Noises Off

Carol Burnett Director: Peter Bogdanovich Peter Bogdanovich

Overview

A fast-moving farce that will leave theater fans in stitches, Noises Off! offers an all-star cast in some of the actors' finest performances. Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, the image boasts vibrant colors and even skin tones. If the English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix doesn't score strong points in terms of fully realizing its potential, it does recreate the sounds of the theater in a way that will take viewers out of their living room and have them checking for their ticket stub while making a trip to the restroom. An alternate French Dolby Digital Stereo soundtrack is also included, as are optional French subtitles.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/04/2004
UPC:	0786936233971
Original Release:	1992
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Region Code:	1
Time:	1:29:00
Sales rank:	11,734

Special Features

Closed Caption; [None specified]

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Carol Burnett	Dotty Otley,Mrs. Clackett
Michael Caine	Lloyd Fellowes
Denholm Elliott	Selsdon Mowbray/The Burglar
Julie Hagerty	Poppy Taylor
Marilu Henner	Belinda Blair,Flavia Brent
Mark Linn-Baker	Tim Allgood
Christopher Reeve	Frederick Dallas,Philip Brent
John Ritter	Roger Tramplemain,Garry Lejeune
Nicollette Sheridan	Brooke Ashton,Vicki
Rosie de Sanctis	Backstage Visitor
Bronson Dudler	Bum at Curb
Kate Rich	Des Moines Stagehand
Zoe Cassavetes	Miami Stagehand
Kim Sebastian	Cleveland Stagehand
L.B. Straten	Broadway Stagehand
J. Christopher Sullivan	Miami Backstage Guard
Kimberly Neville	Miami Usher
Cleveland O'Neal	Miami Electrician
Roger Michelson	Company Lighting Technician
Joe Hanna	Company Soundman
Jack McCall	Broadway Usher
Keith Crowningshield	Broadway Usher
Andrew Mapp	Broadway Usher
Dianna Agostini	Broadway Theatergoer
Drummond Erskine	Backstage Doorman
Dick Corman	Additional Stagehand
Wendy Wilson	Additional Stagehand
Matthew Robert Gottlieb	Additional Stagehand
Dana Marley	Additional Stagehand

Technical Credits

Michael Frayn

Marty Kaplan

Peter Bogdanovich	Director,Producer
Joan Bradshaw	Associate Producer
Betsy Cox	Costumes/Costume Designer
Lisa Day	Editor
Jim Duffy	Set Decoration/Design
Michael Frayn	Screenwriter
Marty Kaplan	Screenwriter
Kathleen Kennedy	Producer
Daniel Maltese	Art Director
Phil Marshall	Score Composer
Frank Marshall	Producer
Norman Newberry	Production Designer
Steve Starkey	Co-producer
L.B. Straten	Associate Producer
Tim Suhrstedt	Cinematographer
Jim Webb	Sound/Sound Designer

Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. Opening Credits/Noises Off! [10:53]
2. Where's Selsdon? [9:36]
3. Paranormal [11:47]
4. Criminals Everywhere [9:39]
5. Lovers' Quarrel [5:38]
6. Two Minute Warning [9:10]
7. The Matinee [6:23]
8. Backstage Crisis [13:02]
9. Curtain [10:07]
10. Nothing On [7:56]
11. Last-Minute Replacement [5:56]
12. End Credits [3:20]

Menu

Side #1 --
   Play
   Scene Selection
   Set Up
      Audio Options
         English
         French
      Captions & Subtitles
         English Captions for the Hearing Impaired
         Spanish Subtitles
         No Subtitles
      Register Your DVD

Editorial Reviews

Peter Bogdanovich has had his ups and downs in his career, but a nice little feather in his cap is Noises Off, a fast-paced comedy adapted from the stage play by Michael Frayn. The film chronicles the journey of a British farce from tryouts in the Midwest to its Broadway opening and the comical disasters that ensue amongst the cast, crew, and director. Michael Caine is perfectly cast as the play's director, Lloyd Fellowes, and he delivers the best overall performance. His mannerisms and facial expressions demonstrate a comic timing that is right on. Bogdanovich deftly manages his ensemble cast, which, in addition to Caine, features Carol Burnett as an aging leading lady, John Ritter as her offstage paramour, Christopher Reeve in a rather dimwitted role, and Denholm Elliot as the old school, somewhat senile, has-been. There are tons of belly laughs and sight gags. The acting takes a bit of a backseat to the physical comedy, particularly in a long extended "backstage" sequence where there are myriad sight gags and virtually no dialogue. It's obviously a very difficult orchestration, but Bogdanovich acquits himself well as the editing and the pacing are fairly seamless. Marilu Henner is very funny as the "gossip," and the cast is rounded out by Julie Hagerty, Mark Linn-Baker as the beleaguered stagehand, and Nicollette Sheridan, who spends most of the film in her underwear. At times it seems like the cast is trying a bit too hard and the whole thing moves so fast it can lose an inattentive viewer, but these are minor points. It's a bit odd that a film with a prominent director and a top-of-the-line cast should have had so little success in theatrical release, but it's a treat worth searching out on video when the occasion calls for a few genuine laughs.

All Movie Guide - Dan Friedman