IMO 'Fifth Element' nice DVD. Plenty of nice DVDs around at good price if people look/wait ...

I don't think that I'll be repurchasing my DVD titles in newer whizzier-bang formats if they are re-marketed though ...

All 3 Lord of the Rings extended versions - much better than the cinema versions. Much as I am in awe of the work involved to produce these films I much prefer the book by a long way. The excellent score is worth buying on it's own.

'The house of flying daggers' - quite possibly the most visually stunning and achingly beautiful film to watch ever.

'The Battle of Britain'Restored version - worth the buying price for the five minute William Walton 'dogfight' scene alone - arguably one of the best pieces of film music ever written.

Dear Erik,

The story of how Walton only wrote 'The Fugue In The Air' and not the rest of score I have never really grasped. It is a fantastic bit of music within the context and in concert.

Do you know 'The First Of The Few' about RJ Mitchell and the Spitfire. Walton provide an absolutely splendid score for that as well. Leslie Howard and Divid Niven star and the film was supported by Churchill.

I think there is much more great music in film scores than probably is found in the modern art music in the concert hall nowadays, and a really fine score is often the making of a film. Olivier even said so of his own film of Henry V to Walton who provided another splendid score. In that case some scenes were re-cut to fit the music as Olivier did not want the muisc spoiled! Not all the great actors were beyond seeing the value in others' efforts!

All the best from Fredrik

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Dear Erik,

The story of how Walton only wrote 'The Fugue In The Air' and not the rest of score I have never really grasped. It is a fantastic bit of music within the context and in concert.

Do you know 'The Firts Of The Few' about RJ Mitchell and the Spitfire. walton provide an absolutely splendid score for that as well. Leslie Howard and Divid Niven stare and the film was supported by Churchill.

I think there is much more great music in film scores than probably is found in the modern art music in the concert hall nowadays, and a really fine score is often the making of a film. Olivier even said so of his own film of Henry V to Walton who provided another splensis score. In that case some scenes were re-cut to fit the music as Olivier did not want the muisc spoiled! Not all the great actors were beyond seeing the value in others' efforts!

All the best from Fredrik

Hi Fredrik,

Hvordan har du det? As I recall Walton was replaced because he was way behind schedule and simply could not be relied upon to get the whole score finished so he was passed over in favour of Goodwin (a worthy composer but up to the standards of Walton I think you would agree. Good news.....the full Walton score is available on the UK version as an alternative score (not on the US version)!!. £7 on amazon.co.uk very well spent.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Dear Erik,



Do you know 'The First Of The Few' about RJ Mitchell and the Spitfire. Walton provide an absolutely splendid score for that as well. Leslie Howard and Divid Niven star and the film was supported by Churchill.

Oh yes, excellent film and excellent score. Agreed. HenryV ditto.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Dear Erik,

The story of how Walton only wrote 'The Fugue In The Air' and not the rest of score I have never really grasped. It is a fantastic bit of music within the context and in concert.

It seems I may have been misinformed or my memory is playing up - I just googled the Walton score rejection and came up with this - http://wwuh.org/program/articles/julaug99/keith1.htm

quote:

Originally posted by erik scothron:

Hi Fredrik,

... Good news.....the full Walton score is available on the UK version as an alternative score (not on the US version)!!. £7 on amazon.co.uk very well spent.

Dear Erik,

I saw the film on first release, and never since, but the Battle in the Air is incredible. actually, being a rather sensitive child I could not watch and I cried a bit, but I never forgot that music only once heard for years until I got a CD of it conducted by Carl Davis. Funnily enough it also brought a tear as I can never really get over what a state this country had found itself in and what was involved in holding the line till things could be brought round.

I don't do amazon (no credit card), but will attempt a hunt in HMV as it must be available.

I knew Walton's score was written and rejected, but never knew the whole story as retold in that link, but certainly that additional music will be perhaps my main reason for getting it.

Thanks for the effort and links, All the best from Fredrik

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by erik scothron:

Funnily enough it also brought a tear as I can never really get over what a state this country had found itself in and what was involved in holding the line till things could be brought round.

A year before WW2 started (and therefore over a year before Churchill was PM)Churchill called together a bunch of like minded inviduals (those who thought war inevitable and who rejected appeasement)and asked them to perform an audit for war - an audit of, if you like, what remained of the Empire. They went away and added up all the gold reserves, money, bonds, you name it that we had at our disposal and reported back to Churchil at another secret meeting (remember Churchil was alone, out in the cold and shunned by virtually all in parliament as a warmongerer). Churchill asked them how long, if we cashed in the family silver so to speak, could we sustain all out total war against Germany - the answer came back...................'six months'.

It seems to me that the winning of the war was not just dependent on a miracle but on a whole string of miracles and that if any one of those miracles had not happened then we would have fallen to Germany. I found it incomprehensible then when a few years back the BBC held the 'Greatest ever Englishman' poll that anyone - anyone other than Churchill should have been voted for (and as for the half-wits who voted for Princess Diana......im still recovering from a severe fuse in the cerebral cortex).

Yours (writing in english and not in German)

Erik

Erik, look at my Thread on what book are you reading! I agree 100% on the issue of Churchill and his forsight... Fredrik

PS, The six volumes are a real struggle, however beautifully written!

"Classic Concerts" Muddy Waters. Wonderful footage of 3 different Muddy gigs, starting with grainy b&w footage from Newport 1960 through to a much later gig in glorious colour. Muddy made what he did seem so effortless. He also attracted excellent supporting players and let them show their chops. Wonderful stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by erik scothron:
'The house of flying daggers' - quite possibly the most visually stunning and achingly beautiful film to watch ever.

Is there an English-dubbed soundtrack on this? I physically can't read subtitles usually, so was glad I was able to hear "Crouching tiger..." on the DVD issue

quote:

Originally posted by domfjbrown:

quote:

Originally posted by erik scothron:
'The house of flying daggers' - quite possibly the most visually stunning and achingly beautiful film to watch ever.

Is there an English-dubbed soundtrack on this? I physically can't read subtitles usually, so was glad I was able to hear "Crouching tiger..." on the DVD issue

I had a quick look at what is available on amazon.co.uk and it looks as though only mandarin with english subtitles is available but maybe you could hire it from a video shop and check it out without going to the expense of buying it?

Mostly I has been watching the history of Fyn. Short black and white cine films from about 1900 up to 1960s about the middle bit of Denmark. Fascinating! Warning: No surround sound or LFE!

Blue Man Group Complex Tour Live - Cool way of making music!

Underworld, yummy...

Van Helsing. Should get the award for most horror stories in 1 film. Ok but intantly forgetable even with Kate Beckinsale.

Howard

I am glad my name is RONEN and not ENRON. What a bunch of arrogant thieves.

Thirty two short stories about Glenn Gould - A must for fans.

"The Business". A story of a sarf Landon geezer who takes a shot at the big time by fleeing to the Costa Del Crime to import drugs with a bunch of wide-boy kants, circa 1986/7. Top 80's soundtrack, tasty shag interest, bit 'o gore, loads a facking swearing and some tasty metal. Not to mention a lot of tasteless ST/Fila tracksuits.

[Anorak mode on]
One of the big fish drives an mid 80's silver 928 S2. Problem is though that said prime bit of Porker is wearing a set of Cup 2 rims that only became available from 1994 on the later GTS model. Tut tut.
[Anorak mode off]

Steve

"Hostage" A very dark and actually very good Bruce Willis film.

I've just watched 'A Bittersweet Life'.

Another fine gangster film from Korea with a cracking DTS soundtrack to test your system with.

Dear Friends,

I collected the Battle Of Britain on UK Special Edition today, apparently not the version available in the US. Both for the film, which I saw on first release in the late sixties, but not since, and Walton's Score which is to be be found on it UK version. 20 minutes of music otherwise lost and unavailable music by one of our greatest composers in the twentieth century is certainly not to be missed, and worth the £8.99!

Also I fixed a viewing for '32 Short Stories About Glenn Gould' for next weelend, though whether VHS counts as DVD I am not sure! Thanks to Erik Scothron for the vid! Fredrik

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp:

Somehow I had never seen this film. What a really good, and moving, movie this is.

Martin

Colonel Blimp. Never seen, but a must view I suspect. Fredrik