
This is a bit lighter and fluffier than a lot of Minnelli musicals, but I like it and I feel like it's the kind of movie that could make a Judy Holliday fan of most anybody. After seeing it, I just wanted to watch more Judy. Be it BORN YESTERDAY or IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU, I just felt the need for more Judy. She has this remarkable everywoman quality about her that pulls you in and breaks your heart when she doesn't get what she's been seeking. She's the perfect guardian angel, an absolute down-to-earth delight and whenever I see one of her films, I always wish that she'd made more of them.
Supporting cast highlights include Frank Gorshin as a Brando-esque beatnik actor and Jean Stapleton as Judy's naive boss at the answering service.
Special Features:
-Featurette - "BELLS ARE RINGING: Just in Time"
-Outtake Musical Numbers "Is it a Crime?" and "My Guiding Star"
-Alternate Take of the song "The Midas Touch"
-Theatrical Trailer
Buy BELLS ARE RINGING on Blu-ray here:

Special Features:
-Featurette - "BELLS ARE RINGING: Just in Time"
-Outtake Musical Numbers "Is it a Crime?" and "My Guiding Star"
-Alternate Take of the song "The Midas Touch"
-Theatrical Trailer


In watching THE YAKUZA again, I started to feel some Sam Fuller vibes that I had overlooked the first few times. The basic story of an ex-G.I. returning to Japan after twenty years to see the woman he had fallen in love with during his WWII service really reminds me of something Fuller might have done. Fuller was certainly enamored with Japanese culture because of his military experiences and that came up a lot in his own films. Of course that ex-G.I. (Mitchum) isn't only going back to see his lady, he also has to help a friend with Yakuza troubles. It's a very East-meets-West, fish-out-of-water kinda thing. So though the film is interestingly talky in spots (much explaining of the way debts are paid and dealt with in Japanese culture), there's also some action to be enjoyed in smaller bursts. Guns, swords, hands getting chopped off and flying through the air - you know, the usual stuff you see in a Robert Mitchum movie! Mitchum is great here though. He's always worn his world weariness on his face and here it plays well in his expressions and his eyes. As much as his character thought he knew about this society's traditions and obligations, he still finds himself learning and eventually abiding by them throughout the course of the film. Really, if you're a Mitchum fan and you've not checked out much from his latter career, this is well worth your time folks. The transfer looks quite nice too!
Special Features:
-This disc features an old audio commentary from the late great Sydney Pollack. It's a good listen as he is a thoughtful and skilled craftsman and THE YAKUZA came relatively early in his directoring career. He speaks to the themes of the film, refers to a Robert Frost poem that inspired him, talks about Mitchum and what he was like to work with (which I found fascinating) among other things.
Also included is a Vintage Featurette called "...Promises to Keep" that runs about 20 minutes which features a lot of Sydney Pollack on set working on the movie and plus has some footage of Japan shot around the time the film was made.
Also included is a Vintage Featurette called "...Promises to Keep" that runs about 20 minutes which features a lot of Sydney Pollack on set working on the movie and plus has some footage of Japan shot around the time the film was made.
1 comment:
The Yakuza is a great movie. So much subtext.
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