Films (Almost Entirely Surround)

[4-earredwonder]

I watched all 189 minutes of director Damien Chazelle's BABYLON last night and frankly came away with a sense of awe unlike most movie critics who found Chazelle's excursion into early Hollywood movie making excessive and scattered!

The production design and principal [and even ancillary] actors were superb with a special shout out to Mexican actor Diego Calva who I felt was the heart and soul of Babylon.

I truly believe Chazelle captured the decadence of an era in pre~code Hollywood to a tee. The Roaring Twenties was aptly portrayed and the early days of silent cinema were anything but glamorous with dusty and dangeous shoots which often ended in chaos and even death!

And the transition to talkies which spelled doom and gloom for many of its acclaimed silent film stars was perfectly encapsulated.

Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie are outstanding in their respective roles and in fact, all of Babylon's myriad of performers are likewise perfect with the sequences with a 'bizarre' Toby Maguire over the top.

If you have any love for early cinema and can commit three hours of your time, by all means 'experience' Damien Chazelle's BABYLON which I feel over time will demand reappraisal and become somewhat of a cult favorite because despite all of its excesses it captured a period in time when the nation itself was 'reeling' from a reckless abandonment of rationality after experiencing the ravages of World War I, a bird flu epidemic which wiped out a chunk of the world's then population with a nascent Hollywood USA beginning to find its legs!

Paramount's Native UHD4K disc is uniformly excellent and kudos to all involved in the making of this frenzy of a film ... and critics be damned!

 

[4-earredwonder]

Until TOMORROW at 12 Noon, Criterion is offering a FLASH 50% off sale on their films including UHD4K BUT NOT including Pre~Orders:

https://www.criterion.com

 

[Marplot]

Anyone have an opinion on the Trilogy Of Life box set?
Pier Paolo Pasolini's
The Decameron
The Canterbury Tales
Arabian Nights

 

[4-earredwonder]

Current list of Criterion 4K releases [some are pre~orders and NOT eligible for discount]

https://www.criterion.com/shop/browse?format=4k_ultra_hd

 

[4-earredwonder]

For those interested A24 FILMS is releasing a native UHD4K edition of THE LIGHTHOUSE from director Robert Eggers [HDR10/Dolby Vision/DTS~HD MA 5.1]

https://shop.a24films.com/products/the-lighthouse-collectors-edition?variant=39934018519089

 

[cdheer]

Until TOMORROW at 12 Noon, Criterion is offering a FLASH 50% off sale on their films including UHD4K BUT NOT including Pre~Orders:

https://www.criterion.com

Yanno, every time someone posts one of these sales, it costs me money.

I'm not blaming anyone. Just sayin'.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Highdefdigest's MUST OWN Review of Criterion and director Michael Curtiz's MILDRED PIERCE [Native UHD4K/HDR/LPCM MONO]

https://ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/113121/mildredpierce4kultrahdbluraythecriterioncollection.html

 

[~dave~~wave~]

Anyone have an opinion on the Trilogy Of Life box set?
Pier Paolo Pasolini's
The Decameron
The Canterbury Tales
Arabian Nights

Buyer beware.
Very bizzare, very of it's time, much nudity, much sex of AC/DC swinging both ways variety.
I made it all the way through Arabian Nights during lockdown when I was in the proper mood.
There is a golden phallus at the tip of the arrow, for example.

Kind of a Fellini Satyricon or Roma vibe, but without the big budget production values.
Do some reading or find some clips,
I've seen some of this streaming on the Criterion Channel.
An acquired taste, let's say
YMMV

If you already ordered it, await your impressions.

 

[Marplot]

Thanks. That is pretty much what I expected. With the release of Pier Paolo Pasolini's 60's output coming up I was wondering if I should check out his 70's output before jumping in.
Having read quite a bit about him over the last few weeks, he is certainly an interesting person but I'm not sure his work is my cuppa.

 

[kap'n krunch]

Saw the 50% off and jumped at getting Baron "Manchusen" on BD (I think 4K is like 192 KHz sample rate.. overkill) at Criterion

BTW, so great seeing Sarah Polley, the child daughter of the film, getting an Oscar!

 

[4-earredwonder]

From thedigitalbits:

On May 30th, Kino Lorber will release Charles Laughton's remarkable THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER in UHD4K with a new scan and Dolby Vision/HDR10

https://kinolorber.com/product/the-night-of-the-hunter-4kuhd

 

[4-earredwonder]

Highdefdigest's HIGHLY RECOMMENDED review of Matthew Robbins DRAGONSLAYER [Native UHD4K/HDR10/Dolby Vision/Dolby ATMOS]

https://ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/113340/dragonslayer4kultrahdbluraysteelbook.html
edit: My steelbook edition arrived today!

