YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Instagram
Mel Martin
Charlie Victor Romeo 3D Blu-ray
Director: Robert Berger, Patrick Daniels, and Karlyn Michelson
Starring: Patrick Daniels, Irving Gregory, Debbie Troche, Nora Woolley, Sam Zuckerman
Video: 3D and regular Blu-ray
Audio: Dolby 5.1
Aspect ratio 1.78:1
This movie has quietly gained a following of viewers and reviewers. It’s an original idea based on a stage play that had actors recite transcripts from cockpit voice recorders in aircraft incidents that led to crashes. The production started as a stage play, and that play is now a performance recorded for Blu-ray and is also in 3D.
Charlie Victor Romeo (the 3D film) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January 2013 and has since screened at the New York Film Festival, The Hamptons International Film Festival, CPHDox Documentary Festival, and AFI Fest in Los Angeles. The theatrical runs at the Film Forum in NYC and the Downtown Independent in LA screening were on January 29th, 2014.
Now, it’s on disc for anyone to see.
It’s not a fancy Hollywood-type production. As in the theatrical version, its actors are in a kind of makeshift cockpit set. The black box recordings are word for word what the FAA and NTSB received for their investigations.
Trying to describe the film to someone to get them interested almost always fails, yet when people watch it, they are immediately drawn in. Knowing in advance what is going to happen makes for a riveting and terrifying experience.
The production does transcripts from 6 different crashes, though not all of them led to fatalities. The production puts you inside the cockpit, and while the set isn’t much you are quickly drawn into the drama and the desperation. It shows that you don’t need fancy CGI or extensive sets to make a compelling experience. It also makes you think twice before getting on a plane as if the recent problems at Boeing weren’t enough.
Sometimes, of course, there’s a lot of tech language from the pilots and crew, but most viewers won’t find it a problem. Ultimately these are very human dramas, usually brought on by defective aircraft or human factors. It’s fascinating and emotional to watch these crew members struggling professionally against an outcome that isn’t pretty.
Video
As I’ve said, this isn’t a slick Hollywood production. Still, the 1080p video looks fine. The 3D adds a sort of ‘in the cockpit’ feel and does make the show a bit more involving. The disc comes with a standard and 3D version and comes with one pair of the old-style red/blue glasses. If you have a way to watch this in 3D, I recommend it. The movie is also available through the usual streaming services.
Audio
Nothing fancy here either, but there is a sense of dimension as the voices originate from different parts of the sound field.
Extras
Director’s Commentary by Patrick Daniels and Robert Berger
Captain Al Haynes presentation @ NASA Dryden May 24, 1991
There are also some excerpts from the live performances, and a PBS Newshour story on the creation of this production, along with some trailers.
In summary, this is an excellent theatrical experience captured on video. I can’t call it a movie, really. But it will leave you emotionally drained and with more knowledge of what goes on in the cockpit.
Highly recommended.
March is the month of nostalgia, and these movies have ages like fine wine, though some may leave a vinegary aftertaste because they haven’t aged all that well.
Flashdance (1983) R – UltraHD 4K -40th Anniversary Edition. Starring: Jennifer Beals, and Michael Nouri.
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Music (Original Song) which includes Flashdance…What A Feeling and my personal favorite, Maniac, this film looks good in 4K with HDR, though not a big step up from the BD version. The story revolves are Beal’s character of a working single gal who wants to aspire to become a dancer. By day, she is a welder, and by night a dancer in a bar. Eventually, her handsome boss at the factory notices her and things lead to the obvious ending. Along the way, we are treated to some very 80’s music and some memorable dancing with a water bucket and a pull chain. The story seems quaint with the dichotomy of a woman being both independent and in control versus also being sexy and needed. I tend to think women have evolved a bit more over the last 40 years, but what do I know? The theme just seemed outdated, but the film itself is entertaining and the music will remind you of a time when hair was big and blown out. Did this film need a 4K treatment? Well, the “Flashdance Phenomenon” was a real thing, and it did have a cultural impact at the time, so why not? If you are into the beat, put this near the top of your list of nostalgic things to do.
Rosemary’s Baby
On the other end of the genre spectrum, an oldie that also seems dated, but looks excellent in UHD, Rosemary’s Baby (1968) R- 55th Anniversary UHD 4K. Produced by William Castle (House on Haunted Hill), this tale was the precursor to a new direction for horror movies. Rosemary (Mia Farrow) is a newlywed who is about to find that having a baby can be frightening in more ways than one. First, her husband acts strangely, then her neighbors become obsessive, and then her life turns into a surreal nightmare. Eventually, she realizes that a seed of evil has been planted and she has become its unwilling host. Who wants a child named Beelzebub?
When this hit the theaters, it was as shocking as the later released The Exorcist. Some people shunned it at the movie house, while others were delighted to have a horror film that didn’t involve Frankenstein or Dracula. It seems less shocking now, but still a well-crafted study of suspense and built-up dread. A worthy addition to you collectors of the macabre and strange.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Somewhere between love and horror is a good Western. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) NR – UHD 4K. Directed by the famous Western director John Ford and starring: Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, and Lee Marvin, the story revolves around another story of how past events can have a major impact on the future. What happens to a man who stands up to bully and wins, only to find out at the end of an illustrious career, that he had some help in the background, and realizes that his life could have been quite different without that intervention. Supporting cast includes Lee Van Cleef (before his career took off), Vera Miles, and John Caradine. Lee Marvin plays the titular character and plays the menacing town bully to the ninth degree. Stewart plays the likable character who has no chance of standing up against Valance.
And John Wayne does a remarkably nuanced performance that transcends most of the usual bravado performances. This is a movie that you can watch many times and get the same thrill out of watching it. In UHD/HDR, it is a revelation. Pitch black and brilliant whites make the picture look almost 3D. The print is spotless, too. Thank you, Paramount, for bringing this classic to us in 4K, it looks astoundingly great! “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”
That’s it for now, but I will have a new UHD classic film for next time. Has anyone here ever heard of a movie called The Crow?