Last Movie You Watched

[SonicMan46]

Interesting, Dave.

Hi Karl - purchased my Sony 50" 4K HDTV (plus a Sony 4K/BD player for physical discs) last holiday season - the difference in screen resolution is described below (plus check the link, short discussion, for much more information); for 4K discs, the combo is needed; BUT, there are plenty of '4K streaming options', if you have the right equipment, i.e. a high speed internet connection (25 Mbps+ recommended), 4K HDTV, and a streaming device(s)/services that offered 4K content - for me, I have a 4K Apple TV & 4K Roku device, both w/ apps (often subscription) that have that content; also just dumped my cable TV/DVR service and am subscribed to YouTube TV (son's recommendation) which has limited 4K content (and likely will add more).  It's become a different world from my youth, an antenna on the roof, 4:3 aspect ratio CRT TV, and a few knobs on the front for local channel selection and volume - WOW!  Dave

In comparison to high definition (HD), which uses a 1,920 x 1,080 pixel display, 4K (or UHD) offers 3,840 x 2,160. The more pixels available, the better the picture quality will be. This means that images and videos don't need to be stretched to fit your 50″ (or more!) smart TV. It also means that you see a much crisper and more vibrant picture that's bolder in color, even between black and white contrast. (Source)

[DavidW]

Agree - streamed the sequels and was unenthused, so just own the first one; although after buying a 4K HDTV, I did purchase Amazon's 4K/UHD version of the film (of course despite being 4K, the bit-rate streaming is much lower than the physical 4K, but the film looked GREAT on my new TV) - have not purchased many 4K films (many have been released but mostly modern 'action/CGI' productions that don't interest me at all) - and still hesitant to buy the UHD streaming offerings because of the potential quality issues, i.e. the physical media is still the best route, ALSO many of these are overpriced and often do not show much an improvement over the BD versions I own, at least in the reviews I read.  Dave

I bought the first movie on physical 4k but only digital versions of the sequels.  They complete the story, but not as good as the first.

[DavidW]

Dave, modern 4k tvs stream just as well as the dedicated devices.  And on Sony you can tell it not to track you, and it uses the full Android shop which makes it not as restrictive as Apple or Roku.  I have 200 Mbps down and I can stream movies in 4k, dolby vision, and dolby atmos and the experience is just as good on my 75 inch as a physical disc.  Unless you have a front projector setup, streaming is great and really no different than physical.

[SonicMan46]

I bought the first movie on physical 4k but only digital versions of the sequels.  They complete the story, but not as good as the first.

Hi David - since I did not want the sequels (of course, after having watched them), I decided to buy the 4K UHD streamer from Amazon, which looks superb on my new Sony (did not put on my BD disc for any comparisons but the reviews on the BD vs. 4K discs were convincing enough for me; so as long as my internet is 'up', I can watch the film.  Dave

[SonicMan46]

Dave, modern 4k tvs stream just as well as the dedicated devices.  And on Sony you can tell it not to track you, and it uses the full Android shop which makes it not as restrictive as Apple or Roku.  I have 200 Mbps down and I can stream movies in 4k, dolby vision, and dolby atmos and the experience is just as good on my 75 inch as a physical disc.  Unless you have a front projector setup, streaming is great and really no different than physical.

Hi again David - last December I bought the Sony model below and know that there are plenty of streaming options but in all honesty I've not explore them since I have the 4K Apple & Roku devices, both purchased before the new TV; I guess just use to using those devices w/ the apps I want added - assume the 4K streaming quality is similar. 

Plus, I just updated (using Spectrum) my modem/router after handing in my cable box/DVR, and was upgraded to faster internet - now getting 200 Mbps myself in my den, a room away from the router's location - not bad!

But I've (and my IT son who has 4K) been for a year now reading about this Are 4K Blu-rays better than streaming? since a main issue is whether to buy the physical disc vs. the UHD streamer?  At the link given (and at many others I've read this year), there is no doubt that the actual disc streams both video and audio at a much higher (5X given in the article) bit rate than the streaming services provide (they just need to do much more compression) - so I'm still not convinced; BUT I must say now owning several dozen 4K UHD streamer films, that each looks damn good on my TV - guess similar to compressed audio, i.e. high bit-rate MP3 vs. CDs - hard to tell a difference in a blind test, especially for amateurs like me who aren't paying closest attention - just my 2 cents @ the moment which may change if the 'streamers' can up their bit rates and reduced compression?  Dave

[DavidW]

Dave,

That is not a good analogy because 4k discs... well guess what?  THEY ARE COMPRESSED.  Hah!  There is no such thing as uncompressed video on any digital home video or theatrical presentation.

That article is complete garbage because they don't show you what the difference looks like or describe it.  It is just a waste of time.

I invite you and your son to watch a YT channel called Spare Change because he reviews 4k discs, and streams and compares them.  More importantly he can describe the differences and show you what they look like.

Really though you need to accept reality.  There is no way that you can see the differences between 4k streaming and discs on your tiny 50 inch.  Unless you're using it as a desktop monitor it is just frankly WAY, WAY WAY TOO SMALL.  You would be hard pressed to reliably tell 4k vs hd (luma resolution only, no bringing hdr into the picture and no comparing completely different remasters of movies either).  I bet I could make a challenge that you would fail.  I'm just keeping it real here.

[SonicMan46]

Dave,

That is not a good analogy because 4k discs... well guess what?  THEY ARE COMPRESSED.  Hah!  There is no such thing as uncompressed video on any digital home video or theatrical presentation.

That article is complete garbage because they don't show you what the difference looks like or describe it.  It is just a waste of time.

