Founded on May 8, 1912, Paramount Pictures has a century-plus library that is inhabited by some of the finest films ever to see the inside of a theater. Therefore, the news that the fabled studio is opening the vault and bringing some Blu-Ray love to a series of classic films that run the gamut in genre, has us thinking that now is a really good time to be a film fan. Thanks to “Paramount Presents,” a series of the fabled studios’ films are being released anew.
The first select group is a fab four of film—Flashdance, Elvis’ King Creole, Fatal Attraction, and Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief.
It’s summer … let’s dive in!
To Catch a Thief (1955)
Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller To Catch a Thief has the distinction of being among the first of these Paramount Presents series and deservedly so. The legendary helmer (Psycho, North by Northwest) was blessed in casting, scoring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.
Grant stars as a cat burglar who is hardly an innocent angel, but he did not commit a series of crimes that he has been accused of committing. To clear his name, or at least to continue to rehab his reputation, Grant’s John “The Cat” Robie must catch the imposter ruining his “retirement” as hey zeroes in on rich tourists on the French Riviera. In her final film with Hitchcock, Kelly stars as the love interest, Frances. While Robie seeks to catch this thief in the act, it will involve tourists Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis). She’s a newly wealthy widow enjoying the French beaches with her daughter, Frances, and before we know it, a Hitchcock gem of a tale is cooking with gas.
Will Robie find the real thief and return to the blissful life he has worked so hard to establish? Just how does Frances fit into all this and when does romance enter the fray? After all, this is a flick described as a “romantic thriller.” It certainly has enough of both and some gorgeous cinematography involving one of the more gloriously gorgeous spots on earth.
It is not necessarily one of the legendary director’s best work, but it is a whole lot of fun and right now, we could all use a whole lot of enjoyment. What is absolutely clear is even if he’s not operating from a script that delivers him some of the filmmaker’s most riveting plots, there are few storytellers in the history of Hollywood who can weave a highly entertaining web like Alfred Hitchcock.
The flick looks stunning on Blu-Ray, thanks to its remaster from a 4K transfer. Sonically, the new Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix pumps up the audio, which had been somewhat flat in previous home video editions. Considering To Catch a Thief is the iconic director’s most beautiful picture, those charged with the transfer could not have done a better job making something already stunning truly pop visually.
Bonus Features:
Film expert extraordinaire Leonard Maltin is interviewed, and it is a fascinating chat. The famed critic’s thoughts on the Hitchcock flick actually enhance the entire experience. As such, you couldn’t ask for more. There’s also an audio commentary track (that was available on previous editions) and a terrific featurette called Behind the Gates that puts a sizzling spotlight on Kelly and Grant. Lastly, you have to watch the theatrical trailer and marvel at how much the teaser has changed over the decades!
Flashdance (1983)
What a feeling, indeed!
With Flashdance, director Adrian Lyne (who also directed Fatal Attraction, more on that later!) scored big time with a fantastic marriage of music and movie. The story follows a welder named Alex (Jennifer Beals in a star-making turn), who moonlights at night as an exotic dancer. Her dreams, well … they are firmly on dancing for crowds that aren’t horny men. The Pittsburgh Ballet would be nice and scoring an audition is her driving force. Along the way, she meets Michael Nouri’s Nick Hurley and they might just find love and she may just get an opportunity to make a dream come true.
The script comes from Tom Hedley and the legendary Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct, Showgirls). What makes Flashdance so special is it was the first of many films in the 80s to put as much emphasis on its soundtrack as the filmmaking itself. The album from the flick would hit number one and produce a slew of hits, including the title track and Michael Sembello’s Maniac.
Even after four decades, this film is a guilty pleasure treat.
This Paramount Presents entry also scored a visual upgrade from a 4K master and it looks (and sounds) great on today’s home entertainment system. The colors truly pop, which is incredible given how murky previous releases were—even though that fit the feel of the flick. It’s just during the club scenes, the neon, the reds, blues … are downright electric since the visual upgrade. It sounds pretty awesome too while those hit songs come rocking out of your home speakers. Don’t be surprised if you might shake a leg during the flick!
