"Kooper Session: Al Kooper Introduces Shuggie Otis" by AL KOOPER and SHUGGIE OTIS (2007 Repertoire CD Remaster Of The Rare 1970 US Album) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Double Or Nothing..."

An impossibly cool album from the beginnings of 1970 (recorded in 1969) - and one that’s too bleeding difficult by far to find on original vinyl LP anyway – this fantastic CD reissue comes to our Bluesy rescue in 2014.

Originally released July 2007 (reissued 2014) - "Kooper Session: Al Kooper Introduces Shuggie Otis" by ALL KOOPER and SHUGGIE OTIS on Repertoire RES 2336 (Barcode 40009910233627) comes in natty CD card digipak repro sleeve and breaks down as follows (40:46 minutes):

THE SONGS (Side 1):

1. Bury My Body [Al Kooper song] - Al Kooper on Organ, Piano & Lead Vocals, Shuggie Otis On Guitar, The Harris Robinson Singers on Backing Vocals

2. Double Or Nothing [Instrumental cover of a Booker T. & The M.G.'s song from 1967] - Al Kooper on Organ, Mark "Moogy" Klingman on Piano, Shuggie Otis On Guitar

3. One Room Country Shack [Cover of a 1949 Blues song on Specialty Records by Mercy Dee Walton] - Al Kooper on Organ, Guitar & Lead Vocals, Shuggie Otis On Guitar

4. Lookin' For A Home [Cover of a 1961 Blues Song by 'Little Buster' Forehand]

THE BLUES (Side 2):

1. 12:15 Slow Goonbash Blues [Al Kooper & Shuggie Otis song] - Al Kooper on Organ and Piano, Mark "Moogy" Klingman on Piano, Shuggie Otis On Guitar

2. Shuggie's Old Time Dee-Di-Lee-Di-Leet-Deet Slide Boogie [Al Kooper & Shuggie Otis song] - Al Kooper on Piano, Shuggie Otis On Guitar

3. Shuggie's Shuffle [Al Kooper & Shuggie Otis song] - Al Kooper on Organ and Piano, Mark "Moogy" Klingman on Piano, Shuggie Otis On Guitar

Tracks 1 to 7 are the album "Kooper Session - Al Kooper Introduces Shuggie Otis" which was first released in January 1970 in the USA on Columbia Records CS-9951 and a few months later on CBS Records S 63979 in the UK.

"Kooper Session" featured a sensational new guitar prodigy called Johnny "Shuggie" Otis Jnr - son of the Fifties Rhythm 'n' Blues legend Johnny Otis - playing alongside Al Kooper and a group of complementary blues musicians (see credits above).

Capitalizing on his success with Stephen Stills, Mike Bloomfield and the first Blood, Sweat & Tears LP, Al Kooper was not only able to get the 15-year old Shuggie signed to a major label - he then produced and played on his debut album - and used his more famous name to get Shuggie noticed. Loose and even ramshackle in places, the record showcased the young wire-haired Californian guitar player and his extraordinarily accomplished playing. And it was hip and bluesy too...

The inner-flap of the digipak reproduces the Al Kooper liner notes on the rear of the original American album, while the 8-page booklet features in-the-studio photos of the session with new notes by respected UK music-writer CHRIS WELCH.

Side One was called "The Songs" and featured structured tunes - mostly blues covers - but Side Two called "The Blues" was instrumental loose jams (you can literally hear Shuggie say "...Take 1..." at the beginning of the superb instrumental "12:15 Slow Goonbash Blues"). Stu Woods from the group ARS NOVA played Bass, while Mark Klingman played organ and piano (would later become "Moogy" Klingman in TODD RUNDGREN'S UTOPIA) - but most of the time it was a duet guitar/vocal blues battle between Al Kooper and Shuggie Otis. The false 78" crackle added onto to National Steel Guitar blues of "Shuggie's Old Time..." may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but it sounds gimmicky now and gets in the way of hearing the great guitar chops on show...

It doesn't say who did the remaster, but the sound is superb - full and none too trebled to the nines for effect. One or two of the tracks on Side 1 are a little hissy but I suspect that reflects the loose nature of the original recordings. Stateside they even tried a 7" single edit of "Bury My Body" (lyrics above) with "One Room Country Shack" as its B-side - but it made little headway. The album was well received though and paved the way for his solo debut proper - 1970's superlative "Here Comes Shuggie Otis".

"Kooper Session" is a good bluesy-based album and this reissue is a very reasonable way of getting a now hard-to-find vinyl album (especially in the UK)...

"For The Children" by LABI SIFFRE. A Review Of His 1973 LP On Pye Records Now Reissued And Remastered Onto A 2006 UK EMI CD.

LABI SIFFRE is part of my Series "SOUNDS GOOD: Exceptional CD Remasters 1970s Rock And Pop" Download Book available to buy on Amazon to either your PC or Mac (it will download the Kindle software to read the book for free to your toolbar). Click on the link below to go my Author's Page for this and other related publications:

                       http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00LQKMC6I

"….If You Have Faith…Then That’s All You Need…"

Labi Siffre's 4th album "For The Children" was released in the UK on the Pye Label in 1973 (NSPL 28182). Its predecessor "Crying Laughing Loving Lying" contained the two huge hits "It Must Be Love" and the album title track "Crying Laughing Loving Lying", so the LP charted reasonably well. "For The Children" was the follow-up album but it had no hit singles in its 10 tracks, so failed to dent even the Top 50. It is - and has been for years - difficult to find on vinyl. This is its first proper release ever on CD anywhere in the world and I consider it to be a bit of a lost classic.

The original gatefold sleeve artwork makes up the first and last page on the booklet of this June 2006 EMI CD Remaster - with the family snapshots collage that was the inside of the gatefold reproduced as the centre pages in the booklet - a nice touch. The lyric insert that came with original copies is also reproduced.

Born in London in 1945 to a Belgian/Barbadian mum and Nigerian father, Labi had his demos sent to a music publisher in late 1969 which resulted in a publishing contract and the recording and release of his first album on Pye Records early in 1970 (Pye Records at that time was home to The Kinks and Status Quo). His style for the first 5 albums he did on Pye is more singer-songwriter than soulster, though the tracks themselves are often very soulful in their nature - sort of a Bill Withers meets Gilbert O'Sullivan vibe. Many were just him and his acoustic guitar and his high falsetto voice. He's often lumped in with easy-listening here in the UK, which does his superb song-writing talents a huge disservice - and like Gilbert O'Sullivan, he is another 'soft' songwriter of the Seventies not given nearly enough credit for his brilliance in penning a truly touching tune, but beloved still by fans and those who like their singers to be on the side of Gordon Lightfoot and James Taylor.

Increasingly his songs are being name-checked and used by R'n'B soul boys of the last few years who have realized that Labi's songs offer a wealth of good source material - KAYNE WEST sampled "My Song" from "Crying Laughing Loving Lying" on his "I Wonder" track from 2007's "Graduation", while both JAY-Z and EMINEM have famously sampled the stunning bass break that happens half way through "I Got The..." (deliberately spelt that way) on "Remember My Song" from 1975.

Tracks 1-10 make up the original album with Track 11 "So What!" being the sole bonus track (previously unreleased on CD, it hails from 1975). All songs are written by Siffre (included the extra track) and are uniformly excellent. I've bought all 5 of his Pye Label albums in this re-issue series and the REMASTERED SOUND QUALITY IS SUPERB ON ALL - amazingly clear - none of the hiss and muddiness that went with previous budget label issues.

The liner notes though are a little strange - each issue repeats the same notes from Siffre himself instead of say, an ongoing interview. I don't want the same notes 5 times! There is, however, a few extra notes on the album in hand and the nature of the bonus track/tracks.

Songs like the inspirational and moving "If You Have Faith" (lyrics above) and the Hey Jude feel of the nine-minute epic "Let's Pretend" have languished in obscurity for far too long. But what most fans, however, will thrill too - is the fabulous remastering sound job EMI has done on each release. Beautifully clear – muscular – this CD is a revelation. I've treasured this album along with his others for years on vinyl, and to finally hear it given this kind of sound quality is a joy. "Odds & Ends" and the short but oh so sweet "Prayer" have never sounded this good. An album that is ripe for rediscovery I reckon.

Each title is mid price too and can be picked up for next to nothing online. Highly recommended!

