Pleasant and funny.
Added 4/28/2009
"The Devil's Brother",
A pleasant and fun film. There are a couple of good songs. One good song by the lovely Lucile Browne. One good song by the bandit later on. Casting the actor / singer as the bandit to sing the song was less than ideal, because we do not like the bandit. However, the song is still good and enjoyable; an opera-like song. The regiment of soldiers sing well too. The film has a good ending, which the writer set up well earlier in the film. The pace slows too much midway, not boring, just not lively enough, but picks up for a good end. Some clever plots.
"Bonnie Scotland",
Pleasant and fun. Stan and Ollie get into trouble with the army sergeant making the film worthwhile. James Finlayson plays the sergeant well. In silent-films, he learned saying it all with a look, showing here his frustration with Stan and Ollie, and his tit-for-tat getting even, which the three took to greater heights in their silent-film great "Big Business".
The young woman who plays in the romantic sub-plot has the face of an angel. The film does not go back to the romance couple after implying a happy ending. It does not hurt the film, but it is a missed opportunity.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
GREAT, BUT THERE"S MUCH MORE FOR FANS!!
Added 2/19/2009
O.K., I haven't purchased this just yet, but I trust that being under the "Warner" name, that it's got to be pretty good. But I want to see if there's a set that also includes "Flying Dueces" as well.
But here's the great news for fans of the amazing duo!
I recently checked out the Amazon.uk site, and discovered the Universal Pictures 21-disc set. And, yup, I ordered it! But I had to through a differant British seller, (since some of Amazon's wouldn't ship to North America), or the ones that would, simply charged way too much. I ended up paying the standard 59 pounds (whatever that is U.S.), plus the mail delivery dinged me for $10 (Canadian, $7 U.S.?)which is pretty damned good for such an amazing boxset! I once even saw it on sale for 39 pounds! It has all of their best movies, all of their hilarious talking shorts, great silent shorts, interviews with Johnny Carson, and many other celebrities, colorized versions as well as the same features in their original black and white, and much more, all of the highest quality, the whole set being close to 70 hours in length!!
But still. I want to get a few other movies, like "Bonnie Scotland" and "Flying Dueces" just to round out my collection.
Finally, if you decide to get the wonderful Brit 21-disc collection (why the hell is it not available here?!), then you'll need to get something like a good quality multi-region dvd player like a Cambridge Audio DVD99 which may be a bit pricey, but incorporates the highest quality components and standards, as well as remarkable sound. Or research something similar like a Maranz or Oppo. Considering how long a high quality player will last, along with amazing sound and great quality picture, etc., it makes much more sense than buying several cheap dvd players, and plays both our Region 1 NTSC, and their Region 2 PAL discs beautifully! Then you can get European dvds to your heart's content, along with what you want over here.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Love these movies
Added 10/12/2008
These movies are a must have for Laurel and Hardy fans of all ages. Nothing like classics!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Not a good introduction to the team
Added 8/24/2008
The Hal Roach film library, which includes the vast majority of Laurel and Hardy's material, has been largely ignored by its owners for years. Only a few features and shorts starring Laurel and Hardy lie outside of that collection. Warner Home Video owns the two features in this collection plus Laurel & Hardy - Air Raid Wardens / Nothing but Trouble, which were actually made at MGM. The two feature films in this collection are products of Hal Roach Studios, but WHV obtained the DVD rights, probably a product of the fact that Hal Roach products were released through MGM at the time.
Laurel and Hardy are not a comedy team where you can just wander into any feature film they did and get a full appreciation for it. First, IMHO, you need to watch their comedy shorts. Start in the silent era if you can, but definitely try to view their evolution in their sound shorts through the early 1930's. Once you've got a feel for their subtle brand of humor, then you can appreciate the two feature films in this set more. "Bonnie Scotland" is more of your typical Laurel and Hardy film, if there is such a thing. "The Dev il's Brother" is most unusual with all of the music involved. This was something Hal Roach liked, but Stan Laurel always thought it threw the comedy off of its pacing, and I think time has proved Stan right. If you are a fan of Hal Roach shorts you'll recognize and appreciate Thelma Todd in "The De vil's Brother" and James Finlayson in "Bonnie Scotland".
Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story - This is a good featurette, but it doesn't focus on Laurel and Hardy at all. Maybe this had to do with WHV's limited rights to Laurel and Hardy material.
* Commentaries by aficionados Richard W. Bann and Leonard Maltin - These were very well done and enhanced the films greatly.
* Introduction by Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne - The same high quality introduction you'd get from Mr. Osborne if he were introducing these films in primetime on TCM.
* Vintage Excerpts from:
The Hollywood Revue of 1929 - Laurel and Hardy have a very short magic act here that isn't very good. This could just be because the pair were new to sound.
Rogue Song - The whole film is lost. Only fragments remain, and you get one here that barely does more than prove that the boys were indeed in the film, a fact that was disputed for years.
Hollywood Party, and Pick a Star - The small guest spots that Laurel and Hardy had in these films.
* Theatrical Trailers
Don't introduce a potential fan to Laurel and Hardy using these films. This is for someone who is already a convert. As always with Warner Home Video products, the quality of the audio and video of these old films are excellent.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Laurel and Hardy
Added 4/15/2008
I was very dissapointed when I immediately wrapped gift that was in brand new pack and took it to my Uncle for his birthday. What a disappointment to find one disc missing. I did get a new one a few days later but still quite an inconvenience and disappointment. When we finally got to view it ,it was in good shape and very funny. Sue
0 out of 7 people found this helpful.
|
