Topic: Movies of the '70s Marathon

[snowcat]

...This is turning into a big discussion...

I think we are gonna need a bigger board 

Wow, you really went there.

(click to show/hide)

<- A yawn escaped me as I opened my Jaws. SCNR

 

Im sorry, it sounded funny in my head 

[Tom]

My Thoughts:
OMG... the torture my own daughter put me through! How could she! This is basically nothing more then a Scooby Doo rip-off set to music. I mean some of the characters are even drawn to look like the characters of Scooby Doo (Fred/Alan) And even sounds like they had the same actors on a couple of the voices. This is definitely not one I would recommend seeing. Very very bad! 

I have never seen the cartoon, but I love the live-action movie with Rachael Leigh Cook.

[Najemikon]

Title: The Exorcist: The Version You've Never Seen
Year: 1973
Director: William Friedkin
Rating: R
Length: 132 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Surround EX, English: Dolby Digital Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: English, French

Stars:
Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil
Max von Sydow as Father Merrin
Lee J. Cobb as Lt. Kinderman
Kitty Winn as Sharon
Jack MacGowran as Burke Dennings

Plot:
Brace yourself as one of the all-time spellbinders possesses you all over again. Director William Friedkin and producer/screenwriter William Peter Blatty have revisited The Exorcist to integrate 11 minutes of scenes and images deleted before the film's 1973 release and digitally restore the picture and audio elements. The result is an experience more gripping than ever.

Now seen are moments deepening the impact of the performances by Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow and Lee J. Cobb. They include a "nervous disorder" diagnosis, expansion of Father Merrin's arrival before the ritual, priestly doubts during the ritual, an epilogue with Lt. Kinderman and Father Dyer and most notably, a shattering staircase descent by Regan. Winner of Oscars® for Best Adapted Screenplay (by Blatty) and Sound, The Exorcist astonishes time and again like no other movie.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Theatrical Trailers
Production Notes
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
Let me start out this review by letting you all know that this film holds a special place in my heart. This was Dawn's (my late wife) all time favorite movie. We watched this together countless times. And it never failed to scare her every time. Scared her to the point that after watching it she made me follow her around the house as she didn't want to be anywhere alone. I always felt it was unfortunate she never saw this version of the movie. While the movie never scared me. I could see how it would scare people.

The above reminds me of something else. Several years later my niece spent the night with us. And she came to me saying... "Uncle Pete, Show me a movie that will scare me!" So I instantly thought of The Exorcist... and can you believe she sat there and laughed through the entire movie!?!? Kids now a day! Which bring us to the point that it was Brittany chose this movie to watch next. (So you can expect a review from Brittany soon) But I already told her.... if she laughs at this movie... I am calling a psychiatrist!

To me this is a great movie. Sure it is a bit slow in parts. But the story is of such interest to me that it didn't "feel" slow. I of course love the head spin scene... and then there is the whole spider walk down the stairs scene... very cool. I am afraid that my problem reviewing this movie is determining how much of my fondness is for the quality of the movie and how much of it is how it just holds a special place in my heart. So how true is the rating I am giving it? I am questioning myself on this matter. But one thing I would never question myself on is the fact that I would definitely recommend this movie!

My Rating:

Out of a Possible 5

It's great to read your reviews, Pete, because you're so honest in them. The Exorcist is actually a film of great renown and I'm glad to see you rating it so highly, because it is quality. I love it. And Mark Kermode, the critic you may have seen me link to before, regards it as the greatest film of all time.

[addicted2dvd]

Toon Time!

Each of the episodes of this series featured a special guest star, who would help the gang solve the mystery of the week. Some of these guest stars were living celebrities who provided their own voices (Don Knotts, Jerry Reed, Jeannie, Jonathan Winters, Sandy Duncan, Tim Conway, Dick Van Dyke, and Sonny & Cher, among others); some were dead or retired celebrities whose voicing was done by imitators (The Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy), and the rest were present or future Hanna-Barbera characters: the characters from Harlem Globetrotters, Josie and the Pussycats, Jeannie, and Speed Buggy all appeared on the show during or after their own shows' original runs; The Addams Family  and Batman and Robin both appeared on the show a year before they were incorporated into Hanna-Barbera shows of their own, The Addams Family and Super Friends.

The Ghostly Creep from the Deep
Season 1 - Episode 12
Scooby-Doo and crew run across the clown princes of basketball, The Harlem Globetrotters (sans their head cheerleader, Granny, and their canine team mascot, Dribbles, both of whom are at a dog grooming convention), on the eerie banks of a haunted swamp so that their boosted team spirit might protect them from the supernatural spirits being released by the ghost of Redbeard The Pirate.