PS: The other original Seventies albums in this series are:
1. Labi Siffre (1970 debut)
2. The Singer & The Song (1971, his second album)
3. Crying Laughing Loving Lying (1972, his 3rd album) (SEE REVIEW)
4. Remember My Song (March 1975, his fifth album)
("Remember My Song" contains the funky track "I Got The..." sampled by EMINEM on his "My Name Is" chart hit)

There was one last album in the Seventies for EMI called "Happy?" released in November 1975 - it's 10-tracks are available on CD, but under another name. The EMI compilation that they’re on is called "The World Of..." and it also contains part of the "Remember My Song" album. Siffre retired for a few years, but then returned in 1987 with "(Something Inside) So Strong" on China Records, a magnificent Anti-Apartheid anthem and as moving a song as you're ever likely to hear.

In this re-issue campaign, there's also "The Last Songs" CD. It was recorded and released quietly in 1998, it's a live set of NEW songs and is also re-released as a Remaster - and along with the "Best Of" set that preceded the whole campaign, all 7 CDs were released in 2006.

PPS: His website is fascinating also - packed with poetry, political observations, extremely active fan exchanges etc... Check it out on www.intothelight.info

"Nils Lofgren" by NILS LOFGREN. A Review Of His Superb 1975 Debut LP On A&M Records Now Reissued And Remastered Onto CD By Hip-O Select In 2007.

This review is part of my Series "SOUNDS GOOD: Exceptional CD Remasters 1970s Rock And Pop" Download Book available to buy on Amazon to either your PC or Mac (it will download the Kindle software to read the book for free to your toolbar). Click on the link below to go my Author's Page for this and other related publications:

                       http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00LQKMC6I

"…It’s Got My Heart Inside…The Postage Is My Soul…"

After 3 albums with GRIN on Epic Records, Nils Lofgren finally released his first solo album on A&M Records in March 1975 in the USA (SP-4509) and April 1975 in the UK (AMLH 64509). Lofgren handled all Guitars, Lead & Backing Vocals, Keyboards and Organ on his self-titled debut, while WORNELL JONES supplied the Bass and AYNSLEY DUNBAR the Drums. And a little Seventies gem it is too…

First up though - be careful you get the right version - Amazon UK wrongly credits this October 2007 American CD reissue as being by RYKODISC – it’s not – it’s a HIP-O SELECT release. Second - neither the title on Amazon nor the outside packaging nor the rear inlay mentions the all-important REMASTER word - and Mark Omann at Universal has remastered the album and to beautiful effect.

"Nils Lofgren" has 12 tracks, 11 originals and a stunning cover of Goffin/King's "Goin' Back" - first unleashed on the world by the BYRDS on their 1968 album "The Notorious Byrd Brothers". Carole King herself did a version of it on her 1970 debut solo album "Writer: Carole King", but Lofgren's take is altogether different - a sort of funky piano version that is fantastic - making it much more up-tempo and positive (for those interested, the expanded piano version on Lofgren's 1977 live double "Night After Night" is also a stunning highlight).

For such a famously fluid guitar player capable of making the hairs on your arms stand up with his flourishes and deft touch, there’s surprisingly little guitar pyrotechnics on the album (“Keith Don’t Go” (lyrics above) and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Crook” are notable exceptions).
It’s more about the songs. The total playing time is only 35:07 minutes, so the songs are short and sweet – but man are they good…

The slightly fuzzed-up guitar opener "Be Good Tonight" gives way to the band kicking in on "Back It Up". And it’s then that you begin to notice the sonic upgrade. Tracks like "I Don’t Want To Know", "The Sun Hasn’t Set On This Boy Yet" and the pre Mink DeVille street-hustle of "Two By Two" now sound full and clear – the remaster imbibing them with real muscle.

On the downside, it’s a damn shame that the inlay is merely a gatefold slip of paper with the most rudimentary details (the original album artwork was pretty much a bare-bones affair too) - and worse – there’s no tasty outtakes or bonus tracks. An opportunity missed there.

Still - I love this album - I played it to death then and I’ll do so again now.

"Nils Lofgren" is a great Seventies LP finally given the sonic upgrade on CD it’s needed for decades. Buy this US import with confidence.

