What We Are Watching Vol. 17: October 2021

I recently discovered the TV show Manifest on Netflix and boy is it addicting. Originally broadcast on NBC from 2018 to 2021, then canceled after three seasons. Once it hit Netflix, it quickly became one of its most popular shows. Luckily for us fans, Netflix will be producing a 20-episode fourth season for release in 2022.

The plot centers around the disappearance of flight 828 going from Jamaica to New York. The passengers experience a moment of intense turbulence, then land to discover they have been missing for over five years. To compound the mystery, they find themselves having visions of the future that compel them to act, sometimes to save a life, or to bring people together. The main character is a college math professor, Ben Stone, who is determined to figure out just what has happened to him and the other passengers.

Manifest definitely attains the status of binge-worthy TV. You’ll be hooked almost from the start as I was. The production quality, acting, and storytelling are all of the highest quality. If you are a fan of Lost, you’ll love this show. It’s loaded with I-didn’t-see-that-coming moments along with many twists and turns. Some sub-plots are told in flashback, but it never reaches the level of confusion. Every chapter has a satisfying ending before the story arc moves on.

Video quality is stellar for seasons one and two. Contrast and color are state-of-the-art with natural hues throughout and deep contrast. There’s no HDR or Dolby Vision here but Manifest makes the most of its HD encode. Season three looks good too but it picks up a bit of edge enhancement which gives the image a slightly artificial look.

The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. Bass is prominent in the background music and is a bit strident at times. Dialog is very clear and well-balanced in the center channel. Surround effects are minimal but provide good ambient sound cues and a wide sound stage.

If you’re into modern suspense wrapped in a family-friendly show, Manifest is a fun and entertaining option.

Jesse picks her up at the train station and takes her to the ranch.

Jesse and Lewt fall in love with her, Jesse for good reasons, and Lewt for other reasons. She knows Lewt is evil, but they are both fiery in nature, and she is drawn to him.

He is tall, lanky, and very handsome.

Jesse on the other hand is calm, but not fiery or so handsome. However, Pearl admires him a great deal because he is such a kind person.

Jesse knows he cannot ever have Pearl, and he decides to marry someone more appropriate. She is beautiful, prim, and proper.

The McCanles parents know that something is amiss.

Jesse keeps Pearl from getting into trouble with Lewt by holding her at home. Lewt comes to town for a showdown with his brother. He wants Jesse to release Pearl., but that is not going to happen.

The outcome is so terrible, Pearl decides she cannot go on without facing down Lewt for what he has done. She discovers where he is hiding and goes there to meet him.

She fires a shot as the signal for him to come out of the hills.

Does she look pissed or what?

Lewt comes out of hiding and waves to her to come up.

The finale is there, a Duel in the Sun.

The movie has the same visual “look” as Gone with the Wind. The musical score by Dimitry Tiomkin includes orchestra and choir. Directed by King Vidor. Free on the Internet.

Red River, United Artists, 1948.

Another movie with a musical score by Dimitry Tiomkin, this one has John Wayne in one of his most famous roles as Thomas Dunson who set out in 1851 joining a wagon train headed for California and decides to stop in Texas where he wanted to create a cattle ranch.

Tom tells the trail boss he is leaving the wagon train.

Groot (Walter Brennan) says he is going with Tom.

Tom tells the woman he plans to marry that he will not be taking her with him, but will bring her to his new ranch once it is underway.

On their way to pick out some land, a boy with a cow shows up. His name is Matthew Garth. Tom adopts him, and together with Groot, they establish their ranch.

Ten years later, the ranch is successful with thousands of head of cattle. But the land is dry, so Tom decides to take the entire herd away from the ranch to sell.

Along the way, they meet a gunman named “Cherry”. He and Matt test each other’s skills with a gun.

Tom drives the men so hard, they, including Matt, decide to leave Tom behind and take the herd themselves along the Chisholm train instead. Tom says he will eventually kill Matthew.

They run into a wagon train that is being attacked by Indians and decide to help.

Matthew meets a young woman during the fight.

She is wounded by an arrow in her shoulder. This is the only bit in the film that is seemingly unrealistic. Would you be smiling with an arrow in your shoulder? Matt removes the arrow in a very interesting way.

She accompanies Matt with the herd of cattle into town where the herd is sold after they have fallen in love (of course!).

Tom, having hired some gunmen, arrives in the town to kill Matt.

The showdown is one of the most famous in movie history.

Directed by Howard Hawks, this is one of Wayne’s best. Free on the Internet.

Specifications

Something Wicked This Way Comes, Disney/Buena Vista Disney Club Exclusive, BluRay, 1983.
Video: 1080p, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Length: 95 minutes
Director: Jack Clayton
Starring: Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce
Written by Ray Bradbury

In a small Illinois town, an evil circus arrives, preying on the townspeople and two young boys.

This was a film I loved when it came out. I’d read the book by Ray Bradbury, and was thrilled that he was doing the screenplay. It didn’t seem like a Disney-type film, and I was right. The studio wasn’t sure what to do with this dark tale and savaged it with edits that were disliked by preview audiences.

Bradbury was bought back to undo the damage the Disney Studio had done, and what results is still not a typical Disney film, but it’s a moving semi-horror story with the great and almost poetic prose from Bradbury.

Jason Robards and Jonathan Pryce are standouts in their role as an aging father and the demonic carnival operator.

The two young boys, played by unknowns (Vidal Peterson and Shawn Carson), are well-directed and engaging. The effects aren’t really up to today’s standards, but they get the job done. The music by James Horner is a great fit for the movie.

The Disney Studios didn’t take care of this property. Although this newly released Blu-ray looks much better than the old DVD it has its share of scratches and defects. It’s far more detailed than the DVD disc, but that also makes the defects easier to see. It’s not awful, but it’s not a restoration either.

There’s a 5.1 surround mix. It’s pretty tame except in some standout scenes like the spider attack, but. The music is full-bodied and fills all the channels and you can clearly hear all the actors.

As is typical of Disney Club movies, no extras, no trailer. No nothing.

This disc is a Disney Movie Club exclusive, which is a shame. They’ve kept some prime movies for club members, like The Black Hole and the classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. These movies deserve a wider audience, and perhaps someday Disney will see fit to let the general public add these films to their collection. You can find these films on eBay, at not exorbitant prices.

I’ve always loved this film, although critics were decidedly mixed on Something Wicked This Way Comes. I find it moving and exciting, and if you can find a copy it’s worth an evening watch, especially around Halloween.