The Honeymooners – Classic 39 Episodes Movie Streaming

March 10th, 2010 by jacoby8772857
The Honeymooners - Classic 39 Episodes Movie Streaming. The Honeymooners – Classic 39 Episodes Movie Streaming.

Movie Title: The Honeymooners – Classic 39 Episodes
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The Honeymooners – Classic 39 Episodes is available for streaming or downloading.

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I’m sure that anyone spending the time reading reviews of this Honeymooners Box Set, doesn’t need any reassurance as to the show itself. What more needs to be said about Ralph and the gang? The great 39 episodes never fail to deliver. The Honeymooners remain the prime example of television comedy at it’s zenith. The show, while serving as a wonderful time capsule of it’s era, is astoundingly fresh, having aged beautifully. *********About the Box Set************As I read other reviews here I realize that there is some confusion regarding this set. It almost makes me believe that there is another box set floating around. Anyway, the one I am referring to was just released November 2003…(not sure why even Amazon has it listed as 2000). I see that others are complaining that the shows are not chronologically placed on the discs, but grouped thematically. While that would be a little annoying to me as well, such is NOT the case with the set I purchased…all are in the order that they were originally aired with the airdates given. Another complaint that I’ve seen posted is in regards to the quality of the transfers themselves. Once again, I can’t imagine that these reviewers are seeing the same Box Set as I am. I am a rather picky viewer and try to stay informed…I’ve never seen the show look or sound better. Glorious Black and White. (I will attest to the fact that the episode “TV or Not TV” does not look or sound as good as the rest, probably inherant in the source material…not a biggie though). As far as extras…not much here. The Anniversary special included here is a shortened version and isn’t all that informative or even necessary for that matter. Yes, it would have been nice to have more extras…interviews, commentary, bio’s, etc…, but for the price of this set, you are getting the gold, which is the show itself. I think CBS/Paramount realized that people are becoming wary of large, expensive box sets, and aren’t purchasing them. Case in point…Fox went all out in their release of Mary Tyler Moore Season One. Great packaging, loaded with extras, great transfers. Now they are claiming that it didn’t sell enough to warrant their releasing of any further seasons. So fans are left hanging with a great Box Set of Season One…with no more to come. Ridiculous! ( Fans of that show have started a petition…if interested go to mtmshow.com) ******All in all, since the Honeymooners only had one season filmed, it could have been released with more extras, but with a show of this caliber it certainly stands on it’s own merit. For under $40, to have the complete Honeymooners crisp on clear on DVD…how can you complain?

Having been born 24 years after the initial showing of the Honeymooners, I might not be the target audience that came to mind when this DVD collection was assembled. Funny is funny, however, and these “Classic 39″ episodes of the Honeymooners are the funniest half hours ever shown on television and the greatest situation comedy of all time.

You just don’t see shows like this now. Nothing is this well acted or this well written. And nothing is just this funny. This is a husband and wife struggling to get by and they look like it, too. This “Friends” where the cast lives like millionaires. This isn’t “Fraiser” where they work in some high-profile industry. Ralph drives a bus and Norton works in the sewer (an “underground engineer.”) The Kramdens and Norton are real people and real neighbors.

What made the show work so well was the actors. Jackie Gleason owns the material. He doesn’t even have to say a word to provide a hilarious moment. Just watch him stew, his face contort while listening to his mother-in-law just prior to his famous blabbermouth rant.

Audrey Meadows is perfect. When Gleason sets ‘em up, Meadows’ Alice knocks ‘em down like no one else. Ralph: “The bills will get bigger & bigger, and I’ll get less to eat. Then you know what I’ll look like?” Alice: “Yeah, a human being.” Episode after episode, she deadpans cut down and cut down with deadly accuracy.

Art Carney’s Norton should have his own statue in Washington DC. A terrific actor playing the part perfectly. Like Meadows, Carney has an uncanny chemistry with Gleason. You really can feel the history between the two characters, as if they’ve been best friends for long enough to be close friends and long enough to get on each others nerves all the time.

Likewise, you get the same feeling between Ralph and Alice as well as Norton and Trixie, who — played by Joyce Randolph — is the perfect match for screwball Norton.

And of course, there is every else that made the show so great. Bert Weedemeyer, Mr. Marshall, the Friendly Raccoons and Haaaaaarrrrrvy.

Every episode has one belly laugh moment and at least a half dozen great lines. I’m buying two sets. One for myself and one for my – Brooklyn born and raised – dad for Christmas.

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Stream One Crazy Summer Online

March 9th, 2010 by jacoby8772857
Stream One Crazy Summer Online. Stream One Crazy Summer Online.

Movie Title: One Crazy Summer
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One Crazy Summer is available for streaming or downloading.

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One Crazy Summer is not a serious film; it’s a comedy with a cartoonish style, but it’s a wonderful example of what such an exaggeratedly wacky movie should be. Starting on the foundation of the basic 1980s screwball comedy, it transcends the other B movies of that genre with its characters and its own unique laugh-out-loud moments.

Bobcat Goldthwait in particular steals the show as Egg Stork, but he’s still there to back up the main character Hoops McCann (John Cusack), whose own cartoon creations–the cute and fuzzy bunnies–are determined to thwart his quest to find love. The standard ’80s comedy elements come into play with Cassandra (Demi Moore), who’s trying to save her grandfather’s house from a nasty stereotype villain who wants to build a lobster restaurant in its place. Everything seems to click pretty well in the movie; it doesn’t have any dull spots and the humor stays pretty fresh even at a second and third viewing. It’s become one of my perennial favorites.

There are some especially worthwhile moments, mostly due to Bobcat’s wonderful zaniness. The Godzilla scene alone makes the movie memorable. The cartoons drawn by Cusack’s character appear now and then to illustrate how his search for love is going; those cute and fuzzy bunnies are vicious.

Parents take note: This is family fare; feel free to watch it with your kids. There’s nothing really objectionable in the movie, and Demi stays dressed for a change. It’s plenty funny without being raunchy, which is fairly refreshing. If you like a good top-of-the-line goofy B movie as much as I do, One Crazy Summer belongs in your collection. I can’t wait for it to appear on DVD.

