Search - The Cat's Meow on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG-13 Content Advisory: Mild Violence, Adult Situations, Sexual Situations, Drug Content Movie Release: 2001 DVD Release: 08/20/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 52 mins Studio: Lions Gate Members Wishing: 2 Genres: Comedy Drama, Satire, Comedy of Manners, Period Film, Showbiz Drama See Also: The Cat's Meow [Widescreen]

Peter Bogdanovich turns his sights on the 1920s for a fictitious look at the possible reasons for the death of silent movie producer Thomas Ince (played here by Cary Elwes) after spending a holiday with media tycoon William Randolph Hearst (played by Edward Herrmann). The film begins and ends on Ince's funeral, attended by best-selling novelist Elinor Glyn (Joanna Lumley), who was present when the young producer finally died and who leads the audience through the unsure details of what may have occurred to cause the tragedy. Then, through flashback, we see Elinor arriving on the dock to Hearst's party, which is attended by a number of Hollywood players. Among those in attendance are Ince, his business manager (Victor Slezak), and his irritating mistress (Claudia Harrison. Charlie Chaplin (played by British comic Eddie Izzard) is recovering from a box-office bomb and fearing his 16-year-old mistress is pregnant, not to mention that he is seeing Hearst's lady on the side, the vampish actress Marion Davies (played here by Kirsten Dunst). Also seen are Louella Parsons (Jennifer Tilly), a clumsy movie critic who works for Hearst, and Joseph (Ronan Vibert), Hearst's private secretary. The film was funded in Europe and also includes in its large cast James Laurenson, Chiara Schoras, and Claudie Blakley. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide

Kirsten Dunst - Marion Davies
Eddie Izzard - Charlie Chaplin
Edward Herrmann - William Randolph Hearst
Cary Elwes - Thomas Ince
Joanna Lumley - Elinor Glyn

Kirsten Dunst stars in director Peter Bogdanovich's The Cat's Meow. The film is presented in a stunningly nice looking 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. With bright bold colors and solid black levels throughout (and hardly any imperfections marring the image), this transfer should please any and all fans of the film. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround in English and sounds marvelous. While a few directional effects can be found on this track, overall the surround sounds are focused on the music score and old time songs of the roaring '20s. All aspects of the mix are free and clear of any excessive hiss or distortion. Also included on this disc are English and Spanish subtitles. Lion's Gate has packed this disc full of extra features, starting with a behind-the-scenes documentary titled "Anatomy of a Scene: The Cat's Meow." This very informative feature includes interviews with actors Kirsten Dunst, Eddie Izzard, and Edward Herrmann, among others. A short film by Charlie Chaplin titled Behind The Screen is included in a rough looking black and white full frame version which should please old time movie fans. A commentary track by director Peter Bogdanovich provides a ton of production information about the making of the film, including the music and the factual and fictional aspects of the screenplay. Finally there is a second featurette that also focuses on the making of the film (and the natural disaster encountered during the shoot), a few random interviews, some very old looking newsreel footage, and a theatrical trailer for the film. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide