What's Up, Doc?

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Director Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show) tipped his hat to the classic screwball comedies of the 1930s, and especially the most glorious of them all, Howard Hawks' Bringing Up Baby. Barbra Streisand plays a charming flake who distracts a self-absorbed musicologist (Ryan O'Neal). He's engaged to be married, but soon Streisand's character has him chasing after stolen jewelry and getting into one madcap fix after another. Bogdanovich, who is also a film critic, understands the engine of the screwball genre, and his loving revival of the form brings a smile, though it is not quite consistently inspired or funny. There are plenty of great moments, however, including a slap at O'Neal's own star-making vehicle, Love Story. --Tom Keogh

Description

Too many kooks spoil the comedy soup? Not when BARBRA STREISAND and RYAN O'NEAL lead a madcap cast (including screen-debuting MADELINE KAHN) on a zany quest that's like a classic screwball comedy - only screwier!

Customer Reviews:

Farce made boring........2007-09-12

I guess people will vote "no" on this review because they don't agree, but here's my opinion:

Screwball/farce comedy can be great. And director Peter Bogdanovich is capable of making them; just look at "Noises Off". But "What's Up, Doc?" doesn't even come close. The script is a mess, it starts out with no introduction whatsoever of either the plot or the characters (all of which are annoying). It goes on as an unfunny farce for about half an hour, then it slows down with romantic scenes between Streisand and O'Neal. Then the farce starts again, stopping again for two long ending sequences, one in a courtroom and one in an airport. All of the farce scenes are enervating instead of funny and uses every cliché in the book, such as construction worker's walking arund with a window glass, getting in the way of a car chase.
"What's Up, Doc?" is a very overrated farce. All of the gags are recycled and were made better in other movies.

What's Up, Doc?.......2007-09-11

This is absolutely hilarious. I loved it the very first time that I saw it in a theater, back in 1972; and still do. I enjoy it everytime that I watch it. It's a great comedy, and I would highly recommend it for anyone's movie library.

FUNNY, FUNNY, FUNNY.......2007-08-15

This is one of the funniest movies made. The chase scene is manic and the courtroom scene is a comic classic. So many familiar faces. This is a must see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bringing Up Babsy.......2007-07-21

Let me preface my review by saying I have an innate loathing of Barbra Streisand. My reasons are manyfold not the least her excreable left-wing politics. Nobody was more gleeful than when Trey Parker and Matt Stone tweaked her on "South Park". Giving the devil her due La Babs in "What's Up Doc" is...tolerable. I watched this film mainly because I'm a big fan of Peter Bogdanovich. I love his reverence for old movies. Here Bogdanovich pays homage to the screwball comedies of the thirties and forties. His reference point here seems to be Howard Hawks' screwball masterwork, "Bringing Up Baby". Bogdanovich is audacious in trying to evoke this classic and he mostly succeeds. The films strength is in the script's witty verbiage. It falters slightly in the tired slapstick that permeates the latter part of the film. There's a great cast that Bogdanovich surrounds the diva with. Ryan O'Neal proves to be an adept light comedian here. Bogdanovich later employed O'Neal to better use in "Paper Moon" in 1973. Only Stanley Kubrick with "Barry Lyndon" seemed to fully utilize O'Neal's talents. The support here is a dream with Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Austin Pendleton, and John Hillerman. I particularly liked Liam Dunn in a small part as a harried judge. Not classic but a great homage to a style of comedy that will never go out of fashion.

Sight comedy at its very best!.......2007-04-23

For the first time in about 30 years I have seen this movie on DVD. I am glad I own a copy of this. Ryan O'Neil and Barbra Streisand are in simply hilarious in this 1972 comedy. Madeline Kahn was also a joy to watch in this film. Barbra can sing but she can really make you laugh with this! Enjoy!!

Barbra Streisand Collection (What's Up, Doc?/The Main Event/Up the Sandbox/Nuts)

Average customer rating:

Barbra Streisand's best comedy, "What's Up Doc."
Terrific Set
One great movie
Wonderful Set
Streisand DVD Set

Barbra Streisand Collection (What's Up, Doc?/The Main Event/Up the Sandbox/Nuts)
Starring: Barbra Streisand , Ryan O'Neal , Paul Sand , Whitman Mayo , and Patti D'Arbanville
Director: Howard Zieff , Irvin Kershner , and Peter Bogdanovich
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00006FDCI
Release Date: 2003-07-01

Amazon.com

What's Up, Doc? (1972)
Director Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show) tipped his hat to the classic screwball comedies of the 1930s, and especially the most glorious of them all, Howard Hawks' Bringing Up Baby. Barbra Streisand plays a charming flake who distracts a self-absorbed musicologist (Ryan O'Neal). He's engaged to be married, but soon Streisand's character has him chasing after stolen jewelry and getting into one madcap fix after another. Bogdanovich, who is also a film critic, understands the engine of the screwball genre, and his loving revival of the form brings a smile, though it is not quite consistently inspired or funny. There are plenty of great moments, however, including a slap at O'Neal's own star-making vehicle, Love Story. --Tom Keogh

