LEGEND Blu-Ray Thread

[AndyDursin]

I emailed Charlie last night -- he had no idea this was coming so who knows what package Universal is going to release on Blu-Ray.

Hopefully it's the Director's Cut (or both versions) and not just the US theatrical edit which Universal threatened to release on HD-DVD.

[Monterey Jack]

Yay, Ridley Scott's worst movie in high-def!

[Eric W.]

No thanks.

[Paul MacLean]

Whatever it's faults, Legend is still one of the best-designed, best-photographed and best-scored films ever made.



I'd still rather watch Legend than The Lord of the Rings.

[AndyDursin]

Ridley Scott's worst movie? No way. Not even close.

Despite LEGEND's deficiencies it's one of the most gorgeously photographed films I've ever seen as Paul said, and Goldsmith's brilliant score -- one of his very best of his entire career -- makes it a favorite for me in HD. The story is weak, the drama's not well developed -- but it doesn't matter because aesthetically I'm a big fan.

[Eric W.]

The restored Legend with Goldsmith's score is definitely different from the old butcher job with that Tangerine Dream music.

The movie is fascinating to watch more for what could have been. I sorely wish it hadn't been all confined to soundstages and it's a shame the writing couldn't have been beefed up more.

The thing reeks of untapped potential and even "as is" they sure hit some marks right.

Easily one of Goldsmith's all time best scores.

[AndyDursin]

Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!

[Monterey Jack]

I'd still rather watch Legend than The Lord of the Rings.

[Monterey Jack]

Ridley Scott's worst movie? No way. Not even close.

It's HIDEOUS (I loved one critic's quote, "Tim Curry resembles an overripe candied apple. So does the movie" ). No matter which cut I've watched, despite some pretty photography and Goldsmith's score, it's flat-out UNWATCHABLE. It's painfully 80's in the worst way imaginable.

[mkaroly]

Ridley Scott's worst movie? No way. Not even close.

Despite LEGEND's deficiencies it's one of the most gorgeously photographed films I've ever seen as Paul said, and Goldsmith's brilliant score -- one of his very best of his entire career --

I agree with this, especially Goldsmith's scoring for the wraith/seduction ballet scene.

[Paul MacLean]

It's HIDEOUS (I loved one critic's quote, "Tim Curry resembles an overripe candied apple. So does the movie" ).

Rob Bottin's devil make-up actually got positive notices from other critics, and Bottin in fact received Legend's one and only Oscar nomination.



Whatever it's production difficulties and critical reception, Legend's visual style (like Blade Runner's) was a tremendously influential, informing the look of many subsequent productions (including The Lord of the Rings).

[Paul MacLean]

[/quote]

I also find it ironic that you would express your misgivings about Legend by posting a clip from a film which is 100 times worse that anything Ridley Scott ever made.

[AndyDursin]

It's painfully 80's in the worst way imaginable.

The Director's Cut does not come across as being an "80s movie" or a product of its era any more than BLADE RUNNER or ALIEN is. Now, I grant you that the Tangerine Dream score, ill-conceived as it is, makes the U.S. cut into a 90 minute MTV video -- the Goldsmith score, on the other hand, gives the film a timeless fantasy quality.

Certainly won't be any more dated in 10 or 20 years than LORD OF THE RINGS with its computer graphics and cinematography will date the film as a product of the late '90s/early 21st century.

It's HIDEOUS

HANNIBAL is a total piece of cinematic excrement with zero redeeming value in any shape or form. If you think that's a better movie, you're certainly welcome to it.

Like I said, LEGEND has its shortcomings -- but I watch it for the music and the cinematography, which is three-quarters of the movie anyway.

For that reason, I would rank it over many of Scott's other films, from HANNIBAL to SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME, MATCHSTICK MEN, and the great majority of his recent outings: A GOOD YEAR, BODY OF LIES (fell asleep), KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (ditto), ROBIN HOOD (ditto again), and AMERICAN GANGSTER, which was also a patently mediocre film.

I admit the story is flawed, but its brilliance aesthetically makes it far more compelling to watch on repeat view than any of his lesser films, most of which are just boring (and that goes for most of his recent outings, which feel like they were made on auto-pilot).

Actually, come to think of it, it's been a long while since Scott made a really good movie.

[Eric W.]

<snip> Invasion of Body snatchers pic yet again</snip>

This was funny about maybe 100 times ago. Overdue for a new gimmick.




As for Legend, I'd rather just enjoy Goldsmith's masterpiece on its own and make of it with whatever I want vs. sitting through that movie over and over again although I do admit that the restored version with his score is a considerably better viewing experience, mostly on aesthetics, vs the original 90 minute abomination.


The thing that was fascinating for me to watch in the restored Legend was how much they did get being completely confined to soundstages although I SORELY wish they had not been, particularly in scenes where you're supposed to see bright sunshine and such.

Despite that, there's no question there's some GORGEOUS imagery in the thing and combined with Goldsmith's music it's spellbinding.

But that's where I have to jump off the Legend praise bandwagon.

I might get the Blu cheap at some point in an Amazon cleanup run if I feel like it. It's not a priority for me.




LOTR...age and reflection aren't going to be too kind to it, particularly with the overuse of CGI, which has just been a plague in too many movies for at least the last decade.

For me, LOTR is something I'll watch once with each major format change and that's about it. The music is sadly, mostly a throw away. Goldsmith's Legend score, ironically, is a LOT closer to what LOTR really should have sounded like and does at least to me. Same goes for Krull and some other scores.

Howard Shore is a forgettable mediocrity in the end IMO. I sorely wish any number of composers other than him had gotten that gig.



Ridley Scott: Gladiator is a very good movie and the expanded Kingdom of Heaven is, albeit flawed, a good movie as well IMO. After that I'll basically agree with Andy. He's pumped out a lot of crap, albeit in some cases, good looking crap.

[AndyDursin]

The thing that was fascinating for me to watch in the restored Legend was how much they did get being completely confined to soundstages although I SORELY wish they had not been, particularly in scenes where you're supposed to see bright sunshine and such.

See that's actually what I like about the film so much. I loved the whole look of the movie, it seemed "outdoorsy" even though it was shot on spectacular sets. Part of the magic of cinematic illusion as it were...it doesn't need to be "real," just real enough so you believe its world and environment. From Scott to Alex Thomson and the production designers, I find LEGEND to the most unique looking films ever made.

Now, if they had come up with a story that matched that, it would've been a classic.