10
Warner Brothers (1979)
Comedy, Romance
In Collection
#403
8*
Seen It:  Yes
(6/13/2011)
012569200227
IMDB   5.6
118 mins USA/English
DVD  Region 1   R
Dudley Moore George Webber
Julie Andrews Samantha Taylor
Bo Derek Jenny Hanley
Robert Webber Hugh
Dee Wallace Mary Lewis
Sam J. Jones David Hanley
Brian Dennehy Donald
Max Showalter Reverend
Rad Daly Josh Taylor
Nedra Volz Mrs. Kissell
James Noble Dr. Miles
Director Blake Edwards
Producer Tony Adams
Blake Edwards
Writer Blake Edwards

One of the best comedies of the 1970s, Blake Edwards's ode to midlife crisis and the hazards of infidelity now plays like a valentine to that self-indulgent decade, and it's still as funny as it ever was. In the signature role of his career (along with "Arthur"), Dudley Moore plays a songwriter with a severe case of marital restlessness, and all it takes is a chance encounter with Bo Derek (in her screen debut) to jump-start his libido. Julie Andrews plays Moore's wife, who will only tolerate so much of her husband's desperate need to reaffirm his sexual vitality, while Moore pursues Derek to a tropical rendezvous. The action builds to the now-famous bedroom scene that sent everyone rushing to the music store for their own copy of Ravel's Boléro. Talk about a classical climax! --Jeff Shannon
Edition Details
Chapters 35
Release Date 9/29/1997
Packaging Snap Case
Screen Ratio 2.35:1
Subtitles Arabic; Dutch; English; French; Italian; Portuguese; Spanish
Audio Tracks Dolby Digital 1.0 [English]
Layers Dual Side, Single Layer
No. of Disks/Tapes 1
Personal Details
Purchase Date 9/29/1999
Owner Thomas Eisenmann
Store Ken Kranes
Purchase Price $4.99
Condition Excellent
Reviewed Widescreen Review
Bit Rate 192 KB
Anamophic Yes
Links IMDB

Features
Anamophic
Color Closed-captioned Widescreen

Widescreen Review
Story Synopsis:
Moore stars as 42-year-old George Webber, a successful middle-aged songwriter who risks everything in the pursuit of a beautiful woman. Webber’s long-standing girlfriend Sam Taylor (Andrews) tolerates his drinking and voyeurism, but when he goes over the edge with his obsession with sex, it is all she can take to leave him. Hilariously disoriented from a dentist appointment, he whimsically falls in love at first sight with a ravishing woman en route to her wedding (Derek) and then obsessively follows her on her honeymoon at a tropical vacation spot.

DVD Picture:
First reviewed in Issue 22, the LaserDisc exhibits generally natural color fidelity and fleshtones, though in some outdoor scenes colors appear oversaturated. The DVD, as with the LaserDiscs, has a slight orangish hue in the picture which creates a problem for fleshtones. They appear slightly more orange on the DVD when viewed through the component video format. Sharpness and detail, however, are just slightly improved, though the DVD is anamorphically enhanced for 1.78:1 widescreen displays. Blacks are generally dark and undefined and shadow detail is poor. The LaserDisc is noisier than the DVD, which has increased resolution due to more scan lines. The LaserDisc is framed at 2.46:1, while the DVD’s anamorphic and letterbox aspect ratio measures 2.42:1.

Soundtrack:
The soundtracks are undistinguished mono which are compressed and distorted. The DVD Dolby® Digital mono version sounds thin and edgy as well.