Rating: 
Summary: One of the greatest in SPECTACULAR DVD package
Review: This new Criterion Collection edition of *8 1/2* is one of the best DVD "special edition" sets I've come across. The Movie: Fellini's breakthrough film is a movie about itself. It is archetypal in the Fellini canon because it both settles old scores and announces a new cinema. The film's hero is an Italian filmaker (Mastroianni as "Guido" a quasi-alter ego for the director) who has just had his first major hit (=La Dolce Vita). He is not resting on his laurels, however. He is confronted with the necessity of the next movie. This necessity is both personal to the director and apparently contractual: the producer is forever hovering... To Guido, it is an inner necessity, an unrest, a creative suffocation, objectified in the opening sequence of the movie where Guido is seen/not seen by the camera, trapped inside a tiny car that is itself trapped in a traffic jam that stretches endlessly beyond available light as the car fills with toxic gas. We see the as yet unidentified hero in silhouette from behind. We see his hands and feet from outside the car, through the window as he desparately tries to escape. Then, he mysteriously escapes through the car's roof like a new bird escaping its shell and is carried off into the clouds, etc. The trouble is, this is a wish fulfillment dream. In "real" life, Guido is about to make a movie, and he has no idea what it's going to be about, or what to do with all the actors and extras, and the giant launching pad for some kind of space-ship that is the only thing even close to a concrete idea for the projected picture. The film is not, however, a perfect autobiographical fit. For one thing, Fellini gets to finish his movie and Guido, evidently, does not. But, that said, the movie is a virtual mirror of itself, which was a very hard thing to pull off in 1962, before the concept of "virtual" was annexed by the codifiers of computer jargon, and *8 1/2* is nothing if not a virtuoso performance. Fellini's breakthrough is the film we watch. But in the film, the hero finds the resolution to his anguish, not in finding the project - that is, in making what would have been the film-about-itself within the film-about-itself within the film-about-itself that we are, finally, watching - but in letting go of the project, in surrendering to the impossibility of finding it or making it. Precisely *on the other side of his own fantasy-suicide*, at the moment when he apparently gives in to despair, he discovers the circle of life and becomes able to join into the procession of lives into which his own life is finally intertwined. So, this is an essential film. And it is a film so rich in texture that a person could watch the movie a hundred times and find new things to wonder at, and discover new connections between the One and the Many - Fellini's personal/existential problem. The DVD: First disc contains a sparkling transfer of the movie that restores a luster to the angular lights and shadows in Fellini's final black & white movie. Audio commentary by a couple of scholars and Fellini's former close accomplice Gideon Bachman. Second disc contains Fellini's famous "Director's Notebook" of 1968(-9), an hour-long movie that was originally made for television, as well as another documentary about composer Nino Rota, and various interviews, including one with the ever-fiesty Lina Wertmueller who was Fellini's Asst. Director on *8 1/2*. The package also comes with a really interesting little booklet with lots of information and a thoughtful mini-essay. Overall a great package that I'll not regret buying.
Rating: 
Summary: Good to know Fellini a little more!
Review: It is oportune to mention that Criteron does not always produce excellent products but this one deserves 5 stars. However after watching the film this one just isn't as good as the average of the people says. Some day I going to watch it again and compare my thoughts.
2 1/2 is ok because of the excellent transfer quality that makes the film viewable.
Rating:
Summary: WOW! Excellent DVD transfer!
Review: For anyone who owns the MPI transfer of this film on VHS and is wondering if the Criterion DVD is worth your while (did you ever doubt it?) -- it most definitely is! I am stunned by what Criterion have done with my favorite film! The uncropped format is only the beginning -- artifacts from obviously decaying source material have been cleaned up and the whole thing takes on a brilliant, sharp look. The technical quality is so good one begins to forget it wasn't filmed yesterday. The sound is clearer and more audible and the subtitles are now of course legible. I couldn't be happier. It's brilliant. It makes the film that much more immersive and enjoyable. Get the DVD now, you won't regret it. (As a side note: I have also recently had occasion to see the "other" single-disc, non-Criterion DVD transfer of 8 1/2. There is absolutely no comparison; the Criterion DVD is spectacular, while the "other" DVD release is hard better than VHS, if it is at all! Do yourself a favor and shell out the few extra dollars for the Criterion DVD!)
