Entry for February 9, 2009

5 Paul movies are going to be released on DVD this week: (not the biggest gems in his crown, but each has their merits):

The Silver Chalice (to be watched only for it's ability to incite Mystery Science Theater comments from the viewer)

Rachel Rachel (A pet project of the Newmans, Joanne is fantastic and Paul's directing is very subtle.

When Time Ran Out: a big disaster movie spectacle from the end of the era. Once again Paul plays the voice of reason while everyone else ignores his warnings. Don't forget that all star cast of Ernest Borgnine, Jaqueline Bisset and William Holden though.

The Helen Morgan Story: Another early one from PLN's career, he plays the cad of a boyfriend of the title character.

The Outrage: Probably my favorite of this bunch—the story is a slow burn to reveal whether a Mexican outlaw (yes, PLN) raped a man's wife.



Not many extras on these DVDs... but check out DVDTIMES  for the full rundown.

2009-02-09 17:05:40 GMT

Tales of ... SUSPENSE!

			Well dear readers, I am here to tell you I sucessfully tracked down PLN's episode of "Suspense" (it was getting doubtful at the end after scrolling through 25 episodes and hitting the last disc with little confirmation that any of the celebs listed on the outside of the box had been in any of the episodes provided) but lo and behold, disc 4 episode 1 of collection 1 of Suspense, the episode entitled: "Woman in Love" does in fact contain a very young Newman (so young that he doesn't even warrant billing at the top of the show). "And now 'Suspense' sponsored by Auto-Lite and it's 90,000 dealers everywhere..." This episode of Suspense takes us to Budapest, 1952 where Alexia, a young woman who wants to travel to Sweden to be with her  fiance but her mother (?) and some sort of underground leader want her to carry information to the resistance (at least I think that's what's happening here... so very difficult to tell). Alexia is also the only character that speaks with a Hungarian accent (which makes her absolutely ridiculous, because it is, in fact, the worst accent ever.) Alexia is sent to the passport office to get her papers in order, and it is here where we catch our first glimpse of Communist Captain Radefski (PLN). His eyes dart up to Alexia, and maybe it's just me, but you can see the star he is destined to become in that flash. Sadly, as the play progresses and Radefski opens his mouth, we can see that PLN does not quite have the acting chops that won him so many Oscar nominations. There seems to be no point to this episode, it ends abruptly and provides little satisfaction other than PN's chiseled cheekbones. 2007-08-01 19:09:00 GMT

New DVD Release: "Suspense: The Lost Episodes"

New DVD out today: "Suspense: The Lost Episodes" is an anthology series from the early 1950's that starred some legendary stars, including horror maestro Boris Karloff, Charlton Heston, Paul Newman, Rod Steiger, Anne Bancroft, Jack Lemmon, John Forsythe, Hume Cronyn, Peter Lorre, Leslie Nielsen, Eva Gabor, Lloyd Bridges, Jack Palance, Jack Klugman, George Reeves, Lee Marvin, Eva Marie Saint, Jackie Cooper, Stella Adler, Joan Blondell, Cloris Leachman, Brian Keith and many others.



What's so unique about this new set is that it is probably one of Newman's first television appearances (depending on which one he stars in) and that it is a little publicized role (this is the first time I've seen the name of this anthology series in all my research).



Chris Kaltenbach of the Baltimore Sun says: "Some 90 episodes of the series, unseen by the public since their original broadcast, turned up in kinescopes recently, and this collection presents 30 of them, complete with vintage commercials. Though marred by dime-store sets (mostly made of cardboard, they tend to move in ways they shouldn't) and the occasional actor who doesn't realize the camera's on him, this collection is an invaluable relic from television's earliest days, when almost everything about the medium was new and untried."



Fear not dear readers, I'm off to Netflix to figure out which ep belongs to Newman so you don't have to!

Episodes include:

Disc #1: A Night at the Inn (1949), Dead Ernest (1949), Help Wanted (1949), The Comic Strip Murder (1949), Dr. Violet (1949), The Murderer (1949), Black Passage (1949) and The Man in the House (1949).



Disc #2: The Suicide Club (1950), The Parcel (1950), My Old Man’s Badge (1950), Photo Finish (1950), Edge of Panic (1950), The Brush-Off (1950), Dead Fall (1951) and Double Entry (1951).



Disc #3: On a Country Road (1951), Summer Storm (1952), Wisteria Cottage (1951), The Black Panther (1952), Alibi Me (1952), The Debt (1952), The Crooked Frame (1952) and Remember Me? (1952).



Disc #4: Woman in Love (1952), The Invisible Killer (1952), Vacancy for Death (1953), The Kiss-Off (1953), Kiss Me Again Stranger (1953) and The Duel (1953).

2007-07-24 19:42:58 GMT

Entry for June 13, 2007

Two new Newman Collector's Edition DVDs out

this week, The Hustler (1961) and The Verdict (1982).



The Hustler contains these extras:

• Commentary by Paul Newman, Carol Rossen (Robert Rossen's Daughter), Dede Allen (Editor), Stefan Gierasch (Actor), Ulu Grosbard (Assistant Director), Richard Schickel (Film Critic, Time Magazine) and Jeff Young (Film Historian)
• Disc 2:
• Life in the Fast Lane: Fast Eddie Felson and The Search for Greatness
• Milestones in Cinema History: The Making of The Hustler
• Swimming with Sharks: The Art of the Hustle
• The Hustler: The Inside Story
• Paul Newman: Hollywood's Cool Hand
• HOW TO MAKE THE SHOT
• Opening Scene Demonstration
• Six in the Corner
• Eddie Makes A Cross Corner Combo Shot
• Fast Eddie One Ball in Corner Pocket
• Massey Shot
• Still Gallery (9 stills)
• Theatrical Trailer
• Spanish Theatrical Trailer

The Verdict contains:

Audio
	Dolby Digital (unspecified) English
	Disc 1: THE VERDICT Theatrical Presentation
Additional Release Material
	Audio Commentaries Paul Newman Star; Sidney Lumet Director
Interactive Features
	Interactive Menus
	Scene Selection
	Disc 2: THE VERDICT Supplemental Material
Additional Release Material
	Behind the Scenes Making of Featurette
	Documentaries 1. "Paul Newman: The Craft of Acting"
	2. "Sidney Lumet: The Craft of Directing"

  

2007-06-13 22:01:59 GMT