Messages

16

Movie Talk / Re: Podcast on Sunday April 22nd?

« on: April 23, 2012, 12:47:34 AM »

No worries.  I will check in again next week.

Monday is actually a national holiday in Japan, so I can wake up (3am here for me if 2pm your time), listen
to the broadcast and then go back to bed! 

Waiting for the day you open up the Skype line to other callers... 

-Jason

17

Movie Talk / Podcast on Sunday April 22nd?

« on: April 21, 2012, 07:17:06 PM »

Hey Gang,

Wondering if y'all plan to record a new podcast today?

And if so, did you change the start time to 4pm your time?
The "Podcast live" section of the site says 2pm for the start time, but I thought you changed it.

Will try to be in the peanut gallery today if I can...

Mata ne (Japanese for "see ya later")

18

Movie Talk / Re: What are your favorite ...?

« on: April 21, 2012, 04:59:11 AM »

good question!

OK - let's see...

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers...  a match made in heaven

Arthur Freed/Stanley Donen/Gene Kelly - responsible for some of the best musicals of all time!

Editor Thelma Schoonmaker & Martin Scorsese - she's done all of his films since Raging Bull (1980)

Tim Burton & Danny Elfman - their early hits are inseparable.

Sam Raimi & Bruce Campbell - shop smart - shop S-Mart!

Steven Spielberg & Janusz Kaminski - he's shot every Spielberg film since Schindler's List (1993)

19

Movie Talk / Re: any good recent BD purchases?

« on: April 21, 2012, 04:33:17 AM »

Funnily enough, I used to read the Digital Bits a lot when I was heavily into Laser Discs, but haven't read it in a while.  I should re-acquaint myself.

Yeah - the big box set for Casablanca is on my wish list at Amazon.  I spent my "discretionary" $80 on a music box set this month - The Promise by Bruce Springsteen covering the making of Darkness on the Edge of Town.

And for sure I will pick up Yellow Submarine when it comes out.

Most anticipated BD of the year - JAWS in August!!

20

Movie Talk / Re: Battleship - an early review from Japan

« on: April 21, 2012, 04:28:57 AM »

Word - thanks.  Yeah, I plan on doing a Blu Ray update vlog soon - it will include Muppets, Battle Royale, and some BD books I bought recently.

Battleship Yamato came out - I saw it on DVD.  I actually wasn't that impressed, but it did well and they're making a sequel.

21

Movie Talk / Re: What are your favorite ...?

« on: April 18, 2012, 01:00:44 AM »

First thread...  Dragons and swords...  I like all the choices mentioned...  Can I add Reign of Fire?  Not entirely in the genre, and it's silly as hell at times, but it's a guilty pleasure for me.

80s teen comedy...  yeah - I'll echo and say "Breakfast Club is NOT a comedy!"
A lot of good films were already mentioned...  John Cusack is a favorite for the trifecta of "Sure Thing," "Better Off Dead," and "One Crazy Summer."  (Sorry - Say Anything also not a comedy)
But I don't think one of my all time favorites was mentioned - Real Genius!  Love that flick!

And girls that kick ass...  Michelle Yeoh, Saoirse Ronan (Hanna), Pvt Vasquez in Aliens (actress was also in Cameron's Titanic and T2), Anne Parillaud (La Femme Nikita), Miss Piggy... 

-J

22

Movie Talk / any good recent BD purchases?

« on: April 18, 2012, 12:44:41 AM »

Anybody buy anything really good on Blu Ray recently?

I'm not talking about the movie, which recommends itself based on its merits -
I'm talking more about a great disc that enhances the viewing with great features and/or extras?

Other than the obligatory Star Wars box set recently (staggers to think how much of my money I've given George Lucas over the years), I just got a nice little box from Amazon.
(I live in Japan, but I mostly buy my BDs from America since we share the same region, but all the extras and menus will be in English).
Inside the box was the new Muppets movie - loaded with extras I can't wait to watch.
I haven't even seen the actual film yet either - as it hasn't even opened in theaters here.
That happens a lot - a movie will open and be on DVD before it opens theatrically in Japan. 

Anyway - I also picked up the new Battle Royale 4-disc complete set - which has a bevy of extras.
And for $6 on Amazon, I picked up T2 - The Skynet Edition.
I've seen Terminator 2 countless times, but for $6 it's a worthy title for the collection.
I just can't get the picture-in-picture commentary to work on my player.
And you need some kind of code to get the super-deluxe version of the movie to play,
but I don't have my BD player hooked up to the internet.  I guess I could search the net for the code...

Anyway - let me know if you have anything to recommend.

Cheers,
Jason

23

Movie Talk / Re: Widescreen Warrior Top 100 Films Of All-Time!

« on: April 17, 2012, 10:55:21 PM »

After hearing about it in this thread, I did start my own list over at http://flickchart.com

I find it really fun for some reason to have movies face off against each other.

I think it would be a fun segment to add to the podcast - kinda like they do on the TotallyRadShow in their Vs segments.

Anyway - this is my current Top 10, but I'm not even close to honing the Top 100 yet.
I have over 1000 titles in my list, but I'm still adding titles that might make it into the Top 100...

