Foolish Wives / The Man You Loved to Hate

Rating:
Summary: Another great Kino Video double feature!
Review: This new release of "Foolish Wives" is said to be longer than previous releases, thanks to the American Film Institute's restoration efforts to salvage some scenes that were taken out before - which probably explains the varying degrees of picture quality at times. Aside from this, however, the movie with its plot, attention to detail and characters are altogether superb and very enjoyable. The first stages of the film might seem to move slowly as characters are introduced, but scenes of bustling Monte Carlo (which was in fact just in Hollywood!) make every minute worth while and enjoyable to watch. There is always some intrigue and suspense as the plot unravels to its climax, and Erich von Stroheim doesn't disappoint in his 'bad guy' role as he manipulates women to give him money while having a roving eye on several others as well. This is one that he also wrote and directed, and it's a bit of a pity that his idealistic vision for this film wasn't fully realized because it had to be cut down to size. Nevertheless, the main points and ideas come across and it's definitely a quality movie worth watching.
The second part on this DVDis a documentary on Erich von Stroheim showing excerpts from his best known films, comments by various people about his work and private life, and an overview of his whole life. It brings out von Stroheim's pedantic perfectionism and attention to detail which cost him several directing jobs, and which led him him to move to France in later years and resume a more successful acting career later. I'm quite sure this is the same documentary as the Hollywood series of the 1970s on VHS, but nevertheless interesting to watch and good to have on this new DVD release. There are also some good special features including audio commentary, gallery of stills, memos and other bits and pieces, making this DVD an excellent buy for the von Stroheim fan and general movie buff alike.

Rating:
Summary: Another great Kino Video double feature!
Review: This new release of "Foolish Wives" is said to be longer than previous releases, thanks to the American Film Institute's restoration efforts to salvage some scenes that were taken out before - which probably explains the varying degrees of picture quality at times. Aside from this, however, the movie with its plot, attention to detail and characters are altogether superb and very enjoyable. The first stages of the film might seem to move slowly as characters are introduced, but scenes of bustling Monte Carlo (which was in fact just in Hollywood!) make every minute worth while and enjoyable to watch. There is always some intrigue and suspense as the plot unravels to its climax, and Erich von Stroheim doesn't disappoint in his 'bad guy' role as he manipulates women to give him money while having a roving eye on several others as well. This is one that he also wrote and directed, and it's a bit of a pity that his idealistic vision for this film wasn't fully realized because it had to be cut down to size. Nevertheless, the main points and ideas come across and it's definitely a quality movie worth watching.
The second part on this DVDis a documentary on Erich von Stroheim showing excerpts from his best known films, comments by various people about his work and private life, and an overview of his whole life. It brings out von Stroheim's pedantic perfectionism and attention to detail which cost him several directing jobs, and which led him him to move to France in later years and resume a more successful acting career later. I'm quite sure this is the same documentary as the Hollywood series of the 1970s on VHS, but nevertheless interesting to watch and good to have on this new DVD release. There are also some good special features including audio commentary, gallery of stills, memos and other bits and pieces, making this DVD an excellent buy for the von Stroheim fan and general movie buff alike.