Neil Simon Classics on DVD
The Out-of-towners
Last of the Red Hot Lovers
Plaza Suite
Neil Simon was at his peak when he wrote such classics as The Odd Couple
Barefoot in the Park, the Goodbye Girl and many more.
If youve never seen his stuff, his writing is classified as basically
comedic, but theres a lot more to it than that; his characters are living
and breathing, with all-too-human foibles, and his situations are grounded in
real life.
Paramount Home Entertainment has released a trio of Simons classic titles,
new to DVD. Theyre a good cross section of his work and though none of
them will have you rolling on the floor slapping your sides, youll at
least be nodding at the screen in acknowledgment or sympathy for the characters
and the trials theyre facing.
The Out-of-towners, remade in the 1990s
as a Steve Martin/Goldie Hawn vehicle, is arguably the best of these three titles.
It stars Jack Lemmon as a tightly-wrapped man who with his wife (wonderfully
played by Sandy Dennis), travels to New York City for an important job interview.
This could be George Kellermans (Lemmon) big chance. Hes the top
candidate for a great gig in the Big Apple - all he has to do is show up and
go through the formality of an interview and it will undoubtedly be in the bag.
George is understandably nervous, but hes also brimming with confidence:
hes taken care of everything, hotel reservations, the works.
But of course this is the trip from Hell, and anyone who has experienced such
a journey can readily identify with this voyage into darkness.
Directed by Arthur Hiller, The Out-of-towners follows the Kellermans through
everything that can go wrong, and does. First up, their arrival is delayed because
New Yorks airport is socked in. They circle, and circle, and circle, George
getting more tightly wrapped with each go around. When they finally land, its
in Boston - and rather than spend the night there (Georges meeting is
first thing in the morning and he wants to be fresh) they choose to take the
train, but only have a few minutes to make it.
They miss it, then catch it, then wish theyd missed it
.
Naturally, they reach New York, but thats really only the beginning
of Phase Two of the trip from Hell. Their luggage has disappeared;
since they were late and didnt phone ahead their hotel room has been given
away; they get mugged; George breaks a tooth (and then whistles when he speaks);
a couple of run-ins in Central Park. You name it, if it can fall under the umbrella
of Murphys Law, it happens here.
In the end, George makes it to his meeting, of course, much the worse for
wear.
Lemmon is terrific as the increasingly nuts George, and Dennis is marvelous
as his devoted wife, managing to keep her head in the face of all predicaments
- or most, anyway.
Its easy to empathize with George and Gwen, and youre almost embarrassed
to be enjoying their predicaments because you know that if it were you having
to live through the ordeal it wouldnt be nearly as entertaining.
The supporting cast includes a host of familiar faces including Sandy Baron,
Anne Meara, Ann Prentiss, Ron Carey, Graham Jarvis, Billy Dee Williams, Richard
Libertini and Paul Dooley.
The DVDs good, though very sparse. Paramount presents it in anamorphic
widescreen (16x9 TV compatible) and the picture is very good overall. Theres
some grain, and some softness in places, but for the most part its sharp
and bright and with very good color (though some of thats not as readily
enjoyable since a lot of the movie takes place at night).
Audio is Dolby Digital mono and theres nothing wrong with it. Audio
wasnt much of a concern back when this film was made - unlike today when
even small movies throw lots of digital surround at you - but it doesnt
matter. What there is is fine.
What there isnt is extras: there are none.
The Out-of-towners, from Paramount Home Entertainment
97 min. anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1, 16x9 TV compatible), Dolby Digital mono
Starring Jack Lemmon, Sandy Dennis
Produced by Paul Nathan
Written by Neil Simon, Directed by Arthur Hiller
In Last of the Red Hot Lovers, balding and middle
aged restaurateur Barney Cashman (Alan Arkin) is suffering from a raging mid-life
crisis. He figures he can recapture his fading manhood by carrying on with some
other women - in his mothers apartment while shes away.
The movie really unfolds in three episodes, covering each of his clumsy attempts
at conquest. Unfortunately, his conquests - a fiery woman who knows exactly
why shes there, a strange but attractive actress and the repressed wife
of a close friend - dont work out as he had planned (otherwise thered
be no movie, eh?).
But the ending is perfect. After discovering that playing around on your wife
isnt nearly as easy - or as pleasurable - as hed hoped, he discovers
a simple truth and a simple pleasure that was right in front of him all the
time.
One of Neil Simons skills is his ability to draw out the ridiculous from
common, real-life situations with which most people can identify. And while
we undoubtedly havent all tried to do what Barney does here, we can certainly
identify with his thoughts and even his motivations, if not his actions.
Arkin is at his best as Cashman. Hes depressed, nervous, quick to anger,
confused - all at once!
The three women are also wonderful. Sally Kellerman plays cynical Elaine Navazio,
who shows up in Cashman's mother's immaculate apartment with its paper-thin
walls looking for no nonsense lust. Shes done this before and cant
understand Barney's nervousness at all.
Woman Number Two is Paula Pentiss, who isnt there for sex (though Barney
is) but whos there to thank Barney for helping her out. She gets him stoned
on pot, with some very funny consequences.
Woman Number Three is Renee Taylor - and Barney thinks the third time will
be the charm. She initially throws herself at him at a party, agrees to meet
him at his moms apartment, then falls to pieces at the thought of cheating.
Theres some very funny stuff here - and some great lines (though Arkin
and Kellerman have the best ones in the first sequence).
Don Juan never had it like this, but Barney Cashmans misadventures will
bring a smile to your face even as you shake your head at the lunacy.
The DVDs pretty good, though as with the other Simon titles reviewed
here there are no extras. Still, the picture is presented in anamorphic widescreen,
16x9 TV compatible, and the overall picture quality is very good. The image
is sharp and clean, and the colors are very good. Audio is Dolby Digital mono
and is unremarkable.
Last of the Red Hot Lovers, from Paramount Home Entertainment
97 min. anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1, 16x9 TV compatible), Dolby Digital mono
Starring Allan Arkin, Sally Kellerman, Paula Prentiss, Renee Taylor
Produced by Howard W. Koch
Written by Neil Simon, Directed by Gene Saks
Plaza Suite is a three act play that stars
Walter Matthau in a triple role and also stars Suite 719 at New Yorks
Plaza Hotel. All three stories are set there, but are all very different in
tone and situation.
In fact, only the last act is really funny. The first act is bittersweet at
best, the second act is, well, not very funny but still entertaining - but the
third act alone is worth the price of admission.
Act One sees Matthau playing Sam Nash, driven businessman whos spending
a couple of nights at the Plaza with his wife Karen, (Maureen Stapleton). Shes
there to celebrate their wedding anniversary, hes there to be close to
work and, as it turns out, his employee with whom hes having an affair.
Karen loves Sam and is devoted to him, but hes cold, distant. And she
wants to know why.
The vignette basically lets us watch the collapse of their long marriage and
despite the fact that Sam really is trying to do his best by her, hes
still a cad and he knows it. And this, coupled with his male ego and sense of
duty is what ultimately causes the split.
But while its entertaining and interesting, its also downbeat and
depressing.
Still, Stapleton is wonderful as Karen and Matthau plays his role (in fact,
all three of these roles) to perfection.
Matthau adopts a different look and mien for each character - especially for
Act Two, where if we hadnt been looking for him and expecting him we wouldnt
have recognized him for the first few seconds of his appearance.
This time, Matthau is movie producer, Jesse Kiplinger. In New York for a few
days, he pulls out his old black book, trying to find an old flame wholl
spare him a couple of hours of physical activity. Farther down his list he finds
old flame Muriel Tate (Barbara Harris, who is outstanding), who in the fifteen
years since they had their fling has married and had three children.
Shes a big fan of Jesses work (and Jesse), and knows everything
about his career that one can get from the tabloids in print and on TV. She
doesnt know why she went to his suite (well, she wont admit the
reason to herself), and she spends most of the time trying to leave, but in
the end Jesse breaks her down by finding what it is thatll turn her from
anxious mother to smoldering siren.
It's all about him, isn't it?
The third sequence has Matthau as Roy Hubley, an anxious and fiscally challenged
father who, with wife Norma (Lee Grant), is trying desperately to get his nervous
daughter to unlock herself from Suite 719s bathroom and go downstairs
to get married.
Episode three features Matthau at his thundering best, as well as some decent
slapstick. Its really the only episode thats an outright comedy
- and its a broad one indeed.
Matthau is amazing to watch as he segues from one character to another, proving
in one movie that he deserved his status as an "A" list star.
Incidentally, Simon revisited this concept again, later, with California Suite.
Like the other two titles, the DVD of Plaza Suite is very good, though without
extras. Video quality (anamorphic widescreen, 16x9 TV compatible) is very good
for the most part, though a few sections appeared excessively soft. Still, its
mostly very sharp and colorful.
Audio is Dolby Digital mono and, like the other titles, is unremarkable.
Plaza Suite, from Paramount Home Entertainment
114 min. anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1, 16x9 TV compatible), Dolby Digital mono
Starring Walter Matthau, Maureen Stapleton, Barbara Harris, Lee Grant
Produced by Howard W. Koch
Written by Neil Simon, Directed by Arthur Hiller
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