The Boys from Brazil (1978) from Shout Factory

[#Darren]

Was prepared to double dip - but will be holding onto my UK disk.

[The Great Owl]

I watched this Shout Factory Blu-ray of The Boys from Brazil just now, and I give the disc an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Not only does The Boys from Brazil answer the age-old question, "Who let the dogs out?", but it also manages to utilize a cast of amazing actors who give it their all for a fast-paced story that unfolds with the gleeful urgency of a pulp comic book adventure. Ira Levin, who also wrote the source novels for Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives, excelled at lending a classy air to narratives that would come across as over-the-top in the hands of any other author. As such, the best way that I can describe this movie is to say that it's an impressive work of highbrow pulp. I love every minute of it.

Gregory Peck is superbly menacing, and his makeup reinforces the impression that his Nazi criminal character may have had repeated plastic surgeries in order to elude capture. The always-incredible Laurence Olivier does not mind skirting the borders of campy comedy in his role of famous Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman, and he achieves a fun balance of levity and heroism. James Mason does not receive enough screen time, but he commands attention whenever his character enters the story. Walter Gotell, who is best known as the face of the Soviet KGB in James Bond movies like The Spy Who Loved Me, Octopussy, and A View to a Kill, is fun to watch as one of the Nazi associates. Bruno Ganz, known for his work in films like Wings of Desire and The Counselor, is engaging as a professor who assists Lieberman in figuring out some pivotal plot points. I always have a tough time watching Steve Guttenberg with a straight face after going to the theater with neighborhood friends time and time again during my early teen years to see the Police Academy movies, but he is quite effective here during some early sequences.

Lilli Palmer, who plays Esther Lieberman, is also known for playing a total babe in Fritz Lang's Cloak and Dagger (1946) and in the film noir, Body and Soul (1947). Rosemary Harris, who would later play Peter Parker's Aunt May in the Spider-Man movies, has a brief scene that, like her Aunt May role, is both poignant and chuckle-worthy.

The Blu-ray looks great, and the audio (with the Jerry Goldsmith score) matches it step for step. I would like to have seen some special features other than just the trailer, but the film itself is more than worth the price.

[HGN2001]

I opted for the UK issue of this title, so won't be buying the Shout! issue.

Harry

[Monroville]

I think the only beef I have with this movie is the kid they got to play lil' Hitler. Not only did the kid not act very well, but you think they could have found someone who had natural blue eyes (and didn't need really fake looking colored contacts):



Oops! I meant this kid:

[HGN2001]

I always thought the fake blue-eye thing gave that kid a rather other-worldly look that was somewhat appropriate for the film.

Harry

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by Monroville

I think the only beef I have with this movie is the kid they got to play lil' Hitler. Not only did the kid not act very well, but you think they could have found someone who had natural blue eyes (and didn't need really fake looking colored contacts):



Oops! I meant this kid:

The absolute nadir of his performance is when he does such a spectacularly pitiful middle class English accent: "Dohn't yew under stahnd Inglish, yew ahrse, we ah noht ayt hohme."

Can't think why he never made any other films...

[James Luckard]

I suppose there isn't anyone, by now, who doesn't know the twist of this film, but it still might make sense to mark the stuff above with SPOILER tags...

[jmkkalo1]

I recently purchased the boys from brazil Blu-ray and it wont load. Its stuck at 0:00 and wont play. I have the sony bdp-s360 running hdmi cable

I rebooted player and still same issue/

heres what I did:
1) tried other discs and they work fine
2) tried boys from brazil on another player and still having same issues
3) updated the firmware and still having issues
4) returned movie and got another one and still having same issues

any suggestions ?

[Goremeister100]

Originally Posted by jmkkalo1

I recently purchased the boys from brazil Blu-ray and it wont load. Its stuck at 0:00 and wont play. I have the sony bdp-s360 running hdmi cable

I rebooted player and still same issue/

heres what I did:
1) tried other discs and they work fine
2) tried boys from brazil on another player and still having same issues
3) updated the firmware and still having issues
4) returned movie and got another one and still having same issues

any suggestions ?

In the future, don't buy Sony

[iank]

Just watched this last night; thought it was terrific.

[Katatonia]

Originally Posted by jmkkalo1

I recently purchased the boys from brazil Blu-ray and it wont load. Its stuck at 0:00 and wont play. I have the sony bdp-s360 running hdmi cable

I rebooted player and still same issue/

heres what I did:
1) tried other discs and they work fine
2) tried boys from brazil on another player and still having same issues
3) updated the firmware and still having issues
4) returned movie and got another one and still having same issues

any suggestions ?

The disc played fine on my Sony BDP-S5200.

What other player did you try it in, was it also a Sony?

[drbotonus]

Picked this up at my local costco for 14.99.

[jimqk]

Which ending does this version have? Before I go any further ... spoiler alert!

Anyway, I saw two different versions of this film throughout my lifetime. One version ended in the hospital when Olivier burns the list. The other ended with the kid developing film.

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Gregory Peck is superbly menacing, and his makeup reinforces the impression that his Nazi criminal character may have had repeated plastic surgeries in order to elude capture. The always-incredible Laurence Olivier does not mind skirting the borders of campy comedy in his role of famous Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman, and he achieves a fun balance of levity and heroism. James Mason does not receive enough screen time, but he commands attention whenever his character enters the story. Walter Gotell, who is best known as the face of the Soviet KGB in James Bond movies like The Spy Who Loved Me, Octopussy, and A View to a Kill, is fun to watch as one of the Nazi associates. Bruno Ganz, known for his work in films like Wings of Desire and The Counselor, is engaging as a professor who assists Lieberman in figuring out some pivotal plot points. I always have a tough time watching Steve Guttenberg with a straight face after going to the theater with neighborhood friends time and time again during my early teen years to see the Police Academy movies, but he is quite effective here during some early sequences.

Don't forget Downfall where he plays Hitler!

Originally Posted by Monroville

I think the only beef I have with this movie is the kid they got to play lil' Hitler. Not only did the kid not act very well, but you think they could have found someone who had natural blue eyes (and didn't need really fake looking colored contacts):

It probably means nothing and it probably is just a pair of fake looking contacts, but the bright blue of his eyes could be a subtle suggestion that perhaps Mengele used dye on them, particularly as earlier scenes talk about and depict this practice.

Originally Posted by Aclea

The absolute nadir of his performance is when he does such a spectacularly pitiful middle class English accent: "Dohn't yew under stahnd Inglish, yew ahrse, we ah noht ayt hohme."

Can't think why he never made any other films...

Yes, that was pretty cringeworthy but he was just a kid doing his best having to act in three different accents in the film.

Originally Posted by jimqk

Which ending does this version have? Before I go any further ... spoiler alert!

Anyway, I saw two different versions of this film throughout my lifetime. One version ended in the hospital when Olivier burns the list. The other ended with the kid developing film.

In this version the scene where Ezra (Olivier) burns the list is followed by the scene of Bobby Whelock developing the film and that's how it ends.

[The Batman Professor]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

...I give the disc an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Great Owl, I totally agree.

Somehow, I've never gotten around to watching this film until last week, when it aired on Pluto TV. WHATTA BLAST! Now it's part of my permanent collection.

[cardiac161]

Thanks for bringing up this film. I was looking for what to watch today and will do a double feature of The Boys from Brazil & Marathon Man.

[drush9999]

Originally Posted by cardiac161

Thanks for bringing up this film. I was looking for what to watch today and will do a double feature of The Boys from Brazil & Marathon Man.

Add The Odessa File and you have a complete Post-War Nazi Shenanigans Trilogy