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Julia Roberts , Movies , Harold And Maude , Criterion , Dvds , The Three Stooges ,
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Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyDVDs: Nyuck! Nyuck! The Three
Stooges Get Their Due
THE THREE STOOGES ULTIMATE COLLECTION ($95.99; Sony) -- The Three Stooges were
always the blue collar comedians of live action comedy shorts. Laurel & Hardy were more elegant
somehow. Abbott & Costello more verbal. ("Who's on first" alone raises them to the heights.) But theStooges just nyucked-nyucked their way through 190 group shorts, some 28 solo shorts and a couple offeature films. That's a lot of poked eyes. Individual sets have been coming out for a while now and they'revery nicely remastered and presented with care. This Ultimate Collection is merely a cardboard box thatcontains all those individual sets covering their 25 year career from 1934 to 1959. The bonus discsinclude several feature films and those rarer than rare solo shorts. Luckily for the fans who alreadybought these sets as they came out, Sony is wisely making the bonus discs available on their own (theprice is rather steep but hopefully will come down). For anyone who hasn't started their StoogesMOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2
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Quick Read | Comments (27) | 08.20.2012August 29, 2012
Edition: U.S.
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collection, this set contains well over 60 hours of entertainment (frankly, I lost count). It's deeply
discounted so if you want a lot of bang for your buck and would love to see kids watching black and white
shorts from Hollywood's golden age rather than commercials for toys posing as TV shows, why, the
Stooges are just for you. Me, I've always been left cold by their slapping and punching and funny noises.But they have endured and this set is a good legacy.
HAROLD AND MAUDE ($29.96; Criterion) -- I have a complicated relationship with this film by Hal
Ashby, the greatest director of the 1970s, bar none. (No one had a greater streak of brilliant, varied work
in that era.) Initially, I loved the movie and felt completely betrayed by the ending, which seemed to be
the opposite of the film's message. (If you're loving and embracing life, why kill yourself when you'rehealthy and happy and not even a hint of illness is on the horizon?) But I've come to accept the blackhumor and bittersweet ending thanks to the brilliant, enduring performances. Kudos in particular toVivian Pickles, who strikes precisely the right tone to anchor the film as Harold's rather distractedmother. This transfer looks great and includes a lovely looking booklet, two audio interviews from the erawith Ashby (who talks interestingly about his desire for a more provocative ad campaign) andscreenwriter Colin Higgins and a video chat from today with Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens. That short is briefbut informative, detailing his love of musicals, his wish to have his music used more, how he wasreluctantly and then enthusiastically drawn in and finally how rough demos of the original songs wererushed into the movie against his wishes, leading to decades where the only way to hear them was to seethe film, making it that much more special. Harold And Maude is an inexpensive movie and this transfer
makes it look as good as I've ever seen it. A counter-culture landmark? Sure, but more importantly a
bracingly original film.
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THE STING 100TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION ($39.98 BluRay; Universal)
ERIN BROKOVICH 100TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION ($19.98 BluRay; Universal)
PILLOW TALK 100TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION ($39.98 BluRay; Universal) -- Universal is
celebrating its 100th anniversary and happily they're doing it right by spending money to restore some of
their most important films. I know seemingly intelligent people who love movies that dismiss The Sting ,
presumably because it's too easy, too fun. They love obscure noirs or little known westerns but a popular
entertainment like this is seemingly gone from the landscape today and they show no respect for whatused to be. (Check out Julia Roberts in Duplicity for a great modern example ignored at the box office.)
But it remains an absolute joy with movie stars doing what movie stars do best and bringing the sort ofmale camaraderie Ocean's Eleven can only dream about.
Julia Roberts also stars in Erin Brockovich . She won the Oscar but some believe what helped put her
over the top was the DVD release and its deleted scenes; Roberts tears it up in some of them and wordspread in Hollywood that you needed to check them out. When even your deleted scenes are makingnews, you know you've made a special movie.
Pillow Talk is, of course, a beloved romantic comedy, perhaps the key title in the Rock Hudson/Doris
Day partnership. It looks smashingly good on BluRay and since the production design and
cinematography is the film's strongest element, that's no small thing. But can't we finally admit that whatseemed the height of sophistication in 1959 is now awfully lame and dated? Childish even? The dialogueis lame-brained (with Tony Randall getting most of the very few good lines), the storyline thin, theplotting and sexual politics tepid indeed. It feels like a child's version of what adult romance might be
like. They have a certain chemistry ,of course, but Pillow Talk is now finally revealed as a visual treat
with nothing of substance inside the trappings.
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1900 ($39.95 BluRay: Olive/Paramount)
CHINATOWN ($26.98 BluRay; Paramount) -- Oh the fate of movies. How fickle the gods can be.
Bernardo Bertolucci is a European director. Roman Polanski is a European director. Bertolucci's 1900 is
a seminal film in his important body of work. Polanski's Chinatown is a seminal film in his body of work.
And yet Chinatown has always been available in a lovingly preserved edition while 1900 has had a
checkered history and rarely been seen in the U.S. in its full, epic length. Chinatown 's blessed existence
continues with this latest edition showing off Jack Nicholson's seminal noir at its best. 1900 has not been
fully restored or expensively remastered in this BluRay, but for those who want to see one of his key
films, it's probably the best we can expect for the foreseeable future and good enough to be worthwatching.
