Rating: 
Summary: "I love you Adam, Alex, Peter, Brian, whatever your name is"
Review: Peter Joshua: How about making me vice president in charge of cheering you up? Need a film to cheer you up? Then Stanley Donen's Charade is the medicine for you. This film has everything a Hitchcock film has: thrills, misdirection, suspense, action, and sexual tension, but it also has an added element of whimsical fun that makes it more appealing to the general public than any of the master's works. Donen, who is best known as the guiding hand behind On the Town and Singin' in the Rain manages to maximize the effusive charm of Cary Grant and the infinte grace of Audrey Hepburn to great effect. The story begins with Hepburn learning that her husband has recently died. Slowly more and more information comes her way and she discovers that she is a widow of a man who possessed a great sum of money that did not belong to him. His former partners soon come out of the woodworks to snoop around for the money and Hepburn finds herself unable to shake off her new pursuers. Enter into the picture Grant who manages to complicate the situation even more. That's all I want to say about the film's story because Charade is a film much like The Usual Suspects in that the less you know about it going in, the more you will enjoy it. Just pop Charade into your DVD player and enjoy Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn trying to outdo each other in the art of verbal sparring while you marvel at the sheer number of "charades" being played by the various characters in the film. There are a number of different DVD releases of Charade on the market due to its classification as a public domain film (Universal Studios lost the copyright on it). Try and get the Criterion version if you can since it provides the best print and audio soundtrack. All of you out there who have not seen this film yet will definitely be in for a treat. There's no such thing as a perfect film but if anyone is composing a list of films that come as close as possible to being perfect, then Charade would definitely be on it.
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Summary: I don't usually review movies but...
Review: ...as soon as Charade was over I had to get online and share my thoughts. I enjoy Hitchcock quite a bit and was expecting a suspense film like some of his movies, but honestly, I enjoyed Charade more than anything Hitchcock gave us. Charade equals Hitchcock in terms of character development, suspense, and romance, but easily outdoes him in the comedy department. This movie is really funny! You should be aware that the Madacy label DVD has about 4 hours of material on it, so don't expect a very clear picture; it's all very compressed. It includes the 1953 version of "Charade" with James Mason (a movie I'd never heard of and still haven't watched yet). I appreciate a bonus feature, but I wonder if all this compression has led to the occasional fluctuation in volume. That's right, sometimes the volume dropped right in mid-sentence! "DVD's aren't supposed to do that," you say, but that's what happens when you jam extra stuff onto a disc. I notice there's a "Criterion Collection" version of Charade, and if you can pick that up I'm sure the technical quality is much improved. But even if you can't find a better quality DVD, this is still a high quality movie. If you're looking for a fantastic story with a fun balance of humor and romance, you can't go wrong with Charade, and probably any DVD label will do.
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Summary: This is the definitive version of this film.
Review: A must see film for any Cary Grant or Audrey Hepburn fan, the chemistry between the two is wonderful. This has always been a great film and on DVD it is nothing short of stunning. The film is shown in its original widescreen 1.85.1 aspect ratio for the first time ever since its theatrical release. The image quality is superb when you consider the age of the film and the appalling video quality of previous releases of the film. The sound has been improved, yes it is mono but it sounds better than ever. The director's commentary on this DVD is one of the best I have ever heard, with some arguing between the writer and director of the film and some wonderful insights into the making of this film. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: great movie, great extras, great media
Review: First and foremost, this is a very enjoyable movie. It was very enjoyable in 1963 and it remains enjoyable today. The actors, the story, and the cinematic craft are all first rate. This Criterion release is fantastic. Most of the video is absolutely flawless with well-saturated colors and an absence of artifacts. Even shots of Coburn's checked shirt are free of compression artifacts or aliasing which is common to this kind of shot. The audio is fine considering it is mono and mastered in 1963. There are a few rare blemishes noticeable on the screen that look like problems with the source media but that is nowhere near as offensive as artifacts or aliasing. The fun bonus on this edition is the writer and director commentary! For those of us that like this sort of thing, this is a very enjoyable example. Listening to these two, what?, 70-year-olds bicker back and forth is a complete crack-up!
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Summary: The only Charade to buy
Review: This DVD has crisp color & glorious sound. Criterion took a great picture and made a superb DVD version of it. The quality is probably better than the original film!
Rating:
Summary: Am I glad I got this DVD!
Review: Unlike the majority of customer reviewers, I rarely rate a DVD with 5 stars. This one deserves it for great acting and great attention to detail in both the screenplay and directing. The plot is witty, clever without self-consciousness, and sufficiently interesting for repeat viewings. The Parisian ambiance adds to the film's interest. The special effects are amateurish by today's standards, but I consider plot-for-computer-effects a very good trade. Criterion has done an excellent rescue job, though some deterioration is evident in some of the scenes. Thank you Criterion. The movie is a 5, the DVD a 4.
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Summary: Cary, Audrey and Stanley- All together and what a treat!
Review: As an ardent admirer of the films of director Stanley Donen, I cannot to begin to tell you what a genuine treat it was to hear his commentary with screenwriter Peter Stone on this DVD. It is rare privilege, to be able to view "Charade", a film made 36 years ago, while listening to two of its main contributors sharing their behind the scenes thoughts and memories. Of course, let us not forget the extraordinary, delightful pairing of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn (need I say more?)and strong supporting cast of with James Coburn, Ned Glass, George Kennedy and Walter Matthau in this classic film. I have no complaints on this one, except I could have listened to much more of the recollections of Mr Donen and Mr.Stone
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Summary: Top-drawer treatment for a top-flight movie
Review: After years of cruddy off-brand VHS transfers, CHARADE finally gets its due as Criterion comes through with a dandy DVD sure to please the many fans of this caper comedy. The transfer is sparkling, and the commentary by Stanley Donen and Peter Stone is both informative and hilarious. You can't go wrong with this one! (Please note: this review applies only to the wonderful CRITERION edition of this movie, and not to the cheap hackjob versions that keep surfacing periodically.)
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Summary: Lack of Closed Captions ruins this title!
Review: Sorry charlie, "English Subtitles" aren't useful. Closed Captions have been a standard for years for a reason. This titles lacks them on DVD-- while the MCA VHS version has them intact. Criterion has forgotten the most basic home video feature (after picture and sound).
Rating: 
Summary: Well crafted star vehicle
Review: The Criterion DVD is an EXCELLENT restoration. Well worth the money compared to the quality of other transfers. A witty script and great star chemistry from Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant.
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