Topic: DCO third annual November Alphabet Marathon - discussion/review/banter thread

[Tom]

I have finished my marathon
Complete list here.

[Najemikon]

Queen on Fire: Live at the Bowl
5 out of 5



Returning to the original rushes the concert is restored to its full length and presented, for the first time, in its entirety. This amounts to an additional 47 minutes of previously unseen material! Not released on Video, this is the first time this 1982 concert will be available for the public to buy. The pictures are restored and colour graded. The sound will be offered in both a brand new PCM stereo mix, and a fabulous DTS 5.1 surround sound mix.

Being as this features the best band in the world, ever, in the history of music, ever, fronted by the most talented front-man to pick up a microphone (...ever), you can rely on me to give you an objective review. These upstarts are going to have to earn their five stars, dammit.

Seriously, ratings are moot in this case. If you like Queen, buy the DVD. If you don’t like Queen, buy therapy. But assuming you are one of the intelligent majority, yet inexplicably haven’t bought this, I’ll try and put it in context.

Queen made two soundtrack albums: Flash Gordon and A Kind of Magic (for Highlander). Flash was a bit silly really and is difficult to listen to stand-alone. It’s their most famous work though from a lean period that saw them experimenting with euro-pop (or “funk black” as Freddie calls it) in the Hot Space album. A Kind of Magic is entirely opposite and features some of their best work. That return to form starting with The Works, coincided with their performance at Live Aid, where they blasted everyone else off stage. They then followed that with the Magic tour and much live material comes from that.

So Live at the Bowl is quite unique, especially as there are no releases of their early years, certainly not to this video quality anyway. Filmed in 1982, just after the release of Hot Space, it finds the band almost in limbo, though it hasn’t dulled their confidence. It’s mainly old classics peppered with Hot Space stuff, but nothing from their second phase (Radio Ga Ga, etc). So this is a fairly rare opportunity to see Action This Day, Dragon Attack, Back Chat and even Get Down Make Love performed live. But they really perform the shit out of both new and old! They were always unpredictable on stage and willing to mess a little with the music, so you got something worth seeing and not just video versions of the records. No-one else got audience interaction of this level either, so you get a real sense of being there, enhanced by the amazing DTS audio.

It starts properly with Hero, a filler track from Flash expanded to a brief rip-roaring rocker. They follow with the rare “fast” version of We Will Rock You. An amazing start! Other stand-outs (difficult to find when they are all fucking superb) include a gorgeous alternative intro to Somebody To Love which also gives Roger Taylor a drum solo. May gets his first show-off point in Now I’m Here, as you’d expect. Soon it settles into the much loved classics, with other rarely seen live versions, like Sheer Heart Attack.

Freddie shows off constantly of course! Playful and full of attitude throughout and in great form from the off, typical of the born performer, and changing occasional lyrics here and there. A week after Hot Space’s release and they’re all ready getting flak, so he has a screw you, nothing to prove demeanour. Stage was home and he is sorely missed. Their range as a band is unsurpassed.

Sorry if this isn’t balanced enough for you. If you wish to complain, please sod off and watch Westlife or Celine Dion instead.

[Najemikon]

I have finished my marathon
Complete list here.

Well done! Huge pace-setter. Can't believe I'm only a couple behind with a week to go. 

[snowcat]

ughh! I have 9 films to watch! hope I can finish

[Rogmeister]

Heck, I have something like 17 or 18 to go!  I managed 3 reviews yesterday and plan to also do 3 today (at least) but don't know if I can keep that up.  Now to start writing up today's second review...

[Rogmeister]

McLintock!  Authentic Collector's Edition  Film Release: 1963   127m
Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen
Cast: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Stefanie Powers, Chill Wills, Patrick Wayne, Yvonne De Carlo, Jack Kruschen, Jerry Van Dyke, Bruce Cabot, Robert Lowery

You could call this a western comedic version of "The Taming of the Shrew".  In it, rancher G.W. McLintock (John Wayne) is surprised at the return of his estranged wife (Maureen O'Hara) who is mainly there due to the impending arrival of their daughter (Stefanie Powers) who is arriving from an Eastern college.  This sets into motion all sorts of goings-on in a riotous and hilarious movie with all kinds of great moments including a free-for-all where people are knocked down a steep hill into a watery mudhole and the big finale where McLintock chases his wife through town (while she's  in her underwear) culminating in his giving her a public spanking.  Hey, it's certainly not politically correct now but I never turn down the chance to see Maureen O'Hara in her undies!  Be aware, however, that a few public domain copies of this movie have been released by other companies, all of poor quality.  The one you want is the "Authentic Collector's Edition" released by Paramount.  Not only is it very affordable (list price in the U.S. of a mere $15) but it has a load of nice extras so you certainly get your money's worth there.

DVD Extras
Promo for The John Wayne Collection
Introduction by Leonard Maltin
Commentary by Leonard Maltin, Frank Thompson, Maureen O'Hara, Stefanie Powers, Michael Pate, Michael Wayne and Andrew V. McLaglen
The Making of McLintock! (3 parts including a nice chapter featuring nice on-screen interviews with Maureen O'Hara and Stefanie Powers)
The Corset: Don't Leave Home Without One!
2-minute Fight School (learn how to throw punches the John Wayne movie way!)
Photo Gallery
Original Theatrical Trailer
Batjac Collection Teasers (short trailers for several Batjac films, with and without John Wayne)

Overall, a highly recommended title.   

[addicted2dvd]

I have finished my marathon
Complete list here.

Great Work! 

With the one I am watching now... I only have 4 more to watch to complete mine.

[addicted2dvd]

McLintock!  Authentic Collector's Edition  Film Release: 1963   127m
Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen
Cast: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Stefanie Powers, Chill Wills, Patrick Wayne, Yvonne De Carlo, Jack Kruschen, Jerry Van Dyke, Bruce Cabot, Robert Lowery

You could call this a western comedic version of "The Taming of the Shrew".  In it, rancher G.W. McLintock (John Wayne) is surprised at the return of his estranged wife (Maureen O'Hara) who is mainly there due to the impending arrival of their daughter (Stefanie Powers) who is arriving from an Eastern college.  This sets into motion all sorts of goings-on in a riotous and hilarious movie with all kinds of great moments including a free-for-all where people are knocked down a steep hill into a watery mudhole and the big finale where McLintock chases his wife through town (while she's  in her underwear) culminating in his giving her a public spanking.  Hey, it's certainly not politically correct now but I never turn down the chance to see Maureen O'Hara in her undies!  Be aware, however, that a few public domain copies of this movie have been released by other companies, all of poor quality.  The one you want is the "Authentic Collector's Edition" released by Paramount.  Not only is it very affordable (list price in the U.S. of a mere $15) but it has a load of nice extras so you certainly get your money's worth there.

DVD Extras
Promo for The John Wayne Collection
Introduction by Leonard Maltin
Commentary by Leonard Maltin, Frank Thompson, Maureen O'Hara, Stefanie Powers, Michael Pate, Michael Wayne and Andrew V. McLaglen
The Making of McLintock! (3 parts including a nice chapter featuring nice on-screen interviews with Maureen O'Hara and Stefanie Powers)
The Corset: Don't Leave Home Without One!
2-minute Fight School (learn how to throw punches the John Wayne movie way!)
Photo Gallery
Original Theatrical Trailer
Batjac Collection Teasers (short trailers for several Batjac films, with and without John Wayne)

Overall, a highly recommended title.   

I have always heard nothing but good things about this one... will have to add this one to my wish list!

[Jimmy]

Please no   

Doesn't depend of me, maybe our women membership would like to know how is it
I'm almost tempted to get it just to write a lenghty review with picture to tease you Rich


Not really

[lyonsden5]

I have always heard nothing but good things about this one... will have to add this one to my wish list!

