Rating: 
Summary: this DVD features proper aspect ratio !
Review: Despite some amateurs complaining about this film being in full screen (and not widescreen), please note that widescreens were only invented in 1953 - movies like this one (produced in 1950) were shot in a classic 1:1.33 format, thus naturally filling your old square TV screens. Releasing it in widescreen would actually cut image from the top and bottom, not show more image on the sides. Fullscreen, in this case, is spot on.
Rating:
Summary: AN ALL TIME FAVORITE
Review: This movie has always been one of my favorite
oldie but goody pictures from yesteryear, and I
cant add anything about it that someone hasn't
already said in their review. However, a couple
of people mentioned in their reviews something
about a "widescreen" version. This picture was
made in 1950, and as many times that I have seen
it, I have never seen a widescreen version. Isn't
this movie one of those in which the full-screen
format is the original aspect? At any rate, thismovie and DVD comes highly recommended!!
Rating:
Summary: Billy Wilder's Classic Film About Hollywood
Review: Billy Wilder is one of my all-time favorite filmmakers and SUNSET BOULEVARD is one of my all-time favorite films. As soon as I discovered it would be on DVD, I jumped at the opportunity and am so glad I did. The image quality on this DVD is first-rate. The DVD case indicates that the film is presented in "full screen" format, which is somewhat misleading. It gives the false impression that the film has been "formatted" to fit a standard television. While the image does fit the screen without black bars on the top and bottom, the original aspect ratio of the film has been preserved. That is because it is not a "wide screen" film. Like most films of the period it was shot in standard 1.33:1 (or 4:3), which is the same aspect ratio as a standard television set, so cinema purists need not be alarmed. In other words, there is no annoying "pan and scan" of the image or parts of the frame cropped off to fill the television screen. For those unfamiliar with the film, it is a scathing portrait of Hollywood and how it discards people when it is decided that they are no longer "useful." The casting of the film is inspired. It was if the parts were written for them. Gloria Swanson was indeed a faded silent film star, who had all but disappeared from the movies (although she was still active in the entertainment business). William Holden, while not a down-and-out screenwriter as depicted in the film, was a once promising young actor whose career was stagnating. Erich von Stroheim did in fact work in Hollywood as a director. Put this in the "art imitates life category": an excerpt of QUEEN KELLY, von Stroheim's ill-fated film starring Gloria Swanson appears in one scene. The cast also includes filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille as himself (who also worked with Swanson during the silent era) as well as several stars from the silent film era (e.g., Buster Keaton) in small roles. From it's bold introduction to its classic ending, SUNSET BOULEVARD is a well-crafted masterpiece. One will be hard pressed to find a dramatic misstep in this film. The structure is classic and the execution is flawless. As part of the DVD's release, several extras are included. Some are standard like the inclusion of the film's theatrical trailer, English subtitles and a French language track (the guy doing Max actually sounds like von Stroheim -- perhaps it was). Other features add up to make this a must buy for fans of the film. One is a map of actual locations used in the film. For example, the exterior of Norma Desmond's home was not actually located on the 10000 block of Sunset Boulevard as depicted in the film. Actually, it was located on Wilshire Boulevard near the corner of Irving Blvd. (one block east of Crenshaw Blvd.). For people who don't know anything about Los Angeles this is about six miles away. Ed Sikov's scene-by-scene commentary on the film is very good if not excellent. In it he provides many insights into the making of the film for those unfamiliar with that aspect. His presentation is generally well-organized and carefully thought out, if a bit dry. One added feature that I really appreciated are two script versions of the original opening sequence of the film. When the film was first previewed for an audience, they reacted unexpectedly, prompting the filmmakers to change the beginning. Also included are silent images of the deleted footage from that sequence. The images are silent because some of the original sound was lost. For those curious about the deleted scenes, they should get a real kick out of reading the script. In Ed Sikov's audio commentary, he reads the dialog over the scene that replaced it. The documentary on the making of the film while not as in-depth is perhaps more interesting. For one reason it includes an interview with Nancy Olson, who presumably is the only principal involved with the film that is still alive. Billy Wilder who of course, wrote and directed the film, died last March at the age of 95. One could only imagine what he would have said about the film over fifty years after its initial release. Needless to say, there are no archival interviews with any of the principals involved with the making of the film. Perhaps this was due to licensing issues, but would have certainly enhanced this DVD release. The closest the DVD comes to utilizing archive footage as it relates to the film, is the inclusion of a fine documentary on Edith Head, the costume designer who worked on numerous Billy Wilder films including SUNSET BOULEVARD. However, in the end, while one appreciates the "extras" in the film, it is ultimately the film itself that should be the primary motivation for buying this or any DVD. Overall, this DVD is a good value for the money. You get an excellent transfer of the film with enough added features to warrant buying on DVD. A fan of the film or not, this DVD is definitely worth serious consideration.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless and with All the Greats in Top Form
Review: William Holden and Billy Wilder in their prime, Gloria Swanson in a career revival, Eric Von Stroheim as the butler--what more could a film fanatic ask? Nothing, for this film is a gift from the Gods. If you have never seen this film, you will realize how much garbage you are seeing film-wise nowadays after seeing it for the first time. Better yet, this bears up to repeat viewings. I've seen it at least 4 or 5 times and it is always superb. Failing screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden) gets caught in the web of former screen diva Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). Not only is she desirous of a lover but she also wants a writer to revive her screen legend. Problem is that she's gone a bit mad between her hey-day of the silents and 1950s Hollywood. Swanson's finest moment is her long descent down her mansion's staircase where she is finally again able to perform for the lights and the cameras but in a way she can't comprehend. Her use of her hands and face in this extraordinary descent show her as the luminary talent she remained into her late middle age. She also utters her long quoted line of being ready for her close-up. All in all a flat out classic and likely to remain so.
Rating: 
Summary: A 5 Star Movie Gets a So-So DVD Treatment
Review: This is easily one of the best movies ever to come out of Hollywood. Gloria Swanson playing Norma Desmond has got to be seen. Is there anything more perfect than an ex-silent film star playing an ex-silent film star? And did you know that Montgomery Clift was originally planned to play Joe Gillis? Wouldn't that have made a different motion picture? Anyway, the big disappointment in this DVD is that it's only shown in full-screen mode. It seems hard for me to believe that a movie of this caliber shouldn't be available for wide-screen viewing as well. They might have at least given us the choice. P.S.--someone above has mentioned that this was originally shot to play the way it's seen on this DVD. That might be true, although some of this movie definitely appears "cropped." Be that as it may, BUY IT! Hollywood NEVER did better than this.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic film ... ok DVD
Review: Long awaited, much anticipated, Sunset Boulevard rises on DVD, for a whole new generation to marvel and wonder. Billy Wilder's classic film, dark comedy, sad social commentary on how the Hollywood machine eats up people without thought, looks impressive in this format. However, the DVD ultimately disappoints by offering a smattering of bonus features not worthy of this piece of cinema. Telling the story of a deranged, May-December romance between a has-been movie star and a hack writer, Sunset Boulevard was one of the first films to bite the hand that was feeding it, and left a gaping wound in the process. As Glenn Close firmly states, Norma Desmond is one of the best drawn characters in human history. She is comic, tragic, melodramatic, and ultimately insane, a depth of a role any actress should have eaten up. But, it's Gloria Swanson's shining moment on the screen. Her command of the role, her subtle insanity, is the mark of a masterful actor at work. Who tires of watching her famous staircase decent, her decent into delusion? William Holden also nails his role. Without him, this film would be off kilter and unbelievable. He's asked to play a struggling writer, a lover, and a sarcastic wiseguy through this picture. Much credit should go to him, and Erich von Stroheim, for tour de force performances. While the film holds up extremely well, the DVD 's bonus features are somewhat lacking. The documentary, while revealing, is somewhat short. The best part of it was hearing the reflections of Nancy Olson, even more beautiful now than she was in the film. The additional commentary, by Billy Wilder historian Ed Sikov, is sporadic. When he does speak, he does illuminate certain features, but not nearly enough. Perhaps a better choice would have been Sam Staggs who wrote the definitive book on this movie, "Close-up on Sunset Boulevard". And why wasn't Nancy Olson included on the commentary? Certainly she would have much to add about the making of this movie. The film easily scores a five star rating, they don't get much better than this. The DVD brings it to a three star rating, but don't be swayed. If you are a fan of the movie, the DVD certainly must be added to your collection. If you are not, rent the DVD and enjoy, and pity, the tragic life of Norma Desmond, created by a Hollywood system gone wacky, which, I'm afraid, hasn't changed all that much.
