Cinema Cycle - Power of Three

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 12/28/2017

TITLE: Power of Three

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 59 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 12.9 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 8393.6 miles

SYNOPSIS: Concert film performance at the 1990 Montreux Jazz Festival.


CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: More music talent than I could every imagine having.


PROS AND CONS: I had never heard of Michael Petrucciani before, but sure know his name now.  An amazing pianist for reasons that you might not expect if you have never seen him perform. 

Wayne Shorter and Jim Hall are not half bad either.  After a long hard day in the office, spin this disc and fix a martini, all will be right with the world in about 30 minutes.

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 - Star Trek: The Deadly Years

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 12/27/2017

TITLE: Star Trek: The Deadly Years

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 50 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 10.3 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 8380.7 miles

SYNOPSIS: A routine away party to a planet's surface begins to age abnormally fast after returning to the ship.


CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Understanding geriatrics and how the individual deals with aging.


PROS AND CONS: The more I watch these older, uncut masters of the original series, the more this starts to become like Shakespeare.  While the concept was really cutting edge, the production value starts to show its age.

This really isn't science fiction anymore.  Almost everything they do in here with the exception of warp drive and the transporter have come to pass and in some ways surpass the shows vision of a Utopian future. 

Also, it appears that the writers really bailed on the ending to the episode.  The idea that a magic serum could reverse 40 years of aging in four minutes.  Fail.

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 - Lorna

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 12/26/2017

TITLE: Lorna

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 79 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 16.6 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 8370.4 miles

SYNOPSIS: A young wife's infidelity leads to devastating results on the bayou.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Sexplotation and working outside the Hollywood system.  A lot of raw emotion and violence.

PROS AND CONS: I have a real soft spot for Russ Meyer.  The guy made films his own way and he did it quite well.  Imagine if Fellini and Hitchcock got together and dropped acid.  You would get this film.

On this viewing of the film, it evolves for the viewer when you can look past the sexuality and the violence to the well written script and the moral undertones, the viewer is fascinated and then giggles at what it going on. 

This time around, the soundtrack really stood out of the stereo system I was listening to while watching.  The 35mm black and white print is also well shot and lends to the tone of the film. 

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 - South Pacific

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 12/22/2017

TITLE: South Pacific

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 152 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 30.6 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 8353.8 miles

SYNOPSIS: A navy nurse and a young Marine Lieutenant deal with mixed race relationship issues on a tropical island during World War II.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Dealing with prejudice in a time before the Vietnam war when Vietnamese were referred to as Tonkinese.  Exceptional music and lyrics.

PROS AND CONS:  The more I watch this film, the more it becomes a golden relic in the film archives.  The world isn't like this anymore, it was never really like this at all, but we like to think it was. 

On this viewing, I was amazed at the word-smithing of Oscar Hammerstein II.  The neophyte assumes writing lyrics is easy.  Listen to these songs and imagine writing them, it ain't easy, it is a talent. 

The one thing that disturbed me in this viewing was the look of the film.  There was a lot of thought into the tinting of various scenes in the film to give it more emotional impact, but this actually makes the film seem dull and muted.  Sometimes it borders on sepia-tone, which does not give the viewer the feeling of being on a tropical island.

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 - Spartacus

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 12/19/2017

TITLE:. Spartacus

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 197 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 45 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 8323.2 miles

SYNOPSIS: Slaves revolt in Roman times and attempt to flee the
country.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Politics and the ability
to rally the oppressed in order to defeat the status quo.

PROS AND CONS:  An excellent film.  When I saw it years ago I
recall liking the film, more for it sweeping scope and battle sequences.
On this viewing, I found it fascinating but for totally different
reasons.

For sure, the scope and epic visuals are still there.  But what shines
through now are the actors, their delivery, the script and the focus
on the politics of ancient Rome.  This isn’t so much a story of the
slave revolt, as much as it is about how politicians use a crisis to
further their own ends.

This particular Laserdisc has a huge bonus, in that it has commentary
on the analog tracks of the film, that includes most of the stars of
the film going into great details about what was going on during the
actual making of the film.  

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 - Memories of Me

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 12/13/2017

TITLE:. Memories of Me

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 104 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 23.2 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 8241.2 miles

SYNOPSIS: An surgeon attempts to reconnect with his estranged father after having a heart attack. 

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Rehashing the ‘Borscht-Belt’ routines of east coast Jewish entertainers from the 1950s. 

PROS AND CONS: This was a ‘groaner’ of a film to exercise through. By the end of it I was reading the news and checking my email. 

The production value was not bad, neither was the acting or direction. However, unless you grew up in the Bronx in a Jewish family and had parent issues, the audience will find little to engage in here. 

More of a homage to Alan King’s standup routines, the pre-canned one liners that go flying back and forth become tedious. If Mr. King was my father I would not want to have much to do with him either. 

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 Taming Of The Shrew

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 12/12/2017

TITLE:. The Taming Of The Shrew

FORMAT: DVD

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 122 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 37 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 8278.2 miles

SYNOPSIS: The marriage of a shrill woman her her playboy husband in 16th century Italy. 

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: The differences in expectation and relationships between men and women….in the 16th century. 

PROS AND CONS: Not a good film. The production is lavish and the acting (albeit Shakespearean) is excellent, but in the end this is a ‘word fencing’ melodrama. 

Shakespeare was a great playwright for his age and I am sure that this went over really well in England back in his day. However, this play has little relevance today. Modern audiences would find it hard to identify with the characters, much less understand what they are saying. 

This is Burton and Taylor at their best and you can tell that they are having fun with the roles. But if you want to see them bicker and fight for two hours, I would recommend “Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf”. It is a bit more relevant by today’s standards. 

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 - Rear Window

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 12/11/2017

TITLE: Rear Window

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 102 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 25.3 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 8218 miles

SYNOPSIS: A wheelchair bound photographer must convince

others that he has witnessed a murder.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Voyeurism and the

stages of relationships from inception to death.

PROS AND CONS:  One of those films that just gets better

each time you watch it.  The viewer picks up new nuances with

each viewing.  

If there is a negative element to this film, I can’t think of what it is.  

Everything from acting, to cinematography, to script are just

excellent here.  You can’t help but get sucked into this film.  

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 - Bruce Springsteen in Concert

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 12/7/2017

TITLE:. Bruce Springsteen In Concert

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 106 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 25.9 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 8192.7 miles

SYNOPSIS: An intimate concert by Bruce and company.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: The Boss sings his hits.  

PROS AND CONS:  Another of the genre of Laserdiscs that were meant to showcase musical / theatrical talent, back when MTV and music videos were the next ‘big’ thing.  

The subtext of the title is ‘plugged’ (as opposed to Un-Plugged).  This refers to a series of acoustic concerts that were put together by MTV to showcase an artist's raw talent.  This would have been much more interesting if Bruce has been unplugged.  What we get is a private concert with his full rock and roll band.  

Springsteen is a great performer and excellent song writer.  However, after 30 minutes all his songs tend to start to run together.  The few times in the concert when he does go acoustic are the best parts of the show.

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 - Double Exposure

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 12/04/2017

TITLE:. Double Exposure

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 95 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 22.4 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 8166.8 miles

SYNOPSIS: A summarized Cliff Notes biography of a well known photographer for Life magazine.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Photography as art and social commentary.  A photographer chooses her art over her relationships.  An early star vehicle for Ms. Fawcett.

PROS AND CONS:  An interesting film.  The production on the film is quite good with far away location shooting, costumes design, automobiles, etc.  The subject was interesting as well, showcasing the person that took many of the iconic photographs of the 1930s through the 1950s.  

However, the script and acting are not up to the same standard as the production value.  While Ms. Fawcett does her best to give a good portrayal of Margaret Bourke-White, her glamour gets in the way and it is a bit of a stretch to take her character seriously.

Also her relationship with writer Erskine Caldwell seems a bit too forced.  There really isn’t any attraction there and the audience is left wondering why they would ever get together.  

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.