What are you watching?

My father told me that he used to go to the movies and see two films, a newreel, a short (a two reeler), a cartoon or two and a couple of trailers. (Trailers got their name from coming AFTER the movie back then) This most have taken four to five hours. Not attention span, but that would be too long for me. So I love home video where I can sit in a very comfortable seat and a three hour movie can be paused. I now judge movie not just by time, but by bathroom Breaks. Amadeus is a three bathroom movie!

The Blu ray edition is the extended edition (by 20 minutes) of the original production. More than being a bio pic of Mozart, this is truly a bio-pic of Antonio Salieri, who was a barely adequate composer, but, apparently and pretty good conductor and teacher. The movie is basically about the rivalry and jealousy Salieri had towards Mozart and, and the same time, a recognition from him that Mozart was a damn good composer.

In an era before recorded music and movies, it was really interesting to see the structure of entertainment of that era, the later 1900s and how everyone had to adhere to Royalty and their whims. Embellishing a bit (I guess) Mozart is made out to be a bit of an out of control rock star.

Everything about this movie was good for me. F. Murray Abraham, playing Salieri, was very good and so was Time Hulce playing Mozart. The pacing was a bit slow at times. The sound and picture was 4 of 5 stars, with the picture quality changing several times throughout.

The movie won the Academy Award that year for picture, Actor (Abraham over Hulce who was also nominated) Screenplay, Art Direction, Costume, Makeup and Sound. I didn’t know this; I looked it up on the internet. I wanted to see who F Murray was nomination was up against.
 
At high school (college) I was a film projectionist. And I also took Art & Cinema History.

Plus, for many years, every Tuesday, I went to old Cinema theaters for classic (obscure) films (always two of them; one after the other).
...Not those type of Cineplex theaters, but the ones that were very old buildings (beautiful inside decors), and with a very special type of clientele (sophisticated cinema lovers).
Cinema is a big part of me; I learned about it, I worked in Theaters and projection boots (many jobs), I acted in Theaters, and I watched all films with a deep passion; I even made one film myself when I was sixteen (16mm).
I also took Photography, and I've been told that I got the "eye".

It feels sometimes lonely here but I don't mind at all.
And Blu-ray forum is mostly kids with Batman, Superman, Ironman, Transformers, and King Kong. :)

* Here's what I can do more for you guys here (the movie lovers); tell me which genre you like (romance, sci-fi, western, true stories, porns ;), mayhem (guns and blood and guts spilled all over), apocalypse, war, action, horror, comedy, etc.), and I'll recommend one or few especially for you; how's that! :)
 
Hi Bob! This should be four separate posts, but let me break it down:

You wrote, “It feels sometimes lonely here but I don't mind at all.
And Blu-ray forum is mostly kids with Batman, Superman, Ironman, Transformers, and King Kong.” If I interpreted your questions right, I really hope you don’t feel that way. We have discussed so many movies and such. I love movies, and I did look forward to the Avengers and even Superman, but I see other movies also.(The movie I am most looing forward to now is Saving Mr. Banks) These movies seem to be the most popular now, but there needs to be a “correction” here. That is, these movies take in record amounts of money not just due to the inflation of the ticket prices, but there are shown in Imax and 3D where the admission price can almost double. So they may set the record in money, but not in the actual amount of ticket buyers. Onto that, the Disney/Pixar movies probably have that record. Look at their totals and then remember that MOST of the income there is at CHILDREN’s prices. And let’s face it, younger people are the prim audiences these days for the actual movie theatres, we oldies wait until; they are out on DVD.

Rather than seeing the latest Bad News Bear movie first, I went back to the original, from 1976 with Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neil. It’s still a fun movie and it more or less holds up, although every character is a bit exaggerated. One thing that doesn’t hold up: Matthau drinks while driving throughout the movie. Not the world’s funniest movie, but it was fun.

I saw Chaplin with Robert Downey Jr for the second time, I saw it when it originally came out. Not a bad movie, but I felt it was so lacking in explaining and presenting the character fully. It kind of misses the boat and wastes so great actors.

A Highlight at 1 AM last night was a Documentary that I didn’t know about. It was on Richard Pryor and it is on Showtime. It was great. It really reveals the person, his promise and his flaws. It also revealed many things that I was not aware of. Watch it if you can.

Next up: Maybe Les Mis.
 
No you're right Barry; I don't truly feel like that. You're here, others are here too, and we're having some good discussions about movies.
And true, movies are for all ages; and stuff for kids are also fun for us.

Today I built something with a friend: a brick staircase in a garden. ...Perhaps I'll take a picture sometimes.

