Turner Classic Movies’ Greatest Classic Films Collection: Romantic Dramas collects four movies on two double-sided discs, with top picture quality and the bonus features that appeared on disc 1 when two of those films were released on two-disc sets, or the features that appeared on the single discs of the other two. The first disc pairs two of James Dean’s three major films, Rebel Without a Cause and East of Eden (both 1955), with commentary tracks by author Douglas L. Rathlieb Read more…
February 15th, 2010 on 6:52 pm
This is one of the first of what is planned to be 27 sets of four films each from Warner Home Video. They are bare-bones releases of classic movies sold at a discount to introduce classic film to the masses. That is a good idea, and for that I salute Warner Home Video. This set is about romantic dramas, with an emphasis on the works of Tennessee Williams and James Dean. The following are the contents of this set: East of Eden (1955) – Directed by Elia Kazan and starring James Dean. Adam Trask is a California farmer with two sons – Aron and Cal. Cal feels that his father holds him in only medium esteem while he gushes over Aron. Cal also learns what really happened to his mother, and begins visiting her. When Adam loses a fortune in a failed shipping venture, Cal decides to win Adam’s favor by going into business himself and getting his father’s money back. However, he decides to go to his mother to get his start-up capital. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) – Directed by Richard Brooks, stars Paul Newman as Brick and Elizabeth Taylor as his wife, Maggie. Brick is an alcoholic ex-football hero who has the favor of his father, played by Burl Ives. Brick’s older brother does everything the way his father says to do it, but still does not have his father’s heart. The problems in this disfunctional family rise to the surface when it is learned that “Big Daddy” doesn’t have long to live. Streetcar Named Desire (1951) – Directed by Elia Kazan starring Marlon Brando as Stanley, the brutish bridegroom of Stella (Kim Hunter). Stella has an older sister Blanche (Vivien Leigh) who acts as though she is a southern belle rather than an aging woman with a dreary existence in the French quarter of New Orleans. When Stanley hears Blanche encouraging Stella to leave him, he plots a cruel revenge. Rebel Without a Cause (1955) – Directed by Nicholas Rey, stars James Dean and Natalie Wood in a film that is more about the disenchantment of the modern teenager with society than it is a romantic drama classic. It’s a different kind of romance. At face value you could say the two wind up together because they both feel so alone, but there is a real chemistry and attachment there that is beyond just emotional survival. These romantic dramas are often more dramatic than romantic, but they are all five stars. As is common in this Warner series, these films have more deluxe editions in DVD sets if you are interested. For fans of James Dean, his two films can be found in The Complete James Dean Collection (East of Eden / Giant / Rebel Without a Cause Special Edition). The sad thing is, with the exception of a few cameos and TV appearances, this really is the complete James Dean collection. As for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Streetcar Named Desire, they are both in more deluxe versions on the excellent Tennessee Williams Film Collection (A Streetcar Named Desire 1951 Two-Disc Special Edition / Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 1958 Deluxe Edition / Sweet Bird of Youth / The Night of the Iguana / Baby Doll / The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone).
February 16th, 2010 on 2:10 am
This is a great collection of classic films. I originally bought this mainly for Rebel Without A Cause and A Streetcar Named Desire but I found all the films to be enjoyable. I only have 2 real complaints about the product. The first is that the discs are dual sided, instead of one per film. I know this isn’t earth shattering but it’s much easier for the disc to get scratched. TCM could have chipped in the extra $2 or whatever it is so each film would have been on a separate disc. The other problem I have is the video transfer. Overall the transfers are okay but none look that great. Rebel Without A Cause was a big disappointment as many parts of the frame during scenes are blurred, pigmented, and have colors fading/warping. I understand this is usual for older films but a restoration would have been nice. In conclusion, if you are a film buff I would recommend this. I got mine elsewhere for only $16, making it only $4 a film so it was a steal. Any classic film buff or James Dean fan will love this set.