Williams is the perfect embodiment of the character, from the proper bounce and swagger to the squinty eye, bulging forearms, and pipe.
Among the other songs are "Blow Me Down," sung by Popeye as he enters Sweethaven; "He's Large," sung by Olive on the eve of her engagement to Bluto; "I'm Mean," sung by Bluto in reference to himself; "I Yam What I Yam," sung by Popeye as a personal declaration; "He Needs Me," Olive's acknowledgement of Popeye; "Sailin,'" sung by Popeye and Olive to Swee'pea; "It's Not Easy Being Me," sung by Poopdeck Pappy after being tied up by Bluto; and the movie's most famous (and non-Nilsson) song, "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man," written by Sam Lerner so long ago. I can only suggest that you listen to them and give them a chance. They grow on you.
Finally, I'll remind you the plot is of little consequence, as Altman's remark at the top of the article indicates, but for the curious it concerns Popeye's arrival in Sweethaven, his search for his poppa, his courtship with Olive, the abduction of Swee'pea, and the villainy of Bluto. Yes, it's episodic, based as it is on short subjects, after all, and the gags are often silly and filled with slapstick. Altman's job was to convey the spirit of the old cartoons, not dish up some ultraslick Hollywood sitcom fodder. He gets the job done right.
On a trivia note, John Eastman writes in his book "Retakes," 1989, that "Williams had to work himself up to the sailor-man's supreme self-confidence. Hesitant and frightened at first, he walked out of (producer) Robert Evans's office repeating to himself, 'Yes, I can. Sure I can. I felt like the little actor that could.' He watched old Popeye cartoons and worked on lowering his voice, comparing the effort to gargling with pebbles. The swollen forearms worn by Williams and Ray Walston (playing Poopdeck Pappy) were foam-rubber and latex sheaths, extremely uncomfortable and in constant need of 'rehairing' and touching up. Shelley Duvall was cast as Olive Oyl after Gilda Radner proved unavailable; her stiff, black ponytail required two hours of daily construction." Thank you, John.
Video:
On the plus side, the picture is presented in a generous 2.17:1 anamorphic widescreen, with colors rich and natural, superb contrast in light and dark areas, and plenty of detail visible in the dimmer sections of the screen. On the debit side, there are a few noticeably shimmering lines and the faintest blurring of object outlines and features. Overall, the transfer is better than average and should displease no one.
Audio:
While the sound is available in Dolby Surround, it has also been remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1, where it enjoys a greater clarity and channel separation. In DD 5.1 the sonics are clean and robust. There is perhaps a tad too much brightness in the lower treble, giving it a good degree of presence, but the same region sounds a bit hard. Still, the sound is wonderfully dynamic and alive, and the ear adjusts to the rest. Any treble elevation does not extend too far down into the midrange, so voices are realistically rendered. What's more, there is an excellent front-channel stereo spread and a moderate amount of rear-channel action. Don't expect too much discrete surround, however, although there's enough signal going to the back to excite the senses, perhaps even too much in a couple of songs. While the signal appears to be mainly monaural in the rear, there are also occasions when objects fly off to the left or right and are picked up by the back speakers, making them appear to zoom into the center left or right of the listening area, a most pleasing aural effect.
Extras:
Amazingly, there are no extras on the disc whatsoever. No commentaries, documentaries, featurettes, photo galleries, games, puzzles, or cast biographies. Not so much as a theatrical trailer. And a paltry twelve scene selections. That's unusual for a new DVD these days and makes me wonder about Paramount's marketing strategy.
Parting Thoughts:
Despite the lack of bonus features, the new DVD transfer of "Popeye" is good enough in itself to warrant an unconditional recommendation. The characters are perfectly captured, the music and locations are charming, and the atmosphere of the old cartoons is flawless. Despite the ill will the movie has received in the press over the years, "Popeye" has a lot going for it and remains one of filmdom's most overlooked gems.
Finally, I'll remind you the plot is of little consequence, as Altman's remark at the top of the article indicates, but for the curious it concerns Popeye's arrival in Sweethaven, his search for his poppa, his courtship with Olive, the abduction of Swee'pea, and the villainy of Bluto. Yes, it's episodic, based as it is on short subjects, after all, and the gags are often silly and filled with slapstick. Altman's job was to convey the spirit of the old cartoons, not dish up some ultraslick Hollywood sitcom fodder. He gets the job done right.
On a trivia note, John Eastman writes in his book "Retakes," 1989, that "Williams had to work himself up to the sailor-man's supreme self-confidence. Hesitant and frightened at first, he walked out of (producer) Robert Evans's office repeating to himself, 'Yes, I can. Sure I can. I felt like the little actor that could.' He watched old Popeye cartoons and worked on lowering his voice, comparing the effort to gargling with pebbles. The swollen forearms worn by Williams and Ray Walston (playing Poopdeck Pappy) were foam-rubber and latex sheaths, extremely uncomfortable and in constant need of 'rehairing' and touching up. Shelley Duvall was cast as Olive Oyl after Gilda Radner proved unavailable; her stiff, black ponytail required two hours of daily construction." Thank you, John.
Video:
On the plus side, the picture is presented in a generous 2.17:1 anamorphic widescreen, with colors rich and natural, superb contrast in light and dark areas, and plenty of detail visible in the dimmer sections of the screen. On the debit side, there are a few noticeably shimmering lines and the faintest blurring of object outlines and features. Overall, the transfer is better than average and should displease no one.
Audio:
While the sound is available in Dolby Surround, it has also been remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1, where it enjoys a greater clarity and channel separation. In DD 5.1 the sonics are clean and robust. There is perhaps a tad too much brightness in the lower treble, giving it a good degree of presence, but the same region sounds a bit hard. Still, the sound is wonderfully dynamic and alive, and the ear adjusts to the rest. Any treble elevation does not extend too far down into the midrange, so voices are realistically rendered. What's more, there is an excellent front-channel stereo spread and a moderate amount of rear-channel action. Don't expect too much discrete surround, however, although there's enough signal going to the back to excite the senses, perhaps even too much in a couple of songs. While the signal appears to be mainly monaural in the rear, there are also occasions when objects fly off to the left or right and are picked up by the back speakers, making them appear to zoom into the center left or right of the listening area, a most pleasing aural effect.
Extras:
Amazingly, there are no extras on the disc whatsoever. No commentaries, documentaries, featurettes, photo galleries, games, puzzles, or cast biographies. Not so much as a theatrical trailer. And a paltry twelve scene selections. That's unusual for a new DVD these days and makes me wonder about Paramount's marketing strategy.
Parting Thoughts:
Despite the lack of bonus features, the new DVD transfer of "Popeye" is good enough in itself to warrant an unconditional recommendation. The characters are perfectly captured, the music and locations are charming, and the atmosphere of the old cartoons is flawless. Despite the ill will the movie has received in the press over the years, "Popeye" has a lot going for it and remains one of filmdom's most overlooked gems.
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