LOST KEATON SIXTEEN COMEDY SHORTS 1934-1937 ($39.95 BluRay; Kino) -- Kino has been
preserving and presenting the work of silent film legend Buster Keaton with a thoroughness and carethat should warm the hearts of film buffs everywhere. This latest release contains 16 comedy shortsshowing him in transition, crafting a new persona called "Elmer" and grappling and sometimestriumphing over the possibilities of sound. It's not Keaton at his best but you will discover some flashesof genius. For buffs, it's a chance to follow his career throughout every twist and turn.
LATE SPRING ($39.95 BluRay; Criterion)
THE ORGANIZER ($29.95 BluRay; Criterion) -- Every release from Criterion is a cause for celebration,
whether it's a movie you love or one you've never heard about. Yasujior Ozu is, of course, one of the
landmark directors of the 20th century, an artist you simply have to be familiar with to call yourself amovie buff. But he wasn't perfect. Ozu was notably awful at naming his films -- Early Summer, LateSpring, Middle Of Fall, Early-Mid Winter . The titles do tend to blur. This 1949 masterpiece focuses on a
middle class family and the impending marriage of a widow's treasured daughter. Many cineastes preferit to Ozu's Tokyo Story but either is an essential viewing experience. Beautifully remastered, it contains
Wim Wenders' 92 minute film about Ozu, a great introduction to his work. On the opposite end of thescale is a movie I've absolutely never heard of. The Organizer is an Italian film starring the great
Marcello Mastroianni and an ode to unionism and employees coming together to demand workplacesafety. Knowing it has the Criterion stamp of approval, you can't help but anticipate

MEATBALLS ($14.99 BluRay; Lionsgate)
SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT ($19.98 BluRay; Universal) -- Two stars coming into their own. Bill
Murray turned a secondary part in a minor teen sex comedy called Meatballs into a big boost to his
career. Clearly Saturday Night Live was just the beginning. The essential sweetness he brought to the
broad comedy of a camp counselor was a big reason why. Reynolds, of course, was already a star by the
time he made Smokey and sent sales of Coors beer skyrocketing. But it turned him into a superstar. He
made better movies before and after and even enjoyed sitcom success, but it would never get bigger thanthis. Just ask Archer.
THE GOLD RUSH ($29.95; Criterion) -- Here's a real treat for me, one of Charlie Chaplin's most
popular movies in a version I've never seen before. This new Criterion edition contains the 1942 reissueChaplin oversaw, trimming the movie down to 72 minutes and adding new music and narration. That'sthe only version I've ever seen. This edition also contains the original 1925 version back to its 88 minutelength, nicely restored and with a newly recorded version of Chaplin's score. It's a rare chance to see amajor work by one of the most popular directors of all time in a new light. Both versions have integritysince Chaplin oversaw them, but the original edition should ALWAYS be available. Did you hear that,George Lucas? You're in good company. Lots of directors fiddle with their work and sometimes evenimprove it. But happily history will always catch up with you.
*****
Most titles listed here will be available in multiple formats and in multiple combinations, includingDVD, Blu-ray, digital download, video on demand, streaming and the like. The format listed is theformat provided for review, not all the formats available. It is often the most expensive version with themost extras. Do check individual titles for availability in all their various guises and price points.
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podcast that
reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion
makers as guests. It's available for free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog .
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and alsoavailable for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
Note : Michael Giltz is provided with free copies of DVDs and Blu-rays with the understanding that he
would be considering them for review. Generally, he does not guarantee to review and he receives far
more titles than he can cover.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
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09:51 PM on 06/20/2012
the three stooges are my dads favorite and i love watching them with him he always laughs so hard
lol
08:13 PM on 06/20/2012
The Three Stooges... Ah yes, I watched them from the late 50's until you coulden't find themanymore!! In the So Cal area, they were on for 4 solid hourson Sunday during the 60's when theywere trying to make another day for kids!
The Sting - A marvelous film!!! I saw that when it originally was released, about 1972 - 73... I was in
my senior year! Redford and Newman are fantastic together!
Pillow Talk - I saw that movie when it came out, but you couldn't prove it by me... I had to be told
about it! I got a copy of it about 12 years ago, and I put it on whenever I need to laugh... you
couldn't make a film like that today
Chinatown - I saw that not long after I graduated... Probably 74 - 75. I have a DVD and I put it on
whenever I want to be entertained... "She's my daughter! (Slap!) She's my Sister! (Slap!) She's myDaughter..."
"Meatballs" and "Smokey and the Bandit" - Saw them both about the same time in 1977 - 78. They
were both good films! Whether you want a film about Camp or one about a comedic chase, you
can't .go wrong with these films!
And I saw "The Gold Rush", but I don't remember it! Thanks for the memories!
11:17 AM on 06/21/2012
Thanks for sharing.
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08:11 PM on 06/20/2012
The stooges may not be for everyone but the early ones still make me laugh.The sound effects are
classic.
07:14 PM on 06/20/2012
Harold and Maude is a great very much under rated movie.
06:53 PM on 06/20/2012
NOBODY could remake the Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello, Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton.They were the finest and the first true comedians. I still LOVE their movies and short clips. Aboutten years ago, a friend of mine and I tried to do the entire "Who's On First" routine on stage. Wecouldn't do it without scripts!!! And we grew up watching Abbott and Costello once a week andseeing that routine at least once a month. I wish that I could have met those seven men----theywere geniuses.
05:05 PM on 06/20/2012
Three stooges were bigger stars when they got old and pass on then they ever were when makingtheir films.
05:33 PM on 06/20/2012
Plus nobody's tried to remake Abbott & Costello with new actors.
06:54 PM on 06/20/2012
Actually, I tried.
07:17 PM on 06/20/2012
And hopefully no one will. Why ruin a good thing like what happen with The 3Stooges movie. And Harold and Maude is a great under rated movie.
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