Cinema Cycle - Panic in the Streets

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 08/31/2016

TITLE: Panic in the Streets

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 36 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 23 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 5050.3 miles

SYNOPSIS: A Federal Health Inspector and skeptical cop attempt to track down the carrier of pneumonic plague in 1950s New Orleans

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Righteous, competent men combat incompetence, ignorance, fear and greed in an attempt to save a city.

PROS AND CONS:  I didn’t know what to expect here and was surprised at what I found.  A very well done noir type crime drama with a stellar cast.  

The film is dark, shot in black and white and often at night, it is a moody work.  However, you get to see 1950’s New Orleans in all it’s glory.  The Big Easy never looked so good.

There are a few minor issues with the plot and some of the character development, but Widmark, Douglas and Palance are so much fun to watch you really don’t notice.

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

 

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.

Cinema Cycle - Battlestar Galactica - Razor

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 08/29/2016

TITLE: Galactica Razor

FORMAT: BluRay

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 48 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 24.9 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 5027.3 miles

SYNOPSIS: A continuation of the Battlestar Galactica plot where the backstory of the Battlestar Pegasus is explored.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Lesbians in command.  Seriously, a whole lot of backstory on the series and character development both old and new.

PROS AND CONS:  I found this enjoyable to watch.  Probably because I have seen the entire series and had a clue about what was going on.  If you haven’t seen Battlestar Galactica from beginning to end then you might have a hard time understanding what is going on.  

Very well shot and paced with good acting.  The plot uses a lot of time shift and flashback to fill in character development within the series, centering around the Battlestar Pegasus.  

There is a strong current of lesbianism in this film that is hard to ignore.  At some points in the movie it is almost like ‘bitches in command’, where most of the men play secondary support roles.  A worthy extension of the series, but the whole sci-fi, combat, mano-y-mano, aircraft carrier in space theme is starting to get a bit tiring.  

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

 

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.

Cinema Cycle - Return to Everest

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 08/26/2016

TITLE: Return To Everest

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 58 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 14.6 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 5002.4 miles

SYNOPSIS: Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay return to Mt. Everest to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of climbing the mountain.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: A feel good postcard showing Hillary’s as the benefactor of the Sherpa community and the reflection of how his conquest has shaped their lives.    

PROS AND CONS:  I loved the National Geographic specials as a child.  They showed me parts of the world that I had never known of prior.  While that whimsical recollections of youth is still here in the film, it is definitely showing its age.  

The film is a collection of home movies and recollections by Hillary outlining what he has done for the Sherpas and how his conquering of the highest peak on earth affected the small isolated community.  

It is apparent that this is not a well balanced documentary, but an attempt by Hillary (and the producer) to show Hillary and his accomplishments in a positive light.  The filmmakers only slightly touch on how Hillary’s exploits have adversely affected the self sustaining Sherpa community.  What they do show are long sequences of rural Sherpa life.

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.

Cinema Cycle - Blue Planet

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 08/24/2016

TITLE: Blue Planet

FORMAT: LaserDisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 43 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 9.7 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 4987.8 miles

SYNOPSIS: The diversity of life and nature are chronicled in IMAX format both from space and on the planet’s surface.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER:   We live on an astounding and fragile rock within the great void.  Don’t screw it up.

PROS AND CONS:  : An interesting film from the cultural perspective.  I recall when this film came out.  It was one of the few IMAX films in wide release and lot of people saw it just for the IMAX experience.  

The film is more reminiscent of the educational films that we saw in High School back in the 1970s with a high handed message regarding global warming (although they didn’t call it that back in the day, it was just pollution) and how we need to guard the planet and not strip it bare.

Still, it has its value and is enjoyable to watch while keeping things relatively simple and visually pleasing.

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.

Cinema Cycle - Winning

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 08/22/2016

TITLE: Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman

FORMAT: Streaming (iTunes)

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 23 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 19.3 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 4978.1 miles

SYNOPSIS: The racing career of actor Paul Newman is chronicled in great detail.  

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: A postcard from all of Paul’s racing buddies highlighting what is generally an unknown but very successful career as a race car driver.

PROS AND CONS: More of a homage to Newman than a real documentary.  I am sure that there are racing drivers that thought that Paul was a jerk and a lousy driver, but they are not interviewed in the film.  This is a feel good movie, not a gritty tell it like it is film.

One walks away with the impression that Paul Newman was a very focused and driven individual and not the touchy-feely sort of actor that many may have perceived him as.  He did not start racing until well into his 40s and continued to race into his 80s.

As I watched this film I was sort of wondering what the target audience was and why was it made.  The box office receipts for this film are not going to set any records.  

Watching the credits it is apparent that the whole film was bankrolled by Adam Carolla (of Man Show fame), who purchased all of Newman’s racing cars and continues to drive them.

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.

It Gets Harder Not To Tear Up....

…..the older you get.  Reasons?  Well, probably because you start to realize what was so damn precious to you to begin with.  Long Story Short:  Our cat Ludwig has passed away.  Fifteen years old, 25lb, Grey, Long Hair, Maine Coon.  

Ludwig and My Father, Dale A. Johnson in 2004.

The only thing you had to fear from this cat was his refusal to get off of your lap once stationed there.

Yeah, not a good day.

Cinema Cycle - Cat People

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 08/19/2016

TITLE: Cat People

FORMAT: HD-DVD

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 58 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 25.6 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 4958.8 miles

SYNOPSIS: A secret cult that can turn themselves into cats is exposed after killing several humans during sex.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER:   Sexual ego and denial.  A take on the werewolf / vampire genre with a lot of erotica thrown in.

PROS AND CONS:  While not my cup of tea, this was not a bad film.  It was well acted and directed and walked that fine line between believability and suspense.  

The direction is interesting and Paul Schrader is obviously a director of merit.  His ‘fly-on-the-wall’ style, his use of color and the way he paces and frames the scenes is entertaining to watch.  

That said, I didn’t much care for the plot and arch of the film.  This is a very erotic motion picture that borders on an “X” rating.  So, you get to see a lot of Nastassia Kinski in this film, which isn’t a bad thing.

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.

Cinema Cycle - Aliens

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 08/17/2016

TITLE: Aliens

FORMAT: LaserDisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 2 hours 39 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 38.1 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 4933.2 miles

SYNOPSIS: An elite space marine unit is sent to exterminate and eventually flee from a parasite like alien that uses humans as breeding hosts.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Let's take good and make it better.  A whole lot better.  The start of a genre, with lots of extra footage.

PROS AND CONS:  Been there, done that, with this film.  Seen it several times in the past.  However, had never seen this version with about 30 minutes of additional footage.  Not needed for the storyline of the film, but fun to watch none-the-less.

Since the film is about 20 years old now, it is starting to show its age.  We know that deep space probes would look a lot different than the interior of an aircraft carrier.  So, in that regard, this film is aging into that “Forbidden Planet” zone where Sci-Fi classics live.  

Probably more than anything, it shows what a good film maker James Cameron is.  His quick pacing and direction along with some subtle character development make almost all his films fascinating to watch.

To read an overview of this project, check out this status posting.  

This film is a part of my LaserDisc Collection.

Clicking on the title will take you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) entry for this film. 

This film was viewed while exercising on my recumbent cycle.  A summary of my time spent working out on my journey through movie-land can be found on Strava.com.