Posts Tagged ‘Director’
Streaming Neon Genesis Evangelion: Platinum Collection Online
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Streaming Neon Genesis Evangelion: Platinum Collection Online.
Movie Title: Neon Genesis Evangelion: Platinum Collection Neon Genesis Evangelion: Platinum Collection is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Neon Genesis Evangelion: Platinum Collection |
My Evangelion background:
I have been a fan of the series since I rented the peculiar “Kill of Evangelion” movie a couple of years ago. I rented the unusual DVDs (the ‘Perfect’ collection) from Netflix and watched every episode in Japanese+Subtitles and English. I have also seen “Death & Rebirth.”
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What THIS collection contains (hardware) :
I purchased this collection from Amazon. The disks have an titillating textured sign application. Nothing else is special about the physical items. Thin DVD containers, decent box, NO inserts AT ALL unless you include the promo page stuck to the succor of the box.
Buy,Download, Or Stream Neon Genesis Evangelion: Platinum Collection! Click Here
What THIS collection contains (software) :
Unbiased the episodes and the director’s crop versions of four episodes, nothing extra. No commentaries, no interviews, no guides, nothing. Well, it has some previews, but those do not count. To be determined, the director’s carve and fresh versions of the four episodes are both here.
Detailed review:
I watched the first DVD and was amazed at the quality of the transfer. It had been a few months since I had seen the Netflix version, so I re-rented the first DVD to compare.
Yes, the portray quality is vastly good to the former version. I never really noticed the frame shake before, but watching the fresh was like watching a crappy 60′s western–almost every transition was marred by at least two or three frame shakes that cannot be ignored once the ‘clean’ one is seen. The images themselves are also distinguished cleaner. The conventional version looks like a VCR tape by comparison.
The sound was also fabulous. I take watching in orignal Japanese with English subtitles, so it was a astronomical surprise to hear it in Dolby Digital 5.1–usually the Japanese soundtrack is only two-channel.
There are a few additions to the episodes, but usually very microscopic adds. However, the four director’s carve episodes have essential additions that account for things that would otherwise be confusing, which is great, because episode 21 is where the series really takes the tale in a recent direction.
Opinion:
Again, I behold the Japanese w/ subtitles. I was switching audio sources to compare English & Japanese and they sounded exactly the same except for the vocals. It also reminded me why I witness the Japanese versions–in one scene, Toji gave Ryoko a runt item. The English actor said “I guess the cat’s out of the bag” but the subtitles showed “Here is a cat souvenir for you” (not valid quotes) . The English one makes it sound like he’s giving her a secret clue to the rest of the account instead of unprejudiced giving her a cat coin (she collects cat stuff) . Plus, you fetch to search for how many ways the sound for “yes” is former (“yes sir, yes, yeah, probably” are all the same word, impartial different levels of inflection) .
Should you engage it?
Here’s how you should do it:
1) Rent “Kill of Evangelion”. You will either admire it or loathe it, but it provides an alternate ending to the series. Personally, I esteem it, but I also relish the modern ending. If this movie makes you want to regain out what’s going on, then you will relish the series. If you view the movie was boring and you didn’t care about the characters then you will not like the series, so you impartial saved yourself the cost of the .
2) Purchase this collection. You WILL spy it again, so you will like the wonderful transfer quality for a bargain effect.
Note: I revised this review to strip out renting Perfect collection first. There really is no reason to do this since Wikipedia has more info than the extras. Check out these sites for detailed NGE info:
[...]
The changes in the Platinum version of Evangelion from the Perfect Collection are runt, with four director’s sever episodes and commentary. (I received an e-mail recently, which eminent I left out 5.1 sound and better report quality, though than anime aloof looks washed and the sound is only obvious in surround sound) . But, they are changes in what is perhaps one of the best animes ever created, and to fans, that is more than enough to exhaust their money.
