Classics On DVD

LF here, just back from two days at the annual Blogger Conference On Promoting Teen Abstinence. You know, some people attend these events to garner publicity, but I do it purely for the love of teens refraining from sex. The conference was a real eye-opener; you'd be surprised at the number of well-known bloggers that were and are abstinent. By the way, if you're an abstinent teen and you blog, a "Free Links for the Fornication-Free" certificate should be arriving in your inbox any minute now, courtesy Ben Shapiro.

Of course, when I'm on the road, I occasionally get bored and when I'm bored, I like to check out a movie or two. But unfortunately, most of today's films just leave me cold. They tend to be overloaded with sex and violence, and without the obscure symbolism that would make it all worthwhile. Luckily, some non-Lombaire classics have made their way to DVD and make great rentals for those idle moments:

Gone With The Wind

This Civil War epic, filmed in glorious Technicolor, is undoubtably one of the unparalleled classics of American cinema. The performances and characterizations are far better than any reenactment I've ever seen, or for that matter, anything recorded by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Everyone involved is at the top of their game, from the art directors (wow, imagine having to handpaint all those reels of footage) to the first black Oscar winner, Hattie McDaniel (eat your heart out, Holly Berry!).

If this set has a flaw, it's the lack of extras. I mean, no director audio track? At least Gable or Leigh or Olivia de Havilland could've sat down and chatted a bit with Leonard Maltin or some equally respected Hollywood historian. Are their schedules too busy for that? I'm sorry, French subtitles, as much I enjoy them, just aren't enough. [EDIT: Oops - talk about timeless. This film is apparently much older than I initially thought]

Still, this remains the quintessential "chick flick" for any woman who's dreamed of romance with a dashing soldier fighting to uphold Negro subjugation.

The Wizard of Oz

This is a classic that has just recently turned up on DVD. Of course, everyone is familiar with this film from the frequent TV broadcasts, but recently, there has been renewed interest because of an unusual ritual popular with fans of Pink Floyd. Supposedly if you watch the movie while listening to the Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album, the music actually synchs up with the action on screen. Now I don't have any Pink Floyd; they were a little bit before my time. But I did try this experiment with the The Fabulous Peggy Lee and the results were inconclusive. Oh well...my acid days are long over anyway.

Even without rock background, this is still a startling piece of work. Judy Garland performs beautifully as the lonely young Dorothy who, because of a freak tornado, finds herself a very long way from her home in Kansas and devoted gay following. Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley are all equally brilliant as the three adult males who find what's missing from their lives while accompanying a pubescent girl through the woods. And of course, who could overlook the Munchkins? - or as they'd no doubt be known in today's PC climate, the "little squeaky people." I know "there's no place like home" but Oz was such a wonderful place, I couldn't bear the thought of not returning. I don't have cable so I haven't seen any of episodes yet but I'm glad I ordered copies of the HBO
TV series and sent a few on to my nieces and nephews as well.

Triumph Of The Will

This movie is a little more controversial than the other two. Directed by Leni Riefenstahl, this is a cinematic document of the 1934 rally at Nuremburg. Everyone who reviews the film says that, all politics aside, the artistry is breathtaking. And I agree: if you buy one piece of Nazi propaganda in your lifetime, you should definitely make it Triumph. But if you can, watch it on a double bill with Schindler's List or The Pianist so you know you're getting both sides of the story.

Though this is obviously very old footage, the DVD transfer of both the audio and visuals is astonishing in its clarity. In fact, it was so vivid, when the pizza man knocked on my door during the opening credits, I nearly hid in the basement.

Again, there's no denying the technical brilliance of this film, but a movie designed to promote the Hitler agenda will never get the gold star of excellence from me.

Happy viewing!