Category: Classics

ANNA KARENINA (2012) – The Review

How do you breathe new life into a 100 plus year old story that’s known by mullions worldwide? First you cast one of the most popular young actresses in the title role. And so Keira Knightley stars as Leo Tolstoy’s ANNA KARENINA. But that’s not quite enough for director Joe Wright (ATONEMENT) working from Tom Stoppard’s (SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE) screen adaptation. Wright doesn’t change the time period (the 1880’s) or the setting (Russia), but he uses several modern technology film tricks to make a version that is like no other. But will all these bells and whistles really enhance this new telling of romance and scandal?

The plot primarily centers on Anna (Knightley), the wife of older statesman Count Alexei Karenin (Jude Law) and mother to their 8 or 9 year-old son Sergei. She travels to visit her brother Stepan (Matthew Macfadyen) in order to mend the rift when his wife Dolly (Kelly Macdonald) learns of his affair with their children’s nanny. On the train Anna meets the dashing young cavalry officer Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a suitor of Dolly’s younger sister Kitty (Alicia Vikander). Vronsky is immediately smitten with the older Anna, and at a party for Kitty he lavishes all his attention on Anna. Kitty then turns to another suitor, Levin (Domhall Gleeson). In a subplot the two marry and return to his expansive country estate and farm. Meanwhile the affair between Anna and Vronsky causes a scandal in Moscow society circles. When Anna tries to leave her husband, Karenin threatens to cut her off from their son. Soon Anna is shunned by the aristocracy. Will she follow her passion with Vronsky or return to her former dull life?

For this new version we must believe in the passionate romance at the story’s center. Unfortunately Ms. Knightley and Mr. Taylor-Johnson just never seem to really click on screen. I’ve enjoyed much of her work (particularly in A DANGEROUS METHOD) and he was very strong in NOWHERE BOY and KICK-ASS, but there’s no real screen sparks here. She seems much too young to be the mother of a nine year-old (and too close to Vronsky’s age) and doesn’t possess the worldliness the character demands. Her infatuation with the young officer is too manic and her final desperate act reeks of selfishness. That same selfishness emanates from Vronsky also. With his impeccable fashions and preening (no hair is ever out of place) he comes across as a 19th teen pin-up. His immediate fixation on the married Anna remains a mystery. Her husband Count Karenin isn’t a cruel monster who would drive his wife into the arms of another. The film makes try to de-glamorize him, but Law’s handsome features are only slightly dulled by a poor haircut, spectacles, and scratchy beard. Sure the guy’s a bit of a cold fish, but he’s got more patience for his wife’s histrionics that most men would have. A great supporting cast can’t make up for the film’s problems with the central love triangle.

The staging (emphasis on stage) also hinders our emotional involvement in this tale of doomed, forbidden love. Wright has set the proceedings in an elaborate, fantasy theatre. The action spills from the stage onto the orchestra pit, then goes backstage with flats and scenery tucked into corners. Characters even climb stairs and have dialogue in the theatre’s rafters next to cable and sandbags. These intricate camera tricks just distract us from the plot and make everything seem distant and artificial. Wright does a bit of cheating when dealing with Levin’s country home (we’re trudging through endless fields of snow with him), a horse race, and a fireworks display (the theatre’s roof opens up to allow the rockets to explode in the night sky). I’m reminded of the elaborate Busby Berkley numbers from his thirties musicals. The sequences would end with unintended laughter when the final shot revealed the appreciative theatre audience split screened with the waterfalls and dancing multitudes. The actors are also saddled with outrageously intricate hand gesturing at a formal dance and the rhythmic filing and stamping by the minions at Stepan’s massive office. It’s clever, but they ultimately get in the story’s way. The costumes and hair styles are lovely, but they can’t overcome the film’s forced theatricality. Either make a movie or produce a play for goodness sake!  The decision to do both does no service to Tolstoy’s immortal heroine.

2.5 Out of 5 Stars

Hey STAR WARS ! Happy 35th !

