Watching The Martian this very second. Matt Damon ran out of ketchup seven days ago, so now he's dipping Martian potatoes in crushed Vicodin.

I'm enjoying this very much so far. Though I did already see a couple of "Are you kidding me" moments.

Today I watched All Quiet on the Western Front on DVD. The early sound version, not the disappointing remake. One of my favorite war films, though I suppose it should more properly be termed an anti-war film. Visual quality on my edition isn't the best and would definitely benefit from restoration. The case front cover oddly states WIDESCREEN at the top, which had me worried that the film might be presented in pan-and-scan format. The case back, however, lists the DVD as 1.33:1 standard ratio which is thankfully how it is seen. The back also implies an option for Dolby Digital 5.1 channel sound, whereas the disk is two channel mono only.

This afternoon I watched another all time favorite, my Collector's Edition DVD of the early 1950s High Noon with Gary Cooper. Marvelous movie, and unlike with my All Quiet on the Western Front DVD, both video and audio quality are top notch. I chose the 'enhanced original restored audio' option, which produces sound in 3.1 channels. Excellent music score, btw.

This afternoon/evening I watched yet another long-time favorite, the 1933 King Kong. I own it as a Criterion Collection Laserdisc, an early LD that sports what is supposedly the first ever commentary track. Having not seen it in years I first watched it sans commentary, then played it again with commentary. The two disks have held up well, with no hint of laser rot beyond a slight bit of 'gumminess' at the seams. Video quality is fine if not stellar. It upscales to 1080p via my Pioneer AV receiver rather well.

Speaking of commentaries, my favorite is the musical commentaries from 'Dr Horrible' (sample found here Commentary1). The entire movie was made specifically for posting to YouTube. I bought the dvd and watch it on a regular basis. I just can't watch it without watching it again with the musical commentaries.

Tonight's feature film was the 1988 fantasy flick Willow on DVD. It's a fine movie though not, in my estimation, a timeless classic in the same sense my previous three reported watches are.

Thanks to listening to songs like Unforgettable and The Sound of Silence so many times in my GNR radio replacer mod for FO3, I am now watching The Watchmen. This movie has one of the best opening credits I have ever seen. I love how it tells the previous 40 years of history, setting the stage for the movie that follows.

Tonight I watched The Wizard of Oz on laserdisc. The disk doesn't look bad at all upscaled to 1080p. Colors are very vivid, to the point of oversaturation at times. I have a distinct memory of seeing it in color as a wee lad. One of the brief extras following the film states that it had a theatrical rerelease in 1955. That might have been what I saw, though I'd have been only four at the time. That seems awfully young to remember after all these years. Then again, I can see how a film like Wizard would make a deep impression at that age. One thing for sure, it couldn't have been one of the film's numerous television airings. Our family didn't own a color TV set until I was in my teens.

I've been watching The Musketeers.

Damn good show, with the exception of the truly awful first episode. It's based on the characters rather than the book itself, so they've got plenty of latitude. And it's got Peter Capaldi playing the Cardinal

Real Husbands of Hollywood = hilarious!

Yesterday afternoon, in the hour and a half prier to supper, I watched The Iron Mask on Laserdisc. This film is considered Douglas Fairbanks' swang song to silent cinema, produced as a traditional silent in 1929 when most of Hollywood was well into the transition to 'talkies'. It is also something of a swang song to Douglas acting career, since he was one of those who did not embrace talking pictures and additionally felt that he was becoming too old to continue playing the roles which brought him his fame. The film itself is a fine one, and in my opinion withstands the test of time better than not only a good many silent era movies but also a fair number of more recent films.

My particular LD edition features pleasing tinting throughout and an effective piano accompaniment composed for the film. Visual quality is for the most part satisfactory if not stellar. 'Title cards' seem to have been spliced in from a lesser quality source and are much inferior to rest of the presentation.

This morning, while ordering an electric razor replacement foil and a sheet set through Amazon, I added in the silent film Wings on DVD. I saw it as a laserdisc rental during the mid/late 1980s and have wanted to own it ever since. A couple of years ago it was given a new release on DVD and Blu-ray, with much restored visuals and sound. That's what I ordered.

Today I watched, on laserdisc, the 1987 (released) Georgian (the Eurasian country, not the American state) film Repentance. It's a quite interesting movie but not, I think, for casual viewing. I'd not seen it in years, but have the distinct impression I understood more of it this time round than on previous viewings. Bits of it still bewilder me, but then I don't claim to have an overly developed intellect.

"Ripper Street," series 3

"Rectify," season 1- interesting exploration of a man released from death row after 15 years... we begin to learn that not all of his demons came about because of his incarceration...

"Gilmore Girls," which we missed most of during its run. I think it had some of the best writing on television at the time, and Lauren Graham is always a treat.

Lots of good shows going at the moment - Ripper Street, Black Sails, The 100, Beowulf.

The most exciting thing this year however - Vikings season 4 has begun. Good start to the season, setting up some interesting plotlines. Don't think I need to tell everyone how good the show is, I know there are a few fellow fans here.

I've spent the week having a Harry Potter marathon. As before, my favorites are still the first two movies. They are have an innocence and fun which the others lack, as the characters grow up and the world becomes darker. It is fun watching how new things get added to Hogwarts with every movie. The Whomping Willow in the second movie. Or the big bridge that we first see in Prisoner of Azkaban. Or how Hagrid's hut becomes a trio of interconnected huts at the end of that bridge and down a hill in the same film.

I noticed that Steve Kloves was the screenwriter for all of the movie except Order of the Phoenix. That is also my least favorite of all the films. I wonder if the writing is one reason?

When I saw the movies for the first time I had a really hard time accepting Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. But now that I have seen the films a few times, I find I like him more than Richard Harris. Gambon's Dumbledore is more personable, more outgoing and vocal. Where the Harrisian Dumble seemed a lot more distant and taciturn to me.

I never read any of the Harry Potter books. Only time I watched the movies was some years back when my then boss lent me his collection of the first five (???) films on DVD. Overall I enjoyed them better than anticipated. I've forgotten too much since then so can't pick winners and/or losers. I wouldn't mind seeing the remaining films but don't think I'd pay for the privilege, unless I found 'em dirt cheap on disk.

As for myself, this afternoon, in the roughly hour and twenty minutes before supper, I watched The Bride of Frankenstein on laserdisc. It's the first time I viewed it since being able to upscale LDs to1080p. I was very impressed with the image quality, especially as mine's an old 1985 MCA Encore Edition pressing whose source material, so far as I know, received no special treatment. It helps that the disk has not a hint of laser rot.

As to the film itself, Bride is considered a classic for good reason. Made in 1935, it features old school theatrical acting, especially so at the start while the three writers converse as a sort of prelude to the story proper. I like that sort of acting so long as it contributes positively to the film, as it mostly does here. Gotta admit it took me a minute or two to adjust to it, having watched a far more recent film yesterday. I like the humanistic portrayal of the monster in this series entry. I recognized the lady who plays the Frankenstein manor housekeeper, but for a while couldn't place where I'd seen her. It finally dawned on me that she's the actress who portrays Lady Marian's companion/chaperon in the Errol Flynn Adventures of Robin Hood. Leastwise they are dead ringers for one another.

I watched 'Goblet of Fire' this week. It's my favorite. I especially liked the tent that prompts Harry to declare "I love magick". Then there was the stained glass mermaid, some awesome dragons, and the charming scene of Hermione descending the steps in her ball gown.

Also, I went through the whole sequence of Star Wars movies from episode 1 (the fourth movie in the series) to episode 6. Then I watched 'Robot Chicken: Star Wars Edition' 2 and 3. The Robot Chicken dvd's were from my netflix queue and just coincidently came up just after the movies which worked out perfectly. I probably would not have gotten some of their humor otherwise.

Aah I do enjoy me some Harry Potter. My friend is a huge fan, and she once convinced me to watch all of the films with her in one sitting. Quite the experience.

I prefer the later films myself, with the darker tone, though the lighter tone of the first 2 films works really well too. I used to be a huge fan of the books, and the films did a pretty good job adapting them.

This morning I watched, on DVD, what is considered to be the oldest surviving American 'feature' film, the 1912 Richard III. I had not seen it since before being able to upscale to 1080p, and suspect not since I watched movies on a mid 80s 27" Sony CRT TV. What I saw today was a definite visual improvement over what I recall from before. Though bits of the film show decided degradation, overall it is remarkably well preserved.