Current Top 10 - April 2012:

1. Jaws
2. Star Wars - Episode 5 - The Empire Strikes Back
3. Singin' in the Rain
4. Star Wars - Episode 4 - A New Hope
5. Citizen Kane
6. Raiders of the Lost Ark
7. Casablanca
8. Back to the Future
9. The Bridge on the River Kwai
10. Monty Python & The Holy Grail

Not a bad top ten so far, but not set in stone - so many great - amazing flicks are lurking just
outside the Top 10 that want a slot...  The Godfather, Princess Bride, The Graduate, Amadeus, Aliens, The Usual Suspects, The Wizard of Oz and so on.

I'll try to post again soon with a more complete Top 100.

Cheers,
Jason

24

Movie Talk / Battleship - an early review from Japan

« on: April 17, 2012, 10:42:26 PM »

Hello Everybody,

About once a year, an American movie opens in Japan before it opens in America.

This year so far, that movie is Battleship - based on the board game by Hasbro.

I thought we in Japan might be getting this movie early (about a month before it opens in the States)
because Tadanobu Asano, a fairly famous Japanese actor who played Hogun in Thor, appears in a lead role.
But I think many other countries also had this movie open this past weekend.

I took along my camera to the theater, and shot this 3-minute review right after seeing it.

Enjoy!
-Jason

http://youtu.be/DvjFzdtaftA

http://youtu.be/DvjFzdtaftA

25

Beyond the Widescreen / Re: The Future Of The WW Podcast

« on: February 07, 2012, 07:16:02 AM »

Been meaning to email Rafe for a while about the podcast, but I always find myself a week or two behind, and since I'm in Japan, that's fine, since the "new movies" aren't new for me, so it's never been important that I keep up.

But I was sad to hear about Margaret leaving.  She's be a great co-host these many years, and her "unique opinion" will be missed.  Mostly, she and Rafe had/have great chemistry together and that made the podcast all that more entertaining.

I haven't listened to the Feb 6th podcast yet, but it seems like Rafe has already done something I was going to suggest - get new co-hosts in via Skype and try them out.  I'm eager to see how the first few perform and fit in these next few weeks.

I guess I'm in the minority, but I'll be kinda sad to see the AOTM go away.  I was preparing my own list along with a nice donation for a sponsored AOTM, but I understand people's reasoning for letting it go.  I do think you could replace with a "Movie of the Week" from the archive, or a double bill of older, unseen (for you) titles that could be discussed.

Even if you went thru the forum's own list of the Top 100 movies and picked out a few you hadn't seen - it should be all about expanding your movie horizon and not necessarily about re-watching old favorites.

Anyway - enough blather.  To Rafe and Margaret and Tim and Owen and all the rest, just know that people are listening and enjoying what you do.  I live in a very small town in a very rural part of Japan, and I often listen to the podcast while cooking on the weekends in my apartment, since it might be the only "conversational" English I hear all weekend.  It's nice to hear people talk passionately and with humor about a topic that you are also passionate about.

Cheers and I hope you keep going past 300!

-Jason

26

Television Talk / Re: Tv 2012 or Mid season Replacement time

« on: February 07, 2012, 07:00:10 AM »

Can't wait for Walking Dead to start again.

And I really hope they bring back Community.  I've heard it may be March before we get new episodes.

-J

27

Television Talk / Downton Abbey

« on: February 07, 2012, 06:58:48 AM »

Anyone here watching Downton Abbey?

I heard so many good things, I bought Season One on iTunes (not on DVD yet in Japan)
and raced thru all 7 episodes in a week.

Now I'm caught up and making my way thru Season Two.

One word - fantastic!!

Such a great show - very soapy, but so well written and acted.

Can't wait for each new show - hate it when they're over.

Hands down the best hour-drama on TV right now.

-J

28

Movie Talk / Re: Widescreen Warrior Top 100 Films Of All-Time!

« on: February 07, 2012, 06:50:16 AM »

Hello All -

Been ages and a day since I posted on these boards, but I've been listening to the podcast faithfully,
and a juicy thread like this one beckons me back.

I will put my thinking cap on and post my Top 100 by the end of the week.

Cheers,
Jason (back in Japan)

29

Television Talk / Teach - Tony Danza

« on: October 14, 2010, 04:02:44 AM »

Rafe -

Just wondering if you (or others) have caught this reality show on A&E.

Tony Danza takes over an English class in a Philadelphia high school and tries to learn to be a teacher.

I don't have near as much experience teaching in American schools as I do teaching in Japanese schools,
but so far the show has me interested.

I got to see the Pilot for free on iTunes and then downloaded the 2nd episode for $2 and will probably end up watching the series.

Better at least than My Generation, which I also downloaded the Pilot for free, then paid for the 2nd episode and now see
that the show has already been cancelled.

-J

30

Television Talk / Re: True Blood

« on: October 14, 2010, 03:57:03 AM »

I enjoyed season 2, but I thought the stuff in Dallas and at the Leadership Camp was more interesting than all the Maryann stuff.

I'd like to move on to Season 3, but the DVD set is not quite available yet accrding to Amazon.

Since I've switched to Blu-Ray primarily, since BR is region free and I can watch them here in Japan
but still take them back to America with me one day, it's a bit tough to swallow the $15 to $20
extra you pay for a TV DVD box set on BR.  I'm hoping that there are additional extras beyond the
improved picture quality that merit the higher price.