Blu-Ray: North By Northwest

North By Northwest
1959 - MGM
Directed By Alfred Hitchcock



SYNOPSIS

A New York ad exec Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is mistaken for a non-existent government agent by a group of foreign spies and gets kidnapped. Their leader, Phillip Vandamm (James Mason,) tries to get rid of Thornhill several times as they pursue each other across the country
Along the way he falls for Vandamm's girlfriend (Eva Marie Saint,) who's really a government agent. Hero and villain clash on Mount Rushmore.



MY THOUGHTS

Much has been said and written about this legendary classic so I'll leave that to the experts, keep it short, and focus more on the 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-Ray.

The film is usually ranked as one of Alfred Hitchcock's best and rightfully so. It is a perfect blend of all of Hitchcock's strengths as a filmmaker. Action, humor, suspense, intrigue are all there in equal portions, and many of his reoccurring themes are present. Hitch made this fun, breezy film between the much more serious and darker films Vertigo and Psycho.
Cary Grant strengths as an actor are all on display here. He's a tough action star, a romantic, and as silly as he was in his screwball comedies in the 30's all in the same film.

The Blu-Ray

When you see a classic film on Blu-Ray, it's like you're seeing it again for the first time. I've seen this film several times over the years. Seeing it now is like a whole new experience.
So much more detail is revealed than ever before. The notable set-pieces in the film (the crop-duster scene, the Rushmore battle, Cary Grant getting shot, etc.) looked great on TV, but on Blu-Ray with an HD television they look jaw-droppingly amazing. Hitchcock was a very visual director who knew how to fill the entire screen with his story and this becomes even more evident on Blu-Ray. Hopefully more of his films will be released soon.

Warner Brothers (who now owns the film) is known for stocking their classics on DVD/Blu-Ray to the gill with extras.. and North By Northwest is no exception.
The disc case is bound in a book-like format with 45 pages of information and photos arranged in a very appealing way.
The disc extras are exhaustive!

1. Cary Grant: A Class Apart - A 1:30 look at his life and career with extensive clips from dozens of his best films. It covers both his on-screen and off-screen lives.

2. The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style - Several film directors discuss their love of the master and the many reoccurring themes in his work. Hitchcock himself is also featured in some classic interviews

The only problem with this documentary is they only focused on films and clips that are currently owned by Warner Brothers. When they discuss his obsession/use of blonds I automatically thought of Vertigo (owned by Universal) and it wasn't even mentioned. Rights to show film clips cost money, but the documentary didn't even discuss his pre-Hollywood films which are practically all in the public domain and free to use.

3. North by Northwest: One for the Ages

4. Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest (from an older DVD release)

These two documentaries track the making of the film and its innovations as well as it's influence. Remarkably there is little overlap in information in the two. One For the Ages features new interviews with cast members Eva Marie Saint and Martin Landau and screenwriter Ernest Lehman.

5. Ernest Lehman also provides commentary for the film.

6. An isolated music score. You can essentially watch the film as if it were silent, with Bernard Herrmann's amazing score playing without dialogue or sound effects covering it up.

You also get a stills gallery, the original trailer, (hosted by Hitchcock (see above)) a re-release trailer, and a TV commercial.


This is an absolutely amazing package and is definitely worth the money and the time to go through all the special features. Let's hope all classic films can have a Blu-Ray release as amazing as North By Northwest.

100th Review!

About 6 months ago, I started this little experiment, not sure of how it was going to go or how long it would last. With Arsenic And Old Lace, I am now 100 movie reviews in, and still hoping to add thousands more.

90% of the films reviewed, so far, I am seeing for the first time. It's been a fun journey exploring many films I've intended to see for a long time but have fallen through the cracks.

I kindly thank you especially for reading. Feel free to comment on my reviews at any time (even to tell me I'm an idiot for getting something wrong!)



Coming soon to a screen near you.... many more reviews!

Arsenic And Old Lace

Arsenic And Old Lace
1944 - Warner Brothers
Directed By Frank Capra



SYNOPSIS

Drama critic and author of anti-marriage books, Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) weds his girl Elaine (Priscilla Lane.) Upon returning home to tell his sweet old aunts (Josephine Hull + Jean Adair) his big news, he discovers a dead body hidden in the house. The old ladies drop a bombshell... they killed the man and plan to bury him in the basement with the 11 other bodies already there! To make matters worse, Mortimer's long-gone homicidal brother (Raymond Massey) returns with his accomplice (Peter Lorre) and another body and they intend on making the house their new hideout. Can Mortimer sort everything out and finally get to enjoy his new life?





MY THOUGHTS

There were multiple times I found myself choking from laughter from this hilarious gem of a film.

I would describe Arsenic and Old Lace as a fast-paced, slapsticky, screwball, black comedy... a sort of a high-powered comedy cocktail. It's ludicrous to try and explain how comedy works. It just does. And here it works magically.

