The film thread.

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Just ploughing through the original Star Wars trilogy - reminded me of this, mixing up footage with Withnail quotes - the language is definitely cert 18:

View: https://youtu.be/e3EVuoOo3kA?list=PLFtLWdCwYqgdM6tQdbiDi8tppim7Uh22l

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Having finished the original three:

1) Why did Lucas add the rubbishy special effects? They aren't very good and just jar.
2) The Ewoks. Just Why?
3) Overwriting bits so that they wouldn't clash with the prequels, such as having Hayden Christiansen/Christian Heydensen appear at the very end of Jedi? Every time one of us who grew up with the originals sees these parts, they just drag us out of the film and make us realise how wrong Lucas's priorities were.

 

[davidf]

Having finished the original three:

1) Why did Lucas add the rubbishy special effects? They aren't very good and just jar.

1) because he thought it'd look better.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

1) because he thought it'd look better.

That's the thing though - if you look at the stormtroopers' mounts in Mos Eisley, for example, they look pants. It's one thing to try something expecting improvements, but surely someone in the editing suite had eyes?!

 

[davidf]

That's the thing though - if you look at the stormtroopers' mounts in Mos Eisley, for example, they look pants. It's one thing to try something expecting improvements, but surely someone in the editing suite had eyes?!

I haven't watched them for a long time, as I've been waiting for the unadulterated originals to be released, despite picking up the 4K Bluray box set - even though I'm not really much of a fan.

I guess Lucas just thought some CGI to replace puppets would appeal to a wider audience. I get it, I know young people who laugh at the effects in The Exorcist, and the rubber shark in Jaws. They're not the target audience though, and for me, the above are still the two best examples of their sub genre to date.

I'm a great believer in leaving things "as is". A historic film isn't made better by visual improvements. Cleaning up a damaged print, fair enough, but not messing with the effects. It'd be like remastering all the Ray Harryhausen films with CGI monsters and creatures (which would make it look more like the remake, which was pants) - it'd look stupid, and then you piss off all the fans. Leave films with the limitations of their eras, they'll still be appreciated by those who love them.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

I guess Lucas just thought some CGI to replace puppets would appeal to a wider audience.

Definitely agree with your gist - though the example I quote they're just added in - they don't replace anything. I'd certainly replace 4 and 6 if there were unadulterated versions.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

The Lovely Bones on blu ray - I'm always surprised by how bad its critical response was. And throwing in This Mortal Coil's Song to the Siren...

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

The Score on 4k - a hackneyed basic plot in terms of a con doing one last job, but well-done. Of the three generations of heavyweight acting talent (Brando, De Niro and Norton), the young pretender definitely steals the show.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

The Shawshank Redemption on 4k - fantastic film, marvellous transfer.

 

[Shrek]

The Hack based on a true story ITVX

 

[Corpus_Chain]

I watched Blue Crush on DVD, which is a great surfing movie, and one of the earliest appearances of Michelle Rodriguez (coming out just after The Fast and the Furious). I understand the actors actually learned to surf for the movie, although the advanced moves were done by stunt doubles. rating 3.5/5

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Doing the Dragon Tattoo trilogy at the moment. Excellent.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

28 Years Later on 4k. Enjoyed it, and very much get the impression that Danny Boyle is having fun revisiting the works that made his name (T2 Trainspotting etc). Not sure about the ending, but I suspect that will only be able to be judged when part two is released. Hard not to be distracted by one particular part of the big 'infected'...

Really looking forward to the 4k release of 28 Days Later though. The blu ray's nothing to shout about, so I'm hoping for something good.

 

[davidf]

28 Years Later on 4k. Enjoyed it, and very much get the impression that Danny Boyle is having fun revisiting the works that made his name (T2 Trainspotting etc). Not sure about the ending, but I suspect that will only be able to be judged when part two is released. Hard not to be distracted by one particular part of the big 'infected'...

Really looking forward to the 4k release of 28 Days Later though. The blu ray's nothing to shout about, so I'm hoping for something good.

I doubt the 4K release will look any better than the Bluray, given the way it was shot. It's intentionally low-res, so short of 'AI'ing the crap out of it, I doubt we're going to see anything worthwhile.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Dirty Harry on 4k - dated in so many ways, but HDR makes it look great.