DVD Collectors Online

Just started to watch Land of the Giants. 14 DVDs. 
I really like this show with its old school, CGI-free special effects. Oversized sets, perspective shots, split screen, back projection and travelling matte. I was rather disappointed, though, that a very bad matte shot ruined the mood of the pilot episode.



I sure hope the remaining 50 episods don't include shots as bad as this one.

I started watching this on Netflix since I liked the movies (only seen two of them, though), and I like Catherine Bell. I've only seen the first two episodes so far, but it seems OK as far as light entertainment goes. Has anyone else watched this? Pete, perhaps?

I just finished watching the third (and possibly last) season of Crossing Lines on Netflix. Like many others I thought that the third season felt like a different show than the first two, given that only Tom Wlaschiha and Donald Sutherland was kept from the cast of the previous seasons. And like many others I really missed William Fichtner. That said, the third season turned out to be not bad at all. They were, in fact, all good. Again. like many others, I disliked the ending of season two. But still, quite a good show. Some people complain about the fact that the show wasn't shot where it's supposed to take place (i.e. in The Hague, among other places). Well, duh! I can't count the number of shows shot in Canada, but taking place in the US. That's just a matter of fact when it comes to TV shows, and movies too. They shoot where they get the best cooperation and the least cost. Live with it!

So I started to watch the first few episodes of Batman: The Complete Television Series, and I reacted to two things.

In the very first scene of the first episode, what is the first thing I see? A Swedish flag! Yay! What - Me a patriot? 

But what was more striking was that the show just hit the ground running (or perhaps "hit the air" would be more appropriate). What I mean is that there was no introduction of any kind. No origin story. Presumably the producers felt that at the time the comic was so well established that he show didn't need explanations of the characters or their backstory.

It's been many, many years since I saw this show on TV. It's great fun to see it again. When you compare it to the recent Batman movies it is hard to believe that the same comic was the inspiration for them. As I remember the comics (of that time) they were never as camp as this TV show. And yet again, they were never anywhere near as dark as the Dark Knight movies. But I guess the comics did get darker after the sixties, but by then I had stopped reading them.

I assume that most of the people who buy this set do it for nostalgic reasons. Would this show appeal to today's young audience? Well, preschoolers, perhaps. I'm guessing that today's teenagers would find it way too silly. But for us old fogies who saw it back in it's day it is still great fun.

So we got Fox here in Sweden not long ago. Most of what they show right now are reruns, but there are a few new shows, and one of them is Fargo.

They have only shown three episodes so far, but I like what I have seen. Billy Bob Thornton is great, and Martin Freeman is very good, too.

Is anyone else watching Fargo, and if so what do you think of it?

I have made a small effort and fixed my (very frugal) home page.
On it you can find a few of my software projects.
If anybody is interested in trying any of them I'm always happy to hear you opinions.
You find my home page at gsyren.ownit.nu

Yesterday I rewatched the 1969 True Grit with John Wayne, immediately followed by the 2010 version by the Coen brothers. I liked both films, but for me the original has the edge.

John Wayne vs. Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn. Well, I think it's safe to say the Bridges is the more versatile actor. But this role is just so perfect for John Wayne that I cannot in all honesty say that I think Jeff Bridges could match it.

Glen Campbell vs. Matt Damon as La Boeuf. Well, no contest. Campbell is a singer, not an actor.

Kim Darby vs. Haillee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross. Tough call. Haillee is too cute, in my opinion. But she is the right age, and Kim was 22, playing 14.

Robert Duvall vs. Barry Pepper as Ned Pepper. Again, no contest. I wouldn't say that Barry Pepper is a bad actor, but he is no Robert Duvall.

Jeff Corey vs. Josh Brolin as Tom Chaney. Two good actors. Personally I found Corey more believable as a low down character that would shoot the person that had helped him. But Brolin was good, too.

Henry Hathaway vs. Joel & Ethan Coen as director. The Coens don't have nearly as many directorial credits as Hathaway. But their films are much more consistently good. Hathaway has some hits and some clunkers. He is usually good with Westerns, though. The Coens' film has a darker tone.

The main reason I liked the 1969 version better is undoubtedly John Wayne. I love John Wayne when he does what he does best. And he does it here. Then there may be a question of a generation gap. I'm not sure that the younger generation gets how good Wayne was.

Anyway, these are both very good films. If you haven't seen any of them, pick one. If you've seen one, try the other one too.