LJG765

Happy belated birthday! I have often thought of doing a full watch in order of the Disney animated films. I've never quite pulled the trigger but I think I may just do it at some point. Do you also include the Pixar films or DTV/Sequels as well or do you just stick to the "official" animated releases?

Fist of Doom Jr

I'm pretty sure it was Peter Jackson's idea to make The Hobbit a trilogy. I thought there might be enough to stretch it into two films - the Battle of the Five Armies is a very small part of the book, and Gandalf's doings are largely "off-screen" in the book IIRC - but three was too much.

As for the challenge, I've been pretty pitiful so far, but hoping to be more active the second half of the month.

BobO'Link

Yes, it was Jackson who first put forward making it into a trilogy, expanding on Gandalf's "off-screen" book material and adding the appendix of "The Return of the King" for the extra material. del Toro was originally going to do 2 films with the first being solely the novel and the 2nd a "bridge" type film to get from The Hobbit to Jackson's trilogy, telling a related but different tale than in The Hobbit, likely drawing from the various appendixes in the novels (basically what they had the rights us use). He then decided there was enough story in The Hobbit to make it work as 2 films which were going to be pretty much the entire text of the book with the end leading directly into Jackson's trilogy - no more "bridge" film.

mrcellophane

Thanks! I'm sticking to the official animated releases and ranking them as I go. My plan is to rewatch all the Pixar films in release order after finishing Disney. It's been a fun journey. I was five when the Disney Renaissance kicked off so the company was a huge part of my childhood. I was inspired to do a rewatch by an episode of the podcast Screen Drafts in which a group of drafters created a list of the Top 35 Disney Animated Features. The list was completely bonkers, and I figured I could do a better one.

LJG765

Agree, 3 movies were too much! They just didn't have the same feel/excitement/quality as the LotRs trilogy.

There's still plenty of time to get more watches in! I'm currently on vacation with family this week and am slowed down to one or so a day (I'm more of a night owl, so get some down time after most of them go to bed.) But we still have a lot of July left to watch!

I thought I had heard sometime to this effect. I think 3 stretched the material too far.

Very fun! I was a bit older with the Renaissance going on, but still young enough to love them all. The very first film I remember seeing in the theater was Snow White. (I've been told my first ever film was at a drive-in theater of one of Elvis's films.) And I was hooked.

I'll have to see if I can find that podcast and be appropriately dismayed myself. I'm following someone on TikTok that is making a granny square blanket, one square for each of her favorite Disney films. It's slightly driving me crazy as she's added in Pixar, DTV AND things like Nightmare Before Christmas where it wasn't released under the Disney animation label. She's a talented knitter but I would argue against some of her choices!

BobO'Link

And I failed to answer your first question. The new TV looks very good with The Two Towers. It's one of those things were some movies "need" larger screens because of all that's going on visually. I'm totally surprised that the CGI still holds up very well. Other movies from that era (looking at you, Harry Potter films) don't look as good (in all fairness, the CGI in the early Harry Potter films was always a bit sketchy so...).

I gave consideration to watching The Return of the King last night but after I'd done some things that needed doing, ate, and got ready for bed it was 7ish and I knew I'd not be able to stay awake for the entire thing. I really want to get it in this week sometime though. After several years of single day marathoning the 3 extended versions it's rather refreshing to watch them spread across several days. I still remember leaving the theater after seeing "Fellowship" and turning to my son saying "I want the next one *now*!!" Of course it was a year before that happened and it still worked. He and I watched all three during their respective opening week and I purchased copies of the extended versions on DVD before I owned a stand-alone player (had to watch on my computer - I'd built a top-line gaming system with a DVD drive anticipating games being released on DVD - there *may* have been a few but those I purchased were all on CDs).

LJG765

I'm glad it looks good! It's been a few years since I've rewatched them (all this talk is making me want to though!) but I do know that they still looked nice. You're right that a lot of times CGI does not age well and I'm always impressed when it does. You know they spent a bit more time, energy and money on those.

