Rating: Summary: WHAT CAN YOU SAY..... Review: One of Joan Crawford's best movies. I was so glad that it finally came to DVD.
Rating: Summary: Give me my shoulder pads and ankle straps shoes now... Review: This movie is perfection. Joan Crawford deserved the Oscar for her performance as Mildred and frankly, she should have boiled her nasty, hateful, needs a very serious beat-down daughter Veda. I never grow tired of this movie. Last year, I had the pleasure of seeing this movie again on the big screen in our city. I took a friend who never heard of the movie. She is in love with it so much that she bought the DVD. She too would like to catch Miss Veda in a dark alley and give her what for. This movie is whitty, smart and touches just a little too close to home. It was definately ahead of its time.
Rating: Summary: A Classic finally on DVD Review: It is so nice to finally have this exceedingly well restored classic on DVD. The print is so clear and sound so good, it is almost like seeing it for the first time. Joan Crawford is excellent, dispelling the myth that she was a movie star, not an actress. The storyline is constantly surprising and the supporting case, from Eve Arden and Anne Blyth to Jack Carson are all excellent. But it is the extras on this DVD edition that really make it worth buying. First you get TMC's excellent hour and a half documentary, "Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Star", narrated by Angelica Houston and featuring commentary from many of Crawford's contemporaries, such as Anita Paige (!), Cliff Robertson, Diane Baker, Vincent Sherman, Betsy Palmer, biographer Bob Thomas, playwright Charles Busch and (unfortunately), Christina Crawford. The documentary goes a long way in turning Crawford back into a human after being brought down to the level of monster after the publishing of "Mommie Dearest". Also included on the disc are some really great trailers from all of Crawford's Warner Brothers movies, dating from 1945-1952, as well as The Women and Baby Jane. Let's home Turner continues putting out DVDs with such care and thoughtfulness toward fans. I (of course), would love to see other Crawford titles come out in the near future, as well. Definitely well worth the price!
Rating: Summary: Incredible Addition to any classic DVD collection Review: Not only can you see a fabulously restored copy of Joan Crawford's Academy Award winning performance as Mildred Pierce, you also receive the wonderful TCM documentary "Joan Crawford, the Ultimate Star" The documentary is a in-depth tell-all on the life and work of Joan. Featuring interviews and rare footage, it tells a vivid, and poignant story of her life. The DVD also includes eight trailers advertising Joan's additional work she did for Warner Brothers. This is a must have for any serious DVD collection
Rating: Summary: Finally on DVD! Review: I LOVE this movie. Joan Crawford at her best! She deserved to win the OSCAR for her role as the long suffering wife and mother who does everything she can to better her life so she can provide her evil seed daughter, played beautifully by Ann BLyth, to a better life.Joan is PERFECT for this role, as if it was written for her. She actually underplays alot of her scenes. Eve Arden is her usual wonderfully sassy sidekick. Her lines are so witty and quoteable. The DVD is terrific and as an added bonus it contains the WONDERFUL TNT bio Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Star, narrated by the wonderful Anjelica Huston. It sheda ALOT of light on Miss Crawford, even gives insight into the wire hanger fetish. See this movie, It is Joan at her best. How sad that a woman who worked as long(almost 50 years)and hard should be remembered for a campy version of her tourtured life.
Rating: Summary: Superb Review: The DVD issue of Mildred Pierce does the movie proud. Joan Crawford won the best actress oscar in 1945 for her role as a woman left alone to raise her two daughters, one of which is spoiled rotten and portrayed by a young Ann Blyth. The movie begins and ends with the same murder scene. While in a police station Mildred narrates her struggles as a jobless mother after her husband leaves her. In desperation she takes a job as a waitress and is so driven that she finally becomes owner of her own restaurant. But there's no pleasing her ungrateful daughter Veda (Ann Blyth) no matter what sacrifices Mildred makes. The DVD issue boasts a pristine picture quality. The flip side of the DVD contains a wonderful documentary "Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star", the best I've ever seen. My only complaint is that the DVD cover art and back cover photo of Joan sporting a pistol is actually advertising a different movie. Hopefully someone will notice and correct this mistake soon. Otherwise, highly recommended.
