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"ALL ABOUT EVE" Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: 20th Century Fox Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The classic film about catty Hollywood hits Blu-ray for the first time. Bette Davis plays Margo Channing, and aging Broadway star who takes a young ingenue named Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) under her wing. However, it soon becomes clear that Eve has ulterior motives and is using her new connections with Margo to edge her way into the Broadway scene.
WHAT I LIKED
One of my favorite things about writing Blu-ray, DVD and movie reviews is that it gives me a chance to see classic films that I have missed and otherwise would miss on an ongoing basis. “All About Eve” is one such film, which I should have seen years ago but never got around to. Now, checking it out on Blu-ray for the first time makes me realize why it was such a hit so many years ago.
Hollywood loves stories about itself, and while this film is set on the Broadway stage, the parallels to the Hollywood life is undeniable. It’s a bitch fest that was quite in-your-face for 1950. Were it made today, it’d be too over-the-top, but the relatively restricted era in which it was made allowed it to go for subtlety and the surprise you with some pretty bawdy backstory moments.
“All About Eve” is deliciously fun to watch with characters playing versions of themselves (most noticeably Bette Davis) and being quite introspective for its day. It doesn’t quite erupt into craziness, which you’d expect from a contemporary film, but it twists the drama tight and allows the viewer to see that the lives of the rich and famous don’t always have happy endings.
And speaking of endings, not to drop any spoilers for people like me who haven’t seen this yet, but it offers an appropriately cynical look at the entertainment industry to the very bitter end.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
The only thing that really didn’t quite sit right with me was how “All About Eve” still managed to convince itself that it was a result of Hollywood glamour. Such was the media of the time, of course. Even when Hollywood was poking fun at itself and being self-critical, it still acknowledged that its elite was better than most people.
Sigh... if only Ricky Gervais could have waxed poetic on this film in 1950.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
This newly released Blu-ray book has a great assortment of special features, which is excellent for a film like this, considering the story behind the story is possibly more entertaining than the film itself.
Basic features include an audio commentary by actor Celeste Holm, Joseph Mankiewicz biographer Ken Geist and Christopher Mankiewicz. A second commentary features author Sam Staggs. There’s also an isolated score track for fans of the musical side of cinema.
There’s plenty of retrospectives of people involved in the film, including two spotlights on Joseph Mankiewicz, a look at Bette Davis and Anne Baxter vintage promos and four clips from Fox Movietone News. Additional features include “The Secret of Sarah Siddons” and “AMC Backstory,” as well as the theatrical trailer and a 24-page collectible booklet in the Blu-ray packaging.
Of course, the most intriguing feature is “The Real Eve,” which examines the origin of the original story and shows the catty nature of the original women involved.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
People who want a peek into the smarmy world of old Hollywood.
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"AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER" Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: 20th Century Fox Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
For the first time on Blu-ray, the classic 20th Century Fox romance “An Affair To Remember” comes to life again. Cary Grant plays a jet-setting playboy who meets a woman (Deborah Kerr) on an ocean liner. Even though they are both engaged to other people, they strike up a relationship and fall in love during their voyage. As they prepare to disembark, the two lovers agree to meet up six months later, but a tragic string of events prevents the meeting, and they must continue with their lives.
WHAT I LIKED
Like many classic films, I had missed “An Affair To Remember” for years. Yeah, I had seen “Sleepless in Seattle” (which I wasn’t very fond of at all), but it never quite inspired me to see this film. Fortunately, its debut on Blu-ray has allowed me to finally check this out.
I’m not a huge fan of the classic romances, often preferring the modern romantic comedy over the love stories of yesteryear. But like many classic films, I can respect a movie like “An Affair to Remember.” The thing I liked most about this movie (which was better than the inspired “Sleepless in Seattle”) is that we actually get to see the characters fall in love. There’s a nice, healthy development of their story while on the ocean liner, and so it makes the film all the more heartbreaking when their lives keep them apart afterwards.
This film was made in a time of movie stars, and it’s clear that Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr were the real draws here. Both are pleasant and charismatic on screen. They have chemistry, which makes a viewer want them to reunite.
On the whole, “An Affair To Remember” is a satisfying romance that works from beginning to end, featuring movie stars of the day that you just can’t help but adore.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
The only problems with this movie are products of its era, but without them it wouldn’t be a classic film. Still, the flowery talk of love gets a bit much at times, and I can’t help but think that Cary Grant might just be a little too old for Deborah Kerr.
Still, it’s a sweet story and something that any film fan should check out at least one in his or her life.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
This new Blu-ray has plenty of special features, including an audio commentary by singer Marni Nixon and film historian Joseph McBride. There are spotlights on Deborah Kerr, Cary Grant, director Leo McCary and producer Jerry Wald. Additional featurettes include “The Look of An Affair To Remember,” “AMC Backstory: An Affair To Remember” and two Fox Movietone Newsreels.
Additional features for this Blu-ray include the theatrical trailer as well as the 24-page collectible book packaging.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of the classic cinema romance.
