response 234 of 241:

Dec 18 21:50 UTC 1999

I got myself an early christmas present yesterday-- the new Criterion
Collection DVD of Jean Renoir's classic "La Grande Illusion" (which
actually translates into 'the Great Illusion', but everyone calls it
'Grand Illusion'.  This is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies
ever made-- a story of people trying to maintain their humanity and decency
while caught up in the chaos of World War I.  Renoir was the son of the
famous artist of the same name and became France's greatest film director 
The DVD has a clip of Renoir introducing the film, saying that it summed
up his hopes for the world, and what he felt was the most dangerous threat
to our futures, the gradual loss of humanity in the modern world.

The film details the travails of prisoners of war in a german prison camp,
how they cope with being in prison, without losing their basic essential
decency.  This DVD is the new uncut digitally remastered version made
directly from the original negative.  Hitler's cronies saw the film as
propoganda and attempted to destroy all copies.  For years until recently,
there were no uncut copies and scenes were missing.  But, miraculously,
the original negative was smuggled out of Nazi occuppied France during
World War II by an american captain, and with the wonders of modern
technology this one of the greatest of all films has been beautifully
restored.  One of the extras on the DVD is the story of Criterion's
restoration process, comparing chopped up and missing scenes from previous
issues with the uncut digital version offered here.

This also has the 1937 radio broadcast of Renoir accepting the 1937
Academy Award for Best Foriegn Film, and a radio interview with great
German director Eric Von Stroheim, who plays the German prison camp
commander here.  And of course the trailer for the film and a whole bunch
of other stuff (the Criterion DVD's are loaded with more extras than most)

Suffice it to say that being able to own this DVD of "Grand Illusion" is
by itself worth the price of buying a DVD player.  It is one of the prizes
of my movie collection.  

GRAND ILLUSION (***** five stars, masterpiece...DVD version 5+ stars!)

response 236 of 241:

Dec 19 13:16 UTC 1999

(Make that "I am waiting somewhat less than patiently...")

response 238 of 241:

Dec 20 00:43 UTC 1999

Actor Desmond Llewellyn (sp?) who played the character Q in the James Bond
series was killed in a trafic accident today. He was 85. A sad loss.

response 240 of 241:

Dec 20 16:00 UTC 1999

  Maybe they figure that the last lingering shards of the Cinema Guild
  hold a monopoly on campus-area showings of Renoir's films..