1071 Defending Your Life

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#1 Post by **DarkImbecile** » Tue Dec 15, 2020 5:56 pm

Is there love after death? Acerbic everyman Albert Brooks finds a perfect balance between satirical bite and romantic-comedy charm as the writer, director, and star of this wonderfully warm and imaginative existential fantasy. After he dies suddenly, the hapless advertising executive Daniel Miller (Brooks) finds himself in Judgment City, a gleaming way station where the newly deceased must prove they lived a life of sufficient courage to advance in their journey through the universe. As the self-doubting Daniel struggles to make his case, a budding relationship with the uninhibited Julia (Meryl Streep) offers him a chance to finally feel alive. Buoyed by a brilliant supporting cast that includes Rip Torn, Lee Grant, and Buck Henry, Defending Your Life is a rare feat of personal, philosophical filmmaking that happens to also be divinely entertaining.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director Albert Brooks, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
New conversation between Brooks and filmmaker Robert Weide
New interview on the afterlife with theologian and critic Donna Bowman
New program featuring excerpts from 1991 interviews with Brooks and actors Lee Grant and Rip Torn
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by filmmaker Ari Aster

The Narrator Returns · Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:17 pm

Donna Bowman contributing to this, Emily VanDerWerff doing the Moonstruck essay, it's a good time to be a former AV Club staff member.

Pavel · #3 Post by **Pavel** » Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:55 pm

Even with such a bad cover, this announcement makes me very, very happy. Give me as much Albert Brooks as possible! (Though Real Life would've been even better.)

therewillbeblus · #4 Post by **therewillbeblus** » Tue Dec 15, 2020 7:18 pm

Pavel wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:55 pm Give me as much Albert Brooks as possible! (Though Real Life would've been even better.)

I'm hoping Real Life is part of their Paramount deal, and I can't imagine them not releasing it, if so

justeleblanc · #5 Post by **justeleblanc** » Wed Dec 16, 2020 12:53 pm

therewillbeblus wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 7:18 pm I'm hoping Real Life is part of their Paramount deal, and I can't imagine them not releasing it, if so

This seems highly likely. And I'd imagine several (if not all) of his short films will also be added as features.

barbarella satyricon · Wed Dec 16, 2020 2:25 pm

dwk · #7 Post by **dwk** » Mon Mar 08, 2021 6:33 pm

Defending Your Beaver

Gerald Christie · #8 Post by **Gerald Christie** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:16 pm

Chris, I see that you just posted your review. There have been some reports of an audio drop out around 39:38 for a split second. Could you check your disk to see if it's just an isolated incident? Thanks!

#9 Post by **cdnchris** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 8:22 pm

When Lee Grant opens her case? I didn't notice anything, went back and double-checked and nothing stood out at first. THOUGH, eventually I did hear a slight little drop/shift/whatever during a moment in her line "is still held back by the fears," with it happening on/around "by" at around 39:44

To be honest, I didn't even notice it until going back and listening closer.

TheKieslowskiHaze · Sun Apr 04, 2021 8:40 pm

Blu-ray.com review.

#11 Post by **cdnchris** » Mon Apr 05, 2021 4:22 am

That's his best one since Election

JabbaTheSlut · #12 Post by **JabbaTheSlut** » Mon Apr 05, 2021 4:46 am

TheKieslowskiHaze wrote: Sun Apr 04, 2021 8:40 pm Blu-ray.com review.

Is Doctor Atanasov qualified to review comedy?

soundchaser · #13 Post by **soundchaser** » Mon Apr 05, 2021 5:17 am

Satire really is the most dangerous art, isn’t it?

therewillbeblus · #14 Post by **therewillbeblus** » Mon Apr 05, 2021 5:51 am

Best to skip the afterlife- that's a good one!

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