I bought the Kino DVD almost as soon as I became aware of its existence. (The film was thought lost for many decades and only resurfaced in 1996 thanks to a collector and former movie projectionist who gave his well cared for nitrate reels to the American Film Institute.) My first viewing convinced me that, as suspected, the film was a historical curiosity but little more. I doubt I watched it again until today. Being able to see it on a large (47") digital TV in hi-res has increased my appreciation of the movie's entertainment value. Compared to the one-year-earlier (1911) non feature-length British movie adaptation of Richard the Third, available at YouTube, this one sports more elaborate sets, outdoor sequences, and numerous attempts to take advantage of cinematic techniques, primitive as those sometimes are, as opposed to a more or less straight theatre stage filming. A decided plus, Ennio Morricone was commissioned to create an orchestral music score for the film's video release. Original tinting has been restored.

I also watched one of the disk's several short supplemental commentaries.

I am on the last of the Harry Potter movies. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the series:


From The Half Blood Prince
Professor McGonagall: Why is it, when something happens, it is always you three?

Ron: Believe me, Professor. I've been asking myself the same question for six years.


From Deathly Hallows part 2
Hermione: What? We can't do that! We've got to plan! We've got to figure it out...

Harry: Hermione! When have any of our plans ever actually worked? We plan, we get there, all hell breaks loose!

I had just pulled into my driveway late this morning and was offloading groceries from the car when mail arrived. There it was, a package containing Wings, a day before its expected delivery date. I watched it immediately after lunch. Holy moly! As a presentation, this has to have been one of the better cinematic experiences of my life, whether at home or in a theater, certainly the best presentation of a silent era movie on home media. The film has undergone extensive visual restoration and looks darn good upscaled to 1080p. The original music score is restored. as are sound effects! Special coloring has been restored to things such as flames and selective gunfire. Heard in 5.1 channel surround sound, music and effects are about as good as it gets, to the meager extent that my decrepit ears can judge such things.

I had a blast watching it from start to finish, and am tempted to view it again tonight (but will do my best to refrain).

Here's a short YouTube clip detailing the restoration process. It provides an adequate glimpse of what the DVD (and blu ray) have to offer, minus multi-channel sound and the powerful low bass.

I finished the Harry Potter films yesterday. So now I am in the doldrums that always comes after finishing any good series. There was only one thing to do about it. Turn to Sean Bean! Today I watched Sharpe's Rifles. The rest of the Sharpe's series will follow. Probably the Horatio Hornblowers afterward, since I always tend to watch the two back to back.

Tonight I watched Quest for Fire on DVD. My one disappointment with the presentation is that, though it utilizes 5.1 channel sound, I heard no localized sounds to the sides or rear me. Then again, there might be all sorts of subtle surround effects my ears can no longer register.

ADDENDUM:
Now Wednesday 24 Feb, this morning I watched Harold Llyod's Safety Last on a Criterion DVD, first as a movie only and then again accompanied by its audio commentary track. This is the film with the famous building climb sequence, part of which is seen here. After numerous views, I still squirm at times and fight to keep from averting my eyes.

A Tommy Cooper dvd.

It is utterly hilarious.

Just watched the first episode of The Shannara Chronicles.

Bloody good first episode. The show looks like they've spent money in all the right places, everything looks damn good, and it sounds like it's setting up for a story worth watching.

I'll definitely be watching the second episode, hopefully they'll keep going as they've started.

I have my eye out for when that comes out on dvd. I even bought the Sword of Shannarra on kindle, though I don't know when I'll get around to reading it. Once upon a time I had the paperback, and the Elfstones. But I don't know what happened to them. Probably lost them in one of my moves.

I spent almost the whole of this afternoon, minus 30min devoted to a brisk walk, watching Schindler's List on DVD. I had not seen it in years. Such a fine and powerful movie. The little girl in the red coat was etched in my mind so strongly that I was surprised how briefly she appears on film. I attempted to watch a couple of the extras after supper but was too sleepy to do them justice.

That was an outstanding movie. I have not seen it in a long time either, maybe I will dig it out to watch it again.

Ever since I heard this story on the radio, I have been in the mood for Back To The Future. Today I bought the 30th anniversary trilogy on blu-ray. Time to make like a tree, and get out of here...

SPEW !!!!! BWAAHAA !!!!!! Citation and evauatlion,

I am about a half hour into Straight Outta Compton. Damn, this is good.

Yesterday evening I watched Game of Thrones, Season 1, episodes 3 & 4 on DVD. This was my first viewing of them. I am course familiar with the story, having read the book(s) several time, though not recently.


Over the past several day, at YouTube, I watched a number of interesting videos. Noteworthy amongst them are:

Inheritance, at 2006 documentary of the meeting between the daughter of the Plaszow concentration camp commandant and a Jewish woman who that commandant kept at his camp villa (and is portrayed as such in Schindler's List).

A documentary on Churchill's Betrayal of Poland. I take this sort of thing for what it's worth, basically food for thought.

Lost Forever, The Art of Film Preservation.

Generikb's play-through of the quirky game JazzPunk, episode one of which can be seen here. (Generik doesn't do all the game's levels justice, but does well with this one, though he doesn't find everything there is to do.)

Tonight I watched Game of Thrones, Season 1, episodes 5 & 6 on DVD. I also watched a number of videos at YouTube, none of which are worth singling out.

I'm putting together an order of silent films at Amazon.com. So far I've settled on two that will be first-time additions to my meager movie library -- The General and The Big Parade. I'll also replace an ancient DVD of Battleship Potemkin. It's one of my earliest DVD acquisition. Image quality is barely adequate. Its music track is tacked on classical pieces which are fine in and of themselves but aren't tailor made for the film. The edition I'm looking to replace it with restores the original music score performed by full orchestra, sports supposedly far better visuals, and restores footage missing from my current DVD. I hope to find a fourth movie so as to qualify for free shipping, but it'll need to be dirt cheap.

Today I watched, on DVD, Roman Polanski's 2002 The Pianist, the story of one Polish Jew's survival during the holocaust.

At YouTube, I've watched a couple more holocaust related videos, but mainly concentrated on film preservation/restoration videos.

I haven't seen this one; but growing up in school they held a mandatory showing of a documentary on the holocaust every year; then had an open discussion in the classroom about what we had seen. The documentary held nothing back; there were graphic images of the gas showers, mass graves, starvation, etc.


It is something I wish they had kept enforced mandatory watching of in the schools; maybe people knowing what others have been through - might just cut down on some of the prejudice and racism. It is hard to hate someone you have seen suffer so greatly or be persecuted so thoroughly; kind of puts any of that type of feeling in a real perspective.

Wait! You're telling me they showed a film on the holocaust several years after the end of WWI????

Seems a worthwhile practice. The several schools I attended showed no holocaust films. I'm not even positive it was addressed in history class, though surely it was at least touched on. I certainly knew of the holocaust back then. The only films I recall being shown in school were The Good Earth and a special evening airing of The Guns of Navarone.

The Pianist is an excellent film, well worth seeing.

Yes, I was born well after the war,

But you are right; it was a really worthwhile practice. I was in 4th grade the first time I remember seeing it, and it impacted my life tremendously. I think it was probably the first time I realized there was a world outside my neighborhood; cared deeply about people outside of my family and friends.

The impact on a child learning these things is huge, and it changes you in ways it never would if you learned it later when you had already been inundated with preconceived notions about other people.

I think it helped us grow up with a compassion for others; not so honed into our own interests, but the plight of others - gave us an outward focus.

To this day, I have never forgotten one second of that documentary, the faces and the feeling of watching it that first time; and then every year. I half dreaded the showing of it because it wrenches you inside; but you welcome it because you can't stand the thought of ever forgetting what those people went through.

I really hold a lot of praise for that school system for enforcing that; and you are right that other school systems don't - none of my children's schools ever did show it; either in Florida or Tennessee.

Yesterday evening I watched the second hour of Abel Gance's 1927 silent Napoleon on laserdisc. (I watched hour one some days ago but don't recall mentioning it here.)

This film holds the dubious honor of being the only silent movie I ever saw in a theater with live full orchestral accompaniment, much as it was experienced by its initial audiences. This was the early 1980s Frances Ford Coppola touring version. The music score was composed/compiled/arranged by his father Carmine. My laserdisc derives from the Coppolas' efforts.