My Thoughts:
At the beginning of the disc they have a notation telling us that not all original material survived in pristine shape. Meaning they did their best... but not all material on the discs look perfect. And this was apparent... so far especially with Tarzan which while watchable had a pretty soft look to the colors... and some other video damage. Josie and the Pussycats wasn't bad quality.... but it didn't look as good as this cartoon! This one looked almost perfect on my standard 20" TV. The only problem I noticed was the video had some quick shake images in a couple very brief parts.

I always enjoyed Scooby Doo... and my favorite of all the Scooby Doo incarnations has to be The New Scooby Doo Movies. So I was thrilled to see this episode listed on the set. I always liked seeing the Scooby Gang interacting with different celebrities and such. I won't say this is my favorite episode of the series... as there were a lot of other guest star episodes I liked more. But it is definitely a fun episode with plenty of laughs.

[addicted2dvd]

It's great to read your reviews, Pete, because you're so honest in them. The Exorcist is actually a film of great renown and I'm glad to see you rating it so highly, because it is quality. I love it. And Mark Kermode, the critic you may have seen me link to before, regards it as the greatest film of all time.

Thanks Jon! 

[Rogmeister]

Well... it don't look like I will have this marathon done by Sunday like I wanted to. Will have to be one of my on-going marathons.  Only got 2 movies watched yesterday! And then today I had to take Brittany for a check up. Doctor said she is fit as a fiddle!  So don't see myself getting to much watched today. But I will be working on it today... and throughout the weekend. But looks like it will go into next week as well.

Considering Pete's reactions to all things musical, is being "fit as a fiddle" a good thing? 

[addicted2dvd]

  Lets just say I will take it the way it was meant.   

[Achim]

It's great to read your reviews, Pete, because you're so honest in them. The Exorcist is actually a film of great renown and I'm glad to see you rating it so highly, because it is quality. I love it. And Mark Kermode, the critic you may have seen me link to before, regards it as the greatest film of all time.

I was about to point out the exact same thing. There is even a book by him about this film released as part of the BFI Modern Classics series.

[addicted2dvd]

Title: The Night Stalker
Year: 1972
Director: John Llewllyn Moxey
Rating: NR
Length: 75 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak
Carol Lynley as Gail Foster
Simon Oakland as Vincenzo
Ralph Meeker as Bernie Jenks
Claude Akins as Sheriff Butcher

Plot:
This unforgettable first entry in the "Night Stalker" series introduced the world to the quirky reporter with a penchant for the paranormal and became "one of the top-rated TV movies of all time" (Chicago Tribune)! Investigating a series of Las Vegas murders, Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) discovers that each victim has been bitten in the neck and drained of blood. Though Kolchak's outlandish theory about the murders gets him nowhere with the police, his initiative to apprehend the killer himself gets him into hot water... with a modern-day vampire!

Extras:
Scene Access
Featurettes
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
This is a TV movie from the series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Obviously being from the early '70s and originating on TV it doesn't show any gore or anything like that. But I think it is a really good start to the series that came from this movie (and The Night Strangler). I really enjoy the character of Karl Kolchak. I am willing to bet that this show is where they got the idea for the X-Files series.Kolchak going after a vampire in this movie is of course a bonus for me.

My Rating:

Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Toon Time!

Animated childrens show about a dog who is the janitor for a police station...until danger threatens, at which point he turns into the martial arts superhero Hong Kong Phooey! 

Car Thieves
Season 1 - Episode 1
A stolen car ring has recently been operating in town, so Hong Kong Phooey decides to take it upon himself to infiltrate the group in order to shut it down once and for all.

My Thoughts:
Hong Kong Phooey is another one that I watched all the time as a kid. So it was a lot of fun revisiting it. Brittany watched it with me. It turns out she knows this series as it comes or came on one of the channels she watches over at her grandmother's house. I must admit it really adds something to the nostalgia when you can now share the shows you loved as a kid with your own kids. Thankfully I taught Brittany at a very young age that just because something is old don't necessarily make it bad.

[Rogmeister]

I like this marathon subject.  This is because the 1970s was a special time for me.  I started my job in 1972 and could afford to pay my own way into movies so that began my movie-going prime.  In the 1970s I saw on the big screen John Wayne films (Big Jake, Rooster Cogburn, The Shootist), big-screen extravaganzas (Jaws, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman) and lots of others.  And I got to see them with good friends...one has since passed on and the others I don't see anymore.  Good times.   

[addicted2dvd]

That is the '80s for me... and look what comes out just in time for my Birthday...



Big hint Brittany 

I feel an Awesome '80s Marathon coming! 

