A Hard Day's Night (1964)

[Schism213]

Watched this last night on PS4. I started in the 5.1 track and the audio sync seemed to be off. Switching to 2.0 seemed to help somewhat. Could this be a PS4 issue? Is it playing as intended? Anyone else pick up on this? I'd try in another blu ray player, but dont own one.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

Hadn't seen this in years and finally watched the Criterion release this weekend. I kept thinking to myself "So, the Monkees totally ripped this film off for their TV show".

Well, Mike Nesmith's wool hat was originally intended to be the fashion-gimmick equivalent of John Lennon's cap in the movie--
Even though Nesmith was technically the analog of the quiet/brutally-honest George.

[reason108]

The Monkees started out just as a television show. Actors were hired to play parts. There was a chemistry around those guys though. And, at some point, they decided to become a group themselves. But, at first, their albums were already done. I think that all they added were vocals. Of course, Nesmith, started complaining cause he was the real musician and wanted that kind of career.

[Early Memphis]

Originally Posted by reason108

The Monkees started out just as a television show. Actors were hired to play parts. There was a chemistry around those guys though. And, at some point, they decided to become a group themselves. But, at first, their albums were already done. I think that all they added were vocals. Of course, Nesmith, started complaining cause he was the real musician and wanted that kind of career.

That's simply not true. Nesmith had tunes from the first album (Papa Gene's Blues for one) and they played on tracks as well. The fact is they worked 18 hours a day - doing the series and learning to play and become a band. With each album they had more involvement. By the time they recorded their 3rd & 4th albums - Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones - they were a fully functioning band with the addition of Chip Douglas, who replaced Don Kirshner, the Screen Gems music czar, and played bass and produced the albums.

Unfortunately, this kind of BS was louder and got more attention. "By the time this album (Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones) came out we had really gotten our feet under us. We were feeling pretty good about the first season and we were feeling pretty good about our improvisational and comedic skills. It was also the height of Monkee bashing, which was pretty rampant at that point. Everybody in the press and in the hippie movement had got us into their target window as being illegitimate and not worthy of consideration as a musical force. We were really getting' beat up pretty good. It's very difficult to explain now, especially if you weren't there - the hatred that was engendered is almost impossible to describe. It lingers to this day among people of my age." - Mike Nesmith

No, they weren't The Beatles, not even close - but what they accomplished - coming from nowhere and working their asses off - shouldn't be written off or disrespected. Advantages? They had 'em and way too many supposedly hip "hippies" (who probably suffered from some kind of penis envy ) ragged on them from pure jealousy. God bless Frank Zappa for taking a more even-handed stand.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Early Memphis

Unfortunately, this kind of BS was louder and got more attention. "By the time this album (Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones) came out we had really gotten our feet under us. We were feeling pretty good about the first season and we were feeling pretty good about our improvisational and comedic skills. It was also the height of Monkee bashing, which was pretty rampant at that point. Everybody in the press and in the hippie movement had got us into their target window as being illegitimate and not worthy of consideration as a musical force. We were really getting' beat up pretty good. It's very difficult to explain now, especially if you weren't there - the hatred that was engendered is almost impossible to describe. It lingers to this day among people of my age." - Mike Nesmith

Oh, we know what it was like: 80% of the hatred was coming from producer and director Bob Rafelson, and blaming it on the fans. (Yeah, and he wondered why Head flopped... )

Of course, back then, the press was playing up "Manufactured group", which meant a kiddy TV show was the "Establishment's version" of the Hippie movement. (A charge that would be leveled at The Mod Squad years later.)
But for most average '67 folk who couldn't Drop Out, Star Trek, Tolkien, Batman and The Monkees were the closest thing to adopting a new free-thinking Hippie movement.

No, they weren't The Beatles, not even close - but what they accomplished - coming from nowhere and working their asses off - shouldn't be written off or disrespected. Advantages? They had 'em and way too many supposedly hip "hippies" (who probably suffered from some kind of penis envy ) ragged on them from pure jealousy. God bless Frank Zappa for taking a more even-handed stand.

The whole keyword that was beaten into the group's image, even reportedly by John Lennon, was that they were "just like the Marx Brothers". And one film critic had an interesting point about the original Marxes--Who were their characters? A burlesque wiseass, a vaudeville Q&A foreigner, a musical-comedy leading man, and a circus clown. A entire cross-section of early pre-30's stage humor all playing off each other in synch.
With the Monkees, who did the producers make sure we have, to cover their audiences? A bubblegum idol, a folk-scene guitarist, a San Francisco hippie, and a rebellious nutster with a Grace Slick voice who leant more and more toward angry Yippie protest--A cross section of 60's culture, all playing off each other in synch.

They didn't come from a Liverpool factory town, and they didn't write all of their own songs, but those who did wrote some good ones we remember.
I remember when I was asked what my favorite Beatles tune was, I told the story of how Boyce & Hart tried to clone a few Beatles hits, thought "Wasn't there something about 'I'll meet you on the train' in Paperback Writer?", found out there wasn't, and turned the Paperback Writer guitar riff into the Last Train to Clarksville guitar riff.
Hence, I said my favorite was Paperback, since it was one of the few Beatles hits with, quote "a good Monkees-style riff". To be able to identify a group by its style, they first have to have one, and they did.

[albabe]

Originally Posted by EricJ

Well, Mike Nesmith's wool hat was originally intended to be the fashion-gimmick equivalent of John Lennon's cap in the movie--
Even though Nesmith was technically the analog of the quiet/brutally-honest George.