PS: see also my separate reviews for his 2nd and 3rd solo albums - "Cry Tough" (1976) and "I Came To Dance" (1977) – now also reissued by Hip-O Select on remasters

"The Lake House". A Review Of The 2006 Film On BLU RAY.

"…Dear Tenant…Welcome To Your New Home…"

PRINT/EXTRAS:
1080p High Definition Print in 16 x 9 - 2.4:1 Aspect Ratio
(will fill your screen without too much stretching).
There's "Additional Scenes And Outtakes" as a bonus and a "Theatrical Trailer"

AUDIO:
Dolby Digital English 5.1, French 5.1, German 5.1 and English 2.0 Audio Descriptive Service

SUBTITLES:
English, French and German

I had “The Lake House” on the now defunct HD-DVD format to have Alejandro Agresti’s gently persuasive film in High Definition – and it looked beautiful. This Blu Ray is the exactly the same – right down to how the menus are laid out - and there’s a superbly clear print also.

Some people have said Keanu can't act for snitz (he plays frustrated architect and suburban home-builder Alex Wyler), but I don't know if that actually matters here, because his quite effortless charm carries it off very nicely indeed. Sandra Bullock is excellent as always as the caring but lonely doctor Kate Forster who is new in town and a bit out of sorts with the world (there is a believable chemistry between them).

The support roles are nicely fleshed out too - the ever-accomplished Christopher Plummer is superb as Keanu's distant and overly-precise architect dad (who built "The Lake House") and the deeply beautiful Iranian actress Shoreh Aghdashloo plays Anna the head of ward in Kate’s hospital. The boss/doctor relationship between them is deftly handled – both in the work scenes, in the lunch-breaks and in the bars after work…

People have also poo-pooed the 'letters across time' storyline of Kate in 2006 and Alex in 2004, but I found it refreshing and a very clever angle in a romantic film that takes its time - and savours the lovely moments rather than squander them.

"The Lake House" is a nice watch - and the Blu Ray print adds hugely to the cityscapes of downtown Chicago and the out-of-state location shots too. It may be a little too pat in places and even sedate for some – but I liked it – and thoroughly enjoyed watching it again.

And not a black leather suit, bug coming out of your navel or bendy bullet in sight...

Recommended.

"Crying Laughing Loving Lying" by LABI SIFFRE. A Review Of His Breakthrough 1972 Album On Pye Now Given An 2006 CD Remaster BY EMI With Bonus Tracks.

This review is part of my Series "SOUNDS GOOD: Exceptional CD Remasters 1970s Rock And Pop" Download Book available to buy on Amazon to either your PC or Mac (it will download the Kindle software to read the book for free to your toolbar). Click on the link below to go my Author's Page for this and other related publications:

                       http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00LQKMC6I

"...I Just Want You To Be With Me...Now And Then Will Do..."

Labi's 3rd album was released in the UK on the Pye Label in October of 1972 (NSPL 28163). The gatefold sleeve complete with its lyric insert is reproduced on this EMI June 2006 CD reissue. Tracks 1-12 make up the original album, while the remaining tracks (13 to 18) are bonus unreleased material (b-sides of 7" singles and albums outtakes). All songs (including the bonus material) are written by Labi. I've bought all 5 of his Pye Label albums in this reissue series and the remastered sound is truly superb on all - amazingly clear - none of the hiss and muddiness that went with previous budget label issues.

Born in London in 1945 to a Belgian/Barbadian mum and Nigerian father, Labi had his demos sent to a music publisher in late 1969 which resulted in a publishing contract and the recording and release of his first album on Pye Records early in 1970 (Pye Records at that time was home to The Kinks and Status Quo). His style for the first 5 albums he did on Pye is more singer-songwriter than soulster, though the tracks themselves are often very soulful in their nature - sort of a Bill Withers meets Gilbert O'Sullivan vibe. Many were just him and his acoustic guitar and his high falsetto voice. He's often lumped in with easy-listening here in the UK, which does his superb song-writing talents a huge disservice - and like Gilbert O'Sullivan, he is another 'soft' songwriter of the Seventies not given nearly enough credit for his brilliance in penning a truly touching tune, but beloved still by fans and those who like their singers to be on the side of Gordon Lightfoot and James Taylor.

