Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 20, 1993 TAG: 9301190253
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
CHAPLIN GAINS A LOT ON TAPE
Commercial success generates spinoffs in all forms of entertainment. Home video is no exception. Two recent theatrical films - one a solid hit, the other a contender - deserve special attention for their effect on the video market.Richard Attenborough's excellent "Chaplin" has taken in mixed reviews, but no matter how it does at the box office, it's generating renewed interest in Charlie Chaplin and his most famous creation, the Little Tramp.
Almost all of those silent films are available on home video, and they lose little in transition to the small screen. In fact, in many cases, they gain a lot. Too many viewers who have never seen silent films as they were meant to be shown think of them as jerky, dark and difficult to watch.
That's wrong. "Silent" films were meant to be accompanied by music complementing the action. Projected at the right speed, physical movement appears lifelike, neither too fast nor too slow. And, most importantly, good prints reveal just how sharp and detailed early camerawork could be. Any film that's been scratched and spliced is muddy and hard on the eyes, but a little restoration (or a lot) can work wonders.
Most of the Chaplin videos that are available now, and those that will be released within the next few weeks have been given special treatment.
The Chaplin Collection from CBSFox contains 15 of his best films on 11 cassettes, plus "The Eternal Tramp," a documentary about his career. The tapes, each selling for about $20, are "City Lights," "Modern Times," "The Great Dictator," "Limelight," "The Gold Rush/ Pay Day," "Monsieur Verdoux," "A King in New York," "The Kid/ The Idle Class," "A Woman of Paris/ Sunnyside," "The Circus/ A Day's Pleasure," and "The Chaplin Revue."
All of them are worth a second look, or a first look for younger viewers. Chaplin's appeal hasn't faded, and kids will still appreciate his brilliant physical comedy.
By today's standards, some of the sentimentality in the films will seem exaggerated and sweet. That, I think, says as much about our times as it does about Chaplin's. And besides, the comedy is the point, and these movies are really funny. Only the most severely humor-impaired can watch them without laughing out loud.
\ "The Circus" features a grand chase scene and some of the best hall of mirrors work this side of "The Lady From Shanghai." It also has the wonderful clockwork head-bonking routine that Attenborough used in "Chaplin." In 1927, the first year they handed out Oscars, Chaplin won a special award "for versatility and genius in writing, acting, directing and producing `The Circus.' "
Another of my own favorites, "Easy Street," will be available next month as part of the "Charlie Chaplin at Mutual Studios" series. On laserdisk, The Criterion Collection has released a specially restored edition of "The Goldrush", and CBSFox has done the same with "Modern Times." None of these three was available for preview, but given Criterion's reputation for quality work, the laser versions are probably the best you'll find.
Shifting gears from comedy to the supernatural, we have vampires. They're perennially popular on home video, but with the success of Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula," you'll be seeing even more of them on tape.
Back in 1973, Dan Curtis, the man responsible for the original "Dark Shadows" series, produced a fine version of the story (with the same title) starring Jack Palance. It's just been released on tape, and even if it pales beside Coppola's sumptuous production, it'll give horror fans what they want to see. Richard Matheson's script is faithful to the source material and the supporting cast, including Simon Ward, Fiona Lewis and Nigel Davenport, is first-rate.
Of the many contemporary vampire tales that are popping up, my own favorite is "To Sleep With a Vampire." Despite the title and some grimey settings, this is a remarkably intelligent and well made low-budget movie.
The main characters are a sensitive, nameless vampire (Scott Valentine), who could have come from one of Anne Rice's baroque novels, and Nina (Charlie Spradling), a suicidal stripper. She desperately wants to see her estranged young son before she ends her life; he wants to know what the sun feels like. In Patricia Harrington's script, eventually they come to an understanding.
In places, the story is too talky, but director Adam Friedman makes the most of limited special effects (including switchblade fingernails) and got moving performances from his leads. Though they sound like cliches, these two become sympathetic, fully believable characters before it's over.
Of course, fans of the genre will appreciate "To Sleep With a Vampire," but it's a good movie that deserves a larger audience. Recommended.
New releases
Raising Cain: *1/2 Stars John Lithgow, Lolita Davidovitch, Steven Bauer. Written and directed by Brian DePalma. MCA Universal. 90 min. Rated R for strong language, violence, mild sexual content.
De Palma's return to the suspense genre is a bizarre homage to himself. His most devoted fans may love it, but most audiences will laugh in all the wrong places. With the right crowd, this unthrilling thriller can be a can be a grand comedy. On its own merits, it's nothing more than a big slice of baloney about a crazy dad who's kidnapping children.
Man Trouble: * Stars Jack Nicholson, Ellen Barkin, Harry Dean Stanton, Beverly D'Angelo. Directed by Bob Rafelson. Foxvideo. Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language; 100 min.
This is a talky comedy with lines that are supposed to be funny. The direction and editing are awkward, the pace static and the acting sub-par. - CHRIS GLADDEN