Blake
Edwards' S.O.B.
(1981/Paramount/Lorimar/Warner Archive Blu-ray)/The
Mafia Kills Only In Summer
(2013/Icarus DVD)
Picture:
B+/B Sound: B+/B Extras: C- Film: B/C+
Here
are a pair of adult comedies to consider....
Blake
Edwards' S.O.B.
From
iconic Director Blake Edwards (Breakfast
at Tiffany's,
The
Pink Panther
series) comes S.O.B.
(Standard Operating Bull), an interesting 1981 movie that takes a
look at Hollywood behind the scenes in a unique and often hilarious
light. A film within a film, S.O.B.
looks great on Blu-ray disc courtesy of Warner Archive and is
definitely worth checking out.
The
film stars Julie Andrews, Robert Mulligan, Larry Hagman, William
Holden, Loretta Switt, Shelley Winters, Rosanna Arquette, Robert
Loggia, Robert Vaughn, Craig Stevens, Robert Preston and Marisa
Berenson to name a few.
S.O.B.
is the story of Felix Farmer (Mulligan), a big-time producer who
suffers a nervous breakdown after his big-budget, wholesome family
film starring his actress-singer Wife (Andrews) bombs at the box
office and becomes his first misfire in a string of hits. The
desperate Farmer hits upon a desperate scheme to pull his film from
theaters, rebuy it, and re-shoot several scenes to include R-rated
material (including getting his wife and star to do nudity for the
film thus tarnishing her G-Rated image), then re-release the movie
himself, but within the mix of studio and professional politics,
nothing goes according to Farmer's plan.
Presented
in 1080p high definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.40:1
(shot in real anamorphic 35mm Panavision) and a nice sounding,
lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono track, the presentation of
the film on disc is very nice with a restored HD transfer that is
crips and clean throughout. If you're a fan of the film and are
interested in an update, this is a step up for sure.
A
trailer is the only extra.
The
Mafia Kills Only In Summer
A
charming and funny film from Italy, The
Mafia Kills Only In Summer (2013)
tells a 20 year long story starting with a Wonder
Years-type
feel telling the story of young Arturo, a boy who is unwillingly
mixed in with the mob and as the film progresses his dangerous adult
life. The film is a dark comedy about love and obsession, with an
interesting incorporation of actual events that took place in Sicily
in the 1970s.
Directed
by and starring Pif, the film co-stars Claudio Gioe, Crstiana
Capotondi, and Antonino Bruschetta.
Arturo
grows up admiring the Italian Mafia and it soon becomes his main
topic of conversation, but as he grows up and becomes a Sicilian
journalist, he soon starts to become wise of the Mob's vicious and
unconventional ways that threaten his perception.
Presented
in standard definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and a
lossy Dolby Digital Italian 5.1 track with English subtitles, the
presentation on disc looks fine but could always be improved by an HD
upgrade. The color palette is interesting and well balanced, with a
score that lends itself well to the story.
The
only extras are trailers for other Icarus Films releases.
More
interesting and fun in its earlier half than its later half, The
Mafia Only Kills In The Summer
is an interesting journey that fans of Italian cinema or Mafia-type
films should check out.
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/