Here are the last films I watched on FilmStruck - all movies I'd either never seen before or hadn't seen in years. I'm listing them, not by quality, but in the order I saw them. A- Walkabout (1971), Tuesday afternoon Nicolas Roeg takes us to Australia and the edge between civilization and the wild. As with … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Last of FilmStruck
Category: Home Theater
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: More FilmStruck binge watching
With Thanksgiving finished, I had a chance to watch more movies before FilmStruck goes away. Only three more days left in the best streaming service ever. A Being There (1979), FilmStruck Peter Sellers gave the best performance of his life as Chance, the Gardener (AKA Chauncey Gardner), a mentally deficient TV addict who knows only about … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: More FilmStruck binge watching
The Big Lebowski on Blu-ray…and 4K
When I saw the Coen Brothers' Big Lebowski at the BAMPFA in 2014, I loved the movie but hated the horrible DCP. This exceptional comedy clearly needed a better digital transfer. I'm glad to say it now has one. More on that below. The Big Lebowski is a Raymond Chandler-type film noir story, except that the … Continue reading The Big Lebowski on Blu-ray…and 4K
The Pending Death of FilmStruck
Admittedly, much worse things have popped up in the news lately. The end of a movie streaming service doesn't mean much compared to a mass killing in a house of worship. But for American cinephiles, the sudden announcement about closing Filmstruck feels like the pending death of a too-young good friend. It's been only two … Continue reading The Pending Death of FilmStruck
Blu-ray Review: The Man Who Cheated Himself
I can't place The Man Who Cheated Himself (a truly horrible title) in the pantheon of great film noir. The stars, Lee J. Cobb and Jane Wyatt, are miscast. The plot requires you to take a great big leap into the extremely unlikely. And yet, it's a hell of a lot of fun. As happens … Continue reading Blu-ray Review: The Man Who Cheated Himself
Critique of Macho: The Big Country on Blu-ray
William Wyler's big-budget, large-format, star-studded epic, The Big Country, just may be the first anti-western. It condemns, rather than celebrates, the macho behavior of the mythical cowboy. The hero only fires a gun once, and he's not aiming at anyone. Gregory Peck plays that hero, a sea captain named James McKay, who's traded in his … Continue reading Critique of Macho: The Big Country on Blu-ray
Louis Malle Noir: My Blu-ray review of Elevator to the Gallows
You don't expect film noir from Louis Malle. But his first narrative feature, Elevator to the Gallows, is as dark, suspenseful, and entertaining as the best crime dramas that ever came out of Hollywood. Criterion released this excellent thriller in February. Made in France in 1957 (it was released in '58), the complex yet tightly-told … Continue reading Louis Malle Noir: My Blu-ray review of Elevator to the Gallows
Blu-ray review: A Trip to the Moon in many colors and musical scores
Why would anyone spend up to $40 (MSRP; you can buy it for less) for a Blu-ray of a movie that runs only 15 minutes? There are several good reasons. George Méliès' A Trip to the Moon is not only a fun and imaginative entertainment; it's also one of the most important motion pictures ever … Continue reading Blu-ray review: A Trip to the Moon in many colors and musical scores
Watching Movies at Home: On the Internet or on shiny discs
Ideally, we should watch movies is in a theater. But this is the real world, and even the most fanatical cinephiles watch a lot of films at home. But the way we watch movies at home has changed considerably in the last few years, going from physical media to Internet streaming. How is that changing … Continue reading Watching Movies at Home: On the Internet or on shiny discs
Coming to FilmStruck in December
The best way to see a movie is in a movie theater. But let's face it; you probably also watch movies at home. Last week, I told you about the classics Coming in December to Bay Area theaters. Now I'll tell you about some films and special offerings coming to FilmStruck's Criterion section during the … Continue reading Coming to FilmStruck in December
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