By now readers should be familiar with the annual AMF.  Most years I head down (since 2006) to Boston by bus.  Concord Trailways goes from Concord to South Station.  Half an hour and free parking to Concord.  Free coffee and an hour and a half later I am at South Sation ($24 round trip-same day). AND I am few short blocks to Chinatown.

This year the tourists were more in evidence as were the desperate and homeless.  Despite a dissapointing lunch, the trip was a success.  The weekend happened to co-incide with a tax holiday in Mass.  I added to my chopstick collection—including a pair of stainless steel sticks.  I also my usual haunt, China Arts on Tyler Street.  This cramped trinket shop specializes in DVDs and other music/movie permutations.  For almost $160 I got 30 plus movies, including two free for being such a whoop ass spender.

Future write ups will concentrate on the movies themselves.  But a few observations.

There is  a shift to the bargain range.  No doubt a result of world economic stumble.  Packaging has gone from plastic to paper.  There should be no shortage of material—-amateur, old stock not yet in DVD format, and commercial production should allow a steady flow to the Couch Potatoes and Couch Noodles here and abroad.

Beyond operas, porn, ans soaps, the Chinese are catching up on the “What we did in WW2 and against the Nationalist” movie genre.  With war going from 1931 to 1945/49 and then the Korean war, there are plenty of themes, events, and tales to tell.  Almost all unknown the self absorbed West.

Slick, the Chinese are getting very sophisticated and edgy in their movie production.  With money to burn, China has begun to challenge India as top movie producer.  Look out for more, and we are not talking about Chinese Popeye either.

Currently I am in a dispute with Military Issue, a mail order outfit that sells real cool military stuff (books, videos). That got me to think about mail order versus in person purchasing.  Yes in person is more time consuming (among other things), but there is no question about what is paid for.  A great example is a DVD I picked up years ago.  I am pretty sure I paid a buck and think I got it at Walmart or a Goffstown Discount Place–by the old Sara restaurant.

I brought it for Zulu, an old, old favorite from when TV was a limited and precious resource and when videos meant renting–not buying.  But I watched the second feature Flame Over India with distinct glee.  Memories of late Saturday nights or lazy Sunday afternoons came back–exotic locales, rousing action, oh to travel far and away.  There are still other movies, lost in the deep recesses of my mind, that only viewing will bring back.  I’m pretty sure the costs will be much more than the $1…and I saw Flame over India (Northwest Frontier) going for $12 recently.

Heavy stuff, I need a break.  Another huge storm hits NH–strangely Wooglin and my place are OK–we even have power.  I am still overwhelmed to be asked to be Best Man at my brother’s wedding this fall (Thank you Thomas and Amy).  The winter is dreary.  The economy is shutting down local establishments.  Added to the misery index, a very close friend has been hospitalized for some very serious stuff.  So I can’t think movies at the moment.  But I’ll be back.  Stay tuned.    —–   Drew

An old friend, Jeff Rapsis (Dangerous Crosswinds), has been a fan of silent films for many, many years, Back in the 1970’s he entertained the Spring Street Junior High crowd with his imitations of Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin,  Since then Jeff has made great success in media, arts, and humanitarian causes.

For the last few years Jeff, with help from fellow enthusiasts and supporters, has run in NH a series of silent films for the public’s viewing pleasure.  The experience of watching a silent film in an old theater as it was meant to be seen (with Jeff at the piano playing ORIGINAL works) is truly a fantastic sensation of simpler times and community bonding.

Donations are encouraged for defraying the costs involved.

(I will list the movies and particulars, but check www.Hippopress.com for more information)

Palace Theatre 80 Hanover Street Manchester NH Mondays 7PM

April 5th “The Sea Hawk” (1924) Swashbuckling action, so good that some fo the footage ended up in Errol Flynn’s 1940 remake.

May 10th “Greed” (1924)  Originally 10 hours long, now just a modest 2 1/3 hours.  Money, and the boneheaded reactions its causes.

Wilton Town Hall Theatre  Main Street Wilton NH Sundays 430pm

March 28th (Palm Sunday) “King of Kings” (1927) Cecil B. DeMille and all the pageantry and “casts of thousands”—more extras than a Hearst run.

April 25th TBA–Comedy

May 30th “The Last Command” (1928) The world was between world wars when this one came out.  Old battles and emotions are re-fought–even in black and white, there is a lot of grey.

There is great pleasure in having holiday tradition.  Christmas brings It’s A Wonderful Life.  Last year WSBK brought an Andelman 3 Stooge Fest.  The Andelman’s hawk the Phantom Gourmet.  And their M.O. is the same for the Fest–loud, edgy, and annoying.  Oh they try to be hip–but they overplay, overact, and overkill.  Probably due to budget reasons their selection of stooge shorts were the outhouse dregs.  I prefer local over cookie cutter national broadcasting, but your corny humor and dull shorts lost a viewer.

Now AMC has only been a few hours into their two day Stooge-a-thon and there is no wasted time due to moronic gabbing AND the selection is standard stooge—perfectly acceptable (and b/w not the cartoon style above which is just for illustration).  I do have a complaint though.  Through commercial bias the shorts (which should run uninterrupted from start to finish) are chopped, every single one, by commercial break. Oy Ve!!!

The movie The Great Escape has as its ending Roger, Mac, and the majority getting machine gunned.  Hendley is recaptured and sent back to the Stalag (Blythe dying as Hendley is recaptured).  That is the popular and common version.  However, some years ago, I remember seeing a version of The Great Escape that has Hendley and Blythe being recaptured and brought to an open field where the blind Blythe asks what was happening and the ever cool Hendley says “you don’t want to know” moments before being machine gunned.  I bring this up as a point of interest.  Do others remember different endings? Obviously Hendley surviving makes for a cheerier story.

Ironically when the escape took place, there was great debate at Hitler’s HQ about punishment. Hitler wanted to kill all those recaptured.  Goering thought that was going too far.  Hitler compromised at 50% of those recaptured (roughly 36 or 37).  Unfortunately the commincations people lost the percentage mark and 50 were murdered—whoops!

Duplication is a definite danger.  Amazon giftcard/certificates work best.

But here are some movies (DVDs) I have yet to get–and in no order.

The Burmese Harp

The Spanish-American War (History Channel)

Come and See

Soldier of Orange

The Great Dictator

Operation Petticoat

Stalag 17

The Crossing (Rev War-George Goes Boating)

A Taste of Honey (Rita Tushingham)

Quarantine

A Farewell to Arms (Rock Hudson)

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Saturday Night Fever

The Battle of Algiers

Anything MST3K EXCEPT Manos, Red Zone Cuba, Eegah, and the Brain That Would Not Die

The Shining

The Russians Are Coming, The Russians are Coming

Papillon

El Cid

Quo Vadis

The Omega Man

Planet of Apes (Heston)

Many Thanks!!!

Drew

Due to success in updating posts I am going to restart posting new posts.  There is still much to be done to finish the updates, but  working both ends is doable. So I lied. But in a good way.

From now to the end of the year I hope to update and clean up this blog.

I will end the “Weekly Photo” at the end of the year.  It may show up on Kinkikali.com

There will be no new posts, but posts should have more graphics and some may be eliminated (non-movie subjects).

Thanks for your understanding.

Hey Sony, this shout out is for you.  I have long been planning this post.  And rarely do I say it with such vehemence and JOY!!!!.  Since 2003 I have been a DVD Nerd.  I rarely go to the movies for many reasons.  But in 2003 I had to replace another DVD player that died in its infancy.  I have forgotten why I ended up with SLV-D300P (which has video cassette playability too).

Well I brought it. And it has played and played umpteen times.  I estimate I have been able to get out of this machine 7500 hours of DVD and 500 hours of VHS play.  There have been a few very minor problems.  Mostly they are defective or otherwise squirrely DVDs—not Sony’s fault.I hope I now have not cursed my player, nor hexing Sony’s operation.  I think exercise works equally for body and machine.  And my Sony SLV-D300P has plain kicked butt.

Strongly do I encourage purchasing the same. The price is right.  The machine works. Period.  Seven years—how neat, how cool, nice.