Past Tense


Another brand new entry! We dive into controversy, Dan Brown style with the documentary - "Secrets Of The Code"...



I can't find squat on this doc. It wasn't released theatrically in America. Have no stats for a budget. Can only guess this was a direct to video release - which means this came out on June 5th, 2007.

Can tell you it streeted against "Highlander: The Search For Vengeance", "Hogan's Heroes: The Sixth & Final Season" and "Meatballs: Special Edition".

No slipcover was issued, nor insert. This retailed for $24.96.

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This is an odd exclusive. But was one.

It got released as an exclusive freebie from Best Buy on May 12th, 2009.



You got this documentary for free if you bought one from select titles on sale that week - and it also came with theater voucher to see "Angels & Demons" for free. It expired on June 30th, 2009. It was sealed on the back of the case with art that mirrored the real back. As you can see above, right.

The titles?

"21", "Across The Universe", "Casino Royale" (2006), "The Covenant", "Hellboy", "House Of The Flying Daggers", "The Other Boleyn Girl", "Premonition", "The Pursuit Of Happiness", "Spider-Man 3", "Vantage Point", "Big Fish", "Spider-Man", "Spider-Man 2", "First Knight", "The Forgotten", "Gridiron Gang", "Marie Antoinette", "Memoirs Of A Geisha", "The Messengers", "The Net", "Philadelphia", "All The King's Men", "Blood And Chocolate", "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon", "The Da Vinci Code", "The Fifth Element", "Les Miserables", "The Mothman Prophecies", "Secret Window", "Seven Years In Tibet" and "Stealth".

That's a mouthful.

I didn't get this when it was out nor when it was an exclusive. I bought my copy, still sealed as Best Buy's promo. Found and bought off eBay for $6.44 (complete, shipping and taxes) on February 28th, 2020. It arrived in early March of that year.

Should be noted that three other titles were part of that offer - but not listed on the sticker; "Larry The Cable Guy: Morning Constitutions", "Fantastic Four: Extended Edition" and "Children Of Men". To be through.

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Rant.

I can understand why there is controversy over the topic, sure. But the basic idea is rather mundane. So what if Jesus had a wife - Mary Magdalene and when it hit the fan she fled with their child to France. Okay. And?

The doc is leveled; you get various religious scholars and experts giving their view on the Dan Brown book which got turned into a movie, "The Da Vinci Code" (2003/2006). It didn't pick a side. Points of view are shown, you decide who the believe.

Okay. That's fair.

I just don't see why it's a big deal. Jesus was human first, son of God second. He ate, burped, pooped and told jokes. C'mon he turned water into wine - you know he could be fun at parties. Personally I don't believe in the supernatural aspect of the tale. I'm an atheist and not one of those insufferable ones. I like Christmas and nativity scenes, they're festive.

For me, Jesus was some pre-hippy dude who was saying things at the time which were unheard of...

Be kind to each other.

Love yourself and your neighbor.

Hate won't make yourself be person.

Help your community as they need it - as you can.

Don't be stealing.

Have conviction on what you know is true.

Basic things, but were extraordinary said back in the day. He made enemies since he challenged the powers that be. I don't view Pontius Pilate as the bad guy. He had better things to do. This was something population would work out. But Jesus made enemies who went over Pilate's head - to Rome and wanted this fellow taken out. His hands were tied.

So events materialized.

What I think happened is his followers wanted the momentum to carry on. How to do it? Make him legendary, the son of God. What was done to keep this message alive got fractured into various denominations. I don't think they were trying to make it complicated, they wanted this philosophy to encourage and inspire others. It just got way out of hand.

Those are my thoughts. Anyhow, it's an even handed documentary narrated by Susan Sarandon.

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Void.

Yeah this is another small entry. Gonna need to bulk this puppy up! But this time out - in a different direction. Indeed.

A couple years back the TV channel, TBD (To Be Discussed) would air documentaries late at night. I'm a night owl. So it was a perfect fit. Saw a lot of good stuff. But there was one particular doc I kept missing; the front and getting to the last half hour or so.

After some time I finally decided to buy it. But discovered it wasn't available in America, United Kingdom only. Okay. I have a region free DVD player. I'll cover that history in a later entry. My original search came on the single disc version... almost bought that. No.

There was a two disc limited edition collection. I want that. Found a seller on eBay in England who would sell it to me. Bought it for $40.25 (total) on February 3rd, 2021 and it arrived on later that month.



I'm speaking of the Michael Caine doc, "My Generation" (2017). This eighty-five minutes production showcases the 1960s, life in England. It's amazing how much archival footage was used. Slices from the decade with a ton of new (audio only, narration) interviews. The Limited Edition is a combo set; DVD and BD in a digipak along with an information booklet (thirty-six pages; introduction by Caine) and four postcards.

My moan is I want this to be longer. Some of the events shown were just touched upon. Needed to be at the very least two hours long. There are no extras on either discs, bare bones. That sucks too, not even the trailer is included.

Man, this was a labor of love by Caine and producers; it took them six years to make - to get the rights to the music they wanted and acquiring footage. The thing is intercut from the present and '60s with Caine... who did various interviews. The man was damn prolific back in the day. Wow.

He narrates and stars in it. Call it, the birth of pop culture in London.

What was such a surprise; learning that international model, Twiggy had a chain of fashion stores around the globe - "Twiggy". Did not know that. Dress like her, that was a thing. This documentary is the closest thing to a time machine. The combo set came out on May 28th, 2018 for £29.99 from Lionsgate. And came with a Digital Copy. Zero regrets.

Excellent stuff. Sway. Wish it was longer with bonus materials. Such as "The Rolling Stones"; last year found on YouTube, footage from a 1960s British music show, "Circus". The band was playing the song "Sympathy For The Devil". Holy crap, Mick Jagger looked high as hell; making weird body movements, contortions. At one point he had sit down since it was sweating like it was nobody business, shirtless. WTF? Plus one of the background players had maracas, so into the music - in the zone. [shake - shake - shake]

There you go. See you back here on July 29th, 2021 for something. Yup something, something. Surprise! Indeed.