I invite you and your son to watch a YT channel called Spare Change because he reviews 4k discs, and streams and compares them.  More importantly he can describe the differences and show you what they look like.

Really though you need to accept reality.  There is no way that you can see the differences between 4k streaming and discs on your tiny 50 inch.  Unless you're using it as a desktop monitor it is just frankly WAY, WAY WAY TOO SMALL.  You would be hard pressed to reliably tell 4k vs hd (luma resolution only, no bringing hdr into the picture and no comparing completely different remasters of movies either).  I bet I could make a challenge that you would fail.  I'm just keeping it real here.

Now David, you're getting too excited over this issue - I'm well aware and known for years that a digital optical disc, even a 4K is compressed, i.e. you're not teaching me anything! Now to call my 50" TV as tiny is kind of an insult in my 70s - fits our life style fine, so be careful w/ your words (or insults?).  BUT, bottom line just like the many MP3 DLs that I own or made for years, if a high bit rate, I cannot tell the difference between listening to them vs. the original CD; SO, the streaming UHD movies I own also look great and I'm sure that in a blind test, I could not tell any difference.  Let's smoke a 'peace pipe' and agree that the streaming UHDs movies are great - I plan to buy more.  Dave

[Wanderer]

Today it's Dune day! Hope I won't be disappointed. 😎

[Karl Henning]

Today it's Dune day! Hope I won't be disappointed. 😎

Good luck!

[HomerChapman]

The Hound Of The Baskervilles - Rathbone, Bruce, Atwill and others, 1939, MPI DVD-2004.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

The Hound Of The Baskervilles - Rathbone, Bruce, Atwill and others, 1939, MPI DVD-2004.

A classic! 

And welcome to the forum!

PD

[HomerChapman]

A classic! 

And welcome to the forum!

PD

Thanx so much. I am revisiting the book right now too. That DVD has a very interesting commentary by a fellow named David Stuart Davies-who has (among other things)some not so complimentary remarks about the later Hammer 'Hound...' .

[bhodges]

A Woman's Face (1941, dir. George Cukor) - Fun noir melodrama with Joan Crawford and Melvyn Douglas. Don't expect anything profound. (But fun.)

--Bruce

[Karl Henning]

The Lady From Shanghai.

[bhodges]

The Lady From Shanghai.

Just saw that recently (only the second time) and thought it was kind of extraordinary. (And not just the fabulous mirror scene.)

--Bruce

[Karl Henning]

Just saw that recently (only the second time) and thought it was kind of extraordinary. (And not just the fabulous mirror scene.)

--Bruce

Second time for me, as well: Marvelous!

[milk]

Maybe a "lesser" Leigh film but not really, not if you like the small things. Leigh does some strange things sometimes. Here he uses some of the elements of filmmaking I hate the most: flashbacks and lots of dated extradiegetic music. Yet the film still comes off as sincere and it still moved me.
Another thing that's jarring in the beginning is the theatricality of the performances. But, like adjusting your eyes to a somewhat bright room after being in the dark, you do get used to it. This is a warm film about human-ness. Not Humanity. Not the big stuff. The little stuff. 

[SonicMan46]

The Lady From Shanghai.

Thumbs Up!     Dave

[Iota]

Maybe a "lesser" Leigh film but not really, not if you like the small things. Leigh does some strange things sometimes. Here he uses some of the elements of filmmaking I hate the most: flashbacks and lots of dated extradiegetic music. Yet the film still comes off as sincere and it still moved me.
Another thing that's jarring in the beginning is the theatricality of the performances. But, like adjusting your eyes to a somewhat bright room after being in the dark, you do get used to it. This is a warm film about human-ness. Not Humanity. Not the big stuff. The little stuff.

That's a nice description of a lot of Mike Leigh's work I think.

Haven't seen Career Girls, though Katrin Cartlidge was also in Naked, a film that won him Best Director award at Cannes and deeply impressed me when I saw it in the 90's. I put it on again recently and had to turn it off after about 30 mins, as post #MeToo etc, even with the knowledge that Mike Leigh is implacably on the side of the downtrodden and disenfranchised, and wants drama to reflect life as it is, and although the main character (David Thewliss) has a brilliantly unforgettable working-class Wildean savagery, he's also so unrelentingly and brutally misogynistic I ultimately found it all a bit much to stomach.
Maybe it was a mood thing, but not sure.

[SonicMan46]

San Francisco (1936) w/ Gable, MacDonald & Tracy - short synopsis below (more at the link); I've had an old DVD for years - rather poor quality, BUT the new 1080p restoration is spectacular (see ratings below from HERE) - instead of the physical package, I bought the Amazon Prime Video HD version which looked great on my 4K HDTV.  Now the story can be rather convoluted at times and the very ending has a religious tone that may not please all (if interested, read the blu-ray review linked above), BUT the earthquake specials for the times are outstanding (you need to wait through 3/4 of the film -  ).  Nominated for 6 Oscars and winner of one, 'Best Sound Recording' - looking at the 9th Oscar Presentations, I don't see a category for 'special effects'?  Bottom line - recommended.  Dave    P.S. a cheap rental in HD on Amazon Prime Time (film cost me $7).  P.S.S. if you rent in HD and do not have a HDTV, then the film will be shown in SD (like my DVD).

San Francisco is a 1936 musical-drama disaster film directed by Woody Van Dyke, based on the April 18, 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The film stars Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy. The very popular singing of MacDonald helped make this film a major hit, coming on the heels of her other 1936 blockbuster, Rose Marie. Famous silent film directors D. W. Griffith and Erich von Stroheim worked on the film without credit. Griffith directed some of the mob scenes while von Stroheim contributed to the screenplay. (Source)