Where were you 35 years ago, fellow movie geeks ( if you even existed ) ? Well, it turns out that today, May 25, 2012, is the 35th anniversary of the day the original STAR WARS ( it wouldn’t be given the episode IV subtitle for several years ) exploded on USA movie screens. This was the big one. Steven Spielberg had established the Summer as a prime time for escapist Hollywood blockbusters with JAWS in 1975 , but George Lucas solidified ” school’s out ” as the ” get out of the heat and lose yourself in a fantasy world ” season. It’s difficult to convey to you younger film fans what a game changer this was. Most sci-fi fantasy films were ultra-low budget saucers on the loose with guys in ill-fitting rubber suits B movies. We had the occasional big, stompin’ monster epics from Japan along with the James Bond series ( by then in the very tongue-in-cheek Roger Moore era ). The Planet of the Apes series had run its course, but the major studios would dip their toes in sci-fi with LOGAN’S RUN and THE OMEGA MAN. And there were re-issues of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. But these films didn’t have a sense of adventure that connected with 70’s movie audiences ( along with a great sense of humor ). This may be an amazing example of being in the right place at the right time. The public craved heroes and Lucas stepped up and delivered.

Here’s my personal SW story. I first became aware of the film in the early issues of Starlog  ( this full color newstand magazine devoted to sci-fi and fantasy films started in 1976. Talk about your right place/ right time ). In the upcoming films column they mentioned a movie from AMERICAN GRAFFITI director Lucas called STAR WARS about the adventures of ” Luke Starkiller “.  Hmmmm. I really enjoyed Graffiti, so I’ll have to check this out. Soon Starlog was teasing us with samples of Ralph McQuarrie’s pre-production art ( like the image up above ). When I began college in Chicago, I hit the used bookstores and found this recent paperback from Ballentine Books’ SF line:

As you see, the cover also featured McQuarrie’s art. In November of 76 I decided to treat myself after a long week of school and go to one of the premiere downtown Chicago movie houses, the McClurg Court, and see this boxing flick called ROCKY. Well before meeting Mr. Balboa on those mean streets of Philly, several previews were shown, one of which was this teaser from 20th Century Fox:

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We in the theatre audience were a bit dumbfounded. I Imagined thought bubbles coming from everyone’s heads that proclaimed ” Huh? ” and ” Wha-?”. The fellow behind the sweet 60’s nostalgia flick is slumming with rockets and weird ” thingies “.  Fox is gonna’ take a bath with this!  Items would appear in movie columns over the next few months. In the Spring of 77 Marvel Comics published a monthly comic book tie-in/adaptation of the May release. It featured terrific Howard Chakyn art with a taut script from Conan scribe Roy Thomas. Marvel had done some licenced properties before, but could this find an audience?

Soon I was in the last days of my freshman year of college. On my way to class, the current issue of Time magazine caught my eye poking out of a newsstand. There across the top, above the logo was the banner: ” Inside the year’s best movie”. Past the Middle East conflict cover story was a rave review of STAR WARS. And I found out that it was opening in the Chicago area that Friday. I hatched a plan. After Dinner at the dorm that night, my new pals Dave and Chad ( names changed ) and I would walk the twelve blocks to the single screen Esquire theatre, just off Michigan Avenue, and catch the 8 PM show. We got there a half hour or so early and joined the growing line on the street. When the previous showing let out a very odd thing happened. Complete strangers were coming up to people in line and proclaiming, ” You’re gonna’ love it!’. Wow, this may be something!

We settled into our seats in the middle of the auditorium. The Fox logo appeared with the fanfare extending with the extra horns that used to signal a Cinemascope film. I was hooked already. This night was one of my best movie going experiences ever. Everyone gasped when the first ships passed over the camera. They booed and hissed at the arrival of Darth Vader. Several special effects shots were greeted with enthusiastic applause ( particularly the Millenium Falcon’s first jump to light speed ). Chad, who’s a huge John Wayne fan, whispered to me during the cantina scene, ” This is a Western!’. After staying to see all of the long list of end credits, we walked energized out on to the street. We came across a still open record store ( ah, remember them? ) and David bought the 2 disc soundtrack set. Back at the dorm we listened to John Williams’s stirring score into the wee hours while telling our dorm pals that they absolutely had to see this movie. The next day I was to have a Saturday afternoon date with a woman from my school. First lunch, then back to the Esquire for a matinee! There I heard a man telling his son, ” This is like Flash Gordon! “.

