Audrey Hepburn collection leads off the week’s DVDs:
DVDs for Sept. 30 by Boo Allen
This week, we begin with Audrey:
Audrey Hepburn Blu-ray Collection: Sabrina, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Warner Home Entertainment has packaged three unrated films featuring Audrey Hepburn for release. The popular icon was one of the few performers ever to win the rare E.G.O.T.–Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards. Of her five Best Actress nominations, two are included here (Sabrina, Tiffany’s). The collection, recently remastered for Blu-ray, also includes individual supplements. When 25, Hepburn starred opposite Humphrey Bogart and William Holden in Billy Wilder’s classic Sabrina (1954, 113 minutes). She plays the daughter of a rich family’s chauffeur (John Williams), as the charming young woman becomes an unwitting love object. Extras include seven featurettes: on Hepburn’s fashion career, William Holden, Paramount in the 1950s, “Supporting Sabrina,” and more. Acknowledged dance maven Stanley Donen directed Funny Face (1957, 103 minutes), giving his star and co-star Fred Astaire license to mingle closely and even dance together. Hepburn plays a shop-girl plucked from obscurity to become a fashion model. Extras include a photo gallery, trailer, and the “Paramount in the 50s” featurette. In Blake Edwards’ seminal Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961, 115 minutes), based on a Truman Capote short story, she plays iconic Holly Golightly, the free-spirited young woman-about-town hiding a dark secret. George Peppard plays the love interest, and Mickey Rooney embarrasses himself as Holly’s Japanese neighbor. With Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam. The many featurette subjects include Hepburn’s style, a set tour, Henry Mancini’s Oscar winning music, Holly Golightly, an Asian perspective on Mickey Rooney’s character, and more. The collection is also available in a regular DVD collection.
Hangmen Also Die (***)
Fritz Lang directed this little-seen 1943 film based on actual 1942 events. It has been restored from the original for its DVD and Blu-ray debut. In German-occupied Czechoslovakia, a sadistic Nazi, the Hangman, Reinhard Heydrich (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski), rules over Prague. A partisan, Dr. Svoboda (Brian Donlevy), assassinates him and then escapes thanks to the help of a stranger, Mascha (Anna Lee). Svoboda’s escape sets off a series of Nazi reprisals on the town, including Mascha’s father (a surprisingly effective Walter Brennan). Lang uses the event to send the doctor through a series of near-captures and close calls, while the Nazis continue their repression, as a group of Czech patriots organize a reprisal of their own.
Not rated, 135 minutes.
Extras: the film’s fascinating history takes up much of the supplements, including a 29 minute “making of” featurette, an eight minute, 1942 German newsreel, a before-and-after comparison of the restoration, and a pamphlet with an essay from Peter Ellenbruch. The materials relate relates how Lang had been living in Hollywood for several years when celebrated playwright Bertolt Brecht arrived, also fleeing the Nazis. Lang learned about the death of the real German “Hangman” and approached Brecht for collaboration on a screenplay. The two worked together but became so fractious, John Wexley stepped in and received final screenplay credit. The film also encountered several other, duly noted problems. Legendary cinematographer James Wong Howe filmed the black and white production.
Motown 25—Yesterday, Today, Forever
This 1983 TV special appeared on NBC and drew huge ratings while making history, winning both Peabody and Emmy Awards. The show now arrives in both six disc and three disc versions, both with plenty of extras. Richard Pryor hosted this live tribute to the Motown phenomenon, and it featured performances from the industry’s most renowned artists: the Miracles, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five (supposedly, it was the first time Jackson performed the “Moonwalk” live), and others. But other non-Motown acts also performed: Linda Ronstadt, Jose Feliciano, Adam Ant, and others. The show itself eventually served as the basis for the Broadway work, “Motown The Musical.”
Six discs: approximately 16 hours. Three discs: 458 minutes.
Extras: the six disc set includes more than 14 hours of extras, including newly produced featurettes with dozens of interviews along with previously unseen footage and a special “Performers Roundtable.” Plus: a 48 page collector’s book, and a copy of the “Motown 25” program. Check labels for supplements on the three disc set.
Mike and Molly—season four
At the start of this season of 22 episodes, Molly Flynn (Emmy winning Melissa McCarthy) quits her job as a school teacher in hopes of becoming a writer. This decision sets the path for the season, giving Molly, and Mike Biggs (Billy Gardell), more room to explore their comedic limits, such as Molly doing research for her crime novel, meeting her literary idol (Susan Sarandon), and eventually finding a non-writing job driving a forklift. Mike plays poker with the guys and later gets shot. But it’s not severe enough to keep him from a road trip with his buddies. The season ends as Molly gains acceptance into the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Season guest stars also include John Michael Higgins, Kathy Bates, Mather Zickel, Brian Baumgartner.
Not rated, 433 minutes.
Extras: a gag reel.
Also on DVD: Chef, Ivory Tower, Lucky Them.