Inside The Actors Studio – Dave Chappelle/Icons/Johnny
Depp/Leading Men (Shout! Factory DVD)
Picture: C Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Episodes: B
James
Lipton started the Bravo cable network series Inside The Actor’s Studio as a way to examine the art of acting,
filmmaking and stage, with occasional veering into music and television. Shout! Factory has issued
four releases and counting (with the boxes sometimes broken into single DVD
releases) and so far have issued some key shows, though there are over
100 to date, so this is far from what could be issued in the future.
The Dave Chappelle episode was made just as
he refused big bucks from Viacom and Comedy Central to continue his hit cable
TV show and offers some rare insight into his life, career and the industry
himself. A vital volume, his Block Party film (reviewed elsewhere on
this site) was coming out, but did not do as well as it should have. Sadly, his career has stalled from the
controversy, but a big audience awaits and hopefully this will not be one of
the last words form one of the best comic talents of his generation.
Icons is the strongest of the four
releases, offering a key installment with Paul Newman, who is a founding member
and has priceless things to say about the studio and the business, then you
have Barbra Streisand in a rare interview where she opens up on many things she
normally would not do. Unfortunately, I
wanted more on What’s Up Doc? and
being she did not understand or get the humor much, wee don’t hear enough. It reminds me that many of these shows seem
to miss at least one favorite film of a given actor, but you get lucky
sometimes. Logically, a great companion
show with Robert Redford is included, which has both coverage of his amazing
career and the groundbreaking Sundance Film Festival for which he founded. The set winds down with Clint Eastwood, whose
dual careers as longtime actor, brief singer and remarkable director rounds out
the set on a high note.
The Johnny Depp show is a single and the
most basic of the DVDs, covering him in his commercial prime. Sadly, From
Hell is practically ignored and though he has some very interesting things
to say, I was a bit disappointed by this one and wished it was made at the time
he was most 0nt he cutting edge of risk-taking.
That
leaves the Leading Men volume with
four of the best actors around. They
include Robert De Niro and his amazing career, which still has its moments
despite not being as consistent as it used to be though his directing efforts
have been underrated, Al Pacino also hanging in there with special film and
stage projects, Sean Penn with his growing directing career and
near-abandonment of acting and Russell Crowe getting his due despite many
personal issues and bad press, he remains one of the best actors worldwide and
will continue to be so. I am glad to see
him included in this set as a show of support and enjoyed these shows as well.
In any
case, you will too.
The 1.33
X 1 image on the majority of the episodes are softer than expected, despite being
recent NTSC analog tapings. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 is simple stereo in all cases.
All discs have Lipton introductions and deleted scenes, except the Depp volume. That makes for a good series that is not
likely to stop anytime soon on DVD, though I wish we saw more shows lately.
- Nicholas Sheffo