Cinema Cycle - There's A Meetin' Here Tonight

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 09/28/2016

TITLE: There’s a Meetin’ Here Tonight

FORMAT: LaserDisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 48 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 23.6 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 5288.3 miles

SYNOPSIS: What appears to be an intimate album launch party featuring the Limeliters, Glenn Yarbrough and the Kingston Trio.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER:   The touring elderly that are still clinging to the fame and relevancy of their youth.

PROS AND CONS:  This is a pretty bare bones concert film.  It is straight out of the 1980, with bell-bottoms and large lapels.  Some of the music was notable and other sections were cringe-worthy.

Side one of the disk is the opening act, The Limeliters with Glenn Yarbrough.  This 50 minute stint wandered from Jewish Klezmer music to mid-western polka to 1960s catskill lounge music.  It wasn’t that good, but it was almost comical in places.

Side two was the Kingston Trio who showed themselves to be a much more polished act.  By the time they got to their last three songs, you would be clapping or tapping your feet or both.  On this disc, just go straight to side two.

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 - Hard Promises

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 09/26/2016

TITLE: Hard Promises

FORMAT: LaserDisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 35 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 20.9 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 5264.7 miles

SYNOPSIS: A wandering husband returns home to prevent his wife from divorcing him and marrying another man.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER:   A very narrowly targeted film aimed squarely at mid-western single/divorced woman between the ages of 18 and 36.

PROS AND CONS:  Not a good film.  While it is supposed to fall into the romantic comedy genre of film, it fails on both counts.  The film is produced by William Petersen and appears to be a star vehicle for himself and his close compatriots.  

This work never clicks.  It is neither that funny and any romance in the work appears terribly forced.  You are left to wonder if Peterson’s character is just a bully/stalker and why on earth Sissy Spacek’s character would ever desire him (except for sex).  

It appears that this is the morality tale to teach women to stop chasing after the sexy bad-boy and settle down with Mr. Nerdy and milk toast.  And the ending was just odd.  Petersen’s character just walks away after learning that he has lost his ex-wife to the nerdy guy.

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 - The French Connection

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 09/23/2016

TITLE: The French Connection

FORMAT: LaserDisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 45 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 23.5 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 5243.8 miles

SYNOPSIS: A team of undercover New York City police detectives try to uncover a large heroin smuggling ring.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER:  How much things have changed.  Our perceptions of law enforcement and crime aren’t the same as they were 50 years ago.

PROS AND CONS:  This was a great film to watch after a long absence.  It is dated now, but is also like a time capsule of the era in which it was filmed.  

One of the aspects that stands out is that this is very much a ‘car’ film.  There are a lot of chase scenes with large American cars from the 1970s that are featured throughout.  Automobiles that are seldom seen on today’s streets.  

The other aspect of note is the concept of law enforcement at the time and how it was done.  In contrast to the current issues with policing and their interactions with minorities, this film shows the opposite.  It was a time when police used intimidation and almost gang-like tactics to combat what they ‘perceived’ as criminals, where they were Judge, Jury and Executioner in one.  

Also interesting is the ending of the film.  Often overlooked among the car chases and gun-play, the bad guy eventually gets away and Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) accidentally kills a fellow officer in the final foot chase.  Hardly a feel good story where the good guys defeat the bad guys.  

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 - The Time Guardian

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 09/18/2016

TITLE: The Time Guardian

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 28 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 21.3 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 5220.3 miles

SYNOPSIS: Humans living in the future travel back in time to prepare a site to move their city before evildoers attack and destroy them.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER:   Confusion and an absolute suspension of reality and logic.  This is bad science fiction.

PROS AND CONS:  Wow, not a good film.  It is Australian in origin and may have been made to showcase some talent down under but there is huge room for improvement.

The plot was confusing and muddled, the acting sub-par and the special effects are straight out of high school film class. When the film was all over, I still didn’t really have a clue about what happened or why.

Carrie Fisher and Dean Stockwell were brought in to give the film some legitimacy, but their roles are marginal and really serve no purpose.  Tom Burlinson and Nikki Coghill are the Australian stars, neither of which I have heard of nor would I want to see again.

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 - Love at Stake

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 09/14/2016

TITLE: Love At Stake

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 28 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 20.3 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 5199 miles

SYNOPSIS: A witch passes through Salem Massachusetts and unravels the local judges plans to seize peasant land by accusing them of witchcraft.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: A long skit, full of inside jokes and sexual innuendo.

PROS AND CONS:  I did not expect much from this film, but what I got was enjoyable if not a bit on the farce-like side. It walks the line between lunacy and reality, just barely.

The producers did put a lot of thought into this film.  The locations, the costumes and the cast don’t look cheap, although they are far from lavish.  The acting is a bit over-the-top and the plot borders on silly.

What comes through more than anything else is the subtle comedy and sight gags that abound in the work.  From an old woman playing the harpsichord and singing about her ‘pussy’, to three young girls doing a Paula Abdul dance number while singing about how much they love Satin.  It made me laugh.

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 - Cinema Paradiso

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 09/11/2016

TITLE: Cinema Paradiso

FORMAT: LaserDisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 2 hours 13 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 29.9 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 5178.7 miles

SYNOPSIS: A young boy comes of age in a small Italian village where the center of town life is the local movie theater.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER:   Shared memories and the power of media.  Culture and media bind society together in ways that we often don’t realize.  

PROS AND CONS:  Hand down, one of the best films in my collection.  A must see film for anyone that wants to understand the effect that cinema and media can have on us individually and as a group.

The film has lost some of it’s ‘wow’ factor since my first viewing of it.  It isn’t as slick as many large budget films are these days, but it is still an exceptionally crafted work with a wonderful story, soundtrack and cinematography.

This film, along with “Out of Africa” are the only two films that I am guaranteed to tear up at near the end.  If you don’t you probably aren’t human and you may already be dead.

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 - The Lost Boys

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 09/09/2016

TITLE: The Lost Boys

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 38 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 23.8 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 5148.8 miles

SYNOPSIS: A single mother and her two sons move to a new town that is infested with vampires.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER:  Teen youth movie from the 1980s with a lot of style and a very silly story.

PROS AND CONS: I was hoping for something with a little more substance but what I got was a mixture of trendy 1980s high school hip / scary interspersed with silly “Stand By Me” /  “Goonies” comedy.  I was glad when the film was over.

The believability factor just vanished about halfway through the film and from then on it was just boring.  This was meant to be the “Top Gun” of horror movies with rocking musical interludes about every 10 minutes.  The music was better than the story most of the time.

This film tried to target both young adults and pre-teens and fell somewhere in the middle so it didn't hit either mark.  Although Bernard Hughes famous last line of the film is classic.

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.