Blu-ray you last watched...

[srinivas1015]

Guys, check out the opening of The Last Of Us for the PS3. It's 17mins but it's 95% cinematic. One of the best movie game openings I've seen in a long long time. Reminds of I Am Legend.

It's really heartbreaking though.

The Last of Us - Part 1 - YouTube

[srinivas1015]

Watched Zero Dark Thirty.



Absolutely loved this movie! Even though it's around 2.5 hours long, it's a breeze to sit through. By the time you get to the final raid, you feel incredibly tense and excited at the same time. That's cos the forthcoming action actually has a lot of weight and high stakes. That's what most action movies these days lack. The action has no consequence or reason, making it hard for you to care that much. Just FYI, this isn't an action flick .
I don't see why Chastain won an oscar for her acting though. The 'plot' is barely existent. The movie is more of a re-telling of various events that took place over the course of 10 years. In fact, the movie is broken up into chapters. There is no real character development as such. You get basic info on who the characters are and that's about it. Chastain's the closest you get to a protagonist. None of those are cons however. The movie does what it wants to do very well, which is to give us an abridged version of the 10 year manhunt. 90% of the movie is nothing but gathering intelligence. You gotta be in a right mood to watch this as it doesn't work for a casual watch. That being said, if you're bored, the film does a good job of sucking you in and making you feel invested.
I don't wanna spoil much, but there are a few 'action/espionage' sequences throughout the movie. It isn't just talk . And no need to worry, the torture sequences aren't as extreme as the reviews/critics say.

Highly recommended!

I gotta say, the VQ is one of the best out there, even though the final raid sequence is a little TOO dark. I watched it using headphones so I can't comment on the AQ but knowing Sony, it's safe to say it's great as well.

5 out of 5

[divyansh]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

Watched Zero Dark Thirty.

[Show spoiler]

Absolutely loved this movie! Even though it's around 2.5 hours long, it's a breeze to sit through. By the time you get to the final raid, you feel incredibly tense and excited at the same time. That's cos the forthcoming action actually has a lot of weight and high stakes. That's what most action movies these days lack. The action has no consequence or reason, making it hard for you to care that much. Just FYI, this isn't an action flick .
I don't see why Chastain won an oscar for her acting though. The 'plot' is barely existent. The movie is more of a re-telling of various events that took place over the course of 10 years. In fact, the movie is broken up into chapters. There is no real character development as such. You get basic info on who the characters are and that's about it. Chastain's the closest you get to a protagonist. None of those are cons however. The movie does what it wants to do very well, which is to give us an abridged version of the 10 year manhunt. 90% of the movie is nothing but gathering intelligence. You gotta be in a right mood to watch this as it doesn't work for a casual watch. That being said, if you're bored, the film does a good job of sucking you in and making you feel invested.
I don't wanna spoil much, but there are a few 'action/espionage' sequences throughout the movie. It isn't just talk . And no need to worry, the torture sequences aren't as extreme as the reviews/critics say.

Highly recommended!

I gotta say, the VQ is one of the best out there, even though the final raid sequence is a little TOO dark. I watched it using headphones so I can't comment on the AQ but knowing Sony, it's safe to say it's great as well.

5 out of 5

Watched this in theater and liked it , The reason this might have got an Oscar for screenplay is although it was just re-telling the past events , the job the script writer did here is to squeeze all that in two and a half hours , the movie never felt like a documentary to me and even i found myself tensed and anxious as to what would happen next at times , so i think the script writer succeeded in performing his job well , won't comment on the PQ as it was horrible in the theater i watched this in (maybe they were conserving the life of their lamp by putting it in low power mode but the movie was unusually dark throughout , much like watching HP7-P2 in 3D in a Bad theater dark[if you know what i mean ]) , the AQ on the other hand was top notch , with very firm and deep bass extension at times , i could feel strong vibrations right in my chest when the choppers were moving in the final scene.

