DVD REVIEWS OF NEW RELEASES FILE UNDER 'CLASSICS'.Byline: Rob Lowman Entertainment Editor The best stuff out this week wasn't made in this century. Two classic Katharine Hepburn-Cary Grant comedies plus an Ernst Lubitsch Noun 1. Ernst Lubitsch - German filmmaker of sophisticated comedies (1892-1947) Lubitsch masterpiece top the list. Special remastered editions of George Cukor's ``Philadelphia Story'' (1940) and Howard Hawks' ``Bringing Up Baby'' (1938) are both double discs set with interesting extras. ``Baby'' has commentary by Peter Bogdanovich. Always the raconteur rac·on·teur n. One who tells stories and anecdotes with skill and wit. [French, from raconter, to relate, from Old French : re-, re- + aconter, , the commentary by Bogdanovich, whose own ``What's Up Doc'' was inspired by ``Baby,'' is fun and informative. The second disc has full-length documentaries on Grant narrated by Helen Mirran and Richard Schickel's feature on Hawks. The ``Philadelphia Story'' set has film historian Jeannine Basinger, plus documentaries on Hepburn and Cukor. Interestingly, it was the film's third star - Jimmy Stewart - who took home the Oscar as best actor. ``To Be or Not to Be'' is a perfect example of what was called the Lubitsch touch. The 1942 comic satire lightly but effectively lampooned Hitler and the German war machine. Starring Jack Benny and Carole Lombard, in her final role before she was killed in a plane crash as part of the war effort, ``To Be or Not to Be'' told the story of an acting troupe helping the Allies after the Nazis took over Poland. And while the ``to be or not to be'' line is the movie's joke, another Shakespeare line - ``If you prick us, do we not bleed Printing at the very edge of the paper. Many laser printers, including all LaserJets up to the 11x17" 4V, cannot print to the very edge, leaving a border of approximately 1/4". In commercial printing, bleeding is generally more expensive, because wider paper is often used, which is later ?'' - reminds us of the emotions of the time. I once saw this film on a rainy Christmas Day in Paris at a packed revival house. Though the film was old and scratchy, it was still a perfect gem that got plenty of laughs from a French audience who were reading subtitles sub·ti·tle n. 1. A secondary, usually explanatory title, as of a literary work. 2. A printed translation of the dialogue of a foreign-language film shown at the bottom of the screen. tr.v. . The single disc of the film, out for the first time on DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. , includes a Benny comedy short. Three other comedies are part of this set - Cukor's ``Dinner at Eight'' (1933), ``Libeled Lady'' (1936) and ``Stage Door.'' The set is $68.92, but the discs can be bought separately. ``Philadelphia Story'' and ``Bringing Up Baby'' (Warner; $26.99 each). ``To Be or Not to Be,'' ``Dinner at Eight,'' ``Libeled Lady'' and ``Stage Door'' (Warner; $19.97 each). 'Hoosiers,' 'My Own Private Idaho' Two other special editions of very different films to check out are the inspirational sports movie ``Hoosiers'' (1986) starring Gene Hackman as the fallen college coach in the 1950s who is given a second chance as a high-school coach in Indiana, and ``My Own Private Idaho'' (1991), Gus Van Sant's dark movie about male hustlers, starring Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix. The two-disc ``Hoosiers,'' directed by David Anspaugh David Anspaugh (born on 24 September 1946 in Decatur, Indiana, U.S.) is an American director. Some of his credits include Rudy, The Game of Their Lives and Hoosiers. , includes a couple of features about the true story of the small Indiana school that made a run to the state championship in 1954, commentary by the director and deleted scenes. ``Idaho'' has a conversation with Van Sant SANT South African Native Trust and filmmaker Todd Haynes, a new documentary featuring interviews with key crew members, an interview with film critic Paul Arthur on the adaptation of Shakespeare's ``Henry IV'' in the film and a conversation between producer Laurie Parker and Rain Phoenix. ``Hoosiers Collector's Edition (MGM MGM in full Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. U.S. corporation and film studio. It was formed when the film distributor Marcus Loew, who bought Metro Pictures in 1920, merged it with the Goldwyn production company in 1924 and with Louis B. Mayer Pictures in 1925. ; $29.98). ``My Own Private Idaho - Criterion Collection'' (Criterion; $39.95). 'The SpongeBob SquarePants This article is about the series. For the title character, see SpongeBob SquarePants (character). For other uses, see SpongeBob SquarePants (disambiguation). SpongeBob SquarePants is an Emmy-nominated American animated television series and media franchise. Movie,' 'Flight of the Phoenix,' 'Exorcist: The Beginning' Except for the delightful ``The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie,'' the rest of the new movies this week are forgettable for·get·ta·ble adj. Fit or apt to be forgotten: a movie with very forgettable characters. Adj. 1. forgettable - easily forgotten unforgettable - impossible to forget . Based on the animated Nickelodeon show, ``SpongeBob'' is a silly and innocent romp. The character may not want to grow up, but he's a decent - if weirdly dressed - guy, and what's bad about that? ``Flight of the Phoenix,'' starring Dennis Quaid, is a remake re·make tr.v. re·made , re·mak·ing, re·makes To make again or anew. n. 1. The act of remaking. 2. Something in remade form, especially a new version of an earlier movie or song. of the 1965 Robert Alrich film. I had the dubious task of reviewing the recent theatrical release and gave it one star - mostly bluster amid the sand. The prequel pre·quel n. A literary, dramatic, or cinematic work whose narrative takes place before that of a preexisting work or a sequel. [pre- + (se)quel.] to ``The Exorcist ex·or·cism n. 1. The act, practice, or ceremony of exorcising. 2. A formula used in exorcising. ex  or·cist n. ,'' William Friedkin's
1973 horror classic, ``Exorcist: The Beginning,'' directed by
Renny Harlin, is another ``why did they bother?'' While the
disc has run-of-the-mill extras, Warner missed its chance to make it
more interesting by not including the version of the prequel shot by
director Paul Schrader (``American Gigolo'') that was scrapped
because it wasn't considered scary enough.
``The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie'' (Paramount; $29.95) includes a number of featurettes. ``Flight of the Phoenix'' (Fox; $29.98). ``Exorcist: The Beginning'' (Warner; $27.95) includes commentary and featurettes. TV on DVD The television shows listed here are for those nostalgic for the '60s and '70s. ``Lost in Space - Season 3, Vol. 1'' (Paramount; $39.98). ``The Brady Bunch - The Complete First Season'' (Paramount; $38.99). ``Wonder Woman - The Complete Second Season'' (Warner; $39.98). Rob Lowman, (818) 713-3687 robert.lowman(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) KATHARINE HEPBURN in ``Bringing Up Baby'' (2) ``The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie'' |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion