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It was Peter Sellers' bumbling Inspector Clouseau who became the unexpected star of the David Niven-led The Pink Panther movie, spawning a series of sequels. Now, the best of the films have been put together in a beautifully packaged boxset that not only shows off the movies like never before but also delves into the complex talents behind them.
The Pink Panthers
The movies in this boxset are: The Pink Panther, A Shot In The Dark, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Revenge of The Pink Panther and Trail Of The Pink Panther. All films come presented in 2.35:1 ratios, which should prove interesting for anyone who only ever saw them pan and scan on TV. The picture quality is excellent, and each movie comes with a 5.1 sound mix - which includes some carefully thought-out split speaker effects. The time and trouble spent on presentation adds to the enjoyment of rediscovering this series.
Blake Speaks
Blake Edwards sits in for an audio commentary on The Pink Panther disc, and while his thoughts don't flow too well, he is worth a listen. You may find yourself willing him to say more, to elaborate on describing Peter Sellers as "the enigma of my life", but perhaps with all this time passed Edwards would rather not tear up certain memories.
Behind Panthertainment
The Pink Panther Story documentary offers some good interviews on the making of the films, revealing little glimpses into Sellers' work. Edwards again avoids directly naming incidents or complaints but does hint at some dark times while stressing that the early movies were enjoyable to work on. For behind-the-scenes footage there's the somewhat surreal vintage documentary That's Panthertainment, which is now suddenly more interesting because a young Steve Martin pops up to talk about what a Sellers fan he is {Martin has recently been linked with a planned remake).
Behind Sellers
The career of Sellers was one of great highs and unbankable lows that threatened to obliterate him from the world of movies. In the documentary The Unknown Peter Sellers, the tone is a touch depressing. Sellers undeniably had his problems and they make an interesting story, but his career demands a more balanced exploration than is on offer here. Cheer yourself up with a selection of Pink Panther cartoons and, of course, the films - which look and sound stunning.
EXTRA FEATURES
This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-N5 DVD player.