This is the follow up movie by “Savage” Steve Holland to his 1985 movie — “Better Off Dead.” I have to admit that of the two, “Better Off Dead” is the one I like more, but “One Crazy Summer” certainly has it’s moments.

In this film John Cusack plays a newly graduated HS student who never met his folks’ expectations as a basketball player. All he really wants to do is to go to art school. In order to get a break from his folks he takes off with his buddy for a summer on Nantuckett. There he meets up with a young Demi Moore who is trying to find a way to save her granfather’s home. Thus, the set-up.

Cusack is looking for love, but can never seem to find it. Teen trauma if ever there was one. With that all brewing in the background we meet a suite of characters who make the show flow along, and who provide lots and lots of comic relief.

You’ll love the Stork twins and Ack-Ack, and you’ll love to hate Teddy, an incredibly spoiled brat, and Teddy’s equally detestable father.

It’s a good-guy bad guy movie, almost a melodramatic comedy.

Scenes to watch for include: Godzilla invades the tea-party; Cusack at the drive-in with Cookie; and the yacht race.

There’s a lot of silliness in this film, but it’s great fun. A completely enjoyable experience! Pairing this film with “Better Off Dead” would make a great offering for a video party. They are fun and watchable!

4 star films, but with a 5 star punch.

Have fun!

Alan Holyoak

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Irma La Douce Movie Streaming

March 8th, 2010 by jacoby8772857
Irma La Douce Movie Streaming. Irma La Douce Movie Streaming.

Movie Title: Irma La Douce
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Irma La Douce is available for streaming or downloading.

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Billy Wilder’s 1963 adaptation of the successful stage musical IRMA LA DOUCE still makes for an entertaining movie experience. Shirley MacLaine is simply perfect for the title role with Jack Lemmon absolutely hilarious as her comical suitor.

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Irma la Douce (Shirley MacLaine) plies her trade on the Rue Casanova of Paris with her fellow lovelies (with such names as Lolita, Amazon Annie, Mimi the MauMau and Suzette Wong). Into Irma’s life comes the noble and honest policeman Nestor (Jack Lemmon) who is soon kicked off the job because he refuses to take bribes and compromise his own conscience. Nestor goes to live with Irma as her `business manager’ but wants her to give up her profession, so he `invents’ the filthy-rich Lord X to become her sole client, and takes a night-job to help the shortfall. All manner of hilarious complications ensue as Nestor’s double life soon begins to spin out of control!

Based on the successful stage musical (music by Marguerite Monnot, lyrics by Alexandre Breffort), IRMA LA DOUCE was re-tooled by Wilder as a straight comedy piece. It works quite well either way, though I must confess that as an admirer of the stage play, it would have been smashing for Shirley MacLaine to perform that gorgeous score. The movie does retain the jaunty “Dis-donc, Dis-donc” and Andre Previn’s score makes good use out of Monnot’s music, particularly “Our Language of Love”.

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The strong cast also includes Lou Jacobi as the owner of the Bistro Moustache, Bruce Yarnell as Irma’s previous manager Hippolyte and Billy Wilder stalwart Joan Shawlee as Amazon Annie.

The evocative costumes were designed by Orry-Kelly and the unbilled narrator at the beginning of the film is none other than Louis Jourdan. Shirley MacLaine was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance here and the movie itself was one of the year’s top-grossers.

The DVD presents the movie in a nicely-letterboxed 16:9 print. Colours are full and rich and the soundtrack is stridant in 2-channel stereo. The only extra is the original trailer.

Well, we already knew the teaming of Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and director Billy Wilder was magic. Just have a look at “The Apartment” for proof of that. And here they are, together again,putting their wonderful spell on the viewer in the delightfully funny “Irma La Douce”.

“Don’t believe that Paris, is the city that never sleeps”, says the opening narration. At 5:00 in the morning, the only sights and sounds on the streets of Paris are the sanitiation workers. But…not too far from the big city, is another district, and it’s bustling with workers in the meat and fish market, and produce vendors preparing their goods. You will also find find a street lined with cafes and hotels, and the women that work them. They claim their stations, dressed in colorful and slinky garb, with fitting names like “Amazon Annie”, Kikki the Cossack” and “Lolita” , waiting for that one big catch..the one that will set them up for life. They are “pro”fessionals! And there is none more professional than “Irma La Douce”(Aka Irma, the sweet). Dressed in her trademark green stockings, and always toting her little dog(also dressed in green, and a bit of a boozehound), she’s the most sought after pro in the neighborhood. She’s the best!

Everybody wins in this business. The girls turn their money over to their “managers”, the managers bribe the cops, and the cafe owner serves up the drinks and words of wisdom. Everything runs like clockwork. That is until the day, an honest cop is assigned the beat. His first order of business is to make a raid on the girls(costing him his job). He falls big time for Irma though, and must figure out a way to keep her off the streets. And so Voila! …dressed as a rich Englishman, he becomes Irma’s only client, and wears himself out in the process. Watching him keep up the pace, working to pay Irma the big bucks, while trying to keep his identity a secret is as fun now, as it was over 40 years ago.

Jack Lemmon is at his comedic best. He’ll have you grinning all the way through. Shirley MacLaine’s performance of the sweetest and sexist pro ever will have you saying “ooo la la” . You’ll fall in love with Irma immediatley. The screenplay (Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond) is one of the cleverest and wittiest written. The film is nealry 2 and 1/2 hours, and not only does it go by quickly, you will wish there was more.

A wonderful supporting cast includes Lou Jacobi, who plays “Moustache”, the philosophizing bartender, who has been everything from a Lawyer to a Doctor in his past(”But that’s another story…”), Herschel Bernardi, Hope Holiday and Joan Shawlee. The costumes by Orry-Kelly are marvelous, and a score by Andre Previn, completes this great crew.

A classic comedy and a class act..a must have for fans of Wilder, Lemmon and MacLaine.

Merci Beaucoup….enjoy…Laurie

also recommended:

A Couch in New York

Some Like It Hot

Diamonds

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Stream First Love: A HIstoric Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers Movie Online

March 7th, 2010 by jacoby8772857
Stream First Love: A HIstoric Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers Movie Online. Stream First Love: A HIstoric Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers Movie Online.

Movie Title: First Love: A HIstoric Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers
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First Love: A HIstoric Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers is available for streaming or downloading.

