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"MARLOWE" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5 stars) Rated PG Studio: Warner Archive Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Based on the best selling book “The Little Sister” by Raymond Chandler, “Marlowe” stars James Garner as the classic hard-boiled detective trying to track down a missing person. He faces the mob, a murderer, strippers and even Bruce Lee as a would-be assassin.
WHAT I LIKED
I like a good hard-boiled detective story now and then. Of course, when I think of hard-boiled detectives, my mind immediately goes to pulp fiction, films from the 40s and throwback features made today. I don’t immediately stampede to the late 1960s. However, this backdrop does work for this story in a bizarre way.
Phillip Marlowe (Garner) takes a no-nonsense approach to the character rather than what you might expect. He doesn’t wear a trench coat, and he doesn’t wear a fedora. Instead, he plays it cool against the backdrop of the hippie revolution in Los Angeles. While the story kind of meanders around, “Marlowe” is enjoyable as a period piece, letting us see an older character in a then-modern setting.
It’s also a treat to see Rita Moreno, who was pushing 40 at the time but still looks fantastic as an exotic dancer. And considering this movie carries a PG rating, you get to see quite a bit of her in the money shots. Other great performances come from Carroll O’Connor (though we thankfully don’t see him doing a fan dance or anything) and Bruce Lee in one of his coolest action spots (with one of the best scene enders I’ve seen in a while) outside of his classic kung fu movies.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Like many movies of the late 60s, this one doesn’t hold up completely. While the actors are quite good and fun to watch, the story had a bit to be desired. The plot meanders around, and I was easily distracted. The hard-boiled detective juxtaposed against the hippies was humorous, but it just didn’t go far enough. The hippies showed up only occasionally, and the rest of the film seemed to not know exactly what its purpose was. By the time the mystery is revealed, you’re likely to forget what the actual mystery is.
DVD FEATURES
Like other releases in the Warner Archive selection, “Marlowe” comes without special features.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
James Garner fans and anyone who likes a good detective movie from the 60s or 70s.
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"GLEE ENCORE" Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: Fox Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
To coincide with the many iTunes and CD releases of “Glee,” the show’s biggest hits are now available on DVD and Blu-ray in a compressed format. No plots, story arcs or characters to mess up the flow with this. Instead, the first season of the popular TV show is boiled down to a 77-minute disc that features songs, songs and nothing but songs.
WHAT I LIKED
Honestly, I liked this presentation. I have railed against “Glee” as of late because it seems to be nothing more than a feeble attempt to sell iTunes downloads. And while I feel the show has suffered because of this, the music certainly hasn’t.
As the “Glee” plot becomes more about bridging songs together, the focus has been the music. Let’s give the people what they want. This “Encore” edition doesn’t preach to us about accepting kids that are different from us. It doesn’t cram an anti-bullying message down our throats. It just presents 30 cool cover songs in a nice package.
Because let’s face it... I’m not watching “Glee” for the story any more.
Ironically, when I watch “Glee” now, I zip through the songs as if they are commercials. This is done mainly because they have no bearing on the plot... or what passes for a plot on that show nowadays. The “Encore” edition allows me to experience these songs without them feeling like a nuisance.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Because all of these songs come from the first season of the show, they are sometimes confusing when plot elements bleed through. When Kurt screws up his solo on “Defying Gravity,” it just sounds awkward without knowing why it happens. Similarly, because the songs were so well blended (at least in the first half of season one), moving out of the songs on this wall-to-wall music disc appears rather clunky at times.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
Like the actual “Glee” DVDs and Blu-rays, this disc comes with a Jukebox mode which allows you to shuffle the songs at random.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Gleeks and anyone who wants to watch the musical numbers without the surrounding story.