Returning to Southern Illinois for Summer break, I awaited the film’s opening in Carbondale. This was before the 3000 screen same day releases, so the film slowly made its way to smaller markets over the next months. But the trailer was playing. A reviewer for the SIU-Carbondale student paper wrote that the only good thing about the EXORCIST sequel was the STAR WARS Trailer playing with it. When it finally opened at the old Fox theatre, I made sure that my student movie-making pal Todd was with me at its Carbondale premiere. I had to rescue him from the concession stand so he wouldn’t miss the first scene! Later the Summer I also picked up the 2 LP set, more Marvel Comics ( they reprinted those first six issues countless times, perhaps saving the comics industry from collapse ), several movie magazines featuring the cast and characters and an eight  minute scene released on Super 8 color sound ( those pricey Betamax video recorders didn’t have current films and the home video explosion was still 4 or 5 years away ) which was looped on to my old hot projector whenever I got the chance. And this was before the merchandise really exploded with the Kenner toy line. Back in Chicago for my sophomore year, the film was still playing at several theatres ( that next May a suburban theatre still playing the film placed a full-page newspaper ad featuring a one year cake adorned with the Kenner action figures ). At the dorm we listened to the Williams score and the Meco disco mix, I drew up a SW themed Christmas card and dressed up as Obi Wan for the big Halloween party ( always grew the beard when I went back to school ). I probably ended up seeing the film 25 times over that first year of release. And this was the standard wall decoration for all the dorm rooms….

The legacy lives on! We certainly wouldn’t have this weekend’s MEN IN BLACK 3 and the box office juggernaut MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS without that odd little epic that seemed to come out of nowhere. No amount of dismal prequels or endless directorial tweeking will erase my memories of that magical May night. So, what are your special remembrances? Drop a comment here or at our Facebook page. Obi-Wan’s last bit of dialogue from the film can certainly be applied to the legacy of STAR WARS : ” The force will be with you…always”

 

MIRROR, MIRROR (2012) – The Review

Last year it seemed that Hollywood was taking a short break from adaptations of toys, video games, comic books, and TV shows when two films were announced that would be live-action versions of classic fairy tales. Well, actually both would be based the same tale ” Snow White and the Seven Dwarves ” by the Brothers Grimm. The entertainment news magazines, blogs, and TV programs were all a flutter. Remember the dueling big asteroid and volcano movies from a decade ago! Would the movie-going public be interested in two versions of that raven-haired heroine? And more importantly, who would make it to the multiplex first?  Slowly photos and trailers hit the internet and it became clear that the films were quite different in tone. The darker, action-heavy SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN would fit better, perhaps, amid the big, blockbuster thrill-rides of the Summer. Spring was deemed a better time for a more lighter, irreverent, frothy retelling and so MIRROR, MIRROR is the first to hit the screens. Will this Snowy be the fairest flick of the two?

Most of us are pretty familiar with the basic story thanks to Disney’s ground-breaking first animated feature film. The MIRROR team has re-worked the plot and added bits and pieces from other fables and fairy stories. As it begins, the wicked stepmother queen herself ( Julia Roberts ) brings us up to speed with a prologue acted out by shiny porcelain puppets ( CGI, no doubt ). After the King disappeared into the dark forest many years ago, she’s ruled the kingdom ( plunging it into a constant dreary winter ) and kept lovely Snow White ( Lilly Collins ) locked away in the castle. The queen’s running out of funds and may have to marry the frumpy, older, much richer Baron ( Michael Lerner ). The villagers of the kingdom are almost taxed to starvation (shades of Robin Hood ). But then she meets the handsome Prince Alcott ( Armie Hammer ) after he and his valet are robbed by a pack of seven ( ! ) bandits in the nearby woods. Her plans go askew when he meets… guess who at the big animal-themed costume ball ( a bit of Cinderella there ). Banishment, deception, sorcery, reunions, and new friendships occur as the film hurtles towards several big reveals and the ( hopefully! ) happy ending.

This marks the fourth film of director Tarsem Singh ( he made THE IMMORTALS last year ). He gives us many of the same visual tricks ( slow and fast motion, extreme color palettes, wire-work acrobatics, rapid cutting ), but doesn’t have a light touch that this material demands. There’s no THE PRINCESS BRIDE subtlety on display here. There are opulent palace sets, outrageous over the top gowns ( hey Costume Design Oscar nominators! ), and an overly busy Allan Menkin score to capitalize every wink and grimace. And Singh seems to just be moving the cast like chess pieces ( as the queen does in an early scene ) toward the big action set-ups. Julia Robert’s drag-queen villainy and vanity, perhaps a riff on Tallulah Bankhead ( Google her kids! ), quickly becomes tedious. She’s also the mirror reflection/ witch who stares blankly, wears all white, delivers cryptic warnings, and sends killer marionettes ( huh? ) after the heroes. Collins’s Snow is a fairly vacant princess who looks lovely ( even with Peter Gallagher eyebrows ), but tends to be overshadowed in many scenes. She finally gets a bit more interesting after meeting the dwarves and gets a training montage ( surprised I didn’t hear ” Eye of the Tiger’! ) and a makeover ( ?! ) by the metro sexual member of the gang. Speaking of the seven, they’re played by actual diminutive actors ( as opposed to being “hobbit-ized” ) and are not the jewel-miners from the 37′ classic. After taking off their accordian-legs ( really !) we find that each has a name reflective of a trait or habit ( ” Grub ” loves to eat! ” Chuck” likes to laugh or chuckle! Sooo cuuute! And clever! ). One’s got a little crush on Snow and comes off a tad creepy. Hammer is pretty and prince-ly as Alcott ( should make the ladies’ hearts flutter ), but is too pompous and comes off as a teasing older brother in scenes with ” kid sister ” Snow. There’s very few sparks between the two. The very talented Nathan Lane is wasted as the queen’s put-upon aide who looks fearful as he scurries about ( literally after getting hexed! ) and peppers his royal compliments with a sarcastic snark. I was delighted to see a couple of great screen vets. Lerner get delightfully frustrated in his pursuit of the queen, while former ” brat packer” Mare Winningham as the head of castle cleaning and kitchens tries to nurture Snow while placating the queen. Most of the sets are imaginative except for the overused white-blanketed forest. Even in bare feet nobody seems cold there. The very small kiddies may find this amusing, but the pacing and tiresome attempts at wit should have the elders glancing at the time. For a wise cracking jab at story books I’ll take the first SHREK or PRINCESS BRIDE over this ( and I’ll take Jay Ward’s still fresh and hilarious ” Fractured Fairy Tales” from TV’s “The Bullwinkle Show” over all of them). I hope Charlize, Bella Swan, and Thor have a better flick with their take on this timeless tale in a few months.

Overall Rating : 1.5 Out of 5 Stars

THE ARTIST (2011) – The Review

So far this holiday season we moviegoers have seen Martin Scorsese’s magical tribute to cinema’s infancy, HUGO. In that film he uses all the 3D CGI modern movie marvels to recreate the ” flickers” of the early twentieth century. And now from French director Michel Hazanavcius comes his loving homage to old Hollywood, THE ARTIST. But this film differs from HUGO in that it attempts to completely emulate those golden classics. No 3D or CGI used here. Or color. Or sound (there’s a great musical score, but no spoken dialogue-just title cards). You may think that this is just a gimmick, while some movie fans may roll their eyes at having to read the film. Ah, but it’s no gimmick and the title cards do not make viewing the film a chore. On the contrary, I believe this enhances the whole movie experience. It helps to immerse you into this quiet, stylized, alternate universe. If this is your introduction to the wonders of silent cinema, then you are a lucky film fan with many more wonders to explore.

Well, let’s first get back to THE ARTIST. It begins in 1925 at the big premiere of matinee idol George Valentin’s (Jean Dujardin) new big screen action epic. Outside the theatre as George talks to the press, a young flapper film fan, Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) accidentally gets past the barriers and is photographed with the screen star. Back at this home, George’s unhappy wife (Penelope Ann Miller) is not amused by the newspaper photos of him with his fan. The next morning, with the paper in hand, Peppy, joins the hopeful actors at the extras casting station inside Kinograph Studios. Peppy and George are re-united as she lands a bit part in his new movie. The two’s paths will cross many times over the next few years. Her star is on the rise as she becomes Kinograph’s new screen sweetheart. George’s star is on a different course. The head of the studio (John Goodman) tells him that sound is the future of motion pictures. George laughs this off as a fad and refuses to join in on the “all-talking” craze. He decides to swim against the tide and produce (and write, star, and direct) his next screen all-silent saga. Can George somehow get his career back on track and perhaps team up with Peppy once again?

Most film fans will recognize that set-up as a riff on A STAR IS BORN (at least three big screen versions) with the “talkies” panic subplot of SINGING IN THE RAIN tossed in. Like a great dish, it’s what the master chief does with these familiar ingredients. And write/director Hazanavcius is quite the cook. I’ve enjoyed his two OSS 117 sixties spy spoofs (OSS 117 : CAIRO, NEST OF SPIES and OSS 117- LOST IN RIO) with star Dujardin, but here he really goes beyond these parodies. He’s really given us characters that we’re emotionally invested in while not ignoring the comedy. Dujardin is not the buffoon-ish secret agent, but a very complex actor who’s at once child-like, gentle, egotistical, romantic, and in the depths of despair. He also really looks like a classic screen star (Valentin resembles Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. with more than a touch of the sound-adverse Charles Chaplin) and has an infectious grin. He may be the happiest movie Frenchman on screen since Maurice Chevalier. Bejo has great energy as the big, bright-eyed beauty who truly enjoys every aspect of her back lot adventures. She and Dujardin have terrific chemistry just by the way they look at one another. Miller goes from being an awe-struck fan of Valentin to his screen equal and eventually his protector. These two get great assistance from the several American-born stars. Goodman’s wonderful as the big, blustery poppa bear of a studio boss (a combination perhaps of Louis Mayer, Jack Warner, and Harry Cohn) who tries to project a hard-nosed business exterior, but really loves his staple of stars almost like his children. James Cromwell is also a nurturing fatherly figure as Valentin’s devoted, loyal chauffeur. Besides his work with the human actors , Dujardin also has a special screen bond with a gifted canine performer, a scruffy terrier that is his constant companion. Havzanavcius makes excellent use of the old Hollywood locations and glorious vintage automobiles. The gorgeous black and white cinematography gives the actors a glowing, silver sheen like the movie icons of the golden age. Now, the movie’s not completely silent . There’s a musical score that ranges from a bouncy, comedy theme to a big, brassy jazz number to a great Bernard Herriman piece from a another movie classic. I hate to sound like a film Grinch and say that the film could’ve trimmed eight or ten minutes of Valentin’s downward spiral, because the movie’s strengths far outweigh this minor quibble. For want of a better word, THE ARTIST is charming. Completely, disarmingly charming. This may be the best present we’ve gotten from France since Lady Liberty.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

TCM Brings Free Screening of THE BIRDS to Saint Louis

Come April 4th, watch the skies… but, do NOT stay inside! You’ll want to be at the Hi-Pointe Theatre in Saint Louis for this special, one night only screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic THE BIRDS.

Turner Classic Movies and Charter are bringing the Road to Hollywood tour to St. Louis in celebration of the TCM Classic Film Festival this April in Hollywood. Join TCM host Ben Mankiewicz and special guest Tippi Hedren for a free screening of THE BIRDS on Monday, April 4 at 7:30 PM at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. Log on to tcm.com/roadtohollywood to get your free tickets!

Try It Out Thursday: THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

Saturday night, I was scouting around trying to find something to watch that interested me. Cable was the same old reruns of old television shows and movies. I wanted something I hadn’t seen before. I wanted a new adventure, so I turned to Netflix. I stumbled upon a film from 1932 that intrigued me; THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. The cast included Lesley Howard (best known as Ashley Wilkes from GONE WITH THE WIND), Myrna Loy (best known from the THIN MAN series) and Ann Harding.

The story revolves around the characters of Tom Collier (Lesley Howard), Daisy Sage (Ann Harding) and Cee Henry (Myrna Loy). Tom is a free thinker and has been living that lifestyle; enjoying art and only publishing books that he actually would want to read. Tom thinks that it is time to become respectable so he announces his engagement, but it is not to longtime girlfriend Daisy but to Cee, a New York socialite. Cee represents everything that he has been running away from in his father’s world. It doesn’t take him too long after the marriage to realize the mistake that he has made. Cee shows herself to be conniving and deceitful while Daisy only wants what is best for Tom. Tom must choose between his desire for Cee and Daisy. Which one fulfills him more as a person? The acting is stellar.

The film is a bit stilted; it is an adaptation of a staged play that was filmed. The film touches on topics of premarital sex, adultery, love and friendship. It is the film version of a Philip Barry play. This film was the first of three of his plays to be filmed: HOLIDAY (1938) and THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940). It is interesting to see Myrna Loy as an unsympathetic character. She usually plays someone the audience likes, but it is hard to like or root for her here. Lesley Howard plays a much more interesting character than I have seen him portray before; here he is multi-dimensional and interesting.

