Film

This film was released only four years after the infamous attempt to bug the Democratic offices in Watergate, which spurred the entire course of events in this film. This was a bit of a passion piece for Robert Redford as he began production while its main characters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein (who would be played by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, respectively) were still reporting on related elements. Redford spent tireless hours, acting officially as the producer and star, researching the stories and the characters in order to deliver a compelling but painfully accurate adaptation.

By making these two reporters the main characters, the film became more of a detective story instead of merely a dramatization for what could easily have been a documentary. By seeing the actual methods these two men apply to uncover the details of Watergate, and “follow the money,” makes the audience all the more engaged in their findings. This, despite the fact that most everyone knows exactly how the film ends well before it begins.

The script by William Goldwin is top notch. It does not hurt that he had a very talented cast to deliver it, but he certainly does capture more than just the facts from the original stories/books he is adapting. As well, Goldwin had the benefit of strong direction by Alan Pakula. In particular I thought he made outstanding use of deep focus shots that depict Woodward typing away in the background, while actual news footage of Nixon plays in the foreground. They made for beautifully orchestrated reminders of how real these incidents, along reporter’s magnificent efforts, were.

Video

Widescreen 1.85:1. The film has aged some, and this is not the cleanest transfer onto Blu Ray I have seen. It looks fine on an HD screen but most definitely hazier than any release from the last 10 years would look.

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 in English as well as French and Spanish 1.0. I’d say that very little has been boosted to make the film seem grander, but there is just so little to boost. The chattering of typewriter keys and anxious tones of voices are about as boisterous as it gets. This film does not require much by the way of a major sound, but certainly some more effort could have been made into immersing us into a newsroom atmosphere, sonically. Mind you, they did not fail, just fell a bit short from their potential.

Subtitles are available in English, French and Spanish.

Special Features

Commentary by Robert Redford: This man had his fingers in all parts of the film’s productions and recalls everything with enthusiasm. He does take long breaks to watch with us and starts many thoughts with “the idea here was.” All in all, he provides some very nice tidbits.

The next three featurettes all have a similar format, with an elderly sounding narrator, a patriotic score that never ceases, and the general vibe of a television special.

Telling the Truth About Lies: The Makinng of All the President’s Men: Compilation of interviews with the stars, producers, reporters, as well as Woodward and Bernstein themselves. A few of the interviewees imply that this sort of story could not be created today, in the way it was back in the 70s. Indeed, this is a rare case that could only exist because of the time it happened.

Woodward and Berstien: Lighting the Fire: Many speak of the same interviewees now speak about how inspirational Woodward and Bernstein became. The way they worked this story became the high water mark for any up and coming American journalist.

Out of the Shadows: The Man Who Was Deep Throat: Perhaps the most iconic character from the film, famous for being illuminated only by his cigarette ember as he feeds hints to Woodward inside an empty parking garage.

Now that Deep Throat has been revealed as former FBI Associate Director Mark Felt, we get to see a miniature biography on the man instead of some nearly cryptozoological account of a mysterious persona. Trained directly under J. Edgar Hoover, some suspect that his motivations for revealing these clues came as a combination of patriotism and revenge for not being selected to replace Hoover when the opportunity arose. A nice profile of a terribly interesting person/situation.

Pressure and the Press: The Making of All the President’s Men: Similar to what is documented in the previous trio, only this was made very close to the actual premiere of the film, which makes its tone interesting in contrast. The events are still very fresh and the mysteries (including Deep Throat) remained up in the air. An interesting piece that helps add some extra context to how people might have reacted closer to the time of the events and film’s debut.

5/27/1976 Dinah! With Jason Robards: A strange looking talk show where Dinah and Robards discuss the film. A nice enough interview that, like the previously mentioned featurette, helps add some emotional context to people’s first reactions to the film.

Trailer: The tone gives another hint towards the significance of the time of iots release.

This edition also comes with a very large booklet that includes a Timeline, Biographies of the actors and a review. The packaging simulates a very nice quality hard cover book. All very nice.

Final Thoughts

The story is undeniably interesting and important, with or without the film, but the fact about how tight Redford got with Woodward and Bernstein to deliver a dramatic retelling of their quest, along with its close proximity, time wise, to the original story makes this a rare occasion where a new medium does not sensationalize the history it depicts, it becomes a direct part of it.

I was somewhat curious about reviewing my first “true” black and white film (Young Frankenstein was the first I had reviewed), and was equally curious to see how much charisma the relatively young Elvis of 1957 possessed.

Film

This movie was an absolute surprise.  Instead of the fun-filled lightweight eye candy that Viva Las Vegas was, Jailhouse Rock was actually somewhat seedy and serious.  Elvis plays a blue-collar worker (Vince Everett) who is sent to jail to serve a sentence for manslaughter, all result of defending a woman in a bar fight.  In jail, his cellmate is a former professional musician Hunk Houghton (played by Mickey Shaugnessy), who teaches him some guitar, and gets him onto a television show broadcast from the prison.  Bags of fan mail ensure, and after his release, Vince seeks to establish a career as a performer.

A chance encounter with a record company employee, Peggy (played by the late yet lovely Judy Tyler) helps launch Vince’s career.  She helps him get his first record deal, and he treats her like dirt, glowers at her parents, insults her parents’ guests, then sex appeals her into submission.  Success is almost instantaneous, giving Elvis license to slap around music executives, sass lawyers, use the word sexy (this was 1957), be reasonably lecherous, and belittle Hunk.

One of the most enjoyable parts of this film is that Elvis’ character is a class-A jerk.  Rude to the warden, rude to ladies, rude to prospective employers, grunting, scowling, and silent, it was almost as if Elvis was channeling a James Dean “lite” for this film.  Cool, yet rebellious, this movie was quite a bit different from the fluffy movies to come.

The story certainly does feel 1950’s, with a linear and uncomplicated narrative, and characters who are wonderfully somewhere between caricature and fully fleshed out.  Musical numbers are an appropriate part of the film and not intrusive.  The behind the scenes view of the 1950’s recording industry felt authentic.

Video

Would it be possible to believe a black and white movie could look better than many modern color films?  The print of this film was absolutely gorgeous.  Beautiful shading, sharp edges, minimal and appropriate grain, wonderful blacks – what else does one want?

The cinematography was equally nice, with excellent use of depth of field, and wonderful framing in almost every shot.  My only question is, “How can Jailhouse Rock look so good when Elvis on Tour (filmed 15 years later) looks like a VHS tape?”

Audio

An absolutely superb job was done with the TrueHD remix of the original mono track.  Voices and vocals are spread nicely across the entire front soundstage, and some information surprisingly shows up in the surrounds.  LFE data is expectedly nominal.

So how does this film get such a high score? It’s all in the music, baby.  The quality of the musical numbers is fantastic, and well above the quality one normally hears in 50’s vintage recordings.  The sound in this film puts a number of my Elvis CDs and LPs (that’s a record for you kids out there) to shame.  Sharp and clearly defined instruments combined with the natural timbre and resonance of Elvis’ voice to make the music number magical.

Special Features

This disc comes with very few special features.  Considering all are in 480p, I’m assuming these are a carry-over from the DVD release of the film.

Included are the theatrical trailer (boy, trailers sure sucked back then), and a 15-minute featurette “The Scene that Stole Jailhouse Rock”; mainly interesting due to hearing how Lieber & Stoller hated what Elvis did with their songs.  Finally, there is a boring commentary from the author of “Elvis in Hollywood”, delivered in a humorless monotone.

Final Thoughts

After enjoying Viva Las Vegas and hating Elvis on Tour, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Jailhouse Rock.  Was I ever pleasantly surprised by the quality of the audio and video, the surliness of Elvis, and the coherence and weight of the plot.  Not only do I give this disc a “Buy It” recommendation, I can recommend the 3-Disc Elvis Blu-Ray Collection on the strength of this disc and Viva Las Vegas.  Both films offer an interesting snapshot into a time that more and more seems foreign to our own with each passing day.

My impression of the films was that they were fluff pieces, that Elvis wasn’t really much of an actor, and that they were really “teen exploitation” films (the logical successors of which include The Hannah Montana Movie).  So it was with some amusement that I sat down to watch Viva Las Vegas, curious to see just exactly what an Elvis film was.

Film

This was actually a very difficult movie to score.  As a film, really, it wasn’t very good.  It was sort of like a Jerry Lewis comedy, just with more singing, and poorer jokes.  At the same time, it was an oddly compelling, overly cooked “Panavision Metrocolor” film set in a very young Las Vegas, starring two of the most beautiful people you will ever see.

Elvis plays Lucky Jackson, a race car driver who travels to Las Vegas to compete in the Las Vegas Grand Prix.  However, a chance encounter with an impossibly young and beautiful Ann-Margret (Ms. Rusty Nelson) causes all sorts of issues including Rusty causing Lucky to lose the cash needed to buy an engine for his car. 

In steps Lucky’s greatest competition, the slick, rich, urbane and charming Count Elmo Mancini (played well by Cesare Danova) who becomes both a friend and a competitor, on the track, and for Rusty’s affections.

Lots of pleasant things happen, Lucky seduces (within the context of a 1960’s film) Rusty with his wit, persistence, and charm, there are lots of musical numbers (including the extremely charming “The Lady Loves Me”), and all works out for our hero in the end.

Although the word lightweight could be applied to the film, it is lightweight in a pleasant way.  Both leads are very nice to look at, with Elvis literally oozing charm and charisma in every scene he is in.  Ann-Margret is absolutely lovely, and can sing and dance to keep up with Elvis.  The plot moves reasonably quickly, and substitutes music and dance numbers for details and logic (all of which are well done).  In a way, it is a very nice, traditional, clean fun sort of movie.

Even the supporting cast is good, with Mr. Danova bringing a proper balance of charm and unctuousness when wooing Rusty.  Even ancillary characters such as Rusty’s Father (William Demarest) and Lucky’s sidekick Shorty Fansworth (Nicky Blair) are played with the cheery enthusiasm you expect from a 1960’s movie.

Generally, a film like this would earn 2 to 2.5 discs simply for being so fluffy.  That being stated, this is the type of clean wholesome entertainment I grew up watching on TV as a kid, earning it an extra disc, just for nostalgia value.

Video

Considering the age of the film, this restoration and transfer is superb.  Grain is kept to a nominal amount (almost a little too clean), and sharpness is better than anything else I’ve seen from the era.  The “Metrocolor” print literally pops, though color shading is lost to the brightness.

However, what really impressed me was the detail still available, even in an older print like this.  When one piece of Elvis’ hair falls onto his forehead, we see that piece of hair.  Every dollar saved in the building of the sets was on full 1080p display for us to see.  In short, an excellent video presentation, especially considering the era of the film.    

Audio

This vintage of film will never truly have great sound.  But again, the folks at Warner have done an excellent job with the original mono track making it into a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track.

As expected, dynamic range is quite limited, with little use of the LFE channel.  The surrounds were used at times, but also suffered from this compressed dynamic range.  Highs just simply were not sharp, lows were notably absent, and at times, some of the voices (especially during some musical numbers) overcame the recording equipment used, causing audible distortion.

This being stated, dynamic levels through the centre were controlled exceedingly well, with clear dialog throughout.  Most importantly, the musical numbers are handled as well as numbers from the era could be, without the usual midrange stridency that affects many of these recordings.

Special Features

A fairly skinny set of special features, something fairly common for movies made in the day where watching a movie at home when you wanted to would be unthinkable.

What are included is a commentary by noted Elvis author Steve Pond, a short SD featurette, and an extremely poor copy of the trailer.

Although the commentary is pretty good, overall this is a pretty poor special feature set.    

