The Verdict & The Joy Luck Club????
06-06-02, 09:54 PM
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I have The Verdict on order and on the way...........Sorry I can't give you any first hand info. yet.
However, this review doesnt look too promising:Review
The Verdict
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Paul Newman stars in this slow, somber 1982 courtroom picture as boozing, has-been lawyer Frank Galvin, who's chasing hearses at the dismal wane of his legal career. A friend (Jack Warden) hands him an easy case — a malpractice suit against a hospital run by the archdiocese of Boston — that's ripe for a generous settlement. But instead of going for the substantial hush-money, the burnt-out Galvin opts for principle, hoping that winning the case and righting the wrong — against a high-priced law firm with a mighty reputation — will turn around his career and his sagging self-esteem. If The Verdict sounds suspiciously close to the "underdog" formula of The Bad News Bears, it is, with one major exception: Frank hopelessly butchers the case through inexperience and mismanagement, making the ending something of a surprise, and a fairly unconvincing one at that. Such loose and poor plotting is unforgivable given the talent involved: seasoned director Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Network) and an early screen adaptation by Chicago playwright David Mamet (Mamet's unique voice is largely absent, save for one moment when it incongrously jumps out: "Who were these men…? Who were these men…?"). Newman is fine as Galvin, but his character is too dull, failing to wrestle with demons and leaving only the barely interesting court case to carry the dramatic weight of the film. Both Warden and James Mason, as an arch defense attorney, add some color to the cast, but Charlotte Rampling is wooden with a useless character that never does anything worth filming. Fox's The Verdict DVD presents the movie in a less-than-perfect anamorphic transfer (1.85:1), with audio in Dolby 2.0 Surround as well as a monaural DD track. Extras include a decent commentary by Lumet, with a little input from Newman, a 10-minute promotional featurette, and a trailer. Keep-case.
—Gregory P. Dorr
However, this review doesnt look too promising:Review
The Verdict
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Newman stars in this slow, somber 1982 courtroom picture as boozing, has-been lawyer Frank Galvin, who's chasing hearses at the dismal wane of his legal career. A friend (Jack Warden) hands him an easy case — a malpractice suit against a hospital run by the archdiocese of Boston — that's ripe for a generous settlement. But instead of going for the substantial hush-money, the burnt-out Galvin opts for principle, hoping that winning the case and righting the wrong — against a high-priced law firm with a mighty reputation — will turn around his career and his sagging self-esteem. If The Verdict sounds suspiciously close to the "underdog" formula of The Bad News Bears, it is, with one major exception: Frank hopelessly butchers the case through inexperience and mismanagement, making the ending something of a surprise, and a fairly unconvincing one at that. Such loose and poor plotting is unforgivable given the talent involved: seasoned director Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Network) and an early screen adaptation by Chicago playwright David Mamet (Mamet's unique voice is largely absent, save for one moment when it incongrously jumps out: "Who were these men…? Who were these men…?"). Newman is fine as Galvin, but his character is too dull, failing to wrestle with demons and leaving only the barely interesting court case to carry the dramatic weight of the film. Both Warden and James Mason, as an arch defense attorney, add some color to the cast, but Charlotte Rampling is wooden with a useless character that never does anything worth filming. Fox's The Verdict DVD presents the movie in a less-than-perfect anamorphic transfer (1.85:1), with audio in Dolby 2.0 Surround as well as a monaural DD track. Extras include a decent commentary by Lumet, with a little input from Newman, a 10-minute promotional featurette, and a trailer. Keep-case.
—Gregory P. Dorr
06-09-02, 06:18 AM
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THE VERDICT looks far better than it's ever looked on video before. Thankfully Fox has restored it to its OAR/anamorphic and the audio is presented in 2.0 stereo (remaster) and the original mono track is also included. So far as the picture is concerned, over my DLP, HD system the image looks great. Sure it's a little soft, but that's for the most part an intended look. Let's also remember that the film is 20 years old.
Don't hesitate in picking this one up if your a fan, as you will not be disappointed. Kudos to Fox for a job well done.
Don't hesitate in picking this one up if your a fan, as you will not be disappointed. Kudos to Fox for a job well done.
06-11-02, 02:57 PM
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Originally posted by Thanh
I believe Joy Luck Club is Pan & Scan... so don't bother.
I hope they release a souped up version...
I believe Joy Luck Club is Pan & Scan... so don't bother.
I hope they release a souped up version...
My copy's on backorder from DVDSoon, so I most likely won't be seeing it until early July. Which sucks.
I'm surprised I haven't seen more reviews for these movies, though.
-David
06-12-02, 01:49 AM
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DVDFile.com's review of Verdict is up now too.
The guy loves the movie and thinks the video is serviceable, with one or two high points and some low points. Audio serves the film and the commentary is decent.
-David
The guy loves the movie and thinks the video is serviceable, with one or two high points and some low points. Audio serves the film and the commentary is decent.
-David
