The Mel Brooks Collection (Blazing Saddles / Young Frankenstein / Silent Movie / Robin Hood: Men in Tights / To Be or Not to Be / History of the World, Part 1 / The Twelve Chairs / High Anxiety)

Amazon.com

There are plenty of belly laughs in The Mel Brooks Collection, an eight-disc set of most of the director-writer-actor's best-known films. Four of them--Silent Movie, High Anxiety, To Be or Not to Be, and Robin Hood: Men with Tights--are making their debut on DVD, while a fifth, The Twelve Chairs, was briefly available as a non-anamorphic DVD from Image Entertainment (all the DVDs in this set are anamorphically enhanced for widescreen TVs). That means you can sample a 23-year stretch of Brooks's outrageous and affectionate spoofing of everything from movies to popular legends to movies to historical figures to, hey! more movies.

The earliest film, The Twelve Chairs (1970), is the least known, but is one of the funniest, helped greatly by a good story (adapted from a 1920s Russian tale) and the casting of Ron Moody and Frank Langella as treasure hunters. Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles followed in 1974. The former, a spoof of horror films, is easily one of the top two or three funniest movies of all time, and the latter is justly famous for its often-tasteless send-up of Western cliches. Silent Movie (1976) is just what the title describes, with its only word of dialogue spoken from the least-likely source, and High Anxiety (1977) pays tribute to the work of Alfred Hitchcock. History of the World, Part 1 (1981) mocks historical events and epics, and To Be or Not to Be (1983) is a remake of Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 classic of the same name (it's also the only film in the set for which Brooks didn't receive writing and directing credit). By this time, Brooks was more actively taking the leading roles himself (rather than the bit parts), and unfortunately relying less on his topnotch ensemble of recurring players, which included Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, and Dom Deluise. But he does use a new ensemble (including Cary Elwes and, in his film debut, Dave Chappelle), for Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), the feature-length spin on the same hero Brooks had spoofed in his short-lived 1975 television series When Things Were Rotten.

Bonus features are minor. In addition to an HBO featurette on Men in Tights, there's a featurette and interviews on To Be or Not to Be and all the features (Brooks commentary, deleted scenes, interviews, etc.) that were on the original release of Young Frankenstein. Note that while rights issues kept The Producers, Spaceballs, and other films out of this set, 20th Century Fox was able to use Warner Bros.' Blazing Saddles. The features on that disc, however, are the ones that were on the 1997 DVD release, not the 2004 anniversary reissue. Regardless, the set's price for this many films is low, and because it has so many films new to DVD, Brooks fans will want to pick this up faster than they can say... "Frau Blücher!" --David Horiuchi

Description

This 8 disc boxset includes Blazing Saddles, High Anxiety, History of the World Part I, Robinhood Men in Tights, Silent Movie, To Be or Not to Be, Twelve Chairs, Young Frankenstein.

Customer Reviews:

Mel...Mel...Mel.......2007-08-29

Includes 8 of Mel Brooks Classics in this Collection. Each Movie is a true classic and is a good addition to anyones DVD Movie collection. We purchased these for our Homeowners Association Library so that we can show them on the weekly movie night by the pool or in the clubhouse. Everyone enjoys them too.

Surprisingly good.......2007-08-14

I acquired this collection in order to acquaint the kids with the Mel Brooks style of humor. His ideas hold up to the test of time remarkably well. We were especially surprised by To Be or Not to Be - a film we were not aware of, and one which every theatre lover will enjoy. Mel is particularly good in this story about a couple of Polish actors surviving the Nazi occupation. In other films, Mel's subversive ironies still sound fresh. Ignore the puerile jokes and the way the pacing drags at times. In the history of cinematic comedy, Mel ranks way up there.

mel brooks.......2007-07-13

I found that some of the scenes were missing from some of the movies...seem like a cheap bootleg copy...very disappointed.

Classic Comedy.......2007-06-15

These movies are non-stop fun. If you like classic, musical style comedy then these are the films for you. I have seen quite a few of the Mel Brooks movies before I bought this set, but what surprised me were the entertainment value of the movies that I hadn't watched before. High Anxiety and To Be or Not to Be are more coherent than the famous Mel Brooks movies and that makes them great films if you want some light comedy. Enjoy!

Gotta have it!.......2007-05-14

I bought this for my husband but it, in fact, was a treat for myself as well. This is a collection any fan of Mel Brooks should have and the discs are in small, individual cases which house in a single, thin box. In other words, you get eight films that take up very little space. If you or anyone you know enjoys Mel Brooks' films, this is a must-have.

