* Did you watch a film last night (on Blu or DVD), and what was it? *

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Oh wow! ...A superbly constructed crime film, with top notch acting.
There is some interesting history too behind that film.

Music by: Carter Burwell
Cinematography: Barry Sonnenfeld

"It was the directorial debut of the Coens and the first major film of cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld, who later became a noted director, as well as the feature film debut of Joel Coen's wife Frances McDormand, who subsequently starred in many of his features.

The film's title derives from the Dashiell Hammett novel Red Harvest (1929), in which the term "blood simple" describes the addled, fearful mindset of people after a prolonged immersion in violent situations.

In 2001, a director's cut was released. It ranked No.?98 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills. The film also placed No.?73 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments."
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Revisited:


Overall: 90

When revisiting a film you never know if your mood will be able to get back on a satisfying impact level. You take a chance and if you don't like it after ten minutes you just eject and pick something else.
Sometimes it doesn't work, other times you're in. Here it worked right from the get go.

What helps with this film is the quality of the actors, the direction, the music score.
Brief when it's a good film there is replay value.

I have no idea why I picked this one. Perhaps because its sequel was still on my coffee table from a while ago, I looked @ it and I thought why not revisiting the original.
So I grabbed it from a shelf, I put it on the coffee table, I first checked what was new on Netflix, I put few more in my queue, and then I proceeded with Sicario, from the 4K disc.

Emily Blunt is very convincing in it, and Benicio's interaction with her is great to watch.
Two good actors who help to add replay value from this film.
Also the cinematography from a master, the aerial shots, compositions, fluid movements, ...there is magic picture cinema shots here, the great music score, subtle and impactful, the overall tangible atmosphere, the danger, ... this is a great film.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
I like popcorn movies for thrills of disbelief.
Last night I was well served.



I went 3D because I thought it would suit me better than 4K.
The movie is quite dark, with blacks and reds (dark oranges from the fire and Dwayne's face).
@ times it was hard to see the background details. And the CGI effects were less than pristine from the fire scenes. Fire is not easy to reproduce on film from that scale, super high rising skyscraper.

The film of course is pure frootloop unbelievable, but that's the popcorn point.
Some scenes are ultra modern cool, when it is nicely lit before the fire.
The overall 3D effects vary from scene to scene; @ times they have a pleasant depth and other times they look 2D cardboard. So it's not consistent.

I don't know how much worst or better the 4K version is, I can only guess that you need a well calibrated display because so much of the film is dark and that the fire CGI effects must be more obvious. You take your chance and run with it; I did from calculated researching. I believe I chose the correct version for my eyes and soul.

Overall (film only): 42

-- 3D visuals: 74
- Audio integration: 72

Last word: Easily unforgivable. ...Skip it unless you feel to make popcorn, lots of it.
You win some you lose some.

 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
I was in the mood for something smooth, something not earthquake shattering.



I saw this film before, few times, but it was the first time last night that I saw the extended version, from Criterion Collection, 2K 2D Blu.

I won't say too much because I have said already in the past, and what I said is that there are movies that are best to be experienced without saying too much, it is one of them where the pictures and the faces of the actors and the music score describe best what each viewer gets from it. It doesn't matter what I say, the film matters, it speaks volume for what it is.

It's a very smooth ride, where the music is the numero uno character.
Everything else is built around that music tree of life.
If you can handle the music you can handle the film like a pro.
The less you know the more you discover what you already know but couldn't see with clear clarity.

Some will fall asleep, others will experience something unique, nobody will feel the same as everybody. It's a personal journey, a cinematique visual and musical experience.
Nothing is left to be said, everything is there to be lived.

Overall (film experience, visuals and music score): 89

 
Last edited:

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada


1995 and directed by Terry Gilliam.

"Traveling back in time isn't simple, as James Cole (Bruce Willis) learns the hard way. Imprisoned in the 2030s, James is recruited for a mission that will send him back to the 1990s. Once there, he's supposed to gather information about a nascent plague that's about to exterminate the vast majority of the world's population. But, aside from the manic Jeffrey (Brad Pitt), he gets little in the way of cooperation, not least from medical gatekeepers like Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe)."

We all saw this film before, so I won't say anything more than we already know.
This is a new transfer on Blu-ray, and it is the best.

Some of my favorite filmmakers are Martin Scorsese, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, the Coen Brothers, and Terry Gilliam. 12 Monkeys is pure sci-fi fantasy. To escape reality there is no better dose. The picture quality is the best I've seen yet from this film. Worth revisiting, very.
If you are a Giliam's fan and that you demand only the very best, you can't mess.

Overall (everything): 81


If someone would ask me what I would change, nothing just the number in the title ... 21
 
Last edited:

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada


Mission accomplished. Very good action film, Tom is in good shape and looking good.
This installment (#6) is in the same high caliber as #4 and 5.
It is highly entertaining with great stunts.

Here the cinematography is to die for, and even more so with the IMAX screen aspect ratio included from some amazing scenes. The 4K Blu-ray version shines like a diamond cut atop the highest mountain peak.

The music score is phenomenal, implemented to perfection from a master craftsman.
It flies like an eagle in the December's wind of Northern Alaska.

The story? Save the world...what else.

This is movie magic...everything from the slow-mo to high-speed chases on land and under and above. We just lift up with Tom & the gang, there is no two ways about it.

Overall: 88

Audio (music/kaboom/dialog) only: 93
Visuals (locales/angles) only: 92
Fun (story/acting) only: 87

Highly recommended, technically and adrenaline rush fun.
There are going to be some scenes for everyone. It's a winning recipe, even if you don't like somd of it, because what you will like is going to make you forget about what you don't.
This is not Casablanca or Doctor Zhivago, this is MI6 in high gear.
Forget Black Panther and the Avengers, go the spy way; not as sophisticated as James Bound but more peppy, younger @ heart.

Last word: Be careful, don't fall down.

 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Last night I revisited this guy, from Blade Runner 2049 and La La Land.



He's very smooth, and he maintains his cool @ all time.
In real life Ryan seems to be that type of guy too.
I can see him getting better and better roles as he keeps aging.
He's on a winning Hollywood formula.

This film is cool too, but also violent in some scenes, very.
Most people love driving, the adrenaline rush to let it all go when all alone on a stretch of the highway without any other cars around, including cop cars.
Not now, but once when we were young and furious. ...Daytime, nighttime, doesn't matter.

It's a 2011 (seven years old) flick, and I just like it.
Overall: 80

The driving, it's the best action part of this film, what maintains its main interest.
I'm sure everyone saw it already, if not give it a shot; I recommend it, very.

 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Revisited ...



This is a new remastering, with bolder colors, less green, more clarity, improved and heightened sound. You cannot fault the visuals and sound quality, impossible. This flick takes your eyes and ears (senses) away, and flip them upside up. The improvement is undeniable, for the better.

The film itself is not perfect but as a sequel to its master it's a very valid one.
We are served with more action and romance.

Everyone saw the three Matrix films, so there is nothing new to add in this trilogy story.
What's new here is that this newer version (4K HDR) is the very best, period.
It is amazing what our eyes and ears can do to alter our perception.

It is only my guess that without seeing and hearing this new remastering one has no real idea.
Supremely recommended.

Overall (film only, story, acting, purpose): 70+

Extra ...
- Visuals: 97
- Aural festivity: 97

Last word: It could have been shortened by say a second or two, but the guilty pleasure wouldn't have been the exact same. It's impossible to tell because what we have here is reference sound and vision from this new remastering. ...What a ride!
Take it, it's worth it, it's the best. Don't let yourself being influenced by the score (70), it's just a number. I am very reserved, polite, diplomatic, calm.
Here's what truly counts @ the end: It passes the grades.
This is high class entertainment for the moving senses, adrenaline disbelief.

Oh, if you think you know something because you already saw it before, or @ the cinema theater, or on DVD, or HD DVD, or Blu-ray ray, think again; I have new news for you...this new 4K Blu-ray experience is the ultimate best in the Matrix history. Warner Brothers people took this trilogy and recreated it by improving it tremendously technically, period. And if the technicalities are up so is the movie entertainment experience. Don't take my word for it...see and hear for yourself.

And don't put too much weight on this old trailer because the colors and sound are nowhere near what it's real onscreen. This new 4K thing here is the real deal; Warner Bros did a fantastic job, the best job on the planet.


So much so that I had a hard time rating the film; the lowest that I could have gone was about 69, and the highest roughly around 83. I used extreme reservation.
Here, because of this new transfer I would go 80 for the totally awesome renewed seed of life.

This is no Casablanca or The Ballad of Buster Scruggs; this is sci-fi highly active and contagious.

Do I still prefer The Matrix (first one)? Yes because it was new, but this is new too.

Look, I'm thinking @ young people who have never seen this trilogy yet...like 6 to 9 kids.
When they are ready, say around 16, if they see it in 4K from these discs, on a 4K display (TV or front projector), and with a surround sound system par for the course (not from the TV speakers), this trilogy still holds today stronger than ever, and beats all the Star Wars and Marvel movies.
And I am still saying this with extreme reservation.
There, you have it fresh from the enclaves of the now moment.

Could they still improve this! Yes, with 8K and 128 satellite speakers plus 10 subwoofers all around. ...Or 4D virtual reality with surround headphones and VR "googles".
 
Last edited:

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
I revisited this guy last night, but in 3D this time, (((Wow!)))



I watched the 4K version in the past and the picture was very pretty good...excellent.
But now I was inside the movie interacting with the actors and decors, virtually.
3D is dead but 3D is alive and magnificent for the cinema experience it provides when care has been given; I am amazed.
The only obstacle with 3D is that they make it harder for us to get here in North America.
Meaning that in order to make money you have to look outside North America.
There is simply no 3D market here, so we go outside the country and across overseas to fulfill our 3D cinematique passion...that's all. ...France, UK, Germany, Japan, etc. ...Just not USA and Canada and Mexico. There are very very few 3D releases here, by Warner Bros, Universal (Sony and Fox rarely), and Disney forget it, all Marvel stuff in 3D is from Hollywood studios outside America.
Hollywood Disney is on the other continent, not on ours. ...For 3D.

If you are a 3D fan this is one of the best presentations.
If not go 4K with a very clean 2D picture.

The sound could have been better to compliment the picture dimension and depth.

Overall (fun film factor): 86

- 3D visuals: 96
- Audio immersion: 76

Last word: I have the three Avenger movies in 3D, that's the best way to experience them, in my eyes opinion. I love 4K, but I love 3D. ...Not all 4K and 3D but only the best. This is one of, except for the subdued audio. It's a shame that in 2019 Disney is putting inferior audio compared to films from twenty years ago. This is not evolution this is degeneration.
But the 3D from this disc (overseas) is fantastic. The soundtrack is still serviceable, but it could have been more 3D immersive. Disney sound mixers just need to get on with the program and practice more their sound consoles. ...Perhaps they need to go back to school and get on the 2019 sound train. There is no excuse today for any Marvel flicks to not provide the best sound experience. They have all the money necessary to make that works; they are simply too reserved and lazy with Marvel sound mixes overall.
They used to be much better, I don't know exactly what happened, I don't want to know because this is simply inexcusable today in the movie world we all live in.
Movies are supposed to take you out of reality in very high style...visually and auditory.
Movies are supposed to shake all your senses in the highest order. ...Marvel movies.
For young children; Cinderella, Mickey Mouse, Snow White, ...It's ok...the sound needs not to be mastering/blastering loud, just good touching music tunes for the heart of children.

And that, was my last word. I should apply for a job @ Disney, as a CEO.
But I don't have time for it, I'm retired, it's the job for young energetic people with a clear vision on what movies are in 2019. It's just that they aren't there yet; they are too busy with inferior priorities and in that process they forget the main goal of movies...entertain the senses of everyone watching them, for what they suppose to deliver. Have you read Marvel comic books recently?

 
Last edited:

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Last night I revisited this 2018 stop-motion-animated science-fiction comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by Wes Anderson:

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/thre...dvd-and-what-was-it.2876/page-133#post-521522

Overall (after having a firmer grip): 77

I think it might win few more awards. This is art, meticulous art in stop-motion animation.
Highly recommended and I'm glad that I revisited it, on Blu. It's good to take our time and rise above in better grasping the essence. Films can do that, and music too.
Don't get stuck in the past, listen to new music.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada


Can this film win an Oscar this year? We'll see.
The costumes are coloful, the makeup top notch, the music score (African) I really like.

It's fun, lots of CGI and also fun acting characters. It's serious @ times and humorous too @ other times. 3D is the way to go, not an ounce of doubt. It draws you in like no flat 2D can, even in 4K.

The audio soundtrack is subdued, missing dynamics and impact on some of the key moments. The overall restrained sound design is a let down; too bad because it shouldn't have been that way with such immersive 3D picture and beautiful music score.

I think it's going to win an Oscar ... (makeup, costumes, music score, somewhere around ...)

Overall (film only): 83
3D picture immersion: 88
• Sound effects, dialog, music score: 73

Last word: It's one of the better Marvel flicks of last year.
If you have a tuned 3D front projector spin this baby and enjoy an entertaining ride with an African rhythm/beat from the music score and beautiful natural vistas. ...Beautiful colorful people too.
_____

? https://mashable.com/article/black-panther-pga-award-nomination/#Z1QJMyuQ2kqy
? https://screenrant.com/black-panther-oscar-win-nomination-chances-marvel/2/

 
Last edited:

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada


It's a documentary...about rock climbing and so much more ...

" In January, 2015, American rock climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson captivated the world with their effort to climb The Dawn Wall, a seemingly impossible 3,000 foot rock face in Yosemite National Park, California.

The pair lived on the sheer vertical cliff for weeks, igniting a frenzy of global media attention.
But for Tommy Caldwell, The Dawn Wall was much more than just a climb. It was the culmination of a lifetime defined by overcoming obstacles. At the age of 22, the climbing prodigy was taken hostage by rebels in Kyrgyzstan. Shortly after, he lost his index finger in an accident, but resolved to come back stronger. When his marriage fell apart, he escaped the pain by fixating on the extraordinary goal of free climbing The Dawn Wall.
Blurring the line between dedication and obsession, Caldwell and his partner Jorgeson spend six years meticulously plotting and practicing their route. On the final attempt, with the world watching, Caldwell is faced with a moment of truth. Should he abandon his partner to fulfill his ultimate dream, or risk his own success for the sake of their friendship?"

_____

We go right from the beginning; Tommy as a child @ school and his raising...by a special Dad, very. From winning a competition he and three other people are invited in a unique adventure overseas ... powerful stuff.

Surviving the adventure a new beginning opens, a love/team story...looks real solid too ...
We are on a beautiful ride. Then things don't always turn the way everyone wish, it is simple human nature, chemistry evolving over time. They make the best of it under very emotional feelings. A new relationship ensues (family). A new challenge, and a new climbing partner to what seems impossible to be done alone, or is it? What is magic here is that not only the physical ability is in high full display but also mentally, the true human spirit and support. To me it is one of the major forces from this powerful documentary and Tommy Caldwell knew it and he made the decision, a decision where every single viewer can appreciate...the entire world.

It's a must see, even if your main life interest is family, love, relationship, friendship, ... all that is good humanity in life from this planet. And if you happen to like rock climbing and extreme challenges and beautiful cinematography you're in for a great treat.

Overall: 96.5
_____



Last word: You have to see it, for all the good reasons, even if you are afraid of heights and rock climbing a vertical 90° 3,000 feet wall polished like a skating ring. ...At the very tip of your fingers and toes...by only few millimiters! Nineteen days of living on a mirror à la verticale, straight up, and down, and up again, and sideways and frog (dino) leaping in free air.

It's more than that, it's all of this...family, endurance, life, love and the Blus.
 
Last edited:

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Anyone who likes submarine movies, I do.



But it's not in the league of Das Boot.
There is no tension, the acting is cardboard, and the action overboard.
It could have been very good, but there are simply too many things going on.
They went for the full enchilada, maximum impact without substance.
Gary Oldman was miscasted, in my opinion. And Gerard Butler is best @ roles on the streets, not under water, in my opinion again.

But for a popcorn flick with great bass intensity it fits the bill.
It's an action/comedy flick genre; the comedic aspect because you will understand if you see it.

Overall (film value only): 40

Last word (technical): For no-brain entertainment (visuals and auditory), give it a shot, it will satisfy your senses. The under water scenes (subs moving) are not realistic and are subdued.
The over the water scenes are clear, sharp and pretty. The audio; sound effects and dialog are clear and punchy. The music score is nothing to write home about.
All in all the technical merits are its best assets. Your subs will appreciate its bass energy, and your display will brighten with very clean visuals.
It's in Dolby Atmos.


Very last word: It's on the edge. If you are not sure go for it...you might find your own balance.
If you value your brain, forget it. If you value your home theater it will shake those strings with aplomb.
 
Last edited:

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada


2018 American romantic comedy-drama film. It follows a Chinese American professor who travels to meet her boyfriend's family and is surprised to discover they are among the richest in Singapore.

Nothing original here, we've seen this type of film from the last billion years.
What dreams are made of.

If you are into a firework of colors and beautiful looking people and dishes and locales and mansions and parties and cars and a screen that will pop up all over you're in the right zone. And if romance is in your heart you might even come across a tear in the corner of one of your eyes.

Talk about extravaganza to the max, yeah baby! I really enjoyed it, and even dare to abandon all my dreams come true.
That's what movies are supposed to do; put you right there in the reality, outside the ever boring dreams of everyday's life.

The flowers are lovely and colorful. The actors the same. The decor sets are exactly what the doctor prescribes us all to live under an open sky filled with flying stars...room service and all.
It's the exact opposite of the ghettos and slums from the poorest neighborhoods of Jakarta.

Overall: 81

If you haven't seen it yet you just don't realise how old you are. It's a view of talk.
It will put you right there in life's reality outside your most celebrated dreams.


It's nice to be crazy, young, rich and in love. ...Complete with view on the lagoon relaxing in the hammock with a cold beverage from the cooler. ...Every single day till death's separation.
 
Last edited:

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
The Greasy Strangler:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4381236/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Now this is a weird and adult film, but includes a reference to the Bee Gees!

Roughly zero interest for that one ^
The Bee Gees I like though.

Do you like Anime? I've been getting into it in the last year or so and 'In This Corner of the World' is one of the best:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4769824/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

It's a beautiful film covering Japan before during and immediately after WW2, including the dropping of the bomb.

That one I am putting on my list; yes it fits my interests ^
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada


His paintings today are worth the best money.
This film is something else; we are inside Vincent's head.
And it sure will make you search your art history painting book.

The acting is first class, the artist is unique, some of his paintings are among the very best in painting history and my favorites. If I could afford them I would do anything to invest ...

The camera work is shaky (often) here, not my cup of tea.
The unfocused imagery is a deliberate effect, I'm so so with it, but personally more forgiving than the shaky camera style. It's a personal preference and I know exactly the film director's voluntary intention.

Overall (film value only): 83


We will never know with absolute certitude if Vincent Willem van Gogh killed himself or not.
I always thought that he did. Experts think the same. Other experts think differently.
This film went with the later option; that a young boy shot him in the stomach.
Watch the film (very highly recommended) and have your best shot (guess).

Also, a sketchbook with 64 sketches is included in that film; experts said it's a fake...reproduced by a forger.

So the film includes two controversial elements. It adds up to the mystery of one of the most unique and well known painters of the last two hundred years...with his paintings worth the most money ever. He did 2,100 paintings in just ten years, most of them in the last two of his life.

I could write a book, but I just won't. ...Too many films not enough time.
Watch the film, you're going to get something out of it, something worthy because the acting and some sceneries are what we like movies for, plus the life of Vincent Willem van Gogh is not like anyone else. You cannot judge him because there is no judge who could do that back then, and even now today. Ha!

Did I mention the excellent performance by Willem? ...Dafoe.
...One of the top best actors to grace the screens we view.
If you like arts, movies, acting, paintings, essence of life and work, like I do, you'll be in good company.

Blu-ray technical merits (son et lumière ) : 77

* The more you search the more you discover.
It's from discoveries that we expand our knowledge in the passionate arts.
...Be it in music, films, documentaries, paintings, sculptures, nature, life, space, universe.
 

audioguy

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
2,794
73
1,635
Near Atlanta, GA but not too near!
Alabama.png

This is not a "movie" but an amazing documentary that has been around for a while (2013) but we just bought it and viewed it. I had no idea that this small town in Alabama produced such an incredible amount of amazing music. And the number of artists that went through there is hard to imagine. (Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Clarence Carter, Bobbie Gentry, Etta James, The Rolling Stones, etc).

If you are old enough to be familiar with these 1960's group, then I highly recommend this documentary.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NorthStar

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing