AndyDursin wrote:I actually didn't care for BIG FISH myself. Burton trying to go "mainstream" -- the results just left me cold.

Actually one of my least favorite films of his

The fantasy segments of the film had plenty of "Burtonesque" elements to them (circuses and scary clowns, midgets, gnarly trees, ect.), at least for me. Apes is probably the most depersonalised, workmanlike film Burton has made to date (albiet, like the first Batman, at least enjoyable).

The Satan Bug (8 of 10)
-Underrated thriller from the 60s. Glad I got introduced to this film and Goldsmith's score!

Eric Paddon wrote:The Satan Bug (8 of 10)
-Underrated thriller from the 60s. Glad I got introduced to this film and Goldsmith's score!

Is that on DVD in region 1?

No, I was watching my DVD-R transferred from a TCM airing long ago.

Corpse Bride (2005): 8.5/10

Helena Bonham Carter is one disturbingly comely cadaver.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2007): 9.5/10

"At last...my arm is complete again!"



It's been a blast to revisit Burton's entire filmography in order over the past few weeks. Bring on Alice!

I wasn't crazy about CORPSE BRIDE. I own it and it's alright, but it's no NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. I also got tarred and feathered on FSM for not liking Elfman's songs -- but I stand by my initial opinion. Not very memorable and really slowed the movie down.

IMO of course.

I was just listening to the score for SWEENY TODD yesterday- another excellent Burton film....at least even with SLEEPY HOLLOW for me.

Finally, I have my Laser Disc player hooked up for the first time in years (and can transfer things to DVD!) so I can settle down and watch some titles that remain elusive on DVD (55 Days At Peking; Circus World; Samson And Delilah; Show Boat)

Eric Paddon wrote:Finally, I have my Laser Disc player hooked up for the first time in years (and can transfer things to DVD!) so I can settle down and watch some titles that remain elusive on DVD (55 Days At Peking; Circus World; Samson And Delilah; Show Boat)

Hope it works out. More than once I've taken the trouble to transfer things to DVD -- only for them to get official releases soon after!

LOL, well we do know in the case of the two Bronston movies we will *not* be seeing a DVD release any time soon. The sales on "El Cid" and "Fall Of The Roman Empire" put an end to that, sadly.

I saw Young Victoria the other day. I'll have to add this to my list of last decade's best. Not as flashy, gimmicky or "socially relevant" as the other Oscar favorites, but astonishingly good storytelling, and a rich, fascinating (and very touching) glimpse into a significant era in history.

The only flaw was the ludicrous Sinead O'Connor song over the end credits. (Fortunately it doesn't appear during the film itself.)

36 Hours (1965) (7 of 10)

-There has always been something about James Garner that can rub me the wrong way if the property isn't just right. Liked him on "Maverick", didn't care for him on "Rockford Files" and in his feature films it's also hit and miss. I shut off "Americanization Of Emily" because I couldn't stand him after a while, but OTOH, this one he's just fine and the movie overall is intriguing, with Rod Taylor really giving the more interesting performance IMO. The chief weakness is that the last 20 minutes after Garner and Eva Marie Saint escape tend to drag.

Images (1972): 6.5/10

Offbeat, eerie physchological thriller seems to make little sense (and I watched it while tired, a lethal combination), yet it's well-performed, moodily photographed by Vilmos Zsigmond, and boasts a brilliant John Williams score that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that's he's more than capable of writing more than peppy, Olympics-style marches.

Around The World In 80 Days (1956) 7.5 of 10.

This film's reputation as a classic is deserved but I fear it's the kind of classic that a modern audience can never truly appreciate the way a 1956 audience could. The film really has the thinnest of plot overall, and the characters are not too well-drawn even over three hours. The selling point of this film was that it was a travelogue of a kind no one had ever seen before, giving them views of parts of the world in stunning color and widescreen splendor that was a real novelty. The audience then could easily lose themselves amidst the cinematographic images in a way that today's audience that can see the parts of the world they'll never visit on their computer I don't think are capable of doing.

The other problem I have is that how could Niven have gone completely across America without realizing it was one day earlier than he thought it was??? You'd think someone would have told him what day it was and he'd have had the International Date Line matter figured out then!