This film is not from the beginning of either of their careers but it is a footnote to things to come. I am glad that I found it. I love HOLIDAY and THE PHILADELPHIA STORY and was glad to discover another film written by Phillip Barry. THE ANIMAL KINGDOM is available on Netflix instant stream. Enjoy.

Try It Out Thursday: IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT

I would not be a movie geek if it weren’t for classic movies.  My dad was a huge movie buff and would see something on the tv that the family had to sit down and watch. And that was my introduction to classic movies.  I am going to pass along some titles that I think are must sees.  If you have recommendations for me I would love to hear from you.

One of my favorite movie genres is the screwball comedy. Screwball comedies have a set of defining characteristics: rapid dialogue, nonsensical situations and some form of courtship that leads to marriage or remarriage. Many of these characteristics are evident in today’s Romantic Comedies.  Its beginning is credited with the film IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT in 1934. The film starred Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.  It was directed by Frank Capra. The story revolves around an heiress, Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) who defies her father, Alexander Andrews (Walter Connelly), by marrying a fortune hunter, King Westley (Jameson Thomas).  The father wants to annul the marriage, so Ellie runs away, by bus, loses all her money and meets up with a journalist, Peter Warne (Clark Gable).  The situations that arise along the journey from Florida to New York are hilarious.   This movie is also credited with making undershirts unpopular.  Watch the film to discover why.  The film was a sleeper at the box office but word of mouth helped to make it the top box office success for Paramount.  It went on to win 5 Academy Awards: Outstanding Production, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Writing Adaptation.  If you haven’t seen the film, let me know how you like it.  If you have seen it, watch it again and enjoy.

DVD Review: Walt Disney Animation Collection: Classic Short Films Vol. 1-6

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Those of my generation grew up in the sense the second of three waves in a long-held reign over animated filmmaking by Disney. The beloved and well-known classics like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Lady and the Tramp inhabit the first wave which dominated the 1940s through the 1960s. My generation embraces fond memories of the era spanning the 1970s and 80s with films like Robin Hood, The Black Cauldron, and The Fox and the Hound. The third wave began in the 1990s with films like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King and actually recaptured the hearts of children with massive popularity. In our contemporary time, the popularity of the traditional hand-drawn cell animation has waned greatly and favor has fallen to the computer-animated films that now claim the hearts of children of all ages.

With the rapid development of technology and the increasing demand for bigger and better displays of technical wizardry, films today often fall into the trap of creating all form and little content. I’m often reminded of days past when animation was both a fascinating technical achievement as well as a marvelous outlet for creative storytelling. With little more than pen and paper, an artist such as Walt Disney could bring any creation his imagination could possibly concieve to life on film and that’s precisely what he set out to accomplish. With all the amazing animated feature films created under the Disney banner, few hold the pure and untarnished joy that can be had from the many animated shorts made by Disney. These shorter, less widely distributed films have suffered a lengthy hibernation, becoming relatively unknown by current generations.

Fortunately for us, and thanks to the technology of home entertainment on DVD, Disney has finally found an outlet for these classic short animated films that will hopefully reach a larger mass of viewers and a newer era of young, impressionable eyes to rekindle the magic that has long been left to collect dust. I’ll be honest and admit that I haven’t always felt Disney’s newer animated films were equal to their predecessors, but that’s merely my own opinion. However, I gladly encourage others to indulge themselves in the newly released Walt Disney Animation Collection, a series of six volumes of classic animated short films. Each of the six single DVDs contains an anthology of shorts that fall within a general theme.

The volume titled and containing Mickey and the Beanstalk also includes The Brave Little Tailor (my favorite on this volume), Gulliver Mickey, Thru the Mirror and Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip. The volume titled and containing The Prince and the Pauper also includes The Pied Piper, Old King Cole, A Knight For a Day, Ye Olden Days. The volume titled and containing Wind in the Willows also includes The Ugly Duckling, The Robber Kitten, The Grasshopper and the Ants, The Wise Little Hen, The Golden Touch. The volume titled and containing The Reluctant Dragon also includes Goliath II, Ferdinand the Bull and Johnny Appleseed. The volume titled and containing The Tortoise and the Hare also includes Babes in the Woods, The Saga of Windwagon Smith, The Goddess of Spring, Toby Tortoise Returns, Paul Bunyan. The volume titled and containing Three Little Pigs also includes The Big Bad Wolf, Three Little Wolves, Lambert the Sheepish Lion, Chicken Little, Three Blind Mouseketeers and Elmer Elephant.