Final Thoughts

As originally mentioned, I really did not know what to expect from the film, and ended up pleasantly surprised with just how much I was entertained.  Possibly that this the best way to describe this film; it is pure entertainment from an era before political and social messages began creeping into movies.

Oddly enough, out of the many films I’ve recently viewed, I have a sneaking suspicion this is one will be viewed a few more times.

Before watching the collection, this film fully defined what I thought a Mel Brooks film was.  A musical number, genital-oriented humor, and an overall irrelevance for its subject matter would be what I thought of when I heard the words “Mel Brooks”.  However, after watching such treats as To Be Or Not to Be, Silent Movie, and even High Anxiety, I was curious to see if I remembered the movie correctly, and if it was truly as good as I thought it was.

Film

Make no mistake, this is a funny movie.  And in many places, there are great lines, and excellent visual jokes that still make me laugh out loud.

For the uninitiated, the movie is not a long coherent story; instead it is the telling of “the history of the world” through a number of mini-movies, all of which focus on a specific period in human history.  Highlighted are the cavemen, the Old Testament, the Roman Empire, the Spanish Inquisition, the French Revolution, and a teaser trailer for the never made (and never to be made) History of the World – Part II. 

Segment-wise, the caveman segment is a real treat for those who love physical humor; it had the official kids of this reviewer laughing out loud (though they missed a few jokes, which was good).  The shorter Old Testament segment has one of the funniest jokes I’ve ever seen in a movie.  And the great Hollywood-style musical segment for the Inquisition is entertaining, and humorous in an old fashioned and corny way.

However, the Roman Empire segment is quite long, and does tend to drag a fair bit.  This piece could have easily been edited down, and some of the sexual, racial, and drug humor was a bit too much.  Although there are funny bits (including Mr. Brooks playing a waiter), the segment was one of the longest, and the most uneven.

The French revolution segment was also a mixed bag, with some really, really funny bits, like using peasants as skeet, and the pee-boy.  But much like the Roman Empire segment, the humor was a bit too leering and a bit too obvious. 

As an 11 year-old, this type of humor perfectly suited my fancy.  And even as an adult, I still find some of the jokes to be extremely funny.  However, whatever charming subtlety Mr. Brooks used in his earlier films seems to have been replaced with a vaudevillian obviousness.  As a viewer, you are not allowed the joy of discovering jokes but are instead pounded over the head with them.         

Video

The overall video in this collection has been very good, and History of the World – Part I was no exception to this.  The color palette used, the variety of locations, and even Mr. Brooks’ excellent mimicry of other styles (such as those used in Kubrick’s 2001, and DeMille’s The Ten Commandments) were spot on.  Considering its era, the film did have grain present, and blacks were sometimes not as dark as desired.  However, the lower light shots in the Inquisition truly showed how well this was originally filmed and restored.

Possibly I would have been more pleased with the visuals in this film if there had not been such an excellent job done on earlier films such as Silent Movie.  However, it is difficult to punish History of the World – Part I as it has a very good presentation on its own merits. 

Audio

The audio was also nothing special, with rather sparse use of the surround and LFE channels.  Although this is realistic for a movie of this vintage, it was also exacerbated by a very narrow soundstage through the front channels.

On the positive side, audio through the centre channel was clear and concise, something that could have been a challenge with the wide variety of sets that were used for filming.

Special Features

Strangely enough, History of the World, Part I received a solo Blu-ray release, yet did not enjoy a great special feature set.  Included on the disc are the ubiquitous isolated score, trailers, and trivia track.  Also included are two short featurettes in HD, one about the musical Inquisition, and the other about the film overall.

Unfortunately, this is a very slim set for fans of the film, who likely would have preferred to hear why Gregory Hines had to step in for Richard Pryor (oh, this is in the trivia track).

Final Thoughts

Oddly enough, the official kids of this reviewer are approximately the same age as this reviewer was when I first saw this movie.  And I must say, although they thankfully missed a lot of the adult-themed jokes (like I did at their age), they seemed to find a lot more humor in the film than I did.

Possibly the best way to describe the film is: a nice looking, decent sounding film that will truly appeal to those with an 11 year-old’s refined sense of humor.

As Mr. Brooks’ second directing effort (his first being the conspicuously absent The Producers), it would be interesting to see what his later work evolved from, and how much his early work was influenced by others.  Did the movie deserve its obscure status, or was it worthy of more attention as part of the Mel Brooks legacy?

Film

I found this movie surprisingly difficult to categorize.  In fact, of all the Mel Brooks films I’ve seen, this was the least “Mel Brooksian” of them.  It had elements of older-style comedies, the Three Stooges, and even a bit of Monty Pythonesque lunacy.  Really, this made the film a bit challenging to watch, as it borrowed so heavily on the work of other diverse films in the comedy genre.

Like most folk tales, the story was quite simple to follow.  Matveevich Vorobyanov (played straight by Ron Moody) is a former aristocrat who has fallen on harder times since the Russian Revolution.  However, he discovers from his mother-in-law (on her deathbed) that she hid jewels from the communists in one of the chairs from the family’s old dining set.  Since this furniture was seized during the revolution, Vorobyanov must now search across Russia for the chairs.

As part of her deathbed confession, the Mother-in-law also admits the hiding of the jewels to her Russian Orthodox priest, Father Fyodor (Dom DeLuise).  He immediately cuts his beard, and heads off on his own quest for the jewels.

Complicating matters is that a vagabond con man (played by the velvety-voiced Frank Langella) gets word of Vorobyanov’s quest, and extorts Vorobyanov into including him the search for the chairs.

Many hijinks follow, including Father Fyodor’s stalking of a party official, and Vorobyanov’s attempts at acting.  Their adventures lead them to Siberia, the Black Sea, and Moscow, all in an attempt to find the chairs first and extract the jewels.

Generally this was an entertaining film, though much of Mr. Brooks’ trademark over-the-top humor was absent.  The story was told in a linear and traditional manner, and although slow at times, Mr. Brooks did the original material a great service.

The three main actors were a bit of a mixed bag.  Ron Moody was asked to play a caricature, and he did so very well, maintaining a credible mix of greed and nobility.  His increasing obsession with the jewels and their worth progressed nicely as the movie proceeded.

Frank Langella was also very good in his role of a con man.  With a rich baritone voice, dashing good looks, and a suave demeanor, he offers an excellent counterpoint to the increasingly frayed and reckless Vorobyanov.

However, Dom DeLuise puts in one of the poorer performances of his career.  Any moral standing he may have had as a Father is never apparent in the film, as he shows nothing but green and avarice throughout.  In many ways, Father Fyodor appears to be in the story to provide comic relief; it is unfortunate that he really isn’t that funny.

The pacing of the film is also a bit tedious.  Although there are some funny scenes (enjoying a free lunch at the railroad engineers’ club, chasing a high wire artist for a chair, faking epilepsy as part of a panhandling scheme), these are simply too few and far between.  And although Frank Langella oozes con man from the moment we see him, he simply isn’t given quite enough to do.

Overall, it is interesting to contrast this to later Mel Brooks films as it has very little resemblance to them.  And overall, this is not a bad thing, as Mr. Brooks’ development of a madcap frenetic comedy style is what earned him his reputation as a director.  Although this was a good film, it is nowhere near as memorable as Mr. Brooks’ other work.

Video

In the entire box set, this is the first film in which I was disappointed with the video quality.  Grainy, soft, with irregular lighting and sharpness, this appears to have been a straight transfer from film to Blu-ray.

On the positive side, there was little evidence of heavy digital post production, as I did not spot excessive noise, macroblocking.  However, this was already evident through the relatively poor picture quality.

Audio

As stated in my review of High Anxiety, I expect a lack of dynamic range, a strong front-loading, little LFE information, and muffled dialog in a film of this vintage.  As expected, this film had the poorest audio track in the collection so far.

As per the glossy book included in the collection, this film was under budgetary constraints, and I believe the sound is where this is felt the most.  Muffled and centre focused, with a lack of dynamics or crispness, the overall presentation is passable.  In fact, I’m not sure one would find a great jump in quality by changing from the DTS-HD to the Mono tracks.

Special Features

This film doesn’t deserve even half a disc, as it only includes one special feature, this being Mel Brooks trailers.  That’s it, and again reflects the almost “afterthought” treatment this film received as part of the collection.

Final Thoughts

This film was somewhat entertaining, though lacking in the areas we enjoy in a Blu-ray (sound, picture, extras).  In short, this film appeared to have received the lowest level of special treatment for its inclusion in a Blu-ray set, though how much this was a product of the source material is hard to tell.

Overall, this was the poorest movie in the collection so far; I have a much higher likelihood of watching Young Frankenstein again than I do this film.

Second up for review was 1974’s Young Frankenstein, a film from which I had seen various scenes, but never sat through the whole film.  Of all the Mel Brooks movies, this one appears to have the most loyal following, and I was intrigued again by Mr. Brooks making an atypical movie (a horror movie throwback in black and white) in the 1970’s.

Film

This film has a very loyal and dedicated audience who can likely fire off lines at will from various points in the movie.  I am not one of these, and I find it highly unlikely that I will ever become one of them.  After watching the movie, I admired Mr. Brooks’ skill with the camera, and loved Gene Wilder’s lunatic acting as the Young Frankenstein (Frawnk-en-steen!), but found the movie generally uninspiring.

The plot is straightforward enough – the young Dr. Frankenstein is a respected medical teacher and doctor, who has attempted to distance himself from his nefarious ancestor who brought the dead to life.  However, a reading of his dead grandfather’s will (I think it was his Grandfather’s – the geneaology in the film is a bit confusing) ends up with Dr. Frankenstein moving to Transylvania (which has nothing to do with Frankenstein) and discovering the lab where the original monster was made.

Although originally opposed to reanimating the dead, he comes across the original Dr. Frankenstein’s journal, and decides that it may work, and that he too, can bring back the dead.  Of course, problems are caused when Igor (Eye-gor, effectively played by Marty Feldman) has an accident, and destroys the brain that Dr. Frankenstein wanted, replacing it with an abnormal (Abby Normal) brain.

So, the poor monster goes off on his adventures (mimicking those from Universal’s iconic “Frankenstein”), followed by an attempt to prove to the townsfolk that the monster is really not a monster (via a musical number).  Will Dr. Frankenstein be able to save his monster from the townsfolk?  How will he resolve his relationship with the luscious Inga (Terri Garr) and his tightly wound fiancé (Madeline Kahn)?

On the plus side, this is a beautifully shot movie, and shows Mel Brooks’ love of the old Universal horror films.  Superimposing images over people’s faces, using different styles of screen wipe, the well-timed thunder and lightning, and use of lighting and shadows is truly a love letter to these classic movies.  A special mention also goes to Cloris Leachman, who as Frau Blücher steals every scene she is in.  She has an ability to make hot milk and Ovaltine sound like a nasty and naughty thing.

However, the humor in this movie fell flat for me.  Whereas in Silent Movie, slapstick and over-expression was needed due to a lack of dialog, it fails to elicit much laughs here.  Kneeing an old man in the groin?  Not really funny.  Using a corpse’s hand as yours?  Not really funny.  Getting spun in and stuck in a revolving bookcase.  Still not funny.

Some scenes were bit more humorous, and the “Puttin’ on the Ritz” number was one of the best parts of the film.  However, these laughs were too few for me to consider this a comedic masterpiece.  Double entendre, juvenile humor, and penis jokes can only carry a movie so far.

Video

This is a difficult movie to score, as it was deliberately made to look like an old Universal horror film.  Shot in black and white, there was plenty of grain and noise throughout the movie; overall, it had a very natural “old and soft” look to it.

