Don't be dissuaded by the comments of those who didn't "get" this movie. If you are the type who can appreciate cutting satire delivered with a straight face, and if you agree with me that the journey can be as or sometimes even more enjoyable than the destination itself, then you will absolutely love this movie. All-star cast, great director and a script containing some of the wittiest, now-classic dialog on film. Many have previously commented on the major highlights and the basic plot of this film so I won't waste any more space on that. What I will address are the complaints regarding bad prints of this movie on DVD, where perhaps the true source of some of the negative complaints spring.
For whatever reason this movie has become "public domain," which means many various, cheaply-made DVD releases by fly-by-night studios saturate the market. I wish I could tell you which is the best print but I don't really know because I haven't seen them all. I did purchase one by Passion Video which was a terrible print--analog transfer, extremely dark and, worst of all, the sound lagged well behind the video making it look like some cheaply dubbed foreign b-movie. Needless to say I returned it for a full refund and--also needless to say--avoid this one at any price. I have heard the Laserlight edition is a fairly decent transfer, if you don't mind putting up with the logo at the bottom of your screen. What I would request from others who post complaints regarding poor DVD quality is to let others know which studio print you purchased/rented. I think it would really help the rest of us out there still looking for a decent copy. I only wish some studio with the means (Criterion--hello?) would give this gem of classic cinema the restoration and remastering job it desperately needs and certainly deserves. My feeling is the glut of these cheap copies on the market make a decent restoration effort financially untenable. sigh.
For whatever reason this movie has become "public domain," which means many various, cheaply-made DVD releases by fly-by-night studios saturate the market. I wish I could tell you which is the best print but I don't really know because I haven't seen them all. I did purchase one by Passion Video which was a terrible print--analog transfer, extremely dark and, worst of all, the sound lagged well behind the video making it look like some cheaply dubbed foreign b-movie. Needless to say I returned it for a full refund and--also needless to say--avoid this one at any price. I have heard the Laserlight edition is a fairly decent transfer, if you don't mind putting up with the logo at the bottom of your screen. What I would request from others who post complaints regarding poor DVD quality is to let others know which studio print you purchased/rented. I think it would really help the rest of us out there still looking for a decent copy. I only wish some studio with the means (Criterion--hello?) would give this gem of classic cinema the restoration and remastering job it desperately needs and certainly deserves. My feeling is the glut of these cheap copies on the market make a decent restoration effort financially untenable. sigh.
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