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A Few Words About A few words about...™ Driving Miss Daisy -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Charles Smith

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Wrong. You're all wrong. It's perfectly obvious he meant Mary Martin in The Sound of Music.
 

Robin9

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Chas in CT said:
Wrong.  You're all wrong.  It's perfectly obvious he meant Mary Martin in The Sound of Music.     :cool:
No, you're wrong. He meant Barbara Cook in The Music Man!:)
 

Mike Williams

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I have always loved Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy and wish someone would release their incredible play, "The Gin Game," directed by Mike Nichols, on DVD. It is an amazing play thanks to their incredible performances.
 

Matt Hough

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I'd love to have it, too, and I have a dear friend for whom I searched years trying to find this on disc with no luck.
 

Charles Smith

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Was only ever issued on VHS? That's what it looks like. I remember it well -- not only watching it, but taping it on my then-brand-spanking-new Beta HiFi VCR. What's more, I might even still have the tape. Haven't had a machine in 20 years, and I did toss out most of my tapes, but I held back a dozen or so that I'd watch at least once, were I ever to acquire (or even just borrow) another machine. Still haven't done that.
 

Erik_H

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The Tandy/Cronyn recollections remind me of the one time I saw them perform live---the 1986 pre-Broadway tryout in Boston of "The Petition," which was the final play they did together. The play was nothing special --- "The Gin Game" it wasn't---but what a privilege it was to see them.. Truly incomparable. Or as Frank Rich eloquently put it in his Times review: "the real subject of ''The Petition'' is one of the most illustrious marriages in the history of the American stage...an acting phenomenon now unique in the Broadway theater and possibly never to come its way again." He was right.
 

Robert Harris

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Originally Posted by Erik_H
The Tandy/Cronyn recollections remind me of the one time I saw them perform live---the 1986 pre-Broadway tryout in Boston of "The Petition," which was the final play they did together. The play was nothing special --- "The Gin Game" it wasn't---but what a privilege it was to see them.. Truly incomparable. Or as Frank Rich eloquently put it in his Times review: "the real subject of ''The Petition'' is one of the most illustrious marriages in the history of the American stage...an acting phenomenon now unique in the Broadway theater and possibly never to come its way again." He was right.
And the personification of "working actors" vs. celebrities.
RAH
 

rsmithjr

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Mark Mayes said:
Ahh, but you see, I think most would agree that Deborah Kerr was the perfect inexchangeable choice for Anna Leonowens, despite Gertrude Lawrence having originated the role. (Just kidding, I know you mean MFL)
Yes, she passed in 1952. There is far too little film of Miss Lawrence, although it is said that her strength was her presence on stage. At least we have Julie Andrew's performance in the deeply under-rated "Star!" But I always wished that "Star!" had carried on her story through "The King and I" rather than stopping where it did, although the ending makes sense in terms of her finding someone to "watch over her".
 

Another title with an updated logo. Warner is the worst when it comes to this. Other than that, I spot checked and the film looks wonderful. It has a darker look, like its original release. The previous home video releases were too bright.
 

James David Walley

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Robert Harris said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by TravisR
I could be wrong but I thought that, despite being one of the titles that was restored for Universal's 100th anniversary, Schindler's List was always set for 2013 which is its 20th anniversary.
Would naturally need to be fully and brilliantly restored.
Hate it when a lab is printing the original negative, it ends on on someone's shoes, and gets dragged into the bathroom.
Same situation as Disney's Little Mermaid. Destroyed, presumably by Technicolor!
Needed a full restoration.
RAH
This is the first time I've heard about either of these. Could you say more?
 

Moe Dickstein

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Mark Mayes said:
"The situation was much like that of a certain musical, in which a role might have gone to the individual who perfected the role on Broadway. While I have no real problems with that film, Streetcar might have been quite different." Ahh, but you see, I think most would agree that Deborah Kerr was the perfect inexchangeable choice for Anna Leonowens, despite Gertrude Lawrence having originated the role. (Just kidding, I know you mean MFL)
Oh gee, I thought he was talking about Mame!
 

Nick*Z

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I'm just going to throw in my two cents here and say that I found the sequence where Miss Daisy and her female friends play Mahjong in her living room prior to Hoke being hired as her chauffeur looking a tad too low in its contrast levels for my taste. I mean, it's almost like they're playing in the dark, with blown out light levels coming in from the windows. Granted, cinematographer Peter James lit these interiors from without using a combo of light sources and natural lighting to achieve a realistic soft glow, but I don't know. This sequence still looks awkward. Even in a dark room on a 65 inch HD set I was squinting for details in Miss Daisy's face as she turns to her friend and says "That's sweet of you, honey." During the "Things are Changing" documentary this same scene is referenced with decidedly different contrast levels - brighter, but not out of whack like the various DVD incarnations. But it doesn't look anything like the sequence as it appears in the film. Another sequence referenced in that same documentary, as Daisy and Hoke drive away from the two state troopers who questioned them, is a long shot containing a very natural looking blue sky but with decidedly vibrant green trees and obviously white fluffy clouds. The same scene in the actual movie is tinged in a sepia tone. Now I saw Driving Miss Daisy at the show but it's been a while and I cannot be entirely certain which color and contrast more accurately reflects the theatrical presentation. Does anyone know for sure? Please advise.
 

I can only go by memory, but this disc looks exactly as I remember it in the theater....quite dark in many scenes (especially inside the house) and sepia tinged. It's been brightened for so many years that I had forgotten this look until I saw the new disc.
 

Citizen87645

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I'd never seen the film in any incarnation, prior to my review, so I didn't question the light levels in the interiors. The consistency of the look of those interiors caused no red flags to be raised and I thought it gave a great sense of mood and place – old, old home, occupied by a lady who liked to keep things dark. When Hoke and Boolie meet up at the end and the house is stripped bare and unoccupied, it really shows what things could have been like with a different occupant.
 

Andy_MT

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what an amazing looking film. i can't recall seeing such a style before, but it suits the period of the story perfectly. it's a work of art - it's like watching a painting come to life. display (Panasonic TX-P65VT50B). the only negative would be a slight instability to the image as blu-ray.com points out. they suggest gateweave ? but this doesn't feel like an old master. i wonder what happened here ? http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Driving-Miss-Daisy-Blu-ray/43653/#Review
 

battlebeast

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Originally Posted by David Weicker
I am thrilled about the release of missing 'Best Pictures'. The early part of 2013 brings us Grand Hotel, Mrs. Miniver, Driving Miss Daisy, On The Waterfront, and Gentlemen's Agreement.
However, I would like to correct your statement about the 'newest' missing title - that dubious distinction falls to Schlindler's List (1993).
David
Happily, you are WRONG!!
Schindler's List 20th anniversary blu ray will be out march 5th according to Amazon.ca
As someone who has watched and collected all 494 best Picture Nominees on DVD (in one form or another; I have The Patriot's trailer and I have seen The White Parade, although It's not available on DVD, and I DO have a copy of East Lynne, although it's missing the last scene), and am now Collecting all the Best Picture winners on Blu, your lists are incredibly helpful!
 

Mark-P

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battlebeast said:
Happily, you are WRONG!! :D Schindler's List 20th anniversary blu ray will be out march 5th according to Amazon.ca
Despite your emoticon, he was actually RIGHT at the time he made the post. Universal made the announcement a little over a week after his posting. :cool:
 

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