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| Dvdivas
was founded by John Gabbard in 2000. It's purpose has been and
remains to be to provide you, the entertainment community with
the latest dvds and movie reviews. It will continue to be your
link to the most popular dvd movies. |
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“The Innocents”
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Reviewed
by: |
Wayne A. Klein |
| Genre: |
Horror |
| Video: |
2.35:1 Anamorphic
Widescreen |
| Audio: |
Dolby Digital
2.0 |
| Languages |
English |
| Subtitles |
English,
Spanish, French |
| Length |
100 minutes
|
| Rating |
NR |
| Release Date |
9/13/05 |
| Studio |
20th Century
Fox Home Entertainment |
| Commentary:
|
None |
| Documentaries:
|
None |
| Featurettes:
|
None |
| Filmography/Biography:
|
None |
|
Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
None |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
None |
| Music
Video: |
None |
| Other:
|
Pan & Scan
version of the film, Fox Flix Recommendations |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Deborah Kerr,
Peter Wyngarde, Megs Jenkins, Martin Stephens, Pamela Franklin,
Clytie Jessop, Isla Cameron, Michael Redgrave |
| Written
By: |
William Archibald
and Truman Capote with additional dialogue by John Mortimer
based on the novel “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James |
| Produced
By: |
Jack Clayton
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| Directed
By: |
Jack Clayton
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| Music:
|
George Auric
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| The
Review: |
Jack Clayton's film of Henry James'
"The Turn of the Screw" is second only to "The Haunting" as
the most effective and eerie ghost story put on film. Brilliantly
photographed by Freddie Francis and superbly acted by Deborah
Kerr, Pamela Franklin ("Hell House") and Martin Stephens ("Village
of the Damned"), Clayton's film starts off as an idyllic glimpse
into the life of a new governess Miss Giddens (Kerr) taking
care of two children Flora and Miles(Franklin and Stephens)for
an indifferent uncle (Michael Redgrave). Isolated on the uncle's
country estate, it soon becomes clear that something is not
right with the children and that Giddens wasn't told everything
about the death of their previous governess. Giddens begins
to suspect that the children are being guided or possessed
b two spirits but to what end she's not sure. Or is it all
in her head and due to her repressed Victorian sexuality?
Director Clayton and writers William Archibald (who worked
on Hitchcock's "I Confess") and Truman Capote keep you guessing.
---
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| Image
and Sound: |
Fox has
done a nice job in transferring this classic to DVD. "The Innocents"
appears for the first time in an anamorphic widescreen transfer.
Curiously, the pan and scan version (which is what I originally
saw on TV) is on the A side of the flipper while the superior
anamorphic widescreen transfer is on the B side. Fans take note
the widescreen side of the disc is not labeled. The film shows
quite a bit of wear and tear at the beginning but be patient
as the image quality improves at the film moves along. The rich
grays, black and white imagery look quite good although this
isn’t a flawless presentation of the film. --- |
| The
Extras: |
I am disappointed
by the extras. A featurette on the making of the film would
also have been nice. Unfortunately, it seems that no one at
Fox values this film in the same fashion as the folks at Warner
Home Video did "The Haunting" a perfect companion piece to
this classic. We do get the original theatrical trailer as
well as Fox Flix recommendations for other "horror" movies.
Remade at least at least four occasions (with the 1999 TV
version a solid entry as well), this is the best of the films
made from James' novel. ---
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| Commentary:
|
Fox has provided
commentary tracks for many of their film noirs. Since Franklin
is still around (and, at the time of this writing so is Kerr)as
is Stephens, I'd think that they would consider adding a commentary
track for the film. --- |
| Final
Words: |
Like Robert
Wise's classic film "The Haunting", "The Innocents" is disquieting.
The strong performances by the British cast and visually stunning
direction keeps the film interesting throughout the production.
The pacing is slow like many ghost stories creating tension
and a sense of unease due to the unusual camera angles and visuals.
Unlike many thrillers today, "The Innocents" doesn't resort
to simple tricks like gore or violence. Instead Clayton uses
sound effects and unusual camera tricks to create the tension
that drives this thriller. If you come to this film expecting
"Scream" you'll be sadly disappointed. The film that is nearest
to this classic in tone is Alejandro Amenabar's "The Others"
which was clearly influenced by "The Innocents". |
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