Blu-ray/DVD/Streaming Reviews & News
Entries from October 2008
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Warner Home Video has released Vol. 2 of the Busby Berkeley Collection in a boxed set containing four titles new to DVD. Here are the details from the official press release.
The
“Buzz†continues when word gets around that Warner Home Video will debut more
musical extravaganzas in the Busby Berkeley Collection Volume 2
on September 16. The collection features four more Berkeley classics which are not only new-to-DVD titles, but are making their long-awaited home
video debut. Included in the collection are Gold Diggers of 1937, Gold Diggers
in Paris,
Hollywood Hotel and Varsity Show. Following in the
dancing footsteps of Warner’s successful 2006 collection, this second spectacular volume from one
of the greatest motion picture choreographers of all time also includes
musical shorts, featurettes and classic cartoons. It’s musical entertainment
magic at its toe-tapping, finger-snapping best by the Oscar® nominated
master.
The 4-disc giftset will sell for $39.92
SRP and the single titles will be
available for $19.97 SRP.
Busby Berkeley
William Berkeley Enos was
born in Los Angeles
on November 29, 1895.
He began his career in the U.S. Army conducting and directing parades and then
staging shows for the soldiers. After returning to civilian life, he became a
stage actor and assistant director for smaller acting troupes. He found his
calling in 1925 when he was forced to take the reins of the Broadway musical
“Holka Polka,†and with his talent for staging lavish and complex dance routines
he soon became one of Broadway’s top dance directors. Samuel Goldwyn brought
him to Hollywood
in 1930 to stage the musical numbers for several Eddie Cantor musicals but his
contribution raised little awareness with audiences or the industry.
Darryl F. Zanuck,
then head of production at Warner Bros., gave “Buzz†his first huge film break
-- directing the musical numbers of Warner’s then newest project, 42nd
Street. The studio took a huge gamble on both the property and Berkeley; but a snappy script and a story that has become
known as the granddaddy of backstage musicals made the film a massive hit, primarily
as a result of the amazing, kaleidoscopic and fascinating choreography Berkeley created for the
end of the film. It wasn’t long before he was given a seven-year contract at
the studio.
Berkeley
went on to work on almost every great Warner musical produced in the ‘30s,
receiving three Oscar® nominations for Best Dance Direction.
Using only one camera, he was fearless about getting just the right shot, even
if it meant drilling holes in roofs and floors to achieve his vision. He
dressed his chorus girls in outlandish costumes -- as coins or musical
instruments or in nothing but wisps of gauzy material. There was no limit to
his imagination.
Many studios tried to
copy Berkeley’s
style but their efforts were pale imitations. There was only one Busby
Berkeley. Although he made his last contribution to cinema more than 40 years
ago, Berkeley
remains an icon in American culture.
(Continue reading for specific details about each film being released.)
Continue reading "WARNER HOME VIDEO RELEASES THE BUSBY BERKELEY COLLECTION VOL. 2"
Although Sony's special edition DVD of Richard Brooks' The Professionals has been on the market for quite some time, I only got around to viewing it recently - and many readers may not even know this edition is available, given the fact it received little fanfare. For my money, this 1966 western ranks with the best of Sergio Leone, John Sturges and John Ford as a genuine classic. The film features the kind of macho cast that today's movie audiences can only dream about. Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan and Woody Strode - all at their super coolest - are guns for hire who are employed by desperate tycoon Ralph Bellamy to plan a daring mission into Mexico to rescue his kidnapped young wife, smolderingly sexy Claudia Cardinale, from notorious bandit Jack Palance. The superb script features some of the wittiest dialogue imaginable as well as some surprising plot twists. Mostly, however, the central pleasure is watching a team of seasoned professionals in the acting profession play seasoned professionals in the mercenary trade. The single disc DVD edition features some enjoyable extras, produced and directed by the ubiquitous Laurent Bouzereau. The extras include informative and fun documentaries that examine the making of the film, a portrait of Burt Lancaster (featuring insightful interviews with his daughter Joanna) and Memories of the Professionals with interviews with Claudia Cardinale, the late cinematographer Conrad Hall and Marie Gomez, who played the sexpot nymphomaniac among the bandito gang. Most of the comments are fairly innocuous and it becomes clear this was a difficult shoot in the physical sense because of the hot terrain, but it was also a highly enjoyable experience. Hall does touch on Brooks' notorious temper and confesses he was almost tempted to quit after being humiliated by the director in a blow-up on the set. Fortunately, he stuck with the film and Hall's glorious widescreen shots are given their due. (Only Maurice Jarre's magnificent title theme and score remain unmentioned by the participants). The featurettes benefit from generous use of rare production stills and fascinating home movies taken on the set. In one of the documentaries, James Bond director Martin Campbell astutely points out that action movies today aren't as good as The Professionals because there is literally no one in the industry today who could be cast in any of the parts with the same satisfying results. Amen to that...- Lee Pfeiffer CLICK HERE TO ORDER DISCOUNTED FROM AMAZON CLICK HERE TO ORDER BLU-RAY VERSION
One of the latest in the line of welcome Fox Noir DVD releases is the early Elia Kazan film Boomerang, released in 1947. The movie stars Dana Andrews in a true-life crime drama centering on the seemingly senseless murder of an elderly beloved pastor in a small Connecticut town that is right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. The case obviously caused a nationwide sensation, proving that the national news media's obsession with local crime stories is not a recent trend. The film depicts the local politicians as spineless, self-centered rival parties who are obsessed with getting a quick solution to the murder -even if it isn't an accurate one. Andrews is the stalwart district attorney who is just as eager to pressure police chief Lee J. Cobb to find a suspect in the case and arrest him. Under severe pressure, Cobb's men seem to find the guilty party: a drifter (Arthur Kennedy) who is identified in a line-up and who has plenty of circumstantial evidence against him. Andrews agrees to prosecute Kennedy and becomes a local hero for getting the messy case headed toward resolution. However, as the trial begins, he has second thoughts and actually argues for the suspect's innocence. The politicians are predictably outraged by this perceived betrayal and this sets the crux of the story, as Andrews tries to uphold his moral compass in the face of threats to end his career.Â
The movie is interesting in its own right, not to mention the significance of it being one of Kazan's earliest works. Yet, it is by no means a classic and even its status as noir is certainly debatable, as Fox seems to be liberally applying that status to anything shot in black and white. Although Andrews makes a stalwart lead, the real pleasure is the supporting cast with gems of performances by the likes of Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, Ed Begley and Arthur Kennedy. Most interesting is the casual brutality of the police during interrogations in the pre-Miranda Rights period. Kennedy's character is sleep-deprived, mentally abused and not even allowed to see an attorney - and this is the treatment being meted out by the good guys. What sets the movie apart from most crime melodramas of its era is the decision to not wrap up every loose end in a tidy bundle. Without giving away crucial storyline information, the screenplay dares to provide an ending that is true-to-life, even if it is somewhat frustrating to the audience. The DVD contains interesting audio commentaries by Alain Silver and James Ursini as well as an original trailer and some production stills and poster gallery.- Lee Pfeiffer CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON
British film critic Peter Bradshaw gives his two pence on Bob Guccione's ambitious but misguided 1979 production of Caligula, saying "Some time capsules are best left undisturbed". The film enlisted such top talents as John Gielgud, Malcolm McDowell and Peter O'Toole, most of whom later disavowed the notion that they realized hardcore sex would be added later. We remain positive about McDowell's manic and terrifying performance, but agree the film itself is an effective birth control device. To read Bradshaw's take click here. To read Cinema Retro's review of the deluxe DVD edition click here.
Controversial filmmaker Michael Moore has released his latest feature film Slacker Uprising as a free download from the web site www.slackeruprising.com. Moore has decided to bypass theatrical venues in the hopes of having the film seen by as many people as possible leading up to the presidential election. However, a DVD edition of the film has also been released at a modest price ($9.95). Why buy the DVD when the download is free? Primarily because of the abundance of out-takes that you can't get with the downloaded version. Moore's decision to forego theatrical distribution was a costly one. His Farenheit 9/11 remains the highest grossing documentary in history and his latest film Sicko, while not nearly as widely seen, still pulled in impressive numbers at the box-office. Slacker Uprising chronicles Moore's cross country tour on behalf of John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign. His primary goal was to meet with young people and motivate them to vote - a tall order, considering the weak turnout on election day generally seen among this age group. Nevertheless, Moore presides over gigantic rallies and is treated like a rock star, despite his trademark pot belly, sagging jeans, unshaven face and omnipresent baseball cap. Moore, one of the most polarizing people in contemporary America, attracts his share of critics. Amidst the crowds, Moore has Republican protesters who attempt to disrupt the rally by waving banners and shouting. He patiently indulges them and disarms them with some wry barbs. (When a group of pro-war religious fanatics grasp hands and chant The Lord's Prayer continuously, Moore brings down the house by calming asking, "Who would Jesus bomb?") The film also features "Man in the Street" interviews with Moore's critics, but of course, they are carefully chosen to accentuate eccentrics. Some criticize the horrors of Farenheit 9/11 but sheepishly admit they haven't seen a minute of the actual movie. Moore's movies generally preach to the choir, but even those at odds with his ideology can admire his methods of activism, which are all peaceful, lawful, orderly and highly organized. He visits 62 different cities on his whirlwind tour, concentrating primarily on college campuses where he personally helps sign up new voters. Ordinarily, it's the province of the political far left to shout down speakers with whom they don't agree, but this film shows there's no lack of bad manners and intolerance among conservatives. Threatened by the huge crowds Moore is drawing, some Republicans demand that he be investigated for bribing young people to vote Democratic. The "bribe" Moore is offering them? A pair of clean underwear and a cup of microwaveable noodles! In more chilling instances, far right forces try to literally ban him from certain campuses, and in one case a prominent local businessman attempts to bribe the student council by offering them $100,000 to cancel Moore's appearance. (He says on camera that he doesn't want his family exposed to any thoughts from outside the community in which they live!). To the student's credit, they refuse. In one case, a school succeeds in banning Moore for a 1400 seat auditorium on campus, so he moves to a center down the street where he draws 14,000 people. Even if you despise Moore's politics, you have to admire his moxy. If you are among the few who can view the film objectively, there are some myths spread by his opponents that are clearly dispelled. Among them: - The U.S. military is lockstep in synch with the Bush administration. In fact, as Moore's movie demonstrates, his rallies are filled with Iraq veterans and their families who give passionate support for his efforts to end the war. In the most moving sequences, family members speak at rallies to lament the loss of their loved ones for what they feel is a futile cost.
- Michael Moore hates America. This is easily dispelled by the fact that Moore speaks passionately about his love for the country and his desire to bring it back to what he feels are strong adherence to the Constitution. Moore spends much of the time praising the U.S. military, leading the audience in standing ovations for veterans and praising former Bush administration officials who quit as a matter of conscience over the direction of the war. When Moore mourns the loss of 1400 dead, you have to wince because the film was shot years ago and you realize that four years later, that toll will have risen by several thousand. The perception that Moore hates America is largely due to his own inability or unwillingness to take at least an occasional potshot at some of the world's worst villains. If you think George Bush is a bad guy, it doesn't mean his enemies aren't a lot worse. In Farenheit 9/11, Moore implied pre-war Iraq was a tranquil place where people led a relatively carefree existence. Nary a word about Saddam's genocidal practices or the suppression of human rights that characterized his regime. In Sicko, he goes over the top by visiting Cuba to demonstrate that their health care benefits are more generous than those found in America's crumbling system. Fair enough - but would any sane person want to live in Castro's police state and drive a 1957 Chevy to the clinic? How many people do you hear about sneaking into Cuba? Had Moore offered even the slightest criticism of these regimes, it would have dismissed much of the criticism leveled against him.
- Moore is blinded by ideology. He's a true political lefty who wears the badge of "liberal" proudly at a time in which everyone else runs from the term. However, you can't argue with his record of predictions. In his first feature film, Roger and Me, Moore warned that greedy and corrupt business tycoons were killing middle class America by outsourcing jobs, skimming profits and backstabbing workers. Do you think you'd find many people this week who would argue the contrary - and this film was made twenty years ago. In Farenheit 9/11, he spoke out against the Iraq War at a time when most people still supported it. He warned that, contrary to what was being fed to the public, this would be a long, drawn out, seemingly endless conflict that would cost thousands of more lives and billions of dollars more. Even if you support the war, you can't argue with the accuracy of his predictions. In Sicko, Moore predicted that America's dubious status as the only industrialized Western nation that doesn't offer at least minimal free health care to its citizens would see an explosive increase in the uninsured. There are approximately 50 million Americans who have no health care and that will grow by millions in the wake of the current financial crisis. So, love him or hate him, you have to take Moore's positions seriously.
Slacker Uprising is consistently amusing and often moving, as it traces Moore's frantic attempts to prevent a second Bush term. He is highly critical of John Kerry (seen here only in brief news footage) because of his insistence on running for office while fighting a "clean campaign". Thus, Kerry mandates that the Democratic convention be virtually absent of any attacks on President Bush - a strategy that backfires weeks later when the Republican convention employs the opposite theory and turns their event into an assault on Kerry's reputation. Moore is determined to "save Kerry from himself" - and the plan almost works. Although Kerry loses the election by virtue of one state (Ohio) swinging to Bush at the last minute, Moore claims satisfaction from the fact that of the 62 cities he held rallies in, 54 voted for Kerry. He also states that the election saw the largest turnout ever of young voters - and this became the one demographic Kerry carried convincingly. Slacker Uprising includes some celebrity appearances in conjunction with Moore's road trip. Among the performers: Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, actor Viggo Mortensen and the seemingly ageless Joan Baez who coerces Moore to sing an acapella version of America, the Beautiful with her. (It's not as bad as it sounds.) The one unwelcome guest is Roseanne Barr, whose obnoxious voice and whining diatribe actually made me feel some sympathy for America's least funny comedian, Tom Arnold, who suffered through being married to her. Extras on the DVD consist of segments that didn't make it into the final cut. Some are superfluous, such as a time-killer in which Moore sings the Canadian national anthem. Others are more amusing: Moore relating to the crowd that the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is so paranoid about his upcoming documentary Sicko that they send out a confidential memo alerting all employees to call a special emergency hotline if Moore approaches them. Moore, who has secured a copy of the memo, makes sure he gives the hotline number out to the crowd. In another segment, Moore reads from the storybook My Pet Goat and reminds the audience that President Bush continued to read the book to grade school children for a full seven minutes even after his chief of staff whispered in his ear "The nation is under attack." Moore's film doesn't pretend to be balanced in any way, but given the fact that the president's approval ratings are now tied with Richard Nixon's at the height of the Watergate scandal, he might find a more receptive welcome among disgruntled Republicans who are willing to give it a try.- Lee Pfeiffer               (To order the DVD edition go to the official web site at www.slackeruprising.com)
Lionsgate has released a most-welcome special edition DVD of the granddaddy of all conspiracy theory movies, Capricorn One. There had been other major conspiracy-based thrillers prior to this, of course, John Frankenheimer's The Manchurian Candidate and Seven Days in May among them. However, Capricorn Onewas the first major release to center on a clearly crackpot theory and present it as a plausible thesis. In this case, the notion is that corrupt NASA executives concoct an audacious plot to fake the first landing on Mars. They gain the co-operation of the three astronauts involved using a combination of appeals to their patriotism coupled with implied threats against their families. As crazy as the scenario sounds, Hal Holbrook, as the plot's mastermind, delivers a speech to the men that makes it sound sensible (they have to have a triumph or public apathy for NASA will result in cancelation of the space program). Things quickly go awry when technical glitches make it appear the capsule was destroyed en route back to earth. In order to maintain the facade, Holbrook has to order the assassination of the astronauts, played by James Brolin, Sam Waterston and O.J. Simpson. The men realize they are expendable and make a daring break for freedom across the desert. Peter Hyams both wrote and directed the thriller that plays far more believably than it may read. In fact, Capricorn One is so well made that it immediately inspired a generation of crackpots to adopt the theory that the moon landing itself was faked, a scenario still popular among conspiracy fanatics.The film boasts an excellent screenplay that deftly interweaves the life-and-death struggle of the astronauts to reach civilization before they can be murdered with the frustrated efforts of disgraced reporter Elliott Gould to expose the outlandish plot to his disbelieving bosses. The film has an abundance of genuine suspense set to Jerry Goldsmith's intense score, one of his best. The performances are all first-rate as well. One remembers that at one time Brolin had real potential as a leading man before a string of poor film choices derailed his career. Similarly, Gould is perfect with his comfortable schlep character managing to outwit those who consistently underestimate him. One wishes his career as a leading man had a longer shelf life. There are also some excellent supporting performances from Brenda Vaccaro, David Huddleston, Karen Black and Telly Savalas in an outrageously hammy but fun cameo turn. Best of all is Hal Holbrook, whose passion for preserving the space program at any cost makes him a sympathetic character even as we loathe the plot he ultimately hatches. It's a superb performance. The DVD includes a new featurette with Hyams discussing the making of the film and assuring us that he doesn't really buy into conspiracy theories -including those he created himself. The documentary is highly enjoyable and Hyams also provides a commentary track. The original trailer is also included. Capricorn One is somehow a more satisfying experience today than it was in 1978 - and any film that boasts a premise of sending O.J. Simpson on a one-way trip into space can't be all bad. - Lee Pfeiffer Click here to order from Amazon.
It is not without dramatic irony that Warner Brothers has released a commemorative DVD edition of one Paul Newman's signature films virtually simultaneously with his death. Newman was already a cinematic icon by 1967 when the movie was released, having played such flawed characters as Fast Eddie Felson in The Hustler and the ultimate cad, Hud Bannon. However, the role of Cool Hand Luke more than any other reflected the non-conformism that was sweeping young people in the mid to late 1960s. Luke is the ultimate loser: a distinguished war veteran who doesn't have the drive or motivation to capitalize on his good looks, charming manner and street smarts. He's content with just getting by another day and considers it a victory to put one over on authority figures. He's destined to be a tragic figure, but at least he's doing so on his own terms and with an omnipresent smile on his face. Cool Hand Luke was one of those famous movies that had eluded me until a few years ago. When I finally caught up with it, I was somewhat disappointed. Perhaps I had heard so much about it, the film couldn't live up to expectations. However, in watching the new DVD edition, I appreciated the many nuances that had escaped me the first time around. The story is simple: Luke is arrested for a petty crime and sentenced to serve time in a horrid prison camp where he is put to work as part of a road gang. His inability to play by the rules makes him a target of the sadistic guards, but an inspiration to his fellow prisoners. Newman is superb throughout, but a very real pleasure is the remarkable cinematography by the great Conrad Hall, who captures cliched scenes in such a poetic manner that each frame becomes a work of art. The film is also very ably directed by Stuart Rosenberg, who never quite got the respect in the industry he deserved. Lalo Schifrin's score is a true winner, though in the accompanying documentary he expresses amusement that a key theme from the film is primarily known to Americans as the opening chords of the daily Eyewitness News broadcasts. A key aspect of the movie is the terrific supporting cast, headed by George Kennedy in his Oscar-winning role as the lovable lunkhead who becomes Luke's Sancho Panza. The cast also boasts Dennis Hopper, Lou Antonio, Joe Don Baker, Harry Dean Stanton, J.D. Cannon, Morgan Woodward, Jo Van Fleet, Clifton James, Anthony Zerbe, Ralph Waite and Wayne Rogers. The best of the lot is the great Strother Martin in his defining role as the brain-dead warden who utters the film's signature line, "What we got here is failure to communicate." The special edition DVD includes audio commentary track by Newman biographer Eric Lax, who provides some wonderful and knowing anecdotes. There is also a commemorative documentary that includes interviews with the late Stuart Rosenberg, Lalo Schifrin, George Kennedy, Lou Antonio, and George Kennedy. (Sadly, Newman was either unwilling or unable to contribute.) The documentary is packed with wonderful anecdotes, making it clear this film was a labor of love for all concerned. Also appearing is Joy Harmon, who made a brief, but legendary appearance as the buxon cocktease who drives the men on the road gang into a sexual frenzy just by washing her car in a skimpy dress. Harmon recalls she was too naive to know the phallic meanings of the various shots she filmed. A theatrical trailer is also included.This special edition of Cool Hand Luke is bittersweet, coming as it does in the wake of Newman's death - but it's a first class tribute to a first class actor.- Lee Pfeiffer CLICK HERE TO ORDER SPECIAL EDITION DVD DISCOUNTED FROM AMAZON CLICK HERE TO ORDER BLU-RAY EDITION
CLICK HERE TO ORDER SPECIAL EDITION FROM AMAZON UK CLICK HERE TO ORDER BLU-RAY EDITION FROM AMAZON UK (For Tom Lisanti's exclusive interview with Joy Harmon regarding her role in Cool Hand Luke, see Cinema Retro issue #10)
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