Rating: Summary: It Doesn't Get Much Better Than "Mildred Pierce"! Review: I just today watched my VHS copy of Mildred Pierce, and now I simply MUST have the new DVD!! Simply stated: "Mildred" is a truly outstanding motion picture experience!! I was riveted to my seat for the entire 1-hour, 51-minute film! I cannot rave enough about this picture! The opening shadowy scenes with Joan Crawford and Jack Carson are remarkable! The DVD version can only enhance this great photography. Carson, by the by, is fantastic in "Mildred". As is a quite young-looking Eve Arden. Also keep your eyes peeled for one of the best "screen slaps" I've seen in a while! Joan is belted a good whack by that brat of a daughter of hers (immaculately portrayed by Ann Blyth). Can someone say "Bad Seed"?!! Indeed, Blyth is as bad a seed as Patty McCormack turned out to be. (In yet another great B&W film that deserves the DVD souped-up treatment...1956's The Bad Seed.) If you've never seen "Mildred" before, do yourself a huge favor and do so. The DVD cannot arrive TOO soon for this excited Mildred fan!
Rating: Summary: Crawford's greatest film becomes an OUTSTANDING DELUXE DVD! Review: Warner Bros. has outdone themselves to bring one of the finest classics in their library to DVD. This transfer of MILDRED PIERCE is so perfect, so sharp, clear & glistening, it's almost like watching a different film. Gone are the spots and glitches. The image is smooth and gorgeous, lusciously capturing Ernest Haller's masterful cinematography. The sound is amazing too, for a film of this vintage. The film itself is Joan Crawford's finest hour, and one of the best film noir ever turned out by Hollywood. It's virtues are legendary by now, and I need not recount them here. This is simply a must have for even a casual film buff. A stylish and intelligent drama which is a testament to the dozens of talents that brought it to the screen. If a phenomenal transfer if an essetial classic wasn't enough, Warners has given us a B side with a feature length documentary entitled JOAN CRAWFORD: THE ULTIMATE MOVIE STAR. This is an excellent program that was made for the Turner Classic Movies channel a few months ago, and makes its home video debut here. With an astounding array of interesting interviews, rare film clips, and sumptuous photographs, the show takes the gloves off and presents both sides of the Crawford persona. Her incredible drive for stardom and perfection, her unique place in the hollywood pantheon, as well as the damage her reptutation has suffered due to the revelations made by her daughter Christina who is one of the many interviewed to recount stories about the real Joan Crawford. Others who knew Crawford wisely counter the daughter's words, with their own perceptions, leaving the viewer the opportunity to judge for themselves what they think of Joan Crawford. A very well-researched and entertaining film indeed. Now, they're not done... Warners has also included 9 trailers, including all of Joan's WB films made from MILDRED through THIS WOMAN IS DANGEROUS in 1952. This special feature alone is worth the price of the disc. It's really a field day for the film buff to get an amazingly restored DVD of one of the greatest films of hollywood's heyday, a superb feature documentary, and a host of other extras, for a list price of $20. My hat's off to the great folks at Warner Bros. home video.
Rating: Summary: Joan Crawford's best film Review: Crawford definitely deserved the Academy Award that she won for this role. It's a depressing film but well-acted and has a sharp and well-paced storyline. I highly recommend it.
Rating: Summary: Instead of chicken, fry veda, PLEASE ! Review: Joan Crawford at her big shouldered ( by any definition ) best, suffers and triumphs as the long suffering wife of a lackluster husband, only to fall prey to a remarkable trio of villians - her ex's former business partner and lurking Romeo, the oily and wily ne'er-do-well playboy / social weasel and last, by not least, the ungrateful and social climbing daughter from Hell. Her tart and feisty and incredibly smart-mouthed friend fires off the classic line, now well quoted, but very apt nonethless. This film noir piece is a Curtiz gem, long overdue on DVD. Joan makes you believe she was really baking those pies and frying that chicken, because she's in the kitchen, scooting from stove to cabinet with ease and determination. Her eyes showing every emotion, as she takes you along with her on a life half full, half empty. Kudos to all, even that nasty Ann Blythe.
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