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Stan & Ollie (Blu-ray) review

Stan & Ollie (Blu-ray) review
« on: March 30, 2019, 02:15:49 AM »


Studio: Sony
Release Date: March 26, 2019
Rating: PG
Film: 5/5

Plot
Laurel & Hardy, one of the world’s great comedy teams, set out on a variety hall tour of Britain in 1953. Diminished by age and with their golden era as the kings of Hollywood comedy now behind them, they face an uncertain future. As the charm and beauty of their performances shines through, they re-connect with their adoring fans.
 
 The tour becomes a hit, but Stan & Ollie can’t quite shake the specter of Laurel and Hardy’s past; the long-buried ghosts, coupled with Oliver’s failing health, start to threaten their precious partnership. A portrait of the most tender and poignant of creative marriages, they are aware that they may be approaching their swan song, trying to rediscover just how much they mean to each other.


My Thoughts
I had heard nothing but great things about this film and eagerly anticipated watching it. Needless to say, it met every one of my high expectations. In fact, it’s one of the best films I’ve seen the past year if not even longer. The performances are excellent, particularly by Steve Coogan, who plays the iconic actor/comedian Stan Laurel. Watching him on screen gave me chills because he captured the real-life man perfectly in every respect. John C. Reilly is Oliver Hardy and went through a painstaking process each day in the makeup chair in order to look the part.

As my friend Barry said recently, this is the type of movie that is disappearing in Hollywood because it doesn’t bring in a billion dollars from the global box office but it’s the type of film that made me love the movies in the first place as a kid. It tells you a story in an entertaining way, gives you characters the love, and transports you to another place for a couple of hours leaving the real world behind. There are no politics at all, just good, clean fun.

Video 4.5/5

Audio 4/5 (DTS-MA 5.1)

Special Features:

  • Four Featurettes

    • “Making Stan & Ollie”
    • “Playful Prosthetics”
    • “The Dancing Duo”
    • “Q&A with Cast and Crew”
  • Three Deleted Scenes



Conclusion
It’s rare that I rate a film a 5/5, but this film earned it. It’s a great way to spend an evening and will even bring a tear or two to your eyes as you see the love these two iconic men had for each other and it showed in their performances. Coogan and Reilly bring them back to life and it’s a film I can’t recommend highly enough. Buy it on Blu-ray.


Blu-ray Reviewer / Technical Writer
Sound & Vision Magazine

Barry

  • *****
  • 843
Re: Stan & Ollie (Blu-ray) review
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2019, 12:00:52 PM »
 This is one great movie. I mentioned to David that this, and Green Book, were my favorites for last year. I saw them in the theatre.
 
But these are the movies being pushed out by the bigger ones.  In my neck of the woods it only played in small, older and uncomfortable theatres for a short time. It made very little money and got little publicity. But it is a wonderful, uplifting film about real friendship.
 
At my ten plex theatre, when Captain Marvel opened, it took over 6 theatres, forcing the smaller movies out.  Of course CM needed a Imax, an RPG, a 3D, and RPG #D and two regular theatres.
 
This is movie is everything a movie should be. It is true and absorbing.  I loved it.


McIntosh MX170 Controller: Projector JVC DLA-RS4100; Screen: Stuart StudioTek130: Amps: McIntosh MC-611(center),MC1.25KW (lf&rt);  Krell S-1500 Atmos/Surround; 4kDVD Panasonic UB9000; Speakers: Revel Ultima Salon 2, Ultima Voice 2, (Surround) W 990, Atmos C763L; Subs: SVS SB-13 Ultras;  Cable: 4K Verizon; Broadcast: Mediasonic HW-150PVR; Wiring: Shunyata; Apple TV,

TRainH2O

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  • 899
  • Analog guy living in a Digital world
Re: Stan & Ollie (Blu-ray) review
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2019, 12:03:19 PM »
This is the second rave review (you and Barry's) that I have read about this film.

It's a shame that good well-written films don't get more press as I never heard about this one until Barry mentioned it. It's on Redbox so I'm going to check it out. Thanks for the review.

tripplej

  • *****
  • 584
  • A goal without a plan is just a wish!
Re: Stan & Ollie (Blu-ray) review
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2019, 11:25:31 AM »
Thanks for the review. I will have to check it out. 5/5 is worth watching that is for sure. :)
Samsung UN75F8000 LED TV, NAD T-777 (7.2 Receiver), Oppo 103, Sony PS4, Panamax MR-5100, 7 Paradigm Reference series 8" in ceiling speakers (AMS-150R) - 30 degree tilting speakers, 2 Paradigm SE Sub, universal remote MX-450, universal advanced RF base station MRF-3501

Re: Stan & Ollie (Blu-ray) review
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2019, 03:48:03 PM »
Greetings,

You can me to the list. LOVED this movie..


Regards,

Barry

  • *****
  • 843
Re: Stan & Ollie (Blu-ray) review
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2019, 12:20:49 PM »
Here is my review, which I had put up when the movie was in theaters:

  This is another fine review you’ve gotten me into!

I loved this movie: This movie stars Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel and John C. Reilly as Oliver Hardy. It was Directed By Jon S. Baird and Written By Jeff Pope.
 
This is one terrific movie with two great performances. They are Laurel and Hardy.  The film begins, briefly, at the height of their career, where they are famous and financial stable.  It then quickly flashes through to 16 years later to the early 1950s, as the pair embark on an appearance tour in Europe, simply to raise money, they are broke.
 
Unlike today, when actors are smarter and better guided, the studios owned the films and the actors got nothing in releases and sales to the new Television networks and stations. The pair are exploited, but with no financial gain. (And kind of replaced by Abbott and Costello, who were to have similar economic.)
 
More than a buddy movie, it is a true love story of how friends  held it together and held up each other during good and terrible times. (I don’t mean to imply anything, both were happilyy married at the time.
 
You laugh as the duplicate many routines, perfectly. And they are also just funny people. But they ARE NOT LAUREL and HARDY off stage.


This a Green Book are my two favorite movies of the year.  Maybe of the last few years.  I give it 5 stars out of five stars too!

McIntosh MX170 Controller: Projector JVC DLA-RS4100; Screen: Stuart StudioTek130: Amps: McIntosh MC-611(center),MC1.25KW (lf&rt);  Krell S-1500 Atmos/Surround; 4kDVD Panasonic UB9000; Speakers: Revel Ultima Salon 2, Ultima Voice 2, (Surround) W 990, Atmos C763L; Subs: SVS SB-13 Ultras;  Cable: 4K Verizon; Broadcast: Mediasonic HW-150PVR; Wiring: Shunyata; Apple TV,

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