My journey to the extended versions was a bit longer. I watched the movies in the theater as they came out, but only got the regular versions on DVD at the time. A few years later, I was more interested and Big Lots was really getting a lot of discs in-remember those days? So I ended up getting the big extended sets for the first two, and a smaller one of the 3rd, I think? Eventually, I was able to upgrade to BRs but kept the big sets for the bonus features.

I also won a contest around that time and the prize was one of the LotR CD-ROM games but I don't know that I ever played it!

BobO'Link

A couple of nights ago I watched my new BR "upgrade" of The Devil Bat. It's better than the DVD though still looks rough at times, something I blame on unavailability of the OCN. It is, after all, a minor "B" movie from a "Poverty Row" studio in the 40s and the flaws are printed into the best surviving copy of the film. It would require *major* restoration/cleanup to get it looking better, something which would not be cost effective for this title. It's still quite enjoyable and somewhat wacky with its premise of a scientist who creates an aftershave lotion that attracts giant killer bats (that he also created in his lab) to get revenge on people who've wronged him in various business dealings. Lugosi is very good and the film is actually a bit better than it should be.

It originally appeared on a double-bill with Man Made Monster, a title I also own on BR. In hindsight, I should have pulled it for a double feature viewing.

Fun Fact: This title was remade by the same studio, practically shot for shot, as The Flying Serpent (1946) starring George Zucco. The primary difference is use of a Quetzalcoatl's feather planted on a victim which attracts the creature. I own a copy of that one on DVD and should pull it for a viewing. Kind of depends on how much of the unwatched stack I get through with what's left of the month.

mrcellophane

It's a fun, frustrating podcast that often puts out extremely long, involved episodes. (Their episode ranking all of the Pixar films is a truly unhinged, crazy time.) I feel you about the TikTok knitter. What is and isn't part of the Disney Animated Features is one of the only things I get pedantic about, and I find myself unable to correct someone when then lump in Pixar or post-Disney Don Bluth films or things that Disney acquired/distributed under different labels. I remember years ago being very annoyed with someone who argued that The Brave Little Toaster was part of the Disney canon; I'm sure I was equally annoying!

coyoteblue

Watched Sky Pirates (1986), tonight, for the first time. It's an Australian Indy lite (there are some cool stunts and you can tell they were making an effort, so I'll say lite instead of wannabe). Basically it's a chase movie to retrieve/save a mystical MacGuffin. One of the highlights was a Raiders/Road Warrior mashup at about the half-way point of the film. Kooky. And there aren't any pirates, sky or otherwise, so I don't know why they decided to call it Sky Pirates. Still, it moves at a brisk pace, has a goofy charm and is surprisingly murdery. Worth a watch and a revisit somewhere down the line.

LJG765

I try not to be too annoying about it, but if asked...no holds barred! One of my pet peeves is A Goofy Movie which a lot of people like and include...and trying to explain the difference between types of Disney films to a non-fan. Nope, not worth it! But you have now really made me curious about that podcast!

BobO'Link

Last night I watched Ghostbusters: Afterlife, not really expecting much considering the rather "meh" 2016 relaunch/remake. It surprised me by being fairly good and having tons of Easter Eggs for the original. The cast mostly works, though it *does* have too much of a "kid vibe" going on, and the vfx are well done. The stand out performance is from 4th billed McKenna Grace (playing Egon's granddaughter) who has several nice deadpan jokes and great energy for the role. Some things feel like they're in the movie for no other reason than call-backs to the original (the mini Stay-Puft marshmallow men in particular - though there is a fun sequence with them in a grocery store) but they're not all that intrusive. It also kind of falls into overly sentimental territory at the end with the ghost of Egon Spenger (Bob Gunton) making a kind of "Obi-Wan" appearance. All in all, I like this one better than Ghostbusters II, which, to me, feels like a cash grab movie.

brainee

It got bad reviews (42% at RT) but I kind of enjoyed the sequel to this too: Frozen Empire. Nothing groundbreaking, but more Ghostbuster adventures that mixes in the "classic" characters with the new.