Bonus Features:
There’s a nice Filmmaker Focus chat with Lyne, which reveals some insight into the making of the movie that plays into this visual upgrade. Hearing him wax poetic about the lighting in the dance sequences after witnessing their glory is genuinely interesting. The nine-minute The Look of Flashdance delves deeper into the making of the movie and will have you deeply appreciating the eye candy upgrade even further. Lastly, Releasing Flashdance the Phenomenon is a nice slice of Hollywood history lesson about the flick and its seismic cultural impact that occurred when it was released back in 1983. Also, the original trailer is fun for the same reasons as To Catch a Thief.
King Creole (1958)
The King takes his rock and roll show to Cajun country, i.e. New Orleans, in the always awesome King Creole. The film is a fascinating study on many levels. There’s the whole morality alteration aspect, which seems antiquated in hindsight. Also, how often do we get to see the always awesome Walter Matthau as a mob boss?! Casablanca director Michael Curtiz brings some mettle to the production and Presley’s charm is off the charts. The flick is making its Blu-Ray debut with this Paramount Presents release and frankly, it’s long overdue.
Presley portrays Danny Fisher, a troubled teen who can’t seem to find the time to finish high school. It’s not because he’s slacking off or getting into trouble. It’s due to the fact that he has to work to help support his family, specifically his sister Mimi (Jan Shepard) and wayfaring father (played by Dean Jagger). When Fisher scores a gig as a busboy in a nightclub, he winds up in the middle of a rivalry between two club owners. There’s music! There’s romance! It’s the King, I mean, come on!
Shot in black in white in the Crescent City, this is a study in 4K restoration. The upgrade is absolutely stunning and crisp and pops off the screen. King Creole, sonically, features a solid sound presentation in Dolby TrueHD 5.1.
Bonus Features:
King Creole arrives on Paramount Presents with merely a single bonus feature, but it’s an insightful one! The sage wisdom of Maltin comes through again as his insight into the Presley film shines a light on its history and societal impact.
Fatal Attraction (1987)
One of the most iconic manic obsession films of all-time is Fatal Attraction. That Lyne directed drama stars Michael Douglas as Dan, a seemingly happily married man who strays with Alex (Glenn Close, in her absolutely most culturally seismic role). What happens next is a character study in a human being unraveling in real-time. With an actress possessing the mettle that Close does, it’s no wonder that 33 years later, the fictional straying and its comeuppance surely has stopped countless affairs. Also, just say “bunny” and Fatal Attraction, and millions upon millions of folks immediately are thrust into the same mental image. That’s power. That’s true cinematic power to transcend a medium and permeate into the larger culture is rare and should be celebrated. That’s why having this flick round out the first four Paramount Presents is truly something special.
The thriller served as the middle chapter on Douglas’ journey down a more erotic movie path (Basic Instinct, Disclosure). It also, in hindsight, has shown how criminal it is that Anne Archer isn’t seen more on the silver screen. Her turn as the emotionally crushed and furiously scorned wife had the veteran thespian pulling at our heartstrings. She was the perfect Yin to Close’s vengefully psychotic Yang.
With the glowing 4K transfer, Lyne’s one night stand serving as the match that set off a familial atomic bomb is dazzling for the eyes. Yet again, Paramount Presents has outdone themselves and shown their passion for cherishing and celebrating the art of filmmaking.
Bonus Features:
Paramount gifts viewers a new chat with director Lyne. Having the director’s commentary or witnessing old interviews with helmers that are in the moment is one thing. Hearing what the filmmaker has to say 33 years later, especially given its societal impact, is downright mesmerizing.
There also is an audio commentary track with Lyne that came with the previous home video release. It is as enlightening as it is entertaining. Also interesting is the inclusion of Rehearsal Footage, a bonus feature that puts viewers in the room as these superstars work out the rough edges before filming commences! Then … if you haven’t seen the Alternate Ending (with an introduction by Lyne) previously, do-not-miss-it!