Customer Reviews

The American Film Theater Complete 14 Film Collection (The Iceman Cometh / A Delicate Balance / The Man in the Glass Booth / Butley / Luther / Rhinoceros / The Homecoming / Three Sisters / Galileo / In Celebration / The Maids / Jacques Brel) (15 D)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

KINO'S AMERICAN FILM THEATRE offers all fourteen titles in this prestigious mid-1970s stage-to-film series in one collection. Included are the finest works of the greatest playwrights, as rendered by top-notch actors and directors. Audio and video transfers of the restored movies is also first rate. It's a collection ideal for lovers of theater or for any fan of classy cinema. Highest recommendation!

By way of introduction to another theatrical collection, I'd like to recommend KULTUR's version of THE ICEMAN COMETH (starring Jason Robards Jr.), from their superlative BROADWAY THEATRE ARCHIVE series.


SYNOPSES (listed alphabetically):

BUTLEY-- Concerns a moment of crisis in the life of an alcoholic college professor, who loses both his wife and male lover on the same day. Students, friends and colleagues take the brunt of the suicidal man's outbursts as he literally falls to pieces.

A DELICATE BALANCE-- Edward Albee drama about a dysfunctional Connecticut family is powerfully enacted by an all-star cast.

GALILEO-- Adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's story of the later life of the Italian Renaissance philosopher/scientist who was persecuted by the Church for his support of the Copernican theory that the Earth revolved around the sun.

THE HOMECOMING-- Another bleak story of a less-than-ideal family whose members are locked in an endless power struggle.

IN CELEBRATION-- At a British family reunion (parents' wedding anniversary), three sons argue while their mum and da try to ride out the storm.

JACQUES BREL IS...-- A show woven around 35 songs written by the famous mid-20th Century French troubadour.

LOST IN THE STARS-- Kurt Weill's last stageshow is a musical influenced by Porgy & Bess. Adapted from Alan Paton's "Cry the Beloved Country" by Maxwell Anderson.

LUTHER-- An exploration of the life of the man, who in the 1500s, changed the face of Christianity forever.

THE MAIDS-- Based on a true story of a French woman and her daughter who were brutally murdered by a pair of sisters they employed as servants. In this Jean Genet play, the housemaids dream up elaborate sadomasochist fantasies while Madame is away.

THE MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH-- A Jewish death camp survivor who is now wealthy and living in Manhattan is arrested and put on trial for Nazi war crimes. Based on the Adolf Eichmann case.

PHILADELPHIA...-- Serio-comedy about the last few hours a young man spends in Ireland prior to his emigration to America.

RHINOCEROS-- Absurdist story written by Eugène Ionesco about the inhabitants of a small French town who transform into the horned beasts, all save one man, a heavy-drinking ne'er-do-well. This unusual study of philosophy, morality and culture reteams "The Producers" Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. Watch for a cameo by Anne Ramsey (Momma in "Throw Momma from the Train").

THREE SISTERS-- Three siblings lead empty lives after the death of their Army officer father. Chekhov play adaptation is directed by Laurence Olivier, who also has a minor role (Dr. Chebutikin).


Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.

VOLUME ONE--
(7.3) Butley (UK/Canada-1974) - Alan Bates/Jessica Tandy/Richard O'Callaghan/Susan Engel/Michael Byrne
(7.8) The Iceman Cometh (1973) - Lee Marvin/Fredric March/Robert Ryan/Jeff Bridges/Bradford Dillman/Martyn Green/Moses Gunn
(7.0) Luther (UK/Canada-1974) - Stacy Keach/Patrick Magee/Hugh Griffith/Judi Dench
(6.1) The Maids (UK-1975) - Glenda Jackson/Susannah York/Vivien Merchant/Mark Burns
(5.8) Rhinoceros (USA/UK/Canada-1973) - Zero Mostel/Gene Wilder/Karen Black/Joe Silver/Robert Weil/Anne Ramsey

VOLUME TWO--
(6.9) A Delicate Balance (USA/Canada/UK-1973) - Katherine Hepburn/Paul Scofield/Lee Remick/Kate Reed/Joseph Cotten/Betsy Blair
(7.8) The Homecoming (UK/USA-1973) - Cyril Cusack/Ian Holm/Michael Jayson/Vivien Merchant/Terence Rigby/Paul Rogers
(7.0) In Celebration (UK-1975) - Brian Cox/Gabrielle Daye/Bill Owen/Alan Bates/James Bolan/Constance Chapman
(7.6) The Man in the Glass Booth (1975) - Maximilian Schell/Lois Nettleton/Lawrence Pressman/Luther Adler/Lloyd Bochner
(6.5) Three Sisters (UK-1970) - Jeanne Watts/Joan Plowright/Louise Purnell/Derek Jacobi/Laurence Olivier/Alan Bates

VOLUME THREE--
(6.6) Galileo (UK-1975) - Topol/John Gielgud/Patrick Magee/Tom Conti/Edward Fox/Mary Larkin/Michael Lonsdale
(6.3) Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (France/Canada-1975) - Elly Stone/Mort Shuman/Joe Masiell/Jacques Brel
(6.3) Lost in the Stars (1974) - Brock Peters/Melba Moore/Raymond St. Jacques/Clifton Davis/Paul Rogers
(5.5) Philadelphia, Here I Come! (Ireland-1975) - Donal McCann/Des Cave/Siobhan McKenna/Eamon A. Kelly

Having a front row seat for many, many evenings of great theater has never been so easy. Kino---the company that releases and re-releases great flicks at (usually) high prices---has issued the entire American Film Theatre (AFT) collection in one 15-disc thin-case box set. But that's not all: Originally released in three individual sets in 2003 at a total cost of $329.95, this set is a mere $199.95---that's suggested retail, and still cheaper than choice seats to Young Frankenstein.
AFT was the vision of producer Ely Landau, who was determined to make high-quality drama and comedies starring top talent. Through its years of AFT's existence (1973-75), AFT films were shown in selected theatres, and only for members who bought an annual subscription.
What do you get for the money? A complete list of films, cast members and accompanying bonus features would take up too much space, so I've swallowed hard and chosen only a few to highlight . . . a very tough task indeed. If you consider these appetizers. Image the full course (and desserts!): The Iceman Cometh, starring Lee Marvin, Fredric March, Jeff Bridges and Robert Ryan; Three Sisters, starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Plowright; A Delic ate Balance, starring Katharine Hepburn and Paul Scofield and Rhinoceros, starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder.
What's a bit unsettling is that such an amazing set is getting all but dismissed by its very distributor. The press release for The American Film Theatre: The Complete Collection is riddled with embarrassing and insulting typos: It's Fredric March, not "Frederick", it's Jacques Brel, not "Jacques Brell;" it's Kurt Weill, not "Kurt Weilll;" it's Katharine Hepburn, not "Katherine Hepburn;" it's "Philadelphia, Here I Come," not "Philadephia, Here I Come;" Maximilian Schell, not Maximillian Schell; it's John Osborne, not "John Osbourne;" and it's Jacques Brel and Elly Stone starring in Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, not Melba Moore and Brock Peters (who do star in the set's Lost in the Stars.)
Thank goodness the lack of proofing doesn't take away from the proof that this collection is top-notch.

When I was a young man I used to love reading plays, especially those tapped by Burns-Mantle as the best of the year. Over time I had grown out of the habit. So it was with a tip of the hat to an earlier pleasure that I decided to purchase this set of dramatic works by the American Film Theatre (AFT).
The idea was the brainchild of producer Ely Landau, who sought to bring non-commercial and somewhat edgy theatrical fare to the local cinema, complete with subscriptions, reserved seats and limited showings. To make the economics work, Landau secured top talent both in front of and behind the camera for a fraction of their normal salary. The risky experiment lasted only three years (1973-75), but provided a valuable legacy for movie lovers who enjoy stimulating dramatic fare.
The biggest drawback to the series as a whole boils down to budget restrictions. This is especially true in the sound department. Many of the works are set in foreign locales, or performed by British casts, making the dialogue difficult to comprehend at times. The DVDs are no help here since subtitles are not included as a feature. Extras are fine overall, but my desire would be for more. Michael Feingold contributes an incisive and informative essay for each offering.
The pros, however, far outweigh the cons in this 14-DVD Thinpak set put out by KINO. Overall it is an impressive showcase of masterworks, providing hours of fascinating entertainment for the discriminating viewer. Below is a listing of the films and key reasons for their inclusion in the AFT syllabus.

