«NO WONDER THIS PICTURE WON BEST PICTURE!!!»

This film was made by legendary producer Mike Todd and newcomer director Mike Anderson(The Wreck of the Mary Deare - Authentic Region 1 DVD from Warner Brothers starring Gary Cooper, Charlton Heston)

The film stars many great stars and is renowned as the film that gave birth to the "cameo" appearence. It has David Niven as Phileas Fogg (The Sea Wolves (Keep Case)) and Catinflas in his first English speaking film as the French manservant Passpartout.

Shirley MacLaine makes her second film as Princess Auida (her first being Alfred Hitchcock'sThe Trouble with Harry) and Robert Newton makes his last film as Inspector Fix (Return to Treasure Island).

If those weren't enough stars it has Sir John Gielgud, Charles Coburn, Cesar Romero, Gilbert Roland, George Raft, Marlene Dietrich, Red Skelton, Charles Boyer, Ronald Coleman, Peter Lorre, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, John Carradine, Buster Keaton, Robert Morely and a plethora of many other great Character Actors and Silver Screen Legends.

Anyone who enjoys classic films will love this beautifully restored film with many vintage documentaries, trailers, interviews and a introduction by TCM host Robert Osbourne as well as A Trip To The Moon (1902) which appears early in the film during a narration about Mans vast expansions in the field of science.

If you don't like the film, I am sure you will still enjoy looking out for your favourite actor, like a Hitchcock film searching for the Master of Suspense. But I'm sure you will like the film as it has many twists, excitement and it is a classic story by Jules Verne. The great actors are just the icing on the cake.


Overall this is a thouroughly enjoyable story with great acting, great fun and great special features and restoration! Have fun searching for the numerous cameos!!

[Tuesday, December 30, 2008]

«A three hour bore.»

In 1956, the year that gave us such classics as The Ten Commandments, The King and I, and The Searchers, the Oscar for Best Picture went to Michael Todd's "Around the World in 80 Days", a three-hour spectacle that, while mildly entertaining and quaint, can in no way measure up to those other films.

Many of the "cameo" performances are lost on modern audiences, since the actors that briefly appear are often forgotten or unknown today, and the skimpy storyline leaves today's viewer wondering how such a thin plotline could hope to carry a supposedly Oscar-worthy film.

The many, many scenes with Mexican comedian Cantinflas drag on, slowing the film's pace (although one can possibly see how he was thought of as "funny" at the time), and we won't even discuss how embarrasing Shirley Maclaine is as the "Indian" princess. David Niven carries himself well, although he essentially plays himself.

The DVD transfer is disapppointing as well. The Todd-AO films of the 50's have not fared well on DVD so far (Oklahoma, anyone?), and this film is no exception, its age clearly showing in the many grainy scenes and washed-out colors. A frame-by-frame restoration is in order, especially if Warner Bros. has plans for a Blu-Ray release.

[Sunday, December 21, 2008]

«"A Real Trip"»

I saw this movie in St. Louis the week it premiered. I was 7 years old and bug-eyed. I still have my hardbound souvineer book that you could purchase for a memento. The scenes and sets are shot beautifully. David Niven and Cantiflas are an eccentric and entertaining pair. To say it is sweeping is an understatement. The best part of the movie besides the colorful visual bombardment is seeing the "over a hundred" established stars make their cameo appearances: Marlene Deitrich, George Raft, Beatrice Lilly, and a very young and beautiful Shirley McClaine. Their sub-stories are woven together beautifully in this film. I think Jules Verne would have really dug it.

[Sunday, November 30, 2008]

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