What's new

Matt Hough

Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
26,151
Location
Charlotte, NC
Real Name
Matt Hough
An epic western tricked out in the garb of a mere oater, Anthony Mann’s The Furies is one terrific movie.



The Furies (1950)



Released: 14 Aug 1950
Rated: Passed
Runtime: 109 min




Director: Anthony Mann
Genre: Drama, Romance, Western



Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Wendell Corey, Walter Huston, Judith Anderson
Writer(s): Charles Schnee (screenplay), Niven Busch (from a novel by)



Plot: A firebrand heiress clashes with her tyrannical father, a cattle rancher who fancies himself a Napoleon, but their relationship turns ugly only when he finds himself a new woman.



IMDB rating: 7.3
MetaScore: N/A





Disc Information



Studio: Criterion
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution: 1080P/AVC



Aspect...


Continue reading...


 

Robert Crawford

Crawdaddy
Moderator
Patron
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 9, 1998
Messages
67,598
Location
Michigan
Real Name
Robert
Thank you for your fine review. I would've preferred somebody like Eddie Muller who probably would have loved to do an audio commentary on a western with some noir vibes to it. Hell, even Smith doing double duty might have been a better choice. Anyhow, I guess I'm destined to listen to another boring audio commentary even with that additional film knowledge.:)
 

haineshisway

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
5,561
Location
Los Angeles
Real Name
Bruce
Why on earth in this day and age would it be window boxed? Especially from Criterion. Makes no sense. I've never heard Jim Kitses speak, but he knows his stuff on westerns much more than Muller ever could. He wrote a great book on westerns that's a must have for any serious western fan, called Horizon's West.
 

Robert Crawford

Crawdaddy
Moderator
Patron
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 9, 1998
Messages
67,598
Location
Michigan
Real Name
Robert
Why on earth in this day and age would it be window boxed? Especially from Criterion. Makes no sense. I've never heard Jim Kitses speak, but he knows his stuff on westerns much more than Muller ever could. He wrote a great book on westerns that's a must have for any serious western fan, called Horizon's West.

Knowledge is one thing, but if your presentation is boring as hell, some of that knowledge doesn't get communicated properly to your audience. Anyhow, I seriously doubt he's any worse than some other audio commentaries I have heard beforehand. As to Eddie Muller, his film knowledge goes beyond film noir as I've heard him talk about westerns beforehand. You don't have to be an expert on westerns to talk about that genre and give some interesting facts about this movie.
 

Darby67

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 4, 2009
Messages
1,674
Real Name
Sean
Thanks for the review, Matt. I ;ook forward to picking this up at the next Criterion Flash Sale or B&N 50% off sale.
 

Peter Apruzzese

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 20, 1999
Messages
4,894
Real Name
Peter Apruzzese
Why on earth in this day and age would it be window boxed? Especially from Criterion. Makes no sense. I've never heard Jim Kitses speak, but he knows his stuff on westerns much more than Muller ever could. He wrote a great book on westerns that's a must have for any serious western fan, called Horizon's West.


Since Criterion didn't say it's a new transfer, this is probably the same HD transfer they used in 2008.
 

Robert Crawford

Crawdaddy
Moderator
Patron
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 9, 1998
Messages
67,598
Location
Michigan
Real Name
Robert
Since Criterion didn't say it's a new transfer, this is probably the same HD transfer they used in 2008.
If true then I'm in no hurry to buy this disc because I purchased the iTunes HD digital a couple of years ago for $4.99. I'll wait until there is a Criterion or B&N sale this summer.
 

Matt Hough

Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
26,151
Location
Charlotte, NC
Real Name
Matt Hough
Yes, apart from the higher resolution, it looked the same as the DVD I reviewed years ago. Same good but not great black levels, etc. I think the Smith critique is the only new bonus material. They are, of course, including that full-size original novel as part of the package, just as before.
 

Robin9

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2006
Messages
7,649
Real Name
Robin
Yes, apart from the higher resolution, it looked the same as the DVD I reviewed years ago. Same good but not great black levels, etc.
Oh dear. One of Criterion's lesser products? A pity. I'll hold fire for the time being.
 

Robert Crawford

Crawdaddy
Moderator
Patron
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 9, 1998
Messages
67,598
Location
Michigan
Real Name
Robert
Oh dear. One of Criterion's lesser products? A pity. I'll hold fire for the time being.
I don't know, it probably should've been released on BD back in 2008, when the DVD came out because it was derived from a new digital transfer. I watched the iTunes HD digital a couple of years ago and thought it looked good. I was going to listen to the same audio commentary used on the DVD as this upcoming BD release, but never got around to it back in 2019.
 

HawksFord

Premium
Joined
Sep 11, 2019
Messages
481
Location
central NY
Real Name
Maurice
We watched The Furies yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's not among my favorite westerns, but it sits solidly in the second rank. For what it's worth, I thought the commentary track was very good although it is an academic delivery and not the more conversational style I prefer.
 

Robert Crawford

Crawdaddy
Moderator
Patron
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 9, 1998
Messages
67,598
Location
Michigan
Real Name
Robert
Matt,

It's too bad William Holden couldn't have played that Wendell Corey role. He would have been perfect!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,810
Messages
5,123,551
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top