Robert Redford!

OK, I’m riveted by this movie, but I’m also remembering that I’ve seen Triple Frontier by the same director, which totally sucked.

But that was a Netflix movie, so perhaps that explains the suckitude.

I was thinking “boy, Redford looks kinda harried here… he’s, like, 55?”

WHAT THE FUCK!!?!?

77!?!? He’s the spryest 77 ever in the history of ever!

Now I’ve flipped from “wow, this movie is awesome” to “this movie is elderly abuse”!

The first half of this movie is absolutely fabulous. All his travails on the boat are so gripping, and Redford’s performance is fantastic.

But then we get the last half of the movie, and it’s just… snoresville? It seems like they wrote themselves into a corner, and didn’t know how to make that part interesting. It’s a shame, because they really had something special there.

So I’d give the first half of the movie a ⚅, and the last half of the movie a ⚁, which means we’re at:

All is Lost. J.C. Chandor. 2013. ⚃

This is also by Joseph Kohn! I just watched Rock ‘n’ Roll Revue, which was totally brilliant — every performance perfect.

So I guess this is… part II? It’s even got some of the same performers. But it’s twice as long?

I’m excited! But worried? Perhaps there’s gonna be fillers since it’s longer?

OK, it starts with a longish skit… which is pretty amusing…

Yeah, this DVD transfer is… it’s really really bad. But it’s bad in ways I’ve never seen before! Artefacts are kinda constant? It’s like if someone projected the movie onto a really badly painted, very textured wall… and then somebody filmed that? It’s got more texture than seems possible, is what I’m saying.

Huh:

Rhythm and Blues Revue is a plotless variety show, one of several compiled for theatrical exhibition from the made-for-television short films produced by Snader and Studio Telescriptions, with newly filmed host segments by Willie Bryant.

So perhaps all those artefacts are from the television-to-film transfer?

Anyway, the audio track isn’t bad.

Faye Adams! What a voice.

This one isn’t as tautly edited as Rock’n’Roll Revue, but the performances are really good. They’re hamming it up for the camera, of course, but the music’s fine. Really fine.

So it’s kinda cheesy, and it’s not as good as Rock’n’Roll Revue — it’s got more novelty acts. But the good bits are great.

I missed this woman’s name, but she’s fabulous. And very funny.

Nat King Cole!

I haven’t got any of his albums. I have to fix that. This is amazing.

Rhythm and Blues Revue. Joseph Kohn. 1955. ⚄

OK, this is just a music programme thing?

I’m fine with that. We start off with Duke Ellington?

Yup.

It’s really nice!

I like all these tunes.

“Your cash ain’t nothing but trash / but I’m sure gonna get me some more”

And there’s skits!

Dinah Washington!

Gorgeous song.

Nat King Cole.

By Emacs! He’s amazeballs!

This is brilliant.

Heh. Kohn did ten music pics over a two year period? And then nothing? I wonder what the story there was, because there’s nothing here I don’t like: The performances are fantastic (especially that Nat King Cole thing), and the cinematography is fun and bouncy, and it’s tautly edited (no boring bits), and it’s… just a joy to watch.

If you’re not into watching live performances, you might not find this fascinating, but for me it’s:

Rock’n’Roll Revue. Joseph Kohn. 1956. ⚅