*** DVD CORNER ***

[Brandon Burke]

just watched this last week. best thing i've seen in years...

[BERIGAN]

Man, they will put ANYTHING out on DVD!

Well, in Canada at least, it isn't for sale in the U.S. version of Amazon right now.

Actually, watching it on Showtime in the early 80's, I remember it being pretty funny. But then again, I was 13. And since they felt compelled to have many topless women(it was cable after all) that might have made it seem like a even more of a quality show! Whatever happened to John Byner, anyway?

[BruceH]

Just saw disc #1 of the Val Lewton collection; the one with Cat People and Curse of the Cat People. The commentary is excellent.

[Kalo]

Just saw disc #1 of the Val Lewton collection; the one with Cat People and Curse of the Cat People. The commentary is excellent.

The movies ain't bad either. (Though I agree that the commentaries are this series are very good.)

I was especially impressed by "Curse," which could probably win some kind of award for "Best Movie with Worst Title." The little girl in the movie gives an amazing performance. What was your take on that one, Bruce?

[7/4]

[BruceH]

Just saw disc #1 of the Val Lewton collection; the one with Cat People and Curse of the Cat People. The commentary is excellent.

The movies ain't bad either. (Though I agree that the commentaries are this series are very good.)

I was especially impressed by "Curse," which could probably win some kind of award for "Best Movie with Worst Title." The little girl in the movie gives an amazing performance. What was your take on that one, Bruce?

Excellent movie, though I can understand Lewton's anger at having such a dreadful title foisted on him. I thought it was hilarious that he turned around and made a movie in which no cat appears at all, so that in post-production they had to add a scene near the beginning with a cat up a tree. The suggested titles, "Amy and Her Friend" or "Imaginary Playmate" would have been not only more apposite (to say the least) but more fair to the audience. The girl gives such a good performance that I was curious about her later career, but it appears that she was one of those child-actors who didn't have a career after the onset of maturity. Too bad.

(Nice, too, that the commentary included quotes from Agee.)

[Adam]

Hi all,

This is spam, but relevant spam.

Peter Jackson's "King Kong" on DVD March 28.

But be sure to get the special edition:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E97Y6...&v=glance&n=130

I produced & wrote two of the featurettes on there, "Kong's New York, 1933" and "Skull Island: A Natural History"

[Jazzmoose]

Actually, watching it on Showtime in the early 80's, I remember it being pretty funny. But then again, I was 13. And since they felt compelled to have many topless women(it was cable after all) that might have made it seem like a even more of a quality show! Whatever happened to John Byner, anyway?

You know, all I remember are the SuperDave bits...

[ghost of miles]

Hi all,

This is spam, but relevant spam.

Peter Jackson's "King Kong" on DVD March 28.

But be sure to get the special edition:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E97Y6...&v=glance&n=130

I produced & wrote two of the featurettes on there, "Kong's New York, 1933" and "Skull Island: A Natural History"

Adam, thanks much for posting this... I'm esp. interested in the "Kong's New York, 1933" featurette (I was really impressed by the NYC '33 settings). Was there much disappointment over the ultimate U.S. box-office take? I assume that global receipts, DVD sales, etc. will still ensure that the film turns a good profit.

[Kalo]

Just saw disc #1 of the Val Lewton collection; the one with Cat People and Curse of the Cat People. The commentary is excellent.

The movies ain't bad either. (Though I agree that the commentaries are this series are very good.)

I was especially impressed by "Curse," which could probably win some kind of award for "Best Movie with Worst Title." The little girl in the movie gives an amazing performance. What was your take on that one, Bruce?

Excellent movie, though I can understand Lewton's anger at having such a dreadful title foisted on him. I thought it was hilarious that he turned around and made a movie in which no cat appears at all, so that in post-production they had to add a scene near the beginning with a cat up a tree. The suggested titles, "Amy and Her Friend" or "Imaginary Playmate" would have been not only more apposite (to say the least) but more fair to the audience. The girl gives such a good performance that I was curious about her later career, but it appears that she was one of those child-actors who didn't have a career after the onset of maturity. Too bad.

(Nice, too, that the commentary included quotes from Agee.)

Though, according to the commentary (as I recall it), she did have a fairly extensive career as a child in the 1940s, including an appearance as a child version of Veronica lake in Rene Clair's I Married a Witch.

(Good casting!)

[Kalo]

Bob Newhart Show, The - The Complete 3rd Season, out 4/11/2006 according to http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/

I've barely watched any of Season 1 and 2. It's good news, but I think I'll hold off until I've caught up with past purchases.

Maybe I missed it in the thread but Looney Tunes vol. 3 came out and is excellent. There's a DVD of all the Hollywood parodies, including The House that Jack Built (Jack Benny) and The Honeymousers.

Personally, I devoured sets 1 and 2 of the Newhart show, while I'm still working my way through the first Looney Tunes box...

Will eventually buy them all, though (Newhart AND Looney Tunes).

[BERIGAN]

Actually, watching it on Showtime in the early 80's, I remember it being pretty funny. But then again, I was 13. And since they felt compelled to have many topless women(it was cable after all) that might have made it seem like a even more of a quality show! Whatever happened to John Byner, anyway?

You know, all I remember are the SuperDave bits...

you mean SuperDave got naked?

[BruceH]

Just saw disc #1 of the Val Lewton collection; the one with Cat People and Curse of the Cat People. The commentary is excellent.

The movies ain't bad either. (Though I agree that the commentaries are this series are very good.)

I was especially impressed by "Curse," which could probably win some kind of award for "Best Movie with Worst Title." The little girl in the movie gives an amazing performance. What was your take on that one, Bruce?

Excellent movie, though I can understand Lewton's anger at having such a dreadful title foisted on him. I thought it was hilarious that he turned around and made a movie in which no cat appears at all, so that in post-production they had to add a scene near the beginning with a cat up a tree. The suggested titles, "Amy and Her Friend" or "Imaginary Playmate" would have been not only more apposite (to say the least) but more fair to the audience. The girl gives such a good performance that I was curious about her later career, but it appears that she was one of those child-actors who didn't have a career after the onset of maturity. Too bad.

(Nice, too, that the commentary included quotes from Agee.)

Though, according to the commentary (as I recall it), she did have a fairly extensive career as a child in the 1940s, including an appearance as a child version of Veronica lake in Rene Clair's I Married a Witch.

(Good casting!)

True, but she didn't do anything, as I recall, past her teens. BTW, have you seen I Married A Witch? It's supposed to be rather bad.

[Adam]

Hi all,

This is spam, but relevant spam.

Peter Jackson's "King Kong" on DVD March 28.

But be sure to get the special edition:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E97Y6...&v=glance&n=130

I produced & wrote two of the featurettes on there, "Kong's New York, 1933" and "Skull Island: A Natural History"

Adam, thanks much for posting this... I'm esp. interested in the "Kong's New York, 1933" featurette (I was really impressed by the NYC '33 settings). Was there much disappointment over the ultimate U.S. box-office take? I assume that global receipts, DVD sales, etc. will still ensure that the film turns a good profit.

I don't work at Universal, so I can't speak to all that, although I do believe that the USA gross was lower than hoped for.

Actually, I can't even tell you what are in my featurettes yet, due to NDAs. I'm happy that I can at least say when it is coming out and the titles of the segments, because that has been officially announced.

[Kalo]

Just saw disc #1 of the Val Lewton collection; the one with Cat People and Curse of the Cat People. The commentary is excellent.

The movies ain't bad either. (Though I agree that the commentaries are this series are very good.)

I was especially impressed by "Curse," which could probably win some kind of award for "Best Movie with Worst Title." The little girl in the movie gives an amazing performance. What was your take on that one, Bruce?

Excellent movie, though I can understand Lewton's anger at having such a dreadful title foisted on him. I thought it was hilarious that he turned around and made a movie in which no cat appears at all, so that in post-production they had to add a scene near the beginning with a cat up a tree. The suggested titles, "Amy and Her Friend" or "Imaginary Playmate" would have been not only more apposite (to say the least) but more fair to the audience. The girl gives such a good performance that I was curious about her later career, but it appears that she was one of those child-actors who didn't have a career after the onset of maturity. Too bad.

(Nice, too, that the commentary included quotes from Agee.)

Though, according to the commentary (as I recall it), she did have a fairly extensive career as a child in the 1940s, including an appearance as a child version of Veronica lake in Rene Clair's I Married a Witch.

(Good casting!)

True, but she didn't do anything, as I recall, past her teens. BTW, have you seen I Married A Witch? It's supposed to be rather bad.

I saw I Married A Witch at the Brattle a few years ago. I remember enjoying it as half of double bill, and felt I got my money's worth if only for the extensive footage of Veronica Lake at her most luminous. Definitely not a classic, but one of the films that established her as a star and interesting for that reason.

[BERIGAN]

I am surprised anyone would say I Married a Witch was a bad film! Perhaps people just don't like his American films. It's a wonderful little fantasy film, you can see where the people behind Bewitched got their idea. And like Kalo mentioned, Veronica Lake was Bewitching.

[BERIGAN]

Funny, we were just talking about Only Angels have Wings on the 1939 films thread, but unless I missed it, there wasn'ta mention of it being out on DVD! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CEV3L...hedigitalbit-20

Nice review of the set near the bottom of this page(The Awful Truth was a pretty crappy copy when it first came out, this version is supposed to be a bit better, and much cheaper to get all these films in a box set)

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/bar...well021506.html

[BruceH]

Funny, we were just talking about Only Angels have Wings on the 1939 films thread, but unless I missed it, there wasn'ta mention of it being out on DVD! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CEV3L...hedigitalbit-20

Nice review of the set near the bottom of this page(The Awful Truth was a pretty crappy copy when it first came out, this version is supposed to be a bit better, and much cheaper to get all these films in a box set)

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/bar...well021506.html

Throw in The Philadelphia Story, Notorious, and North By Northwest and you've really got a box there.

[patricia]

Finally out on DVD. "Once Upon A Time In America". The original long version, with additional footage, making it even longer. Sergio Leone directed this epic Jewish gangster film, told in flashback. It starred Robert de Niro, James Woods and a huge cast. This is among my favourite films of the genre. It suffered a drastic re-cut, right after it's release, in which it was cut by over an hour and made chronological. If the butchery that resulted were an indictable crime, it would be a capital crime. Two Discs. Well worth watching, including the extras.

[Aggie87]

Patricia -

Is there another new edition of this? I bought the 2 disc version back in 2003. My copy says it runs 229 minutes.

[Chuck Nessa]

Funny, we were just talking about Only Angels have Wings on the 1939 films thread, but unless I missed it, there wasn'ta mention of it being out on DVD! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CEV3L...hedigitalbit-20

Nice review of the set near the bottom of this page(The Awful Truth was a pretty crappy copy when it first came out, this version is supposed to be a bit better, and much cheaper to get all these films in a box set)

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/bar...well021506.html

As I scrolled the topic and saw this image I thought of Herbert Lom. Anyone else make this connection?

[Kalo]

Funny, we were just talking about Only Angels have Wings on the 1939 films thread, but unless I missed it, there wasn'ta mention of it being out on DVD! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CEV3L...hedigitalbit-20

Nice review of the set near the bottom of this page(The Awful Truth was a pretty crappy copy when it first came out, this version is supposed to be a bit better, and much cheaper to get all these films in a box set)

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/bar...well021506.html

Throw in The Philadelphia Story, Notorious, and North By Northwest and you've really got a box there.

The Philadelphia Story is available in a two-disc Special Edition as part of another bargain DVD box, Classic Comedies Collection(Warner Home Video) along with Howard Hawks's Bringing Up Baby also with Grant and Hepburn, Gregory La Cava's Stage Door with Hepburn and Ginger Rogers, Libeled Lady, with Jean Harlow, William Powell, Myrna Loy, Spencer Tracy, and Walter Connolly, George Cukor's Dinner at Eight, starring Harlow, Marie Dressler, Wallace Beery, and John and Lionel Barrymore, and Ernst Lubitsch's amazing To Be or Not To Be with Jack Benny and Carole Lombard. Not bad.

There's a nice Criterion of Notorious, and North by Northwest is available as both a single disc and as part of the recent mammoth Paramount Hitchcock set.

But you probably knew that.

Edited February 26, 2006 by Kalo

[brownie]

Can't imagine a Cary Grant best of box that does not include 'Bringing Up Baby'.

A near-perfect Hawks film with a fully perfect Cary Grant-Katharine Hepburn chemistry!

[Kalo]

The box pictured above is the Columbia Pictures stuff (now Sony). Grant was an independent under contract to several studios. Baby is in the Warner's box.

[BERIGAN]

Can't imagine a Cary Grant best of box that does not include 'Bringing Up Baby'.

A near-perfect Hawks film with a fully perfect Cary Grant-Katharine Hepburn chemistry!

One of my Mom's all time fav's! Somehow, the film lost something like $800,000 when it was first released! Is the Warner Bros. box out in France yet Brownie?

Edited February 26, 2006 by BERIGAN