Memories of attending that long ago event are less than pleasant. I was hit by a horrific migraine not 15min into the film. I recall that, during the hour-and-a-half drive home, I needed to crack open the car door at least once and vomit. Otherwise I mostly remember pain.

The movie itself is held in high regard. Me, I have mixed feeling toward it. It contains some 'very' good things, but also things I'm not overly enamored with. I'd love to reassess the film in the version with the Carl Davis music score, which contains footage left out of Coppola's version. Alas, for legal reasons only the Coppola version can be released on home video in the US.

Over the past several days I watched the first five episodes of Cinema Europe, a series documenting the early years of continental and British film. There is a sixth episode. I've not yet unearthed it at YouTube. Here's episode one.

Watching the new season of House of Cards, and trying to remember who everyone is!

This morning I chanced on a fairly recent British documentary on the beginnings of American cinema at YouTube. I watched episode one. It contains some good things. I'll prolly watch the remaining episodes. But... It's a much lesser effort that the 1980 Hollywood: A Celebration of American Silent Film (also British). Some of it rubs me the wrong way. Case in point. During his discussion of Birth of a Nation the narrator dismisses much the film's dramatic effect, stating that this was to a large extent a result of the music score rather than its visuals. Well duh. Of course! Watch the Star Wars 'death star' escape sequence with John Williams music replaced by "Yackety Sax" (heard during Benny Hill chases) and it too assumes a different flavor. Replace the famous Casablanca "Marseillaise" scene with "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" and let's see how well it comes across. In other words, why single out Birth... for something that holds true of just about every decently scored movie in existence?

You notice that I did not and do not put a name to this documentary. That's because I'm not sure I can recommended it cans caveats, especially with the afore mentioned, far better, Hollywood: A Celebration of American Silent Film available at YouTube.

I discovered something while watching House of Cards. Even though it is available in 4k, I was only getting it in 1080. It turns out it is because while I have a Ultra High Def tv, my blu-ray player - even though it upconverts to 4k - does not do 4k itself. So I have to shut off my disc player and watch Netflix straight from the tv. Thankfully it has wireless like the player, so it was easy enough to put on my network. Now I receive it in 4k.

So lesson learned for anyone else out there with a 4k tv trying to watch Ultra High content from Netflix, or any other streaming service. You will probably have to turn off your disc player and go to your content provider straight from your tv. At least until true 4k disc players come out.

I believe there is one true 4k blu-ray player out now, a Samsung. Price isn't terribly bad, but it's definitely not cheap. As for quality and features, I've no idea. (If you have the funds and want what is likely to be one of the best 4k players on the market, wait and see what OPPO has to offer.)

Heck, I don't own a non-4k player . . . yet. I've given blu-ray serious thought only recently, as I find myself getting back into movie watching to substitute for the classical music listening sessions my decrepit hearing now, to a considerable degree, prevents me from fully enjoying.

Truth to tell, upscaled DVDs, and to a lesser extend laserdiscs, look satisfactory on my 47" Samsung viewed from 12'. I'm sure I would notice and appreciate the improved image blu-ray provides, but don't know that the difference would justify the expense. Then again, there are films on my want list either not available on DVD or available only as inferior editions.

4k adds another layer of complexity. It makes sense that, having waited this long, I hold out and go 4k. But . . . I don't plan to replace my TV unless it wears out. At my age, that likely equates to never. Likewise my non 4k A/V receiver is unlikely to be replaced. Thankfully it's not something I need rush in to, assuming I take the plunge at all.

I know the Samsung 4k player you mean. My local Best Buy is supposed to call me when they get another one in. They said I can return the upscaling player I have now when I buy that one. TBH, I think it looks really good with just a standard blu-ray player. Much better than with a "regular" high def tv. But I do like the upscaling player better. It has a few nicer features than my old blu-ray player. I have looked at the Oppos out there. But some of them are over twice I paid for my new tv, and it wasn't cheap!