I knew I wouldn't watch much this month, but I'm working my way through some series seasons. The Boys, House of the Dragon, The Acolyte, Dead Boy Detectives, X-Men '97. I started Scavengers Reign (on Netflix) and that has a striking, creepy vibe to it.

LJG765

Since I'm up at the lake this week with family, most of my tv time has been at someone else's discretion. Mostly, it has been sci-fi movies which would be perfect except for the fact that we'll watch an hour, then go do something, so it hasn't really counted. One thing that really stands out to me though, is the commercials. It's been a very long time since I've been at the mercy of commercials and I hadn't noticed how MANY there are and how long they are compared to the actual movie. They are taking a 2 hour movie and turning it into 4. I got 1/2 way into Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and gave up when they aired less than 5 minutes of movie and 10 minutes of commercials. Luckily, I have it on streaming, so I finished up there.

I mean, the last time I really paid attention, there was usually about 15 mins commercials to 45 mins of show. Now it seems like it's 1:1. For every hour of movie, there's an hour of commercials.

BobO'Link

When I disconnected my TV from cable and went 100% discs the commercial ratio was roughly that 15min/45min version. Like you, the last time I watched commercial TV at someone's house I was shocked at the amount of commercials and got completely turned off of the program we were attempting to watch. I timed a few and found, like your experience, the ratio of movie to commercial tended towards favoring the commercials (until the last half hour or so of the movie which had very few). The person I was with didn't seem to notice, even after I commented on the length and number of commercial breaks. It's no wonder the major networks are losing viewership with such practices, never mind the general lowering of content quality and tendency towards 15 episode "seasons" these days. With a movie like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom getting that many interruptions of those lengths can completely ruin the pacing.

BobO'Link

Last night I watched my new Impact BR release of Marooned (1969) - a first time viewing of this film for me. I'd somewhat heard of it before but never saw it. Doing a bit of research I discovered possibly why. It's about a Apollo mission where the crew is manning a orbital station for 7 months as a test for how people react to long-term exposure to space. After ~5 months, when their reaction times and acuity is worsening, they are called back the re-entry rockets fail to fire to put them in descent. They're stuck in the Apollo command module in orbit with no way to get home and not enough fuel to get back to the orbiting station. Sound kind of familiar? It hit theaters just a couple of weeks before the ill fated Apollo 13 flight and was still in theaters when that incident occurred (it opened in Japan the day Apollo 13 launched). A real case of life imitating art. While the situation is different the primary drama is quite similar and very close to home. The film also bombed at the box office, likely due to being such a close variant of what was happening in life. Who needs the film when the real thing is playing out?

In general, it's a well done film for the era with only a few instances of obvious blue-screen effects being apparent. This was also not that long after 2001, which gave us a whole new perspective on how outer space movies should look so really gives this one a lesser visual impact due to those minor issues. The drama and story are fairly good and keep you on the edge of your seat with a rescue attempt being hampered by a hurricane hitting Cape Kennedy. The shots of NASA Mission Control are quite realistic and they used actual footage of a Saturn V launch in the film (which looks spectacular). Some bits are rather cheesy, story wise, but it's not enough to detract from the overall film. In a way it's rather difficult to consider this one SF as it so closely mirrors what happened in real life in such a short time after its release. Yet it's not a film I can see modern audiences appreciating one bit. It's too dated in its approach and you're likely to just watch Apollo 13 instead (after all, that's a kind of documentary on that mission). If you're a space nut of the right age (I am) you'll be more appreciative of the effort and ignore most of the film's shortcomings.

brainee

I'm looking to rewatch The Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time in a while too. I have the Extended Editions on Blu Ray ... but I have Max and see they have them in 4K. Would be the 4K stream be the better visual experience? I have a 4K TV (LG OLED).