Classic Comedies Collection (Bringing Up Baby / The Philadelphia Story Two-Disc Special Edition / Dinner at Eight / Libeled Lady / Stage Door / To Be or Not to Be)

Average customer rating:

LAUGH OUT LOUD! FUNNY!!!!
SHAME ON WARNER BROTHERS!
A wonderful collection of classic comedies
Big Belly laughs in every single movie
This is nice to have on hand

Classic Comedies Collection (Bringing Up Baby / The Philadelphia Story Two-Disc Special Edition / Dinner at Eight / Libeled Lady / Stage Door / To Be or Not to Be)
Starring: Katharine Hepburn , Cary Grant , Charles Ruggles , Walter Catlett , and Barry Fitzgerald
Director: Howard Hawks , and George Cukor
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Classics | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

Two-Disc Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0006Z2KXY
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Amazon.com

"The love impulse in man," says a psychiatrist in Bringing Up Baby, "frequently reveals itself in terms of conflict." That's for sure. For a primer on the rules and regulations of the classic screwball comedy, which throws love and conflict into close proximity, look no further. A straight-laced paleontologist (Cary Grant) loses a dinosaur bone to a dog belonging to free-spirited heiress Katharine Hepburn. In trying to retrieve said bone, Grant is drawn into the vortex surrounding the delicious Hepburn, which becomes a flirtatious pas de deux that will transform both of them. Director Howard Hawks plays the complications as a breathless escalation of their "love impulse," yet the movie is nonetheless romantic for all its speed. (Hawks's His Girl Friday, also with Grant, goes even faster.) Grant and Hepburn are a match made in movie heaven, in sync with each other throughout. Not a great box-office success when first released, Bringing Up Baby has since taken its place as a high-water mark of the screwball form, and it was used as a model for Peter Bogdanovich's What's Up, Doc?

Re-creating the role she originated in Philip Barry's wickedly witty Broadway play, Katharine Hepburn stars as the spoiled and snobby socialite Tracy Lord in The Philadelphia Story, one of the great romantic comedies from the golden age of MGM studios. Applying her impossibly high ideals to everyone but herself, Tracy is about to marry a stuffy executive when her congenial ex-husband (Cary Grant), arrives to protect his former father-in-law from a potentially scandalous tabloid exposé. In an Oscar-winning role, James Stewart is the scandal reporter who falls for Tracy as her wedding day arrives, throwing her into a dizzying state of premarital jitters. Who will join Tracy at the altar? Snappy dialogue flows like sparkling wine under the sophisticated direction of George Cukor in this film that turned the tide of Hepburn's career from "box-office poison" to glamorous Hollywood star.

MGM originally promoted Dinner at Eight by touting the "all-star cast," but this is no run-of-the-mill omnibus picture. On the contrary, rather than cramming as many big names as possible into a lumbering vehicle, the movie's impeccably crafted script (by Edna Ferber and Herman J. Mankiewicz) and direction (by George Cukor) gave some immortal screen luminaries a chance to shine. For sheer bravery, John Barrymore's achingly poignant performance as Larry Renault, a washed-up matinee idol who has "outlived everything but his vanity," is unmatched. Barrymore's brother, Lionel, is equally touching as shipping magnate Oliver Jordan. Oliver vainly tries to save his family's century-old firm, at the same time hiding his financial and health troubles from his wife, Millicent, played to hysterical perfection by Billie Burke. The Great Depression is presented in microcosm as Millicent frets about throwing the ultimate society dinner, oblivious to the world tumbling down around her. She is forced to invite to her precious party such undesirables as crass financier Dan Packard ("He smells Oklahoma!"). Even worse in Millicent's eyes than Packard (Wallace Beery, doing an impressive steamroller imitation) is his social-climbing wife, Kitty (Jean Harlow, never funnier). Be sure to watch for Harlow's brief encounter with Marie Dressler, who brings an extraordinary winking wisdom to the role of aging star Carlotta Vance. As the two enter the dining room in the film's final scene, Harlow makes an offhand remark that elicits from Dressler one of the great screen double takes of all time. Like so much of Dinner at Eight, the moment is priceless.

Newspaper comedy doesn't seem like an MGM genre--ink-stained wretches don't go with Adrian gowns and white deco furniture--but Jack Conway, the designated bull in the Metro china shop (Boom Town, Too Hot to Handle) does what he can to bring some dash and flair to Libeled Lady's wildly complicated script. Spencer Tracy is the tough city editor who goes to some spectacular extremes when socialite Myrna Loy files a $5 million libel suit against his paper for calling her a notorious home-wrecker; he hires celebrated ladies' man William Powell to seduce Loy and asks his long-suffering fiancée, Jean Harlow, to marry Powell temporarily so she can play the wronged wife when Loy and Powell are discovered together. The couples crisscross, with frenetic and not entirely unpredictable results, but much of the pleasure here lies in seeing these iconic stars being so thoroughly themselves. The dialogue strains for champagne wit, but the movie's most memorable moment is pure, rotgut slapstick--Powell's bout with an unruly fly-fishing rod.

This one's all about the ladies. In Stage Door, an absolutely terrific 1937 gem, a Manhattan boardinghouse for aspiring actresses houses an amazing roster of golden-era performers--some of whom, like their characters, were just breaking in. It's hard to say who's in best form here: Katharine Hepburn in blueblood mode, Ginger Rogers streetwise, Andrea Leeds suffering, Lucille Ball and Ann Miller impossibly young, and Eve Arden being, well, splendidly Eve Ardenish. The sassy comedy and sober life lessons are wonderfully mixed by the underrated director Gregory La Cava (My Man Godfrey), who captures the brashness of '30s female chatter in a much pleasanter way than the more famous The Women. Hepburn's sublime attempts to wrestle with the line about calla lilies being in bloom will make you smile long after the movie's over.

Customer Reviews:

LAUGH OUT LOUD! FUNNY!!!!.......2007-06-09

Six of the all time great movies. Its a must for classic movie fans. You really get to see how good Jean Harlow was at comedy in "Dinner at Eight". Lets not forget Carole Lombard what a great comedian and actress she was in "To Be or Not To Be" her last film before she was killed in plane crash. Sometimes we forget how good they really were. They just don't make good movies like these anymore. I couldn't name you a good actor today with this much staying power. There will never be another Cary Grant, James Stewart, William Powell and Katherine Hepburn. You can watch these movies over and over. I know I will..

SHAME ON WARNER BROTHERS!.......2007-05-05

Shame on Warner Brothers for calling this collection a COMEDY Collection. And the other reviewers - where's your candor? Yes, Philadelphia Story is a classic comedy. But DINNER AT EIGHT, which has a few (a very few) funny moments, is, in fact a very dark story involving suicide, hateful marriages and people at the end of their means; with no particular redeeming quality. STAGE DOOR, it had funny moments, yes, but always with a very sad, dark suicide looming. TO BE OR NOT, this is like a skit, a joke, being stretched out to an hour and a half. LIBELED LADY was funny, but hardly a CLASSIC. BRINGING UP BABY is screwball comedy, but we all know that this was NEVER considered a CLASSIC. My recommendation (now that I feel bad I spent so much based on the other reviewers) - buy the films you know individually. One at a time. PHILADELPHIA STORY is a MUST HAVE.
Then you can laugh at the rest of us for buying movies we'll never watch.

A wonderful collection of classic comedies.......2007-03-20

I just recently finished watching all of the movies in this boxed set, and I couldn't be happier with it. Warner's has been going boxed set crazy over the past couple of years, boxing up into collections just about every movie in their vaults. Some collections are good, and some not so good, but this one is excellent. Three of the movies are well known, and the other three are less known. Probably the best known film is "The Philadelphia Story" that got Katharine Hepburn out of her "box office poison" era for good and won James Stewart his only Best Actor Oscar - about two or three Oscars shy of what he should have had in my opinion.

"Dinner at Eight" is a 1933 ensemble comedy using the "Grand Hotel Formula" that had won that film the Best Picture Oscar the year before. It is a comedy revolving around a group of people preparing to go to a dinner party and shows how their lives strangely intertwine beyond even their awareness. Remarkably, I don't think it even got nominated for an Oscar, but it has held up well over time and has one of the best last lines of any movie ever. As everyone is planning to go into dinner Jean Harlow is telling Marie Dressler how she has been reading that machinery has been taking over everything and soon they would all be replaced by machines. Marie Dressler looks Jean Harlow up and down as only she could do and says "My dear I don't think you need to ever worry about that."

"Bringing Up Baby" has Katharine Hepburn playing a scatter-brained young lady who gets Cary Grant involved in her inane plot to transport a tame leopard her brother sent her to her country estate. The film moves at such a fast clip with so much going on that it seems exhausting, but it is great entertainment. This film actually didn't catch on that much until years later.

"Libeled Lady" was the pleasant surprise of the bunch. I had never seen it before but it was quite funny. It all revolves around a false rumor about a young lady that gets reported as truth in a New York paper. The paper faces a libel suit and financial ruin if a way is not found to set up the "libeled lady" so that she appears to be in a genuine scandal, thus lessening the paper's chances of losing in court. This film has some great physical comedy from William Powell of all people.

"To Be Or Not To Be" is a comedy set in World War II Poland and involves an attempt by the occupied Poles to stop a spy from getting to German headquarters with the names of members of the resistance. It pairs Carole Lombard with Jack Benny, but strangely enough the combination does work.

"Stage Door" is a very good film about a group of women living in a boarding house all trying to make it on Broadway. I'm not sure what it is doing in a set of comic movies, though. It is actually more of a melodrama than a comedy, though it has some very witty banter between the struggling actresses at their rooming house and a great performance by Adolphe Menjou as a sophisticated cad, which is a part he played so well in several films of the 1930's.

There are bonus discs included with "Bringing Up Baby" and "The Philadelphia Story". "The Philadelphia Story" includes a feature on Katharine Hepburn's life and career, and "Bringing Up Baby" has a second disc that has a similar tribute to Cary Grant. There are also features included on the directors of these two films. My advice is to buy this set. It's a tremendous value and will give you many hours of entertainment.

Big Belly laughs in every single movie.......2006-06-17

I defy you to find a modern day movie where the wise cracks are funnier than any thing you'll find in each and every one of these 70 year plus old movies! Most of the dialogue was spoken at Tommy Gun blast speed, with every word clearly enunciated - a feat in itself! All the men are mostly in suits or tuxes, and the women wear the most beautiful outfits, created by the top designers in the world at the time. Visually, these movies are a feast for the eyes. It also helps that most of the actors and actresses were considered the most handsome and beautiful at the time. Hey - I can get ugly at home! The quality is also excellent considering how old these movies are. I'm an old-movie buff and I remember browsing the TV guide when I was a teenager and then setting my clock to get up at 3am to catch one of these movies whenever they were on. They still hold up and now I can watch them whenever I want and I am grateful. This is a must-have if you like a good story line, clever dialogue and honest laughs.

This is nice to have on hand.......2006-03-10

Sometimes my life, like so many others, gets a little overwhelming. These are perfect for when you need a 2 hr. break from reality. Make the popcorn, pull the shades, pop one of these in and totally escape. And it's cheaper than therapy. :-)

Average customer rating:

Mel the Man
Great Movie
Mel Brooks' lesser known jewels
A tour de force against racism and in favor of comedy
I too

To Be or Not to Be
Starring: Mel Brooks , Anne Bancroft , Tim Matheson , Charles Durning , and Christopher Lloyd
Director: Alan Johnson
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Satire | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000G6BLYC
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Amazon.com

No filmmaker seems to take such glee at poking fun of the Nazis as Mel Brooks. In To Be or Not to Be, a remake of a 1942 Jack Benny comedy, Brooks and an all-star ensemble cast have a splendid time working as a makeshift Polish underground in World War II, using as their cover their theatrical company. Brooks stars as Frederick Bronski, a legend-in-his-own-mind leading man, and Anne Bancroft, Brooks' real-life wife, is his glamorous--and amorous--spouse. It's a joy to see the two spar, snuggle, and softshoe together. Bancroft, in her early '50s, is so gorgeous and seductive it's perfectly believable that she's beguiling to men of all ages--from a hunky young flier played by Tim Matheson to a wizened Nazi collaborator played by Mel Ferrer. As one would expect in a Brooks film, there's lots of silliness, but the script is leavened with real drama and fleshed out by a superb cast, including Charles Durning as a semi-clueless Nazi official. There are witty blink-and-you'll-miss-them moments, too; early in the film, Bronski is barking orders to his theater staff, including one crew member who's named Sondheim, apparently solely so that later Bronski can bark, "Sondheim, send in the clowns!" Also not to miss is the production number "Naughty Nazis," in which Bronski, as a misunderstood Hitler, sings, "All I vant is peace... a little piece of Poland, a little piece of France...." No wonder he's "world famous in Poland"! Extras include a behind-the-scenes making-of featurette, and interviews with Brooks, Durning, and the lovely Bancroft, all the more bittersweet viewed after her 2005 death. --A.T. Hurley

Customer Reviews:

Mel the Man.......2007-08-06

This is a slightly more serious side of Mel, which is to say, madly funny; and I found it absolutely hilarious. Taking on a suspenseful WWII drama in Poland, probably the last thing you think of is slapstick. The comedy had its perhaps poignantly cheesy moments, which are the only detractors in the entire film, and I'm sure most viewers will recognize them, and yet also has some classic, mad hilarity.

Having not seen the original, I think I will have to now. Mel is surely one of the greatest American comedians, and I also agree with other reviewers here that he displays his acting skills more strongly than in other films. There is, BTW, no raunchy humor here, and some of the best slapstick I've seen for a while. From the first moment, Mel and the stunning Anne Bancroft as well as all supporting roles are well done and tasteful. Any references to or portrayal of homosexuality are well done and not lewd or offensive.

Because as you may well know, Bronski, played by Brooks, is a director determined to rescue family and friends from his theatre from certain death in the Nazi occupation, and at one point says, "without Jews, gypsies and qu66rs, there would be no theatre. [paraphrased, but very close]" I imagine this film is the inspiration of the 90s synth-pop band choosing the name "Bronski Beat." In this film one of Bronski's gay employees is forced to wear the imfamous pink triangle, and it is remarkable that Mel should portray that historical fact in this film.

But that is just a side-note, as the film is larger than that one issue, and Mel's taking on such a serious drama armed with slapstick, and one absolutely gorgeous co-star, is testimony to the power of humor, (And Anne's beauty) to redeem and enliven, and help us through moments too grim to bear otherwise. And because of that I'd recommend this film strongly. Mel is the man.

Great Movie.......2007-02-12

One of Mel Brook's best movies ... a must have for any Eml Brooks fan

Mel Brooks' lesser known jewels.......2007-01-10

To Be or Not To Be is not one of the more well-known Mel Brooks films, but is rip-roaring slightly naughty fun. It sets itself apart from other Mel Brooks films by having a superb, well- structured plot with even some serious social commentary.

Mel plays the lead role and opposite the stunning Anne Bancroft, his real-life wife. Their personalities add a real acting chemistry to the film.

Charles Durning got an academy award nomination as best supporting actor for his role as the Gestapo commander.

I really like the "Naughty Nazis" number - hysterical.

A tour de force against racism and in favor of comedy.......2006-08-06

My children, now ages 12 and 9, have loved this film for the last six years, since the day we allowed them to watch it. The Nazis are not the bumbling dimwits of "Hogan's Heroes," but they are not quite as smart as Mel Brooks's Fredric Bronski. The characters are enjoyable and ultimately lovable: Brooks as the self-absorbed and not-quite-successful head of a rag-tag Polish vaudeville troupe; Anne Bancroft as his aging but flirtatious (and much better received) performing wife, and a wonderful ensemble cast to support each other. There is adventure, excitement, subtle and highbrow comedy, and as one might expect from Mel Brooks, victory over the Nazis. The theatre troupe is ultimately successful in its mission to stop a traitorous Polish spy, but when Brooks disguises himself as the spy to complete the mission, the movie really takes off. There is some sexual innuendo, as well as some slang references to homosexuals, so parents: be cautious. But as an introduction to Brooks, as a glimpse into the Nazi preoccupation with the conquering of Europe and the Final Solution, it is a winner.

I too.......2006-01-23

I've also been waiting a very long time for this to come out on DVD. Don't know why it hasn't. Will buy it in a heartbeat. That and the 1980 version of "Flash Gordon" with Sam Jones (I know, I'm crass and simple-minded).

Average customer rating:

a true underrated classic.......
absolute perfection
To Be or Not to Be (1942)
Amazingly funny Wartime movie
Humor at its best

To Be or Not to Be
Starring: Carole Lombard , Jack Benny , Robert Stack , Felix Bressart , and Lionel Atwill
Director: Ernst Lubitsch , and J.C. Nugent
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Satire | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Farce | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0006Z2KYI
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Amazon.com essential video

Just as Roberto Benigni found himself on the receiving end of some finger-wagging for making a comedy set during the Holocaust, so the great Ernst Lubitsch caught some heat for this extraordinary 1942 satire set behind enemy lines during World War II. In his best performance on film, Jack Benny stars as Joseph Tura, the lead actor and head of a Polish theater troupe that is suddenly enlisted as a Resistance organization when an American pilot (Robert Stack) requires protection. The twist is that the pilot has been having a series of trysts with Tura's wife (Carole Lombard), the hilarious evidence being the disruptive departure of Stack's character from a theater audience each night as the hammy Tura unknowingly cues the lovers by launching into Hamlet's famous soliloquy. The remarkable script by Edwin Justus Mayer ingeniously folds the tensions of a betrayed marriage into the comic suspense surrounding Tura and company's efforts to pull off a Mission: Impossible-like sting on the local Nazi command. Many unforgettable moments and lines of dialogue adorn this black comedy, and the performances--most memorably Sig Ruman's crisp volleys with Benny--are a dream. Above it all, however, is Lubitsch's unmistakable Continentalism, his accent on Old World manners especially in a dangerous situation, suggesting the Nazis' very vulgarity was a reflection of their profound evil. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

a true underrated classic..............2007-09-02

I am a great fan of one of the rightful kings of comedy, the late, great Jack Benny. He is featured at his wry best, here, along with the stunningly beautiful Carole Lombard--the last film she made before she tragically died in a plane crash. The title is based on the famous "To Be, Or Not To Be" soliloquy in William Shakespeare's HAMLET. A troupe of actors in Nazi-occupied Warsaw must get by on their ability as thespians to elaborately (and effectively) disguise themselves, as well as adapt new identities, in order to fool the occupying troops. Jack Benny is hilarious and Carole Lombard is gorgeous and charismatic. Don't miss out on this.

absolute perfection.......2007-07-31

TO BE OR NOT TO BE paired legendary director Ernst Lubitsch with the insanely-talented comedienne Carole Lombard (in what turned out to be her final film). Written and released during the height of WW2, the film provided a much-needed breath of fresh air for wartime audiences whilst mercilessly skewering the Nazi regime.

In Nazi-occupied Poland, theatre supercouple Joseph and Maria Tura (Jack Benny and Carole Lombard) wow the crowds with their repertory production of "Hamlet"--and moonlight as members of the Polish Resistance. Based on a story from Melchoir Lengyel ("Ninotchka"), the laughs fly thick and fast, with Jack Benny in his element as the most hammy Hamlet that ever was; and Carole Lombard is at her sexiest as Tura's glamourpuss wife. The strong ensemble cast includes Robert Stack, Felix Bressart, Lionel Atwill, Sig Ruman, Maude Eburne and Tom Dugan.

Fans of Carole Lombard are the ones who have always appreciated this gem more than most, because it was her last film appearance. In 1942, while returing home from a warbonds drive, Carole and her mother were both killed after their plane crashed outside of Las Vegas. TO BE OR NOT TO BE was kept on the shelf until a suitable period of mourning had elapsed. It was later re-made in 1983 by Mel Brooks as a co-starring vehicle for Brooks and his wife Anne Bancroft.

Still as fresh today as it was over 50 years ago, TO BE OR NOT TO BE remains one of Hollywood's classiest classic comedies. (Single-sided, dual-layer disc).

To Be or Not to Be (1942).......2007-06-25

Criticized for satirizing the raging war in Europe on its release in 1942, Lubitsch's clever, spirited, often side-splitting farce doubled as a tribute both to the Polish resistance and, quite ingeniously, to the mighty art of play-acting. Benny is terrifically funny as "that great, great actor" Joseph Tura, especially playing opposite Sig Rumann (as a Nazi colonel), and a young Robert Stack, the lovestruck lieutenant whose cue to tryst with Maria is the first line of Hamlet's soliloquy. Tragically, this was the feisty Lombard's final screen appearance--and she makes a grand though premature exit under Lubitsch's inspired direction.

Amazingly funny Wartime movie.......2007-06-16

At first I was amused at the story and especially the performance of Jack Benny. Imagine him, in tights, performing Hamlet... "To be or not to be..." with that famous bland look on his face. Maybe it's having grown up with listening to him on the radio and then watching him on TV, that I so much enjoyed him here.

But after thinking a bit about the movie, I moved from being merely amused to being quite amazed at how this movie was so able to portray truly horrific events in a comedic way, during the time of the actual war.

We've seen a lot of movies that show the misery of war. We've seen some that managed to make former wars funny (MASH comes to mind, which showed the Korean War, while we were in Viet Nam). I can't think of any that managed to pull off comedy while everyone who was making it and watching it was still at risk,, with the possible exception of Stalag 17..and I'm not sure when that came out. Can you imagine a comedy featuring Osama ben Laden or Saddam Hussein or whoever our current enemy is supposed to be? Maybe if we laughed at our enemies more we'd disarm them....

This makes me want to see the Mel Brooks version. He's another genius who understands real comedy.

Humor at its best.......2007-01-10

I discovered Lubitsch's oeuvre as a teenager and since then he has remained one of my favourite movie directors. Great plans, suggested sexual innuendo in the perfect European way with lots of (not obvious) puns, a quality of photography that makes the light around the actors shine like a halo, integrating Shakespeare's texts in the plot of the 1939 invasion of Poland is a coup de maitre! The movie was made during the war itself and as such, is a strong denunciation of the enemy, probably stronger than the more "in-your-face/full-of-blood" classic war movies. Lubitsch must have been a great optimist and even his earlier and rarely seen or acknowledged "Broken Lullaby" (about World War 1), which is maybe his only "tragedy" movie, keeps the hope alive.
My children, age 11 and 17, who had never ever watched a Black and White movie (how prehistoric!) loved To Be or Not To Be. I am hopeful that they will show this classic to their own children too.

Average customer rating:

Wife to Be Sacrificed...
Freedom is slavery
Surprisingly Erotic
David Clarke "Frenchie"
Japanese Exploitation Movie

Wife to Be Sacrificed
Starring: Naomi Tani , Nagatoshi Sakamoto , Terumi Azuma , Hidetoshi Kageyama , and Tessen Nakahira
Director: Masaru Konuma
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

ASIN: B00005AQ50
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Customer Reviews:

Wife to Be Sacrificed..........2007-06-02

More Bondage from Japan...it's okay otherwise, considering the time this flick was made...Three stars...

Freedom is slavery.......2006-04-29

Oh Naomi, how many times must you be bound, tortured and forced before you realize how much you love it? Apparently many, many times.

Naomi Tani, taking her name from the classic Junichiro Tanizaki novel "Naomi," made her career in the Nikkatsu Studios notorious "pink" SM films. This woman has probably been tied up and beaten more than anyone else alive. If you have the stomach for this sort of thing, then "Wife to be Sacrificed" ("Ikenie fujin") is one of the best of the genre.

Kunisada's wife, Akiko (Naomi Tani), left him three years ago due to his violent temper. Kunisada has bided his time, until he could reclaim what is his. Kidnapping her, he takes her to a hidden cabin where he subjects her to a variety of humiliations, slowly breaking her will until she realizes that true love lies in abject submission to her husband. Along the way, they take in another couple, a failed double-suicide, and try to share their new found wisdom.

The style of "Wife to be Sacrificed," along with the performances of the actors, is what sets it apart from other films with similar plots. It is almost artistic in its pursuit of the boundaries of submission and love, taking itself very seriously. The eroticism is subdued, and is never explicit. While there is nudity, it is nothing even approaching "hardcore."

Definitely not everyone's cup of tea, and there is more than enough here to offend, but if you like a bit of well-done SM, then "Wife to be Sacrificed" is for you.

