Last Movie You Watched

[Cosi bel do]

I saw Playtime when or was released again for the first time in cinemas in 2002 or 2003 I think. One of the most beautiful movies I've seen in a theatre. I missed last summer's new release though... It's incredible to think about how this movie was such a commercial failure and a definitive source of sorrow for Tati.

[Karl Henning]

Yesterday, in observance (and with a hat tip to our Sarge):

[asin]0783231032[/asin]

[André]

Red River (Hawks) and The Earrings of Madame de... (Ophuls)

Seen back to back, the contrast was almost upsetting. Great, great movies both.

[Todd]

Well, of course, but these editions are not for sale, that would turn an honest attempt to recover an unaccessible treasure into a pure felony.

Odd, Amazon lists all of them for sale.  Episode IV is available directly from Amazon.  Multiple sellers have copies for sale.  Exactly contrary to what you wrote, the original versions of the films can be viewed after a few mouse clicks and a few days of waiting.  Perhaps you can explain how this constitutes felonious behavior.  Oh, and in-print or out-of-print used to be meaningful - before widespread internet usage. 

Disney is an enormously profitable company ($7.5 billion in fiscal 2014), and I am sure they have marketing people and accountants and lawyers, all equipped with, and reviewing, meaningful data about BD sales, potential 4K disc sales, streaming revenue, contractual obligations, and marketing tie-ins, so that if it is deemed profitable to do so, they will reissue a new BD/4K set of the original cuts of the first three movies.  The executives at Disney have to make decisions based on what makes financial sense for the company and shareholders, not the wishes of fanboys, who will end up buying the discs whenever they are released anyway, and who will end up bitching about them no matter how good they turn out.

[Cosi bel do]

Odd, Amazon lists all of them for sale.  Episode IV is available directly from Amazon.  Multiple sellers have copies for sale.  Exactly contrary to what you wrote, the original versions of the films can be viewed after a few mouse clicks and a few days of waiting.  Perhaps you can explain how this constitutes felonious behavior.  Oh, and in-print or out-of-print used to be meaningful - before widespread internet usage. 

I meant the despecialized edition are not for sale. You were saying its better image quality was "not enough to warrant buying another copy", I just wanted to precise this is not for sale anyway.

About the DVDs, yes, they are available but at a higher price than originally, and for lower quality.

Disney is an enormously profitable company ($7.5 billion in fiscal 2014), and I am sure they have marketing people and accountants and lawyers, all equipped with, and reviewing, meaningful data about BD sales, potential 4K disc sales, streaming revenue, contractual obligations, and marketing tie-ins, so that if it is deemed profitable to do so, they will reissue a new BD/4K set of the original cuts of the first three movies.  The executives at Disney have to make decisions based on what makes financial sense for the company and shareholders, not the wishes of fanboys, who will end up buying the discs whenever they are released anyway, and who will end up bitching about them no matter how good they turn out.

Well, yes, and ? I was saying the original versions, even from a non-fanboy point of view, are really better than the later ones, and that watching it in great quality is a pure pleasure. I don't think I have to ask for Disney's marketing team's confirmation to make that assessment, do I ?

Also, the original version, as I understand it, are blocked by Lucas. The fact Lucasfilm was bought buy Disney might actually mean these versions could be released again. Just as Lucas did repeatedly say he didn't want episodes 7, 8, 9, etc., but they are underway now...

[Todd]

Also, the original version, as I understand it, are blocked by Lucas. The fact Lucasfilm was bought buy Disney might actually mean these versions could be released again. Just
as Lucas did repeatedly say he didn't want episodes 7, 8, 9, etc., but they are underway now...

I would imagine Disney purchased everything when it paid Lucas $4 billion, but maybe not.  Disney has added some Star Wars characters to theme parks, and are in the process of turning Star Wars into an annual film product, alternating main story line movies with side movies for for years.  I'm sure every movie, video release, special feature, and everything else will be marketed relentlessly.  None of this ensures quality. 

As someone who was a kid when the first three movies came out - and I loved all of them, though even in 1983 is was obvious that the third one started the downhill slide - I must say that the notion that the original cuts are anything other than marginally better, if even that, than the special editions is a bit much.  There are a few extra things thrown in, and it's nothing to get excited about either way.  The original movies were groundbreaking, but some of the special effects are dated now, and the storyline is tired. 

[Karl Henning]

The storyline is tired, and much of the dialogue was DOA.

[Cosi bel do]

That's where I don't agree. I think the storyline is still among the best you find in sci-fi movies, and by comparison many recent movies are really bad, lacking subtlety. Just as the original Planet of the Apes is still a masterpiece that can't be matched by even the bigger budgets today (even if I quite enjoyed the two latest movies, I don't think they are anything but mere entertainment).

About special effects, they are certainly dated, but that's why they are great : the movie really made the best use of available effects back then. Pasting more recent effects (and cheap ones) on the original is just like... mmm... well, like adding a saxophone jazzy solo and a on a HIP Matthaus Passion... Out of place, and unnatural. Also, in hi quality, all the starships look really better, more "real" to human eye than CGI ones.

That's probably where we should all share our top 5 of science fiction movies.

[Drasko]

Red River (Hawks) and The Earrings of Madame de... (Ophuls)

Seen back to back, the contrast was almost upsetting. Great, great movies both.

The Earrings of Madame de... is one of my all time favorites.



I've seen Morse ages ago but kept away from Lewis doubting that the character as set in the Morse series could really carry a spin-off. I was wrong, this is quite good, in some aspects even better than Morse where they could get over reliant on lead character's awkwardness to carry sometimes not so good plots, or lame artsy direction of some early episodes. The plots in Lewis are generally quite sound and the sidekick role is very cleverly written, reversing scholar-layman dynamics of the Morse.       

[mc ukrneal]

The Earrings of Madame de... is one of my all time favorites.



I've seen Morse ages ago but kept away from Lewis doubting that the character as set in the Morse series could really carry a spin-off. I was wrong, this is quite good, in some aspects even better than Morse where they could get over reliant on lead character's awkwardness to carry sometimes not so good plots, or lame artsy direction of some early episodes. The plots in Lewis are generally quite sound and the sidekick role is very cleverly written, reversing scholar-layman dynamics of the Morse.       

Oh, love this show. They are very intelligently done and they find a good balance (never too much of something).

[Drasko]

Oh, love this show. They are very intelligently done and they find a good balance (never too much of something).

Definitely, I very much enjoyed first two seasons.

[North Star]

Oh, love this show. They are very intelligently done and they find a good balance (never too much of something).

+1
The latest season was just broadcast in Finland, good stuff.

[Ken B]

+1
The latest season was just broadcast in Finland, good stuff.

One assumes you have seen Morse.

[Fagotterdämmerung]

  Recent stuff...

  Blue Jasmine - grew tired of the characters really quickly. I felt I got everything I needed to know in the first fifteen min.

  Les Diaboliques - fun, very Hitchcock. A good, atmospheric romp.

  The Red Shoes - obvious fun for a classical music fan. Ballet scenes are amazing, especially given how old it is. ( Though, me and a friend had a huge bout of laughter at the film's climax, which I'm pretty sure wasn't the intention. )

[Karl Henning]

[...] That's probably where we should all share our top 5 of science fiction movies.

I'll give you seven, since part of the question is inferiority of storyline in the scripts of Geo. Lucas:

Blade Runner (call it a sentimental favorite)
2001:  A Space Odyssey (beautiful to behold)
Earth Girls Are Easy (just good fun, I admit, and a musical)
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension
Paycheck
Minority Report
Robocop (though I admit, I almost haven't watched it since I saw it in the cinema back when it opened)

[North Star]

One assumes you have seen Morse.

One would be right to assume I have seen it a couple of times on TV, and a few times on DVD. 

[Karl Henning]

I'll give you seven, since part of the question is inferiority of storyline in the scripts of Geo. Lucas:

Blade Runner (call it a sentimental favorite)
2001:  A Space Odyssey (beautiful to behold)
Earth Girls Are Easy (just good fun, I admit, and a musical)
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension
Paycheck
Minority Report
Robocop (though I admit, I almost haven't watched it since I saw it in the cinema back when it opened)

Would I add Dune to that list of seven? I am not sure . . . .

I should definitely add Time Bandits, though.  And possibly (i.e., possibly we might consider it science-fiction) The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus.

[North Star]

I'll give you seven, since part of the question is inferiority of storyline in the scripts of Geo. Lucas:

Blade Runner (call it a sentimental favorite)
2001:  A Space Odyssey (beautiful to behold)
Earth Girls Are Easy (just good fun, I admit, and a musical)
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension
Paycheck
Minority Report
Robocop (though I admit, I almost haven't watched it since I saw it in the cinema back when it opened)

Have you seen Solaris, Karl? (I haven't yet seen it, or 2001, but sure will some day)

[Karl Henning]

I have not, yet, Karlo.

[Ken B]

I'll give you seven, since part of the question is inferiority of storyline in the scripts of Geo. Lucas:

Blade Runner (call it a sentimental favorite)
2001:  A Space Odyssey (beautiful to behold)
Earth Girls Are Easy (just good fun, I admit, and a musical)
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension
Paycheck
Minority Report
Robocop (though I admit, I almost haven't watched it since I saw it in the cinema back when it opened)

Blade Runner (call it a sentimental favorite)
Sean Young. 'nuff said.
Earth Girls Are Easy (just good fun, I admit, and a musical)
Geena Davis. 'nuff said.