De Niro & De Palma: The Early Films Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

De Niro & De Palma: The Early Films Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 2, 2018

Brian De Palma and Robert De Niro share a lot more than just that “De” in their last names. The two forged their early film careers at least partially in tandem, and both have of course gone on to become rather monolithic characters in the world of modern cinema. Perhaps precisely because of their outsized reputations, it may be hard to think of either of them as “beginners”, but the appealing if sometimes kind of unexpectedly provocative movies gathered together in this intriguing new set by Arrow show them in the process of learning their craft(s), and as such there’s a perhaps more intimate, visceral feeling attending these early efforts than in some of either of these artist’s later, glossier, outings. While The Wedding Party bears a 1969 release date, putatively dating it after 1968’s Greetings, from a production standpoint it actually predates the other two films in this set by several years, since it was evidently actually shot in 1963 but languished unreleased for several years. It was in fact the unexpected (if “minor” by today’s standards) success of Greetings that helped, at least in part, to garner attention for The Wedding Party. Hi, Mom! is actually a direct sequel to Greetings, and features De Niro reprising his role as troubled Vietnam vet Jon Rubin, in a film one talking head in a supplement included in this set likens to “Taxi Driver light”.

For reviews of the three films in this set, please click on the following links:

Greetings Blu-ray review

The Wedding Party Blu-ray review

Hi, Mom! Blu-ray review

De Niro & De Palma: The Early Films Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality of each release is assessed in the above linked reviews.

De Niro & De Palma: The Early Films Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality of each release is assessed in the above linked reviews.

De Niro & De Palma: The Early Films Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Supplementary material on each disc is detailed in all three of the above linked reviews. The release comes packaged in a handsome slipcase with booklets in each of the keepcases which contain some interesting essays on the films.

De Niro & De Palma: The Early Films Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Arrow once again provides a virtual smorgasbord for discerning film lovers who may be willing to overlook some issues with content, form and style here to enjoy some really remarkable early works by De Palma featuring De Niro. All three of these films have enjoyable elements, and all three are gently subversive in their own way, but there are occasional "dated" elements, including a couple of potentially offensive things in Greetings, that may chafe against some more delicate sensibilities. Arrow offers a release with nice technical merits, appealing supplements and attractive packaging. Recommended.