David and Goliath - Megaphone holding dept.

[catbuglah]

Got the new David and Goliath DVD - It's not as horrible as I'd expected! After the first scene with Welles the ensuing 30 minutes are pretty wretched - then for the rest of the movie the directing gets progressively better - I'm assuming the Maestro began helping things ...- so overall, the directing after that is actually fairly decent - Hilton is good as the prophet - Welles is OK as Saul - I think I spotted the column scene that Bogdanovich mentions in TIOW, the final scene, a travelling camera shot from behind the columns - all the Goliath :angry: scenes seem Wellesian, especially the one where he's seduced by dancers (hubba, hubba :p ) - various Wellesian touches but nothing überly Welles except... this wicked cavalry battle scene ... it's über-Welles and looks like a prefiguration of Chimes - it's even more reminiscent of Alexander Nevsky than Chimes, with the blow by blow fighting deal - all the crowds scenes in this remind me of Nevsky as well - again, one would suspect the hand of Welles in those ???

[mteal]

I recently did an abridgement of DAVID AND GOLIATH, keeping only those scenes that seemed as if Welles might have had something to do with them behind the camera. I expected to keep only about 15-20 minutes, but to my surprise I wound up keeping almost 60 of the film's 95 minutes. Sure it's trash, but it's enjoyable trash, and the color photography seems to anticipate Welles' late color films like MERCHANT OF VENICE and THE IMMORTAL STORY. So now I've got a pithy little 60-minute Welles film that works quite well for me as a guilty pleasure. I think I'll rename it KING SAUL when I get the right software.

I think you're right about Welles directing some of the Goliath scenes. Goliath's first appearance as a menacing shadow on the wall looks straight out of OTHELLO. And the music for the dancing girls sounds kind of like the music in FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH. Also, it should be noted that the first scene between Saul and Samuel is the only time (except for the one scene in OTHELLO) that Welles and Hilton Edwards ever shared a scene together onscreen, so that alone makes it special.

[Store Hadji]

You made me watch Treasure Island, but I'm not revisiting THIS horror!

[jaime marzol]

mteal, send me the tape. i'll windw box it and burn it to dvd, ill make menus too. perhaps we can make menus from the girl and squid scene in david and goliath!

do you also have taras bulba?

will get your package out today, i hope. ever since tom donovan shot liberty valance, the pony express has stayed away because the apaches have been attacking sob-busters north of the picket wire, and that link applayard is worhless, he just eats on the cuff, and wants to hear nothing about the apaches. last week the apaches got mr. peabody, and gutted him. all he wanted was to mail some cds he burned. they also got one of valance's vermidons, the short one with the scratchy voice, but no one really cared about him.

i have some unminted gold coins that ethan left me before he went out to find lucy, so i'll see if those can get me a stage coach to north of the picket wire where they now have something called a 3-in-1; trading post/post office/ and laundrymat. peole come from miles aound to see it. they say it won't be long before we have those 3-in1s over shinbone, and something called pay-day advance stores, and adult book stores with mini-movies! the ranchers south of the picket wire are not too happy about this though.

[mteal]

Sure, send it on up when you get the Apaches out of the way, and I'll send KING SAUL to you. Good idea about the menus. I like to think Welles must have directed that freaky squid sacrifice. And yes, the Welles scenes definitely do look much better windowboxed, as always.

Store Hadji,
I agree that about 35 minutes of the film are atrocious- an amatuerish home movie, but I really do think there's a decent 60 minute abridgement in there waiting to be carved out. Somehow, I can't see the owners of the film being willing to do that. To me it's like 60 minutes of not bad wine diluted with 35 minutes of rotten koolaid.

[catbuglah]

I recently did an abridgement of DAVID AND GOLIATH - (cool) but to my surprise I wound up keeping almost 60 of the film's 95 minutes

I can believe it - there's quite a few interesting shots - they add up ??? Welles seems to state things fairly aptly in TIOW p.264 - i.e. he directed his own scenes (and it's a fairly substantial role) - excepting his involvement goes even beyond that, one would think. The Samuel-Saul opening scene is nice cryptic 10-minute deal right there.

I like to think Welles must have directed that freaky squid sacrifice. :angry:

Kind of looks like it- Squids is Wellesian -When the Philistine guy appears later on the battlefield, there's a squid design on his shield.

[catbuglah]

Hadj wrote:

..me watch Treasure Island, but I'm not revisiting THIS horror! :angry:

Coincidentally, I received a new copy of Treasure Island today, (coincidentally done by Alpha Video, the same company as the David and Goliath dvd, unfortunately the quality be roight poorly, roight poorly indeedy, matees!)

[Store Hadji]

How is your DVD of David and Goliath? Mine looks like garbage. If I have to sit through a bad film, at least I want to see it clearly.

I didn't think The Tartars was too bad at all. TCM ran a pristine print of it last May. Welles looked grandly imposing in that role.

Now I'll have to suffer his King Saul performance again. I'm not done suffering The Green Berets, so it has to wait a little bit.

I'm sorry your new DVD of Treasure Island is crap. The Raven Video/Homestead Video VHS release looks great (though not widescreen) AND has the original Welles audio performance (which Chrissie confirmed was dubbed by someone else on the UK DVD version she has.)

Maybe I'd hate David y Goliath more if I could see it properly. Am I correct in remembering that the Edward Hilton/Hilton Edwards scenes with Welles never show the two together in the same shot but keep cross-cutting between the two? Maybe they weren't each there the same day.

Hey, Cat! Check out Lord Mountdrago from Three Cases of Murder some time. That one I thought had some very Wellesian touches - the party scenes seemed like a warm-up for Mr. Arkadin. Plus you get to see Welles sing - which is always a curious spectacle. He sang several times on radio, and I revel in such displays of ##################### whenever I find them.

[Store Hadji]

Yay! I Advanced to 5 pips!

Okay, I'll watch David & Goliath now.

My disc is put out by Platinum Disc Corporation. I think I paid 5 bucks for it.

It includes this quiz:

1. What type of weapon did David get from his girlfriend?
a) rocks b) a sling shot c) a sword d) bow and arrows
2. Who predicted David's arrival?
a) King Klaus b) Goliath c) Samuel d) Asrod
3. Who tried to kill David after his victory over Goliath?
a) Jonathan b) King Klaus c) Samuel d) Abner
4. Why did David get into a fight when he arrived to Jerusalem?
a) he gave water to a dying man b) he helped an old lady c) he helped a crying baby to find his parents d) he gave food to a poor woman
5. Which of these characters survived?
a) Abner b) Samuel c) Goliath d) King Klaus

Anyone ever see Richard Kiel in Eegah?

[Store Hadji]

Remind me NEVER to have the Prophet Samuel come for a visit - he just doesn't shut up.

Yeah, that early shot with Saul behind the pillars was obviously set up by Welles - and stolen verbatim from Othello.

What happened to "What we must never do is borrow from ourselves?"

[Store Hadji]

Omigod this film is unwatchably rancid.

I do like the closeup of Welles with his eyes both bloodshot as tomatoes. Great stuff, that Romulan Ale.

[Store Hadji]

This transfer has the worst Pan and Scan rendering I've ever seen. It's more like Jerk and Jump.

You think Michael Palin might want to rewrite and redub this film? It's almost Pythonesque as it is.

[Store Hadji]

The Squid scene makes me want to double-bill this with Orgy of the Dead.

[catbuglah]

Hadj wrote:
How is your DVD of David and Goliath? Mine looks like garbage.
Me Alpha Video, paid 5 bones - but it's a'ight - everyone lookes like they've been flattened an inch. Good value for your entertainment dollar.

I didn't think The Tartars was too bad at all.
I'm curious about that one - but they want 20 clams for a video copy.

I'm sorry your new DVD of Treasure Island is crap. The Raven Video/Homestead Video VHS release looks great (though not widescreen)
Thanky - Shit happens - and thanky for the reference.

the Edward Hilton/Hilton Edwards scenes with Welles never show the two together
They actually appear together briefly.

Hey, Cat! Check out Lord Mountdrago from Three Cases of Murder some time.
Will do - A note is on the fridge. My video rental place has those British shorts, plus the TV King Lear...

[catbuglah]

unwatchably rancid

I'm given it a second go-around :p - and it's holding up- The first viewing, I was put off by the wooden acting, bad film quality, confusing and stale script. Visually, for the first hour, it's well done, it's Welles done :laugh: - plenty of Wellesian business - framing, lighting, choreographing - (David's speech to the crowd reminds of Nevsky's speech to the crowd) - There's sort of a low-budget MacBeth feel - There's an interesting use of backs (backs of people's heads, crane shot from way in the back,..) When David and Abner are practicing spear throwing, there's horses running in circle in the background to make the frame interesting.