The film was originally made in 1941 but was held for release due to rights issues. Originally a play, it was still in its Broadway run and the film rights stipulated it couldn't come out until 1944.
Frank Capra knew he was going to be called up for Army service (for his propaganda film series Why We Fight) and had just enough time to make it before he had to go. And he made the most of it. There's so much plot crammed into the film and it moves at such a lightning pace that it should be easy for the viewer to get lost. But Capra's talents prevent this from ever happening.

It also helps that the film has an excellent script adapted from the play by the Epstein Brothers, who also won an Oscar for Casablanca.

Cary Grant plays his part way over the top. It's debatable whether this is good or not for the film. I say for the most part the performance works. There are a few scenes where he appears to react to the camera that left me cringing. Not his best work, but I couldn't think of anyone better for the role.

It's hard to believe Priscilla Lane got second billing. Apart from the opening scenes, she's barely there and never anywhere near the center of the action. Although she was a good actress, she's not much more than a pretty face here.



As Dr. Einstein, Peter Lorre shines in an all too rare comic role. He also gets to use some of his great ad-libbing skills with Cary Grant in a few memorable scenes.

Raymond Massey plays a good, if dry, heavy as the Boris Karloff look-alike. Karloff actually played the role on stage but couldn't do the film because of his theater obligations. He would have been better.

I found John Alexander's role as 'Teddy Roosevelt' Brewster to be amazingly annoying at first but warmed to his lunacy as the film went on and wound up liking the character.

The real stars of the film are Jean Adair and Josephine Hull. The two kindly old aunts are the center of the black comedy and are hilarious. Their exuberant and carefree attitudes about their victims was alluded to again and again and never got old throughout the film. They are never the least bit sinister.



Arsenic And Old Lace is a hilarious dark tale perfect for when you want laughs instead of scares around Halloween... or anytime of the year.

The Thief Of Bagdad

The Thief Of Bagdad
1940 - United Artists
Directed By Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, Tim Whelan



SYNOPSIS

Prince Ahmad (John Justin) has been deposed as ruler of Bagdad by the evil wizard Jaffar (Conrad Veidt) and imprisoned. He meets a young thief Abu (Sabu) and the two escape to Basra. There, Ahmad falls in love with a princess (June Duprez.) But Jaffar visits the town and takes her for his bride. She escapes but Jaffar blinds Ahmad and turns Abu into a dog. The two set off on a journey to find her and encounter a genie, magic carpet, a flying mechanical horse and more!



MY THOUGHTS

A nearly perfect adventure film for kids of all ages.

Thief of Bagdad is a fun and enchanting ride. It's made up of many of the best bits from the classic 1,001 Nights/Arabian Nights and is a delight from start to finish.

The brilliant early Technicolor process makes the film look as good as or even better than The Adventures Of Robin Hood or The Wizard Of Oz... in other words beautiful. As in those films, the colors aren't quite a perfect match to reality, so it makes the whole look of the film like a storybook.

Conrad Veidt plays an excellent villain and this was one of his most well known performance of his career which stretched from the classics The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to Casablanca.
John Justin was an adequate, if a bit effete, hero. June Duprez barely even registered.
Sabu shines as Abu. His sheer enthusiasm outweighs his limitations as a dramatic actor and he's one of the highlights here.
Rex Ingram, as the genie, is the other highlight. He makes the most of his 'small' screen time, with his larger than life performance. It was a rare, meaty non-stereotypical role for an African American during the 1940's.



Some of the special effects are still dazzling 70 years later, but most look horribly dated, thanks to the technological leaps since then. They must have looked amazing in its initial release.

There were a few shockingly violent images involving head wounds that may scare young ones, but they are very brief.

It's also odd the overuse of many Hindu gods and images in a Islamic world. I wonder if the filmmakers just threw them in because the (pre-globalization) public didn't know better and they looked cool.

But overall, the film is fast paced and an exciting swashbuckling adventure that could keep young kids attention, even 70 years later.

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
1939 - Columbia Pictures
Directed By Frank Capra



SYNOPSIS

A U.S. Senator dies, and the governor of the state appoints the naive leader of the Boy Rangers, Jefferson Smith (James Stewart.) The governor (Guy Kibbee) is part of a corrupt political machine run by newspaperman Jim Taylor (Edward Arnold.) The governor believes Smith can be easily controlled. But when a land graft scheme put in place by Taylor interferes with a bill Smith proposes... Taylor and his machine move to crush Smith before he can expose their plot.



MY THOUGHTS

An inspiring and masterful work featuring the second team-up of director Frank Capra and star James Stewart.

The film remains relevant more than 70 years later. In the late 30's corrupt politicians were a dime a dozen, and despite inflation, cost the same today.
The little guy taking on a massive foe is a story that's been told a million times (it was old when David vs. Goliath was written down) and will keep being told and will never get old. Mr. Smith is David and the corrupt political machine is Goliath.

Capra weaves what could easily be a boring, long winded political snore-fest but he makes every scene further the plot and move the story at a fast and exciting pace. The director knew how to manipulate (in a good way) his audience and get them to feel the way he wanted. Investing the audience emotionally makes for a more exciting film. Capra is also able to weave in some Poli-Sci lessons in the narrative and teach the viewer a little bit about democracy. Capra's skills are the obvious reason why the U.S. Government called on him to make the Why We Fight series of propaganda films during the war.

