Charade Criterion Collection--Simply Classic (1 Viewer)

[Eujin]

My wife and I just finished watching this Cary Grant/Audrey Hepburn classic. What an awesome presentation of an awesome movie! This despite the fact that it is non-anamorphic 1.85:1 and 40 years old. Criterion really did a great job restoring this classic and is just another reason to love the stuff that they do. Sure, anamorphic would have been great, but this is one of the best non-anamorphic discs I've ever seen in my set-up. Also, the commentary by Stanley Donen and Peter Stone has got to be one the most entertaining I've ever heard. I'm truly glad that I found a couple of copies at my local Best Buy--now I have one to keep and one to watch. Yeah!

 

[Blu]

This is a wonderful movie with a wonderful presentation!

Can't get enough of this one! For anyone who was a Grant or Hepburn fan!!!!

 

[george kaplan]

I agree 100%. A great disc of a great movie.

 

[GerardoHP]

Can't imagine how the upcoming Mark Wahlberg-Thandie Newton remake could possibly measure up but, who knows.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

I bought this movie sight unseen, and it is still in its plastic wrap. I heard it was OOP now, and I was going to auction it off for a small profit, but now I'm tempted to keep it myself. Should I go watch it now?

 

[Greg_S_H]

I'm tempted to say, "Hell YES, you should keep it!", but I don't know your taste in movies. If you like droll romantic/comedy/thrillers in the Hitchcock vein, keep it, watch it, love it.

 

[Bjorn Olav Nyberg]

Another OOP buyer here... I actually ended up with two copies because my first copy from Amazon was returned by customs (long boring story, no big deal), so I bought a second one via Ebay as well (Which had been opened and resealed, (another long boring story, no big deal) but in the end I got to watch it, and it is truly amazing.
I'm probably about a big a fan of Bruckheimer action movies as you probably will find on this board ( :b ), but I have really come to love these kind of dialogue heavy who's fooling who drama thrillers... The best Hitchcock movie I've seen that Hitchcock didn't direct

 

[Enrique B Chamorro]

If you have a mulitregion DVD player,
the UK R2 PAL version released by Sanctuary
has some very nice alt. extras;
Audio commentary from film historian Ken Barnes
(including conversations with Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer)
Excerpt from Cary Grants' 1931 screen debut
Excerpt from Audrey Hepburn's 1951 debut screen appearance
Cast & crew profiles, Production background
The JFK factor, Original theatrical trailer
Trailers for 'Funny Face' and 'Notorious'.
Bensonsworld has it for;
Link Removed
11.65UK = 17.50US +/- , free shipping to the US
I have both and enjoy the extras, I perfer the picture of
the US R1 NTSC edition.

 

[Eujin]

Enrique, thanks for the tip about the UK R2 version--I'll definitely pick it up at some point.

I also wanted to mention how this movie really showcases the quality of screenwriting in the old days--there's so much wit and cleverness in the conversational interplay (of course, having Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn delivering those lines is a big bonus) that is so lacking today. I also couldn't help but feel regret that Cary Grant never got to play 007, as I think he had the perfect combination of charm and steel to pull it off.

 

[Enrique B Chamorro]

Happy to help, just be sure your DVD player can

convert PAL to NTSC or your TV and sync. to PAL.

Other very nice UK Sanctuary special editions;

Dead Zone SE (?? R0 NTSC ?? strange but TRUE ??)

Audio commentary by authors Stephen Jones and Kim Newman.

24 page booklet with extensive liner notes.

The Bounty SE (?? R0 NTSC ?? strange but TRUE ??)

Audio commentary from director Roger Donaldson, producer Bernie Williams, and production designer John Graysmark.

Original 'Making Of The Bounty' documentary.

The Bounty On Film - gallery of stills and trailers detailing previous film adaptations of The Mutiny On The Bounty (narrated by Stephen Walters).

xtensive cast and crew profiles.

Trailers including the original 1935 Mutiny On The Bounty.

Extensive liner notes by Stephen Walters giving an

account of David Lean's early involvement with The Bounty project.

 

[Eujin]

No problem R2/PAL discs--I have a Malata.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

The Criterion "Charade" has been showing up at Best Buys in my area lately. You may want to check yours if you live near one.

Don't get it confused with the Madacy, however. The Madacy looks like someone made an analog Beta-tape copy of the Criterion DVD and then re-digitized and encoded it at a very low bitrate. It's actually a pretty good demo disc for digital artifacts, even moreso than most Madacy product since it is otherwise a moderately clear transfer (with occasional analog video artifacts!!!). The smooth-moving camera shots during the "assasination" scene that introduces Hepburn make for perfect pixelization demos.

Regards,

 

[Matthew_Millheiser]

Charade is one of my top-ten DVDs, without hesitation.
Sure, it ain't anamorphic, but what a lovely transfer anyhow. Sharp, vibrant, beautiful. And that commentary track is both hysterical and informative!!
Nevermind the fact that Charade is possibly one of the greatest romance/thrillers ever made. I could watch this movie over and over again. Hepburn and Grant? Sheer Hollywood magic.
(Newton and Wahlberg? Um, el paso on that one...)
Much, much better than fruit cup!

 

[John Koehler]

Wouldn't mind seeing director Donen's followup movie on DVD, Arabesque starring Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren, and a wonderfully unctuous Alan Badel, with an equally excellent Henry Mancini score.
The only improvement I could think of to the superb Criterion release of Charade would be an isolated score. But I will take the disc as is, with another THANK YOU to Criterion!

 

[Paul_D]

Charade is one of my top-ten DVDs, without hesitation.

I second that. For anyone reading, who are thinking about picking this one up, do it sooner rather than later, cos its about to get real expensive on eBay, any day now. Pick it up quick. Its a keeper.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

its about to get real expensive on eBay,

Damnit Paul, you're not helping any.
While I continue this internal debate with myself, Charade: Criterion Collection is sitting and gather dust.
Rip the plastic or no, rip the plastic or no.
choices, choices :frowning:
Anyways, since it's OOP, who has the rights to it now?

 

[Damin J Toell]

Anyways, since it's OOP, who has the rights to it now?

Universal. Criterion licensed their restored transfer.

DJ

 

[Eujin]

There was another thread around here that discussed the licensing issue, as some thought that Charade had passed into the public domain. Not sure what the eventual outcome was, but Criterion did indeed use the Universal print for their edition. There are a number of versions out there that used different prints with inferior results--at least that's what I've read, as I've never seen them myself. At any rate, I hope that Universal and other studios out there that can't be bothered to put out first-class DVDs of classic movies will license them to Criterion. I find it mind-boggling that studios will put out drivel like the "Ernest" movies, while continuing to let great movies--from the days when Hollywood made good pictures--continue to deteriorate in their vaults.

 

[DanaA]

Mark Wahlberg-Thandie Newton - Cary Grant-Audrey Hepburn

Hollywood please get a clue!!!

 

[GerardoHP]

I feel your pain, Dana. But then again, didn't they remake SABRINA a few years ago? William Holden-Audrey Hepburn, Greg Kinnear-Julia Ormond. Nuff said.