Marie Antoinette (1938 & 2006)

Marie Antoinette (1938)

B&W – 149m (General Release Cut) / 157m (Road Show Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 – Fullscreen
Writers: F. Scott Fitzgerald (Uncredited), Talbot Jennings (dialogue – uncredited) and Robert E. Sherwood (Uncredited)
Dir.: W.S. Van Dyke and Julien Duvivier
Pro.: Irving Thalberg (Uncredited)
Starring:  Norma Shearer, Tyrone Power, John Barrymore, Robert Morley, Anita Louise, Gladys George, Reginald Gardiner, Henry Daniell, Albert Dekker, Joseph Calleia, George Meeker, Scotty Beckett, Harry Cording, Cecil Cunningham, Howard Da Silva, Harry Davenport, Harold Entwistle, Ann Evers, Barry Fitzgerald, Neil Fitzgerald, Holmes Herbert, Mary Howard, Ruth Hussey, Edward Keane, Ian Wolfe and George Zucco.

The story of the ill–fated Queen of France, Marie–Antoinette. A pleasant if somewhat long but masterful telling of the tale. Far superior to the Sophia Coppola 2006 film.

Trivia: Peter Lorre was originally announced for the part that Robert Morley plays in his film debut.

Available on DVD & Digital Copy though: The Warner Archive Collection

Marie Antoinette (2006)

C – 123m
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 – Widescreen
Writer – Pro. – Dir.: Sophia Coppola
Exec. Pro.: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Kristen Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Judy Davis, Rip Torn, Rose Byrne, Molly Shannon, Shirley Henderson, Danny Huston, Tom Hardy and Steve Coogan.

Retelling of France’s iconic but ill–fated queen, Marie Antoinette. Slow, boring and dismal telling of the bio of the ill–fated French queen. Saving grace is the cast and Sophia Coppola’s eye for visuals. Very little else is worth noting in this dud.

Trivia: The French government granted special permission for the crew to film in The Palace Of Versailles. The film crews were allowed to store their equipment in the real Marie–Antoinette’s bedroom. Although the title is not hyphenated, the real woman’s name was.

Rated: [PG–13] – Sexual Content, Partial Nudity & Innuendo
Available on Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy

Wonder Woman (2017)

Wonder Woman (2017)

C – 141m
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 – Widescreen – 3D & 2D
Wonder Woman Created By: William Moulton Marston (Credited), Harry G. Peter (Uncredited)
Story By: Zack Snyder, Allan Heinberg and Jason Fuchs
Screenplay By: Allan Heinberg
Producers: Deborah Snyder and Zack Snyder
Dir.: Patty Jenkins
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Said Taghmaoui, Ewen Bremner, Lucy Davis, Danielle Lewis, Zack Snyder, and Robert M. Stafford.

When a pilot crashes and tells of the conflict in the outside world, Diana, a Amazonian Warrior in training, leaves home to fight a war, discover her full powers and true destiny. Well done but slightly under–paced (slow paced), for this reviewer’s tastes, female superhero film. CGI may be obvious at times and remarkably subtle at others. This is the way the Wonder Woman story should be told though!

Trivia: Gal Gadot had to do reshoots for this film, including stunts, while she was five months pregnant. The crew created a costume with a green screen around her stomach and her stomach was edited out during the CGI process. The discussions about, “the pleasures of the flesh,” was reportedly improvised. Cate Blanchett was offered a role but turned it down so that she could make Thor: Ragnarok (2017). This was the first film that director Patty Jenkins directed since Monster (2003), with Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci.

Rated: [PG–13] – Sequences Of Violence And Action, & Some Suggestive Content
Available in 3D and 2D on 4K and regular Blu–ray, DVD & Digital Copy