Father Goose (1964)

Wow, there is no business like show business!!

In this movie Cary Grant is at his MOST un Cary Grant!!

He is neither suave nor debonair. His character is a drunk and also in certain way ruffian!! And he has to take care of 7 your school girl and their caretaker (Leslie Caron), during WWII with the Japs at their tail!!!

Very unlikely, and have to add very funny.

I have forgotten how funny classic movies can be.

And have to add, a breath of fresh air really!!

One for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

My Two Sen

The mountain scene.... Wow

But everything else, meh!!

Was breathtaking at Imax 3D though.

Psycho (1960) (50th Anniversary)

For some odd reason, I keep watching this???!

I have watched this on TV, DVD and a couple of times on HD and now Bluray format.

The 50th Anniversary bluray is JAM PACKED with all kinds of wonderful special features!!

They'd interviewed Janet Leigh (Shower scene anyone?). They interviewed Joseph Stefano (screenwriter). They also interviewed Patricia Hitchcock who is Hitchcock's daughter, who has a small role in the movie.

Lots and LOTS of P.O.V. from them and interesting too.

For example, Hitchcock actually hired a nude model (people who poses naked for art classes) to stand in the shower so they can figure out how dense the water from the shower needs to be so Janet Leigh's naughty bits will not show up in the movie!! Also how some of the special effects were done practically (films as it happens). For example, Martin Balsam (Det. Milton Arbogast) fell down the staircase (without actually falling down the staircase) etc.

Having watched the movie Hitchcock (2012), about a month and a half to two months back, surprisingly, only heighten this viewing for me!!

I still feel that the opening credit is a little "soft" (video quality wise) but once the movie opens, everything is crystal clear. Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL black and white movie. One tidbit I learned from the special feature was, Hitchcock consciously made this movie in Black and White. There are two reason to this.

1) He had to finance this movie personally, because he contractually still owe Paramount Pictures one more picture before moving over to Universal and Paramount had out right refuse to budget the movie because of the subject matter. Filming it in Black and White would reduce the cost of production.

2) He did not believe the movie could pass the censorship board if it was filmed in color!!

(I told you, major tidbits)

I was having a conversation with an English gentleman a couple of weeks back. He is a self profess movie lover. And the conversation steer to Alfred Hitchcock where he expresses, 'Psycho?... I have watched it and it was meh...' I had to explain to this self professed movie lover how movies were like before Hitchcock and how he change the game and movie had never been the same... Forgive him, he is young (only 35 yo)

I really wonder, is there really an Alfred Hitchcock fan out there that has never seen this movie??

If there is, here is my challenge to you. Watch Hitchcock (2012) and then Psycho (1960) and then tell me honestly that Psycho had not influence cinema for the past 53 years. Think about that.

Again, as always, the above is merely my opinions. Everyone is entitled to their own.

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Jul 15 2013, 06:35 PM

Sharing is caring right!

There are actually two version

Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (14 of Alfred Hitchcock movies)
Psycho 50th Anniversary Edition

I've just watched the Psycho 50th Anniversary Edition.

Watch the opening scene and tell me that hasn't been copied to DEATH by many MANY directors every since!!

No one and I mean NO ONE ever did a shot like THAT before (Psycho)!!

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Jul 17 2013, 03:54 PM

Thank you (Bow), Thank you (Bow)

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Jul 17 2013, 03:43 PM

.... Er... which part of sharing is caring is not clear...

Haven't got to my Western movies yet....

Love the First Ghost in the Shell, not so much the second and never saw the TV series...

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Jul 17 2013, 09:34 PM

Airport (1970)

I confess?

I really never appreciate the look of 70s movies.

I really don't know why...

Could it be that the studio system had collapse (eg, MGM, WARNER, DISNEY etc, all no longer "own" their stars. All big stars are now free agents and can work for any company they want). So in short, movies became more "independent" (eg not a "company product").

Or could it be the look. The clothing, the look of buildings sets, etc?

Maybe a combination of both.

This movie has many big names attached to it

Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Helen Hayes (I love her here)

But they are all aging, and not necessarily gracefully...

The setup took forever and I don't think this movie will cut is nowadays...

This movies was made with USD 10,000,000 and made 100,000,000!! So back in it's day, it was a big deal!!

Please note that because of it's success, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker, made Airplane! (1980) a satirical look at airplane disaster movies... Having watch Airport, some of the scene in Airplane make sense now!!

The video transfer is great. You can actually tell which scenes they used models and scenes they used the really plane!!

I don't think modern audience would appreciate this movie.

Watch this only if you like movies like Earthquake (1974) and The Towering Inferno (1974).

Peace out



This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Jul 19 2013, 12:53 AM

Team America: World Police (2004)

Trey Parker & Matt Stone (both Americans) knows how to laugh at... AMERICA!!

I cannot recommend this ENOUGH.

I cannot stop laughing!!

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Jul 19 2013, 12:58 AM

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

The 50s, was a the age of Sci Fi. When Worlds Collide (1950), The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Forbidden Planet (1956), The Thing (1951), Destination Moon (1950), Invasion of the Body Snatcher (1956), It Came from Outer Space (1953) and War of the Worlds (1953) to name a few.

Maybe the Roswell UFO incident (1947) had a major influence to this.

It is a simple movie, (Made in the 50s mind you) but the message it carries is still relevant!

Compared to it's newer counterpart The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008, with Keanu Reeves), this is my preferred version.

Keanu's version has state of the art effect, but this has good script, great direction and good acting and dialogue.