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At first this appears to be a documentary of the Jesus Movement of the `60s and `70s. It’s actually a late `90s reunion of 16 bands and artists interspersed with interview and commentary. This set contains 2 DVDs and 2 CDs. The producers have cleverly made the interviews segue in and out between the songs, so that the 2 CDs, which contain all the song performances, are crystal clear and beautifully produced. That means that while you get all 31 songs on the two CDs, you can also watch the performances with interviews on the DVDs. An included 25 page booklet gives bios on the artists.

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Steve Camp and John Fischer offer especially incisive and trenchant observations. Along with reprises of some of the movement’s most memorable songs, there are some killer newer ones, most notably Honeytree’s “Pioneer” from 1990, which longs for airplay. Darrell Mansfield, formerly of Blues Image, is not the first artist to cast Lieber and Stoller’s “Stand By Me” as a gospel song (Johnny Rivers did so on his album “Not a Through Street” for example), but he is equally at home with its blues riffs. Andrae Crouch emerges as a precursor of today’s praise movement. Larry Norman never appears, but Randy Stonehill shows a picture of him and they quote one of his songs. This set dates from before the reconciliation of LN and RS, as reported by John W. Thompson in the May/ June 2003 issue of Christian Musician magazine, and now Larry is rereleasing Randy’s CDs.

Hopefully this set will lead to the CD reissue of great albums like Randy Matthews’ “Son of Dust,” Barry McGuire’s “Lighten Up,” “Love Song” and Darrell Mansfield’s “Higher Power.” I’d love to hear these artists’ rockier cuts, but for now, here’s “First Love.”

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The CDs and DVDs both include these songs:

Love Song: “Welcome Back,” “Two Hands.”

Barry McGuire: “Happy Road,” “Seeds of Love.”

Jamie Owens Collins: “The Victor,” “Seasons of the Soul.”

2nd Chapter of Acts: “Easter Song,” “Which Way the Wind Blows”

Terry Clark: “Let’s Have a Good Time,” “Jesus Mighty Fortress.”

Chuck Girard (of Love Song): “Sometimes Alleluia.”

Annie Herring (of 2nd Chapter): “My Redeemer.”

Keith Green (tribute on the DVD): “There is a Redeemer,”

“O Lord You’re Beautiful,” “Born Again.”

Randy Stonehill: “King of Hearts,” “Abandon Your Heart.”

Darrell Mansfield: “Million Dollar Feeling,” “Stand By Me.”

John Fischer: “All Day Song,” “Jesus Loves Even Me.”

Randy Matthews: “Didn’t He,” “Ti Chape.”

Matthew Ward (from 2nd Chapter): “To the King.”

Paul Clark: “Abide,” “Where Did I Fall Down?”

Honeytree: “Clean Before My Lord,” “Pioneer.”

Andrae Crouch: “I Don’t Know Why (Jesus Loved Me),”

“I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes,” “Bless His Holy Name.”

The Jesus Movement, interesting name coined for that era. Calls to mind that line in the new Narnia movie, “Aslan is on the move.” For those who, like myself, were teenagers who found faith in Him to be a very real and living thing in that time, it was a fitting term for what was happening. The door opened into another world where Jesus wasn’t some distant figure, a “great teacher” saying quaint things. He was as real to you as the shaggy haired guy in jeans with a guitar sitting across from you singing catchy new songs about Him. I lived in Woodbridge, Virginia in those days and we had our own “Jesus Music” version of Woodstock annually in the hills of western Virginia then. It was called “Fishnet.” Among the performers we heard there are some who appear on this video. But this was Woodstock without the recreational drug use and promiscuity. My teen years were good ones, without the confusion and rebellion for rebellions sake that teenagers are supposedly obliged to fall into. Hearing and seeing all these guys again, all together in one place (an unidentified mountain retreat somewhere in southern California) brought it all back. Just a couple of disappointments that prompt me to give it 4 stars rather than 5: The interview with Randy Stonehill in which he speaks of being lead to the Lord by Larry Norman in Larry’s kitchen without once speaking Larry’s name. I knew it was Larry Norman because I had heard this elsewhere. The previous reviewer points out how there was a rift between the two of them from which they recovered in recent days. That’s good. It does put a cloud over the event for me because Larry Norman was a very significant “pioneer”of this new music who I have as much affection for as I do Randy Stonehill and should be a participant in this event (they both wrote moving, powerful songs). Also, it isn’t in the spirit of love that Jesus taught and which is the essence of who and what God is. On the other hand, it brings out that these performers are human and as much in need of mercy and prayer as the rest of us. Additionally, there is a portion with Honeytree singing “Clean Before My Lord” where something appears in the lower right corner of the screen obscuring her guitar fretboard – an issue for me because I brought out my guitar to figure out what she was playing. As it turns out, there was someone else picking out the guitar part for her while she sang (there are brief clips of him playing) and I pretty much figured most of it out anyway.

I heard an interview once with George Harrison of the Beatles speaking of his disappointment with what he saw in San Francisco when he went there at the height of the whole hippie trend in the 60s. He told how he had romantic notions and had anticipated seeing something beautiful there but what he saw was the equivalent to the bowery, just wasted derelicts (or runaways) passing out on the streets. Hippies need not spit on their past though. I think the truth is often in the middle. Neil Young sings of how “there’s a mansion on the hill, peace and love live there still.” There isn’t anything wrong with peace and love. Its just that many end up looking for it in all the wrong places (which made a good country song once). The 60s opened people up to question things and look for something real in the midst of all the empty materialism. A lot of them ended up becoming yuppies later. Some people actually found what they were looking for (a God who isn’t living and relevant isn’t worth the bother). Some of us found it and then let winter return to our hearts and became cold to God again. Seeing all these old gospel singers after watching C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia on the big screen kind of thawed me out a little bit. I’ve got some more thawing out to do though.

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Stream Phantom of the Paradise Online

March 6th, 2010 by jacoby8772857
Stream Phantom of the Paradise Online. Stream Phantom of the Paradise Online.

Movie Title: Phantom of the Paradise
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Phantom of the Paradise is available for streaming or downloading.

