[inksb]

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Blade Runner

So I obtained a 35mm print of Blade Runner, was super excited to watch it. Overall the print looked pretty damn good, there was quite a bit of damage around 2 or 3 of the reel changes but other than that just a little dirt, debris and occasional line. Funny thing is that I've grown so accustomed Final Cut version of Blade Runner I completely forgot about the awful voice over (Harrison really just sounds like he hates every second of his line reads) and that bad ending. I need to pick up the 4K to see how that looks, I still have the old 5 disc bluray from well over a decade ago.

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Jurassic Park

Another 35mm print and boy this one was a treat. Looks excellent, has some print fade to it so everything is a little brown but it was overall really well preserved. I love this film, it was the first one I saw multiple times in the theater. One thing I really appreciated about this viewing was it's sound design, it's impeccable.

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Cruising

First time watch for me, it's an interesting film. I have a huge love for this era of NYC, that 70's & early 80's era of gritty NY has been lost so having films like this capture it is so important. Pacino seemed to turn in a good performance, kind of surprising he even took something like this. I know next to nothing about this film and I know there's a few around here who know quite a bit about it. Music was excellent. The ending didn't quite land for me, it seems like they were saying that he was killer all along but if that's the case I can't say I like that resolution. Either way it was a good watch and I highly recommend any one who enjoys the film to seek out Arrow's bluray of it as it looked excellent.



On the topic of Friedkin, what are some of your favorite films of his? He's kind of a blind spot for me which I've slowly been remedying over the last few years. I've obviously seen The Exorcist, Sorcerer, Killer Joe, The Guardian, Rules of Engagement, To Live & Die in LA and now Cruising. I think I've seen Blue Chips but that was over 20 years ago so lets just say I haven't seen it. What else should I watch? I think the biggest one I need to watch is The French Connection

[Bezulsqy]

@Inksb - when you say you obtained a 35mm print you are talking about what exactly? I am very curious.

And about Friedkin... for me a blind spot as well.
Loved French Connection. Seen it 3 or 4 times.
Loved The Exorcist. Seen it multiple times including in the cinema a couple of years ago.

And that is about it :-)
I don't think I have seen Sorcerer. I wanted to watch To Live and Die in LA past weekend because of the praise you and ScoJo gave it, but when I read a 4K version is coming this month, I postponed the viewing.
I wanted to watch Cruising for a while, but wasn't there an issue with a HD (or was it UHD?) release and incorrect colours recently?

[inksb]

@Inksb - when you say you obtained a 35mm print you are talking about what exactly? I am very curious.

And about Friedkin... for me a blind spot as well.
Loved French Connection. Seen it 3 or 4 times.
Loved The Exorcist. Seen it multiple times including in the cinema a couple of years ago.

And that is about it :-)
I don't think I have seen Sorcerer. I wanted to watch To Live and Die in LA past weekend because of the praise you and ScoJo gave it, but when I read a 4K version is coming this month, I postponed the viewing.
I wanted to watch Cruising for a while, but wasn't there an issue with a HD (or was it UHD?) release and incorrect colours recently?

Some one scanned a 35mm print of the films for historical preservation. No clean up or changing to the source. 1080p digital files. You should be able to find them through your typical resources, just search for 35mm along with the title of the film.

As for the Cruising blu from Arrow, I believe there was criticism around it's regrading, they removed the "blue" look some of the scenes had and went for a more modern red/orange regrade. Unfortunately becoming pretty common these days with a lot of films. Pretty sure you'll never get a modern restoration with the original color grading as Friedkin was involved in Arrows I believe and it was his choice. He seems to be a tinkerer like many of his contemporaries.

