A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Way We Were -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

babsdude said:

Thanks RAH!

I still need to finish watching my copy, but it *is* a gorgeous Blu. The colors in the opening scene at the nightclub -- especially Streisand's red nails and lips -- are striking!

Click to expand...

ROclockCK said:

Going into this viewing, I wasn't expecting much, other than another impeccable transfer by Mr. Crisp and his Sony team. I mean, I was so indifferent about The Way We Were when originally released back in '73, I hadn't even bothered to rent it in any home video format since. So figuring I would have little of positive value to add to this discussion, I was prepared to just give this title a pass and say nothing at all...discretion being the better part of valour, and all.

However, after the fascinating commentary track by Nick Redman and Julie Kirgo for Jane Eyre (together with Bernard Herrmann biographer Steven C. Smith), I thought..."What the hey Mae, let's just cut to the chase here and watch TWWW with the 2nd commentary on." I wasn't burning to see this picture again to begin with, so perhaps their discussion would offer some entertainment value above and beyond what I could reasonably expect from the film itself.

That it surely did...and then some! What an absolute gasssss hearing Redman and Kirgo gab about this movie. To be expected was their customary behind-the-scenes insight and sidebar trivia befitting experienced film archivists...what I wasn't expecting was their often free-associative, digressive-within-digression, yet very entertaining banter about what this picture means to them...heck, just like any other enthusiastic fan. And that enthusiasm was frankly infectious...now I actually like this movie more than ever previously imagined...which, believe me, took some doing.

Plus it was routinely funny in another regard. For anyone who has heard Nick Redman in home video commentaries (has anyone done more?), this guy is typically so prepared, organized, and on script that he invariably becomes the 'eye-of-the-storm' as a moderating presence, more often than not saying things like "In the upcoming scene we'll see..." or "In this next sequence, notice how...". However, here with Kirgo, both were often so engaged in their lively repartee - and naturally engaging us with them - that I lost count how many times they had to almost sheepishly add catch-up words to the effect that "In the sequence that just passed..." or "In this scene we just missed..."

Yeah, I know, I must be making this sound like a really b-a-d commentary track, but absolutely not so! In fact, I think it's one of the most genuinely engaging and informative I've heard in years. I sure hope there's an award for this kind of thing, because this one was a hoot! Thanks to the new Nick and Nora Charles of film commentaries, I actually like this picture now...so there's something indeed to be said for that!

You summed up my thoughts on what Nick and Julia have been adding to the Twilight releases. Her background in the inserts first grabbed my attention on the love they have for these releases.

Bravo! Brava! More!!!

Click to expand...

EddieLarkin said:

Since I can't see it listed on any of the DVD releases, am I correct in assuming they recorded the commentary for this release?

Click to expand...

ROclockCK said:

Going into this viewing, I wasn't expecting much, other than another impeccable transfer by Mr. Crisp and his Sony team. I mean, I was so indifferent about The Way We Were when originally released back in '73, I hadn't even bothered to rent it in any home video format since. So figuring I would have little of positive value to add to this discussion, I was prepared to just give this title a pass and say nothing at all...discretion being the better part of valour, and all.

However, after the fascinating commentary track by Nick Redman and Julie Kirgo for Jane Eyre (together with Bernard Herrmann biographer Steven C. Smith), I thought..."What the hey Mae, let's just cut to the chase here and watch TWWW with the 2nd commentary on." I wasn't burning to see this picture again to begin with, so perhaps their discussion would offer some entertainment value above and beyond what I could reasonably expect from the film itself.

That it surely did...and then some! What an absolute gasssss hearing Redman and Kirgo gab about this movie. To be expected was their customary behind-the-scenes insight and sidebar trivia befitting experienced film archivists...what I wasn't expecting was their often free-associative, digressive-within-digression, yet very entertaining banter about what this picture means to them...heck, just like any other enthusiastic fan. And that enthusiasm was frankly infectious...now I actually like this movie more than ever previously imagined...which, believe me, took some doing.

Plus it was routinely funny in another regard. For anyone who has heard Nick Redman in home video commentaries (has anyone done more?), this guy is typically so prepared, organized, and on script that he invariably becomes the 'eye-of-the-storm' as a moderating presence, more often than not saying things like "In the upcoming scene we'll see..." or "In this next sequence, notice how...". However, here with Kirgo, both were often so engaged in their lively repartee - and naturally engaging us with them - that I lost count how many times they had to almost sheepishly add catch-up words to the effect that "In the sequence that just passed..." or "In this scene we just missed..."

Yeah, I know, I must be making this sound like a really b-a-d commentary track, but absolutely not so! In fact, I think it's one of the most genuinely engaging and informative I've heard in years. I sure hope there's an award for this kind of thing, because this one was a hoot! Thanks to the new Nick and Nora Charles of film commentaries, I actually like this picture now...so there's something indeed to be said for that!

Bravo! Brava! More!!!

Click to expand...

babsdude said:

I agree here. Redman & Kirgo's audio track is REALLY fun and informative as well. Frankly, they explained the whole subplot of Katie being a communist in college and her transformation into a supportive FDR fan better than I've ever heard. I had no historical perspective, and the movie doesn't explain it.

Huge Streisand fan here, so I'm loving this Blu-ray. I was a bit shocked by the red lipstick and fingernails in the opening scene, but everything else looks amazing.

Click to expand...