Star!
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Movie Reviews of Star!
Movie Review: Anatomy of a Flop
Summary: 5 Stars
I have waited to write my review of Star! but I now have the wherewithal to do so. This movie was a flop-twice. Then why is it so interesting? I know 'bad' movies such as "Wild Women of Wongo" but that wasn't a big studio production. This is different. This was the time of the death knell for movie musicals. I love movie musicals, but the times were changing in the late 60's. When The Sound of Music was made, this erosion was just starting. Also, when Blake Edwards became involved with Julie, he wanted her to play less "innocent" roles. This certainly could pose as one. Andrews plays Gerturde Lawrence, a "star" who was much more well-known in England as she was in the U.S. I'm a little up in arms as to why this movie was called "Star". So this movie gives one an interesting look at the British Music Hall as well as the Algonquin theater in New York. I really like the cockney lingo here, although I wonder if it is accurate because of the criticism given the screenplay. The best part of the film are the musical numbers, which my favorite is "Limehouse Blues" which is almost done in pantomime, as the music of Limehouse Blues gets adapted in many different guises until it is tragic at the end. This sequence should be in movie history. The next best part is the relationship between Gertie and Noel Coward (maybe it should be called that, but Noel Coward was still alive). Having collected a sizable amount of Noel Coward recordings on CD it is interesting to see parts of his stage plays recreated. After all of the relationships with men that she has in the film, the most memorable is with Noel Coward, and that is on a friendship and professional level. Dramatics are provided more from Gertie herself, who tends to want to steal scenes from her stars so her own career can increase. She also has a propensity to not deal with her monetary affairs very well. She finally has a roadblock in the guise of Kurt Weill, whose play "Lady in the Dark" she stars in. Her almost husband brings her to a club where it seems that the act that is being presented gives her the inspiration. But we don't see the act! What is it? Soon afterwards, we see the infamous "Jenny" sequence which makes one wonder if they have overstuffed their coffers. Still, a very intersting sequence considering that you hardly see "Lady In The Dark" in the theater. Everything is big, big, big! Perhaps its this excessiveness that hurts the film. Still, for me this film has many magical moments that makes one love the remote control, so we can make our own version. The DVD is stuffed with extras-on side two we have some documentaries and also a written history of the film. The commentary is very thorough-with comments by Wise, Daniel Massey, and other colloborators. I wish this could be done with other 'flops' too. Time has a way to bring movies into a different light, and I think that "Star" is worth more than it was back then. Too bad that the monetary losses cannot be recouped with DVD sales. So help out and buy the DVD already!Movie Review: In Full Glory
Summary: 5 Stars
How utterly delightful! To see this wonderful film treasured and so well loved, as to have made it to this DVD release. The audio commentary with director Robert Wise, and many of the cast including Julie Andrews, and Daniel Massey is wonderful. Each and every person on the commentary gives some of the most truly wonderful insights into the making of the film - it's great to see... and hear!
Reading the history of this film and its total SAGA of a story of how it was released over the years.. makes you really appreciate it.
I loved this movie from the first time i saw it (circa 1996). In Australia - this movie has always been very readily available on VHS, but it seems not so in the US!
The features are all wonderful, and this print is fresh and glorious, - making one feel re-inspired - to see all the beautiful aspects of it come to a new enlivened existence once again :-)
As i was watching this - again after having not watched it for a few years... i was contemplating why this film was such a flop - yes, musicals were on the way out in 1968.. but let us not forget that 1968 was the same year as the movie versions of 'Oliver!' and 'Funny Girl'- both of whom were more successful at the box office than 'Star!' - I think it had something to do with the fact that this was a musical featuring songs that epitomized an era gone by - and those other two films i mentioned previously were both original scores, and original shows. I think by 1968 people felt that they were totally over Gershwin, Porter and the likes of Kurt Weil, and Noel Coward. 'Oliver!' won the oscar for Best picture that year... and signifigantly so... as that same year - the original Broadway production of 'Hair' signified the end of the Golden Age of Broadway, and the tidal wave of Rock music had more than officially taken over. From that moment on... (Apart from a couple of gems.. like 'Cabaret') we did not see another majorly successful film musical till 2004 with 'Chicago'.
I think in many ways 'Star!' has some of Julie Andrews finest acting moments of her career. She is - or was - a great actress, and seeing this film again, makes me so sad that that glorious and heavenly voice of hers has been so badly damaged and will never be the same ever again.
