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.

Cinema Cycle - The Best Of Mission Impossible - Vol 2

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 11/28/2017

TITLE:. The Best Of Mission Impossible - Volume 2

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 102 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 23.3 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 8144.4 miles

SYNOPSIS: From Wikipedia

#

Episode #

Title

Directed by

Written by

Original Airdate

Production #[2]

10

10

"The Carriers"

Sherman Marks

William Read Woodfield & Allan Balter

November 19, 1966

13

37

9

"The Seal"

Alexander Singer

William Read Woodfield & Allan Balter

November 5, 1967

35

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Watching this all these years later, I can see where MacGyver came from.

PROS AND CONS:  Centered squarely in the cold war era of the 1960s, where enemies were mysterious but clearly defined.  This was the thinking man’s “Man From U.N.C.L.E.” or “I Spy”.  

Elaborate deceptions were the hallmark of the show, some of them quite lavish.  Simplistic by today's standards, both in pacing and technology, the series relies more on acting and screenwriting to get the message of suspense across.

However, the rotary dial telephones and miniature reel-to-reel tape recorders give it a nice warm nostalgic feel.  

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 - Civilization Volume 3

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 11/27/2107

TITLE:. Civilization - Volume 3

FORMAT: VHS

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 100 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 28.1 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 8121.1 miles

SYNOPSIS: (from Wikipedia)

The Hero as Artist. (List of Renaissance figures) Here Clark takes the viewer back to 16th century Papal Rome—noting the convergence of Christianity and antiquity. He discusses Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci; the courtyards of the Vatican; the rooms decorated for the Pope by Raphael; and the Sistine Chapel.

Protest and Communication. Clark takes the viewer back to the Reformation—to the Germany of Albrecht Dürer and Martin Luther and the world of the humanists Erasmus, Montaigne, and Shakespeare.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Possibly one of the best documentaries ever made.

PROS AND CONS:  Imagine getting to go to Oxford for free and just sit in on lectures given by the greatest minds of our generation.  That is what this series is.  

It is just astounding how much we don’t know about where we came from.

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 - Back To The Future II

CINEMA CYCLE

(Cardio Workout And Reviewing Movies At The Same Time)

DATE REVIEWED: 11/22/2017

TITLE:. Back To The Future II

FORMAT: Laserdisc

TIME RIDDEN / FILM LENGTH: 108 minutes

DISTANCE RIDDEN WHILE VIEWING: 25.3 miles

TOTAL CINEMA MILES LOGGED: 8093 miles

SYNOPSIS: Time travel messes things up, so let's travel through time to set things right.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Milking a franchise for all its worth, but it is a fun ride along the way.

PROS AND CONS:  Not a bad film, but it is showing it’s age.  While the first film in the franchise was new and different, the latter two were just making money off of the concept.  

These films are entertaining due to their pacing and the fact that the audience has to constantly keep up with the shifting story / timelines.  

On this second time around, the viewer can start to pick up on all the subtle cues that will lead to sight gages in the third installment.  It is fluff to be sure, but it is entertaining fluff.

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.