Neil Simon

DVD Round Up, Mar. 23, 2009: ‘Lilo & Stitch,’ ‘The Odd Couple,’ ‘To Catch a Thief’

BrianTT — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:02:59 -0600

CHICAGO – A Disney movie and two all-time classics being inducted in Paramount’s “Centennial Collection” make up this week’s version of the “DVD Round-Up,” your safety net for titles that may have slipped by your home entertainment radar.

The Round-Up, HollywoodChicago.com’s famous recurring column about lesser Blu-Ray and DVD titles that may have slipped through your fingers at the store recently, brings you three catalog titles being reissued for DVD in new two-disc editions.

“Lilo & Stitch: 2-Disc Big Wave Edition,” “The Centennial Collection: The Odd Couple,” and “The Centennial Collection: To Catch a Thief” will all be released on March 24th, 2009.

“Lilo & Stitch: 2-Disc Big Wave Edition”

Photo credit: Disney

Piggy-backing on the more awesome and high-profile Blu-Ray release for “Bolt,” Disney is giving fans a chance to catch up on one of their bigger titles from the early part of the decade, 2002’s “Lilo & Stitch,” now available in a two-disc DVD version called the “Big Wave Edition”.

“Lilo & Stitch” features voice work by Daveigh Chase, Chris Sanders, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, and Jason Scott Lee. It was written and directed by Chris Sanders & Dean Deblois. The film is rated PG.

“Get ready for the wildly original story about an independent little girl named Lilo and her adopted alien “puppy,” the mischievous Stitch, a runaway genetic experiment from a faraway planet. After crash-landing on Earth, Stitch wreaks havoc on the Hawaiian Islands, but he also learns about loyalty, friendship and ‘ohana, the Hawaiian tradition of family.”

“Lilo & Stitch: 2-Disc Big Wave Edition” is presented in 1.66:1 widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound track. Special features include deleted scenes, “Your ‘Ohana” music video featuring The Hawaiian Chorus, “The Story Room: An Interactive Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Making of the Film,” Lilo & Stitch Island Adventure Games, “A Stitch in Time: Follow Stitch Through the Disney Years,” “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” music video performed by A-Teen, “DisneyPedia: Hawaii - The Islands of Aloha: Explore the Hawaiian Islands,” and much, much more.

“The Centennial Collection: The Odd Couple”

Photo credit: Paramount

Neil Simon & Gene Saks’ “The Odd Couple” is one of my favorite comedies of all time and there’s no better version that the new Centennial Collection release for this classic. The two-disc Centennial Collection releases are becoming one of the more notable series of classic movies on the market. The first five movies in the series were “Roman Holiday,” “Sabrina,” and “Sunset Boulevard” from last November and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Funny Face” in January.

“The Odd Couple” stars Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. It was written by Neil Simon and directed by Gene Saks. The film is rated G.

“Bogart & Bacall…Tracy & Hepburn…but Lemmon & Matthau?? There’s nothing really odd about it - the pairing of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau is a perfect fit in this enduring and endearing comedy romp from writer Neil Simon. The premise - two divorced men decide to share a New York apartment - is simple. The result is fall-on-the-floor hilarity. Lemmon plays the fussy and fastidious Felix Ungar, who proves that cleanliness is next to insanity. Matthau is Oscar Madison, slovenly and sloppy, who can wreak havoc on a tidy room with the speed and thoroughness of a tornado. Sure, they can live together…but can they live together without killing each other?”

“The Odd Couple” is presented in a widescreen version enhanced for 16x9 TVs and accompanied by a Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround Sound track. Special features include a commentary by Charlie Matthau and Chris Lemmon, “In the Beginning…,” “Matthau & Lemmon,” “Memories From the Set,” “Inside The Odd Couple,” “The Odd Couple: A Classic,” two galleries, and the theatrical trailer.

“The Centennial Collection: To Catch a Thief”

Photo credit: Paramount

Two of the first names that come to mind when I hear the words “classic movie icons” are Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Their “To Catch a Thief” may not get the buzz as some other Alfred Hitchcock films, but it has really stood the test of time. If you caught “Duplicity” in theaters, check out “To Catch a Thief,” a clear inspiration for Tony Gilroy’s romantic thriller.

“To Catch a Thief” stars Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis, and John Williams. It was written by John Michael Hayes and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The film is not rated.