I remember back when blu-ray was new I was thinking that dvds look really good on a blu-ray player and HD tv. My friend Jaelyn and I did a comparison with the first Harry Potter movie, which I had originally bought on dvd. When it came out on blu-ray I bought it on that format too, and we compared the two. I played the scene where the characters see Hogwarts for the first time. There is a beauty shot of the castle, and where you can see lights on in the tower windows, etc... In the blu-ray version you can see the tiny silhouettes of people moving back and forth in the windows. In the dvd version you cannot. So that is one example of the difference in fidelity. Another example is that when you pause a blu-ray the still image you see is usually much crisper and clearer than if you pause with a dvd, which tends to have some motion blur in the frozen image.

My Amazon package arrived just as I was about to eat lunch. Here's what I got:

Battleship Potemkin, Kino Special 2-disc Edition. This is my one duplicate, bought to replace what I consider an unacceptably inferior early DVD. The Kino features a new restoration of the film elements, restoration of the original music score performed by orchestra in 5.1 sound, on-disk special features, and a new printed essay centered on the film's post release history.

Buster Keaton's The General, Kino Ultimate 2-disc Edition. I saw this movie decades ago, either over the air or via Laserdisc rental. It includes a specially composed music score by Carl Davis performed by orchestra in 5.1 sound and numerous special features on disc 2.

The Big Parade, Turner/Warner Brothers. I've known of this film for a long time, but not seen it other than a few brief excerpt. It includes a specially composed music track by Carl Davis performed by orchestra, audio channels not mentioned on the case jacket. Also provided is an audio commentary track.

Douglas Fairbanks' Thief of Bagdad, Cohen Film Collection. As with Big Parade, I've not seen this. It's a bit of a gamble for me. Much as I enjoy Fairbanks' Mark of Zorro and The Iron Mask I was greatly disappointed by his Robin Hood. Be that as it may, the disc includes visual restoration, a specially composed music score by Carl Davis performed by orchestra in 5.1 sound, an audio commentary track, and a nice printed essay on the film's production and history.

I'm happy to see more care taken with silent film home video releases. Back when most of my silents were purchased, the majority of releases were a crap shot, inferior edits, substandard visual element, tacked on music that often didn't fit action or mood, mono or at best 2-channel sound. That sort of release can still be bought, but if one is careful we can now hope to see these old films in editions that do them justice.

I'm also pleased that Carl Davis contributes music to the three films that seem to have lost their original scores. I tend to enjoy Davis's silent film compositions/arrangements quite a lot. I'm even more pleased that one of the films is accompanied by its original music score.

I have not yet watched any of these. Gonna rectify that pronto.

I've now watched three of my four new acquisitions, one twice.

I first watched Battleship Potemkin. The Kino Special 2-disc Edition is a marked improvement in every way over my old Potemkin DVD. Restoration of the film's original music score really drives home how crucial music is to the success of silent film presentation. The movie's final minutes, during which Potemkin prepares for battle while advancing on the approaching fleet, not knowing if they be friend or foe, is incredibly suspenseful with the original score in place. With a tacked-on generic music track that scene is rather blase and insignificant. On a slightly negative note, even heard in 5.1 surround, sound 'quality' isn't the best. It's not bad mind you, but could stand most presence and dynamic contrast. Then again, my hearing is shot. It's prolly more than adequate for those with better ears. Also, I wish there were gunfire sounds added during the famous Odessa Steps scene, via either orchestra or, as with Wings, actual gunfire samples. There 'are' sound effects (via orchestra) throughout the film, but not many. Image quality is very nice, far better than my old Potemkin DVD. Red coloration has been restored to the Potemkin's post-mutiny flag.

As for the movie itself, it's easy to see why Potemkin is considered a both classic and highly influential. I find it a bit hard to get in to, which is why I watched it twice. That second viewing was far more enjoyable. I don't know that I'd recommend Potemkin as a first acquisition for someone wanting to get their feet wet with silents, but definitely recommend it (in the Kino edition) to those who enjoy silents and want to expand their collections.

Next up, Buster Keaton's The General. This was an out and out joy from start to finish. Fine image, fine music by Carl Davis that matches the film's mood and actions as needed, occasional sound effects as appropriate. Subtle tinting. As a movie it's a sheer delight. It helps that it centers around railroads and old-style steam locomotives. Who doesn't love those? I had a smile on my face the whole way through. This, in the Kino edition I own, is a solid recommendation for anyone who thinks they might enjoy silent films.