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The movie synopsis:

In the 1974 film PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, William Finley stars as Winslow Leach, a very talented composer who is working on a rock opera based on FAUST. Pop composer Paul Williams plays Swan, an aloof and mysterious record producer who has made the careers of many popular rock musicians. [For the youngsters reading this, a record is, like, an antique version of a music CD.] Swan has built the Paradise, a massive enclosed amphitheater that will be used to showcase the many bands and musicians under his auspices, but he wants to find new material and new talent for the extravagant gala he is planning for opening night. Enter Winslow–who wants Swan to consider his FAUST material for the Paradise grand-opening–and an attractive and talented young female singer named Phoenix (played by the cute Jessica Harper, here in her film debut). While waiting to audition for Swan, Winslow and Phoenix meet and…well, it’s love at first sight. Unbeknownst to the two lovebirds, though, is their imminent appointment with destiny–and with the evil Swan. Swan indeed wants Winslow’s music for the theater debut, but he wants to present it as his own work, and with knowledge of the feelings that the composer and singer have for each other, he uses Phoenix as leverage to manipulate Winslow like marionette.

So Swan steals Winslow’s work, then arranges for Winslow to get arrested on a bogus drug-possession charge. In prison, Winslow learns of Swan’s manipulation, which spurs him to escape and, soon after, to break into Swan’s record factory and destroy the machines cranking out recordings of his stolen music. However, in a freak accident, Winslow’s head gets caught in a hot record press and his face is thereby mutilated. He flees from the scene and finds his way to the Paradise, where he swipes a really cool costume, sets up house, and then starts lurking around incognito. When he begins causing mayhem and thwarting the efforts of Swan and his theater staff, Winslow is dubbed The Phantom of the Paradise. And now the real fun begins….

He’s been beaten, mutilated, maimed, and framed, but he’s not gonna let Swan keep him from his music or from the woman he loves.

The review:

On the surface, Brian De Palma’s excellent PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE may seem like little more than a send-up of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, but it is much more complex than that. It is actually a very hip, very surreal satire of the depravity and decadence in the rock-and-roll music industry of the 1970s–specifically the two sub-genres known as Concept Rock and Glitter Rock–as well as a humorous yet affectionate homage to several classic horror stories and movies such as PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, PSYCHO, FRANKENSTEIN, FAUST, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and many others.

De Palma’s directing style for this film is sometimes very unique and inventive (of course, it doesn’t hurt that he is directing his own material). Especially nice is his effective use of the split-screen technique in a few key scenes, and the frenetic cuts and camera angles he uses for some scenes–especially the musical performances inside the Paradise–convey the genuine atmosphere of a 1970s-era rock concert.

The sets are outrageously exaggerated in layout and color, especially the set for the inside of the Paradise theater. In many ways, the overall look of the movie harkens back to the silent German Expressionist films, specifically METROPOLIS and THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI. That isn’t to say that it looks too old-fashioned. Indeed, the bright sets, surreal costumes, and extravagant staging are all honest reflections of the performances and ostensibly flamboyant lifestyles of the 1970s rock artists like Glitter Rock’s Alice Cooper or David Bowie and the Concept-Rock band Jethro Tull. By the way, those aforementioned sets were designed and dressed by Sissy Spacek, who a few years later would start on the road to greater fame playing the title role in the horror film CARRIE (1976).

The acting in PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE is also outstanding. Paul Williams exudes a perfect air of smarminess as the evil music impresario, Swan. In real life, Williams has composed and produced many successful pop songs for groups like The Carpenters and Three Dog Night, and this inside knowledge of the music industry only adds to the realism of his performance. Incidentally, Williams also wrote or co-wrote the music and score for PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE.

As Winslow Leach, William Finley creates a very convincing naive and nerdy musician (as well as a naive and nerdy Phantom!), and pretty Jessica Harper does a fine job in her debut role as an up-and-coming singer and dancer (the object of Winslow’s love). But it is the over-the-top performance of Gerrit Graham that really steals the show. Graham plays Beef, a Glitter-Rock singer whose stage persona is that of a big, tough-and-buff Frankenstein’s-monster type. Off stage, however, Beef is a stereotypical homosexual queen, and Graham really chews the scenery as he plays the character to great humorous effect. Don’t get the idea that Graham is merely poking fun at homosexuals, though; he is really satirizing the misconception, especially prevalent in the 1970s, that all Glitter-Rock artists are gay. (One of the best and funniest scenes in the film is a takeoff on the shower scene from PSYCHO, with Graham’s Beef replacing the Janet Leigh character and Finley’s Phantom filling in for Norman Bates.)

PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE is one of those nearly forgotten gems that is a must-see for horror fans and admirers of director De Palma.

The DVD from Twentieth Century Fox offers a nice anamorphic widescreen transfer of the film, but little by way of extras (in fact, the theatrical trailer only). However, it is very reasonably priced, so fans of horror & satire have no excuse for not adding this film to their collections.

Talk about a strange brew… a mixture of horror, comedy, rock music, unrequited love and fantasy. A songwriter’s music is stollen by a promoter (Paul Williams) who has the writer thown in jail, beaten and almost killed. The songwriter returns as the “phantom” and haunts the rock palace of the promoter.
It’s hard to recommend this movie to someone. If they like the music, they may hate the horror elements, or visa versa. But if you’re a child of the seventies, this will probably appeal to you.

First off: the music is excellent. It was written by Paul Williams, who also sings some of the songs. It was nominated for an Academy Award (it is also available on CD).
Next: If you like Brian Depalma, with his split screens, mood lighting and quick cuts, it’s all here.
Also: Jessica Harper, in her film debut as the love interest, is great, and she does her own singing. Gerrit Graham is absolutely hysterical as “Beef” the glam rock KISS wannabe.

A truely strange film that will appeal to the more adventurous, but if you like a happy ending, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

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Alfred Hitchcock – The Masterpiece Collection Streaming

March 6th, 2010 by jacoby8772857
Alfred Hitchcock - The Masterpiece Collection Streaming. Alfred Hitchcock – The Masterpiece Collection Streaming.

Movie Title: Alfred Hitchcock – The Masterpiece Collection
Average customer review:

Alfred Hitchcock – The Masterpiece Collection is available for streaming or downloading.

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There are both pros and cons to this remastered/rereleased Hitchcock boxed set. The pros are that all have been remastered (all of them were anamorphic despite what other reviews have stated except for the first edition of “Vertigo” on DVD–read the boxes of the original releases or better yet watch them)and the remastering job has resulted in colors being bolder in many cases (Do a comparison as I did)with images being crisper and with slightly better resolution. There is an exception to this–”The Man Who Knew Too Much” actually looks worse than the previous release. While colors are good the image clarity and detail are off. I’m not exactly sure what happened here but it must have been during the Telecine transfer process from film to video (and then DVD). This is based on a head-to-head comparison with the other edition of the film and isn’t based on a bad DVD. Instead, it’s related to the transfer not being quite as good for this new updated version. So if “Man” is one of your favorites I’d advise you to keep the previous DVD. Also, there’s no paper inserts with chapter stops listed as on previous editions. Also, a couple of films didn’t have a huge difference but they were still noticeable for the most part.

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The DVDs are housed four to a DVD “book” with two on each side one on top of the other. I know what you’re thinking–they’ll get scratched–but I didn’t notice any potential for that. Still, you’ll need to be careful taking them out and putting them in and these holders are not as secure as the individual keep cases. Each cover is decorated with images from the original posters for each movie overlapping each other.

Extras are exactly the same as the original releases for each disc. “The Making of Psycho” and “All About ‘The Birds’” which were on the original discs themselves have been relocated to the bonus discs. There’s also three new bonuses included. The first is a 15 minute excerpt from the AFI tribute focusing primarily on Hitch’s droll comments when he accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award. I’ve long wanted to have this on DVD but do wish that Universal had licensed the entire AFI tribute as it was a charming and worthwhile evening. The second extra is a 30 minute interview featuring Pia Lindstrom and William K. Everson and is a vintage videotape interview with Hitchcock from the 70’s. It’s quite a revealing interview with Hitchcock charming the hosts as usual. He discusses quite frankly his likes (pre-production) and dislikes (method actors like Montgomery Clift). The third bonus is a 36 page booklet that, like the booklet that came with “Jaws”, is hardly essential. It does include credits for each movie, some photos and brief comments about each film. It’ll be something you might look at once or twice.

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The box itself has a crushed velvet exterior and is quite attractive. The cover has a door that slides into the box to access the movies. So the pros are better transfers for most of the films. If you don’t have all of Hitch’s movies on DVD yet, this is a great deal. The new extras aren’t worth the price of admission if you don’t already have all of these and while they look better, the difference may not be all that striking to you. With the release of Hitch’s TV show and other new stuff coming out, it’s a matter of spending where one can.

I gave this set 4 stars for two reasons; 1) There are a number of so-so Hitchcock films in this set (”Torn Curtain”, “Topaz”, “Marnie” which is one that, despite Robin Wood’s absurd arguments to the contrary, I find to be substandard Hitchcock and the enjoyable but light “Family Plot”). 2)”The Man Who Knew Too Much” should look BETTER than the previous edition but, in fact, looks a bit worse for the wear with less clarity and definition. 3)While we do some some new extras they are slim pickings. I would have loved to get more commentary tracks on these classic films from Hilton Green (Assistant Director on “Psycho” and a number of Hitch’s TV episodes), Bruce Dern or Karen Black (on “Family Plot”) and others on the important films.

Some of Hitch’s finest films are here “Vertigo”, “Rear Window”, “The Man Who Knew Too Much”, “The Trouble With Harry” (an acquired taste), “Psycho”, “Shadow of a Doubt”, “Sabotage”, “Frenzy”, etc but also some of his weaker thrillers as well. It’s a good concise and inexpensive way to get them all.

O.K., I have the box set in my hands, and although I have not watched every movie I have scanned them all in order to write the review. I am not reviewing the movies themselves, just trying to clear up some of the confusion that seems to be surrounding this release.

First, the technical info is as follows:

The Birds, Marnie, The Trouble with Harry, Topaz, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Torn Curtain, Frenzy, and Family Plot are all Dolby 2.0, 1.85 Widescreen, Color.

Vertigo is Dolby 5.1, 1.85 Widescreen, Color

Rope, Shadow of a Doubt and The Bonus Disc are Dolby 2.0, 1.33 Full Frame, Color.

Rear Window is Dolby 2.0, 1.66 Widescreen, Color.

Psycho is Dolby 2.0, 1.85 Widescreen, B&W.

Saboteur is Dolby 2.0, 1.33 Full Frame, B&W

I actually thought the velvet box was rather nice, and I didn’t mind the four discs to a sleeve. The booklet is very nice, printed with lots of color on heavy stock and includes trivia and facts on each movie.

I read a review that said one of the films didn’t look as good as the others, so when I scanned them I tried to pay particular attention to the picture quality. I found all of the movies to be crisp and clean, so I would suggest maybe there was a bad disc in his box set (?).

My only negative is that only Vertigo is remastered in Dolby 5.1. I just don’t understand digitally remastering the films and not the soundtrack.

However, the amount of brilliant filmmaking included in this collection is almost overwhelming. Every film is a treasure, and it’s filmmaking that has rarely been equaled, let alone surpassed.

Look, everyone is always going to have something to complain about (didn’t like the package, the sleeves, hasn’t done justice to the master), even myself with the soundtrack issue, but Universal has put together a 15 disc package of great films for $84.00. What’s that…$5.60 a disc?

If you are on the fence on this one, just click “add to cart” and go to checkout. This is the deal of a lifetime.

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Streaming Spartan Online

March 5th, 2010 by jacoby8772857
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Movie Title: Spartan
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I like David Mamet’s screenwriting a lot, and his direction is good too. While this movie isn’t his absolutely top-drawer material (_House of Games_, _Spanish Prisoner_), it’s still way better than the usual run of ‘political thrillers’.

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If you know who Mamet is, you already know that his dialogue is lean, focused, and idiosyncratic to the point of surreality. You also know to expect a plot consisting of one mind-bending twist after another. This movie will meet your expectations.

It probably won’t exceed them; as political films go, this isn’t quite up to _Wag the Dog_ (another of Mamet’s best screenplays). Its plot is actually — for Mamet — pretty straightforward: Laura Newton, the president’s daughter, has disappeared, and super-duper Black Ops guy ‘Scott’ (Val Kilmer) is going to get her back.

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By the time we’re through we’ve been cycled through quite a bit of ruthlessness, cynicism, and unflattering revelations about political ambition. The direction is extraordinarily good — and, for what it’s worth, the deaths (of which there are many) are eerily realistic, not yer usual Hollywood screaming-bullets-and-exploding-cars BS. The ensemble cast is wonderful (particularly Kilmer).

But we don’t really visit any new territory. For my taste there are a few too many cliches here — which would be somewhat more acceptable if they were at least Mamet’s _own_ cliches, but some of these are Tom Clancy’s.

Nonetheless it’s all handled deftly and intelligently, and it’s miles above the usual run of political thrillers. I’m giving this one four stars by comparison with Mamet’s other films, but compared to everything else it’s a five-star movie.

Director David Mamet has created a little gem of a movie. It is not flashy, it does not rely on towering effects or an outrageous amount of violence to get its point across. Instead, Spartan is a thriller that allows the viewer to utilize his or her mind in order to make the connections between the movies shadowy and alluring plot points. Many mysteries come up all throughout the movie, and it takes quite the amateur detective to figure them out. Luckily, the mystique of the movie is a great aid to the entertainment value, as one is quickly drawn into the gloomy and gritty cutthroat world that Spartan takes place in.

Val Kilmer, who delivers a riveting performance as a coldly mechanical Special Forces officer, is part of a super secret covert operations force known as “The Cadre”. Kilmer is removed from his job as a training officer to undertake a highly sensitive operation. The President’s daughter, a glamourous college student, has been kidnaped, and the race is on to find her before it hits the press. Kilmer is a man used to getting results, so he begins a violent rampage through the criminal network that seems to have taken the girl hostage. Through any means necessary, Kilmer soon discovers a fiendish sex slavery ring that procures young girls for overseas clients. Just as Kilmer is about to close the deal and rescue the first daughter, dark political forces way over his head step in. Kilmer realizes that some, for their own unknown motives, would prefer the first daughter stay lost, forcing him to make a difficult decision. He is just a gunman, a well trained killing machine, dynamic thought has not be allowed to him. Should he follow orders he knows are morally wrong, or go renegade and investigate for himself? Kilmer, a man of honor, makes a decision that will effect the lives of many, especially his own. He is the singular Spartan, sent to settle a military problem by himself.

The atmosphere of Spartan is the most potent aspect of the movie. It is constantly dark and shadowy, a world besmirched by brutal villains and nefarious political operatives. The shroud is only broken by the figure of Kilmer, who is a monotone but intriguing force of righteous nature, as he tears through this world of lies with a 9mm pistol and a sharp brain. The plot is well paced, slowly revealing strands of truth at appropriate points. I felt the supporting cast was a little sparse in their effect, as the normally wonderful William H. Macy is relegated to a very small part. Also, the ending, which was effectively disturbing, also struck me as ridiculous in a sense, but that is up to you to decide. Numerous cliches and unconvincing coincidences pop up, but they do not take away from the overall quality of the film. A very cerebral and fascinating thriller.

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Streaming Haxan Online

March 3rd, 2010 by jacoby8772857
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Movie Title: Haxan
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I have just finished watching the new Criterion dvd of Haxan and I couldn’t be more pleased! I have never seen this film, but thought I would try it out, as I have always had a fascination with the grotesque, mysticism, and the occult. Haxan delivers in spades.

This 1922 Danish silent film about black magic, witches, satanism, and the persecution of said subjects during the middle-ages, which attempts to make a connection between the ancient phenomena and the modern study of hysteria (modern in 1922), has been wonderfully presented by The Criterion Collection in their new dvd. This new Criterion dvd has the original 104 min. version with a newly recorded 5.0 soundtrack orchestrated from archival documentation, and the 76 min. version released in 1967, which has narration by legendary counter-culture icon William S. Burroughs.

Watching the original version, I found it full of great imagery and fine silent acting. Emotions and actions are superbly conveyed by the actors, and the sets, costumes, lighting, and effects are all wonderfully done. I especially like the interrogation chamber and the Sabbath scenes, which display lots of good props and much deviltry with rather convincing special effects and make-up. The movie is structured in seven chapters, the first giving a historical account of witchcraft’s origins in literature and illustrations. We then are presented with drama plays, having to do with the practice of witches, and the persecution, trying, and torturing of said witches. We are also presented with several instances of the devil manifesting and making demands on his minions. In the end, Christensen attempts to make a correlation between the acts, mannerisms, and various disfigurements anciently attributed to witches and their craft, and the modern affects of hysteria. This is apparently the most criticized part of the film, as mentioned in the commentary, and while it certainly is not as strong as the period dramas, I think it does a good job of raising valid questions, and does work with the film quite well.

As for the quality of the transfer… with the exception of element specs throughout, and just a few scenes marred by scrapes, the print is very clean and clear. I thought it looked great. True, the print could have been cleaned up a bit more as far as the specs go, but not every film Criterion does will get the star treatment given Akira Kuroswa’s “Seven Samurai”. So long as contrast is good, and edges are well defined, I’m usually a happy camper, and this transfer delivers.

The new score was arranged by film music specialist Gillian Anderson who attempted to recreate the music presented at the film’s Danish premiere as best as possible by referencing the list of musical cues printed in the theater’s weekly program notes. It includes works from Franz Schubert, Richard Wagner, Max Bruch, W.A. Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Christoph Gluck, and Ludwig Van Beethovan, as well as others. Anderson conducted the Czech Film Orchestra in June 2001. The score does an incredible job of accompanying the film, sounds wonderful, and is is presented in 5.0 Dolby Digital.

There is a knock-out commentary here. Narrated by Danish silent film scholar Caspar Tybjerg, the commentary centers on the director Benjamin Christensen’s life in film, the Danish silent film industry, origin of the documentary film genre, technical aspects of Haxan, the cast of Haxan, historical aspects of the study of hysteria in psychology circles, the origins of the devil as a character in media, and of course, the phenomena of witchcraft and witch hunting. References are made to Nosferatu, Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the German Expressionist movement, The Passion of Joan of Arc, The Seventh Seal, Sigmund Freud… the list goes on and on. While there is an incredible amount of information presented here, with bibliographic references even, Tybjerg does an excellent job of tying it all together and presenting the relevance of the material to the film. This was a very engaging look at Christensen, his film, and the sociological atmosphere both during the middle-ages, and during the time of Haxan’s production.

As for the 1967 version narrated by William S. Burroughs, “Witchcraft Through The Ages”… I must say that I have not sat through the whole thing. In fact, I just watched the first two segments before finally succumbing to sleep (I have, gladly, spent a LOT of time with this dvd, but have to sleep sometime). My first impression is, while Burroughs is always so interestingly droning yet intense in the same breath, the jazz score was just plain ridiculous, in the presentation of Haxan anyway. The producer composed a jazz score for the film, which by itself, is some very hip music indeed, but it was just terribly out of place in the film. I’m sure the production was aiming to enhance drug trips rather than present the film itself. With Burroughs involvement, I don’t think I’m too far of base in this. I’ll have to give it another go when I’ve had some sleep, so I can watch the whole thing, but I doubt I’ll be changing my mind. The jazz score is just too out of place, and as Christensen has often said, dialogue would ruin Haxan, as well as several silent films. After witnessing this 1967 version, I must agree with the director.

For avid students of special effects, I would make an evening of it with Haxan, as well as Jean Cocteau’s “Beauty and the Beast”, and “Der Golum”, found on Elite’s “Masterworks of the German Horror Cinema” dvd set. Much mysticism, magic and enchantment abound in these films, and state-of-the-art at-the-time special effects to boot.

I am extremely happy with this dvd, and highly recommend it to anyone who is into the study of classic film or anyone who is interested in the occult, whether solely for entertainment or as a study of sociological phenomena.

One of the most famous cult/horror films from the silent era, Benjamin Christensen’s “Häxan” is at its devilish best on this EXCELLENT DVD release by the great folks at the Criterion Collection. Say good-bye to those murky, washed out video prints we’ve all had to put up with, and say hello to a nearly flawless print of the film wonderfully transfered to the disc. The images are so crisp and clear, many of the scenes look as if they could have been filmed yesterday. The clarity also allows for you to see much more of the detail in each frame. Also lending to the beautiful images is accurate tinting and correct “projection” speed. Also included is a terrific musical score which has been reconstructed from the actual music that accompanied the original 1922 release in Denmark.

Extras include movie outtakes, production stills, audio commentary, and the 1960’s version of the film with William S. Burroughs narrating.

The bottom line: this is far and away the best version of “Häxan” you will find anywhere, and belongs in the collection of any silent film buff.

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Watch BROTHER MINISTER-ASSASSINATION OF MALCOLM X Online

March 2nd, 2010 by jacoby8772857
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Movie Title: BROTHER MINISTER-ASSASSINATION OF MALCOLM X
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Let us be clear about one thing from the start, whatever contradictions Malcolm X’s brand of black nationalism entailed, whatever shortcomings he had as an emerging political leader, whatever mistakes he made along the way as he groped for a solution to the seemingly intractable fight for black freedom he stood, and continues to stand, head and shoulders above any black leader thrown up in America in the 20th century. Only Frederick Douglass in the 19th century compares with him in stature.

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No attempts by latter-day historians or politicians to assimilate Malcolm along with other leaders of the civil rights struggle in this country, notably Dr. Martin Luther King, as part of the same continuum of leadership are false and dishonest to all parties. That proposition is at least implied in this well-done documentary about the trials and tribulations of Malcolm X concerning a possible alliance with those reformist forces and mars what is otherwise a very good visual introduction to this charismatic man to new generations of those sympathetic to the real black liberation struggle.

Malcolm X, as a minister of the Black Muslims and after his break from that organization, stood in opposition to the official liberal non-violence strategy of that reformist leadership. His term “Uncle Toms” fully applies to their stance. And, in turn, that liberal black misleadership and its various hangers-on in the liberal establishment hated him when he spoke the truth about their role in white-controlled bourgeois Democratic Party politics. The “chickens were coming home to roost”, indeed!

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The other axis of this film- who killed Malcolm, including the possibility that the infamous Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam was involved gets a full workout here. Although some of the `talking heads’ that populate such documentaries as this one have some very interesting things to say about the role of the FBI and its COINTELPRO programs against blacks and other radicals in the 1960’s (and now), Nation of Islam’s military arm- The Fruit of Islam and `turf’ wars none of this is central to the meaning of Malcolm’s life. Moreover, for this commentary I do not want to dwell on those aspects of this documentary

That said, who was Malcolm X? Or more properly what did he represent in his time. At one level, given the rudiments of his life story which are detailed in the Autobiography of Malcolm X and visually here, he represented that part of the black experience (an experience not only limited to blacks in immigrant America) which pulled itself by the bootstraps and turned away from the lumpen milieu of gangs, crimes and prisons into what I call `street’ intellectuals. That experience is far removed from the experience of what today passes for the black intelligentsia, who have run away from the turmoil of the streets. Barack Obama is only the most visible example of that flight. In liberation struggles both `street’ and academic intellectuals are necessary but the `street’ intellectual is perhaps more critical as the transmission belt to the masses. That is how liberation fighters get a hearing and no other way. In any case I have always been partial to the `streets’.

But what is the message for the way forward? For Malcolm, until shortly before his death, that message was black separatism-the idea that the only way blacks could get any retribution was to go off on their own (or be left alone), in practical terms to form their own nation. To state the question that way in modern America points to the obvious limitation of such a scheme, even if blacks formed such a nation and wanted to express the right to national self-determination that goes with it. Nevertheless whatever personal changes Malcolm made in his quest for political relevance and understanding whether he was a Black Muslim minister or after he broke for that group he still sought political direction through the fight of what is called today `people of color’ against the mainly white oppressor, at first in America and latter after travels throughout the `third world’.

However sincere he was in that belief, and he was sincere, that strategy of black separatism or `third world’ vanguardism could never lead to the black freedom he so fervently desired. An underestimation of the power of internally unchallenged world, and in the first instance American, imperialism to corrupt liberation struggles or defeat or destroy them militarily never seemed to enter into his calculations.

