Best, by far, at the movies.
Definitely, we're spoiled by vcr's.
MsOlga: I saw Strictly Ballroom (which I thought was delightful) and Gallipoli (the freeze frame at the end still gives me chills) on TV here in the U.S. and also Once Were Warriors (New Zealand), which I thought was superb, although tragic ,as was Gallipoli.
I used to detest letterbox until I realized what I was missing. I had seen Spartacus at the theater and then on TV when I noticed that during the gladiator battle, Nina Foch and Laurence Olivier were missing - they had just disappeared from the scene) .And in Desk Set, when both Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn were seated at a table, only one of them was seen speaking at a time. That did it for me. Now, I make it a point when renting a video to be sure it's letterbox.
There's a fantastical element to "Picnic on Hanging Rock" that is timeless -- it's been used again and again in film. One gets from the film what they get from the film and it is one of those films that have been studied by film scholars. This also goes for "The Last Wave" which has less room for interpretation but each time I've watched it, I still am swept up into its metaphysical mystery. LarryBS is definitely right about the use of wide screen imagery in "Picnic on Hanging Rock." There's always something that seems to be happening just outside the image that's a part of the imagination involved in the making of the film.
Larry- What an eerily prophetic comment you have put on your posts today.
fly:
Alas, it's one that events like today that remind us that there is risk involved in space travel.
I'll put it this way--did you know that there was a landing today. I had forgotten that the Shuttle was even up, and I had read an article about this Israeli Astronaut a few days ago!
Being very supportive of space science, I am very sad today.
I don't think some people begin to realize how dangerous every flight is, every moment. So many things can go wrong at any time. What a tribute to all the people in Alabama, Texas, Florida, California, etc. that put all these machines together and maintain them and all the dedicated scientists.
flyboy - I bet every astronaut since Grissom would say the same thing he did 35 years ago.
Larry:
My point exactly!
I'll put this way--I read the paper today and there was a small article about the landing on page 6.
Raggedyaggie
Yeah, Strictly Ballroom was a hoot, I agree.
I think they must have had a lot of fun making that one. Very tongue in cheek.
I haven't seen Galliploli for years, but very clearly remember that final still you mentioned. Ah, the futilityof war!
Such a waste!
Lightwizard - I always feel interest when someone writes about "The Last Wave" since it was shot in my home town - and one of my housemates was Richard Chamberlain's stand-in - and, as he found to his amazement, gofer and chauffear and ..well, was supposed to help find sources of satisfaction for other needs... but I digress.
I got to read the script and, although I was used to reading plays and such, I could NOT imagine how this stuff was to be turned into anything like a reasonable film - all atmosphere, I guess, and a skilled director. Anyway, 'twas fun to be regaled daily with all the gossip and crap of a film-shoot - as well as stuff about how it was all being done. There are bits of my friend in various of the more uncomfortable shots - like the one where the tree falls on the car, and it fills with water, I think?
Anyone ever see The Cars That Ate Paris?
Isn't it your bedtime? The Cars That Ate Paris?
LarryBS
I THINK it was a very early Peter Weir. Funny & weird. About all these car accidents that happened in a small Australian town. Sinister goings-on!
Bed time? No, it's 10:30 pm, & very hot!
Very quiet on A2K right now ... wonder where everyone is?
Sounds fun, I'll have to look that one up. I guess things are slow on Mondays, everyone is tired from the day back at work.
Oh, the Oz country town is called "Paris".
LarryBS
Which is the last film ( very recently watched) on video or cable that you really, really enjoyed? (A2K so quiet tonight I thought you might have time to answer that one.)
I really enjoyed The Others with Nicole, finally saw the first Lord of the Rings on dvd and loved it - and there was a Japanese anime film called Metropolis that I really liked - those animes are so different and original if the story is half decent. I liked In the Bedroom, sad as it was - and a French film called Bread and Tulips, very enjoyable fluff. And I really liked The Ladykillers, British film from the 50s with Alec Guiness.
Of COURSE I saw "The Cars That Ate Paris" One of the early examples of what I like to call "Australian Gothic" - which seems to be a dominant style for our modern film industry!
In the Bedroom is the only one I've seen from your list ... Well acted & very involving, but it left me feeling quite miserable!
Very divergent tastes, you have! An interesting selection.
