Review Detail

8.0 1 10
wild_about_harry_front.jpg
FanMix September 17, 2016 5340
Overall rating
 
6.7
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
6.0
Visual Editing
 
6.0
Narrative
 
6.0
Enjoyment
 
6.0
Recent effort from retired Hollywood director reveals his usual limitations within his hobby.
This time out he “combines” the three Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) movies into one viewing “experience.”
The results remind me of Orson Welles comments: “Don't let Ted Turner deface my movie with his crayons.”

Video - MPEG 4, 1280 X 720p. Split screens are a constant, sometimes horizontally, others vertically. There is no invention with them, however. Apparently Mr Soderbergh has missed out on one Quentin Tarentino. Perhaps he has not viewed “Pulp Empire” by njvc. Blacks are not as solid as they should be, and the overall image is soft.

Audio - 2 Channel AAC, 256 kbps. Original audio (dialogue and music) replaced with Muzak by Flying Lotus. The music rarely syncs with onscreen action, but the editor feels the music is cool. If you don’t agree, then he feels sorry for you. The music, for a museum gala or cocktail party, is adequate. Home viewers might turn it off altogether with no loss. Or air a sporting event - or a religious station.

Narrative - There is no narrative. This is - more or less - an art installation, using someone else’s art. The faneditor chose not to use his own films. Curious. Anyway, art installations don’t have to be logical, or show narratives, or even make sense. They are ART.

Enjoyment - Mixed bag for me. Interesting to watch a once-talented director muck around in the fanedit sub-culture. He has not advanced very far in skill or technique. Indeed, this reviewer has a sly suspicion he is getting a free pass because of his name. Had this been submitted by an unknown novice, I imagine it would still be pending approval.

Worth the casual viewer’s time? Definitely not. How about fans of the original Harry Palmer movies? I dunno, how about mashing a trio of 007 films with nonstop Country & Western music? Wait a sec! Maybe fans of faneditor Steven Soderbergh will appreciate this. Course, these are not really his films, are they?

For fans of cultural unicorns and unclothed emperors.

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Digital
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Comments

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December 04, 2016
vultural: "This reviewer has a sly suspicion he is getting a free pass because of his name. Had this been submitted by an unknown novice, I imagine it would still be pending approval."

The reviewer's "sly suspicions" are wrong. There is no technical reason why this would ever not be approved, whoever submitted it. "vultural doesn't like it" isn't a good enough reason to disapprove a fanedit. Thanks for questioning the integrity of the admin-team.
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