I agree with Roger, it's highly recommended. One of my favorite movies. I just don't know how they got away with such a terrible stereotype for the Indians. "More Whiskey"! 

[lyonsden5]

The Ox-Bow Incident

Hollywood Legends:
Henry Fonda
Dana Andrews
Anthony Quinn

Overview
Based on Walter Van Tilburg Clark's best-selling novel, The Ox-Bow Incident is a riveting drama about frontier justice - and injustice - which received a Best Picture Oscar® nomination in 1943.

Gil Carter (Henry Fonda) and Art Croft (Henry Morgan) ride into a town frustrated by the prevalence of cattle rustlers. Suddenly, word comes that a popular rancher has been murdered, which puts the already enraged town over the edge. When the spiteful mayor forms a posse, Gil and Croft are swept up in their mission - to seek vengeance - even upon those innocent of any wrong-doing.

As it becomes clear that blood-lust may win out over rationality, the tension mounts in this "masterpiece" (TIM DIRKS' THE GREATEST FILMS) with its timeless message about the dangers of mob mentality.

My thoughts
Wow – over already?!? This was a very short movie. Looking now I see it’s only 75 minutes long. I knew the story was moving along quick, I just had no idea it was almost over. Henry Fonda and his partner Col. Sherman Potter (AKA Harry/Henry Morgan) somehow get sucked into being part of a lynch mob. I’m still not sure how they became part of the group, as compared to riding off or just staying in town. I thought it was to make sure justice would rule, but apparently not. They weren’t even one of the 1st of the seven to object to how things were being handled. There was no real reason for them to be there that I can see.

As it turns out the men were innocent (duh). Having not seen the movie not realizing it was just about over I was a bit excited about what would be next. I expected all of the men involved would go through some turmoil and the rest of the story would focus on that. I envisioned some finger pointing with everyone trying to blame the other guy to ease their own conscience. Maybe a bar-room brawl or even a shout out as tempers flared as one by one the characters were being eaten up inside by guilt. I was disappointed to get none of that. The story just kinda ended. They did have the group all standing at the bar in one scene, showing remorse, but that’s about it. To me they only told half the story here and should have either made the 1st part longer, with more focus on the actions before hand or have more story after they returned to town as I said above.

Henry Fonda was good, but he really didn’t have much of a part (although nobody did). His role could have been played by anyone I believe. Dana Andrews played his part well, probably the best in the movie. It’s unfortunate the story has him just giving up. If it were me with a young family and about to be hung for something I didn’t do I wouldn’t go quite as gracefully that’s for sure.

This is a movie with too many bits that aren’t needed. Something about Henry Fonda and some woman having a past. Henry gets threatened by the woman’s husband, then that’s it. Story arc over. And what’s with Anthony Quinn’s character. They seem to show him as having something to hide, yet they never show what that was (if there was anything to begin with). Again, leave it out or give us the whole story.

If you haven’t figured out this wasn’t the best movie I’ve watched in this marathon. It’s considered a classic so I guess it’s one of those any movie buff should watch, but don’t expect much at all. It’s a shame too since they really could have expanded on how easy it is to get caught up in the mob mentality and how to deal with the consequences of the mobs actions.

My rating: (Pretty harsh I know but it is what it is.) I will not be watching this movie again anytime soon (if ever).

[Rogmeister]

Pete can probably take it off your hands...he needs more westerns! 

[addicted2dvd]

  While I agree with you... I would prefer them to be good Westerns! 

[lyonsden5]

Sorry Pete, good or not it's number 13 of 40 in the Fox Studio Classics collection. It's sgoing to sit on the shelf between numbers 12 and 14 until I rid myself of all the shiny little discs. I can't have a hole in my collection!

[richierich]

I have finished my marathon
Complete list here.

Nice job Tom and great set of reviews