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"THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS: DIRECTOR’S DEFINITIVE CUT" Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) Unrated Studio: 20th Century Fox Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Director Michael Mann brings James Fenimore Coopers famous novel to the big screen. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Hawkeye, an adopted son of the Mohicans who falls in love with the daughter of a British colonel during the French and Indian War. When his enemies attack the British, Hawkeye takes it upon himself to save the woman he loves and return to the frontier to save the innocent families from attack by the French and the Hurons.
WHAT I LIKED
“The Last of the Mohicans” came out following the unprecedented success of Kevin Costner’s “Dances with Wolves,” and a more understanding view of the Native Americans was all the rage at the time. Now, almost twenty years later, this film seems like a more level-headed approach to the conflicts on the historic American frontier.
There are several elements of this movie that really work well. The first is the cinematography, which was achieved against a pristine and almost untouched wilderness. The presentation of the film in high definition is great and captures the rugged majesty of the frontier. Regardless of character and storytelling, this is a beautiful film to watch again on Blu-ray.
The other aspect of filmmaking that really adds character and soul to this film is the soundtrack, which has a glorious tone to it. Even today, looking back on the film which I saw almost two decades ago, I remember the music most of all.
Finally, when “The Last of the Mohicans” delves into the action film genre, it has some pretty powerful moments. In particular, the battle sequences solidly put the viewer in the thick of the action.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Like many of Michael Mann’s films, I found certain elements to be brilliant and others to be rather flat. The story (which isn’t really his fault, aside from the ability to adapt a difficult source) is a little plodding. The characters aren’t fully formed, and the relationships and actions aren’t always clear.
This was Daniel Day-Lewis’ first film after winning the Oscar for his role in “My Left Foot,” and while much ado was made about his method acting, he really gives a mundane-yet-overacted performance in this film. I’m sure he was in the moment, but for the viewer, it just seemed that he was phoning things in.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
The Blu-ray includes a new director’s cut of the film as well as a commentary by Mann. But the motherload of bonus material lays in the long-form documentary “Making of The Last of the Mohicans,” which examines the development of the film from script to final product.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Michael Mann fans.
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"THE MALTESE FALCON" Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: Warner Bros. Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
When a beautiful femme fatale comes into detective Sam Spade’s office one day, he never suspects this will lead him into a dangerous world of greed, murder and corruption. Originally hired to find a missing person, Spade soon finds himself searching for a jewel-encrusted falcon that is being smuggled into the country. John Huston directs this classic tale about the deadly sin of avarice.
WHAT I LIKED
I’ve always been drawn to the film noir genre, especially since so many other films of the 1940s have a more friendly and light-hearted tone to them. “The Maltese Falcon” is such an influential film in this aspect that it’s hard to even watch it without finding a full appreciation for how it handles the elements of film noir.
The strongest part of this film is the cast, starting with Humphrey Bogart in a career-making performance. Having always played smaller parts in the past, it’s almost surprising that this was the first time he really got a chance to shine as the lead. And even so, he plays the character of Spade in many shades of gray. Also fantastic in the film is Peter Lorre as one of the men trying to get his hands on the falcon.
As is explained in the saturated special features on the Blu-ray, “The Maltese Falcon” was committed to the screen twice before, and this was the only one that was a huge hit. It’s one of those exceptionally crafted films that could have easily not been made, and the story behind the making of the movie is just as interesting as the film itself.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
I know this might be stepping on some toes, but I wasn’t wild about Mary Astor in the film. As an actress, she just doesn’t do it for me, as I really don’t find her attractive or compelling. I know a lot of people love her in this film, and that’s great for them. However, I was very soft on her performance. Fortunately, she’s surrounded by plenty of strong actors to really carry the film.
Again, I know that’s not the popular view, so apologies to all the Mary Astor fans out there.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
Along with “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” “The Maltese Falcon” has been released with a full slate of bonus features on the Blu-ray. There’s a commentary track with Bogart biographer Eric Lax as well as three radio show adaptations of “The Maltese Falcon,” playable from the menu. The featurette “The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird” tells the story of the film, and the featurette “Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart” give a snapshot of Bogey’s career through advertising. Additional features include make-up tests and a blooper reel from Warner Bros. in 1941.
One of the neatest things about the Warner Bros. library is that the DVDs and Blu-rays often come with the “Warner Night at the Movies,” which includes a slate of short subjects before the feature. This disc includes a newsreel, the musical short “The Gay Parisian,” two Looney Tunes cartoons and a selection of movie trailers.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
People who love film noir and Humphrey Bogart.
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"THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE" Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: Warner Bros. Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
After John Huston made Humphrey Bogart a star in “The Maltese Falcon,” they teamed up again for “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.” In this film, Bogart plays a drifter who teams up with another drifter and an old prospector to find gold in the hills of Mexico. Things are going great as they amass a small fortune, but soon bandits, paranoia and personal greed threaten their new wealth.
WHAT I LIKED
“The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” was released along with “The Maltese Falcon” on Blu-ray to celebrate Bogart and Huston’s best collaborations. And while I dearly love the film noir genre, I think I enjoyed “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” better.
Both films deal with the corruption of greed and how we can be our own worst enemies when it comes to dealing with new wealth. The theme is very clear that money corrupts, and you can only be truly happy if you can say good-bye to all of it if need be.
Bogart turns in a fantastic performance in this film, playing possibly even a darker character than the gray character of Sam Spade in “The Maltese Falcon.” He exhibits a brilliant level of nuance as he changes from a bum down on his luck to a man filled with paranoia and lust for money.
Serving as an unconventional western and a serious drama, “The Treasure of Sierra Madre” is a very special film that doesn’t come along very often. And getting a new release on Blu-ray makes it look great, even with the grainier film stock than we have today.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Not a whole lot. This film is a unique gem.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
Like “The Maltese Falcon,” this Blu-ray comes with a commentary by Bogart biographer Eric Lax and a radio show adaptation with the original film stars. Additional features include the documentary “Discovering Treasure: The Story of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” and a long-form profile of John Huston as a director.
This disc also is presented with Warner Night at the Movies, featuring an introduction by Leonard Maltin, a newsreel, two cartoons (including “8 Ball Bunny,” in which Bogey makes a cameo as his character from “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”), a comedy short and a slate of theatrical trailers.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Bogey fans and anyone working their way through the AFI 100 Films list.
