BUCK PRIVATES
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars)
As part of Universal’s celebration of 100 years as a movie studio, the Abbott and Costello film “Buck Privates” has been newly released on Blu-ray with a remastered print. This classic features the famous comedy duo in one of their most famous earlier films. They play two schlubs who are go into the Army to avoid jail time. Once there, they bumble around during peacetime preparation, causing slapstick problems.
More an assembly of funny sketches, “Buck Privates” still plays very funny without much of a story behind it. The chemistry between Abbott and Costello shines through the movie, and it’s easy to see why this film was a hit back in 1941. Even though it dealt with a peacetime Army as it was produced on the eve of America entering World War II, it comes off as a light-hearted look at the men in uniform. It gave the country a reason to laugh as it was still coming out of the Depression.
I tend to remember Abbott Costello for their famous turns in monster movies of the 1950s, this is a neat insight into their earlier movie career. The film has plenty of funny moments and, even though it’s short on plot, it’s neat to watch.
The film also is notable for introducing the world to the Andrew Sisters’ “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” Sure, the Andrew Sisters’ songs are slid into the movie with even less finesse than the sketch comedy bits of Abbott and Costello, but it still plays well, especially as a piece of history.
This new Blu-ray offers “Buck Privates” for the first time in high definition with a fantastic and clean transfer. In fact, this is one of the better transfers I’ve seen of a black and white film, let alone one that’s more than 70 years old.
The disc comes packaged with the DVD in a collector’s series book. The special features on the discs are a little slim, offering only the theatrical trailer and a one-hour TV special from the 90s called “Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld.” Still, this is a decent retrospective into their careers, even if it does use lesser actors to recreate some of their more memorable sketches. Additional features include three featurettes from the 100 Years of Universal slate: “Restoring the Classics,” “The Carl Laemmle Era,” and “Unforgettable Characters.”
SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS
DVD Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Another entry into Universal’s celebration of 100 years of movies is “Sullivan’s Travels,” with a new DVD edition. The story follows a successful Hollywood writer and producer who wants to connect with the common man during the Depression. So, he dresses as a hobo and decides to live with the bums to get a better look at life so he can produce a serious piece about the forgotten men. Of course, things go awry as he keeps getting pulled back into his life of leisure.
As poverty and financial struggles are still commonplace (as they will be in any era), and the snooty elite misunderstanding of such is just as prevalent, “Sullivan’s Travels” works even 70 years past the Great Depression. This is a highly satirical piece, poking fun at Hollywood itself and showing how out of touch it can be.
The film works both as a comedy and a serious film, though it is presented as a comedy. But it has a lot to say about the chasm between the common people and those making entertainment for them. Still, this rather biting message isn’t pushed too hard and is left for people to interpret for themselves. The genius of “Sullivan’s Travels” is to present such things in the background of the story and let the comedy play for itself.
And boy does that comedy work. From an early car/bus chase during Sullivan’s first step into a greater world, the movie hits the audience hard with slapstick and physical comedy. Later, after introducing the world to Veronica Lake, it allows for more silliness to take hold. Even after the film takes a rather serious turn late in the second half, it manages to turn around and still find the humor in such a grim situation.
“Sullivan’s Travels” is a film lost on younger generations that should really make a point to rediscover it, especially because what it has to say is still so relevant today.
This newly released DVD celebrated Universal’s 100 years of making movies. Bonus features include the theatrical trailer as well as two “100 Years of Universal” featurettes including “The Carl Laemmle Era” and “The Lew Wasserman Era.”
CHARADE
DVD Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *1/2 (out of 5 stars)
Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn transcend several genres in the classic film “Charade,” which has just had a new DVD release to celebrate Universal’s 100 years of movies. Not only does this film take a new spin on the 60s spy thriller, it also dips its toe in the romantic comedy of the era.
Hepburn plays a socialite who is widowed while vacationing in France. She soon finds herself the target of several men – some spies from her husband’s past and some from the actual CIA. She soon teams with a mysterious stranger (Grant), who helps her discover the secrets about her husband. All this leads to a rather dangerous race to find a hidden treasure.
Like many of the films of Audrey Hepburn, the film is balanced on her shoulders and held there by her likeability. Grant’s charisma adds to the charm of the movie, and even though there are some serious and dangerous dealings happening, it’s still a fun romp.
“Charade” was made just as the spy genre was taking off, only a couple years after James Bond made his debut on movie screens. The genre hadn’t fallen too far into cliches yet, and there was a freshness about it. Plus, this allowed the film to take some chances you might not have seen were it made five or ten years later.
While it holds up as a cat-and-mouse thriller, though not in a grim or heavy way, it also works as a fine romance. Sure, Cary Grant is a bit too old for Hepburn, but they’re just so charming together on the screen that you can forgive a lot of the overt creepiness.
The film is held together with a strong cast, including supporting performances by Walter Matthau, James Coburn and George Kennedy. Even if you’re not a fan of the films of the 60s, this one is worth a look because it holds up much better than many of its contemporaries. Plus, that opening credits sequence by Maurice Binder is awesome.
This newly released DVD celebrates Universal’s 100 years of making movies. Bonus features include the theatrical trailer as well as two “100 Years of Universal” featurettes including “The Carl Laemmle Era” and “The Lew Wasserman Era.”
MY MAN GODFREY
DVD Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5 stars)
Another installment in Universal’s celebration of 100 years as a movie studio is “My Man Godfrey,” getting a new DVD release. The story is a classic example of the screwball comedies of the 30s, featuring William Powell as a “forgotten man” who is brought into high society by Carol Lombard to be her new butler. However, the crazy antics of the wealthy family begins to wear thin on the situation, causing tension among everyone involved.
“My Man Godfrey” is one of those movies that more people have heard about than actually seen. There’s less of a push to see 75-year-old films nowadays, and that’s a shame because this is a seminal movie that sets the stage for decades of comedies to follow.
Produced during the Depression, “My Man Godfrey” has some rather strong points to make about the idle rich and those who have fallen on hard times. It doesn’t get preachy, nor does it get too serious. Instead, it wraps a lot of its nuance in a sweet little puppy love story that is utterly unrealistic but works in the classic Hollywood fashion.
Like any film of any era, the strength of this movie results from the performances, particularly the leads. There’s a charm to both Powell and Lombard, making the film transcend generations. It’s a cute movie that has fun with levels of wealth in society and sibling rivalry.
One of the wonderful things about the home video market is that it offers a chance to see older films that are forgotten to younger generations. This is even better than cable broadcasts because not only are there no commercials or pretentious hosts to deal with, the movies are available on demand and don’t require watching a specific channel.
I applaud Universal for releasing these older classics to reach a bigger audience along with other more famous classics (like “Jurassic Park” or the recently announced “Jaws” Blu-ray). If you can watch giant dinosaurs and a killer shark for entertainment, why not drop 90-odd minutes to enjoy the ones you haven’t seen before?
This newly released DVD celebrated Universal’s 100 years of making movies. Bonus features include two “100 Years of Universal” featurettes including “The Carl Laemmle Era” and “The Lew Wasserman Era.”
