money to invest in re-buying the films you want on Blu-ray.

Well, the answer is simple: I'm very satisfied with DVD. I think the quality of sound and image is excellent. I've met some people on this forum who make it sound like, compared to BluRay, DVD is blurry or vague or that you can't make out what's on the screen with DVD, but that's nonsense. It offers excellent quality and it was a huge improvement over VHS. Obviously I've seen the differences between BluRay and DVD, but I don't think it's big enough to warrant a so-called 'upgrade'. I think the advantages of BluRay are vastly overrated and overstated. I don't have to be able to count an actor's nostrils to appreciate a movie.

I remember when both BluRay and HD DVD were being introduced during the so-called 'format war', which was eventually won by BluRay. I remember how everybody I knew said it was a scam. Because DVD had only just been adopted by the majority of consumers, coming up with a new and expensive format seemed like a scam. I'm still inclined to hold that position; that it's just a new way of corporations to take money out of our pockets for something we don't need (something we in a sense already have: DVD!). I think forums filled with movie enthusiasts like UD offer a distorted view. It makes it seem like most people have already adopted BluRay, but in reality, the vast majority of people I know still only have a DVD-player and are not planning on replacing it anytime soon. In fact, when my DVD-player breaks down, I will not buy a BluRay-player.

I'd rather spend the money on other things.

LA Confidential

I think this might be my favorite of the films I've seen for my Film Noir class. All of the actors were awesome, I could follow the story, and people didn't talk so fast that I couldn't understand them (ahem, Miller's Crossing). I really enjoyed it and I kind of want to watch it again (even though I just did).

Do you have trouble following film noirs normally? You're right: that's a great movie; one of my favorites! Have you ever seen The Usual Suspects, also with Kevin Spacey? I think you would really like that one as well.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

Do you have trouble following film noirs normally? You're right: that's a great movie; one of my favorites! Have you ever seen The Usual Suspects, also with Kevin Spacey? I think you would really like that one as well.

I think the only one where I was really really confused was Miller's Crossing, but I think that was mostly due to the fact that the only person I could understand was Verna. Some parts of Chinatown and Blue Velvet were a little confusing, too, but not to the degree of MC. No, I haven't seen The Usual Suspects, but I do have it with me at school. I've heard it's pretty good, so I'll probably check it out either this weekend or next weekend.

[Disney's Divinity]

Aladdin ~ Saw this on ABCFamily a few days ago. This is a really entertaining film. I've always read a lot of people don't like the music in this film, but I really enjoy all the songs. Thankfully, the comedy doesn't feel quite as dated as I expected. I still think Jafar and Jasmine are weak characters, but this movie's always fun.

I think forums filled with movie enthusiasts like UD offer a distorted view. It makes it seem like most people have already adopted BluRay, but in reality, the vast majority of people I know still only have a DVD-player and are not planning on replacing it anytime soon. In fact, when my DVD-player breaks down, I will not buy a BluRay-player.

True dat. (am I trying too hard? )

I know I've tried to move into the Blu-Ray because I eventually just want to buy the best instead of buying DVD and having to re-buy later. But nobody in my family--"the normal people"--have upgraded or have even thought about upgrading.

To be completely honest, I don't think there's anything really wrong with the quality of VHS--which I still watch occasionally, and I of course use VHS to record TV shows I can't afford to buy sets for. I mean, the equipment screws up easy if you rewind a lot, but it's pretty good if you watch it straight through and then rewind. I still watch a lot of Disney films on 20 year old videos, and they look beautiful. Sometimes, I feel the clarity of dvd/blu-ray takes away a certain depth some films have.

[jpanimation]

Wow, thanks. And here I was thinking I would get all of UD riled up with my commentary on a beloved Walt-era Classic.

I found it interesting that we like and dislike the same sequences and for the same reasons.

Speaking of Blu-Ray, my library got some new Blus in for me:

Raging Bull (1980) 7/10 - this was long due for a re-watch and I pretty much feel how I did after seeing it the first time. Fantastic acting, especially by DeNiro, but I wasn't all that interested in the story. I just dislike the characters soo much that I really don't care what happens to them. Still, it was well made and the fact that it is based on actual events added to my interest. Now hopefully my library gets Casino and The Goodfellas on Blu, as they're long overdue for a re-watching too.