Increasingly his songs are being name-checked and used by R'n'B soul boys of the last few years who have realized that Labi's songs offer a wealth of good source material - KAYNE WEST sampled "My Song" from "Crying Laughing Loving Lying" on his "I Wonder" track from 2007's "Graduation", while both JAY-Z and EMINEM have famously sampled the stunning bass break that happens half way through "I Got The..." (deliberately spelt that way) on "Remember My Song" from 1975.

The liner notes though are a little strange - each issue repeats the same notes from Siffre himself instead of say, an ongoing interview. I don't want the same notes 5 times! There is, however, a few extra notes on the album in hand and the nature of the bonus tracks. And the artwork inserts for all albums are as per the original LP - tasteful. One real quibble with the "Crying..." issue is the EXCLUSION of his fabulous 7"-only "Watch Me" from July of that year - which is available ONLY on the "Best Of" compilation that preceded these releases. Bit of a bummer that - there was plenty of room on the disc. Still, it's only a quibble.

Tracks like the lovely "Fool Me A Goodnight" (lyrics above), "Hotel Room Song" and "My Song" have languished in obscurity for far too long. But what most fans, however, will thrill too - is the fabulous remastering sound job EMI has done on each release (doesn't say who did what). Beautifully clear - muscular, but never too hissy. I've treasured this album for years on vinyl, and to finally hear it given this kind of sound quality is a joy. "It Must Be Love" and the beautiful title track "Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying" have never sounded this good. An album that's ripe for rediscovery. Each title is mid price too and can be picked up for next to nothing online.

Return to these forgotten Seventies albums, you'll be glad you did...

PS: The other original Seventies albums in this series are:
1. Labi Siffre (1970 debut LP)
2. The Singer & The Song (1971, his second album)
3. For The Children (1973, his 4th album) (see SEPARATE REVIEW)
4. Remember My Song (March 1975, his fifth album)
("Remember My Song" contains the funky track "I Got The..." sampled by EMINEM on his "My Name Is" chart hit)

There was one last album in the Seventies for EMI called "Happy?" released in November 1975 - it's 10-tracks are available on CD, but under another name. The EMI compilation that they’re on is called "The World Of..." and it also contains part of the "Remember My Song" album. Siffre retired for a few years, but then returned in 1987 with "(Something Inside) So Strong" on China Records, a magnificent Anti-Apartheid anthem and as moving a song as you're ever likely to hear.

In this re-issue campaign, there's also "The Last Songs" CD. It was recorded and released quietly in 1998, it's a live set of NEW songs and is also re-released as a Remaster - and along with the "Best Of" set that preceded the whole campaign, all 7 CDs were released in 2006.

PPS: His website is fascinating also - packed with poetry, political observations, extremely active fan exchanges etc... Check it out on www.intothelight.info

"Kelly's Heroes". A Review Of The 1970 Film Now Reissued On A June 2010 Blu Ray.

"…It’s A Beautiful Tank…"

Released in US cinemas in March 1970, “M.A.S.H.” had already made both Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould huge stars among the young audiences of the day – so June 1970 saw two more irreverent Second World War movies follow suit - “Catch-22” and the hugely entertaining “Kelly’s Heroes” (also starring Sutherland in another scene-stealing role).

The story goes like this - in a retreat from a German advance in France, Lieutenant Kelly (Eastwood) stumbles on a German Officer carrying a briefcase - and on getting him drunk on brandy in a barn during a bombing barrage – he unwittingly tells of a vast shipment of bullion. And better still his papers provide the location of the booty and the military protection allocated to it. Kelly twigs the opportunity immediately - and goes back to camp the next morning to recruit a squad of grubby reprobates to go after the 14,000 crates in a German-occupied town containing $1.6 million dollars worth of gold bars. And on it goes to a bank in a town and a standoff with a German Tank officer with squinty eyes who may or may not be as ‘gold-struck’ as his American counterparts. It’s all highly implausible of course, but who cares when you’re having this much fun…

As the movie opens to the horribly dated "Burning Bridges" theme song (the rest of Lalo Schifrin’s score is excellent) – the first 20 minutes are entirely shot at night and a lesser Blu Ray would have fallen down badly at this point (see my reviews for "Ronin" and "2010 - The Year We Make Contact"). But thankfully "Kelly's Heroes" doesn’t. Even as the credits roll in red German lettering, it’s very obvious that the whole print has been restored and while it isn’t state-of-the-art picture quality (the focus is often very loose) - at times it does looks glorious. For the most part it’s a huge improvement and really adds to your enjoyment of the movie.