BobO'Link

In general, the BR disc will be the better viewing experience in both video and sound. It really comes down to your setup but it typically takes high end gear for "4K" streaming to look better than a BR disc. BR wins the sound battle hands down every time.

BobO'Link

In one of those "light bulb" moments I realized my new BR upgrade of Gas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It (1970) is a AIP/Roger Corman, which provides a few checks on the checklist (and I'd been looking over my Corman collection trying to decide which to watch for that), film so I watched it last night. It's been so long since my last viewing I'd totally forgotten how bad this one is! It also looks to be one that he did incredibly more cheaply than others. All the actors overact to the Nth degree with a script that feels/sounds like it was mostly ad-libbed. It's more interesting for watching some up-and-coming future stars: Cindy Williams, Ben Vereen, and Elaine Giftos with Giftos delivering perhaps the best performance in the film with a kind of knowingly "this is all stupid" mannerism about her. It's also the last film Corman did for AIP due to the cuts they insisted be made in the film, totally against his wishes. I've never seen that "Director's Cut," which has never had a home media release, and would hope it's better (descriptions make it sound better) as the official release is somewhat of a chaotic mess.

LJG765

First, if you're planning on joining me for the August Animation challenge, I have posted the discussion thread here. There is a poll that will close in about a week, asking what people's preferences are for extending the challenge a couple days, through Labor Day weekend, this year only.

Second, I popped in The Magic Sword, the MST3K version. Every time I watch one of the episodes, I'm impressed at how many references/jokes/commentary they insert. I always love catching a new reference or appreciating a more obscure one.

numbercrunch

Anybody watch Dune 2 2024? i just started to watch it when I saw it was available on Max, but I had to rewatch the first one.

BobO'Link

Still waiting for the physical release price to drop. I enjoyed the first part.

I *did* watch the 1984 theatrical release yesterday from a copy of the recent Via Vision release which also has the "TV" edit in HD. Of course I'd *just* upgraded my old BR to the Arrow release when the Via Vision was announced. It was quite an internal struggle to justify getting the Via Vision release just for the extended TV edit of the film, which I *do* like better, as the price for that release was much higher than I normally spend for a single title, even for special limited editions. I stumbled upon orbitdvd.com, who has it a lower price than everyone else, and added a couple of other titles with lower prices in order to use a free shipping code. That first order went quite well - fast shipping and very well packaged. I'll be using them again for some things.

numbercrunch

OrbitDVD is awesome.

brainee

I'm rewatching (watched Two Towers yesterday) and the effects hold up great. I think it's a testament to how much care was taken in the production, even compared to other "blockbusters". And there's a lot of visuals that aren't CGI. Real sets and landscapes, makeup, costumes. It really shows.

LJG765

We're getting towards the end of the month and the challenge. I hope everyone is getting their watches that they really want to see in!

Also, just want to check in with the people that are doing the check list. Is it looking pretty good? Any changes needed/suggestions for next year? I don't know if anyone keeps tabs, but I have been adding several suggestions for actors, directors to the opening post. This will likely change by the end of the month, but here's what I've added so far:

Christopher Nolan to director list? Only 7/8 credits that qualify. James Gunn? Roland Emmerich? Ridley Scott?

William Morgan Sheppard, Brent Spiner to actor's list., Christian Bale, Catherine O'Hara?, Carol Kane? Seth Green? Sebastian Stan? Donald Glover?

Christopher Lee to Classic Actor list or regular?

Philip K. Dick to Thank the Maker list?

Start rotating Director list like Actor list?

The rotating the director list is probably the big change. I kind of feel like it's starting to get a bit unwieldy. I'm wondering if we should have a big batch of names to chose from, like we do the actors, and then every year pick 10-15 names, where the goal would be to watch 5-7 of them. Right now we're at 22 (the list is also a bit bigger since we add writers and producers as well as directors). It seems to be a very slow growing list, but we have quite a few to pick from. This would give us a bit of a change every year, without having to complete a huge list.

Any other names to add? Objections to the ones I have listed?