Up the Sandbox (1972)
Although not as successful as What's Up, Doc? or The Way We Were, Up the Sandbox springs from the early 1970s, when Barbra Streisand's career was in full stride. Streisand stars as Margaret, a stay-at-home mom in the middle of New York who's feeling the strain of her narrow life. Frustrated by her self-involved husband and the emotionally rewarding but mentally unstimulating tasks of motherhood, she escapes into fantasies--such as being hit on by a cross-gendered Fidel Castro, bombing the Statue of Liberty with black militants, and having a furious catfight with her overbearing mother. The movie's strength lies in these fantasies' slippery nature; some are over the top, but others are so subtle you're not always sure where they start and stop, making the portrait of Margaret's psyche intriguingly complex. Streisand fans should check out this sleeper. --Bret Fetzer

The Main Event (1979)
Comedic misfire from the mid-1970s in a futile attempt to bottle the same lightning that struck when Barbra Streisand teamed with Ryan O'Neal in What's Up, Doc? Here, Streisand plays a spoiled rich girl, the head of a bankrupt cosmetics company, who discovers she's lost everything--except her ownership of the contract of a washed-up boxer (O'Neal, known for his combative nature offscreen). So she tries to rally this dispirited pug into a comeback that will earn the kinds of purses that will put her back on her feet. Naturally, in the process romantic sparks are kindled. But despite a loud and energetic performance by Streisand, this Howard Zieff comedy doesn't add up to much. --Marshall Fine

Nuts (1987)
Barbra Streisand is a mad high-priced "escort" accused of murder, but whether she's mad as hell or mad as a hatter is the question in this courtroom drama, adapted from the play by Tom Topor. While her doting, willfully uncomprehending mother (Maureen Stapleton) and stepdad with a secret (Karl Malden) try to have her judged incompetent and sent to an asylum, she fights for her day in court with the help of a hapless legal aid attorney (a refreshingly understated Richard Dreyfuss). James Whitmore presides over the hearing with a compassion and sense of justice that gives one faith in a system and la Streisand (who developed and produced the project) sinks her teeth into the tempestuous role like a starving actress. The plot holds few surprised, but the drama lies in the characters and veteran director Martin Ritt (Hud) brings out the best in a top-flight cast. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Barbra Streisand's best comedy, "What's Up Doc.".......2006-03-18

Outstanding! This is one of the best comedies that I have seen. (I saw it in the theatre when it first came out.)

Terrific Set .......2005-05-13

In this whole boxset when i first got it i had only seen "Nuts" the most underrated Streisand film it has the quality OF A GREAT PERFORMANCE , The performance was superb this movie should have at least been nominated for an Acadamy Award for best actress The Supporting cast was also Great."Up The Sandbox" is another great movie it shows great things that Margret ( Streisand) went through its one of my favorite streisand films.The Main Event was good at some parts but not the greatest streisand film.Whats Up Doc is defenitly a great screwball comody. This movie really had some great and memorable moments. So if you like Barbra or any of these films its a good boxset to buy.

One great movie.......2004-11-24

'What's Up Doc?' is a five-star movie, no doubt about that. Streisand's best role probably, and a film that's so well made it will be watched for years to come. It's so good, people tend to learn half the script to quote in everyday life. But we knew that was good.
I wanted to have that on DVD, and thought I may as well, considering the price, have three other movies as a bonus.
The best of the rest is 'Nuts', and Barbra gives a truly compelling performance alongside an excellent Dreyfuss. It's a good pairing. The script is good, and the movie, whilst not exactly ground breaking, is pretty good.
'Up the Sandbox' is a curiosity, but not entirely a success. What I do like is Barbra's rather ordinary character Margaret, which she plays with understatement and compassion. What I don't like is when her fantasies are extended into fifteen minute epics, one like a very poor James Bond episode, and one tedious African jungle adventure. The director used poor judgement here. Still, it's an interesting period piece, and I love the bit when Barbra shoves her mother's head into her birthday cake...
'The Main Event' is dreadful. It's the clunker of the four. Our Barbra, sporting a hideous hairdo of tight red curls, plays a woman who coaches a boxer who dropped out after an earlier incident, and there are scenes of boxing, training, and guess what happens at the end? It's impossible to make it sound interesting. The plot is tedious, the script awful and the actors desperate-seeming. The only good thing about this DVD is that it props up the other ones in the box set.
But hey, you're still getting 'What's Up Doc?' so who's complaining?
The bonus is that there are good extra features on the DVDs: commentary by Barbra herself, then the director, and one or two ther bits and pieces, like a mini-documentary from US TV about the making of 'Up the Sandbox'. The commentary is from 2003, so it's nicely up to date and offers an interesting view of the past by actors and directors.

Wonderful Set.......2003-08-21

Every movie here is great, and very differnt from one another! Barbras Warner Years were very eclectic, Sandbox seems to get better with age, The Main Event has always been funny and entertaining, Nuts is drama at its best and then theres the gem of them all Whats Up Doc, Barbra is hysterical, Madeline Cahn is Hysterical, The whole Movie is one great laugh, a ride you want to go on time and time again!!!

Streisand DVD Set.......2003-07-21

It's really unfortunate that the first review posted on this site regarding this DVD set is by someone who is rude and disgusting. I don't ever want to read about someone deficating. Ok you didn't like it, but do you have to be so sick and cruel on top of it? Streisand is far from washed up. LOL

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