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The Saragossa Manuscript, a review by goodguy

The Saragossa Manuscript (PL 1965) Written by: Tadeusz Kwiatkowski, based on the novel by Jan Potocki Directed by: Wojciech J. Has Starring: Zbigniew Cybulski DVD: R0-UK Mr. Bongo Films (2008) My rating:

Cover Blurb: Enter a dazzling, mysterious world of the supernatural courtesy of The Saragossa Manuscript, a magical text discovered during the Napoleonic Wars by a pair of opposing soldiers. Capt. Alphonse van Worden lives out the book's intricate, devilish storylines as he embarks on a journey across scenic Spain, now populated with ghosts, alluring demons, debauched royalty and mystical priests. Spanning centuries and nations, the manuscript's reach encompasses a wide array of stories both humorous and horrifying, gleeful and grotesque, before the final chilling revelations bring this one of a kind book to a close. Critically applauded and embraced over the years by such admirers as Jerry Garcia, Francis Ford Coppola, and Martin Scorsese, this swirling tapestry has been restored to its original, full length director's cut with all of its labyrinthine riddles intact.

Much less weird than one would expect from a movie that Jerry Garcia named as his favorite. It wasn't Garcia though, who put this on my radar, but rather Neil Jordan in a side comment in his AC for "The Company of Wolves".

Anyway. Based on an early 19th century novel by Polish author Jan Potocki, this is a bit like a cross between Don Quixote and the Decameron.  Stories are nested within stories and the narrative framework is quite nifty, but pretty easy to follow. Shot in B&W cinemascope and with a great score by Krysztof Penderecki, the outer stories taking place in the Spanish Sierra Morena have the most visual impact in a haunted, slightly surreal way. Some of the substories unfortunately degrade somewhat into slapstick and farce, but overall it remains entertaining.


(From goodguy's Watch Log on July 7th, 2010)

Christmas in July, a review by Antares

Christmas in July





Year: 1940
Film Studio: Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Genre: Comedy
Length: 67 Min.

Director
Preston Sturges (1898)

Writing
Preston Sturges (1898)...Writer

Producer
Paul Jones (1901)

Cinematographer
Victor Milner (1893)

Music
John Leipold (1888)...Composer
Leo Shuken (1906)...Composer

Stars
Dick Powell (1904) as Jimmy MacDonald
Ellen Drew (1915) as Betty Casey
Raymond Walburn (1887) as Dr. Maxford
Alexander Carr (1878) as Mr. Shindel
William Demarest (1892) as Mr. Bildocker
Ernest Truex (1889) as Mr. J.B. Baxter
Franklin Pangborn (1889) as Don Hartman (radio announcer)
Harry Hayden (1882) as Mr. E.L. Waterbury (office manager)

ReviewRatings Criterion4 Stars - Historically important film, considered a classic.

(From Christmas in July (1940) on January 19th, 2010)

Angel Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

3. The House Always Wins
Original Air Date: 10/20/2002
Angel, Fred and Gunn take a road trip to Las Vegas to enlist Lorne's help in finding Cordelia, but get caught up in a supernatural and literal "futures" trading scheme. A ruthless casino owner holds Lorne hostage, exploiting the popular entertainer's psychic abilities to steal unsuspecting patrons' destinies. It is Angel's future, however, that is of more interest...

Guest Stars:
Clayton Rohner
Morocco Omari

My Thoughts:
A fun episode... but not quite as good as the previous couple. I noticed there was a commentary track for this episode with the guy that plays Lorne. So I watched it both with and without the commentary. As I said... I enjoyed the episode without the commentary. And while always fun for me to watch an episode with an actor commentary on... this one really added very little. I definitely heard better commentaries.

My Rating:

(From Angel Marathon on March 16th, 2010)