Directed by Brian D. Hutton (who had done "Where Eagles Dare" with Eastwood in 1968) and wittily written by Troy Kennedy-Martin, the MGM casting also featured some genius choices. And while Clint is undoubtedly the leading man and the big-league Hollywood star here – his crown was firmly stolen by the rest of his misfit squad. Donald Sutherland effortlessly grabs the badge of cool for his portrayal of Oddball the wisest hippy in Normandy (dialogue above). Then there’s the loud-mouthed hard-on Telly Savalas (Kojak was a short stop away) as Staff Sergeant Big Joe trying to keep his boys from being killed by keeping them loose (“Where’s the booze! Where’s the broads! Where’s the action!”). There’s the mechanical Sherman tank magician Gavin MacLeod as Moriarty (Oddball’s sidekick with his ‘negative vibes’) and the canny trickster Don Rickles as Crapgame – the procurer of all things illegal. Carroll O’Connor as the naïve General Colt who overhears Kelly’s radio transmissions and thinks his boys are being brave and spearheading an advance behind enemy lines. Throw in the rest of the grunts (even Harry Dean Stanton has a notable minor role – “My hair’s in curlers!”) and you’re on a winner.

You also forget how many funny scenes there were in it – Telly’s brother George Savalas rant as Mulligan - the man who constantly drops bombs on his own troops - losing his head with Kelly when he asks him for an illegal barrage - the wasted crews of Oddball’s three Sherman tanks sunning themselves under makeshift canopies as one of them does the rounds and pours out coffee into their cups to sober them up – Telly Savalas telling his men to do up a bombed-out house to look like a nightclub – Oddball arriving at the bridge – “It’s still up!” Then a US fighter flies in low and blows it up. “No it ain’t!” Karl-Otto Alberty as the SS Tank Officer in the town of Clermont who finally open his eyes when he hears what his men and machines have been unwittingly guarding in the bank behind him…

This isn’t “Band Of Brothers” or “Pacific” where every GI seems like a model with dirt strategically applied to their cheeks – these actors aren’t pretty – their faces and bodies are drawn from the real world – they’re full of character and oddity - and their consistent irreverence for authority gives the whole thing a gritty realism throughout. You root for these guys and their cheeky opportunism…

The really big let down is the complete lack of extras – no commentaries, no making of, no post interviews – it’s a real shame because they would have added so much to what has always been a perennial favourite among film fans. But as it’s pitched at a tenner – and given that the print is looking the business, I still think its great value for money.

The League Of Decency will poo-poo it, the Vatican will excommunicate it, but any movie that has characters called Oddball and Crapgame in its ranks gets my vote.

“Kelly’s Heroes” is a blast on Blu Ray - and its recommended like a Sherman shell up the ass of a Tiger Tank…

PRINT/EXTRAS:
1080p High Definition 16x9 2.4:1 Aspect Ratio. Theatrical Trailer (no other extras).

AUDIO:
DTS-HD Master Audio, English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Castilian Spanish 2.0 Mono, French 1.0. German 1.0, Italian 1.0

SUBTITLES:
English, Castilian Spanish, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin Spanish, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish

“Intolerable Cruelty”. A Review Of The 2003 Film Now Reissued On A 2011 BLU RAY.

"…It’s A Challenge…"

As Donovan Donaly (Geoffrey Rush) drives along a sun-drenched palm-tree-lined avenue in suburban California in his Jaguar Coupe, ponytail bobbing in the gentle breeze, he is smugly singing along to Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer”. The lyrics speak of loose ladies on Seventh Avenue in New York and the broke fighter partaking of their flesh in weaker moments. When he gets into his house, he finds his wife Bonnie (Stacey Travis) is doing just that - having it off with Ollie the pool man - a stoner with erection problems who says ‘man’ all the time. A fight ensues and Donovan has the spikes of his Daytime Television Lifetime Achievement Award rammed into his fleshy backside. Gunshots are fired…the guilty parties speed off…and as he giggles manically, Donovan takes Polaroids of his bloody posterior for divorce-battle evidence. It then goes into the opening credits - cartoon cupids tying each other to trees and behaving very badly indeed - as the cautionary words of Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” counter the cheesy yet somehow romantic Valentine’s Day visuals.
It’s very witty stuff…it’s very Coens.

