Customer Reviews

Charade (Widescreen Edition) [VHS]

5 star:		(204)
4 star:		(56)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(32)

 

 

This is an exceptional DVD transfer of an exceptional movie. Criterion has done a magnificent job of restoring Charade to its colorful glory. The film is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The print is clear, crisp, and beautiful to behold. You feel as if you can reach out and touch the actors.

And what actors! The film features the dashing older version of Cary Grant and the youthful gamine Audrey Hepburn, with enough chemistry between them to ignite a fireworks factory. The plot is a convoluted and flimsy trifle about cold war spy shenanigans, with cases of mistaken identity and episodes of grave danger for Miss Audrey. But Cary, the classic good guy in cad's clothing, is there to save the day. In addition to which he provides chaste romance that sizzles beneath the civility.

Audio commentary is provided by director Stanley Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone. While interesting and funny in spots, it does drag a bit over the length of the film. It may be better to check it out when you find something in the film that you would like to hear dissected. Otherwise, you'd be better to stick with the delightful, corny dialogue spoken in the dulcet tones of Cary and Audrey. The soundtrack music is to also to be savored, done up in classic '60s spy movie style by the movie maestro Henry Mancini.

If you have nothing to do on a rainy day and own a DVD player, this is the movie you want to have on hand to pop in the machine and deliver you from care. It's a keeper (and it comes in a keeper case!).

Anybody else out there own three copies of Charade on DVD?

It's a great movie, yeah, but not worth three copies. Well, maybe the lesson was worth three copies. The first one took me by surprise. Front Row Features put it out. Nice looking jewel case with the word LETTERBOX EDITION across the top. I had to have it. Couldn't wait to watch it. It was the worst piece of crap I'd ever seen shoveled onto DVD. Faded colors. Blurry pictures. Horrid sound that kept breaking up. It was worse than my ten-year-old VHS copy. I was mortified. Then someone told me there was a copy out there by a company called Criterion Collection, but the price was $40.00. No way, I thought, am I paying that much for a movie.

Next copy I bought was put out by Diamond Entertainment. I'll give them their due. They did a fairly good job of cleaning up whatever print they used. The picture is pretty good; color still slightly washed out, some flickering that's annoying. The sound has been repaired. So what you get is about a C+ to a low B- for this DVD. I like Diamond. And compared to the road kill that Front Row Features served up, the Diamond Entertainment version is a seven-course meal in the finest restaurant.

At last, I couldn't stand it any longer. I went for the Criterion Collection version. I know, I know. Three copies. But the Front Row Features DVD will be thrown into the trash; I won't even subject a stranger at a garage sale to that basement torture trash. The Diamond Entertainment version, which is not a bad copy, just not the best, I'll hand over to my brother as a free-bee gift. He likes the movie, as well, and is even less likely than I to put out the cash.

But then there's the Criterion Collection version. This IS the SEVEN COURSE MEAL AT THE FINEST RESTAURANT, topped off with the finest drinks and entertainment, and a check at the end that says ON THE HOUSE! Everything great anyone has said about the Criterion Collection DVD of Charade is true. It's beautiful. The sound is perfect. The color heavenly. There are no age spots what so ever, no dropouts, none of the flickering that indicates the film was damaged and had to be spliced. It's a beautiful widescreen transfer from a 33mm interpositive. I'd never seen the original trailer for this film till I bought this DVD; it's funny, it's charming, it gets you primed for the movie. There is an Audio Commentary with director Stanley Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone. And some great career highlights on Peter Stone's career.

It took me three times to get it right (and that won't happen again, at least with DVDs), but get it right I did. Don't ever buy the Front Row Features version; if you already have it, burn it. NOW. If you can't afford the Criterion version, go ahead and get the Diamond Entertainment version; as always, they do a good job for a low price. But if you want the absolute best presentation of this movie, if you want to see the movie as it has not been seen since it was in the theater almost 40 years ago, find the Criterion Collection DVD. You will not be disappointed.

I got this DVD for Christmas and I wasn't disappointed. Stanley Donen, director of musicals such as "Singin' In The Rain" starring Gene Kelly, brought together Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn (who looks luminous, as always) in this wonderfully-written story about a Parisian widow (Hepburn) who is being pursued by three dangerous men (two of which are played by George Kennedy - an excellent "heavy" - and James Coburn at his most menacing) who want to find out about a large sum of money her dead husband supposedly had. Grant is the helpful stranger but eventually you begin to wonder: is he working with these men? Does he want the money for himself? Or is he really the handsome, older man Audrey finds herself falling in love with?

Enhanced by a lush score by the late Henry Mancini, photographed beautifully in Paris and containing first-rate acting and deliciously wicked dialogue by writer Peter Stone, "Charade" is a film that should be in every serious DVD collection. Grant is older but better, like fine wine, and Ms. Hepburn ... well there have been millions of words used to describe her and I can't add to them other than to say the world lost a marvelous talent at her death.

You'll enjoy "Charade" for a long, long time.

Bottom line is you get what you pay for, DO NOT BUY this version, it wasw made from a very bad copy of the movie! The ones that have played about a million time trough a projector. Spend the money and get the criterion version.

First and foremost, this is a very enjoyable movie. It was very enjoyable in 1963 and it remains enjoyable today. The actors, the story, and the cinematic craft are all first rate.

This Criterion release is fantastic. Most of the video is absolutely flawless with well-saturated colors and an absence of artifacts. Even shots of Coburn's checked shirt are free of compression artifacts or aliasing which is common to this kind of shot. The audio is fine considering it is mono and mastered in 1963. There are a few rare blemishes noticeable on the screen that look like problems with the source media but that is nowhere near as offensive as artifacts or aliasing.

The fun bonus on this edition is the writer and director commentary! For those of us that like this sort of thing, this is a very enjoyable example. Listening to these two, what?, 70-year-olds bicker back and forth is a complete crack-up!

Amazon did indeed refund me for this DVD, but as above, be aware. This DVD is made from the same old lousy public domain print that you see on PBS every few months. This is a great film, and deserves a great copy. I'll be ordering the Criteria version soon (after x-mas shopping), and hope that lives up to expectations. This one doesn't even deserve to be on videotape!

The Diamond Entertainment release of this movie is a very poor copy. The film frequently "jumps" where it has been spliced, there are vertical lines on the screen in some parts, light specks, etc.

And that includes the quality of this release. It just goes to show that you can take a great screenplay from a great book, cast some stellar Hollywood performers at their peaks, add clear expert direction, stunning location sets, stir in a Mancini score, and still end up with a painfully disappointing experience. Especially when you consider the promise of the new DVD format, and today's digital remastering techniques. Re-released through several small-time distributors (Front Row Entertainment of Canada, etc) Charade has been reduced to a sad caricature of it's original beauty. By using worn-out, poor-quality source for the transfer to DVD these distributors have marketed a product that is not only inferior to the existing VHS tape versions, but an insult to the DVD format. To see this type of travesty is to know the real tragedy of copyright expiration and it's resulting offspring--corporate greed at the expense of art, businesses reaping profits at the expense of unaware consumers, and worst of all...sometimes the loss of great examples of cinema magic. Thank goodness Criterion was able to resurrect what appears to be close to if not original film, and produce a release of Charade that shows what DVD is all about. If you haven't seen Charade, I won't spoil it by telling you the plot here. But whether you've seen it or not, I will tell you this: Spend the money and get the Criterion version for DVD, or save your money and buy the VHS tape version. Avoid the budget DVD versions at all costs--they're no bargain...just a waste. Enjoy!

A must see film for any Cary Grant or Audrey Hepburn fan, the chemistry between the two is wonderful. This has always been a great film and on DVD it is nothing short of stunning. The film is shown in its original widescreen 1.85.1 aspect ratio for the first time ever since its theatrical release. The image quality is superb when you consider the age of the film and the appalling video quality of previous releases of the film. The sound has been improved, yes it is mono but it sounds better than ever. The director's commentary on this DVD is one of the best I have ever heard, with some arguing between the writer and director of the film and some wonderful insights into the making of this film. Highly recommended.

This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

First of all, there are two pressings of this DVD. the original went out of print a few years ago, It was re-realesed early this year and is virtually identical to the original release. The most noticable difference is the enhancement for widescreen DVD's There are some other subtle differences including an update on the biographic information to include the death date of the film's writer, Peter Stone.

The film itself is very famous and has an all star cast, including Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, James Cubrun, George Kennedy, Walter Matthau, and Ned Glass. Their performances are excellent and the film has numerous surprises in the plot. The soundtrack, by Henry Mancini is also very well known and popular.
The music has been likened to the theme song for the James Bond films.

The film is about a woman whose husband was murdered. His fortune of $250,000 stolen from the government is missing and all that was with him was a small tote bag with some personal articles. Later 3 crooks are after her thinking she has the money.

The DVD has audio commentary by the director Stanley Donen and writer Peter Stone. It also has a theatrical trailer of the film, and a biography and filmography of Stanley Donen and Peter Stone.

The first printing, now out of print, is still worth more than it originally sold for and is vbecoming a collector's item as well.