Starring: Woody Allen, Martin Landau, Alan Alda, Caroline Aaron, Claire Bloom, Mia Farrow, Jerry Orbach, Sam Waterson
Director: Woody Allen
Distributed by: Twilight Time
Run Time: 104 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: Feb 11, 2014
Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars
I am a big embarrassed to say this but I have never seen “Crimes and Misdemeanors”. I am a huge Woody Allen fan though and I am pissed that it took so long to finally catch this amazing flick. I love how clever the film and witty this is. The cinematography was also a highlight courtesy of Sven Nykvist. It also packs some amazing performances from Landau and of course Allen. The story also had me thinking the entire time trying to figure out how the stories intertwined. This film has never been released on Blu-ray prior to this release and if you are a fan of Allen, this is a must purchase.
Official Premise: Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) is a rare combination of film noir and black comedy, about an esteemed New York ophthalmologist (Martin Landau) whose affair with a flight attendant (Anjelica Huston) puts the careful construct of his life in jeopardy. As he contemplates a permanent solution to his problems, we are also treated to an interwoven story about another kind of moral crisis: a struggling documentary filmmaker (Allen) considers selling out by making a doc about a Hollywood jackass (Alan Alda), with the situation further complicated by the appearance of an entrancing TV producer (Mia Farrow).
This Blu-ray release is an Screen Archives Entertainment Exclusive and is a Limited Edition release with only 3000 copies produced. The 1080p transfer looks amazing for a film that is now 25 years old. The DTS-HD MA 1.0 plays out ok but I noticed that I had issues with some of the dialogue and consistently adjusting the volume. In the special features section, there is not much here. I did enjoy the Isolated Music & Effects Track quite a bit and adds another level to watching the film. Lastly, there is the Original Theatrical Trailer included.