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The Beatles and India (2021)
Good research
The people who made this did some good research. I've seen most of the documentaries released, bootleg video, read many books, and here I came across with some unseen film clips and interviews.
The "then and now" edits are well made and give great context to what is being shown.
As I suppose like quite a few others, I came to this looking for the very seeds of the White Album, and was a bit disappointed to find not enough of that. And what was told was not very revealing for someone who has delved into the subject as thoroughly as I have.
Not everything is interesting, that's why I gave it an 8, but the good parts are really good, and there are many of them.
Play for Today: Shakespeare or Bust (1973)
Hugely entertaining
This series is excellent, but I found this episode particularly good. The characters and the actors who play them are fantastic. It has the right measure of humour, without trying too hard. Three guys who can equally look forward to a couple of pints, getting to know a gorgeous woman, or seeing a Shakespeare play. It's easy, and also wrong and silly, to dismiss it today (2022) as dated, slow-paced etc. But judged in context, especially if you lived those years, it's superb.
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
Thoroughly satisfying
A great mixture of truth and fiction. Knowing the real events and characters makes this film really enjoyable. The ending is the most touching rewriting of history you might ever see on film, and though you know it's fantasy, you are left with a thoroughly satisfying feeling.
Pink Floyd: The Early Years (2016)
If all "archive" releases were like this...
This is the Holy Grail for Pink Floyd fans, both for its quality and the thoroughness with which it was assembled. There is no narration; this is not a story of the band, but the material is presented chronologically. Although several promotional videos and live performances were known and available to collectors, many were in fair quality, and others never before seen. The pristine definition of the footage of this release suggests that the project producers set out to find the best sources of each perfomance, and succeeded in an extraordinary way.
Essential for the band's fans, but due to the number of versions of some tracks (Seven performances of "Set the controls for the heart of the sun", five of "Atom heart mother", for instance), maybe not for the casual rock enthusiast.
Jubilee (1978)
A fine period piece
This movie is very much of its time, and very British, so some subtleties might be lost on foreigners (as me). A few things may seem dated or naive now, but in 1977 they must have been quite relevant. Just take a newspaper from that time and it looked as if punk might bring down the establishment single-handedly. The amateurish aspects of the movie go well with the punk aesthetic, and the performances of the more trained actors make up for the others. Jordan was quite a revelation if you think she was in charge of a clothes shop and had no acting experience apart from being on stage with the Sex Pistols. The character of Borgia Ginz is quite amusing. Jenny Runacre is in my opinion excellent all along (she plays two roles). The acting and dialog in the final scene, when she talks with Dee as Queen Elizabeth I and set to Brian Eno's music, is really nice. What I find puzzling about this is, why would a punk movie portray royalty in such a likable way ? Maybe the message is, "we're not against royalty per se, we're against the way royalty is and behaves today". But this is just my guess.
Inside the Manson Gang (2007)
Spoiled by voice over
Hendrickson's 1973 documentary "Manson" was very good, mainly for its interviews with key family members, and for keeping in mind that it was, precisely, a documentary. For me, this new attempt "Inside the Manson gang" was a huge disappointment. There is some good stuff, most of it looking obviously as unused footage from "Manson", and though it jumps too fast from one situation to another without resolution, it's good to see some outtakes. On the other hand, the riot scenes from anti Vietnam demonstrations seem like fillers. But what really spoils this is the director's voice over narration, who in my opinion treats the audience like idiots by attempting to turn it into a horror movie (music and all). And what's worse, whenever he claims to be in serious danger, nothing ever happens. Stick to the original "Manson" and you'll be OK.
Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
Disappointment !
With a good cast, a prestigious writer and Nic Roeg's cinematography what could go wrong ? Well, a lot it seems. I find this story awfully told. I dislike the films in which characters talk to each other to explain the plot to the viewers. Some tense music is out of place because nothing serious is happening. Some scenes fade to black too fast and there is a general feel of sloppy flow in the story. Most dialogues sound silly to me, and it's not a problem of being dated. Anton Diffring is a great actor (just his evil stare is great), but his character, which promises to be a real threat to Montag, never develops enough (not his fault, but the script's). Roeg nearly saves the day doing a fantastic job as always, conveying a feeling of modern isolation/desolation in an undetermined future. Christie, gorgeous as always. After some time I'll give it a second chance though...