Cinema Cycle - Klute

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 02/27/2017

TITLE: Klute

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 1 hour 54 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 27 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6342.7 miles

SYNOPSIS: A private investigator attempt to track down a missing person through contacts he had with a prostitute

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: The gritty side of the world's oldest profession and how we are all voyeurs with hidden desires and agendas.

PROS AND CONS:  Jane Fonda won an Academy Award for best actress in this film.  It is easy to see why, the work appears to be written for her and she gives a very good performance as the streetwalker / up-and-coming actress who has to recall all her “Johns” for the past year.  

One of the things that makes Fonda’s performance so engaging is the pairing with Donald Sutherland, whose low key performance allows Fonda to shine more.  It is hard to tell if Sutherland is just channeling a really frustrated button down cop or Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry.

This is a film that deals with surveillance before the internet and cameras the size of a pin.  Here the surveillance is voyeuristic and done with bulky analog equipment.  

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 Avengers '64 - Vol5

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 02/24/2017

TITLE: The Avengers ‘64 Vol. 5

FORMAT: VHS

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 50 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 11.5 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6315.7 miles

SYNOPSIS: (from Wikipedia)  The Charmers: After a number of Soviet agents are murdered by an unknown third party, Steed and Cathy co-operate with their Russian counterparts to find the assassins.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: A bit campy this time around.  While it is tongue and cheek most of the way through, the superior acting and writing make it worth watching.

PROS AND CONS:  A gentlemen's game this espionage thing.  Here the east and west team up to help solve a mutual problem.

You know the cold war was never really like this, but they wanted us to think it was back in the day.  There are rules for civilized societies to play with and that includes spying.

True to form there is a rousing jazz soundtrack to go with the over the top fight scene at the end where Honor Blackman kicks ass.

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.

Five Frames - 02/23/2017

Five Frames

Images Taken With A Minolta Maxxum 35mm shooting Ilford Delta 100

These images and many many more can be found on my Flickr account.

Cinema Cycle - Mrs. Doubtfire

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 02/22/2017

TITLE: Mrs. Doubtfire

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 2 hour 9 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 27.5 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6304.2 miles

SYNOPSIS: A separated father disguises himself as a female housekeeper to continue to have contact with his children.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Manic comedy at its best and the last of the separation / divorce films that Hollywood cranked out from the 1980s through the late 1990s.

PROS AND CONS:  I had seen this once before a long time ago.  I recall it as being good and it still stands the test of time.  This is an “A” list Hollywood film, with top notch direction, writing, acting, cinematography and scoring, etc.  

That said, what held true on the first showing still stands now.  This is a Robin Williams vehicle and the film would not be half as entertaining without him in it.  The rest of the cast (with the exception of Harvey Fierstein) are just window dressing for Williams performance.

One of the underlying themes behind all the comedy is the obsession that William’s character has for his kids.  So while he is funny, he starts to border on manic / crazy regarding the drives that are making him do what he does in the film.  In the end, that makes the film just a weee bit creepy.

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.

Five Frames - 02/20/2017

Five Frames

Images Taken With A Minolta Maxxum Shooting Ilford Delta 100 35mm

These images and many many more can be found on my Flickr account.

Cinema Cycle - Secrets of the Titanic

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 02/20/2017

TITLE: National Geographic - The Secrets of the Titanic

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 52 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 12.2 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6276.7 miles

SYNOPSIS: The initial exploration of the sunken Titanic is documented.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Science and just trying to do something to see if you can do it.

PROS AND CONS:  An introspective work narrated by Martin Sheen before the big Hollywood Blockbuster came out that made billions of dollars for James Cameron.

Despite all the high tech wizardry that is associated with finding and exploring this wreck, in its initial phases, this was a pretty seat of your pants bare bones operation.  It wasn’t that easy to find.

This work is told from more of a scientific viewpoint with a few cliff hanger moments thrown into to give it some watch-ability for the average viewer.  

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.

Five Frames - 02/18/17

Five Frames

Images Taken With Lytro and Panasonic cameras

These images and many many more can be found on my Flickr account.

Cinema Cycle - The Avengers '63 - Vol3

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 02/17/2017

TITLE: The Avengers ‘63 - Vol3

FORMAT: VHS

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 51 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 13.4 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6264.4 miles

SYNOPSIS: (from Wikipedia) Newly elected Member of Parliament, Michael Dyter, fakes his own death only to reappear later in possession of a nuclear bomb which he threatens to detonate on 5 November, in London. Steed and Cathy go into politics, during a race against time to hunt him down.[2]

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Early British cool mixed with a healthy dose of British politics and theory.  Long Live Guy Fawkes!

PROS AND CONS:  This is a long running series in my collection and my thoughts on the series in general has already been stated in previous blogs.  It is good, but dated, and therein lives the history lesson.

This is British media asserting itself to try and give a national identity and keep Britain relevant on the world stage after WWII and Suez Crisis.  There is a definite bent toward being hip and unconventional here.  While it seems restrained now, it was really bending the rules in early 1960s England.

The theme of this episode “November 5”, centers around Guy Fawkes day in England.  A failed saboteur that tried to blow up Parliament.  This episode delves deeply into British political structure and how the British government works.

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.

Five Frames - 02/13/2017

Five Frames

Images Taken With GoPro / Lytro and Lumix Digital Cameras

These images and many many more can be found on my Flickr account.

Cinema Cycle - The Last Days of WWII - The Spoils of War

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 02/10/2017

TITLE: The Last Days Of World War II: The Spoils of War

FORMAT: VHS

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 44 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 9.7 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 6251.1 miles

SYNOPSIS: Technology and art are salvaged from the ruins of Hitler’s Third Reich.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: The real Monuments Men and just how twisted and demented the Nazi regime really was.

PROS AND CONS:  As war documentaries go, this is probably better than most.  Unlike most other videos of this genre, it is not just recycled combat footage from the war department.  There is actually some substance to this work.

The documentary is broken into three parts, the first being the recovery of stolen artwork of the Nazis.  The second the collection of advanced technology from German scientists.  Finally, a look at the holocaust and documenting its horror.

The level of detail here is good.  Many of the place names, persons involved and artifacts are documented in great detail.  Far from being the defeated enemy with a scorched earth policy, the allies found a Pandora’s Box of treasure that would affect the world for decades to come.

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.