It is like watching a feature length Twilight Zone or Outer Limits and that is meant as a compliment.

Video and Sound transfer are good (there was a scene at the beginning with soldier taking their positions that is a tad soft otherwise, video is sharp.

Some 50s school of thought maybe jaded (Evil Forces [Nazi/Russia?]) but overall a much MUCH better movie (then the 2008 version).

Billy Gray is alot less annoying then Jaden Smith...

Also nice to Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee from The Andy Griffith Show).

My Two Sen

Amazing, isn't it.

Probably the goto material for the 8K TVs...

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Jul 21 2013, 10:15 PM

Airport made Universal Pictures alot of money. So much so, it spawned Airport 75 and Airport 77. I think I saw Airport 77 in the cinema...

I think out of the three, Earthquake probably made the most impression on me (yes, saw it in the theatre too). And here is why.

Sensurround. This movie was one of the first 3.1 movies available. This had a USD $7,000,000 budget and made Universal Pictures USD $79,700,000... The sound gimmick, made alot of money for Universal.

Universal was NOT the first to come up with Surround Sound. Walt Disney's Fantasia, in 1940, had Fantasound. But with the war around the corner, and having no resource to implement the sound system in alot of the theaters in the State, the system did not take off.

A note of interest. Around this time both Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures fought over the right to King King... Alot of people are actually saying that unfortunately, Paramount won and Dino De Laurentiis Company (affiliate to Paramount) got to remake King Kong, He bragged about his mechanical giant gorilla and have to add, most of the King King we got to see on the screen, were a guy in a monkey suit... Why did I bring this up, supposedly, Universal had a better script and was planning King Kong as another Sensurround feature... Cest La Vie.

At least Universal finally got together with Peter Jackson to make the 2006 King Kong (which I really REALLY like)

As "tacky" as the 70s was, it reignite surround sound in cinema, and I do thank the decade for that!

Sorry for babbling

In the spirit of Thunderbirds (not sure if you have seen the old 60s TV series).

This is crude, crude, CRUDE!!! I cannot emphasis how crude this is, but it does show how ignorant the Americans are towards the rest of the world.

I leave it at that.

Erm... You should have "Spoilered" that...

Just in case...

*Phew* for a minute I thought I was the only one here who remembered Thunderbirds (Go?? )

I actually kidda liked the Thunderbirds (2004) and was hoping for sequels but, it was not to be...

c'est la vie

What about the theme song from the Broadway show "Lease"???? *Groan*

And you are most welcome.

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Jul 24 2013, 12:47 AM

Angels & Demons (4K Remastered) (2009)

Frankly, The Da Vinci Code was not an earth shattering book for me...

All the hoo haa and much prodding by my sister-in-law I read the book and the point that everyone was making a fuss about, was NOT even original (eg had read in somewhere or watched it somewhere, probably a documentary)

So when Ron Howard and Tom Hanks got together to make the movie, much publicity and protest and again when I watch the movie, it was even more "meh"...

Tom Hanks & Audrey Tautou, can you say MISMATCH!!

Even having Ian McKellen in the movie, did nothing for me...

Angels & Demons on the other hand, had always been a much MUCH better book and in turn a much MUCH better movie!!

Watched it during the week end, the 4K Remastered version and the Picture Quality is flawless.

So is the sound.

Good story. Good acting. And suspense to boot.

If you had not watched this movie, or read the book, give it a try why don't ya.

My Two Sen

As Good as It Gets (1997)

Another movie I have watched over and OVER again.

This time on BD format...

Frankly, I'm a little underwhelmed by the video transfer.

It is "spotty" at times. Helen Hunt/Jack Nicholson's face is a little overly pink at some scenes. Some other scenes are a little soft...

Having said that, it is still better then the DVD copy I have...

This is a Drama/Comedy.

There are NO, Car/Boat/Train Chase, Planes shooting each others down, Space Ship, Time Travel, Evil Super Computers, Aliens, Robots, Lazer Beams, Cool Weapon/Gadgets, Monsters, people with special powers etc...

All the characters do, are to talk to each other!!

And you know what. This movie is mesmerizing!!!!

A GOOD script people, you have to work on your script!!!!

Don't believe me?



Unbelievable dialogue!!

Jack Nicholson taking OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) to the nth degree... BRILLIANT.

I do believe that both Greg Kinnear and Cuba Gooding Jr. are both very good and overlook actors in Hollywood. A shame really...

The interaction between Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt and Jack Nicholson and Greg Kinnear (as the title suggest) do not get better then this!

Give this a try, if you have not already.

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Jul 24 2013, 05:17 PM

The Hobbit (2012) Addendum

Peter Jackson is releasing an extended version of the The Hobbit, on Bluray in November 2013....

OH MY GOSH!!!!

How Bilbo Baggins make Breakfast Lunch and Dinner in minute details of course!!?! You know how Hobbits are when it come to their food preparation!!

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Jul 25 2013, 09:10 AM

.... Sounds like something I should avoid... I might NOT stop crying....

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)

Can you say, edgy???

Well DC definitely can!

I'm not going to go into a DC vs Marvel discussing.

DC, when it come to their animation programs have got a track record that they are willing to take BIG risks!!

And boy did they do THAT here!! IN SPADES!!

Superman and Batman have had many stories done on them, even in the past Justice League animated movies, this one has an interesting twist.

This Justice League movie is done from the point of view of The Flash!!

It is refreshing, and it has lots of twist and lots of turn. Very VERY good!!

Do I recommend this?

Heck YES!!!

My Two Sen.