And today I watched something too, on youtube: Richard Kuklinski's full interview from HBO and with a top psychiatrist (two hours and twenty minutes).
I never watch stuff like that on youtube from my PC. But this time I was drawn to it.

Also today, I talked with my buddy about Syria, Israel, Iran, Libya, Africa, Europe, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, USA, Russia, China, Korea, and the control for power and money and oil and all the bandits, the mafia, the killers, the robbers, the criminals of this earth.
 
Bob,

Shh…let’s keep this just between you and me! I love music and movies and until the last decade they were not joined together, they were very separate entities.

I remember when on SNL William Shatner yelled at the Star trek Fans, “Get A Life.” Well, at risk of being thrown out of the club, I think that’s important. This is primarily, not strictly, a two channel audio site. And there is more to life than just two channel audio.

I belong to a Home Theatre group and there is more to life than home theatre.

I belong to a specialized sci fi book list and there is more to life than….well you know.

I am totally behind on everything. Recently on each site someone (nicely, really) has mentioned that I am behind in my reading, or writing, or listening or watching etc.

And come the Worlds Series I will be even more behind on everything.

But don’t tell people that you are building stairways and gardening. They might throw you out of the club!!!!!

PS: This sounds a little off, but I am a fan of movies and music, the electronics to me are just a means to an end.

Barry
 
You know what Barry: Everyone loves Music, and Movies too.
But many people are scared because they download their movies (and music) illegally (CIA & FBI). ...Maybe that's why they don't post here in this thread. ;)

Anyway, it don't matter because there are some people (like us) who are truly sophisticated about their software (only the very best), and who invested much more than their hardware. ...That's what I believe, in general.
 
Bob, you are right. But may I also give a bit of a story?

First, I’ve paid a lot of my system and I love it and want to use it to its fullest. I want to see the movie in all its glory, be it a great one such as Casablanca (in glorious black and white) or Hugo in fantastic 3D. I don’t want to see a pirated, awful version of a movie.

In the early 1980s I had Laser Discs which gave me the best picture and sound at the time. At work, someone wanted a Disney movie on tape, and could find it. I had it on Laser and made him a copy. BIG MISTAKE.

Everyone in the world then wanted me to make copies for them. First, they’d all say they’d give me a tape when I was done, but very few did. And when I gave them a taped movie, I’d use a new tape, they’d give me a very old one. So I stopped making copies unless they gave me a new tape….first!!! Boy did I get dirty looks. Now, it wasn’t just the people who I worked with, but people in the building were coming over to me. My favorite complaint, from a guy named Joe, was that there was always a few second brake in the movie when the disc had to be turned over. He wanted me to eliminate it! Finally, I said my VHS machine broke and I just had a Beta. Again people actually got mad at me.

I’ll never do that again.
 
Ok, here's my story.

I spent roughly $100,000 on the hardware (audio/video gear) over the last couple decades or so.
And I spent roughly over $500,000 on the software (Blu-rays, DVDs, CDs and SACDs) in the last twenty years or less.

I am normal. Others spend much much more ($100,000 on the hardware every month or so), or less ($50,000 on the software over the last five years or so).

Here, you have it now. Plus! I NEVER download music and movies; NEVER EVER!
That's me, that's who I am; I invested in the software (MUSIC & MOVIES), since I was twelve years old (albums).
And if I add all that I'll be over a $million dollars in my lifetime just in the software.

Now, tell me which movie you watched last, and from which format. ...Anybody. ...VHS tape, Betamax tape, Laser Disc, DVD, 8mm, 16mm, 35mm, 70mm, Imax, Blu-ray, 2D, 3D, 2K, 4k.
And how was the film (real film value; story wise and composition), audio and video wise (hi-res sound & hi-def picture).
Plus the acting if you like or dislike, and replay value if you think it's worth it.
Plus, the special features (director's commentary, intelligent and informative documentary on the film) if that's your bag too.

I'm a real sucker for movies and this thread is about that; sharing between us what we love big and love less.
Everything is important, but first and foremost the content; the movie itself (story), and the music accompanying it.
...The total entertainment, the emotional challenge, and the spiritual benefit. ...Crying, and/or laughing, or feeling the ecstasy.
...Appreciating the scenery, the cinematography, the overall togetherness (actors, story, colors, vibrations, sounds, and all).

* BTW, my Home Theater is very very humble: less than $20,000 invested. ...It does the trick. ...Oh yeah I could easily spend $200,000 to improve it further, but then I'll have to spend less on the software (Blu-rays, Criterion, Disney 3D, etc.), because that's where, for me, the true essence is; in the content, of my own contentment, provided by the true artists, ...the movie directors, the cineastes, photographers, compositors, music composers, actors and actresses, the real locales, and all that movie jazz.
 
Just finished watching this...

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