[srinivas1015]

Originally Posted by divyansh

Watched this in theater and liked it , The reason this might have got an Oscar for screenplay is although it was just re-telling the past events , the job the script writer did here is to squeeze all that in two and a half hours , the movie never felt like a documentary to me and even i found myself tensed and anxious as to what would happen next at times , so i think the script writer succeeded in performing his job well , won't comment on the PQ as it was horrible in the theater i watched this in (maybe they were conserving the life of their lamp by putting it in low power mode but the movie was unusually dark throughout , much like watching HP7-P2 in 3D in a Bad theater dark[if you know what i mean ]) , the AQ on the other hand was top notch , with very firm and deep bass extension at times , i could feel strong vibrations right in my chest when the choppers were moving in the final scene.

It must have been the calibration at the theater. The whole movie is really bright on my projector except the raid, which is intentionally dark. Btw, did the theater play the movie in 1.85:1 (16:9) or did they crop and play it in 2.39:1? Cos Inox did that with Avengers in Pune.

[divyansh]

Originally Posted by srinivas1015

It must have been the calibration at the theater. The whole movie is really bright on my projector except the raid, which is intentionally dark. Btw, did the theater play the movie in 1.85:1 (16:9) or did they crop and play it in 2.39:1? Cos Inox did that with Avengers in Pune.

Actually that theater had the screen in 1.85:1 (which is pretty strange since all the theaters i've been to have 2.35:1 screens) and they played in the same AR , so no cropping done. But yes there were some serious issues with their projector , it was the darkest picture i've ever seen in my life!

[mrbrat_Boy]

I watched this movie on Saturday night. This is 4th viewing of this movie. I totally enjoyed it. I know that many might feel differently about what i have to say, but i revere V. Shantaram as a film maker. His movies are sensitive to their topics and themes. He always displays such finesse in his film making, and Geet Gaaya Pattharone is no exception. His films resonate deep in classical music and dance. His soundtracks never disappoint, always classy and amazingly rendered by the music composers and singers involved.

For those who don't know, this movie introduced superstar Jeetendra's and V. Shantaram's daughter Rajshri. The plot is quite simple, Jeetendra plays the son of a sculptor who hasn't taken to sculpting. He meets Vidya (Rajshri) who's beauty encapsulates him, her beauty haunts him and he uses that to take to sculpting. In the meantime Vidya's mother wants her to excel at dancing so that she can sell her off to a rich man. Jeetendra comes in and helps her, and gets married to her before anything sinister can happen. The story becomes entangled between the couple, and is emotionally charged. The film is not short of melodrama, but that is what keeps the movie going. Jeetendra is rather mellow in this movie compared to his jumping-jack roles he did after this movie, but plays his character with great conviction. It is evident that this was Rajshri's first movie. She excels in the melodrama, but could not portray the deeper emotions that her character goes through.

One thing i have to mention about V. Shantaram is is his imagination. The movie is rich in colour and fantasy. The most awaited scenes are his song picturisations, they are so defined and gutsy. His movies, without a doubt has the most exquisite dance sequences and picturisations that i have ever seen in Indian cinema. I have watched this movie, ' Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje', 'Jal Bin Machhli Nritya Bin Bijli' and 'Boond Jo Ban Gayi Moti' and none of them cease to amaze me.

The music of this movie has been composed by Ramlal, and here too he exhibits the finesse to match V. Shantarams's. The title track sung by Kishori Amonikar based on Raaga Durga is a visual and audio treat. Asha Bhosle domintes the soundtrack with lovely semi classical melodies.My favourites being 'Tere Khayalon Mein Hum', where in one line V. Shantaram uses the 'out of focus camera' to convey the lyrics aptly. Watch the video below at around 2m. It is amazing. My other favourite song being 'Aaja O Jaan-E-Jaan' also by Asha Bhosle. The shaayari recited by C. H. Atma is beautiful and is presented really well. Truly another beautiful soundtrack by Ramlal for V. Shantaram's Geet Gaaya Pattharone.

