Witness for the Prosecution Gets Special Edition Blu-ray

Following the 2014 Blu-ray release, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has released a newer Blu-ray of Witness for the Prosecution. What follows is my original review of the film from a few years ago: The Oscar-nominated and Billy Wilder-directed Witness for the Prosecution is one of the best courtroom dramas in cinematic history. Let’s discuss the ending first. The film concludes with the following voiceover narration: “The management of this theater suggests that, for the greater…

"Witness for the Prosecution Gets Special Edition Blu-ray"

Stalag 17 Is Available on Blu-ray

One of the best films to take place during a World War II POW camp, Stalag 17 is currently available to bring home on 4K Ultra HD. The brand new HDR/Dolby Vision and HD masters also come by way of a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. Because of the bonus features porting over, it is safe to make the upgrade to 4K UHD without having to worry about losing the previous features.…

"Stalag 17 Is Available on Blu-ray"

The Apartment: One Of The Best Billy Wilder Films

The Apartment, a multiple Oscar-winning film, is one of the greatest Billy Wilder films ever made and appropriate New Year’s viewing. Be a mensch. Do you know what that means? The gist of the film is that insurance clerk Calvin Clifford (C.C.) “Bud” Baxter lets senior coworkers use his Upper West Side apartment for their affairs. He does this in hopes of helping him climb up the ladder at work. Meanwhile, he is attracted to…

"The Apartment: One Of The Best Billy Wilder Films"

Some Like It Hot Arrives on 4K Ultra HD

Three years after getting a Criterion Collection Blu-ray, Some Like It Hot makes its debut on 4K Ultra HD by way of Kino Lorber. “Well, nobody’s perfect.” – Osgood Fielding III (Joe E. Brown) Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond base their script on a 1935 French film, Fanfare of Love. Problems finding the original script meant having to work off of the 1951 German remake, Fanfares of Love. While there’s also a strong push for original…

"Some Like It Hot Arrives on 4K Ultra HD"

Love in the Afternoon: Billy Wilder’s Lubitsch Film

Love in the Afternoon, starring Gary Cooper and Audrey Hepburn, is Billy Wilder’s best attempt at making a film in the spirit of his late mentor, Ernst Lubitsch. Ariane Chavasse (Audrey Hepburn) is a cello student and overhears a conversation between her private detective father, Claude Chavasse (Maurice Chevalier), and a client, Monsieur X (John McGiver). Claude’s specialty is going after the spouses who are unfaithful. Anyway, Monsieur X insists that he will kill American…

"Love in the Afternoon: Billy Wilder’s Lubitsch Film"

Witness for the Prosecution: A Billy Wilder Classic

The Oscar-nominated and Billy Wilder-directed Witness for the Prosecution is one of the best courtroom dramas in cinematic history. Let’s discuss the ending first. The film concludes with the following voiceover narration: “The management of this theater suggests that, for the greater entertainment of your friends who have not yet seen the picture, you will not divulge to anyone the secret of the ending of Witness for the Prosecution.” For this reason, I certainly will not…

"Witness for the Prosecution: A Billy Wilder Classic"

Sabrina: Billy Wilder Classic Still Has It

Sabrina may not be in the top tier level of Billy Wilder’s filmography but the romantic comedy teams three of the biggest stars of the era. Sabrina Fairchild (Audrey Hepburn) is the daughter of Larrabee family chauffeur, Thomas Fairchild (John Williams).  Because of his job, the two of them live right above the mansion’s garage.  She has a crush on David Larrabee (William Holden), the playboy of the family.  Upset with this, the film becomes…

"Sabrina: Billy Wilder Classic Still Has It"

Stalag 17 Is One Of The Best POW Films

Stalag 17 finds a way to mix comedy and drama to give audiences one of the best films to take place in a POW camp during World War II. The film is set at a Nazi prison camp in Austria while the Battle of the Bulge is taking place in 1944.  Clarence Harvey “Cookie” Cook (Gil Stratton) provides the narration for the POW camp-set film.  Manfredi and Johnson are shot during an attempt to escape. …

"Stalag 17 Is One Of The Best POW Films"

Ace in the Hole Is Still Relevant

While Ace in the Hole was not a commercial success on upon release in 1951, the film is still relevant when it comes to media sensationalism. The concept of media sensationalism dates back to the 16th or 17th centuries.  It’s not something that is going to go away anytime soon.  We still see it in the very media we consume to this day.  Much like Network predicted the likes of Fox News, Ace in the…

"Ace in the Hole Is Still Relevant"

Sunset Boulevard: Billy Wilder At His Finest

Sunset Boulevard isn’t only Billy Wilder at his finest but the film is easily the best film ever made about Hollywood in cinematic history. The fate of Joe Gillis (William Holden) is doomed from the start.  Upon flashing back, we later learn how he came to be in this most unfortunate situation.  It turns out that Joe is having the worst luck as a screenwriter.  He was unsuccessful in Sheldrake (Fred Clark) on a story. …

"Sunset Boulevard: Billy Wilder At His Finest"