Comments on: Keeping Track (August 9, 2012)

By: Nir Shalev

Nir Shalev — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 23:15:21 +0000

And the Blu-ray version of Hondo looks nice, mostly. Once in a long while a single shot looks slightly faded or out of focus, but mostly the video transfer to HD looks really nice. And what I liked about Peyton Place is how perfect everything looked. The costumes, the set design, the old-school look of that New England town (which still looks like that!), and the terrific cinematography. The more perfect that everything looked the more biting the social commentary. And as for The Bad and the Beautiful... it's a brilliant film. I love Turner and [Kirk] Douglas in the film; they are magnificent and so is the film. And I'll never forget the first time that I watched The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946). The look on John Garfield's face when he sees Lana Turner for the first time is the same look that I had on my face. Like that cartoon wolf, his mouth hitting the floor and his eye popping out... She is the best Hollywood blonde, hands down. In looks and talent.

By: Helen

Helen — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 14:04:57 +0000

I’m intrigued by your recommendation of PEYTON PLACE. Speaking of Lana Turner, I’m sure you’ve seen THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL? One of the great Hollywood on Hollywood films, and it has the Turner performance I like the best.

HONDO is great. It was locked up by the Wayne estate for years so nobody had watched it for a long time! I was happy to see it come out on DVD a few years ago.

By: Nir Shalev

Nir Shalev — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 02:56:20 +0000

The following list is based on recent purchases and each viewing was actually my first: At Home The Grapes of Wrath (Blu-ray)- yup, it's an amazing film. Although I prefer Ford's Westerns to his dramas you can't ever go wrong with hiring Henry Fonda. :O) Hondo (Blu-ray)- now I know why this film is concidered a classic! And to think that all I needed to do was watch it! lol Peyton Place (1957)- a very melancholic and nostalgic film (yes, even though I was born in '81!) that's terrifically shot and acted, and stars Hollywood's greatest blonde (and my favourite one, also) Lana Turner. Von Ryan's Express- a really cool, thoroughly entertaining and often gripping WWII train escape film that stars Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard. It's also, coincidentally from the same director as Peyton Place. Spider Forest- often creepy, terrifically thought provoking, and contains a plot that sucks you in to the end. Also, amazing performances and cinematography. Will Penny- Charlton heston was awesome and so is this film, which btw co-stars Donald Pleasence, Bruce Dern, Ben Johnson, Lee Majors, and Slim Pickens. Lastly, I'd recently picked up the Criterion Blu-ray version of Carlos (yes the 5 1/2 hour masterpiece about the most famous terrorist ever) and I do plan to watch it sometime this week. Or maybe sometime next week...