Favorably, the film did not appear to have much digital noise or artifacting, which suggests that its restoration was done carefully and neutrally.  However, it is difficult to score it higher than I have, and I am left to ponder if the picture on Blu-ray is substantially better than that of an upscaled DVD.

Audio

Although the soundtrack is advertised in being in DTS-HD MA, there appears to have been a deliberate attempt to make the film sound as close to mono as you can through 5.1 speakers.  The dynamic range resembles that of an AM radio station, and I could not discern any real sounds coming from the surrounds or LFE.  Even the thunder had no rumble.

Again, this lack of dynamic range appears to be a deliberate attempt to make the movie sound like an old Universal horror film.  And although this has a true sheen of authenticity, this isn’t the reason I have a Blu-ray player and a surround sound system.

Special Features

Where Silent Movie fell short on special features, Young Frankenstein has an excellent mix of both older material (from previous DVD releases), and newer material for the Blu-ray.  This is not surprising, as Young Frankenstein has also received a solo Blu-ray release as well as its inclusion in this package.

Although I am not a big commentary fan, Mr. Brooks’ commentary on this disc is very good, and in many cases, funnier than the movie.

Also included are a very good trivia track, deleted scenes (both SD and HD ones included), comments on specific scenes in the making of the movie (Inside the Lab), two HD featurettes (It’s Alive, Transylvanian Lullaby), and a number of recycled SD features (Making FrankenSense, Production Photos, Interviews, Trailers, TV Spots, and Outtakes).  The quality of these is mixed, but the volume is good, and should have lasting appeal to fans of the film.

Final Thoughts

It is rare that I am as disappointed by a movie as I was with Young Frankenstein.  After hearing for years about it’s legendary status, I was truly underwhelmed by this film.  And although the visual and audio presentations were consistent with Mr. Brooks’ vision for a comedic version of a Universal horror film, laughs were simply in too short a supply.

For real fans, this Blu-ray is available as part of this package, as well as a standalone Blu-ray.

Therefore, when The Mel Brooks Collection showed up in my docket for review, I was quite intrigued.  Not only did it contain the Mel Brooks movies I had missed, it also contained movies that I had loved when younger.  However, this is also a formidable task reviewing nine (yes, nine!) movies, so I beg the reader’s patience as I wander through this box set.

First up for review was 1976’s Silent Movie, a film I had never seen before, and one that had intrigued me.  As a boy, I loved both Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy silent shorts, and I was curious to see how well Mr. Brooks could deliver a modern version of this art form.

Film

As a silent movie, one can check their expectations for character development at the door.  Like most movies of this genre, visuals become the medium of comedy, with a large emphasis on slapstick humor and visual gags.  However, the plot is quite easy to follow, even though much of it is delivered through tersely-worded intertitles.  Mel Brooks plays Mel Funn, a famous movie director who’s career has taken a downward turn due to a drinking problem. 

Funn is determined to make a comeback through his new screenplay for a silent movie.  Presenting this idea to the “Chief” of Big Picture studios (Sid Caesar), he is told he can make his movie if he can get big stars to be in it.  We also discover that a lot is riding on this movie, as Big Picture Studios is doing poorly financially, and has become a hostile takeover target by the New York conglomerate, Engulf & Devour.

Accompanied at all times by his associates Dom Bell (Dom DeLuise) and Marty Eggs (Marty Feldman), the three engage in all nature of gags to enroll actors in the silent movie, including Burt Renyolds, Anne Bancroft, James Caan, Liza Minnelli, and Paul Newman (plus a phone call to Marcel Marceau). 

Of course, each actor who signs on to the movie is announced through the silent movie technique of putting important events on the headlines of newspapers (that accompanies another running gag involving the newspaper seller).  Nervous with the number of famous actors signed on, Engulf & Devour tries to derail Funn through having a sexy nightclub singer Vilma Kaplan (Bernadette Peters) pretend to fall in love with him.  More visual gags follow, and lead up to an appropriately over the top and satisfying ending.

At first I found the film to be a bit disconcerting to watch, as I am used to today’s modern “talkies”.  However, it did not take long to settle into the flow of the movie, made even easier by the extremely funny sequence with the first big star (Burt Renyolds).  The natural gift for physical comedy that Brooks, DeLuise, and Feldman all posses was never more evident than in the scene with Liza Minnelli, which had me laughing out loud.

Overall, this was a very different, yet very funny movie.  The three main leads make full use of their overexpressiveness and facial expressions to convey emotion, feeling, and thought (plus slip in some naughty dialog for you lip readers).  The score is cheery and upbeat (and provides it’s own jokes at times), and includes appropriately off-time sound effects.  It was also an admittedly nostalgic trip down memory lane for me, seeing actors I grew up with featured as “stars” – no one was bigger than “The Burt” in the 1970’s, and we forget how adorably cute Liza Mannelli was when younger.

More importantly, this film does have re-watchability  I can picture viewing this a few more times, simply to try and pick up more inconsistencies between the actors lines and the intertitles, or to catch additional gags I may have missed the first time.

Generally, I was very pleased that this was the first movie out of the collection that I watched.    

Video

I really liked the visual appearance of this movie, though am somewhat hard-pressed to say why.  It truly had a 70’s feel to it.  The sets were 70’s.  The actors were 70’s.  Even the color, tone and grain of the film was 70’s.

However, it was a brightly colored, reasonably sharp, and clean version of the 70’s.  As expected, grain was present, but lent a nice softness to the picture without being distracting.  Dark areas had no issues, suggesting Fox did a loving restoration of this film.  In many ways, it looks as if the Blu-ray reflects what the director wanted. 

Audio

Audio is trickier with a movie of this vintage, and the folks at Fox did a very nice job with the DTS-HD MA presentation of the film.  The score is expansive and moves nicely around the listener, as do sound effects and ambient sounds.  With no dialog (excepting one word), centre channel levels are not an issue.

