Not so! At least in the US. I had a WS laserdisc of this neo-noir delight and wish I had kept it; ditched it because it looked like muck when blown up to an actual wide screen. One of my lesser bad decisions, but certainly not a good one.
Also, "Myrt" was Myrtle Vail, who played Seymour Krelboin's mom in the original Little Shop of Horrors!
Doesn't sound like you're a fan of the British farce - which I did reference in my original comment. The farce is a theater staple in the UK, which is why the film has such a stagey manner. And yes, the sardines are funny.
I don't want to judge the entire film on its first 30 minutes just yet. I'm usually a big fan of British humor, but I suppose even then it's not all the same type of comedy to all shows. I loved Red Dwarf, Keeping Up Appearances, Fawlty Towers, even some stranger birds like Misfits. The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy is one of my favorite books (well all of them really save Mostly Harmless which seemed like a middle finger from Douglas that even he admitted and was going to correct with another book at some point, but died before it could happen. I have the soft leather tome collection without that book and I'm happy with it that way as the previous book ended the way it should have ended, IMO). I would have loved to see where he was going with the movie rewrites though (I actually loved seeing Arthur end up with Zooey's Trillian and I'm sad the Restaurant at the End of the Universe sequel will never get made now. Many didn't like that movie, though so it might have not made it anyway. I think you just needed the book background to enjoy it and I seeing I'm getting off track....
Yeah - farce is a different beast. It's roots go back farther. It escews adventure and has a childlike feel, but with a hint of pantomime. It's a "naughty but nice" humor, more Benny Hill than Red Dwarf. It's daft, silly, and the plots are quite simple. On the other hand, it's anarchic, fast paced, and ever so slightly naughty (in a 1930's kind of way). It's a "What the Butler Saw" type of experience. Honestly, if you didn't like the first 30 minutes then I don't think you'll like the rest. It's not a movie that changes tone at all. Gags are recycled endlessly (which is what makes it funny, since the audience are in the know and aware than the performers). Personally I have a real soft spot for a well done farce. This movie is great partly because it's so "stagey". Still, each to their own!
It actually got better for me after the first 30 minutes (since that was the run-through to get an idea of what was supposed to happen, more or less). I did laugh out loud pretty good one time and that was when the three burglars came through the window in Cleveland.
The 1997 Japanese anime adaptation of The Dog of Flanders. It was released on DVD a long time ago in an edited, English dub-only version but that's it. I have a VHS copy of the unedited film in Japanese w/ subtitles. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0304072/ Regards,, Dave
Reuben Reuben...a great film from 1983, Tom Conti was nominated for an Academy Award as best actor in a leading role. It's extremely odd that there isn't a current DVD or Blu Ray release, maybe it's a rights issue? Reuben, Reuben - Wikipedia
Ordinary People Due at the end of March from Paramount. Director Robert Redford had a hand in the restoration.
The Happy Time (1952): TCM broadcasted this film a few years ago over the Thanksgiving holiday, and I haven't been able to find it on any home video release since then, even VHS. IMHO, this one's just too good to be languishing in obscurity, so hopefully a DVD/Blu-Ray will eventually materialize or perhaps TCM could make it an annual showcase (I'm not really counting on either scenerio).
Here is one I remember watching a lot on my youth. HBO must have played it 50 times or more. I suspect it might not have been a particularly good movie but I wouldn't mind giving it a watch again, just for old times sake. It doesn't seem to have been released on home video in the U.S. at all, I can't find it anywhere, even on streaming.
Sorry all I'm just getting onto this thread. Wavelength is a great sci-fi movie. Fantastic story and minimal special effects needed. Cherie Currie was the biggest surprise in my opinion. I just picked this up on laserdisc.
Great movie, one of my favorites as a headbanger in the 80s. I lucked into the small DVD run when it came out. Yes it deserves a HD release.
If you were to get a HD or Blu-ray of this it would probably suffer from the Disney censors adding CG hair over Daryl's butt like on Disney +.