I cannot finish without mentioning Rajshri's dancing, what she lacks in acting, she makes up for in beauty and detailed dancing. Her dancing is spectacular, Her hand movements are detailed and make the songs even more worthy of repeat value. She was a really great dancer and it is also evident that she understood the finer nuances of classical dance. Its a pity she made so few movies.

I watched on the ultra dvd release of this movie. PQ and AQ are dismal.

I just hope that someday, these companies will see the value in V. Shantaram's cinema and give us some great BD's, or am i just dreaming again?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBeFE8ZsLOw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koWsNEcEWWg

Some interesting dance pieces by Rajshri from other movies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJkW85qO19o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9pM3WFj5DA

[ravenus]

^Great post mrbrat. Shantaram is something of an acquired taste, I guess. After having sat through some of his movies as a child, I was not very enthused - lots of melodrama and theatrical acting, tons of song and dance sequences with effeminate choreography...to a kid who mainly wanted to see Amitabh bash up baddies, this was not entertainment. I suspect I still will not hugely like it but I definitely agree with you that he had a very distinctive movie-making style, more akin to a ballet than a narrative, and artistically was very evolved - The music and picturization of the songs in his films is very indicative of his creative sensibility. He was also one of the early Indian film-makers that dealt with social taboos in films like Aurat.

As for seeing his films on blu-ray, yes you should pinch yourself and wake up. Unlike someone like Ray, he is not export material because especially his color films are more than anything else odes to Indian music and dance arts, and will not appeal to an audience not interested in those aspects (many of the non-Indians that like Jalsaghar have trouble sitting through the ornate musical pieces, although they appreciate the rest of the movie and its social themes).

[mrbrat_Boy]

Originally Posted by ravenus

^Great post mrbrat. Shantaram is something of an acquired taste, I guess. After having sat through some of his movies as a child, I was not very enthused - lots of melodrama and theatrical acting, tons of song and dance sequences with effeminate choreography...to a kid who mainly wanted to see Amitabh bash up baddies, this was not entertainment. I suspect I still will not hugely like it but I definitely agree with you that he had a very distinctive movie-making style, more akin to a ballet than a narrative, and artistically was very evolved - The music and picturization of the songs in his films is very indicative of his creative sensibility. He was also one of the early Indian film-makers that dealt with social taboos in films like Aurat.

As for seeing his films on blu-ray, yes you should pinch yourself and wake up. Unlike someone like Ray, he is not export material because especially his color films are more than anything else odes to Indian music and dance arts, and will not appeal to an audience not interested in those aspects (many of the non-Indians that like Jalsaghar have trouble sitting through the ornate musical pieces, although they appreciate the rest of the movie and its social themes).

I agree with your post, yet i still feel his legacy should be preserved. I think V. Shantaram's movies inspired some like director K. Vishwanath and i am sure many others. At least for those that are interested, there should be options.

[divyansh]

Not exactly Blu-Ray , but watched DVD of UP (2009)

Turns out this highly rated and acclaimed movie is not my cup of tea , even with a running time of about 100 Minutes it was difficult for me to sit through the entire movie! Music was pretty good , but that's just about what i have to say about this movie. Didn't work for me.

No point commenting on the A/V Quality. But the PQ seemed to be okayish in my Friend's 32 inches LCD.

[ravenus]

^Heh, ok. I quite liked this film, and consider it among my top-tier Pixar movies, second only to The Incredibles. The wordless prologue which encompasses the whole married life of the old man is one of the most emotionally touching moments I've had in a Pixar movie. Up was one of the earliest BD's I got, even before I got a BD drive (since it also included the DVD copy). The DVD on my 50" plasma is pretty good IMO, though of course, outmatched by a good margin by the HD presentation.