BUTLEY. Alan Bates reprises his madcap Tony-winning role as a university professor having a very bad day. Harold Pinter made his directorial debut here and the result in one of the stonger entries. Tony nominee for Best Play 1973.
A DELICATE BALANCE. Mix Edward Albee, a dysfunctional family, houseguests and alcohol--and what do you get? A sharp drama with lots of verbal sparring. Terrific cast (Katharine Hepburn, Paul Scofield, Lee Remick and Joseph Cotton) does well by the material. Kate Reid as the brutally frank alcoholic sister is a standout. Lavishly photographed by David Watkin. Directed by Tony Richardson. The theatrical version was nominated for five Tonys including Best Play in 1967. In the extras, Albee muses that Katharine Hepburn misinterpreted the final line depriving the play of its intended irony. This is the only Pulitzer Prize winner in the AFT lot.
GALILLEO. Weaker effort in the series with an overwrought performance by Topol as the scientist running afoul of the Inquisition. Long and redundant, given that LUTHER, also in the portfolio, covers similar thematic ground. Directed by Joseph Losey.
THE HOMECOMING. Of all the offerings, this one is probably the one that begs to be seen most with someone. It will inevitably invite discussion. Dramatist Pinter was devilishly coy about the play's meaning. Peter Hall's film retains most of the Royal Shakespeare Company cast, inclding Ian Holm reprising his Tony-winning role as a caustic alpha male with designs on his brother's wife. Tony winner Best Play 1967. A key work factoring into Pinter's Nobel Prize.
THE ICEMAN COMETH. Powerhouse cast, led by Lee Marvin, galvanizes what many regard as Eugene O'Neill's finest hour--make that fours hours, since the AFT presentation includes the complete full-strength version. The story centers on a gathering of barflies at Harry Hope's skid row bar in 1912. The original play was met indifferently in 1946, running a scant 136 performances. A decade later it was revived and lauded by audiences and critics alike. THE ICEMAN COMETH is a high-water mark in director John Frankenheimer's illustrious career. Were the film to have played the requisite number of times for Oscar consideration, both Robert Ryan and Fredric March would assuredly have been nominated. This selection led off the AFT program.
IN CELEBRATION. Acerbic drama of three disparate brothers coming to grips with their lives and each other. Director Lindsay Anderson fires this effort with blistering intensity. The movie includes the entire original Bitish cast. Powerful.
JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS. One of the greatest off-Broadway success stories, currently the 17th longest running show logging 1,847 perfomances. This is the one entry that begs for a bigger budget. Even still, this version made me yearn to see it live with its very listenable 35-song cabaret revue. Composer Brel sings "Ne me quitte pas" in the film's highlight.
LOST IN THE STARS. Talented African American cast (Brock Peters, Raymond St. Jacques, Melba Moore and Clifton Davis) gives the necessary firepower to this intensely felt musical. The play by Maxwell Anderson boasts a beautiful score by Kurt Weill. The best produced of all the features and one of the stronger entries.
LUTHER. Playwright Johh Osborne's sharply observant drama features an impassioned performance by Stacy Keach in the title role. Tony winner for Best Play 1964.
THE MAIDS. Jean Genet was one of France's "enfants terribles." His commute from a lengthy prison sentence came as a result of his gift as a writer. THE MAIDS encapsulates his anti-bourgeois sentiment, weaving a tale of two domestics set out to do their mistress in. Glenda Jackson, Susannah York and Vivien Merchant reprise their roles from the sold-out Greenwich run. Beautifully lensed by Douglas Slocombe.
THE MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH. Maximilian Schell delivers an impassioned performance as a man willingly brought under the microscope for atrocities he may or may not have committed during the Holocaust. Robert Shaw's drama was a Tony nominee for Best Play in 1969. Schell's performance was the only Oscar nomination for the series, since this was one of the select films given a wide release after strong reviews.
PHILADELPHIA, HERE I COME! Brilliantly conceived drama by Brian Friel was a good choice for inclusion. The movie, filmed on location in Ireland, concerns the misgivings of a young lad (as personified by his alter ego) about to emigrate to Philadelphia. Trenchantly observant, it has a lot to say about anyone on the nervous verge of making a major move in his or her life. Tony nominee for Best Play 1966.
RHINOCEROS. Eugene Ionesco's absurdist drama was required reading for me in high school. So it was fun to revisit this story, which relates the unforeseen and dangerous fallout concommitant with blindly following anyone or anything (ie. McCarthyism). The movie features a ferocious turn by formerly black-listed actor Zero Mostel, who won a 1961 Tony Award for his lead performance.
THE THREE SISTERS. Of all the AFT offerings, this one stayed with me the longest. Insightful rendering by Laurence Olivier of Chekhov's ambitious play covering a four-year span in the lives of a family living outside Moscow. Warning: Olivier gives you unadulterated Chekhov without pandering to modern tastes. It helps if you do a bit of research about the play, the author, and Russia at the turn of the 20th century before watching this timeless tragedy. Filmed in 1970, it was brought ad hoc into the fold by the Landaus. A rewarding experience.

Overall this is an excellent lineup of plays with some of the finest actors of their generation often repeating their Broadway triumphs. I would strongly recommend this set to anyone who loves great theater. Apart from some aforementioned shortcomings, my only real regret is that there weren't many more seasons in this unique experiment.

We ordered The American Film Theater Complete 14 Film Collection on March 24, 2011 from Overman. We sent them 3 seperate emails after 21 days to try and track the shipment - it finally arrived April 23. Getting them to respond or contact us back was near impossible. Films are excellent, their customer service is awful. Films are 5 star - Overman is less than 1 star!