 

[4-earredwonder]

Watched Jordan Peele's incredible NOPE on Amazon Prime [4K/HDR] last night and can VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. Peele has fashioned a doozy of a sci fi film enlisting an exceptional cast, most notably Daniel Kuluuya in the lead role, as a struggling owner of a horse ranch in California after his father mysteriously dies following a bizarre 'ET' [?] experience.

Unique in his approach to filmmaking, Peele refuses to follow a linear form of storytelling instead opting to thrust his talented and frankly 'kooky' cast into a true terrestial sci fi adventure which over a two hour plus runtime engages the audience without wasting a second.

I had put off watching Peele's latest film as I was not a big fan of his last film US but NOPE is an entirely different animal echoing his break out film GET OUT which I thoroughly enjoyed, especially upon a second viewing.

NOPE is DOPE! By all means experience it if you have any love for sci fi done right. The Production values and immersive soundfield will leave you gasping for more.

Cannot wait for his next opus! And perhaps I should give US a second viewing, as well!

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Nope-4K-Blu-ray/320287/#Review

 

[timothyemerson]

Watched Jordan Peele's incredible NOPE on Amazon Prime [4K/HDR] last night and can VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. Peele has fashioned a doozy of a sci fi film enlisting an exceptional cast, most notably Daniel Kuluuya in the lead role, as a struggling owner of a horse ranch in California after his father mysteriously dies following a bizarre 'ET' [?] experience.

Unique in his approach to filmmaking, Peele refuses to follow a linear form of storytelling instead opting to thrust his talented and frankly 'kooky' cast into a true terrestial sci fi adventure which over a two hour plus runtime engages the audience without wasting a second.

I had put off watching Peele's latest film as I was not a big fan of his last film US but NOPE is an entirely different animal echoing his break out film GET OUT which I thoroughly enjoyed, especially upon a second viewing.

NOPE is DOPE! By all means experience it if you have any love for sci fi done right. The Production values and immersive soundfield will leave you gasping for more.

Cannot wait for his next opus! And perhaps I should give US a second viewing, as well!

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Nope-4K-Blu-ray/320287/#Review

I dug Nope too. I've since given Us a second spin and enjoyed it more the second time. I think the trick to Jordan's flicks is to see them as big budget, exceptionally produced Twilight Zone episodes. I'll go in with that mindset and see if it works on his next one!

 

[4-earredwonder]

From SCREAM FACTORY and director James Wan DEAD SILENCE [Native UHD4k/HDR10/Dolby Vision/DTS~HD MA 5.1]

https://ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/113643/deadsilence4kultrahdbluray.html

 

[4-earredwonder]

Coming May 9th from Milestone Films Marcel Orphuls' THE SORROW AND THE PITY in a new 2K restoration

 

[Rhinojack]

For those interested A24 FILMS is releasing a native UHD4K edition of THE LIGHTHOUSE from director Robert Eggers [HDR10/Dolby Vision/DTS~HD MA 5.1]

https://shop.a24films.com/products/the-lighthouse-collectors-edition?variant=39934018519089

I ordered this yesterday. Came to about $54.00. Not a fan of the film but I love the packaging. I’ve watched the film a couple of times and parts of it here and there.

 

[4-earredwonder]

I ordered this yesterday. Came to about $54.00. Not a fan of the film but I love the packaging. I’ve watched the film a couple of times and parts of it here and there.

I have it on BD~V but in looking over AmazonUS reviews, if you scan to the second review outlining the Greek mythological interpretation of THE LIGHTHOUSE it will absolutely shed a new outlook on Egger's perplexing film:

https://www.amazon.com/Lighthouse-B...tv&sprefix=the+lighthouse,movies-tv,92&sr=1-3

 

[4-earredwonder]

Germany's Turbine Media is releasing Rick Rosenthal's BAD BOYS starring Sean Penn in his first starring role in 4 different Mediabook Editions which not only include the Director's extended cuts but Bill Conti's original soundtrack on RBCD. Release date
March 31st. ALL editions are strictly LIMITED [1080p/1:85:1/DTS~HD MA MONO]

https://www.highdefdigest.com/news/...ks-up-4-bad-boys-1983-bluray-mediabooks/47622

 

[Rango]

I was looking for "meditative" films recently, after watching After Yang (2021)

I found a few, of which, I thought three might be worth looking at...?... but I've not watched them yet, so...no idea what the sound quality is like, or even if they're in 5.1, but here they are:

Latcho Drom (1993)


Baraka (1992)


Koyaanisqatsi (1982)


After Yang (2021) opening credits: