"Macbeth" (1983)

Director:  Jack Gold [BBC]

This is staged on a set with basic spare scenery, and costumes set in the period of when the story takes place.

This Macbeth is a smidge more power-hungry.  Lady Macbeth shows more the fear of what her husband has become (a tyrant--as opposed to mad/crazy).  [In the scene where Macbeth turns a corner, he mimes his thoughts by absent-mindedly coming close to choking her.]  

This Macduff is wrought with grief and tears when he hears the news of his wife and kids.  Silent silhouettes of the witches/weird sisters repeat through the later parts of the play.
The ending leaves a visual cliff-hanger of the future tension between Fleance and Malcolm.


The scene where Siward hears of his son's death is included.

"Clue" (1985)--Revisited

I watched this movie originally in theaters.  I remembered being confused initially in trying to keep straight who was who, and then the multiple endings came up and it was "hopeless."  This time I find a few mental tricks to at least help keep straight who was who.  It also helped to be able to hit pause and rewind as much as needed.  :)

I enjoyed watching this movie again.  And it is definitely one I'd probably enjoy rewatching a few more times.  Comic timing is nice and the comedy isn't over done.  (Regular readers know how seldom I say that.)  Music was kept to just the places and moments that needed it.

Well done.

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981)

The music (so well known, especially in band circles) is definitely in the spirit of The Adventures of Robin Hood.  It keeps things rousing yet light-hearted without getting too hokey.  It was fun hearing the French horns get to be part of the truck chase scene along with the trumpets (which play throughout).  I've already seen a couple of the other Indiana Jones movies, but it was nice to finely see the first.  Harrison Ford was definitely a little younger then.  The movie is good, but I think the music is part of what made the movie great.  Honestly, picture the movie with a radically different sound track.  I don't think it would've had the same pizzazz.

"Mississippi Burning" (1988)

Well-written. Keeps you hooked. Not what I'd consider "entertaining", but it's a drama. So, what do you expect.