You can check out the colors here https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=13905&d2=13906&c=5415

While the regrade may not be accurate to the original version of the film, it still looks really good

I highly recommend Sorcerer. It's probably favorite film from him. Funny little story about that film, a friend of mine who's pretty big into movies for years told me I had to watch, I put it off for a while but finally did. Once I watched it I told him I did and he's like oh, yeah that's an ok movie. I was surprised as he pushed it so hard for years and then he didn't even want to talk about it. Come to find out he really doesn't even know Friedkin at all and just liked that movie when he watched it but kind of forgot about it. I tried talking to him about To Live & Die in LA last week and got a blank stare when I said it was from Friedkin, had to remind him he's the director of The Exorcist and Sorcerer. Again didn't even want to talk about it lol. I feel like as he's gotten older his interest in films has waned, he likes keeping up with newer modern stuff but his older film knowledge has pretty much diminished.

[inksb]

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The Blackening

I also watched this over the weekend. It was a very entertaining riff on the slasher formula. A good amount of comedy mixed in. They do a really great job of calling out all the tropes of black characters in horror films as well as using them in clever ways to spin in a different way. Clever writing, really good cast, I recommend checking this one out

[Bezulsqy]

@Inksb - when you say you obtained a 35mm print you are talking about what exactly? I am very curious.

And about Friedkin... for me a blind spot as well.
Loved French Connection. Seen it 3 or 4 times.
Loved The Exorcist. Seen it multiple times including in the cinema a couple of years ago.

And that is about it :-)
I don't think I have seen Sorcerer. I wanted to watch To Live and Die in LA past weekend because of the praise you and ScoJo gave it, but when I read a 4K version is coming this month, I postponed the viewing.
I wanted to watch Cruising for a while, but wasn't there an issue with a HD (or was it UHD?) release and incorrect colours recently?

Some one scanned a 35mm print of the films for historical preservation. No clean up or changing to the source. 1080p digital files. You should be able to find them through your typical resources, just search for 35mm along with the title of the film.

As for the Cruising blu from Arrow, I believe there was criticism around it's regrading, they removed the "blue" look some of the scenes had and went for a more modern red/orange regrade. Unfortunately becoming pretty common these days with a lot of films. Pretty sure you'll never get a modern restoration with the original color grading as Friedkin was involved in Arrows I believe and it was his choice. He seems to be a tinkerer like many of his contemporaries.

You can check out the colors here https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=13905&d2=13906&c=5415

While the regrade may not be accurate to the original version of the film, it still looks really good

I highly recommend Sorcerer. It's probably favorite film from him. Funny little story about that film, a friend of mine who's pretty big into movies for years told me I had to watch, I put it off for a while but finally did. Once I watched it I told him I did and he's like oh, yeah that's an ok movie. I was surprised as he pushed it so hard for years and then he didn't even want to talk about it. Come to find out he really doesn't even know Friedkin at all and just liked that movie when he watched it but kind of forgot about it. I tried talking to him about To Live & Die in LA last week and got a blank stare when I said it was from Friedkin, had to remind him he's the director of The Exorcist and Sorcerer. Again didn't even want to talk about it lol. I feel like as he's gotten older his interest in films has waned, he likes keeping up with newer modern stuff but his older film knowledge has pretty much diminished.

Thanks for the info. I will no longer postpone my viewing for Cruising then. Probably somewhere in the next two weeks. And I will seek out Sorcerer.

[ScoJo]

The Cruising commentary is a goldmine, essential background and crazy production history if you’re interested to plunge in:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0yDIP0 ... 7884414727

[ScoJo]

You’ve covered the major Friedkin’s tbh inks- I also recommend seeking out Rampage (1987), a pretty much lost film now (there’s an upload on YT of either the original VHS or dvd cut, I forget which). I also really like The Brinks Job, Hunted (Benicio and Tommy Lee Jones black ops/survivalist action film) and Bug which is wild - Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon two-hander which is, like Killer Joe, from a Tracey Letts play.

And well, if you haven’t seen Jade… you’re really fucking up. Insane film, the ‘Full Caruso’ at the height of his ‘no I’m not a TV star’ hubris! (he went back to CSI with his tale between legs after Jade utterly bombed)

[inksb]

Thanks, @scojo sounds like there's a few more I should still check out then.