[addicted2dvd]

Title: The Night Strangler
Year: 1973
Director: Dan Curtis
Rating: NR
Length: 90 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak
Jo Ann Pflug as Louise Harper
Simon Oakland as Tony Vincenzo
Scott Brady as Capt. Schubert
Wally Cox as Mr. Berry

Plot:
Supernatural phenomena, baffling murders and offbeat humour mark this second "Night Stalker" offering with a "great cast" (Leonard Maltin) and suspense so palpable, it'll feel like a presence right there in the room with you! Surfacing in Seattle, Kolchak (Darren McGavin) uncovers another maddening mystery: every 21 years – for the past century (!) – a serial killer commits a spree of murders, drains his victims' blood and then quietly disappears. But Kolchak is on to this monster and is about to discover a shocking underground lair... an army of rotting corpses... and the ageless madman behind it all!

Extras:
Scene Access
Featurettes
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
Thought I would finish off this double feature dvd. I enjoyed this one as well. Though I do like the subject of The Night Stalker a little more. But you all know how I like my vampire movies! Once again it is a good story... and I enjoy the characters. I must admit I do enjoy the way Kolchak and his editor is always arguing.

My Rating:

Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Toon Time!

Three teenagers and the ghost of a patriot from the American Revolution set across the country to uphold justice and fight discrimination.

I'll Haunt You Later
Season 1 - Episode 3
Mudsy and the gang leave the mansion to check out some ghostly happenings in nearby Fort LaFitte. The Looney Duney breaks down just outside the fort adding to their concerns. Will they be able to crack this case or is it a lost cause?

My Thoughts:
Britt and I thought we would watch the Funky Snagglepuss... I mean Funky Phantom. The voice is done by the same person that did snagglepuss... and he didn't even attempt to make the voice any different at all. Other then the awful theme song... I always liked this show as a kid. And it still holds up for me... talk of nostalgia! Though I do have to say... why was The Funky Phantom always so scared? He was already a ghost... what more could happen to him? But as I said... I enjoyed watching this again. Would like to see a DVD set released with all the episodes.

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Superman: The Movie
Year: 1978
Director: Richard Donner
Rating: PG
Length: 151 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.30:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Music Only: Dolby Digital: 5.0
Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Stars:
Marlon Brando as Jor-El
Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor
Christopher Reeve as Superman / Clark Kent
Ned Beatty as Otis
Jackie Cooper as Perry White

Plot:
Soaring even higher in a state-of-the-art digital transfer from restored elements and with dynamically remixed digital audio, the Academy Award®-winning* adventure also now includes eight minutes integrated into the film by director Richard Donner. Enjoy more footage of the Krypton Council, a glimpse of stars of prior Superman incarnations, more of Jor-El underscoring his son's purpose on Earth and an extended sequence inside Lex Luthor's gauntlet of doom. Christopher Reeve (Superman/Clark Kent), Marlon Brando (Jor-El), Gene Hackman (Luthor) and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) give indelible performances that fuel the film's aura of legend. Looks like a swell night for flying. Why not come along?

*1978: Special Achievement in Visual Effects

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Production Notes
DVD-ROM Content
Closed Captioned
Audio Outtakes
Screen Tests

My Thoughts:
This movie... with Christopher Reeve in the starring role... was how I grew up knowing Superman to be. At the time I was more used to seeing him in the role more so then George Reeves. I believe this came from a time that I did not like to watch anything that was in Black and White.... yes... I was one of those people at one time. But I have sense learned there is a lot of great entertainment out there in Black and white... and now have all the George Reeves Superman episodes... including the early Black and White ones. But I think... to me at least... when I think Superman... I still picture Christopher Reeve.

My favorite scene in this movie... one that makes me laugh even to this day... has to be the scene when Superman is seen for the very first time. Especially when he flies up the side of the building to catch Lois Lane... saying "Don't Worry Miss, I got you."... and she comes back with... "You got me... Who's got you!!!"... I don't know what it is about it... but I love that line.

I know there is some that don't like how Christopher Reeve portrayed Clark Kent. But you know... while I understand that point of view... I find it very entertaining and fun to watch. I also felt it added to the whole Clark Kent can't be Superman... even more so then the glasses for a costume. I have to say... I think I like the entire cast for these movies. Especially Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor and of course there is Marlon Brando as Jor-El.

Also I have to say I liked how they had some nodes to past incarnations of Superman when they showed a young Lois Lane riding the train with her parents early in the movie. They had Noel Neil as her mother... who was of course Lois Lane in Adventures of Superman and Kirk Alyn as her father... who was of course Clark Kent/Superman in the old movie serials.

My Rating: