Cinemascope

I think that a lot of the underrated classic movies are (to a large extent) those that haven't been released on home video (or at least DVD), making it harder for most people to watch them. I'd just give as examples a couple movies shown recently on TCM - Too Many Husbands and Remember the Night. A lot of classic noirs aren't exactly underrated -- they may in fact be loved by noir fans -- but few people have been able to see them because they've never been available on home video, such as I Walk Alone with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas. I'm fairly sure movies like these would find a much greater audience and maybe even become favorites of many viewers if only they'd put them out on DVD. I haven't given a comprehensive list because I could probably come up with over a dozen titles, but I may add more later.

Thank you for the reminder. Now if they could only show Blithe Spirit!

Well, yeah, hopefully they can rescue also movies like the original A Star is Born and Love Affair from PD hell... those two would be a great addition to any DVD collection in pristine or near-pristine transfers, with or without the respective remakes!

Glad to know RT works for you.

And for your information -- since you don't appear to have the slightest clue -- it may not be unusual in some cases for certain companies to send samples and/or promotional items to members of the media... it can happen for music companies, make-up companies, etc. In this day and age most professional publications and stations have strict standards and may even choose to turn down any kind of freebie except perhaps a review copy and/or advanced screening, as the case may be. No serious journalist would compromise their integrity and their professional reputation for some silly trinket that's worth a few bucks at the most. As I said before, any profession may have a few black sheep, so perhaps there may be a handful of folks who'll sell out for something that's worth just a few measly bucks. By far and large, I think most people in media situations value their integrity a heck of a lot more than that.

So sad a lot of it is eventually removed when copyright holders throw a hissyfit!

It hasn't been that long since it played in U.S. theaters, so there may still be a chance of it turning up on DVD here eventually. For anyone who hasn't heard of this movie, here's a review from the NYT: http://movies2.nytimes.com/2006/06/09/movies/09perr.html June 9, 2006 MOVIE REVIEW 'El Perro' Brings Good Luck in Hard Times By A. O. SCOTT "El Perro" is a lovely, rugged neo-realist fable from Argentina about a man and a dog. The man, an unemployed, possibly illiterate mechanic named Juan Villegas (played by a nonprofessional actor of the same name) is a fairly ordinary fellow. But the dog is another story. A purebred Argentine Dogo with pedigree papers and a noble demeanor, he is naturally charismatic. More than that, he seems to possess the power ? serendipitous if not quite supernatural ? to influence human destiny, or Juan's at any rate. At 52, Juan has been cast adrift by economic hard times. Recently laid off after 20 years at a roadside service station, he tries to earn a living by selling handmade knives, which are more often admired than purchased. Despite his shy, anxious smile and unfailingly courteous manner, he looks like a man on the brink of despair, his prospects as flat and bleak as the Patagonian landscape where the film, flawlessly directed by Carlos Sorin, takes place. As soon as Juan acquires the dog ? a token of gratitude for fixing the fanbelt on a Mercedes ? his luck starts to change. The animal, whose papers identify him as Bomb?n but who Juan calls Lechien, attracts attention wherever he goes, and before long Juan is pulled into a hectic and unfamiliar new world of breeders, trainers and dog shows. He is half-seduced by dreams of glory, but the film's real concern is dignity. Juan is as modest a hero as you are likely to encounter on a movie screen, and neither he nor Mr. Sorin ? or, for that matter, Lechien ? have especially grandiose aspirations. That "El Perro" is so unassuming is part of what makes its humane, sympathetic story so satisfying. El Perro Opens today in Manhattan Directed by Carlos Sorin; written (in Spanish, with English subtitles) by Santiago Calori, Salvador Roselli and Mr. Sorin, based on an original idea by Mr. Sorin; director of photography, Hugo Colace; edited by Mohamed Rajid; music by Nicol?s Sorin; artistic director, Margarita Jusid; produced by Oscar Kramer; released by Cinema Tropical. At the Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street, Greenwich Village. Running time: 96 minutes. This film is not rated.

Well you sure seem to be spending an awful lot of time paying attention to the people you don't like!

You don't say.

Yup, commercials can definitely add to the running time!

You're right. Italics should come with a condescending warning.

Oh you're right it is sooooooooooooo condescending to point out the difference between foreign movies and foreign-language ones.

Jealous much?

I loved Rock Hudson and Robert Stack, too.

So there aren't any critics that you enjoy reading regularly, online?

That's 3 foreign-language films, all subtitled.

I really was being facetious when I said 'do away with critics', but I truly feel all we need are 5 or 6 good ones from the main cities like N.Y, Chi town, L.A, Frisco, And is it really *that* hard to just narrow down the 5 or 6 critics that you really care about and ignoring the rest of them? No, guess it must just be easier to say they're all corrupt, ignorant and crooked.

Yes, there is a difference in being a paid professional (who has to review all kinds of crap) and an amateur who reviews what they love, but I would place more blame on the films and the industry themselves. As CS says, I don't think people grow up thinking there is a bundle of cash in the critic biz. They do it because they love films and want to share them with others. I agree with that completely. My only guess is some people are jealous that some folks get paid to watch movies on a full-time basis.

Honestly, I'd just rent the Criterion DVD. They usually have lots of cool extras.

Huh? Did I miss a burning bush somewhere?

Yes, there is a difference, but the point is -- for those who are all to ready to satanize professional, paid critics -- that these days anyone who thinks they can do a better job, can try to do so through a blog or personal website.

Yeah, there's still tons of titles waiting for "rescue". It's sad, and makes me wish that no more classic movies should ever end up in the public domain.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/ Tarantino's Grindhouse Fest celebrates cinematic cheese If you want to know what made Quentin Tarantino the man he is today, look at the L.A. grindhouse life he?s loved. By Geoff Boucher, Times Staff Writer March 1, 2007 Some kids love Disneyland, but for little Quentin Tarantino, the happiest place on Earth was always a scabby L.A. movie theater. That's where he could sit in the dark with bloodied samurais, dangerous pimps and zombie brides. His search for the next matinee took him to every freeway and to distant neighborhoods, which is why Tarantino now knows the city like the back of an amputated hand. Sometimes, it's even hard for the filmmaker to say where the movie screen stops and the real Los Angeles begins.

Yeah, I think WHV said they have something like 200 titles (not including new releases I assume) coming out this year on DVD.

Yup, the re-release apparently had a narration added. I believe the DVD has both the original 1925 version and the 1942 re-release.