Turner Classic Movies Greatest Classic Films: Best Picture Winners

BY Robert BellPublished Feb 20, 2009

With a load of special features and cleaned up copies of some of the more famous Best Picture Oscar winners of all time, this Turner Classic Films collection is an affordable must-have for any serious film buff who doesn't already have the enclosed films in their collection. Including Casablanca, Mrs. Miniver, Gigi and An American in Paris, this pack covers the more politically charged WWII fare of the '40s, along with some decidedly lighter and more romantically fuelled films of the '50s. While many champion Casablanca as one of the greatest films of all time, with its infinite quotability and memorable romance, Mrs. Miniver proves to be an interesting film to re-watch, given its propaganda status and notorious influence over war efforts in the '40s. Included with Mrs. Miniver are a couple of surreal WWII-era shorts, Mr. Blabbermouth and For the Common Defence, along with a photo gallery and some Greer Garson Academy Awards footage. Casablanca includes a commentary track with critic Roger Ebert, as well as a track with Historian Rudy Behlmer and an introduction by Lauren Bacall. Gigi is the only film presented in widescreen, with 5.1 digital audio, as the others are all in their original standard format with mono sound. The Lerner and Loewe's musical also comes with a commentary track featuring historian Jeanine Basinger and actress Leslie Caron. The Million Dollar Nickel short attached proves highly amusing given modern inflation, as does the Tom & Jerry cartoon about invisibility cream. Arguably the weakest film of the bunch, at least by modern standards, An American in Paris includes a commentary track hosted by Patricia Ward Kelly that features interviews with just about every significant cast and crewmember involved in the film. A short film (Paris on Parade) and cartoon (Symphony in Slang) are included with this DVD as well. As far as offering context through cartoons and short films, along with great commentaries and supplements loaded with information, this is a solid collection for any film geek looking to learn a little bit more about the history of cinema.
(Warner)

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