However, the presentation is far from perfect, as there is no LFE information to speak of, and they dynamic range of the sound is very limited.  Although the top end has good dynamics (highlighted by the main theme in the score), the low end is sadly lacking. 

In summation, the sound is very good for a 1970’s movie, but below the high standards that have been set by some other restorations.

Special Features

It is difficult to rate the special features for this disc, as The Mel Brooks Collection comes with a lovely hardbound book discussing Mr. Brooks and his career.  However, for review purposes, I will rate what is on the disc only.

For Silent Movie, what is on the disc is not very much.  Included are the trailer for the film, trailers for other Mel Brooks films, a trivia track, and a feature on silent movies, and their inspiration for Silent Movie (in many ways, an homage to Buster Keaton).

Although a generally uninspiring collection of extras, the featurette was very well done, and also in HD.

Final Thoughts

Internet opinion seems to be somewhat divided on this film.  There are those who seem to love it, and those who are not enamored with it.  I gladly place myself in the first camp, as I do enjoy well done physical comedy and sight gags; this movie is chock full of both.

Furthermore, I admire Mr. Brooks for doing something different, especially in the formulatic and contrived 1970’s.  It is likely that Silent Movie was a parody of what Mr. Brooks had to actually go through to get it made, making it even more admirable.

Unfortunately, as of the date of this review, this film is currently only available on Blu-Ray through the collection.  Despite this, I will give it a “Buy It” recommendation.

The African Queen also has an intimidating pedigree.  Nominated for four Academy Awards, it has become legendary for the danger and hardships director John Huston exposed the cast and crew to.  Filming in wild parts of the Belgian Congo, legend has it that Bogart and Huston avoided the sicknesses that afflicted all other cast and crew by drinking only Scotch.  Legend also has it that Huston stalled production in his obsession with hunting an elephant, later fictionalized into “White Hunter, Black Heart”.

As a film, The African Queen continually appears on AFI’s “100 years, 100 movies” list, has been selected for preservation in the U.S. Film Registry, and was the source of Humphrey Bogart’s only Academy Award.  How well does it survive its restoration to Blu-ray?    

Film

One of the challenges of viewing a movie of this vintage is being able to tie up one’s cynicism when watching it.  When a movie was made in a less cynical time, and is about an even less cynical time, it can be a challenge not mocking or expressing incredulity at what one is viewing. 

To properly enjoy this film, the viewer has to mentally shift their frame of reference away from what they expect in a current movie.  If one can successfully do this and place the movie in the context of when it was created, they will be treated to a perfectly satisfying movie that defies being labeled with a single genre.  Action, adventure, romance, and comedy are all in the movie, with many chuckle out loud moments.

The plot of the movie was quite simple.  Rose Sayer (Katherine Hepburn) and her brother Samuel  (Robert Morely) are prim and proper British Methodist Missionaries in German East-Africa at the start of WWI.  Humphrey Bogart is Charlie Allnut, a coarse Canadian steamboat captain who provides a link to the outside world through his mail deliveries to the Sayers.

When Germans visit the Sayer’s village, round up the locals, and burn down all of the town structures, Samuel is struck by a German soldier, leading to dementia and death.  Left on her own, Rose decides to flee with Charlie.  Upon learning Charlie has a number of supplies and explosives that he was unable to deliver to a local mine due to unrest caused by the war, Rose devises a plan where she and Charlie can assist the war effort (and gain revenge for her brother’s effective murder).

To carry out this plan, the African Queen must negotiate through two sets of rapids, escape by a German river fort, then be turned into a torpedo to sink a German boat which is preventing Allied attacks into German East-Africa.  Although Charlie seems to think this is a path to certain death, he agrees to help Rose, leading to their adventures throughout the movie.

One cannot argue with the quality of the performance of the leads, especially considering the filming conditions.  Katherine Hepburn is superb playing Rose in three different ways – prim and proper, thrill seeker, and doting girlfriend.  Humphrey Bogart is also excellent, transforming from a drunken ruffian, to an able sailor and tradesman, to a doting boyfriend, to a heroic figure.

Overall, this is a perfectly satisfying movie, with the exception of a few plot holes.  Even considering the era of the movie, Charlie and Rose’s rapid romance seems quite a bit implausible, especially considering the rigidity with which Katherine Hepburn plays Rose in the movie’s opening scenes.  Rose’s transformation from an uptight missionary to a thrill-seeking adventurer also happens with startling speed.  The number of well-timed rain storms, positioning of the sun, and the ultimate fate of the African Queen all work out 100% in favor of our protagonists.  However, once we strip away our modern-era cynicism, we are left with something that has been missing from many movies for a very long time – innocent, guileless, clean, and optimistic entertainment.

Is this a good movie?  Absolutely!  Is it a great movie?  Unfortunately, no, and I believe that much of this movie’s endearing popularity relates more to its unique location (for the time), and the other legends, tales, and controversies that surrounded its production.  The movie itself is lightweight, perfectly satisfying as entertainment, but missing the necessary gravitas that I believe truly legendary movies need.     

Video

With the incredible advancement in video standards over the last ten years, we as viewers have come to expect movies which have been highly produced to exacting standards.  We have been spoiled by superb special effects, incredible use of green screen techniques, and the advent of CGI.  Each of these can make movies look like reality (or even create new reality), and it raises the viewer’s expectations of how scenes should look. 

Unfortunately, this sort of technology was not even dreamt of or even conceivable in 1951, and when a movie of this era is transferred from film then digitally restored, it will highlight all flaws and limitations in the original work.

Starting with the bad, being in 1080p reveals models that look like models, action scenes that appear different between long focus and close up shots.  Film treatments to create the visual effect of buzzing mosquitoes look nothing like an attack of mosquitoes.   The early Technicolor print also presents challenges, with less depth of or consistency of tone then I’d like, and oddly shaded flesh tones.  However, the film gets a pass on these from me, as to clean these up or reshoot them would destroy the original fabric of the movie.  As an almost 60-year old movie we simply have to live with these shortcomings.

However, Paramount did a smashing job with the digital restore of this movie.  Colors are bright, grain is appropriate and present, and digital noise is only obvious in certain scenes.  By no means is the picture perfect, and it can be a bit soft at times, but the overall quality of it exceeded my expectations. 

Audio

The audio is mono.  Not really much you can do with that.  Surrounds?  No.  LFE?  No.  Generally, everything sounds like it is coming out of the dashboard speaker of a ’76 Plymouth Aspen.  The score can be jarring and distracting, and sometimes dialogue fades off so that you cannot hear exactly what was being said.  Not a great presentation all around.

Although I would normally not dock a movie of this era as badly as I did The African Queen, one only has to listen to the enhanced soundtrack Disney included on the older Snow White and the Seven Dwarves to hear what can actually be done with a mono track.  For all of the effort Paramount put into the video presentation, it would have been nice for the soundtrack to have received a little attention as well.

Special Features

I was honestly disappointed with the level of special features on this disc.  For one, even a small booklet discussing the movie, or a commentary with one of the people who feel this is a legendary movie (Leonard Maltin anyone?) may have been illustrative of what I may be missing.  Apparently other goodies (Hepburn’s memoir of making the movie, a CD of a radio play of the movie, and some other collectibles) are available in the Commemorative Box Set, not the Standard version I reviewed.

The only special feature contained on the standard issue BRD is the excellent documentary “Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen”.  Although this includes some of the elements I would have looked for in a commentary, as a separate feature it loses some immediacy to the movie.  However, as a feature on its own merit, it is as equally entertaining as the film itself.

Unfortunately, when I compare this level of features with those on the Studio Canal release of Le Mépris, it is rather underwhelming.

Final Thoughts

I am always challenged when reviewing a movie that is a “classic” or “legendary”.  In some cases, I find the film has remained as relevant as it was when released, retaining a feel of currency even in our ever-changing world.  Other times, I find that the movie earns a reputation more based on the era in which those who apply the labels of “legendary” and “classic” were born.

Take Star Wars, Episode IV as an example.  I first saw this movie as a seven-year old, and proceeded to use my allowance to religiously view it bi-weekly until it ended its theatre run.  To older critics at the time, it was “space opera” and “melodramatic”.  To me, it is a “legendary classic”, and a movie I will always cherish as I saw it through the uncolored eyes of a seven-year old.

I think The African Queen falls into this same conundrum.  It had the good fortune to be produced in a golden era of Hollywood films that gave genesis to a whole generation of future filmmakers and critics.  I imagine many of them viewed this movie through uncolored youthful eyes; theirs seeing the wild and verdant river in Africa in the same way I saw Tatooine and the Death Star.  The striking visuals and wild frontiers portrayed in both of these movies provided rich nourishment so appreciated by the young imaginations of movie goers.   

However, when we take The African Queen out of the context of when it was made, and look at it as a movie on its own merits through adult eyes, it is a good, not a great movie.  It also feels like an old movie.  And although its transfer to Blu-ray comes with a beautifully restored visual, the skinny special features and poor sound relegate this title to a rental.

Film

Michael Corleone’s rise to power and plunge into darkness is on the verge of completion within the sequel to Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. We see the Corleone family as their empire expands to Nevada and begins to thrive off of the casinos they own.

The film also takes us back prior to the first film and shows us the rise to power of the young Vito Corleone (played by Robert De Niro), which was part of the storyline cut out of the first Godfather script. Both tales are weaved together to form the continuation of the Corleone saga.

The sequel is often considered to be more of an extension of the first film, whereas The Godfather III is considered to be an epilogue. The film is sometimes edited with the timelines of Godfather I & II in chronological order, showing the strong relationship these films have.

The Sapphire Series version of The Godfather II, however is the original theatrical cut and does not contain some of the deleted scenes that appeared on previous releases of the film. We get to enjoy the film as the original audiences enjoyed it. If you’re disappointed by the fact that there are missing scenes of the film, please note that sometimes the edited down version of Francis Ford Coppola is the better version… Case-in-point: Apocalypse Now Redux!

The Godfather II is one of the few sequels that is as beloved as the original film and considering the fact that The Godfather is one of the most beloved films of all time… That says a lot! The film’s dark and noir tones really suit the content and with Paino giving a great performance once again as Michael Corleone, we get to truly see how the rise to power has so many consequences.

De Niro’s performance as the young Vito Corleone is definitely my favourite part as he captures the spirit that filled Marlon Brando’s iconic performance and gives us some backstory about what it takes to become the Don.

The film contains just as many thrills as the first and has just as many, if not more, emotional moments that make you both loathe and somewhat respect the characters you watch. Without giving anything away to those who may not have had the opportunity to see this great film, it’s an essential watch.

Video

Godfather II ‘s video is in 1080p and uses the AVC MPEG-4 codec to display the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The film overall is very clean considering the age and the concern surrounding whether or not the original prints would last. There are a few shots that are subject to noise and grain overloads, but they’re few and far between… The transfer is definitely well done.

The film’s dark and moody lighting definitely give the film a signature look; from the chiaroscuro style lighting that was a marquee of noir filmmaking and German expressionism within art, to the candlelit scenes where our characters spend more time dwelling on their thoughts than expressing them through dialogue. It definitely says a lot about a movie when characters spend a lot of time in silence and yet the way the actor is displayed speaks louder than words could… A scene that comes to mind is the great two-face moment where Al Pacino’s face is lit from one side leaving the other side of his face in darkness, representing that great battle of duality within. It brought back to memory a similar shot from Citizen Kane.

It was definitely a treat watching this film with my projector and it definitely stood up to being projected to 100” so it will look even more remarkable on an HDTV!

