ON THE SHELF
Some oldies but goodies come out on DVD
 Casablanca (Warner Bros., 102 minutes) This classic celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, and
War ner Bros. has put out a twodisc specialedition DVD that will surely satiate any movie lover’s
appetite.The hunger in Casablanca lies in its unabashed, overt romanticism and the natural chemistry
between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.To extol the virtues of the film would be redundant,
so one must praise the DVD’s plethora of special features.Warner Bros. has collected two informative
audio commentaries from movie critic Roger Ebert and historian Rudy Behlmer on Disc 1,
giving fans a deeper look into the making of the movie (Disc 1 also features an introduction from
Bogart’s widow, Lauren Bacall). Disc 2 contains several documentaries hosted by Bacall, most notably
Bacall on Bogart, which takes a look at the diverse career of her late husband.And with all the praise
heaped on players Bergman, Bogart, Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre, an often
overlooked participant is Casablanca director Michael Curtiz, an underrated stylist who also helmed
the film noir classic Mildred Pierce.
 The Honeymoon Killers (Criterion, 115 minutes) Criterion releases this highly intriguing and obscure title
which, though amateurish at points, stands as a highly engaging, original, and offbeat horrorthriller. This
factbased movie focuses on the amoral, dysfunctional 1940s couple Ray Fernandez (Tony Lo Bianco) and
Martha Beck (Shirley Stoler). Fernandez murders women he meets through the personals and takes their
money, but for some odd reason he takes a liking to Beck. Eventually jealousy throws a wrench in Fernandez’s
killing spree, and his relationship with Beck takes a wrong turn. Martin Scorsese was the original director of
the film, but his creative clashes with the producer led to his eventual exit. Special features include a new interview
with writer/director Leonard Kastle, who will hopefully be rescued from obscurity after this release,
which includes the flick’s original trailer and an illustrated essay on the real story of “Lonely Hearts Killers”
Ray Fernandez and Martha Beck.
 The Billy Wilder Collection (MGM,Nine discs) Universally accepted as one of cinema’s finest filmmakers,Wilder has helmed such classics
as Stalag 17, Sunset Boulevard, and Double Indemnity.However, these three titles are not in the collection; this
release features only MGM titles, with only two of the inclusions (Some Like It Hot and The Apartment)
considered to be among his superior works. But to truly judge a director’s transcendent merit, one
should see the filmmaker with an even eye, and The Billy Wilder Collection provides just that. Such critically
mixed titles as The Private Life of Sherlock Homes, One,Two,Three,Avanti!,and Kiss Me, Stupid finally
get their DVD debuts, offering us a more blemished and accurate look at Wilder’s flaws and
strengths as a storyteller. One of Wilder’s most personal films was The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes,
and the title includes an interview with actor Christopher Lee and a neverbeforeseen 12minute
deleted scene from the picture. Other titles featured include The Fortune Cookie (which netted Walter
Matthau a best supporting actor Oscar), and Irma La Douce.The collection also includes the lastever
performance from the firecracker to end all firecrackers, James Cagney.
— Greg Srisavasdi
|
