Sunset Boulevard

Sunset Boulevard

Editorial Review

Amazon.com essential video: Billy Wilder's noir-comic classic about death and decay in Hollywood remains as pungent as ever in its power to provoke shock, laughter, and gasps of astonishment. Joe Gillis (William Holden), a broke and cynical young screenwriter, is attempting to ditch a pair of repo men late one afternoon when he pulls off L.A.'s storied Sunset Boulevard and into the driveway of a seedy mansion belonging to Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), a forgotten silent movie luminary whose brilliant acting career withered with the coming of talkies. The demented old movie queen lives in the past, assisted by her devoted (but intimidating) butler, Max (played by Erich von Stroheim, the legendary director of Greed and Swanson's own lost epic, Queen Kelly). Norma dreams of making a comeback in a remake of Salome to be directed by her old colleague Cecil B. DeMille (as himself), and Joe becomes her literary and romantic gigolo. Sunset Blvd. is one of those great movies that has become a part of popular culture (the line "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up," has entered the language)--but it's no relic. Wow, does it ever hold up. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Rating: (based on 257 reviews)

Classic Great Transfer and Restoration

Darkness on the Edge of Tinsel Town

One of the best films ever made about Hollywood, tough, yet human too....

Oldie but goodie

A movie for lover of movies

Sunset Boulevard

Editorial Review

Product Description: THIS VERSION FEATURES THE RARER PARAMOUNT COVER AS SHOWN OF NORMA DESMOND IN THE FINAL FRAMES OF SUNSET BOULEVARD. Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, an aging silent film queen, and William Holden as the struggling writer who is held by her madness, created two of the screen's most memorable characters in SUNSET BOULEVARD, winner of three academy awares. Billy Wilder's orchestration of the bizarre tale is a true cinematic classic. From the unforgettable opening sequence through the inevitable unfolding of tragic destiny, the film is the definitive statement on the dark and desperate side of Hollywood. Erich Von Stroheim as Desmond's discoverer, ex-husband and butler, and Nancy Olson as the bright spot in unrelenting ominousness, are equally celebrated for their masterful performances.

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Rating: (based on 1 reviews)

Some sunsets come too soon while some set on the unaware

Great Streets - Sunset Boulevard with Randy Newman

Editorial Review

Amazon.com: In "Sunset Boulevard," an episode from the PBS series focusing on great streets of the world, the 27 miles of Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles are traveled by an appropriately offbeat tour guide, songwriter Randy Newman. Beginning downtown, Newman visits the sites of some of the oldest settlements in Los Angeles, but before long he hops behind the wheel of a 1960s vintage Chevy convertible and he's driving westward. The neighborhoods of Echo Park and Silverlake are visited, and along the way Newman visits with local characters, including the proprietor of a diner who claims she doesn't want her place to become so trendy that her rent will get raised. Proceeding to Hollywood, Newman visits Sunset Sound, where the Doors, Led Zeppelin, and Newman himself all recorded. Artist Ed Ruscha meets up with Newman and shows off his book of photos of Sunset Boulevard, and to showcase the stretch of Sunset that winds through some of the most expensive real estate on earth, Newman accompanies a realtor for a tour of a mansion that once belonged to Jayne Mansfield. Writer, actor, and game show host Ben Stein appears to offer his own erudite commentary, comparing Sunset Boulevard to Rome's Appian Way. This quirky look at the quintessential L.A. street happens to be a great introduction to the city for those planning a visit, and it's worth watching just for the sheer fun of it. --Robert J. McNamara