Audio 

The Godfather II’s sound comes at us in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Dolby Digital Mono in English only, there are also English and Portuguese subtitles.

It never comes as a shock to me that when I’m faced with a great transfer of an older film, that the time was really spent cranking out a stunning image while the audio is lower on the priorities. The sound lacks dynamic fidelity and really doesn’t take advantage of the surround presence that makes TrueHD one of my favourite audio codecs. I’d imagine that a new mix wouldn’t be too hard to get a go ahead for considering the importance of these films, but nonetheless we are presented with a less than great audio source to go along with The Godfather II. The sound definitely isn’t bad, it carries over that great seventies tone that came with the equipment and although the overall mix is a little quieter it definitely stpood up to being cranked through my speakers.

The dialogue is handled very well and comes through crisp and clear while maintaining the warmth in the vocals. The foley was done quite well, some of the gunshots and fireworks (Vito timeline scene) were mixed a little louder, making me want to reach for the remote after turning up the volume to hear the dialogue, but it wasn’t that bad at all.

The epic and famous score comes at us beautifully, giving you goosebumps when you first hear it as it recalls all the memories from the first Godfather.
Although I wasn’t as impressed with the sound as much as the video, it’s definitely not a deal breaker.

Special Features

To hear that there is only one special feature within Paramount’s Sapphire Series, which Paramount considers their version of the Criterion Collection, is a bit of a disappointment. However the commentary by Francis Ford Coppola is definitely one of the best I’ve heard and considering the length of the film, is an achievement in itself… Can you imagine going on about a film for three and half hours while trying to be insightful and keeping the audience interested? Considering this is Francid ford Coppola, let’s just say he did it.

Final Thoughts 

The film is a classic and I believe the whole trilogy is a must-have… yes, even the third one. These films are some of the most important pieces of cinematic history and having them on Blu-ray is simply allowing you the ability to watch them in the best possible way. Although the Sapphire Series version of The Godfather II is practically barebones, whereas the Coppola Restoration Trilogy set has an entire disc dedicated to special features, most of the features are regarding the first Godfather film.

To lovers of the original saga, The Sapphire Series release of the first two Godfather films is probably the most essential Blu-ray purchase out there.

Film 

Alfred Hitchcock gets a lot of credit for this film, which is well deserved for the great direction, however the unsung hero is the screenwriter, Ernest Lehman. Everything from the overall plot to the dialogue are well crafted. The fact that such a great script was helmed by a talented and influential director is what really makes the film astonishing, for a script is only as good as how it’s directed.

Before the movie starts were treated with some really amazing and artfully done opening credits, this is obviously way before visual graphics and thus making it even more impressive.We’re then thrown into a classic “you’ve got the wrong guy” caper, which combines a great performance by Cary Grant and some of the best chases from the 50′s.

The film weds elements of humour and suspense so well, there are few gags in the film (such as the taxi cab stealing in front of the hotel) that almost feel like we’re watching a slapstick comedy, but they’re quickly followed up with these great scenes of subtle thrills that really keep you at the edge of your seat in a way that only Hitchcock could do.

A great side-not e about the film is that Hitchcock had to use some modern guerrilla filmmaking approaches to get a shot of the U.N. building, which was off-limits to filmmakers at the time. Hitchcock had to hide a camera in a taxi cab in order to get the shots, which really goes to show the tenacity and will of one of Hollywood’s greatest directors.

It’s hard to review a Hitchcock film and it’s almost better to see them for yourself with no preconceived notions towards what you think they’ll be like. Hitchcock’s films are from another galaxy when compared to movies made today, his psychological approach to the medium is one of the factors that sets him apart from the directors today; whether it’s his surreal cinematography to the connotative meaning behind his shots (train entering the tunnel comes to mind), he’s a rare breed of director that really knows how to make a well-rounded film and North by Northwest is a prime example of such.

Video 

North by Northwest is brought to us in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and uses the 1080p/VC-1 codec. The quality within this new restoration is nothing short of amazing. When dealing with 50 year old film you wouldn’t expect such a vibrant and clear picture.

It’s definitely a great to see a classic film get the restorative treatment it deserves and everything from the contrast to the colour are treated perfectly. The colours throughout are vivid and should be for it has been said they took a black & white master over the colour master due to fading and recoloured the film using filters; painstaking and expensive… but overall worth every penny for this is one is a great transfer!

Audio 

The audio is definitely a come-down from the great quality of the video. Coming at us in TrueHD 5.1 in English and unfortunately only MONO for French, Spanish, German, Italian & Portuguese. There are subtitles for all the languages above as well as Danish, Swedish, Finnish, & Norwegian. Make note of that due to the low decibel mix of the film, might make a lot of us reach for the subtitles function to actually make out what everyone is saying.

The score and foley comes through louder than everything else, which is bitter sweet . The sound is very clear but when compared to the quiet dialogue there’s a lot of those surprise noise jumps in overall level.

The film is definitely not meant to push the limits of our sound systems so I forgive the mixing issues, however for the diehard fans there is a significant difference between the video quality and audio quality.

Special Features  

Ranging from a great commentary track to a series of documentaries and featurettes that covers both the making of the film and another which covers Hitchcock and his directing style; the collection of special features is definitely expansive for a film that wasn’t a part of a time where behind-the-scenes was remotely as important as it is nowadays in the consumer purchase. However that being said, the special features are all presented in SD .

The commentary track with Ernest Lehman stands out as my favourite, but there are some great informative documentaries that really were insightful and gave me some backstory about a film that, although it’s classic status, I didn’t know much about.

If you’re not picky about the fact there are no HD extras, then this is probably the definitive North by Northwest collection.

Final Thoughts 

The film is a classic and it’s definitely one of those essentials that should be in a film buff’s collection. There are many other great Hitchcock films that may be a higher priority, but for the quality transfer and the great wealth of special features, it’s definitely worth a rental for an evening of cinematic history and a display of Hollywood at it’s best.