Surprisingly Erotic.......2005-08-17

Graceful Japanese erotica. Think twice if you are sqeamish about sexual variation, s&m, etc. Nicely done, interesting plot line. At points somewhat disturbing but so goes the oriental mind with unapologetic imagery.

David Clarke "Frenchie".......2005-08-02

Lanuage barrier is difficult to master. Plot is way out and not the type of film I enjoy. Would not recommend it.

Japanese Exploitation Movie.......2004-12-02

I'm sorry but if this is a movie involving sexual situations then partial nudity just won't do. Topless actors get pretty boring after the first 10 minutes. The story has good elements of seduction but is so tame that the fast forward button is on warp 10 most of the time . More comedic really than erotic but did have a few interesting moments when the recently married couple enter movie. Unless your a big fan of the actors or Japanese cinema then I'll think you'll be dissapointed.

How to Be a Woman and Not Die in the Attempt

Average customer rating:

Femisogyny strikes again
Busy woman on the edge of a nervous...
How to be a woman without penis envy
How to be a man and enjoy this movie
Recommended for fans of the Spanish cinema.

How to Be a Woman and Not Die in the Attempt
Starring: Carmen Maura , Antonio Resines , Juanjo Puigcorbé , Carmen Conesa , and Tina Sáinz
Director: Ana Belén
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Satire | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Domestic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: 6305772363
Release Date: 2000-03-14

Description

Carmen's life is pretty complicated. She has just turned 42, is on her third marriage, has two children and has just adopted her husband's son. She also juggles a career as a journalist, her husband's amorous attentions, and then always the housework. Feeling overwhelmed with all she has to handle everyday, Carmen contemplates a divorce, but just when she thinks the pressure is too much, she finds help in the last place she expected. Starring Spain's reigning favorite actress Carmen Maura (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), "How to be a Woman and Not Die in the Attempt" is a knowing comedy that brings new life to the battle of the sexes.

Customer Reviews:

Femisogyny strikes again.......2004-01-06

This is a great little Spanish movie about family, gender, and sexual tension ("Sex relieves tension. Love produces it") in modern Spain. Carmen Maura plays a nuanced role as a devoted housewife and reporter in love with her sweet and apparently honest but incorrigibly sexist husband. Great bits include mother-daughter talks, stoned son, Maura and her friendýs feminist walk out during a dinner scene and the envy of Carmenýs character (called Carmen, I believe!) envy of the "elegant men" that nonetheless drive her crazy. The voice over was put to such good use that I found myself identifying as much with her as her husband Antonio (played by Antonio Resines).

Busy woman on the edge of a nervous..........2001-10-04

It is the story of a modern woman with a mediocre husband and the numerous challenges of the everyday life. At times this movie is very entertaining, at times a bit boring, exactly like life itself. Without the geniality and the glamour of Almodovar's films, but still fun to watch.

How to be a woman without penis envy.......2000-12-20

This movie, that is actually based on a novel by Carmen Rico Godoy, is the personal view of the life of an independent woman that has to face the fact that in the 90s the world is still ruled by men, just because their men. Keep in mind that this movie and the novel are set in Spain, a very traditional an chauvinist society. She is an accomplished woman, as one she is not only a professional journalist, but she is also a housewife and a mother. Her crisis arises when she realizes that she is a mother figure to her husband, that the gynecologist sees her as a woman and not a patient, and that a promotion at work will go to the best man and not the best person. When the mistakes of others slip by seamlessly, hers do not--society punishes for being a "Superwoman"--something that she brought onto herself. Carmen Maura is excellent. She sets the tone of the movie--in the novel the character appears to be a neurotic woman, yet Maura manages to give us a woman with a purpose, and why not,with a vengance.

How to be a man and enjoy this movie.......2000-06-16

This movie, based on an Almudena Grandes novel, is a tribute to women all around. Carmen Maura is the wife of a man that cheat on her and a son in the process to grow... a tragedy changed her forever. This comedy has great moments of laugh, but the book is much better. I think in some levels the director misunderstood the novel, Almudena Grandes is a feminist who believe that women are not better than men, they're even and in this movie goes in the inverse. Other movies based on an Almudena novel are "Cuernos de mujer" y "How to be unhappy and enjoy it".

Recommended for fans of the Spanish cinema........2000-02-04

Directed by Ana Belen, How To Be A Woman And Not Die In The Attempt is a wry Spanish comedy about the stresses facing the modern woman. From petty squabbles with her husband to put-downs at the hands of her colleagues, Carmen Maura (one of Spain's reigning actresses) ardently soldiers on in the comedic, lively, oh-so-true battle of sexes. How To Be A Woman And Not Die In The Attempt is in Spanish with English subtitles. 96 minutes. Full-Color.

