Search - Lenny on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Profanity, Sexual Situations Movie Release: 1974 DVD Release: 04/16/2002 Format: DVD - Black and White,Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 51 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 10 Genres: Drama, Biopic [feature], Showbiz Drama

Adapted by Julian Barry from his own Broadway play, Lenny manages to be both brutally frank and highly romanticized in detailing the short life and career of influential, controversial stand-up comedian Lenny Bruce. The chronology hops, skips and jumps between Lenny (Dustin Hoffman) in his prime and the burned-out, strung-out performer who, in the twilight of his life, used his nightclub act to pour out his personal frustrations at great, boring length. We watch as up-and-coming comic Bruce courts his "Shiksa goddess," a stripper named Honey (Valerie Perrine). With family responsibilities, Lenny is encouraged to do a "safe," conformist act, but he can't do it. Constantly in trouble for flouting obscenity laws, Lenny develops a near-messianic complex, which fuels both his comedy genius and his talent for self-destruction. Worn out by a lifetime of tilting at Establishment windmills, Lenny Bruce died of a drug overdose in 1966. Director Bob Fosse chose to film Lenny in black-and-white, giving the film the texture of a documentary. Though a film as verbally graphic as Lenny could not have been made when the real Lenny Bruce was alive, audiences in 1974 responded, to the tune of an $11 million gross. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dustin Hoffman - Lenny Bruce
Valerie Perrine - Honey Bruce
Jan Miner - Sally Marr
Stanley Beck - Artie Silver
Gary Morton - Sherman Hart

Bob Fosse's stark biopic of famed comedian Lenny Bruce, Lenny, comes to DVD with a pair of transfers. The widescreen anamorphic transfer preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and is preferable in every way to the standard full-frame transfer. English and French soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital Mono. English, French, and Spanish subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials are limited to the original theatrical trailer. MGM/UA has done an acceptable if less than breathtaking job with this DVD. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide