Fulvue Drive-In.com
Current Reviews
In Stores Soon
 
In Stores Now
 
DVD Reviews, SACD Reviews Essays Interviews Contact Us Meet the Staff
An Explanation of Our Rating System Search  
Category:    Home > Reviews > Interviews > Entertainment > Biography > Inside The Actors Studio – Dave Chappelle/Icons/Johnny Depp/Leading Men (Shout! Factory DVD)

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


Marketplace


 
 Copyright © MMIII through MMX fulvuedrive-in.com