Topsy-turvy turned into a downer. "Princess Ida" came up short on charm. And so Gilbert & Sullivan's partnership neared collapse. Such is the setup for Mike Leigh's "Topsy Turvy," the delightful 1999 biopic about the masters of comic opera and the making of their "The Mikado." The Criterion Collection has rereleased "Topsy-Turvy" on Blu-ray … [Read more...]
‘Jayne Mansfield Collection’ on DVD, ‘Some Like It Hot’
Fox's "Jayne Mansfield Collection" celebrates an artist whose bold films of the mid-'50s have mostly faded from cinematic consciousness -- obscured by lesser movies that followed and the hangover from an unfair reputation. That artist was Frank Tashlin, the crazy-cool director of "The Girl Can't Help It" and "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" … [Read more...]
‘Phil Silvers Show’ saluted on DVD
Count your fingers and check your wallet after opening "The Phil Silvers Show" box set. Hear that strangled cry, kind of like a drill sergeant caught in a bear trap? It means the con is on. The fix is in. Master Sgt. Ernest G. Bilko is back in the game. The show opens in mythical Fort Baxter, Kan., circa 1955. The Army base has a commander, but … [Read more...]
DVD reviews: ‘Nutty Professor,’ ‘The Bellboy’
Paradox completists eventually must turn to la mystere de Jerry -- why is it that French film masters such as Godard and Truffaut so loved Jerry Lewis? The Franco-Lewis thing has become a well-worn joke -- something to chew on with your Freedom Fries -- but it's a safe bet the directors weren't thinking of the braying, pratfalling side of the … [Read more...]