I would highly recommend this film, as it really is a wonderful film, and the musical sequences are superb, lovely to see it so well presented :-)
Movie Review: 'Star"better than ever on DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
"Star" is a movie that suffered at the hands of distributors in the late sixties. Released as a supremo roadshow attraction on the back of the success of "The Sound of Music", it was marketed to the wrong market at a time when movie musicals were on the way out. Consequently it was badly hacked about, re released in shorter retitled versions and , (even though in Australia it has always been readily available on video,) it seems in the States it took years for the film to be 'discovered" again in a video release. Regardless , this new DVD pristine print of the movie is a joy to behold and goes a long way to establishing the movie as one of the great Hollywood musicals and will help further in establishing a large and passionate fan base for the film. The DVD is narrated by director Robert Wise, but with numerous other cast members(some recently and sadly deceased) popping in to give their memories of the film, including Ms Andrews herself. The print is gloriously restored, the accompanying special features include a featurette with rare "on the set" shots and an update from the video release in 1993 when several of the actors attended a revival release of the movie in cinemas. This is DVD exploring and giving extraordinary information and using the form at its best. The accompanying "Saga of Star" which in text form takes readers into the creation, production and the appaling distribution of the film and the horrific hacking of it after its initial release (including shots of some amazingly bad lobby cards) is truly a fascinating excursion into Hollywood at a time of great transition when some diabolical decisions were made .Now the film can be seen in its glorious, original, unedited form and in a DVD release packed with information that will help gain this movie its rightful place high on the list of the best movie musicals ever made.
Footnote" This is also, arguably Julie Andrews' best movie role and if had been seen by a wider audience would have
stopped the hiatus that followed in her career for so many years afterward and also killed off the "goody two shoes"image that was so wrongly attributed to her for so many years.
Movie Review: COULDN'T MAKE UP THEIR MINDS........
Summary: 5 Stars
This Lavish, Spectacular, and ultimately hollow version of Gertie's life says very little about everybody, exceot it shows that the gal had drive, passion, oooodles of talent [Gertie said something about herself "I know not to bump into the furniture and don't sing tooo well, but I do try"]... and that's basically what we get here. [It somewhat smatters of that lavish Shirley Maclaine/Gene Kelly musical, you know which one - she's always marrying the wrong man - Kelly directed, with Paul Newman, Dean Martin, etc.]JULIE ANDREWS is exquisitely gowned and coiffed ... and surrounded by a stellar cast Daniel Massey as the wry Noel Coward [old time chum of Gertie's ~ we never delve into his life - which would have been an interesting counterpoint to Gertie's - slightly predatorial, but UTTERLY, UTTERLY charming]
The movie is sandwiched between old sepia [recreated] newsreel footage] so we constantly jump from small scarchy period screen to widescreen and TODD-AO constantly ~ This version is new to me - I originally saw the shortened, cropped version - and unless I blinked -the length does defy concentration I believe that PARIESSIENNE PIERROT is excised from this version ... this one contains the eleborate, East Indian "Patella Tune" - too technical - not an inch of fun.
BUT JULIE does look spectacular - of special note is the final scene from 'LADY IN THE DARK' - that problem musical. An odd recording of this original with Gertie is around, strangely only "My Ship" and "Jennie" remain on this disc - the rest is just dialogue between Gertie and the psychiatrist ......
No, it is a fine DVD to own, but Gertie deserves just something else - perhaps starting with THE KING AND I [her final Broadway show ~ and her rather dramatic passing away during the run] and working back INCLUDING Noel's PRIVATE LIFE?????
Movie Review: This DVD is a Travesty! (But The Movie Is Fantastic!!!!!!!!)
Summary: 5 Stars
I am giving this DVD the full star rating because of it's content. The filmmakers had a hard time dealing with the fact that in reality it was not a friendship of two--Gertrude Lawrence and Noel Coward--but a friendship of three--Gertie, Noel, and Beatrice Lillie! Bea Lillie would only give permission to show her likeness if she could play herself. She was at least forty years too old at the time! Besides that, this film is by far one of the three best films Julie Andrews has EVER made--along with "S.O.B." and "Victor/Victoria"! The problem with the DVD is the way it is presented. The film was shot in Todd-AO, a 70mm process that projects a 2:20-1 aspect ratio. This was the ratio the so-called "roadshow" version. The "general release" version was exhibited in a "panavision" or "cinemascope" aspect ratio of 2:35-1. Neither aspect ratio successfully fits in the other, and some cropping is involved. If an a-b comparison is done between the DVD and the Laserdisc versions (which is presented in the true TODD-AO version), it is plain to anyone that the DVD is the panavision version, which has been blown up and cropped to fit the 2:20-1 aspect ratio presentation. In the original version during the overture the theater presenium and orchestra pit are clearly seen. On the DVD they are not. But for those unaware of this who are fans of Julie Andrews, this DVD is a must! It truly makes "The Sound of Music" seem like amateur night!!!! I know that sounds harsh, but for how beloved Julie Andrews is, an for what roles she is most beloved for (i.e. Maria, Mary Poppins, Millie Dillmount, Queen Clarisse Renaldi, etc.), films like "S.O.B.", "Victor/Victoria", "10", "Duet For One", That's Life", "The Americanization of Emily", and yes, "Star!" are better repersentations of her talents.