“The French Riviera…two luminous stars…and the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, behind the camera. They all add up to one romantic, dazzling screen thriller in the Paramount Centennial Collection. Grant plays John Robie, a retired jewel thief once known as “The Cat,” who catches the eye of Frances Stevens (Kelly), a pampered, vacationing heiress. But when a rash of gem thefts occurs amongst the luxury hotels of the spectacular French playground, it appears that “The Cat” is on the prowl once again. Is Robie truly reformed? Or is he deviously using Frances to gain access to the tempting collection of fabulous jewelry belonging to her mother? Romantic sparks fly as the suspense builds in this glittering Hitchcock classic that nabbed an Oscar for Best Cinematography.”

“To Catch a Thief” is presented in a widescreen version enhanced for 16x9 TVs and accompanied by a Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound track. Special features include a commentary by Dr. Drew Casper (Hitchcock Film Historian), “A Night with the Hitchcocks,” “Unacceptable Under the Code: Film Censorship in America,” “Writing and Casting To Catch a Thief,” “The Making of To Catch a Thief,” “Behind the Gates: Cary Grant and Grace Kelly,” “Alfred Hitchcock and To Catch a Thief: An Appreciation,” “Edith Head: The Paramount Years,” “If You Love To Catch a Thief, You’ll Love This Interactive Travelogue,” the original theatrical trailer, and galleries.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Raven Theatre’s ‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’ Serves Justice to Neil Simon Masterpiece

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:58:33 -0600

Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Part slapstick and part Henny Youngman-style one-liner schtick, “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” is a classic American comedy that still rings funny no matter how many times you’ve seen it.

Chosen by Chicago’s Raven Theatre to close out its 25th year, director Michael Menendian and his cast of quick wits do the Neil Simon masterpiece great justice. Originally produced in 1993, the play seems largely inspired by Neil Simon’s experiences as a joke writer on “Your Show of Shows” where he worked with Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart, Mel Tolkin and brother Danny Simon.

Eric Roach as Max Prince, Mackenzie Kyle as Carol Wyman and Noah Simon (seated) as Milt Fields in “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at the Raven Theatre through July 26, 2008.
Photo credit: Dean La Prairie

In “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” a group of television comedy writers squabble and tease each other all under awe of larger-than-life television personality Max Prince.

“Laughter on the 23rd Floor” performs in Chicago at the Raven Theatre through July 26, 2008.
Photo credit: Raven Theatre

The personal lives of the characters seem secondary to the major issues of putting up a weekly sketch-comedy show and dealing with network censorship against the ominous backdrop of McCarthyism in the 1950s.

Lucas Brickman – a junior writer for the show – gives running commentary among the zingers and pseudo-psychotic behavior of the creative team of “The Max Prince Show”.

While Lucas isn’t a leading-man character, actor Dan Granata masterfully plays the role of ambassador to the audience and plays well against their energy. Eric Roach’s Max Prince feels more Jackie Gleason than Sid Caesar. You can immediately feel his presence when he enters the room.

The rest of the actors each bring something unique to characters that have been interpreted hundreds of times. They make this production interesting to watch even if you’ve seen the show ad nauseam. Letting Simon’s jokes sell themselves takes center stage in this gag-saturated script.

While the Raven Theatre has a great space, the wide-open staging at times seems almost counterintuitive for this show. Past productions I’ve seen have had the bagel tray almost directly on top of the writer’s table.

At the Raven’s East Stage, the scenery is so widely spaced that the tone of the play seems less tense than I’ve seen in other productions.

Left to right: Eric Roach, Jeremy Glickstein, Dean La Prairie, Noah Simon, Greg Caldwell and Greg Hardin in “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” at the Raven Theatre through July 26, 2008.
Photo credit: Michael Menendi

Rather than feeling like the writers are a family who live in closed quarters – constantly bickering and in each other’s business – it feels more like attention-starved friends trying to best each other with snappy comebacks.

Sometimes you’ll miss a quick one-liner while trying to whip your head from a neurotic Jew droning at a table to a drunken Russian over by a coffeemaker. Menendian imaginatively plays up the physical comedy and uses the space to elongate zany chases.

Despite the serious issues addressed in the play including the Red Scare and the changing face of television, the Raven’s production is fun and light-hearted.

The actors all have natural ability for comedy and the timing of each bit makes the show fly by. Neil Simon’s comedies can always be counted on for belly laughs. The Raven Theatre’s production of “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” delivers on that promise.

“Laughter on the 23rd Floor” runs through July 26, 2008 at the Raven Theatre at 6157 N. Clark St. in Chicago. The play runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. through June 28, 2008. While tickets are $25 for adults or $20 for students, they’re half price with this link.

For a complete listing of all shows and reviews in Chicago, visit our partner TheatreInChicago.com. For half-price Chicago theater tickets, visit our partner Goldstar.

By DUSTIN LEVELL
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
dustin@hollywoodchicago.com