What Blu-Ray did you watch last night?

[Ed Gordon]

Ed that clip that Scottish accent doesn't sound quite right mmmm I think its been altered or something, in saying that this one is more accurate. I still remember to this day when I worked in Paisley back in 1972-73, an apprentice said to me that quote...."me an my bud are going oot tonight"....meaning both him and his girlfriend were going out that night. Paisley incidentally is where Gerald Butler grew up. In the 50 years I have been in NZ, I have not come across many Scottish people. The last one, was when I was having an operation in the public hospital. I arrived early in the morning the surgeon came in to see us. He was from South Africa, told me he does month about with another surgeon from South Africa, a month private, one month public. I had to really listen to understand what he was taking about regarding the surgery, he did say I was first on the list, and would see me upstairs in half an hour. Before leaving he introduced to me his anaesthetist, when he starting talking, my reaction was "wow" somebody who talks just like me, had same first name and came from Glasgow and I could understand every word

Anyway later when I arrived upstairs a nurse did say to me, is there anything you don't like Mr Ritchie? before I had a chance to answer I remember the face of the anaesthetist looking down on me and said LOUDLY.... THE ENGLISH....ha ha . I then gave him the thumbs and that was me out for the count for the next few hours. The surgery I should add went really well and within a few days the hospital kicked me out. I did have to have follow up radiation a couple of years ago at the public... wiping the bench they said. To date everything is just fine, been very fortunate, the people at public hospital have been great.

Anyway this is more accurate, also see how you get on with this one from my old school great to see the teaching has changed from when I was there....

Graham, it's not that the language is unintelligible, it is the speed at which it is spoken and the slang phrases that trips up the listener. Even Siri and Alexa gets tripped up!

Then again, Siri has problem with understanding English as well.

I will study Gerard Butler's tutorial on Scottish slang to improve my listening skills

We better get back on topic or start a new one on "Unintelligible dialogue in movies I have watched"

[Graham Ritchie]

I think we are ahead time wise of other countries as we have just had Christmas day so its now evening 9.31pm at the moment and have just finished watching the blu-ray of the colourised version of "Its a Wonderful Life", this platinum anniversary edition does include both the black and white and color versions.

Projected on the Panasonic VP the level of detail and the look of the colourised version is very impressive, it really looks great

[Graham Ritchie]

And for something totally different and believe me its different. Now I am not a fan of horror movies, but this blu-ray title was sitting on the second hand shelf going real cheap in a store in town a couple of weeks ago. After reading the reviews on the cover, it had me thinking that I might give this one a go. Tonight and using the Panasonic VP I got around to watching it. To start with its a Australian film and its a film that will keep your attention and not fall asleep watching it, Its certainly different and to be honest its not so yuk special effects wise as "Poltergeist" if you know what I mean. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a high rating, but will leave it up to you if you want to watch it, don't forget, I am the one that still covers his eyes at the severed head scene in JAWS and that's after almost 50 years. With "The Badadook" no problem with this one.

[Graham Ritchie]

Ed this is worth watching

[Ed Gordon]

Ed this is worth watching

Francis would have the time of his life if he visited Seattle's local treasure, Scarecrow Video. It calls itself "the largest video store in the world" for good reason. As their website says:

Our collection continues to grow by 3,000 – 4,000 every year, and at the start of 2024, we are at 147,000+ unique titles.

I checked, and they have every movie Francis Coppola mentioned in the video. I do own the 6 disc boxed setup of Apocalypse Now - Final Cut from Coppola, but I'll have to visit Scarecrow Video the rent the other films Coppola recommended.

[Osi Osgood]

It wasn't the biggest hit when it came out, but we watched again "Cowboys and Aliens" a guilty pleasure.

[Graham Ritchie]

Well for me its a return to one of the best 1960s ever tonight with "The Italian Job", anyone from that time, the mini cooper was the car to own and I did have one and it went like a little rocket. The Cooper "S" was the ultimate, the one I had was the 998cc Cooper not as fast as the "S" but close. When I watch this film, it does remind me of when I was an apprentice motor mechanic during the late 1960s and the cars of that era, they were good times.

I was very surprised to see the sound track brand new 2014 being sold locally in a store a while back, so just had to have it

[Ed Gordon]

I watched The Return (2024). This film takes a closer look at the final chapter of Homer's Odyssey and the return of Odysseus from the Trojan wars ten years after it ended. Odysseus lead Ithaca's army in that war, and returns home having lost every man. He fears he will be hated, and is reluctant to re-assume his role as King.

Ralph Fiennes gives an excellent performance. Hard to believe this opened in theaters only three weeks ago.

[Ed Gordon]

Hubble 3D Imax

I just finished watching Hubble 3D Imax. It makes you feel as significant as a grain of sand in the Sahara Desert. As one reviewer on IMDB said:

3D Delicious

Most of the 3D movies coming out these days are simply exploits by the film companies to cash in on the present 3D craze. This is NOT one of those films. 3D is everything in this presentation. If you are not able to see it in IMAX 3D I wouldn't bother. The movie is fascinating when it comes to explaining the difficulties in having to repair and upgrade a technological marvel. But,in 3D you are put seemingly inches away from an astronaut who is prepped for the coming mission, and right there as astronauts try to install new equipment into tight-fitting spots on the telescope. But, to me, the real worth of this film is seeing the expanse of the universe in 3D and seeing the incredible beauty of what is out there. You cannot possibly experience this without the 3D. As the telescope zooms through galaxies we see stars fly into the audience and past us as we reach deeper into space. I guarantee that most, after having seen this wonderful film in 3D will admit that they previously had no real concept of the vastness of space, and the endless billions of galactic bodies. Only the 3D experience makes it possible to wrap our brains around at least a small degree of understanding of how big our universe is, and the infinite galaxies which seem exist, let alone the billions and billions of stars(to quote the late Carl Sagen). I rate this 8 out of 10, subtracting 2 stars (no pun intended) because the film left me craving for more scientific explanation about the amazing details of the spacial orbs and expanses we see visually.

If you have a 3D projector this Bluray is a must have!

[Graham Ritchie]

I will keep an eye out for that one Ed.

Last night being New Years Eve it was a return to the original 1972 The Poseidon Adventure still one of the best and a great New Year film to watch, After 50 years now I don't think there are many of the original cast still around.

Tonight it was the turn of the blu-ray of "Road To Perdition" its been over 20 years since I ran the 35mm print at the cinema, cant believe how many years have past since. Its a brilliant film one thing I do remember at the cinema was the scene where near the end its nice and quiet, his son is playing with the dog on the beach, Tom Hanks as Michael Sullivan is looking out the window, everything is peaceful then....BANG...BANG...he gets shot, now this is the part were at the cinema I would crank up the digital and every time folk downstairs would jump in there seats, "that gave them a jolt" ah! the joys of being a projectionist.

Anyway its a good movie, directed by "Sam Mendes" during the end credits there is a mention of the passing of his Director of Photography "Conrad Hall" in 2003. If you remember another film "Paul Newman" was in back in 1967 was "Cool Hand Luke", well Conrad Hall was also the director of photography in that one as well.

Anyway a couple of screen shots taken last night and a link to the trailer of tonight's screening.

[Ed Gordon]

...
Last night being New Years Eve it was a return to the original 1972 The Poseidon Adventure still one of the best and a great New Year film to watch...

I think a big part of re-watching old favorites is that the cast have become old friends you re-visit once and a while. You already now what is going to happen, but that does not matter. After watching Gladiator II last night, I put on an old favorite, The Time Machine (1960) just to watch the beginning which takes place New Years Eve 1899, and got sucked into watching the whole film.

Gladiator II is a satisfying conclusion to the story that began in the first film with Russel Crowe. The violence gets a bit extreme, but so was ancient Rome. Good performances by all in the cast, but Denzel Washington stole the show as the slave owner Macrinus.


Macrinus : The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.

[Graham Ritchie]

Picked up a couple of second hand DVDs in town yesterday plus a couple of CDs, one of the DVDs I projected using the Panasonic VP last night was this one being the first of the two called "Au Revoir Les Enfants" its a French film with English sub-titles, what caught my attention was the reviews. The "New York Times" being one, which states "Malle's Richest Work" on the cover plus "Rotten tomato's" rates it up in the 90s, which is pretty good.

I did take a couple of screen shots last night of a projector, I think its Standard 8mm not sure on that one, and the Charlie Chaplin film they were watching, can you guess what film it is? I have it on Standard 8mm and its good. Returning to the actual film, I thought that this was a really well crafted and acted movie. I think most of the story it is based on fact during World War 2 in France. I wont let on the what happens at the end, you will have to watch it for yourselves. The other DVD I picked up, which I hope to watch soon is another film with English sub-titles called "The Lunchbox" starring Irrfan Khan remember him in "Jurassic World" and "The Life of PI" I have watched both in3D Blu-ray in the past and look great in 3D

Now back to this film, is this a Standard 8mm projector or 16mm any thoughts?

Plus the trailer from the BFI.

[Graham Ritchie]

I was doing a bit of checking up on the above film and was interested to find that the Negative format used was was 16mm Kodak "Ektachrome 100D". Cinemagraphic Process Spherical Super 16mm {source format}. That surprised me as I thought it would have been shot on 35mm. I had another screening of it last night, same Panasonic VP, but this time using my Sony blu-ray player and not the standard DVD player from the previous night.

Image wise it looked a lot better with the Sony blu-ray that's connected into the HDMI instead of the Standard DVD of component input. I think the Sony must be up-scaling the image, even the sub-titles looked better.

I should add that in NZ this film rating is only PG, which makes it so anyone can watch it, the DVD extras was very interesting on the background story, also mentions that it was shown in schools in France.

[John Burgess]

Hi Graham
I am pretty sure the projector you refer to is an American 16mm Revere. Thanks for your interesting posts, always a good read.
John

[Graham Ritchie]

Thanks John

I will be down at the Heritage Park tomorrow and see if we have one of those projectors, at present I am sorting out a number of old projectors and cameras for display after getting our hands on another display cabinet. We have a large collection in storage so it will be interesting to go through and see what is there. One film I think is very good is "Living" you may have already seen it, but if not, its certainly worth searching out.