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Reviews
Laurel Canyon (2020)
Content dictated by music licensing?
I had the feeling that the choice of which bands were featured was constrained by whether the music could be licensed for the film. How else to explain so much time devoted to minor acts like Little Feat, while ignoring Zappa (who lived in Laurel Canyon until his death), Carole King, etc. and minimizing Neil Young, who apparently would not cooperate with the filmmakers. Sweetheart of the Rodeo is mentioned as a huge breakthrough in country rock but some generic music is heard rather than a cut from the album.
Part 1 is far superior to Part 2. As someone in the film remarks, Part 1 is "the pioneers" and Part 2 is "the settlers." Both are worth watching for the wealth of home movies and other period footage. But the soundtrack presents a very skewed and watered-down version of the musical history.
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
Universal is on double-secret probation for putting out such an atrocious video transfer
I hereby place Universal studios on double-secret probation for putting out such an atrocious video transfer. It is dark, so dark that the frequently silent jokes don't land (Belushi in the food line, most of the nite scenes in the fraturnity). It's a shame that so many uni titles are now in definitive blu-ray versions in which a cheesy video transfer now defines that movie, I'm especially thinking of Marnie, The Birds and Norrh by Northwest.