Lastly, I watched The Big Parade. It too sports a fine music score by Carl Davis, heard in well recorded 2-channel sound. Fine image. As a movie, it might be considered your typical big-budget feature film of the late silent era. It's okay, but for my money Wings, in the edition I mention in an earlier post, handily bests it in every regard.

I finished rewatching season three of Vikings today, in preparation for season four. I have to say I am really liking Alexander Ludwig. I liked his performance as Cato in the first Hungry Games movie, and he really shines here. I would not call him a great actor, but I really enjoy watching him on screen. I would not mind at all if they killed off Ragnar in the show and moved on to show the adventures of Beorn (culminating in his partial circumnavigation of the Mediterranean of course).

Your comment is well timed. It reminds me of something I forgot to mention in my last several posts. Some days ago I came across a YouTube channel devoted to reviewing/discussing films and TV shows with historical pretensions, with emphasis on how accurately they represent the events they depict. The narrator knows his business and is a fine commentator. I certainly don't mind that he and I tend to see eye to eye about those films we've both seen. Here's his review of the 1970 Waterloo, a movie both he and are are quite taken with. Go to the channel proper and you'll find several videos on Vikings. In one we learn that the show's producers (?) watched his earlier Vikings video and liked it so well they invited him to visit the set!

I watched the 1970 Waterloo last year or so. It was amazing, especially those big shots of French cavalry charging the British squares.

Vikings is interesting, and odd. On one hand its main character - Ragnar Lothbrok - is a only at best semi-historical. In that he is more a mythical character than one we have much verifiable, hard evidence about. So that gives the show a lot of leeway with him.

OTOH, the larger events, places, and cultures are real. It starts with Ragnar making the first famous viking raid at Lindisfarne. Season Three ends with the sack of Paris, which happened roughly 50 years later. But the characters have only aged 5 - 10 years in the that time span! Apparently Ragnar also invented the Tardis.

Likewise the West Saxons (of Wessex) are called English, even though that term would not be used for another century. They are also shown as wearing these coats of plates armor, and apparently clueless about using the shield wall. Yet in reality the Anglo-Saxons were hardly different from the vikings. An Anglo-Saxon Thegn from the 800s would not have looked much different from a viking Hersir of the same period. They all used the same weapons, same shields, same tactics, and so on. I am sure the show just wants it it to be plain who is who so the audience is not confused. But not really accurate.

It's still a very good show though. So don't get me wrong. It's not technically accurate, but I think it really captures the spirit of the vikings and their era. I'm about half way the History Buff guy's video on it, and he is spot on.

Eh, Vikings has inaccuracies all over the place, but it's still a damn good show. I think I'm gonna have to go back and watch it again

Apparently we English are slow learners when it comes to tv shows. Not only did we not have the shieldwall in the eighth century, but in Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom, set nearly a century later, we still didn't have it


Anyway, just finished watching Riddick.

I liked it. No more messing about trying to make him a good guy, or a bad guy doing the right thing. He's back to Pitch Black Riddick now, more or less. I'm not too keen on how Riddick ended up on that planet, not really buying the notion that he wanted to see his homeworld. But aside from that, it was pretty solid.

Found a clip of the great Odessa Steps scene from Battleship Potemkin at YouTube. It looks to use the same image restoration as my DVD, along with the restored original music score and a brief glimpse of the colored flag. Sound quality is better than what I hear on disk, more immediate and impactful. I hear sound effects (from the orchestra) I don't notice on the DVD, though they are likely there). It's a excellent (brief) clip to demonstrate the importance of well crafted music in silent film. Alas, no English subtitles. The clip opens with Odessa's citizens delivering fresh food to the Potemkin. (Rancid rations and the officers reaction to complaints about it are what touched off the mutiny.) The army and police attack the crowd. The clip ends with the Potemkin retaliating by bombarding government facilities.


Odd, that. I've not seen The Last Kingdom on TV, but read the book either last year of the year before. I'm fairly positive that, in the book, both sides utilize shield wall formations. They certainly do so in Cornwell's Arthurian trilogy, set several hundred years prior to Vikings. Cornwell's descriptions of shield wall combat are amongst the books more praiseworthy features.