Each of the short films on these six volumes look and sound good, especially those older ones that were done before color that really pop on DVD, but the films were not remastered for this release. This strikes me as a disappointing missed opportunity to reintroduce these classic shorts to new audience with added appeal. While I enjoyed going back and rewatching many of these films and seeing a few for the first time, I did find myself rather disappointed that their exist no features of any kind to accompany these anthologies.

One of the newer technical features on Disney’s DVDs is something called Fast Play, an option to skip all the “stuff” at the beginning of the disc and allows the viewer to jump straight to the meat of the disc. Good thing too, because I opted not to use this feature on the first volume and was amazed at how many previews and Disney-related commercials were crammed onto the disc.

Warner offers New Concept for DVD Collectors

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Good news here for the most devoted, hard-core movie geeks out there. Warner Brothers has announced a grand new concept they will be rolling out for the serious connoisseurs of classic cinema. Aptly named the Warner Archive Collection, the studio will be offering 150 never-before-available films on DVD on a custom ordering basis.

In other words, Warner Brothers will have an online virtual vault of these not-quite-lost films in which fans/collectors can browse, select a title(s) and the studio will actually burn and package a copy and send it to become a part of your beloved collection, all for about $19.95 and takes about five days.

This is a great idea and surprisingly ingenious and consumer-friendly from a major studio. For the customer, it offers a whole new selection of titles as well as a fun new experience for collectors. For the studio, it eliminates the need for up-front massive production of inventory that may or may not sell. The individual DVDs literally aren’t produced until they’ve been paid for.

The website for this wonderful new outlet is WarnerArchive.com and currently features such titles as William Conrad’s ‘Brainstorm’ (1965), ‘Captain Sinbad’ (1963), ‘Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze’ (1975), Greta Garbo in ‘The Kiss’ (1929), Clark Gable and Joan Crawford in ‘Possessed’ (1947) and Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers in ‘Once Upon a Honeymoon’ (1942)… plus, many more.

“With a cinematic legacy as rich and varied as that found within our library, the challenge has been to meet the voracious demand of consumers who are seeking their favorite films on DVD,” Warner Home Video marketing maven George Feltenstein said.

“Whether it’s an Academy Award-winning classic from Hollywood’s golden age, a sci-fi cult favorite from the ’70s or a silent rediscovery from the ’20s, the (collection) has something for everyone,” Feltenstein said. — HR

The collection not only includes Warner titles, but also will include titles from MGM and RKO. Warner’s immediate plans are to expand this selection by about 20 titles per month, initially reaching a selection of 300 movies and TV shows available exclusively through this online portal by the end of 2009.

As an accompanying enticement for movie geeks, Warner will be an iTunes podcast series called ‘The Golden Age of Hollywood’ whereas fans will be exposed to previously unseen goodies like archived interviews and more.

[source: Hollywood Reporter]

Lost & Found… ‘Hell Drivers’ (1957)

‘Hell Drivers’ opens with a promise of hi-octane fun. During the opening credits, a convoy of large trucks barrels down the road to the sound of what you might hear at a NASCAR event. The title appears and then we’re introduced to Tom Yately (Stanley Baker) as he attempts to get a job as a driver. It’s kind of funny, because you don’t typically think of movies about truckers coming from the UK. The job calls for drivers to work long, hard hours driving fast and making as many loads as possible. Tom, an ex-convict, seems reluctant to take such a risky job at first, but his employer is convinced he’ll do the job because the money’s good.

Think ‘Gone in Sixty Seconds’ except with big trucks and British accents. No, they’re not stealing trucks, but it’s all about driving fast and getting the job done without concern for the consequences. These drivers seem able to pull off the impossible, steering dump trucks filled with gravel around hair pin turns at 50 mph and remaining firmly on four wheels. Yeah, this was the fifties… dump trucks weren’t as “safety” conscious as they are today. Tom goes on his first “probationary” delivery run with his employer in the passenger seat. It’s quite a ride and Tom does everything in his power to both impress his boss and stay alive as well.

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