Rating:
Summary: Five stars, with reservations
Review: Any film fan has to see the image quality on this DVD. This is one of the most scrumptious and involving black and white transfers ever. The blacks are dead black, the whites and greys gleam, and the gradations of light are breathtakingly nuanced. Every frame is crisp and clear when it should be, and there isn't a scratch or speckle. I've seen Sunset Blvd. in all sorts of formats, from 35 mm museum screenings to the mushy VHS released years ago; this tops anything. I'm a Billy Wilder fan, but I was never dazzled by his visuals until I saw this disc. I do have gripes with the extras. The "Making of..." documentary seems skimpier than befits a film of this stature. Granted that nearly all the major participants are dead, but most were interviewed extensively over the years; indeed, when the Sunset Blvd. musical was hyped, Wilder was all over the media, so surely clips of him could have been used. And near the end of her life Swanson was often on talk shows, especially when she was plugging her autobiography. Among the more interesting extras for hardcore fans are the film's trailer, which features alternate takes of several shots, and two versions of the infamous deleted morgue opening scene (with some silent footage from it). The real disappointment is the commentary track by Wilder biographer Ed Sikov. His is the kind of commentary that drives DVD fans to despair: it's of the "Hey-look-at-that!" variety. Sikov is either telling us what we are seeing on the screen or what we are about to see; unfortunately, he doesn't do much more than that. He gives very little background on the production, very little analysis. I know this isn't a scholarly Criterion release, but surely there could have been some fresh insights, some depth here. What was Swanson like in her silent films? Why was the Stroheim-Swanson collaboration Queen Kelly (excerpted in Sunset Blvd.) a disaster? Did De Mille and Swanson ever work together? You'll never know from the commentary track. (The documentary fills in a few of the gaps, but unsatisfactorily.) And Sikov's failure to identify silent-star Franklyn Farnum (the monkey's undertaker)in his commentary seems a weird lapse. But there are plenty of books that can give you the info missing from the extras. What matters here is that is a stupendous film in a lustrous transfer to disc.
Rating:
Summary: Fullscreen . WHY ?????
Review: Why on earth do they keep offering the "fullscreen" format ? It's a real SLAUGHTER for anyone who has a little respect for those who MAKE movies !!! It's even more painful to the eye with "Sunset Boulevard", which is one of the greatest movies in Hollywood history !
Couldn't they -at least- release at the same time a "Widescreen" version ?
Some video editors definitely suffer from a dreadful disease: total lack of culture.
Rating:
Summary: BLVD. OF BROKEN DREAMS....
Review: At last this is on DVD. And it was worth the wait. Billy Wilders' legendary classic looks great and the extras are plentiful and entertaining. The story of Norma Desmond is not exactly satire and not black comedy as some whimsically rave. "Sunset Blvd." is a tragic and macabre Hollywood horror story that as filmed holds the viewer in a creepy kind of thrall from the famous opening to the bizarre finale. Gloria Swanson is awesome as Norma, the one-time star now reduced to a forgotten shadow by the industry that made her...eternally waiting for her big return to the screen. As Joe Gillis, the down-on-his-luck writer seeking refuge from the repo men, William Holden is perfect as both the living Joe and the corpse/narrator. Joe enters Normas' sad and delusional world with a marked cynicism for her past glory but soon comes to realize how deeply disturbed and tormented she really is. Erich von Stroheim as Max the butler/chauffer/enabler reveals the truth to Joe who now realizes he's in over his head. He has become her kept lover and another enabler for her demented fantasies. When he finally decides to break free and return to his hometown sadder but infinitely wiser, he becomes a Hollywood legend of another kind---a corpse floating face down in a has-been movie stars' swimming pool. There has never been a movie quite like "Sunset Blvd.". The actors match the trenchant script line for line with every nuance and detail beautifully captured in gloomy b&w. Normas' crumbling mansion is her own Egyptian tomb encasing her for eternity---suitable for a once powerful queen. And as Gillis' voice ironically points out, Norma does return to the cameras. But as a tragic curio for a sensation hungry public. This is Hollywood filmmaking at its' finest, as if the money men chose to leave it alone without interference so that the ultimate punch retains its' potentcy: the great Norma Desmond was waiting for her "return" to the cameras and poor Joe Gillis always wanted a swimming pool. That's Hollywood.
Rating:
Summary: SUPRISINGLY ENTERTAINING!
Review: I find every day that I, an eighteen-year old movie buff, am starting to get into the classics a lot. This one is no exception. Eerie and funny, anybody who likes "serious" films will enjoy this one. Grade: A+
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