[Bezulsqy]

Very enjoyable! Great effects and costumes.

[inksb]

Very enjoyable! Great effects and costumes.

You watch the uncut version? So odd that Arrow released the cut version on bluray.

[Bezulsqy]

Very enjoyable! Great effects and costumes.

You watch the uncut version? So odd that Arrow released the cut version on bluray.

I don’t know. It is the same version I shared with you a while ago. Didn’t even release there was an uncut version.

[inksb]

Very enjoyable! Great effects and costumes.

You watch the uncut version? So odd that Arrow released the cut version on bluray.

I don’t know. It is the same version I shared with you a while ago. Didn’t even release there was an uncut version.

I haven't watched that version yet myself so no idea if it is haha. The uncut version has some more gore and a few slightly longer shots.

I just looked it up and I guess the uncut version has never been available in HD but Unearthed films announced last summer that they are working with Vinegar Syndrome on a 4k release of Guyver uncut. I hope some one does part 2 as well bc I honestly think that's a better film.

Also you should check out the anime, I believe it's called The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor, it's two 6 part OVA's. It's quite good if my memory serves me correctly.

[Bezulsqy]

Still brilliant!

[Bezulsqy]

In my memory I thought I like Temple of Doom the most. That diner tabel scene with the snake is one of the memories of any movie that remained in mind the most. I forgot about the ripping out the heart scene... These movies have some pretty brutal stuff in them.
After watching these back to back I prefer Raiders. Temple of Doom is a bit to much on the jokes at times. Little bit to cheesy. But those booby traps are epic :-)

[inksb]

As a kid I preferred Temple but as I get older Raiders is the superior film, Temple is just really fun. A friend of mine proclaimed Temple is bad recently which I disagree with, it's not as good as Raiders and arguably Last Crusade but I still think it's a good movie

[ScoJo]

They are all by nature a bit racist but that aspect sticks in my throat the most in Temple. And the prolongued child threat. But apart from that - super fun!

My favourite has always been Last Crusade.

[Bezulsqy]

[Bezulsqy]

[The Cult Leader]

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Missed this one when it came out.

[inksb]

Insidious 2 is great. Probably my favorite one.

I love X, annoyed there's not 4K release in the US and I missed out on copies from Diabolik and importing directly from Germany is a bit on the expensive side right now.

[Hatter313]

Insidious 2 is great. Probably my favorite one.

I love X, annoyed there's not 4K release in the US and I missed out on copies from Diabolik and importing directly from Germany is a bit on the expensive side right now.

I’m holding out on a 4k box after the third one. I loved X, but I LOVE Pearl, that should look stunning in 4k if/when we get it.

[Bezulsqy]

7PLcCirJ6jPgwLaFs337YBk04Vb.jpg

Missed this one when it came out.

Is this the original poster art? I really love it!

[Bezulsqy]

Insidious 2 is great. Probably my favorite one.

I love X, annoyed there's not 4K release in the US and I missed out on copies from Diabolik and importing directly from Germany is a bit on the expensive side right now.

I thought I had seen a couple of Insidious movies, but I think I got them mixed up with Sinister. I really loved Sinister.
Last weekend I watched Insidious 2 immediately after finishing the first one and maybe because of that I didn't really care for the second one as much. I found it to be less scary and it looked more like it was shot on video in stead of film.

[Bezulsqy]

This was a lot of fun.

[Hatter313]

This was a lot of fun.

Probably my actual favorite movie of all time. I’ve got others I say sometimes and there are films I’ve been more “obsessed” with but there may be no movie I’ve watched more in my life than last crusade. Objectively raiders is the superior film, but by like a razor edge and this is my personal fav of the franchise, the chemistry between Connery and ford, the multiple locations, the return of Nazi antagonists, everything about it.