In Memoriam: Best Brando on DVD... (1 Viewer)

[Brian_L_Kleis]

Deeply saddened by the news earlier today about Mr. Brando's passing. Just making me think about how much I still enjoy most of his films in my collection...

So, for some of the Brando uninitiated (both of you), I'd suggest everyone watch "On the Waterfront"... Great SE of it came out a couple years ago, and I still love it to death. Personally, yes, love The Godfather, Streetcar, Wild Ones, and lots of the others I've got, but the Waterfront disk is the only one I've got that is a real SE with some good extras and outstanding transfer of the picture...

Other recommedations and comments?

 

[obscurelabel]

I just watched Morituri on DVD last week and was impressed. An excellent WWII suspense drama that I had honestly never heard of. Brando's German accent is a bit off-putting (although as far as I could tell it was technically well done) but his performance as a German expatriate with conflicted allegiances is very good. This may be his most recent R1 DVD release.

I'm not sure if the public domain One-Eyed Jacks is available in a decent version on any of the many DVDs out there. The oft-ridiculed Reflections in a Golden Eye is a personal favorite of mine. A DVD release containing both the full color version (the only one I've seen) and the original desaturated "golden" color scheme would be welcome. I thought Brando's performance was very strong. I will have to dig up my VHS copy taped from AMC years ago.

Burn! is a movie that I have seen only in a cut-up version on a UHF channel years ago that would be great to see on DVD.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

I would never suggest that this was among his greatest roles, but I got a kick out of Marlon Brando co-starring with Matthew Broderick in The Freshman.

 

[Randy Korstick]

My favorite Brando's are:

Streetcar named Desire
Sayonara
The Young Lions
One Eyed Jacks

 

[Anthony Neilson]

Funnily enough, I picked up a copy of THE BRAVE last week, which I've never seen. I've heard it's pretty bad.
THE MISSOURI BREAKS is also out this week in the UK and I'm looking forward to seeing that again.
I also agree with Larry : I've only just realised that REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE is generally held to be a bad movie. I remember really liking it when I saw it. I'll have to revisit it.

My favourite Brando movie is still LAST TANGO IN PARIS and I hope that MGM will now do a special edition that does it justice.

 

[Sebastian_A]

To me, Brando was the greatest actor of all time, and an extraordinary human being - I am very saddened by the news of his passing.

If I'd have to pick from his movies, I honestly could not recommend just a handful.

I loved his directorial effort "ONE-EYED JACKS" which is a very underrated but fascinating western. Why doesn't Criterion pic hits pd title up? There is not one serious dvd-effort of this film out there. "THE YOUNG LIONS" by Dmytryk is a phenomenal antiwar pic and one of Brando's strongest performances. His scene with May Britt (am I remembering her name correctly?) is priceless!

Rest in peace, Marlon, and thank you.

S

 

[ScottR]

How is the Guys and Dolls dvd? Is the transfer and audio good?

 

[Haggai]

Yes, that was her name. I mentioned this movie over in the Brando tribute thread in the Movies section.

Britt, a tall goddess-like Swedish beauty, was married to Sammy Davis Jr. for a while in the '60s. My mom told me that it was one of the stranger celebrity stories she remembered from growing up at the time, a real "beauty and the beast" pairing.

 

[Jeff(R)]

One-Eyed Jacks is one of the finest and most impressive Westerns I've ever seen. Everyone (particularly Brando fans) should make an effort to see it if they haven't yet.

There's a thread in studio/manufacturer feedback re: the many requests for Paramount to release a quality "official" version. I don't know what the likelyhood of this happening is, due to it apparently being in the public domain, but hopefully, if we're lucky, it will happen.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=38505

Jeff

 

[John Hodson]

Done!

 

[Sebastian_A]

Thanks Haggai - her and Brando in that scene are just very very, well, hot is the word, I guess.

S

 

[Kirk Tsai]

Is Brando's first movie, The Men, on any quality dvd? It's interesting to see that is his first movie role, he chooses to act in a role where mobility is completely elimanted. Teresa Wright looks like her usually lovely self too.

 

[Nick Eden]

With regard to One-Eyed Jacks on a proper Paramount DVD-yes please!
This situation with public domain is a nonsense-in my opinion the law should be changed so that when mistakes happen and companies don't renew the copyright on titles,there should be a way of them re-establishing their ownership of said intellectual property. I would love to own One-Eyed Jacks on a beautiful restored Paramount DVD, but would not contemplate owning some awful public domain transfer.

 

[oscar_merkx]

Great loss indeed and Brando has been in so many movies that it is hard to pick a favorite

Top 3

On the Waterfront
Last Tango in Paris
The Godfather

which reminds me that I will buy more of his dvds now

 

[Dick]

Yes, it's pretty decent, considering it's from Artisan (a Republic title).

 

[Brian W]

For me, it does not get much better than Streetcar, Waterfront and The Godfather in that order. But movies like Guys and Dolls and Sayonara proved he had the extraordinary range to go from the dramatic intensity style he created primarily in those early roles like Wild One, Streetcar and Waterfront, to musical comedy and romantic leading man, respectively.
Unusual, controversial and eccentric in real life during his middle ages and now to his death. After seeing him over those years, the obese weight gain, pretty much letting himself and his career go, it is difficult to believe that he was the same man who in his younger days had such raw magnetism and energy, had a sexual appeal like no other that he brought to the screen. Like Dean after him, he was a Hollywood rebel, creating a style that is often imitated and sought after, but rarely anyone has come as close.

 

[Andrew Budgell]

I wish that Warner would release "Reflections in a Golden Eye." I need all the Elizabeth Taylor on DVD I can get!

Andy

 

[DanaA]

I have six or seven Brando films on DVD and have seen most of them, at one time or another. My choice for his best acting performance has to be A Streetcar Named Desire. He's scary powerful in that movie. Talk about becoming the character. Pure, raw animal Brando.

 

[DanaA]

By the way, I went to look for my Guys and Dolls DVD, but my daughter left it at a friends. If I recall, it was decent quality transfer, but I haven't seen it for a long time, so don't take my word for it. I just can't remember being totally impressed or totally unimpressed as far as PQ.

 

[Michael Elliott]

I think I own all the Brando films that are on DVD except for the recently released NIGHT OF THE FOLLOWING DAY, which is one of my favorites but I can't find it anywhere. I finally broke down and ordered it online this afternoon.

Both GUYS AND DOLLS and SAYONARA are non-anamorphic so hopefully Warner will buy MGM and release better versions. The public domain copies of ONE EYED JACKS is actually better video wise than the two MGM titles. Paramount could always get their "rights" back by releasing an extended cut of the film. I believe they'd be able to put a new copyright on that.

I've had a Brando-thon the past day and most of the DVDs are good. STREETCAR doesn't look too hot but at least there's a SE in the works. THE WILD ONE is very good, although there's some speckles in the print. LAST TANGO IN PARIS is in desperate need of a new transfer. The audio mix is also quite bad on it. THE FRESHMAN doesn't look too great but it's certainly worth the $5.50.

Hopefully people will go back and re-watch Brando's films from the 1960's. Everyone (critics/media) call this a bad decade but I thought there were some wonderful performances here. BEDTIME STORY, REFLECTIONS, MUTINY, NIGHT OF THE FOLLOWING and THE CHASE are all very good. Not to mention BURN and THE NIGHTCOMERS, both needing a DVD release, although NIGHTCOMERS is available in R2.