And now in early 2011, “Intolerable Cruelty” arrives on a Universal Blu Ray - and I for one am loving it.

George Clooney plays Miles Massey, a legendarily effective but bored divorce lawyer - and Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Marilyn Rexroth – a beautiful and skilled socialite who marries rich older-men - and not necessarily for their conversational skills. When Miles encounters Marilyn in his offices with another divorce lawyer Freddy Bender (a superb Richard Jenkins - the father in Six Feet Under), there is an obvious fascination and attraction between them. Miles then exposes her scam with Rex Rexroth, Marilyn starts another one – and then ensues a game of mental cat and mouse. But in the ultimate game of 'life and love' - who is actually winning what?

Despite the mixed reviews it received at the time (and it still divides fans now), I’ve always liked “Intolerable Cruelty”. Even if you don’t think it works as a cohesive whole, there’s a lot to enjoy in the spaces in-between. To start with there’s rare and genuine chemistry between Clooney and Jones who both manage to be attractive, sappy, witty and ruthless all at the same time. Clooney in particular is fantastic. In his scenes with Stacey Travis and Edward Herrmann (dialogue above), he shows superlative comedic acting chops. When George is given good material like this, he’s just ‘so’ good at it - very Cary Grant.

The lesser roles too are many and brilliant. There’s a scene-stealing Cedric The Entertainer as Gus Petch (“I’m gonna nail yo’ ass!”), Edward Herrmann as Rex Rexroth the elderly executive who has a passion for women in underwear mimicking the sound of Choo Choo trains, Billy Bob Thornton as Howard D. Doyle the ah-shucks oil tycoon who eats a cast-iron marriage contract to prove his love to Marilyn (her next victim), Jonathan Hadary as the wonderfully camp Heinz, The Baron Von Espy (“is that silly man in this courtroom today…”) and Tom Aldredge as the truly grotesque Herb Myerson - owner of the law-firm Miles works for – who is on a life–support machine and still spluttering on about ‘billable hours’ through a voice box (what Miles fears he will become).

The dialogue is so cleverly choreographed too. Take the scene where Miles is sat beside a client in a courtroom with his long-suffering law associate Wrigley sat at the other end of the table (Paul Adelstein). While another lawyer cross-examines the stone-faced elderly wife of their client (a brilliantly cast Judith Drake), Miles is twittering on about boredom creeping into his life. The dialogue ping-pongs between his list of material wealth and its vacuous trappings back to her hilarious statements about claiming to be her husband’s “…sexual slave for 36 years…” The lawyer presses for more details, she replies ”…he made a gizmo out of the vacuum-cleaner called “The Intruder”…the vacuum-cleaner was unavailable to me for several months…” The other lawyer shakes his head in mock shock “… several months without the appliance…” It’s ball-breakingly funny stuff and very Joel and Ethan Coen.

Which brings us to the print – which I’m glad to say is a massive improvement over the DVD. It’s in 1.85:1 aspect so it immediately fills the screen (no stretching) and right from the opening shots of the sunlight glinting on Donovan’s front windscreen, the clarity takes you aback. Even when Clooney and Jones are having dinner in a restaurant at night (indoor night scenes are notorious for shading and blocking), the clarity is spot-on - and Catherine looks truly beautiful. The real shame is the complete lack of extras – but as it’s pitched at less than a tenner brand new – I’m still pleased with the purchase.

“Intolerable Cruelty” is a Coen Brothers movie you should ‘rediscover’ – and the new Blu Ray format is the place to do it.

And remember boys, the absence of a prenuptial agreement in a divorce settlement - is the gift that just keeps on giving…ouch!

PRINT:
1080p High Definition Widescreen, Aspect 1.85:1 (fills the screen immediately on play)
AUDIO:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Latin American, Spanish DTS Surround 5.1
SUBTITLES:
English SDH (Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing), French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, Greek, Korean, Latin American Spanish, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish and Traditional Mandarin