James Stewart delivered one his best performances of his young pre-war career as Mr. Smith. He's a very sympathetic character and the audience stands steadfast at his side even with all the accusations against him. He shows here all the traits that would make him a huge star later.

Jean Arthur is also great as Smith's coldly cynical secretary who warms to the young senator's naive charms and becomes the only person who will listen to him.

With great heroes to root for, you also need great villains. Claude Rains turns in yet another flawless performance as the senior (and corrupt) senator from Smith's state. He always played his villainous roles with some compassion, making them more realistic and understandable. the characters of Edward Arnold's Taylor and Guy Kibbee's governor aren't as well developed but strong screen presences help them.

Many familiar faces like Harry Carey, Thomas Mitchell and H.B. Warner also offer support.

Mr. Smith was definitely a product of the era after President Roosevelt called the heads of Hollywood studios to Washington in the late 30's to ask them to help prepare the nation for war. World War I-themed films like The Dawn Patrol and The Fighting 69th were also part of the patriotic effort. This very strong pro-American tone might be a little strong for today's audiences but fits in perfectly with this era and the war years.



The whole story culminates in a nearly 24 hour filibuster and is one of the best sequences of the film filled with drama, suspense and humor and helps to cap off the themes of this excellent film, definitely deserving of the term "classic."

Bruno

Bruno
2009
Directed By Larry Charles



SYNOPSIS

Gay Austrian fashion star Bruno (Sasha Baron Cohen) decides he will become the biggest star in the world and heads to Hollywood.



MY THOUGHTS

Sasha Baron Cohen's previous film Borat was an inventive and fresh, mixing gross out and offensive humor with a incisive look at American culture and how outsiders are treated.

Much of the humor in "Borat" was all about riling up Americans and capturing their overreactions to Borat's outrageous antics.

Bruno (the character) should be even more polarizing (because of his homosexuality) and therefore even funnier than Borat.... but he's not... and neither is the film.
Borat was clueless and naive but Bruno always knows what he's doing and he's callous, so the audience definitely has a much harder time rooting for Bruno.

Bruno (the film) follows nearly the exact same format that Borat did, and it's not fresh at all the second time around.

There are a few hilarious sequences, like the Texas talk show where Bruno introduces his new black baby, OJ... or interviews a terrorist in the Middle East and tells the man that Osama Bin Laden looks like a homeless Santa Claus. These scenes are far and few between.

The scripted 'dramatic' scenes between Bruno and his assistant Lutz seem overly amateur and aren't even soap opera-level quality.

This film pales in every aspect compared to the far superior Borat. Skip it and re-watch Borat.

Holiday

Holiday
1938 - Columbia Pictures
Directed By George Cukor



SYNOPSIS

Johnny Case (Cary Grant) is head over heels in love with Julia (Doris Nolan.) In order to win her hand in marriage, he must impress her father (Henry Kolker) and show he has drive and ambition. But Johnny wants to retire young and live his life to the fullest and the father objects and Julia is not too happy about that revelation either. But this does intrigue Julia's free-thinking sister Linda (Katherine Hepburn.) Johnny must decide whether to compromise his dreams and live the dull life of a banker... or spend his life on holiday.



MY THOUGHTS

One of the most delightful romantic comedies from Hollywood's golden age.

If you've ever wondered why Katherine Hepburn was a big star, you must see Holiday. Hepburn often played fiercely independent, quick talking, quick acting, feisty women. This is one of the best examples of her screen image. She rules every scene she's in without overpowering her costars

Hepburn and Grant have electric chemistry, also on display in much better known Bringing Up Baby (which came out just months before Holiday) and The Philadelphia Story.



Cary Grant is great as usual. He's more blue-collar than his usual debonair screen image, which is a great contrast to the wealthy family he's trying to marry into. He's as funny as ever.

George Cukor's direction makes the most of the comedy and the drama contained in the superb script.

The film's script adds depth and substance to many of the roles which could have been just throwaway stereotypes, like Julia and Linda's perpetually drunk brother Ned played by Lew Ayers. He is depressed and sympathetic and offers wise advice and support for Hepburn and Grant's characters, instead of a wise-cracking drinker.
Even the father who could have come across as a stupid aristocrat, but the part is written more realistically than that. A typical screwball comedy of the era would go that route, but Holiday is so different from them, I wouldn't even classify it as one.

The message of the script is 'life is what you make it so make the most of it' but we're not hit over the head with it, which is always a good thing. The script also takes so well deserved jabs at capitalism taken to the extreme.

The sole weakness of the script (and the film) is that you can see the ending from a mile away. Hepburn is the top-billed star... and when she's not introduced as Johnny's girl, you know she will have him by the end. The film is still a sheer delight to watch. The journey is more fun than the destination... which isn't typical of your average 'Holiday," but here it is.