Paris When It Sizzles (1964) - May 3, 2022

[Akijama]

Paris When It Sizzles Blu-ray

[Show spoiler]https://b2b.dealsareus.ca/paris-when...blu-raydigital

Separate release coming in May

[BluProofie]

Awesome!

[ShadeRF]

Glad I held off on buying the set. This was the only one I needed!

[PowellPressburger]

Perfect just in time for summer.

[drush9999]

Jokes on me, I bought the 7 film collection for this film

[ElectricPeterTork]

Originally Posted by drush9999

Jokes on me, I bought the 7 film collection for this film

I waited it out. So it's nice to see this one coming solo.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by drush9999

Jokes on me, I bought the 7 film collection for this film

I did the same, and I don't mind, I'm sure if we hadn't bought the 7-disc set, this solo wouldn't be coming out.

[Rzzzz]

I have never seen this. I am a huge Tony Curtis fan (I know his part is minor) and I like Holden and Hepburn but I don't like most rom-coms. I hated Sex and The Single Girl even though I love Natalie Wood. What makes this film so good? Just asking because I am on the fence about this one...

[James Luckard]

My comments from the Audrey 7-disc set:

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Paris When It Sizzles is an underrated gem.

It was decades ahead of its time, which is why it was such a flop when it came out.

It's basically a Charlie Kaufman movie. It sort of deconstructs the concept of being a film. If it had come out in 2002 instead of 1962, it would have been a huge arthouse hit.

It follows a screenwriter and the temporary secretary he hires for a weekend as they finish the script he's behind on. They start imagining all sorts of scenarios, and then the film brings them to life, with Holden and Hepburn starring in each of them, expressing their growing infatuation and nervousness about it through the movie scenes they think up. It's witty, zany fun.

I will say, it demands a decent understanding of and interest in the inner mechanics of the film industry, which may also be why it wasn't a mainstream hit.

I can't recommend it highly enough, I'm amazed it has never been rediscovered.

[James Luckard]

Another comment I had in the Audrey set thread:

Originally Posted by James Luckard

I read an Audrey Hepburn biography years ago, and I remember it saying that Paris When It Sizzles has a really heartbreaking backstory.

Holden and Hepburn fell deeply in love filming Sabrina in 1953, but I believe his wife wouldn't give him a divorce. Anyway, they went their separate ways, both heartbroken, and he remained madly in love with her. In 1962, Paramount forced them both to film Paris When It Sizzles, to fulfill multi-picture contracts they both had.

They both knew it was a horrible idea, especially Hepburn. The combination of Holden's undiminished love for her, and his alcoholism, by then already very serious, made the production in Paris miserable for them both and a disaster for the film crew. Holden was absent from the set so much that they had to create the Tony Curtis character, not originally in the script, to enable the production to continue filming during Holden's many absences.

Oddly, absolutely none of this shows onscreen, the film is joyful and gossamer-light. The one thing that shows in the film is their obvious, genuine love for each other.

I remember the book saying that Holden once confessed in an interview, towards the end of his short life, that Hepburn had been the love of his life.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Rzzzz

I have never seen this. I am a huge Tony Curtis fan (I know his part is minor) and I like Holden and Hepburn but I don't like most rom-coms. I hated Sex and The Single Girl even though I love Natalie Wood. What makes this film so good? Just asking because I am on the fence about this one...

I hated Sex and the Single Girl too. I truly don't mean this to sound snide, but I think what makes this good is that it's funny and clever, while Sex and the Single Girl isn't either.

Tony Curtis has a minor role in this. His role was created to allow them to film while Holden was in rehab. He mainly appears in the "film within the film" scenes, as a literal parody of himself actually.

This is a witty and genuinely romantic piece that really doesn't have any parallel in 60s cinema, or even in anything since.

I'd compare it most to "Moonlighting" in its 2nd and 3rd seasons, when it hit its stride, it's a romantic comedy that's aware it's a romantic comedy, and the characters themselves seem aware of this too, and comment about this to the audience, because so much of the film is actually their fantasy "film within the film" material.

It's not for everyone, but those who get it will truly love it.

It's very much NOT a standard rom com, which is why it failed back in the day with a mass audience. It's an ironic, post-modern commentary on the tropes of rom coms, within the framework of a rom com.

It's a bit like Scream is for horror films, only even more fully aware that it is actually a movie we are watching, kind of like "Moonlighting" meets Charlie Kaufman.

It's really one of a kind and pretty brilliant.

[Rzzzz]

Thank you so much! Sold!

[James Luckard]

Oh, and sorry to flood the thread, but here are my comments from when I actually got the set and viewed the disc:

Originally Posted by James Luckard

I hadn't seen the film in about ten years, and I now believe even more firmly that it's a misunderstood, forgotten minor masterpiece. It's one of the wittiest, smartest satires of the film industry I've ever seen. The added layer of poignancy from Hepburn and Holden's own ill-starred love only deepens everything, especially Holden's monologue at one point about how he's throwing away his talent and his dreams to lose himself in alcoholism, it's genuinely moving because it was the truth.

As for the disc:

- yes, it's the 2001 transfer from the DVD. I A/B'd them

However, it's INFINITELY better. 20 years of improvements in compression and a much larger disc with full 1080p mean this admittedly dated master looks far, far better than it does on the DVD.

The BD was worth every penny of $35 to me.

I hope other fans of this film find a way to get this set for a reasonable price.

Originally Posted by James Luckard

BTW, the only extras on the disc are trailers for the film, and for Breakfast at Tiffany's and My Fair Lady

[Akijama]

[MifuneFan]

Hm, no digital copy? The initial listing had mentioned it, and the Hepburn collection also included one, so that's unfortunate if true.

[drush9999]

Originally Posted by Akijama

Looks like Holden is half way morphing into Tony Curtis

[traths]

Keep these classics coming Paramount.

[Mushi Minion]

Originally Posted by Akijama

[Hilliard]

Great movie. I have it via digital HD.
Another fine choice for a release, definitely.

[Vw Driver]

Was wondering when this would get a solo release, and here we are, fantastic news.