I haven't gone out much lately. One activity I can do at home is to watch a favorite movie with a commentary track. There's something special about watching a beloved film once again while someone tells you interesting facts about it. I recommend the experience. (I suppose I shouldn't even have to say this, but … Continue reading Commentary tracks: Another way to enjoy your favorite movies
Category: Home Theater
Classic Cinema on HBO Max
Most people associate HBO with made-for-television series like Last Week Tonight and Axios. Or maybe even classics like The Wire. But the cable giant also offers a massive collection of classic cinema worth looking at. The collection goes back to the silent era, all around the world, and contains 21st-century Hollywood flicks. Counting them all … Continue reading Classic Cinema on HBO Max
Disc rot, customer support, & Criterion
DVDs and Blu-rays don't last forever. But with good customer support, that shouldn't be a major problem. Early this month, I pulled my 8½ Blu-ray off the shelf to revisit the commentary track. But when I put the disc in the player, nothing happened. I tried another title; it played fine. I tried both discs … Continue reading Disc rot, customer support, & Criterion
Early John Ford on Blu-ray with Hell Bent
You've probably never heard of Hell Bent - a very early John Ford western, made in only his second year as a director. He's credited as Jack Ford (his birth name was Sean Feeney). And yet, sometimes you can see the greatness to come. At this point in his career, Ford was cranking out B … Continue reading Early John Ford on Blu-ray with Hell Bent
More good than bad in August at the Criterion Channel
If you love great cinema, you really should subscribe to the Criterion Channel. Here you can get your fill of Akira Kurosawa, Fritz Lang, Mike Leigh, Atom Egoyan, Yasujiro Ozu, Asghar Farhadi, and so much more. And it's not all serious. Search for comedy, and (as I write this), you'll get 378 results. Throughout August, … Continue reading More good than bad in August at the Criterion Channel
Jewish Horror: The Golem on Blu-ray
To understand this hundred-year-old German/Jewish horror movie, you need to know a bit about the German Expressionist movement. The Golem: How He Came into the World was never intended to look realistic. Neither the acting, the makeup, nor the costumes were intended to recreate the medieval period of the setting. This expressionism allowed set designer Hans … Continue reading Jewish Horror: The Golem on Blu-ray
Weird movies streaming from the New Mission
Like a lot of closed Bay Area movie theaters, the New Mission offers virtual cinema: You buy an e-ticket at the theater's website, you stream the film at home, and the theater gets a little money. Most of the available movies are new pictures that would be properly screening at local theaters if these were … Continue reading Weird movies streaming from the New Mission
Alternative streaming services – if you can get them to your TV
With everyone stuck at home, distributors are creating their own streaming services. But they're not making it easy for their customers to watch what they pay for on the big home screen. Yes, I know that people watch movies on their computers, their tablets, and worst of all, their phones. Yes, I watch videos on … Continue reading Alternative streaming services – if you can get them to your TV
Films that increase empathy
Roger Ebert once called movies "a machine that generates empathy." I'm not sure that's always true. Triumph of the Will generated a lot of emotions, but empathy wasn't one of them. And yet, the best films can help you understand those trapped in poverty, loneliness, and sickness. Ever since the invention of the close-up, motion … Continue reading Films that increase empathy
Comedy bargains at VUDU
You need to laugh in times like these. Vudu, one of the major pay-per-view streaming services, is offering 43 comedies at low prices. For April, you can rent one of these movies for $2. If you like one of them enough, you can own the streamer for $7. But for the most part, these aren't … Continue reading Comedy bargains at VUDU