I think Mike's name in the Original Script is "Wool Hat." Seriously.

[albabe]

Originally Posted by Schism213

Watched this last night on PS4. I started in the 5.1 track and the audio sync seemed to be off. Switching to 2.0 seemed to help somewhat. Could this be a PS4 issue? Is it playing as intended? Anyone else pick up on this? I'd try in another blu ray player, but dont own one.

I played mine on my PS3 with no Problems. Did you check to see if your PS4 might have some Patches of Firmware D/Ls?

Just for Fun and for the fact that I'm HUGE EW&F fan! I picked up the BR "That's the Way of the World," the 1975 Movie with Harvey Keitel, thinking even if it was a crappy movie at least it had EW&F and Harvey.

My copy was horribly out of sync and completely unwatchable. At first I assume it was just the usual crap-editing through the opening Music lip-sync, but it wasn't. I checked for reviews about sync issues and found one. It was returnable at Amazon so I didn't lose anything, but it was terribly annoying because I really wanted to check it out. I'm assuming it was a problem with my playing it on a PS3.

[Early Memphis]

You people oughta get real, dedicated Blu-ray players - like maybe an Oppo.

[albabe]

Originally Posted by Early Memphis

You people oughta get real, dedicated Blu-ray players - like maybe an Oppo.

This was my first PS3 problem.

The PS3 is still rated in amongst the best Blu-Ray Players... and they play most data... even from a Disc if you burn them as DVD-ROM (UDF).

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2397234,00.asp

http://www.cnet.com/topics/blu-ray-p...u-ray-players/

[Early Memphis]

Originally Posted by leesa

This was my first PS3 problem.
The PS3 is still rated in amongst the best Blu-Ray Players... and they play most data... even from a Disc if you burn them as DVD-ROM (UDF).

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2397234,00.asp

http://www.cnet.com/topics/blu-ray-p...u-ray-players/

Jes teasin' (kinda). You'll note that PC Mag has the Oppo 103 as best. I can't take C/Net's short "heavy emphasize on value" list seriously.

EDIT : I just love my Oppo 103. I sacrificed a lot to get it and I'm so-o glad I did.

[Schism213]

Originally Posted by leesa

I played mine on my PS3 with no Problems. Did you check to see if your PS4 might have some Patches of Firmware D/Ls?

Just for Fun and for the fact that I'm HUGE EW&F fan! I picked up the BR "That's the Way of the World," the 1975 Movie with Harvey Keitel, thinking even if it was a crappy movie at least it had EW&F and Harvey.

My copy was horribly out of sync and completely unwatchable. At first I assume it was just the usual crap-editing through the opening Music lip-sync, but it wasn't. I checked for reviews about sync issues and found one. It was returnable at Amazon so I didn't lose anything, but it was terribly annoying because I really wanted to check it out. I'm assuming it was a problem with my playing it on a PS3.

PS4 is updated. I do know the PS4 is not quite as reliable as PS3 for blu ray playback, so honestly would not be surprised if that was the case.

[albabe]

Originally Posted by Schism213

PS4 is updated. I do know the PS4 is not quite as reliable as PS3 for blu ray playback, so honestly would not be surprised if that was the case.

I hadn't heard that. I hope they figure-out that problem.

[dobyblue]

Anyone know if the UK edition will be the EXACT SAME as the Criterion US release?

EDIT - never mind Second Sight just confirmed via e-mail it's region B locked.

[Page14]

On this date in 1964 (August 11):
The U.S. premiere of A Hard Day's Night in New York City.

[Show spoiler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwllkVhNZiw

[HuggyBear73]

Wanna get this but I want to wait a bit longer to see if Criterion puts this out in a standard Criterion case like Foreign Correspondent.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by HuggyBear73

Wanna get this but I want to wait a bit longer to see if Criterion puts this out in a standard Criterion case like Foreign Correspondent.

This one has a HUGE book, not like the little pamphlet Foreign Correspondent has, so I don't think it's a likely candidate for a plastic case downsizing, sadly.

[RogelioT]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

This one has a HUGE book, not like the little pamphlet Foreign Correspondent has, so I don't think it's a likely candidate for a plastic case downsizing, sadly.

I agree that the book is huge. It is nice though. The book is thicker than what you would find in your average Criterion release. It's even significantly thicker than the books included in most Criterion box sets. If you take everything out of the slip case and put just the booklet and a regular Criterion case in it (instead of the digibook packaging it came with). It almost takes up the same amount of space.

[Early Memphis]

There were several posts made, I believe in this thread, that Criterion was ending the practice of issuing combo packs. However, Tootsie was just announced as coming out in three months via Criterion and it will be a combo BD/DVD. Bummer. I mean, does anyone want a kids copy of that film?

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by Early Memphis

There were several posts made, I believe in this thread, that Criterion was ending the practice of issuing combo packs. However, Tootsie was just announced as coming out in three months via Criterion and it will be a combo BD/DVD. Bummer. I mean, does anyone want a kids copy of that film?

You sure about that? The photos I've seen of the Tootsie cover art all have the blue blu-ray sticker and not the white combo pack sticker on the front.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Early Memphis

There were several posts made, I believe in this thread, that Criterion was ending the practice of issuing combo packs. However, Tootsie was just announced as coming out in three months via Criterion and it will be a combo BD/DVD. Bummer. I mean, does anyone want a kids copy of that film?

http://www.criterion.com/films/28609-tootsie

Not sure where you got that info, according to the Criterion site there are two individual releases coming of Tootsie - a 1-disc BD and a 2-disc DVD.