What are you watching now?

[Decrepit Poster]

Over the past several days I watched the first four episodes of my newly acquired DVD set of the 1970s BBC series, I Claudius. I hadn't seen it since its initial PBS airing. It's every bit as good as I remember.

Also recently acquired, an upgrade to my early DVD era copy of All Quiet On The Western Front, an all time favorite. The new edition sports improved/restored image and sound, and comes with both DVD and blu-ray discs. I intended to watch only the beginning to verify its improvements, but ended up seeing the whole thing.

I bought an upgrade to my laserdisc of D.W. Griffith's Intolerance, again for improved image quality and, in this case, a specially composed orchestral score by Carl Davis, whose silent film work I admire. Alas, I am unable to watch it for now, not having made the jump to blu-ray. I plan to do so, but am not yet sure when I'll take the plunge.

[Peter]

What am I watching these days?

Mostly you tube ( no tv and what is on iplayer at the moment is mostly rubbish):

Classic old tv series!

The Twilight Zone
One Step Beyond
Tales of Tomorrow
Dark Shadows.

Absolutely - I'm watching Bramwell on Youtube!

[Sorrano]

Nosferatu is scary! I have seen it on a big screen with people I know playing music live to it..

What am I watching these days?

Mostly you tube ( no tv and what is on iplayer at the moment is mostly rubbish):

Classic old tv series!

The Twilight Zone
One Step Beyond
Tales of Tomorrow
Dark Shadows.

Nice to see another Dark Shadows fan!

[AeolianHarp]

Nosferatu is scary! I have seen it on a big screen with people I know playing music live to it..

What am I watching these days?

Mostly you tube ( no tv and what is on iplayer at the moment is mostly rubbish):

Classic old tv series!

The Twilight Zone
One Step Beyond
Tales of Tomorrow
Dark Shadows.

[Decrepit Poster]

As I've likely mentioned in the past, I'm a fan of select films from all genre and periods, with a special interest in the silent era. A major stumbling block nowadays is that silents are often available only as inferior presentations that do them little justice. Missing/poorly edited footage. Wrong projection speed. Deteriorated image. Missing tinting and/or special colorizing. Lost or unused original music score, inadequately substituted. And so on.

I recently got back into collecting silent film on disc after not having done so (with a few notable exceptions) in quite a few years, and am happy to report that at least some are beginning to receive suitable quality restorations that allows them to make an affect similar to what their initial audiences experienced. I want to single out a few.

First and foremost, Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror. This movie is often cited as one of the best of the silents. I attempted to watch it in past via decidedly subpar presentations, and never understood what all the fuss was about. To my delight, several months ago I chanced on a top notch restoration with excellent if soft image quality, free from almost all anomalies. What's more, the film's original music score back in place, performed by full orchestra. And quite a score it is. The combo of music and imagery had me mesmerized from the start. I researched to find out exactly which restoration it was and ordered it on DVD off Amazon. I have watched it many times since then and now consider it an all-time favorite. Here's what I saw and heard at YouTube that led to my purchase:

Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horrors

Battleship Potemkin has also received a fine restoration with its original music score in place. Here's the famous Odessa Steps scene. (It begins with the local populous coming out to show support for the mutineer seamen, followed by the arrival and retaliation of the authorities. For whatever reason the uploader chose to tack on a few unnecessary seconds from the films very end. A distraction but not a lease breaker.)

[Decrepit Poster]

Just finished watching a short video entitled The Classical Comeback at YouTube. I sympathize with the presenters stated aim of exposing classical music in an "appealing" way to audiences who otherwise have little to no knowledge and/or interest in it. It's a laudable goal in a day and age where fewer and fewer are exposed to it in any meaningful way at school and almost no one outside already musical families is exposed at home.

Beyond that . . . eeeep! Those dancing girls (if that's what they're doing) did less than nothing for me, and I like ogling lovely women as well as anyone. (I didn't find their attire and movements particularly sexy, assuming that was the intent, but maybe they seem so to the young crowd for who this is geared.) But hey, if watching this sort of thing ultimately converts the unwashed masses into true classical connoisseurs I'll not whine too loudly. The question is, will it? What do you think?

[AeolianHarp]

Poldark

It was the last Poldark on Sunday..
A whole year to wait for the next series...it feels like eternity. It is by far the best period drama I've ever seen, and I have seen loads in my life as I am crazy about period dramas. It seems many people think so too as it has had huge ratings- the highest in decades I have heard. It's that good I have to watch each episode twice, and the music is stunning and by a female composer!

http://www.annedudley.co.uk/Default....ge=99&node=113

[Decrepit Poster]

Most of my recent music observation has revolved around interviews and documentaries. After much internal debate I decided to link them here rather than in our "What are you listening to now?" thread.

"From Toscanini to Abbado - The History of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra". Entertaining and informative, it includes excerpts from a number of fine performances previously unknown to me. Its only major fault is that, while not ancient, it breaks off during Abbado's first years at the helm. Mostly in English, you'll want captions on to catch everything.

"Everything you wanted to know about Conductors - but were afraid to ask". A 1993 documentary with too many shockumentary elements to suit me. Very mixed feeling about this one. Worth a watch, but caution must be exercised.

An Interview with Richard Goode. Nothing spectacular here. Just an honest talk with a fine pianist.

[AeolianHarp]

I've seen them DP.
I am still addicted to Poldark.
Irish Aiden Turner...oh my goodness..

[IMG]

[Decrepit Poster]

Recent non music related viewing has centered on history:

Holbein: Eye of the Tudors which I enjoyed very much.

Inside the Body of Henry VIII, an enjoyable documentary I've seen before.

Secrets of the Virgin Queen, which I consider more shockumentary than documentary. But it does contain some interesting food for thought so long as one doesn't take the scenarios it proposes for more than they are worth.

[Decrepit Poster]

As something of a history buff I tend to watch a lot of documentary type films and series at YouTube. I'm also a great fan of early cinema. As such I can't resist re-watching what I consider the best visual depiction on the silent film era, Hollywood, part one of which is found here. Besides being extremely well made, it is old enough to include a great many filmed comments by silent movie participants, including some of the "greats". Sadly, it's not allowed to be distributed on disk, making its on-again off-again appearance at YouTube about the only way I know to see it. I was once available on Laserdisc, but I didn't have the foresight to acquire it back then.

ADDENDUM: Keeping with my cinema history theme, I just watched a documentary of sorts on an aborted early attempt to bring Robert Graves "I, Claudius" to the screen. It was of special interest to me as I was totally unaware of this project. A shame it never saw the light of day. Surviving footage shows some very fine acting by Charles Laughton in the title role.

[AeolianHarp]

The original was superb and I watched that a few months ago on dvd having first seen it as a teenager back in the 70's - the books are also excellent. My brother says the new adaptation is very good but I'll wait for the dvd release as I rarely watch tv these days.

I'm watching on dvd the Joan Hickson Miss Marple which was by far the best version.

I used to watch the 70s one with my Mum as a little girl. We loved it. I don't remember much of it though. I've seen clips on you tube, but I find the new one better- they used stage sets instead of old properties as in the new one, so the new one is more authentic like that.
I don't know how you can not watch it and buy DVDs Peter- it's free on iplayer! I am going crazy for the next episode! Aiden Turner is great as Ross Poldark. My Mum likes the new Poldark series also.

[Peter]

Anyone been watching Poldark ( the new BBC adaptation)? I love it!

The original was superb and I watched that a few months ago on dvd having first seen it as a teenager back in the 70's - the books are also excellent. My brother says the new adaptation is very good but I'll wait for the dvd release as I rarely watch tv these days.

I'm watching on dvd the Joan Hickson Miss Marple which was by far the best version.

[AeolianHarp]

Anyone been watching Poldark ( the new BBC adaptation)? I love it!

[AeolianHarp]

Yes, I watched that, it was good .

Yes- good old film! You'd like it too DP! Now I am watching The Illusionist.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn73sgsqOvM[/YOUTUBE]