The Film Talk - The ongoing podcast conversation about movies with Jett Loe and Gareth Higgins

The Last Film I Watched In Holywood

September 5th, 2008 · Comments

The Mighty Kenwood Home Cinema Sound System

Dear Listener

Last night I sat down with my friend Terry and watched a film on the same system I have used for the past eleven years.  I used a windfall of a few hundred quid to purchase a Kenwood Dolby Pro-Logic five speaker surround system in January 1997; I remember the salesman showing me the shoot out scene from Michael Mann’s ‘Heat’ to demonstrate its capabilities.  I have used these five speakers since before Tony Blair was Prime Minister, before anyone had heard of Monica Lewinsky, before Seth Rogen had made a film, before Arnie had played Mr Freeze or recalled a governor, before a Presidential election was ambiguously settled, before the Good Friday Agreement was signed, before Paul Thomas Anderson had written ‘Magnolia’, before I owned a house, before I had properly seen ‘The Exorcist’ on something other than pirate VHS, before I ever fell in love, before I knew what I was doing with my life (and so it goes, much of the time), before Van Morrison started making albums for the sake of it, before carbon emissions were everyday parlance, before Gene Hackman had announced his retirement, before the Rolling Stones didn’t, before I had written a published word, and before a serendipitous encounter at Belfast’s Queen’s Film Theatre when a certain Maestro and a certain Professor Doctor’s paths crossed when we walked out of the same bad film at the same right moment.  So you might imagine I have a sentimental attachment to my home cinema system.

But alas it cannot follow me on my impending long travels, so I have sold it.  To a friend, of course, so it will stay in good hands, and I may get to see it in use in the future.  I wanted to close this chapter of its place in my life with something special.  So I watched the recent film that I consider most likely to grow in my affections more than any other; one of the most visually astonishing films that US cinema has produced; an elegant poem about love and mystery, and the ultimate questions; indeed, something close to this generation’s ‘2001′.  My genial co-host and I tried to record a show about this film last year, but emotions were high and we decided not to release it upon an unsuspecting public; I fear the Maestro may never enjoy this film, never mind love it.  And so I am reluctant to name it; but I shall say this: it may sound naive or petty, but I’m sure most of us have developed a fondness for the equipment we use to watch movies.  I’m not a fan of spending huge amounts of cash on the latest upgrades - my Kenwood system has cost me approximately a hundred bucks a year to keep in constant service, and there’s no reason to believe it won’t last another decade or more; but I’ve heard more great movies through its speakers than anything else.  And so it deserves this eulogy.

And leads to these questions, Dear Listener: what piece of home cinema equipment are you most attached to?  And if you had only one more movie to watch on it, what would it be?

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Viewing 5 Comments

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    this video is loud...
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    When I left my last job 4 months ago they bought me a video projector as a leaving present (an Epson emp-tw680). It is not just my favourite piece of home cinema equipment but my favourite present of all time. We now watch films in widescreen projected onto our lounge wall and I just love it. What would I watch one last time? Not the same as you (don't mention the F word) but following your recent discussion it would have to be 2001 - in fact I think I shall watch it this week anyway.
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    Like you, I splurged on a receiver (around the same time actually) - which was my first "major" a/v purchase - a Denon AVR 850. Best purchase I ever made....I didn't even have all 5 speakers yet, which I had to slowly amass over time, but by the time I did have all five in my tiny one bedroom apartment...? Awesome.

    Sadly, after about 10-11 years of faithful service, it died on me. Due to no longer being single, childless, a new homeowner, etc., etc., I was forced to buy a slightly lesser version of that Denon (but still a Denon)....

    I'll have to think about a 'favorite movie' to watch on it....I just loved knowing my upstairs and downstairs neighbors would crumble before the will of my Denon receiver...
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    I have to go along with Tim here, my most beloved bit of kit is my projector. Being passionate about film from about the age of ten (I blame Raiders of the Lost Ark) I could never in my wildest dreams at that age imagine having something close to a cinema experience in my own home. And even later on, as this technology appeared on the market, it was far too expensive for me to buy. So when I finally rounded off the home cinema kit with a projector two years ago, it was close to a dream come true. I still get a kick out of it now.

    Have to think a little about a film - it'd have to be a visual treat of some kind though.
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    Re: "...I watched the recent film that I consider most likely to grow in my affections more than any other; one of the most visually astonishing films that US cinema has produced; an elegant poem about love and mystery, and the ultimate questions; indeed, something close to this generation’s ‘2001′. My genial co-host and I tried to record a show about this film last year, but emotions were high and we decided not to release it upon an unsuspecting public; I fear the Maestro may never enjoy this film, never mind love it. And so I am reluctant to name it..."

    I will of course give it a second chance - have just now added it to my Netflix queue. Perhaps we should do a special show - your 'unnamed' film, (and yes we did record a review of it in which I got so incensed at the thought of it as a quality movie that the show was un-airable, ((imagine the 'Tell No One' ep. x 10))), and the one film I would watch/take to a desert island, (Andrei Rublev).

    As to the equipment - I'll have to have a think.

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