Rating: 
Summary: Mid-life Crisis Redux
Review: Although beautifully filmed with each shot carefully crafted, the film in the end remains one of a man experiencing a mid life crisis. Most critics find the film fascinating but that's probably because they are or recently have encountered the same emotions or experiences as the lead character. If you're young, female or content with life this is not the film for you. Wait until a general sence of impotence becomes the overriding factor in your life to truly identify with this movie.
Rating:
Summary: DVD review
Review: I just got the DVD yesterday and I am so happy! First of all, it has the feel of a well thought out product. The packaging, the opening menu screen, etc. it just looks good. The bonus material, is extensive and interesting. But best of all, the picture is there. After thinking that my third generation copy on VHS was the only right way to watch this masterpiece, I now realize how wrong I was. The clarity of the images and the choreography of the camera and even focus pulling was all designed by Fellini for a reason and the DVD brings all of this new information back from the dead. Considering Fellini's constant struggle to be clear, I imagine he would have wanted it to be seen this way. I can't believe how good 40 year old film can look! It's a must have.
Rating:
Summary: FELLINI'S BEST?
Review: Fellini himself said that ,if he had to chose, this would be his best work. Why would he make such a statement?
This is, of course, a film that Fellini made about himself, is his auto-biography at that point of his life. And is a film that everything seems to work correctly: the music, photography, acting and direction of course. In a nutshell, a film that some may not like but can't say anything consistently negative against.
I think the second mastepiece of Fellini is Giulietta degli spiriti (Juliet of the spirits, wich there's only a limited version around in DVD), wich I carry more hauntly in my memory, but it is not as perfect as 8 1/2, i would say.
So, Buy this restored version of 8 1/2 and judge it for yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: wonderful transfer, but inaccurate details.
Review: I will let others speak to the artistic merits of the film and I will only say that I have had the pleasure to enjoy it a few times in the theater over the years. This is a dvd I have looked forward to for some time and the quality of the Criterion transfer is outstanding, although I did get a little digital weirdness from time to time. For example, when the film director goes airborne in the beginning, his coat would fracture a bit in motion--very minor and not really distracting. But here's the rub--I'm getting so tired of inaccurate info on these discs--the cover states the film is presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio--one look at my tv and it was obviously not 1.85--I got out a ruler and measured--result was 1.60:1. Now that's close to 1.66:1, which is European widescreen and likely the proper aspect ratio--with the delays in the release of the disc, why can't they get these details right. I have a region 2 copy of this disc from the u.k.--a basic edition-- and I popped it in to compare with the Criterion disc. It was widescreen as well--and it measured about 1.90:1--which is pretty close to the 1.85 Criterion claimed--I believe you see more of the frame at the top and bottom in 1.66 anyway if you're worried that image was cropped. It seems so strange that the American disc is presented in the European 1.66 and the U.K. disc is in the American 1.85 ratio. The region 2 u.k. disc was also a little less contrasty and so you could see detail a bit better in the shadows, but the image itself was also a bit softer and didn't have the crispness of the Criterion. This is really a minor complaint in the end, but Criterion has a low number of new releases and I think it is reasonable to hold them to a high standard in both their transfers and their information.
Rating:
Summary: A True Film Classic And A Real Special DVD!
Review: Fellini's 8 1/2 is one of the great filmgoing experiences from one of the four or five greatest filmmakers who has ever lived. There is nothing like watching Fellini spin his magic in one of his many classic works, and 8 1/2 is the finest of the lot.
As with most of his best work, the film is virtually plotless and filled with scenes of great creative energy. The film follows a movie director named Guido whose life is slowly spinning out of control while shooting his latest picture. All manner of "groupies" and hangers on keep interrupting his life as does the crew, his mistress and wife. On top of this, he faces a creative "block" and is disturbed by recurring nightmares, dreams and visions.
This is a GREAT film, and as usual, Criterion has presented it in a very fine package. The supplemental material on this set is superb, it's really one of the best DVD releases this year.
Oh, and as for our friend from Salt Lake, UT down below, what can you expect from someone who spells Voila! as he does.