Average customer rating:

a true underrated classic.......
absolute perfection
To Be or Not to Be (1942)
Amazingly funny Wartime movie
Humor at its best

To Be or Not to Be [Region 2]
Starring: Carole Lombard , Jack Benny , Robert Stack , Felix Bressart , and Lionel Atwill
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00004S5PE

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

a true underrated classic..............2007-09-02

absolute perfection.......2007-07-31

To Be or Not to Be (1942).......2007-06-25

Amazingly funny Wartime movie.......2007-06-16

Humor at its best.......2007-01-10

Average customer rating:

Wife to Be Sacrificed...
Freedom is slavery
Surprisingly Erotic
David Clarke "Frenchie"
Japanese Exploitation Movie

Wife to Be Sacrificed
Starring: Naomi Tani , Nagatoshi Sakamoto , Terumi Azuma , Hidetoshi Kageyama , and Tessen Nakahira
Director: Masaru Konuma
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

ASIN: B00008974L
Release Date: 2003-03-11

Description

Queen of Japanese erotica Naomi Tani plays a wife who charges her husband with sexual battery. He escapes from the police and goes into hiding. Three years pass, she divorces him and tries to put the pieces of her life back in order when suddenly he returns. Obsessed with rage and hatred, he kidnaps her and brings her to a house in a remote wooded area. There he disciplines her vehemently, subjecting her to increasingly shocking forms of sexual torture, tetherings, suspensions and humiliations. Astonishingly, through the rage and lust, the pair develop a relationship that pushes the boundaries of lurid passions and perverse obsessions.

Customer Reviews:

Wife to Be Sacrificed..........2007-06-02

More Bondage from Japan...it's okay otherwise, considering the time this flick was made...Three stars...

Freedom is slavery.......2006-04-29

Surprisingly Erotic.......2005-08-17

David Clarke "Frenchie".......2005-08-02

Lanuage barrier is difficult to master. Plot is way out and not the type of film I enjoy. Would not recommend it.

Japanese Exploitation Movie.......2004-12-02

Average customer rating:

a true underrated classic.......
absolute perfection
To Be or Not to Be (1942)
Amazingly funny Wartime movie
Humor at its best

To Be or Not to Be [Region 2]
Starring: Carole Lombard , Jack Benny , Robert Stack , Felix Bressart , and Lionel Atwill
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00005NFS3

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

a true underrated classic..............2007-09-02

absolute perfection.......2007-07-31

To Be or Not to Be (1942).......2007-06-25

Amazingly funny Wartime movie.......2007-06-16

Humor at its best.......2007-01-10

Average customer rating:

Mel the Man
Great Movie
Mel Brooks' lesser known jewels
A tour de force against racism and in favor of comedy
I too

To Be or Not to Be
Starring: Mel Brooks , Anne Bancroft , Tim Matheson , Charles Durning , and Christopher Lloyd
Director: Alan Johnson
Manufacturer: Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000AAI7A0

Product Description

Spain released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. Languages: o Dutch (subtitles) o English (subtitles) o French (subtitles) o German (subtitles) o Italian (subtitles) o Spanish (subtitles) o English (Dolby Digital 2.0) o French (Mono) o German (Mono) o Italian (Mono) o Spanish (Mono) Synopsis: Mel Brooks and his real-life wife Anne Bancroft play Frederick and Anna Bronski, musical comedy stars in 1939 Poland. The highlight of the Bronskis' act is Frederick's imitation of Adolf Hitler, but he is forced to eliminate this turn for fear of offending the Nazis. Meanwhile, Anna enters into a harmless flirtation with Polish bomber pilot Andre Sobinski (Tim Matheson). The pilot's nightly signal to visit Anna in her dressing room is "To Be or Not to Be," spoken by Bronski during the Shakespearean portion of his act. When the Germans march into Warsaw, the Bronskis and the rest of their troupe are forced into hiding (notably the homosexual Lupinski, played by Lewis J. Stadlen, who is forced to endure the humiliation of wearing a pink star). Flying for the Polish resistance in England, Sobinski asks kindly Professor Seletzky (Jose Ferrer) to deliver his "To Be or Not to Be" message to Anna. When Seletzky doesn't seem to recognize the name of Anne Bronski, Warsaw's biggest star, Sobinski suspects that something is amiss. Sure enough, Seletzky is a Nazi spy, heading to Warsaw to help Col. "Concentration Camp" Ehrhardt (Oscar-nominated Charles Durning) destroy the underground movement. Parachuting into Poland, Sobinski enlists the aid of the Bronski troupe to foil the Nazis. What follows is an uproarious series of disguises and deceptions, capped by Bronski's impersonation of Der Fuhrer. Special Features: o Interactive Menu o Scene Access o Trailer(s)

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Mel the Man.......2007-08-06

Great Movie.......2007-02-12

One of Mel Brook's best movies ... a must have for any Eml Brooks fan

Mel Brooks' lesser known jewels.......2007-01-10

A tour de force against racism and in favor of comedy.......2006-08-06

I too.......2006-01-23

DVD:

DVD

DVD