Yes, this is something we don’t do enough of (or ever) and plan to start doing much more often, but consider this our inaugural post in what will hopefully be a regular feature of DVD reviews of interesting or notable titles. We don’t plan on reviewing every single release that comes out each week — there are other sites who do that much better than we ever would — but instead, we will focus on the titles that we think deserve your attention. And if there are any releases coming up that you think we should be keeping an eye out for, please let us know. Onwards….
Director: Nicolas Roeg
Starring: Jenny Agutter, Lucien John, David Gulpilil, John Meillon
What’s It About: A teenage girl (Agutter) and her younger brother (John) accompany their father (Meillon) on a trip into the Australian outback. As they sit down for a picnic, he inexplicably sets their car on fire and kills himself, leaving his children stranded in the outback where they eventually meet an aboriginal boy (Gulpilil) on a walkabout, a rite of passage where he learns how to survive in the outback by living off the land.
Why You Should Know It: It marked an auspicious debut for cinematographer turned director Nicolas Roeg who became an art house darling during the 1970s with films like Don’t Look Now and The Man Who Fell to Earth (“Performance” in 1970 was co-directed with Donald Cammell).
What You Didn’t Know: Originally, producer Si Litvinoff wanted Roeg to direct an adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ novel A Clockwork Orange, but Roeg became fascinated with James Vance Marshall’s 1959 novel The Children and approached British playwright Edward Bond to adapt it into a screenplay.
How Does It Look/Sound: Not only does this new transfer beat out previous PAL editions, it is also quite an improvement on the previous Criterion version.
Are the Extras Any Good: Roeg and Agutter recall several filming anecdotes on a slightly dry audio commentary. Also included is an engaging interview with Agutter where she speaks very eloquently about working on the film, but there is some overlap from the commentary. Arguably the best extra is “Gulpilil — One Red Blood,” a fascinating 56-minute documentary about aboriginal actor David Gulpilil. Despite appearing in numerous films over the years, he is never forgotten his roots and laments how alcohol and smoking has taken its toll on his people.
“Stagecoach”
Director: John Ford
Starring: John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell, Louise Platt, George Bancroft, Donald Meek
What’s It About: A group of passengers make a dangerous journey through Apache-controlled country to Lordsburg on a stagecoach.
Why You Should Know It: If there is one director that helped define the classic western more than any other, it would be John Ford. With this film, he took B-film material and elevated it to A-list status. In doing so, Ford established a benchmark that other films of the genre would be measured against for years to come.
What You Didn’t Know: At the time, Ford was trying to get his film made, he had a spotty commercial track record and couldn’t convince studio boss David O. Selznick to bankroll his project. So, Ford bought the story with his own money and brought the project to Walter Wanger at United Artists.
How Does It Look/Sound: This transfer is far superior to Warner Brothers’ 2005 Special Edition and we daresay this film has never looked better.
Are the Extras Any Good: This special edition is jam-packed with goodies for fans of the film and of the western genre. Film historian and western scholar Jim Kitses challenges the conventional view that Stagecoach lacks the depth and command of craft of Ford’s later films in an eloquent and informative audio commentary. A no-nonsense and plain-spoken Ford refuses to romanticize his past despite the interviewer’s best attempts on a 1968 interview. Filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich — perhaps cinema’s foremost expert on John Ford — offers his thoughts on “Stagecoach” and praises the strong script and solid ensemble cast. “True West” is an unexpected treat featuring author Buzz Bissinger talking about the 1920s trading post operator Harry Goulding and his role in telling filmmakers like Ford about Monument Valley. Another outstanding extra is a featurette about legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt who performed many of the amazing stunts in the film. Fellow industry legend Vic Armstrong offers his thoughts and impressions of the man and talks about just how groundbreaking Canutt was back in the day.
“Ride with the Devil”
Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Jeffrey Wright, Jewel, Simon Baker, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, James Caviezel, Tom Wilkinson
What’s It About: Wedged between the critically lauded The Ice Storm and the award-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee’s Ride with the Devil is set during the Kansas-Missouri border wars of the American Civil War. Best friends Jack Bull Chiles (Ulrich) and Jake Roedel (Maguire) join an informal outfit of southern sympathizers known as the Bushwhackers and engage in vicious guerrilla warfare with the occupying Union army and their northern equivalent, the Jayhawkers.
Why You Should Know It: A pre-Spider-Man Tobey Maguire co-stars with a post-Scream Skeet Ulrich in a Civil War epic and, not surprisingly, Universal Pictures doubted its commercial prospects and gave it a way-too-brief theatrical release before relegating it to home video obscurity.
What You Didn’t Know: Ang Lee has gone back and restored the film to his original vision, fleshing out the relationships between various characters.
How Does It Look/Sound: This director-approved transfer looks quite good and the DTS 5.1 sound is particularly impressive during the battle scenes.
Are the Extras Any Good: Lee and producer/screenwriter James Schamus deliver an engaging and informative audio commentary but the second track is even better, with cinematographer Frederick Elmes, sound designer Drew Kunin and production designer Mark Friedberg talking at length about the historical aspects of the film, while also covering some of the technical aspects of their respective professions, all in a way that isn’t dry or boring.
“The Fugitive Kind”
Director: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Marlon Brando, Anna Magnani, Joanne Woodward, Maureen Stapleton, Victor Jory, R.G. Armstrong
What’s It About: Adapted from the Tennessee Williams play Orpheus Descending, Sidney Lumet’s film is a gritty southern potboiler with a torrid love triangle at its center.
Why You Should Know It: The film stars four Academy Award winners and features a minimalist performance by Marlon Brando who effortlessly conveys the subtlest of emotions. He’s matched on the other end of the spectrum by Joanne Woodward playing a local party girl with boozy gusto.
What You Didn’t Know: The production was reportedly plagued with problems consisting of personality clashes between Brando, Woodward and Anna Magnani, none of whom got along with each other. Lumet managed to maintain control and even gain Brando’s trust, but unfortunately, the film was ignored by critics and audiences and has been relegated to obscurity ever since.
How Does It Look/Sound: The transfer on this edition is much better than the old MGM disc and has been approved by Lumet.
Are the Extras Any Good: There is an excellent interview with Lumet where he candidly admits that it was a physically and emotionally difficult film to make. He touches upon the sensationalism that surrounded the production and shares several anecdotes. Lumet also reminisces about the Golden Age of Television and the one-act plays of Williams that he adapted for the small screen. In a nice touch, they are also included on this DVD.
Yes, they’re a little late, but hopefully we’ll have some reviews soon on Nicholas Ray’s fabulous cinemascope suburban drama, “Bigger Than Life,” Oliver Assayas’ “Summer Hours,” and the gigantic Pedro Costa box-set as well as the very-excellent Eclipse Nagisa Oshima box-set. — J. D.