Rating:
Summary: Perchance to dream...
Review: The most obvious achievement in 8 1/2, Fellini's mind-boggling piece of self-examination, is its audacious mixture of dreams and reality in order to show the protagonist Guido's whimsical mind state. Dream sequences come and go without warning, depicting Guido's pain, yearning, frustration, guilt that can pop up at any instant. The first time we see Guido's face, it is his mirror image, hinting to us the unreality we are about to face. Some of the dream sequences have a Bunuel-like surrealism. Some of them, however, blend almost seamlessly into scenes of reality, intentionally confounding us. Some are nightmarish, yet some are warm and hopeful. Some are brief flights of fancy, and some are lengthy, elaborate, wild visions that reflect Guido's heightened sense of confusion and anxiety. Although the film is often called the best film ever made about a filmmaker, its theme is universal in that it is a vivid picturization of a person's (and by extension, any person's) mind, which is often haunted by the past, tormented by the present, and apprehensive about the future and the unknown... The new Criterion DVD of 8 1/2 has a sparkling video transfer. A frame-by-frame cleanup of the picture has been done, so this DVD is significantly better-looking than Criterion's laserdisc version in 1989. There are momentary freeze frames during the opening scene, but since they also appeared on the LD, I assume they are normal. The 1.0 mono audio track is indistinguishable in quality from that on the LD -- it is mostly clean and sharp, although loud sound shows some distortion. The image is anamorphic. The disc is region-free. The audio is supported by newly-translated optional English subtitles. There is one slight discrepancy between the LD and the DVD. The LD contained the American release version of the film in which some scenes, such as the one in which Guido first meets his wife, had altered music cues. The DVD, however, is the original Italian version, retaining all of its original music. The DVD's audio commentary comprises of scene-specific comments (whose authorship is unclear), and additional comments from critic Gideon Bachmann and NYU professor Antonio Monda. The result is a pretty well-rounded audio essay covering the film's conception, production details, themes, and artistic significance, as well as personal recollections, anecdotes, and abandoned concepts and scenes. Other extras include two 1-hour films on the filmmakers. The first is "Fellini: A Director's Notebook", directed by and starring Fellini himself. It is a sort of Fellini-style DAY FOR NIGHT, a fictional, somewhat humorous account of how the director goes about making a film. The video/audio quality of this piece is poor, and there are no subtitles or closed captioning. The second film is a documentary made by German filmmakers in 1993 titled "Nino Rota: Between Cinema and Concert". It offers an intimate yet enigmatic portrayal of Nino Rota through his personal recordings, film footage of him working with Fellini, clips of some early films scored by Rota, and interviews of his associates and students. One segment is about how Rota recycled his score from the 1957 film FORTUNELLA to create the theme for THE GODFATHER, an act that would cost him the Oscar nomination. The DVD extras also include 3 new interviews. Sandra Milo speaks candidly about her experiences, both personal and professional, with Fellini. Linda Wertmuller lavishes praises on Fellini's genius while offering a fascinating appraisal of Fellini's psychology that figures prominently in 8 1/2. And Vittorio Storaro pays tributes to the achievements of 8 1/2's cinematographer, Gianni di Venanzo. Rounding out the extras are 100 or so still photos from the set of the film, some of which were taken from deleted scenes.
Rating:
Summary: 8 1/2 - one of the greatest!
Review: I was moved to write this because (...) this fabulous film that has been one of the great influences in my life. Unfortunately, many people look at a this film, and many foreign films in general, and assume it's just a bunch of hype by critics because they don't get it. Fellini doesn't hand you what he wants to say on a platter, that's just not going to happen with any of his films. If you want that, well then go see The Rock or Armegeddon or other such movies. This is more than a movie, Smokey and the Bandit is a "movie". This is a film. And a work of art.
I am proud to have an understanding of Mr. Fellini's films for this understanding has brought me so much. What it has given me mostly was the ability to discern a great work from a mediocre one.
A note to those who just don't get it. Perhaps you should watch a few other Fellini films before seeing 8 1/2 then you would understand how autobiographical and immense this film is. I would start with La Strada and The Nights of Cabiria. Then, if 8 1/2 still seems overrated and undecipherable, so be it.
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