Discs - Reviews by Magic Marmalade

Discs - Reviews by Magic Marmalade

« Member Page

Member	Item		Review/Comment
Magic Marmalade 1st Jul 2023		DVD The Beastmaster (Directors Cut) - Anchor Bay Entertainment	Rated 2/10 I've added a rating of 2 for this disc, not the movie itself. I love the movie, as I grew up with it on TV (The mouthless vampire doo-dads which encompass you with their wings and eat you still give me the willies!) No, I'm rating the print of the movie on this disc, and the absolutely horrific attempt to restore the missing footage, which looks like they found the can of film in a trashcan full of bin juice after all these years, and just plonked it in their with zero restoration, or any attempt to match anything with the existing film (already wobbly, unrestored)... ...This new footage is probably what the word "Shonky" was invented for. Super-shonk! Absolute crud, and a cynical, uncaring attempt to merely push this out the door on DVD. This will disturb your enjoyment of an old movie fave. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 26th Mar 2022		DVD The Bourne Identity [1988] - Warner Home Video (2002)	Rated 7/10 The Bourne Revelation! Another of my snapper case DVD acquisitions... Wasn't overly inspired by the whole Richard Chamberlain in the role concept, but mostly because of my familiarity with the more recent Matt Damon, Chemically enhanced super-ninja take on the character and story that somewhat overshadows this now. (Thankfully Damon's Bourne did kick the Brosnan era Bond movies into touch, and make them look twee, and highlighted their ridiculousness thereby killing off that rendering of the franchise - yay! :) However, this version still has more than a lot to offer, in spite of suffering by comparison in terms of action and pizazz. The story is essentially the same - assassin type gets donked on head, loses memory, and battles to recover identity against unknown forces. But where this wins out, is that this is more of a story, in the true, international espionage / conspiracy thriller / intrigue sense... more like what I would image the book to read like... a proper unfolding of a story, in the style of an investigation. Much of the detail here in the story and concept you realise has been jettisoned in the Damon version, in order, presumably, to tighten it up, and make those films crack along in a more cinema friendly, spectacle kind of way, whereas this, across its original three hour (two separate, hour and twenty "miniseries" event format, takes it's time, and is more of a slow burner. But there are many things here that make you go: "Ah!.. now I understand what that is, and what this means!" - not properly explained or resolved in the Damon movies - like what the deeper, truer meaning, and concept of the very title is: "The Bourne Identity" is not purely a name, or mask identity for a dude with no memory, but is a key concept at the bottom of the plot, and is significant to the story in asking questions about the nature of identity itself here, as the revelations are presented - am I who I was, or who I am now - more myself without my memory than with it, and who and what is that? (There's even a neat little twist within that - which I won't spoil!) The concept of Treadstone is integral to this too, and is quite something else than the recent films made of it. But even this, is wrapped around another entirely abandoned central plot point, that the whole point of the exercise is to capture semi-mythical super-villain assassin: Carlos The Jackal. And to cap it all, the final revelation of who he is / was, has more backstory, whereas the Damon films only give you a name, but not a reason why, or who that name was as a person. All this is found here though... And if you prefer your spy thrillers a bit more absorbing, and intriguing and a little less hyperactive and actiony (more La Carre than Captain America) then you'll probably love this more than the Damon film(s). While overall, this style feels like it was probably a little dated even at the time of first showing compared to what was around it (the production feels more like 70s, or at most early 80s), and Chamberlain is a little hard to accept as a Bourne straight off... (Looking a bit like the ridiculous Roger Moore of his later Bond years - an ageing man lumbering around action sequences with frequent and obvious stunt double cuts) ... he gets into his stride as it goes along, and is even a bit handy (within reason) in later action segments. The other dynamic that has been altered, that is greatly to this version's benefit, is the relationship between the Bourne character and the female lead character (Jaclyn Smith)... there's more substance here... While in the newer versions, she is basically a damsel in distress, there only to bear an awed witness to what Damon can do with a rolled up copy of Woman's Weekly (tee-hee :), or maybe even a toothpick or pool noodle to his ill starred adversaries... (Anything in Damon's hands is a lethal weapon folks!) ...here, she starts off as the abductee, but becomes over time an investigative partner, and even instigator of certain scenes... so they end up as almost a n equal pair in the whole matter. Some great scenes between the pair with good dialogue, and well acted. (Saphire and Steel, or Dempsey and Makepeace kind of thing?). So while Chamberlain is struggling initially with a flight of stairs, or the concept of "jogging", while Damon's doing cartwheels on the moon, this is more substantial, makes more sense, and action aside, is actually, probably a better "movie"! - more rewarding, story wise anyway. Damon's version(s) can't be beat for a high intensity, bad-ass, arms and legs revolving like a squid in a washing machine kung-fu fest, whilst leaping from rooftops and all that jazz... ...but if you want something more real, this is better. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 2nd Apr 2020		DVD Box Set Magnolia - Entertainment In Video (2000)	Rated 10/10 A curious blend of dark, gritty and tragic with the bizarrely comic and absurd. Still is, and ever will be Paul Thomas Anderson's Masterpiece (better than the overdone and just plain bleak Crash, An ensemble character study of a collection of people who are either closely related or more loosely so, but all bearing some relationship to the others by degrees, and how those relationships change when set against a surreal set of circumstances which act as a catalyst: ...A couple pretty offensive types who are broken down during the course of the movie to reveal their humanity, while other more genial ones are revealed to have the darkest undertones, and even a few weaker people discovering some real strength, A must see. Very moving, well orchestrated, quirky, odd, and has Philip Seymour Hoffman's most devastatingly human role as a carer for the terminally ill, Tom Cruise doing the full obnoxious bit (initially), and a brilliant set of soundtrack songs by Aimee Mann. (but the whole cast is excellent too). Watch it... Watch it now! :) 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 14th Mar 2017		DVD Orlando - Artificial Eye (2003)	Review This is quite a rare DVD... (Not necessarily valuable though) ... and God knows it was hard enough to find when I originally bought it. And that's because it was a bit "niche", and arty. I first saw it on T.V (might have been channel 4) in the early nineties, not long after it came out, and the T.V listings write-up got my interest (and there was nothing else on at the time as I recall)... and I was absolutely blown away by it.... It is a magical film. Based on the book by Virginia Woolf, of a fictional biography of the titular Orlando, who moves through history, changing sex (gender, that is) as he (originally) goes, becoming a woman through some spontaneous supernatural means... this doesn't matter really how or why, as that's not the point... it's about gender politics at different points in history, from the unique perspective of one person who gets to see both perspectives. ...But then, at the same time, it's probably more accurate to say that it's not about gender specifically, but rather the simple pursuit of happiness and personal fulfilment, but set in the context of those issues, and how all that nonsense just complicates this humble aspiration. with both points of view having their own particular set of concerns, responsibilities, inhibitions, and against each set of bias and prejudices. But for all that, it's just a beautifully shot, fantastically realised film that asts some kind of a spell on you when you watch it, that never lets go after you have. It's also one of those rare instances where it's ten times better than the book it was adapted from too... this is concise, and poetic, whereas the book (at the risk of upsetting a pack of Virignia's Woolves :) is just dull, and boring... Of course, all the raw material is there in the book, the inventive and highly original idea, but it isn't an inspiring read I don't think. As for this particular DVD issue itself, it's an early-ish issue on this format, and T.Vs were probably only half the size they are now, and this means that while this gives you a great picture on anything up to say, a 30" screen, I have found it gets a little bit misty and unresolved on a 40" screen... and the tracking of the movement in one or two scenes is a little juddery.. It has since been re-issued on DVD, and Blu-ray, and this very edition was given away with a newspaper not that long ago... in which case, I'd advise anyone who just wants the film on a smaller screen (less than 30") to go for this, or the newspaper freebie, but over that, get one of the re-issues instead. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 11th Jan 2016		DVD Box Set Star Wars Trilogy - Lucasfilm (2004)	Review I watched Empire Strikes Back the other night from this set, and the picture really looks great, even on a 40" screen - absolutely pin sharp (Through an up-scaling DVD player). So I briefly checked Star Wars (OK... The New Hope!), and Return Of the Jedi, and the same can be said of those. (Empire stands up a little better though, as it is the least "messed around with" in terms of revisionist effects etc... still bugs me that Boba Fet's voice has been changed though, even though he only has a couple of breif lines). 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 1st Jun 2015		DVD The Good, The Bad And The Ugly - MGM (2004)	Rated 10/10 Watched this again last night... gets better every time you see it. It's one of those films that is longer than you remember it being (Even before the added footage for this edition: this comes in at 2h:51m), but it doesn't feel long. (Compare that with another epic like 2001: A Space Odyssey, where the reverse is true... it's a lot shorter than you think... just the subject, tone, and atmosphere makes it feel longer). I'm really finding out which of my DVDs can make the jump to a larger screen without losing resolution. This one does it with ease, mainly due to the top job of remastering and restoring they did for this release... looks and sounds great. The extra footage added is an extended Tuco torture scene, which is quite brutal, but contributes to reinforcing the idea of what a tough sod Tuco (Eli Wallach) is, and what a shit Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) is, and the feeling between them... ...also is a fairly brief exchange between Clint's: Blondie character, and Tuco, as they ride away from the monastery which, while consisting of only a few words, is a little jarring for the fact that their voices were added a good 30 years after they filmed the scene (A distinctive quality of Sergio Leone's films, is the "Looped" voice tracks (overdubbed at a later date)). With this scene being cut before they went to the sound studio, no original voice track existed for it in the first place, so they had to make one for the restoration. Eli Wallach had quite a gruff voice anyway, and the couple of words he speaks you don't really notice much... but Clint Eastwood's voice sounds very old, coming out of the mouth of his younger self. And I'm not sure this small scene adds anything to the film anyway... so a bit unnecessary, but doesn't disturb the film greatly. It's clear that this film is all about Eli Wallach's character Tuco, being the most rounded character in the movie, and Clint, and Van Cleef's characters are actually paper thin... mere icons (the later is actually not so great a feature of the movie, particularly in the second half, and until the end), but both make such a strong impression that it's easy to overlook what Tuco is for this film, and how good Eli Wallach is at playing him. Is this film in the Library of Congress? ....It bloody well ought to be! If it were literature, it would undoubtedly be referred to as one of the Great American Novels, but it's certainly qualifies as being a Great American Movie. 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 22nd May 2015		DVD Excalibur - Warner Home Video (2000)	Review This is one of those weird early cases made of card, with a plastic tray seated in it with a plastic hook over clasp... I don't know what they are called. This is still the best film of Arthurian Legend by a long stretch. Any attempt, as has been tried a few times recently on both TV and Cinema, to place King Arthur as a historical figure entirely misses the point of the legend that was created, and accrued it's essential elements over a couple of centuries (from 13th -15th). ... as such, they lack the power to act on the imagination they way they his legend intended to. Anyone wanting get into Arthurian Legend should start here, as it has successfully used the strange dialects and language style found in those mediaeval books, justmade slightly more intelligible for a modern audience. It is best to learn the legend backwards, with the more recent, and complete legend as this summarises, and then go to the various components. My recommended reading list: T. H White: The Once And Future King (Comprised of Three Books, the first of which: The Sword In The Stone, was the basis for Disney's animation. Suitable for early teens, it is largely contemporary with The Lord Of The Rings, and The Chronicles Of Narnia, and philosophically deals with ideas of justice, society, and Good Leadership... some of the most brilliant writing I've ever read too, as Arthur is transformed into various animals by Merlin to teach him about their social structures through experience... also mentioned in X-Men) then: Sir Thomas Malory: Le Morte D'Arthur (The Death Of Arthur) (Which White drew from, and was the first to bring all the elements together in one narrative) Geoffery Of Monmouth: History Of The Kings Of Britain (Bit of a charlatan and mischief maker... Merlin And Arthur stories small parts of the book, and are separate from each other, yet linked... set in motion the popularisation of Arthur among the British) Cretien De Troyes: Arthurian Romances Wolfram Von Eschenbach: Parzival (Cretien's Book has a few stories about knights from the round table on quest, including the unfinished book The Story Of The Grail (Perceval), which Eschenbach retold, and concluded. Percival is the original finder of the grail, as Gallahad had not yet been created by Malory in his stead) Robort De Boron: Various tales Gawain And The Green Knight The Mabinogion The High Book Of The Grail Further reading: Alfred Lord Tennyson: Idylls Of the King (From which Kate Bush drew: "The Ninth Wave") Edmund Spenser: The Fairie Queen (Arthur appears occasionally to help the knights on quest) And from there, the endless array of Arthurian literature that exists. But you won't find any historical evidence! Bede The Venerable: Ecclesiastical history of the English People mentioneth him not, but works like this can prove useful in building a picture of the truth. 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?