Malcolm’s whole life story of struggle against the bedrock of white racism in America, as the legitimate and at the time the ONLY voice speaking for the rage of the black ghettos, nevertheless never worked out fully any other strategy that could work in America, and by extension internationally. A close reading of his work demonstrates that as he got more politically aware he saw the then unfolding `third world’ liberations struggles as the key to black liberation in America. That, unfortunately for him, was exactly backwards. If the `third world’ struggles were ever ultimately to be successful and create more just societies then American imperialism-as the main enemy of the peoples of the world-then, as now had to be brought to bay. And that, my friends, whether you agree or not, requires class struggle here.

That is where the fight for black liberation intersects the fight for socialism. And I will state until my last breathe that the key to the fight for socialism in America will be the cohesion of a central black cadre leading a multiethnic organization that will bring that home. And it will not be from the lips of the Martin Luther Kings of today that the struggle will be successful but by new more enlightened Malcolms, learning the lessons of history, who will get what they need-by any means necessary.

This fascinating DVD deals with Malcolm X’s assassination and the role of both the Nation of Islam and the FBI in this. Min. Farrakhan’s remarks against Malcolm (which he later regretted) earlier in the DVD are indeed shocking, and the recollections of Malcolm’s old friends such as Brother Benjamin, historian John Henrik Clarke (shortly before his death) and Charles Kenyatta add a warm, human touch to the proceedings. Very educational for those interested in Malcolm and his effect on people.

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Stream Everyone’s Hero Online

March 1st, 2010 by jacoby8772857
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Movie Title: Everyone’s Hero
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“Everyone’s Hero” is a wonderful tale about a young boy whose father is fired from his job at Yankee Stadium when Babe Ruth’s bat is stolen on his watch. The boy knows who stole the bat and sets out to reclaim it for the Babe and to save his father’s much needed job. The young boy, Yankee Irving, is a huge dreamer, who hopes to one day play for the Yankees. He picks up quite a friend in Screwie (Rob Reiner), a Major League foul ball who hesitantly agrees to help Yankee recover the bat as long as the boy promises to leave him to rot in the sandlot where Yankee found him.

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Yankee meets quite a motley crew on his travels from New York to Chicago. He runs into some kind-hearted hobos, a young girl named Marti (Raven), who gets him in touch with her father, Rooster Brewster of the Negro League, who’s team just happens to be headed to Chicago. He also runs into the villainous Lefty Maginnis (William H. Macy), a washed out pitcher who thinks that by stealing Babe’s bat, Darlin’, he can save his job with the Chicago Cubs and win the World Series.

The story moves at a wonderful pace and holds the attention of both children and adults. My daughter went crazy when Screwie and Darlin’ went at each other, and the antics of Lefty had everyone laughing. It features an all-star cast including those aforementioned and Robert Wagner, Whoopi Goldberg, Mandy Patinkin, and Brian Dennehy as Babe Ruth. Joe Torre plays the manager of the Yanks and Dana Reeve plays Yankee’s mom. Of course, Reeve and her husband, Christopher Reeve (who initially directed this film), both passed away before seeing this film come to life on the screen. They should both be proud of their work done on this film.

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If you love baseball, strong family bonds, slapstick comedy, or nostalgia, I highly recommend you see this film. Rest assured that you don’t have to be a sports fan to enjoy this film, but for those of us who do, it’s nice to see not only the Babe get some screen time, but Lou Gehrig as well.

A highly recommend, future classic, family film.

EVERYONE’S HERO is a charming, heartwarming, and delightful animated film about a young boy who loves baseball and leaves home to help his hero, Babe Ruth, and save his dad’s job. The film includes an impressive cast of talented voice actors: Brian Dennehy, Whoopi Goldberg, Jake Austin, William H. Macy, Richard Kind, Mandy Patinkin, Rob Reiner, Raven-Symone, Robert Wagner, and even Joe Torre as the Yankee’s Manager.

The year is 1932. “Yankee” Irving (Jake Austin) is a ten-year-old boy who lives in New York and loves baseball, but no matter how hard he tries he always ends up striking out and falling down. Yankee becomes frustrated and almost gives up until he finds a talking baseball (Rob Reiner). He names the ball Screwie and Screwie becomes Yankee’s companion and, on a different level, a part of his conscious. Yankee’s dad works at Yankee Stadium. The Yankee’s are beating the Chicago Cubs in the World Series and the Cubs’ owner (Robert Wagner) hatches a plan to have his dirtiest player, Lefty Maginnis (William H. Macy), steal Babe Ruth’s bat, Darlin’ (Whoopi Goldberg). Lefty runs into Yankee before he steals Darlin’. When Yankee’s father is fired because of the missing bat, Yankee realizes what has happened and sets out to get Darlin’ back and return her to the Babe. The journey takes Yankee from NewYork to Chicago. Along the way he meets some friendly hobos (actually most hobos in that period were friendly) and has an encounter with some baseball players in the Negro Leagues.

The movie vividly recreates the images of the early 1930s and the colorful palette is quite pleasing. At the film’s heart is a message of determination and perseverance, even when the odds are stacked against a person. Tied to that message is an affection and love for baseball as well as a nod to the injustice of poverty and racism.

There are some inaccuracies with the historical basis of the film. For instance, the Yankees did play the Cubs in the 1932 World Series, but the series only lasted four games, not seven. Yet, where the film veers from history for dramatic effect, it makes up for it in other areas, such as the details in the uniforms of the Cincinnati Tigers’ Negro League team. Some might be confused by the lack of specific style in EVERYONE’S HERO: at times the film looks like a sophisticated piece of animation that is almost Pixar-worthy, while there are other times the film veers into antics similar to the hijinxes of the Road Runner, Wylie Coyote, Bugs Bunny, and other Warner Brother characters. Personally, I enjoyed this uneven-style because it grounded the film in reality, while reminding viewers it’s just a cartoon.

I thoroughly enjoyed EVERYONE’S HERO. It’s a great animated baseball picture with important and strong messages about determination and the importance of family. The film brings recognition to forgotten elements of American history, e.g. the Negro Leagues and hobos. It’s a film full of promise and hope. It is also the last project Christopher Reeve worked on before his death and for film buffs the movie is worth watching for that fact alone. But like many of the films Reeve made, EVERYONE’S HERO appeals to a much broader audience, not just children and baseball fans. It’s a movie that calls out to the hero in everyone.

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