Anastasia (1997) 7/10 - it's not as bad as people say but it does have some glaring flaws that are hard for many to get past. I'm not even going to talk about the historical inaccuracy as it doesn't really matter as long as it benefits the story. So the two major flaws that I find with this movie is the rotoscoping animation and the weak ass villain. Rasputin is just soo non-threatening and untied to the story that the protagonists don't even know that he exists, let alone that he's the villain (or that there even is a villain), until the last 10 minutes. You could literally roughly cut out every scene with him in it after his drowning and it wouldn't affect the story (hell, it might even make it better, especially since he has the only bad musical sequence). The rest of the musical sequences are pretty good. I'd put Once Upon a December (dancing with the ghosts in the abandoned palace) and Paris Holds the Key (fantastic theatrical sequence, lots of cameos, that reminded me of An American in Paris) sequences up against anything from Disney's Renaissance. It tried to emanate Disney's success but it ironically failed with the two things Disney almost always gets right; the animation and villain.

This one I picked up on DVD:

United 93 (2006) 8/10 - I forgot how powerful this movie is.

[dvdjunkie]

Nixed my thoughts about having a day filled with "Star Trek" movies and decided to watch some of my favorite John Wayne movies, so I watched Angel and the Badman, McClintock1, Island in the Sky and currently about half way through The High and the Mighty, all on standard DVD that look amazing when played back through a Blu-ray player (not PS3).

I think that those who are being very stubborn about not getting into Blu-ray at this time are really missing how truly beautiful most movies look upconverted to near HD quality when played back on a Blu-ray player. I have a friend who has a regular television, a 4x3 rear projection Hitachi, but he has a wonderful Pioneer Blu-ray player and the standard DVD movies look beautiful on that television.

I think that Blu-ray is going to be coming on stronger in the years to come, and while I don't think standard DVD's will over go totally away, I do think that their availability will be harder to find as time go by. Prices for Blu-ray players are as low as $99 for a good one, and even lower for the "Wal-Mart Specials", which I would stay away from.

End of rant about those who have yet to experience the quality of standard DVD upconverted to near-HD.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

The Big Lebowski

After hearing how great it was, I was kind of disappointed. I have to say that for a comedy, I didn't really laugh all that much. Some of the "funny" things repeated so many times that they were getting a little boring. I did like Julianne Moore and Jeff Bridges, but the other characters were kinda blah for me. I probably won't be watching The Dude again anytime soon.

[Goliath]

The Big Lebowski

I totally agree with you (again)! I just don't seem to 'get' the Coen Brothers. The only thing I liked about this one was the Bob Dylan song that was used twice ('The Man in Me', from 1970's New Morning).

@ jpanimation: I liked Raging Bull a little better; I think it's Scorsese's best movie and I'd give it an 8.5, while I thought Casino was (mostly) a bore. And yes, United 93 was very impressive.

@ dvdjunkie: I don't think we'll be able to convince each other. To each his own, I guess.

Last movie watched:


Bilabo (2009)

About the invasion of East Timor by Indonesia in 1975. While the innocent population got slaughtered, the world turned a blind eye. Because, as always during the Cold War, the self-acclaimed government of East Timor was said to be communist. An effective boogeyman. (Though that didn't keep the US and Europe from supporting the genocidal ultra-communist Kher Rouge in Cambodia. But hey, they were enemies to the communists in Vietnam, so that makes sense, right?) Anthony LaPaglia plays a retired Australian journalist who gets dragged into the conflict when he wants to find out what happened with five young Aussie journalists who have 'disappeared' in the war zone. Upon release, the movie was banned in Indonesia.

[TheSequelOfDisney]

Precious

I've been wanting to see this for awhile, and I finally watched it today. I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique acted wonderfully, as did all of the other supporting cast. I'm very glad that I got to see this and I might even pick it up on Blu-ray/DVD one of these days.

The Kite Runner

I've been wanting to see this one, too, and I was pleasantly surprised. The actors were great in their roles and I liked seeing the progression of Amir. I do wish that they could have used the kite more throughout the film instead of just the beginning and the end, but the film was great nonetheless.

Gypsy (1993)

I enjoyed this one as well. It was kind of slow in the beginning, but I really liked it. Bette Midler did a great job, as did the rest of the cast. Christine Ebersole pretty awesome as a stripper. The only two songs I knew from this was Everything's Coming Up Roses and Rose's Turn, and Bette sang them really well (I'm still partial to Patti LuPone's versions, though). Overall, it was pretty good and I'm glad I got to watch it.