Guys & Dolls

This new Deluxe Edition is a disgrace to Sony Home Ent.
Yes, indeed! The booklet included is nice and glossy. Thanks! And the two documentaries added this time around are nice too. Thanks again! But what about the film itself? Has that been given the deluxe treatment as well?

Sad answer: Definitely NOT! As a matter of fact, this new "re-master" looks much worse than the previous DVD. That one was a very fuzzy non-anamorphic mess, but this new anamorphic one is just as fuzzy. In fact, when I put the old one in the zoom mode, there is no difference in focus and contrast whatsoever. And the colors are somewhat more warm and pleasant on the old edition. But worst of all, is that the new DVD is cropped on all four sides! There is quite a lot of more picture information available on the old disc, especially on top of the frame! So much for a Deluxe Edition! Shame on you, Sony/MGM-UA! Fans of this film - myself included - will have to keep the old DVD, and get this new one for the extras and the booklet. (The 2 stars above are for...

BEWARE THE BUTCHER...THIS RELEASE HAS BEEN ALTERED
For those uniformed potential buyers...note that the picture/aspect ratio for this specific release has been cropped (I've done identical scene comparisons with this deluxe release and the previous edition). In addition, the (2000) release is mislabeled (i.e. 2.35:1) and is actually presented in a 2.55:1 ratio (the original theatrical release format). Conversely, the deluxe edition (is labeled 2.55:1) and because of cropping, has been altered from the picture's original aspect ratio...in effect displaying a 2.35:1 image. The cropping issue has also been noted by other various reviewers, therefore confirming and/or lending credibility to this issue not being an isolated event.
In summmation...the product has been misrepresented. With this release, one does not get the complete picture...literally. I returned my deluxe edtion for a refund and will stay with my (2000) version, until the studio(s) or those responsible for a legitimate "deluxe" edtion will "do it right."

Brando in a musical? You bet!
A film by Joseph Mankiewicz

The image I have in my head of Marlon Brando is that of Vito Corleone in "The Godfather" and Terry Malloy in "On the Waterfront". The opportunity to see Brando in a musical was just too good to pass up. "Guys and Dolls" is a musical about gamblers and women, but the story is much better than that.

Nathan Detroit (Frank Sinatra) runs a high stakes craps game. Normally he does not have any trouble finding a location for the game, but the police is putting on the heat and nobody is willing to take the chance...nobody but one person who wants $1000 up front to host the game. All of the big mobsters are in town and they are looking for Nathan's craps game. Nathan makes a bet with Sky Masterson (Marlon Brando), a high roller who will bet on absolutely anything. The bet is that Sky cannot convince Sarah Brown (Jean Simmons) to go with him to Havana for the night. This may not seem like that big of a bet, but Sarah Brown works downtown at the mission...

Click to Editorial Reviews