20th Century Fox: The Blockbuster Years

Although it was possible under the classic Hollywood studio system to note certain stylistic and thematic similarities in a particular studio's output, those distinctions are blurred in our contemporary age of artistic free agency and corporate synergy. Still, that doesn't stop 20th Century Fox from suggesting a master narrative for the studio's films from 1965 to the present in 20th Century Fox: The Blockbuster Years, narrated by the late James Coburn, which touches on more than fifty films from The Sound of Music to Fight Club. While Fox's pride in Titanic or Big or Star Wars is certainly understandable, referring to Revenge of the Nerds and the animated dud Anastasia as “blockbusters” devalues the word. While some of the early films like M*A*S*H* and The French Connection are accompanied by interviews with the talent (brief, but informative interviews with Robert Altman and William Friedkin), as well as behind-the-scenes materials, the later featurettes amount to little more than trailers, with Leonard Maltin appearing to provide pseudo-critical commentary. More of an over-obvious tribute to the almighty dollar than an insightful retrospective, this is strictly optional. Aud: P. (D. Fienberg)