Billy Wilder on Blu-ray

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by HaroldnMaude

I'm curious about how old you are, because perhaps it is a generational thing.

I don't like to share private info on a public forum. I'm happy to chat in the PMs, but it seems like your account has PMs blocked, let me know if there's another way we can chat.

[BOTRK]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Wow. He really hated the film. What a shame. I think it's one of Wilder's best. Almost perfect.

I hope that review doesn't turn anyone off from experiencing this gem, with this attractive 4K remaster.

He's the same guy who didn't like Stalag 17. I've shown that film to literally dozens of people and not ONE didn't at least like it, if not love it. After reading his review of that one I knew that his opinion is particularly worthless, so whatever his feelings about Five Graves are I could NOT care less.

[Jason Rietman4k]

One of the few Wilder's I haven't seen. I'm glad both the Eureka and Kino weren't 3/5 video scores. At least one is a 4/5. I've never seen the movie before but Dr. Svet Atanasov gave it a 2/5 which is crazy low for a Wilder. Leonard Maltin is my source for movie guides, he gives it ½ out of .

[Jason Rietman4k]

He didn't like Stalag 17!? That movie is great, world-class entertainment.

[gates70]

If they would of put it on a Criterion release he would of gave it 5 stars across the board...he's a Criterion fanboy (or I should say he doesn't give Criterions bad reviews because he doesn't want to lose his free review copies).

[BOTRK]

Originally Posted by Jason Rietman4k

He didn't like Stalag 17!? That movie is great, world-class entertainment.

Yeah, he rated it 3.0 in his review of the Masters of Cinema blu-ray. The person reviewing the Paramount version knew his stuff and gave it the 5.0 rating it deserved.

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by HaroldnMaude

I'm curious about how old you are, because perhaps it is a generational thing.

I don't think it necessarily has to be a generational film. Sometimes certain people don't connect with certain films

I don't particularly like 8 1/2. I've seen it three times, and respect the craft, but for whatever reason, this film doesn't connect with me. I like plenty of other Fellini films, but not that one.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Gunsnroses092789

I don't think it necessarily has to be a generational film. Sometimes certain people don't connect with certain films

I don't particularly like 8 1/2. I've seen it three times, and respect the craft, but for whatever reason, this film doesn't connect with me. I like plenty of other Fellini films, but not that one.

I'm the same way with Taxi Driver too. I've seen it multiple times for classes or with friends, and each time I respected its craft and respected their love of it, but I was not a fan of it personally. I'm the one person in the world whose favorite Scorsese film is The Age of Innocence.

[billydillydilly]

"Dr" Svet is a horrible writer whose taste and politics are up his ass.

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by HaroldnMaude

He only likes trashy Euro-porn. What is he even a doctor of? Google comes up with nothing but this site. I've stopped reading that guy's reviews.

From his profile on this site:

Biography

Dr. Atanasov worked in the European film distribution system in the early 1990s before committing to academic research. Music and media are both his hobby and profession. He holds a Doctorate in Music from Indiana University-Bloomington and specializes in European cinema.

Originally Posted by billydillydilly

"Dr" Svet is a horrible writer whose taste and politics are up his ass.

Everyone's entitled to their opinion of course but some of his reviews are off the wall. He gives the most effusive and sincere praise to some of the worst trash and often misreads classic films or reviews them with an inappropriate political slant, sometimes to the point of being really quite offensive.

I find reading his reviews these days to be entertaining, for all the wrong reasons.

[Reddington]

I read them (well, for the films I'm interested in), and sometimes learn something of value. But I do find it interesting that his ability to suspend disbelief seems rather selective.

His review of the Roger Moore actioner ffolkes is a classic.

[Gunsnroses092789]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

I'm the same way with Taxi Driver too. I've seen it multiple times for classes or with friends, and each time I respected its craft and respected their love of it, but I was not a fan of it personally. I'm the one person in the world whose favorite Scorsese film is The Age of Innocence.

The best professor I had in college’s favorite Scorsese was also AOI— in fact, he teaches an entire semester course on it!

[dancerslegs]

Originally Posted by billydillydilly

"Dr" Svet is a horrible writer whose taste and politics are up his ass.

Not sure why anyone would bring expectations of *realism* to anything Wilder directed. Even arguably his most "deadly serious" film, The Lost Weekend, is highly stylized. Here, Svet seems hung up on the film's portrayal of Rommel more than anything else. Even if it's far from the real dude, cinema would definitely be poorer with one fewer meaty role for Stroheim to strut his swaggering stuff in. It was definitely a perfect interpretation of the character for the film Wilder made.

[jayembee]

Because historical figures are always portrayed in films as they actually were in real life...

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by dancerslegs

Not sure why anyone would bring expectations of *realism* to anything Wilder directed. Even arguably his most "deadly serious" film, The Lost Weekend, is highly stylized. Here, Svet seems hung up on the film's portrayal of Rommel more than anything else. Even if it's far from the real dude, cinema would definitely be poorer with one fewer meaty role for Stroheim to strut his swaggering stuff in. It was definitely a perfect interpretation of the character for the film Wilder made.

The Rommel of the film is not meant to be a representation of the actual historical figure of Rommel in any way. It's an adventure movie. The entire premise of the film is completely fictional and totally fantastical, and the "Rommel" of the film is a beautifully crafted Hollywood villain with only the vaguest connection to the actual person. It depresses me that there are people out there who can't understand this.

[HaroldnMaude]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

I don't like to share private info on a public forum. I'm happy to chat in the PMs, but it seems like your account has PMs blocked, let me know if there's another way we can chat.

I don't care that much, I just wonder if you're a millennial & do you not get the jokes? Like when Curtis does an impression of Cary Grant. Also maybe millennials who are used to seeing hardcore porn online all their lives may not get the appeal of a more restrained sex symbol like Marilyn Monroe.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by HaroldnMaude

I don't care that much, I just wonder if you're a millennial & do you not get the jokes? Like when Curtis does an impression of Cary Grant. Also maybe millennials who are used to seeing hardcore porn online all their lives may not get the appeal of a more restrained sex symbol like Marilyn Monroe.

Nope, most definitely not a millennial. I get all the jokes, and I adore many of Wilder's other films, this one somehow just doesn't work for me. It didn't work the first time I saw it, about twenty years ago, and didn't work again when I rewatched it this summer.

No slight against the film, I recognize it's an unquestioned classic, it's just not my taste. Give me The Apartment or The Major and the Minor every time, I laughed much more during both of those.

[Jason Rietman4k]

Originally Posted by HaroldnMaude

Also maybe millennials who are used to seeing hardcore porn online all their lives may not get the appeal of a more restrained sex symbol like Marilyn Monroe.

Thought-provoking comment.

[jayembee]

Apparently, the Blu-ray edition of The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes is now Out Of Print. Their DVD edition is still available, though.

And, of course, the Eureka Blu-ray is still available.

[James Luckard]

A question for everyone here. I now own all of Wilder's features on BD (or DVD, since Mauvaise Graine, The Spirit of St Louis and Buddy Buddy are only on DVD)

However I still need to track down a copy of Death Mills, his Holocaust doc.

I see it's included on the Kino BD of The Stranger as a bonus feature, but apparently it's SD. I already own the superior Olive release of The Stranger, and the Kino appears to be OOP.

I also see a DVD-R on demand available from Amazon, licensed by the National Archives :


https://www.amazon.com/Death-Mills-1946/dp/B0012JG11K/

Presumably this will be equal in quality to the SD version on the Kino BD, right?

Does anyone know of a full HD version of this doc, or is this DVD-R the best way to go?