FILMS on dvd, video or TV over Easter.

[salymap]

What are you watching/about to watch? I'm just starting on a Christmas present; a dvd of John le Carre's Smiley's People I have the book but haven't read it for years, I've never seen it on screen. Lots of familiar faces from TTSS.

[Stanley Stewart]

I've got several DVDs at the ready, saly! I'm keen to see the adaptation of Rattigan's "The Deep Blue Sea" by Terence Davies: the operative word being "adapted"; and the DVD also has a commentary by Davies who is usually articulate and sensitive in his work. Rachel Weisz plays Hester Collyer and her estranged husband by Simon Russell Beale, both worthy additions to the credentials.

Several musical treats on DVD over the next few days. The first DVD release of Adrian Boult conducting the LPO in 1972: RVW: Sym No 8 and Job: A Masque for Dancing. Next in-line is Paul Czinner's film of "Der Rosenkavalier", using multiple cameras, at the Salzburg Festival in 1960. I haven't seen it since the opening of the Barbican Theatre - 1982? - when it was also a thrill to see Elisabeth Bergner (Mrs Czinner) in the audience. Cast includes, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Sena Jurinac and Otto Edelmann: VPO/ HvK. Finally, the 2010 production of "The Rakes Progress" at Glyndebourne: LPO/Vladimir Jurowski. It will be good to see the David Hockney settings again in a rejuvenated production and I've only recently completed my own DVD compilation of David Hockney at the RA (interviews by Andrew Marr) and as a companion, I managed to rummage for a video copy (for DVD transfer) of Hockney at the Tate Britain in 1988, with Melvyn Bragg as presenter. Lots of pert and witty exchanges with both presenters and I warmed to the idea of positioning painter at one end of a large landscape painting and presenter at t'other.

Lots of small pleasures for the eye and the ear in a varied programme. Enjoy your own sessions.

[Pianorak]

As a recent convert to ballet I have just watched the DVD of "Swan Lake" with Fonteyn/Nureyev. Too awful for words, from Nureyev's OTT make-up to the under-rehearsed - or possibly just incompetent - Vienna State Opera corps de ballet. Compare and contrast the Kirov productions with Lopatkina/Korsuntsev and Makhalina/Zelensky. The Royal Ballet version with Makarova and Dowell is also worth watching.
For later today: The Browning Version with Michael Redgrave and Jean Kent, and Verdi's Stiffelio with Carreras and Malfitano.
Then back to all things piano.

[handsomefortune]

i have been watching another 'coup de tube' over easter, (as kernelbogey coined miller's 'alice in wonderland', on that particular thread).

having been prompted by an r3 forum link towards 'panorama', (in relation to the news corps exposure), i also found this old 'panorama' episode from 1966.

california 2000:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...lifornia_2000/ all sorts of people imagining in 1966, what the then distant date of 2000 might be like, allegedly 'due to technological progress'.

the 'scientific' promises about leisure time, and retiring at 50yrs specifically were not true in 2000, and are even less true now, ten years on in the grip of a global recession. the 'panorama' broadcast from 1966 does make me wonder where current equivalent debate as to technology's role, (and control), have temporarily disappeared to exactly? although the 'promises' still come thick and fast typically.

i've also been catching up on the cringeing comedy of olympic preparations, as portrayed in the beeb's '2012'; and have a dvd lined up to watch called 'i'm still here': casey affleck stars as joaquin phoenix's real life reinvention as a rap star, following his successful career in film. it seems to be all about the public gaze, specifically its negative effect long term.

[Serial_Apologist]

the 'scientific' promises about leisure time, and retiring at 50yrs specifically were not true in 2000, and are even less true now, ten years on in the grip of a global recession. the 'panorama' broadcast from 1966 does make me wonder where current equivalent debate as to technology's role, (and control), have temporarily disappeared to exactly? although the 'promises' still come thick and fast typically.

They thought differently in those daze. Under capitalism, technology will never completely remove the drudgery in work because human beings on productions lines, being the one controllable cost variable - you (boss!) still have to pay the overheads bills - are in the end the only available source of surplus value. The drive is always towards extracting more and more s/v from fewer and fewer bods - but bods, nonetheless, or, rather, the less....

That said, I don't suppose any system will entirely abolish drudgery... like, er, removing grease from under my cooker?

[Nick Armstrong]

the cringeing comedy of olympic preparations, as portrayed in the beeb's '2012'

Absolute magic, that series! Bonneville in the lead is faultless, Jessica Hynes (the sublimely frumpy 'Cheryl from next door' in The Royle Family) magnificent as the vile marketing woman who spouts meaningless jargon, and the truly wonderful Olivia Colman as the secretary with the secret passion: perfection! Colman is one of the best actresses currently working, I think - can't believe she doesn't get more recognition. She played a charity shop worker in a British film last year called 'Tyrannosaur' and she deserved an award or two if anyone did.

The film I have tee'd up for this afternoon is Kubrick's 'Barry Lyndon' which arrived in blu-ray format from France (bizarrely only available in that format here as part of a box-set, all the rest of which I have): if ever a film cried out for the joys of High Definition, that must be it. SK's 'The Shining' is the best blu-ray I have ever seen: the 70s print coming up with dazzling clarity and adding a whole layer of pleasure - every twitching muscle in Nicholson's face visible as if he were standing in the room in a way I'd never seen before. One got the impression that it had never been seen so clearly since the director peered through the viewfinder on the day of shooting. I hope the same will be true of the huge vistas in 'Barry Lyndon'.

And it's still raining

[Curalach]

Absolute magic, that series!

I totally agree. One of the best things on the box.

My wife and I have been having great amusement watching the "Potter" series from the late 70s with Arthur Lowe. Terribly non-PC in today's world and some of the acting is decidedly creaky, but some very funny moments.
Sadly it has never been issued on dvd but I found that someone had uploaded all the episodes to You-Tube. I downloaded them, joined them up and burned them to dvd myself.
Lowe died after the second series so there are only 13 episodes in total.

[handsomefortune]

The drive is always towards extracting more and more

yes serial apologist - evidently people complain of this in 1966! incidentally, there's some awful tunes featured, where jazz is 'at the service of space exploration, romance & conspicuous consumption'. in fact, many 1966 themes are newly back with us via the coaltion. perhaps dave based his policy on the same mass poverty described by 'panorama'!!

She played a charity shop worker in a British film last year called 'Tyrannosaur' and she deserved an award or two if anyone did.

olivia colman gets similarly ecstatic reviews in 'sight & sound' caliban.

One of the best things on the box.

what's the other one then curalach!!!? i shall have to look out for 'potter' on utube, 70s tv's ideal for a drizzily easter treat.

i forgot to mention a spare 'in the thick of it' dvd, which i've never ever felt like watching ..... nor robert powell in 'jesus of nazareth'.

[Serial_Apologist]

nor robert powell in 'jesus of nazareth'.

AH!!! - I was given that by a fundamentally religious cousin years ago, and finally got around to watch it last year.

By the end I came to one conclusion - Jesus went about it the wrong way.