If that wasn’t enough for you then, then here is your opportunity. Grasp it from someone who thrives off of these thin-pack box sets. The value of them is beyond compare. All of them have sturdy boxes with artwork on them. You accept entire series for what is usually half the trace you would consume buying the entire series, and you set on shelf-space. In this case, where there were seven DVDs in the entire series that go for $27 a pop (7 x 27 = 189 plus tax and possibly shipping), you’ll extinguish up saving tremendous. How can you beat that?
I recommend this for anyone who doesn’t have the modern box space and for fans of anime of the highest quality. This is the best giant-robot anime, one of the top ten ever, and will go down as something magical and principal in anime in the same draw that Akira did. Plus, I recommend this for the value itself (7 x 27 = 189 – 48 = 141 = How can you beat that? ) .
(ADDED LATER) I’ve received a lot of e-mail regarding the extra features, inserts, and DVD count, so I’m going to address these issues now. Firstly, there is only six DVDs, but the episodes are condensed into the six so there is no need to difficulty about that. The final disc contains the director’s nick episodes. Also, there are few extras on the disc, and in case you relish the inserts that tend to near with DVDs, the DVDs in the box position won’t have them.
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Stream Gigi Movie Online
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Stream Gigi Movie Online.
Movie Title: Gigi Gigi is available for streaming or downloading. |
This review is of the DVD. If you haven’t seen this 1958 classic in widescreen format, you really haven’t seen it. Director Vincente Minnelli (Liza’s father) fills each frame beautifully, often composing scenes reminiscent of the impressionist painters he so loved, such as Renoir or Seurat. Letterbox-haters, this is a great test of the superiority of seeing a movie the map the director intended, not crammed into the 1:1.33 TV mask. (The DVD includes both versions, so comparison comes cheap.)
The year is 1900. Gigi (Leslie Caron) is a pubescent young woman who becomes more and more exquisite to millionaire Gaston Lachaille (Louis Jordan) . But Gigi’s family has a tradition of “Instead of marrying at once, it sometimes happens we secure married at last.” Making the tradition from pre-teen to magnificent young woman, awkward Gigi is “trained” in the arts of catering to men, such as choosing a cigar, walking elegantly and pouring coffee in the best French manner. The payoff for this kind of training is to believe a rich young gentleman’s bed–until he tires of this courtesan and moves on. While tranquil in favor, the lady in quiz lives in luxurious style: tutor Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans) advises her charge to “Wait for the first-class jewels, Gigi. Gain on to your ideals.”
The team of Lerner and Loewe wrote songs for this musical that include such favorites as “Thank Heaven for Slight Girls” and “The Night They Invented Champagne.” On its initial release “Gigi” was touted as the cinematic equivalent of their rupture Broadway play “My Sparkling Lady,” as the movie trailer on this DVD makes apparent. Gigi won a slew of Oscars, beating out the presumed popular, Susan Heyward in “I Want to Live.”
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It is no mistake that the compilation film of MGM’s best musicals, “That’s Entertainment,” features Gigi as the last chronological example of the MGM high-quality, lavish musical. Minnelli would go on to assert many more films, including the 1960 musical “Bells Are Ringing” with Judy Holliday and Dean Martin, but “Gigi” was really MGM’s “swan song” for expensive musicals, which were getting harder and harder to mount because of television and changing musical tastes (like Elvis) .
With a lot of begging and pleading from the director and producer, the studio spent enough money in Hollywood to duplicate Maxim’s restaurant and the Ice Gallery, a popular meeting-place for the 1900 elite. Minnelli’s visual wit is visible in the device he frequently uses true Parisian backgrounds of fountains and statuary, indirectly symbolizing and commenting on the mental residence of the actor in front.
The whole cast is valid, including Hermione Gingold as Gigi’s grandmother and the incomparable Maurice Chevalier as Gaston’s uncle, Honore Lachaille. It is cramped wonder that this film is the very favorite–or discontinuance to it–among lovers of musicals. “Gigi” is first-class all the blueprint. Even people who don’t often rob musicals may well devour the film for its masterly visual style and recreation of turn-of-the (last) century Paris.
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What more can I say? Rep ahold of this film Lawful NOW while the effect is so qualified. I don’t reflect you’ll regret it.
For those wondering why they should rob another edition of “Gigi” on DVD, here are all the extras; however, if you gain a Blu-ray, you might want to wait and pre-order Gigi [Blu-ray]. Other than the technical specs, the extras are the same on both versions.
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Winner of 9 Oscars, “Gigi” was produced after the demise of the fresh 3-Strip Technicolor system, and photographed in the industry-standardized Eastmancolor process, which had a tendency to depart to reds and purples. For this unusual DVD release, Gigi has been photo-chemically restored from its recent camera negative and safety separations to obtain a remarkable sharper and knowing image than has been seen in decades. It also contains a 5.1 audio mix created from the unique multi-track source elements.
Disc 1 (Gigi ’58) : 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen * English DD5.1 Surround * French Mono * English, French and Japanese subtitles * Bluray specs: 1080P 2.40:1 Widescreen, English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, English 5.1, French 2.0, Spanish 1.0 (Both Castilian and Latin), German 1.0, Italian 1.0 Dolby Digital, Subtitles (Main Feature) : English, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Subtitles (on Win Bonus Material) : English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese
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*New Commentary with Leslie Caron & Film Historian Jeanine Basinger
*The Million Dollar Nickel [1952 MGM short]
*The Vanishing Duck [1958 MGM cartoon]
*Theatrical Trailer
Disc 2: “Thank Heaven! The Making of Gigi” The record of how 1958′s Best Represent winner (the last of the classic MGM musicals) survived a turbulent production that included censorship battles over its fearless sexual protest and creative struggles between a studio in turmoil and a demanding, visionary director. Featuring an all-new interview with star Leslie Caron, and a rare interview with Oscar-winning director Minnelli
Original 1949 Nonmusical version of Gigi starring Daniele Delorme in the title role and directed by Jacqueline Audry (in French Mono with English subtitles)
For those not familiar with the residence, Gaston (Louis Jordan) is the descendant of a wealthy Parisian family who rebels from the superficial lifestyle of upper class Parisian 1900s society by socializing with the dilapidated mistress (Hermoine Gingold) of his uncle (Maurice Chevalier) and her outgoing, tomboy granddaughter, Gigi (Leslie Caron) . When Gaston becomes aware that Gigi has matured into a woman, her grandmother and aunt (Isabel Jeans), who have educated Gigi to be a wealthy man’s mistress, enjoin on him to become her provider and on her to procure such a golden opportunity. However, upright fancy adds a surprise twist to this Cinderella anecdote that was actually filmed in Paris.
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The Black Stallion Sale-$2.99!
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The Black Stallion
Product: The Black Stallion Sale-$2.99! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available |
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- Amazon Sales Rank: #15607 in Movie
- Released on: 2010-01-06
- Rating: G (General Audience)
- Running time: 118 minutes
A Timeless “Horse” movie – for all ages
Growing up, I was a genuine horse-freak, and considered myself a connoisseur of all-things-horse, especially movies. The Black Stallion has always been one of my favorites.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt any movie to be executive-produced by Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather I,II,III). But what really shines through in this film is the stunning cinematography and camera work, and the acting by Cass Ole (“The Black”), Kelly Reno (Alec) and of course, Mickey Rooney, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
This film really captures the mood and feeling of the first “Black Stallion” book. There is virtually no dialogue for a good portion of the film, and it is not missed. The on-screen relationship between Alec and The Black is one that could not be expressed in words under any circumstances.
When I first received this DVD, I put it in to watch it with my father on Christmas night a few years ago. During the island scenes between Alec and The Black, I stifled tears; the scenes – the photography is that stunning.
I was enthralled by this movie as a 13-year-old girl with a passion for horses, and I feel the same way as a 36-year-old.
Buy this DVD for your children, or buy this DVD for you, but buy this DVD. It will quickly become a favorite!
The Best Horse Movie Ever Made
It is with great pleasure I can tell you that I have sat through nearly every horse movie ever made – and that “The Black Stallion” is still the best one I have ever seen.
Every aspect of the film is superlative; the casting, the acting, the adaptation to screenplay, the music, the sounds, the editing, the characterization and most especially, the cinematography. But the real genius of the film lies in director Carroll Ballard’s exquisite ability to render his main character, namely the black stallion himself, on the screen.
Since I have experience with horses I am obviously very aware of how films use their equine actors. Errors are immediately apparent. This film does not have any. Every time a horse is onscreen, characterization in action and expression is perfect.
Credit, of course, goes to trainer Corky Randall, and also to the decision to cast Kelly Reno and Mickey Rooney, horsemen themselves, into the human roles.
Tremendous credit also goes out to the filmmakers for making the effort to secure animals who would fit the role so well – actual black arabian stallions. Most would not have gone to the trouble, preferring to work with geldings, or with any breed of horse with the necessary color and training to make the role. Just look to other notable horse films, like Black Beauty, The Horse Whisperer and SeaBiscuit, to see how the horse is changed to fit the film.
One of the best examples of the film’s genius with the horses is the scene in which Alec and “The Black” first become friends. The film shows the stallion who played that portion of the scene retreating each time the boy walks toward him, then advancing each time he walks away. By degrees of advance and retreat is Alec finally able to get close to the horse.
Such behavior mimics a horse’s natural response perfectly. But it is not simply how it was it was choreographed; it is how the horse plays the part. The animal does not tamely walk forward and backwards – he displays a spirit and impatience of a gorgeously trained animal being put through a difficult series of steps; obedient but with powerful character. On film, this highly charged personality mimics perfectly the anxiety and anger of a wild stallion trying to cope with coming close to a being he regards with suspicion.
Trivia for those interested; Cass-Ole, the stallion to whom lead credit was given, actually had 4 white socks and the star. In the close shots, you can see the white under the makeup. It was Cass Ole and Kelly Reno who did most actual scenes, such as galloping without bridle and saddle down the beach. Most films use doubles for such scenes.
Fae-Jur, the main double, was also a black stallion; it is rumored he was not even a true black, but a grey who had to be dyed extensively to play the role. He is said to have done many of the “wild” scenes, when no rider was required.
The film gets my highest recommendation for both adults and children. Some may be frustrated by the artistic slant of the story – it rolls past like a dream, especially the island sequences. Children who have read the book may be disappointed by any changes they perceive in the story. But the film is a a masterpiece of storytelling – for children or otherwise.
The most underated movie of all time??
As one reviewer said, this movie tells only what’s relevant to the story, and oh what a story it is. I knew this movie could be truly great when Alec’s father gave him a stallion figurine and a story. Looking back its easy to forget the importance of that moment. Before his death, Alecs dad provided the story that would analogize the entire movie. To ride the horse became Alecs drive, then when realized it became his gift, and finally it became our inspiration. The secret of the movie lies in everything unspoken, we don’t need to be reminded, and assured of the great bond between boy and horse, we can see it, and then we can internalize it. The final scenes, the match race could have easily been distanced from the story line, after all the story was up to then not that Black was faster than other horses, but that the bond was strong between him and Alec. And so in the final turn, as the Black broke from the other two, we were taken back in time, on a beach with a boy and a stallion who simply rode. While the spectators were amazed at this horse, the viewer knew the story, we knew the bond between the two, and this is the greatness of the movie. As far as I’m concerned the give-and-take scene, as Alex and Black finally make there immortal bond, is one of the most beautiful, touching, innocent, and just plain entertaining moments ever filmed. A case could be made for the sucessful ride scene as well. Reno’s performance was perfect, I don’t know if I could ever “feel” an actor as well as he, as opposed to simply watch an actor. His body language and expressions were as powerfull as any dialogue. Rooney was very good, seamless in his role, but he was far less central to the movie than Alec himself. Movies are inherantly powerfull in showing, not telling. The imagery, the facial and body language, and the score of The Black Stallion take movie making to the highest level, of its most powerful level. Its one of my favorite movies, and surely one of the greatest movies the critics have largely ignored.
The Wild Bunch Streaming
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The Wild Bunch Streaming.
Movie Title: The Wild Bunch The Wild Bunch is available for streaming or downloading. |
Sam Peckinpah’s ‘The Wild Bunch’ is a masterpiece western. Not the best ever made, but halt. So don’t mediate I don’t like this movie because I fancy it. However, since Mexicans are its villains, perhaps you’d be eager to read an idea from this side of the border.
The Mexico of ‘The Wild Bunch’ looks more like a metaphor than a genuine region. It is both Heaven and Hell; the theatre where the bunch will obtain Death but also Redemption. Accordingly, every Mexican depicted in the record is either a saint or a monster (no middle ground here, except for the Mexican member of the Bunch, who is aptly named “Angel”, although a fallen one) . This serves the yarn splendidly, for it’s meant to be an tale ballad and not a travelogue, but it does jolt the Mexican viewer because the “first-rate Mexico” is portrayed so idyllic it’s unreal, while the “poor Mexico” is very, very accurate; in fact, no American movie has captured the observe, sound, feel, texture and carnage of the Mexican Revolution as this one has (even if the grandiose final scene, where the Bunch kills hundreds of heavily armed soldiers all by themselves and none of the four falls down even when riddled by bullets, defies all logic!) . Perhaps that’s why it was banned in Mexico help when it was released in 1969.
Funny, for it was filmed in Mexico as well. The Texas bordertown you sight at the begining of the tale is actually Parras, Coahuila, and many of its citizens acted as extras in the movie: white ones as “Texans”, brown ones as -what else? – Mexicans! Don Raúl Madero, brother of Francisco I. Madero, the man who started the Mexican Revolution, appears …as a Texan! Even the two German officers are Mexican! So, as you can behold, we Mexicans advance in all shapes, sizes and colors, and hardly fit these two plain “beneficial peasant”-”greaser bandito” stereotypes American movies seem so comfortable with! I hope some day Hollywood realizes this and “trail the extra mile” to narrate us for what we are: a very complex and diverse society. Neither saints, nor monsters, and certainly not mere bowling pins!
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P.S.: Many big Mexican directors, all personal friends of Peckinpah, appear in the film. Emilio “Indio” Fernández (Mapache) and Chano Urueta (Angel’s grandfather) were the best of our cinema’s Golden Age. Fernando Wagner (German officer) was also a competent theatre director, and Alfonso Arau (Herrera) is best known for his international hit ‘Like Water for Chocolate’. Jorge Russek (Zamorra) was an outstanding photographer for National Geographic, and Sonia Amelio (Teresa) is a world-aclaimmed dancer (she was even awarded with an “Order of Lenin” succor in the Soviet Union) . And fair for the portray, the word “Mapache” (“racoon”) stands for “coward thief”. No Mexican general, no matter how unfavorable, would spend, I contain, such a nickname! And since Mapache is “a killer working for Huerta”, the action takes state in 1913, not 1916 (Huerta was ousted in early 1914) .
There’s not powerful that can be famed about Sam Peckinpah’s quick-witted 1969 western anecdote “The Wild Bunch” that has not already been written. It was an unanticipated, influential work where all things came together, but for a moment, the extinguish product a spacious, sweeping canvas of intimacy between comrades, violence between combatants, desperate inflame amidst changing times. Section Kurosawa, section Siegel, fraction Fuller, section Ford, Peckinpah combined his inspirations with a healthy dose of 1960s rebellion producing the ultimate work of his generation, and one of the greatest westerns in history. It was Peckinpah’s gargantuan fortune that the moral actors were available for this film – William Holden and Robert Ryan in the twilight of their memorable careers, Ernest Borgnine with impartial enough youth to be a perfect and exact presence, Edmond O’Brien chewing up the scenery with tobacco-stained teeth, and of course Peckinpah friends Strother Martin, L.Q. Jones and Warren Oates in salty supporting roles. It was also his titanic fortune cinematographer Lucien Ballard and composer Jerry Fielding were also on hand to participate in his steadfast vision.
Peckinpah also had something to display at this point in his career, when he was aloof a hungry director with a vision, before alcoholism, disillusionment and celebrity plot took gain. He hid nothing from viewers, and his contradictory heart was laid bare in “The Wild Bunch.” The direction and editing during the violent moments of this film – the opening bank robbery and the concluding battle with the Mexican army – are some of the most unforgettable scenes ever place on film. But ironically, and this was usually the case in most Peckinpah films, it is the level-headed moments one remembers. Pike (Holden) and Dutch’s (Borgnine) uncomfortable conversation next to a campfire; The Bunch riding out of Angel’s village as if in a funeral procession; Deke (Ryan) taking Pike’s pistol from it’s holster, gently holding it in his hand; and of course Pike standing in the doorway and mouthing two simple words, “Let’s go.”
And of course you have The Accelerate, in which Holden, Borgnine, Oates and Ben Johnson quietly open loading their guns, cocking them, arming themselves, smiling at one another, standing shoulder to shoulder. There’s not great left for these forgotten outlaws who have lived past their time. Unbiased a code of honor, unbiased their self respect. And so they Fling into the heart of the Mexican army to retrieve their comrade Angel, a prisoner and personal enemy of General Mapache. These surviving members of The Wild Bunch are free to go, but Angel, youthful, love-struck, rebellious, was one of them. They are not going to leave their comrade.
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After viewing the amazing documentary “The Wild Bunch: An Album In Montage” and seeing the rare footage of Peckinpah literally improvising The Move, walking alongside Holden, Borgnine, Oates and Johnson, inventing by instinct, one realizes how fiercely creative this man was as a director. This film was his moment in time, his vision, his notion, Peckinpah’s nightmarish and fantastic dream.
Peckinpah never really made a film quite like “The Wild Bunch” again. Of course, no director ever really has before or since. His uneven career of 14 films, some obliging, some not, has been renowned and honored. Peckinpah the man, adorned in conventional jeans and bandanna, certainly perpetuated his myth-like set. But in the slay, you will always have “The Wild Bunch,” an unforgettable film, raw, gritty, whiskey-soaked, sublime. I bawl whenever I peer this film. I yell in dread. All things came together for Peckinpah on “The Wild Bunch,” and the moment is everlasting.
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Imitation of Life 1959 Discount.
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Imitation of Life 1959 Discount.
Compare & Purchase Imitation of Life 1959 at Amazon by clicking here! List Price: —- Amazon Price: $2.99 |
Imitation of Life 1959 Description:
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1764 in Movie
- Released on: 2009-06-16
- Running time: 126 minutes
Customer Reviews:
A Memorable Guilty Pleasure
Although little known today, in her own era author Fannie Hurst was among America’s most famous authors, a writer who frequently challenged the status quo in both her life and her literature. Among her most popular works was the novel IMITATION OF LIFE, which first came to the screen starring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers in 1934. Today both the novel and film would be considered somewhat racist–but at the time both were considered social shockers, dealing frankly with single mothers, rebellious daughters, and racial issues in a way that few novels and fewer still films of the era dared.
The first film version was as faithful to the novel as it dared be, telling the story of two single mothers–one black, one white–who join forces and hit the big time when the white woman successfully markets the black woman’s pancake recipe. But the 1959 film version substituted pancake make-up for pancake batter: the white woman is an actress, and with her black friend behind her she climbs the ladder to Broadway stardom. Director Douglas Sirk was reknowned for his ability with this sort of material, and although he did better films IMITATION OF LIFE is perhaps his most obvious stylistic statement: gallons of gloss, more soap suds than a sink full of dishes, and enough vulgar melodrama to fuel a thousand 1950s schoolgirl dreams.
This time around our stars are Lana Turner and Juanita Moore, supported by Sandra Dee and Susan Kohner as the respective and rebellious daughters who make their mothers lives a living hell, with Lana’s daughter Sandra falling in love with her mother’s beau and Juanita’s daughter Susan determined to defeat the racist society in which she lives by passing for white. All four actresses give it everything they’ve got, which means they all emote to the nth degree as they suffer through every emotional upheaval the screenwriters can devise.
Turner and Dee are essentially Turner and Dee. The real surprises here are Moore and Kohner. Saddled with a story that still keeps the black woman in the kitchen while the white woman plays, Moore nonetheless gives an outstanding and ultimately heartbreaking performance, and Kohner matches her every bit of the way as the wayward daughter who makes one bad choice after another in her refusal to knuckle under to a repressive society. It is a tremendous pity that neither actress went on to equally high-profile roles and films, but the times were against them–as the very nature of the film’s story should make abundantly clear.
The original novel and film were actually advanced for their time, but by the time this version hit the screen the “white lady upstairs and the black lady downstairs” was hardly a rung up the ladder. Even in 1959 many denounced the film as perpetuating racial stereotypes and class-thinking, and by today’s standards it is alternately distasteful and absurd. But oddly enough, that fact doesn’t undercut the incredible watchablity of the film. We may sneer at some of the values it presents, but it holds our attention all the way, and you’ll need at least three hankies for the film’s conclusion. If you are torn between purchasing the DVD or a VHS version, you should know that there is actually little difference between the two. The film has not been restored for DVD, and the lack of restoration is quite noticeable; moreover, the only bonus material on the DVD is the theatrical trailer. You might prefer to go with a low cost VHS until a really good DVD is released.
Poor Quality DVD – Melodrama At It’s Finest
Imitation of Life is a movie that had perfect timing in the changing world of 1950′s Americana.
The oppression of legal segregation had taken its toll and a prime example of this burnout is Susan Kohner’s Sara Jane. This character had the perfect mother, but society told Sara Jane at a very young age that her mother would NEVER be good enough because of her black skin color. Sara Jane chafes at the limitations society places on her. She doesn’t want to be associated with maids, chauffeurs or going through back doors. She wants more, and as a `white woman’ she can get it. Many viewers who watch this film will be angry at Sara Jane, however, one must remember that ‘black’ was not yet beautiful, and this is the pre-civil rights era.
Lana Turner’s Laura Meredith asks Sara Jane, `have I ever treated you differently?’ The movie makes this answer abundantly clear although Sara Jane answers `no.’ The audience sees Turner’s pigeonholing of Sara Jane and Annie. Even after years of living together – she actually says to Annie, `I didn’t know that you had any friends.’
Laura Meredith is a character that represents society as a whole in this film. She is the accepted race and therefore, pleasantly clueless about matters that doesn’t affect her, while aiming for and achieving her dreams. Through the passage of time Laura becomes rich, successful, and a star – and for Annie, well, she remains the maid.
The DVD of this movie is extremely poor. The transfer is down right dirty in one scene and grainy throughout the film. There is one scene where Sara Jane is running down the stairs and she freezes in action. Universal didn’t even care enough about the viewer to put this common play-pause in a point where it would be seamless. This is a classic film that has been given anything but classic attention – extremely sloppy work from Universal.
Film’s great – DVD transfer not worth purchasing….
Thanks, David Durbin. Your review made me pull this order from my shoppiong cart. “Imitation” is a real “tear-jerkin’” classic in the old mold. I ran it as a Theater Projectionist in it’s original 1959 theatrical release. The last reel was about a 12 minute run. I could step out of the Projection Booth after the chnage-over, and regular as clockwork it would happen. I would hear the start of a swell of sniffles, and tears come up like a rising tide in theater in that last reel every night. That was when audiences showed emotion openly. I won’t buy any bad DVD transfers. I strongly bad-mouth bad transfers to all my film buff friends to also not buy. With the quality of DVD’s, why buy garbage. Most of my DVD purchases have been with Criterion for that reason. Sure hope Criterion get their hands on “Imitation”, and a lot more classics!