I too saw a Disney movie on DVD - Dumbo. Compared to some of the other classic Disney feature films, Dumbo is rather slight in length (65 min) and ambition. The story arc of a baby elephant with huge ears that mark him out as a freak and in the end prove his unique-ness doesn't have too many emotional beats. Even the number of major characters is quite limited. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, Dumbo goes by quite smoothly in viewing and especially kids will be quite taken by the cuteness factor. There's some classic old-school Disney hand-drawn animation on display here. The scene where Dumbo and his mouse pal Timothy drink accidentally drink alcohol and have a hallucinogenic musical number is one of the more obvious setpieces, but I also loved the scene of the setting up of the circus - some of the iconic angled imagery there reminds me a bit of the Russian film Letters Never Sent. The scenes between Dumbo and his mother are also captured with non-cloying charm.

[divyansh]

Originally Posted by ravenus

^Heh, ok. I quite liked this film, and consider it among my top-tier Pixar movies, second only to The Incredibles. The wordless prologue which encompasses the whole married life of the old man is one of the most emotionally touching moments I've had in a Pixar movie. Up was one of the earliest BD's I got, even before I got a BD drive (since it also included the DVD copy). The DVD on my 50" plasma is pretty good IMO, though of course, outmatched by a good margin by the HD presentation.

Right , That scene was really fab , but that was pretty much it , the movie didn't had anything much to offer (to me) after that.

[divyansh]

TITANIC

Excellent! Epic ! Classic! (The words often used to describe this movie , i can't agree more ) Just Love this movie, despite the 195 Minutes Running time , i didn't even once checked the watch , not a single dull moment whatsoever , outstanding chemistry between Leo & Kate , Very well Written and Directed by James Cameron (i think it surpasses Avatar here) , James Horner's score is pretty good too (The Love Theme is haunting) , Cinematography is outstanding , almost each and every frame is perfectly lit , focussed.
This revolutionised the film making back in 1997 , brought in many new techniques of production, set up trends to be followed for many years to come, made extensive & effective use of CGI (very few shots look soft and dated though) , Picture is wonderfully restored and looks outstanding on Blu-Ray , the Audio also sounds noticeably better than DTS Audio in the DVD (I could only decode lossy stream at the moment but it still sounded better than the one in DVD , perhaps they must have re mastered the Audio as well).

Movie 8.5/10
PQ 9.5/10
AQ 9.5/10

[Jafar]

Originally Posted by divyansh

Right , That scene was really fab , but that was pretty much it , the movie didn't had anything much to offer (to me) after that.

Agreed. Inspite of that strong take off, Up never soared. What starts out as a mature heartfelt adventure story eventually ends up being all about annoying talking dogs and defeating an unnecessarily thrown in villain I completely lost touch with the movie in the second half. It was ruined for me.

[ravenus]

^While I won't say the movie was ruined for me, I do agree with the sentiment that the villain was thrown in for the sake of and the film becomes more a standard adventure flick in the second half with the old men becoming incredibly sprightly.

[srinivas1015]

Have any of you seen Brave?

[Jafar]

I have a similar problem with Brave too. It starts out well but fizzles out early. One of Pixar's weaker efforts.

[divyansh]

Originally Posted by Jafar

Agreed. Inspite of that strong take off, Up never soared. What starts out as a mature heartfelt adventure story eventually ends up being all about annoying talking dogs and defeating an unnecessarily thrown in villain I completely lost touch with the movie in the second half. It was ruined for me.

+1.

Originally Posted by Jafar

I have a similar problem with Brave too. It starts out well but fizzles out early. One of Pixar's weaker efforts.

Right! Infact this is the worst Pixar Movie i've watched.

[CapRockBrewingCo.]

Pee Wee's Big Adventure

[ravenus]

Brave & Cars 2 are story-wise DTV quality efforts that somehow landed on to the big screen.

[divyansh]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Brave & Cars 2 are story-wise DTV quality efforts that somehow landed on to the big screen.

Right , I still wonder how Brave won an Oscar over Wreck It Ralph , WIR was way better a movie than Brave!