Well, dear readers, it’s going to be another scorcher today. We’ve had nothing but scorchers here in Los Angeles, California and I, for one or even two, am weary of it, oh, yes, I am weary of it. It’s too darn hot – oh, a Cole Porter reference. We’re havin’ a heat wave – oh, an Irving Berlin reference. It’s like steam heat – oh, an Adler and Ross reference. In other words, it’s too hot, too hot, baby.
Yesterday, I picked up a plethora of new DVDs, including Hello, Dolly!, All that Jazz, some Bergman films (Ingmar, not Ingrid), and Terminal Station (aka Indiscretion of an American Wife). I have only watched the latter (in its original cut, i.e. Terminal Station) which is okay but not great. But I checked out the other transfers because I knew you would want to know about them. I had region 2 DVDs of both Dolly and All that Jazz and both of them had transfers that weren’t up to snuff, whatever the hell that means. They were enhanced for widescreen TVs, but they were on the brown side and grainy and grimy-looking. Well, I’m happy to report that the new Fox DVDs look great – Dolly is sharp as a tack, colorful and has great sound. Unfortunately, the best transfer in the world isn’t going to help most of the film. All That Jazz looks great, too, and, of course, is a terrific film. Mr. Fosse really knows how to shoot a number, and the little song that Anne Reinking and Erzsebet Foldi do (Everything Old in New Again) never fails to bring a tear to my eye, so perfect a moment is it. Oh, I also got Chicago on DVD, and it looks and sounds terrific. I watched about thirty minutes of it and I know it’s sacrilege around these parts but I just don’t care for it. I try to care for it, but I don’t. It just wears me out. I did watch the cut number, Class, and boy were they right to cut it – it’s terrible, in my opinion (IMO, in Internet lingo). The Bergman films (Ingmar, not Ingrid) look great, too. And, on a belated note (Db), if you haven’t picked up the new transfer of Casablanca, do so immediately – it looks incredible, and the movie is a wonder. Bogart and Bergman (Ingrid, not Ingmar) are just what movie stars are all about, and the supporting cast is one of the greats and none of them are more great than the great Claude Rains.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Let’s all click on the Unseemly Button below, shall we? Because, believe it or not, there are two more DVDs to tell you about.
I also happened to get two region 2 DVDs that are quite interesting. One of them I’d never seen – Barry McKenzie Holds His Own, an Oz film, written by Mr. Barry Humphries and starring the lovely Dame Edna Everage (here known as Aunt). As the box loudly proclaims, it is smutty, vulgar and crass. Made in the seventies, it’s rather juvenile burlesque humor is quite amusing at times. The thing was directed by Bruce Beresford of all people, and it also stars Donald Pleasance. The other DVD I got was actually not a region 2 DVD, so why did I say it was? It’s an all-region import from Brazil of Mr. Roman Polanski’s Dance of the Vampires (aka The Fearless Vampire Killers or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck). It’s not enhanced but is letterboxed (it appears to taken directly from the laserdisc). I really like parts of this film, and this will hold me over until there’s a proper release of it.
Don’t forget, tonight is our Unseemly Live Chat and you simply must be there, oh, yes, you simply must be there. And Donald will have a brand spanking new radio show up in the next day or two – he’ll announce when it’s ready for your listening pleasure.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must do a few errands, have some foodstuffs, and write until the cows come home. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you, yes you, get to make the topics. So, let’s not have a dreary Sunday, let’s have loads of lovely posts, shall we? I shall check back quite often, and I shall see you at the Unseemly Live Chat at six o’clock Pacific Mean Daylight Savings Time. Be there or be round.