Controversial Classics Collection (Advise and Consent The Americanization of Emily Bad Day...

Buy This Item Controversial Classics Collection (Advise and Consent The Americanization of Emily Bad Day...  List Price: $79.98  Available from Amazon  $71.99  on 11-27-2008     Features Actors: Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton, Don Murray, Walter Pidgeon, Peter Lawford Directors: Otto Preminger, Fritz Lang, Roy Mack Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC Language: English Subtitles: English, Spanish, French Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.) Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Number of discs: 7 Rating: Studio: Warner Home Video DVD Release Date: May 10, 2005 Run Time: 710 minutes Average Customer Review:   11 Reviews 5 star:  (8) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:  (1) See all 11 customer reviews...   (11 customer reviews) Reader Reviews I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG (1932) Controversy: The oldest movie in the controversial classics set, FUGITIVE also lays claim to the most unwieldy title. Chain gang prison labor is the controversial topic. Strengths: Paul Muni is absolutely riveting, and his final scene is one of the more memorable in movies. Weaknesses: The last chain gang prison system was outlawed in the 1940s. The oldest title is also the least relevant. Bottom Line: Inspiration for other classic movies like Cool Hand Luke and O Brother, Where Art Thou? Although severely dated, FUGITIVE still delivers as top-drawer entertainment. FURY (1936) Controversy: German director Fritz Lang's first American film is an exposé of lynching, mob violence, and the corrosive effects of living for revenge. Strengths: Spencer Tracy's transformation from good-natured innocent to bitter victim is breathtaking. Lang's depiction of the mob is still quite strong Weaknesses: The first and last act tends to stall out the story. The studio imposed ending is unsatisfying. Bottom Line: Although not quite as powerful as Lang's German film M, which it resembles, FURY still has a number of memorable moments, and Tracy's Jekyll and Hyde transformation works very well. BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK (1955) Controversy: Xenophobia during World War II and a small southwestern town with a big, ugly secret. Strengths: Spencer Tracy always adds value to a movie. Robert Ryan, as Tracy's chief nemesis, turns in a typically fine performance, too. Weaknesses: Anne Francis isn't anything more than a token female and doesn't really seem to fit in the story. A little too much attention paid to the secret keeping, and not enough on what was done that must remain hidden. Bottom Line: A good Decent Stranger Against the Mob movie that may have dealt a little more directly with the shameful incident everyone was trying to keep buried. BLACKBOARD JUNGLE (1955) Controversy: Rock `n roll infected juvenile delinquents are taking over the world. Strengths: Director Richard Brooks really wades into it, and doesn't pull his punches on some issues one simply didn't talk about in the 1950s - racial tensions, rape, middle class apathy and cynicism. Glenn Ford, Sidney Poitier and especially young Vic Morrow are very good. Weaknesses: Because it shows few if any female students, no parents and otherwise little of the students' lives away from school this one's a little exploitative. Bottom Line: Overall an excellent and honest look at urban troubled youth. Probably Glenn Ford's best film. A FACE IN THE CROWD (1957) Controversy: Director Elia Kazan and screenwriter Budd Schulberg's warning about the pernicious encroachment of mass media, especially television, in American life. Strengths: They got it right, although they were about a decade ahead of the rest of us. Patricia Neal and Walter Matthau, as worried onlookers, are very good. Weaknesses: I may be a minority of one, but Andy Griffith in the lead role too often goes way over the top. Kazan may have wanted to portray him as an irresistible force of nature, but at times he's simply too loud, too out-sized, too outlandish. Bottom Line: Still fun and entertaining, especially to see how much of it Kazan on got right. After the 2004 elections, it was somewhat chilling to see a politician go geese hunting with the Griffith character in a bid to develop his `common man' credentials. ADVISE AND CONSENT (1962) Controversy: Director Otto Preminger's adaptation of best-selling novel and hit play deals with Washington in-fighting over a presidential cabinet nomination. Strengths: Charles Laughton and Walter Pidgeon as savvy senators give this one backbone and keep it interesting. Weaknesses: Episodic and ultimately more soap opera than exposé. Bottom Line: In my opinion this is the weakest entry in the set. AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY (1964) Controversy: The Navy needs a hero on D-Day and this movie not only questions hero worship, it pulls it apart and blows it up, bit by bit. Strengths: Paddy Chayefsky's script is perfect. James Garner and Julie Andrews are perfect as the mismatched lovers. Weaknesses: Addictive. Bottom Line: My favorite movie in the bunch, a perfect satire while treating with compassion those it satires. One of the great comedies of the twentieth century.  Comment | Permalink |  function showYesNoCommunityResponse(uId,result,value) { var msgLayer = getElement("thanks" + uId); if ( result == "SUCCESS" ) { msgLayer.innerHTML = "Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided to other Amazon.com readers and reviewers. Your vote will be counted and will appear on the product page within 24 hours."; } else { showVoteErrorResponse(msgLayer,result,value); } } (Report this)

Controversial Classics Collection (Advise and Consent The Americanization of Emily Bad Day... List Price: $79.98 Available from Amazon Price: $71.99 Updated on 11-27-2008.

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