Cheap Caddyshack - 19th Anniversary Edition (1980)

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A welcome HD upgrade to the classic comedy. I don't think I need to go into the plot for Caddyshack and as such I'll review the Blu-ray disc itself. The new Blu-ray has a good HD transfer, it's not the cleanest print but I don't think it's going to get any better. The sound has also been remastered to a DTS Master Audio 5.1 lossless track which is nice and expands the sound stage from the previous mono only offerings. Although strangely the original mono track is missing.

The extras are included are the Theatrical Trailer (480i) and "Caddyshack: The 19th Hole" (480i) is ported over from the previous 20th Anniversary DVD. But the real highlight is "Bio Caddyshack: The Inside Story" (HD 1080i), this new documentary is very informative and goes for over 80mins.

Overall an HD excellent upgrade over the older 20th Anniversary DVD.

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Hey, if you're reading this, you probably already know how hilarious Caddyshack is. I've gotta say I was disappointed when I purchased the 20th Anniversary DVD and it was the same thing as the 19th Anniversary VHS! I've never had the pleasure of seeing the TV version of this film, which from what I've read on other posts, has a lot of deleted footage. Why wasn't this footage included in the 20th DVD? In the trailer alone there's a bunch of scenes that aren't included in the film. How about including them? The bottom line is, while the film is great, we're starving for ALL the extra footage! I feel like I'm Spaulding and Warner Brothers is Judge Smails. "I want a hamburger, no...a cheeseburger, I want a hot dog, I want potato chips" -"You'll get nothing and like it!" Give us more!

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Y'know, I get rather disgusted when I read reviews of movies like Caddyshack which describe it as "no-brainer" and "low-brow" (see the Amazon.com review, for example). The fact is that many so-called critics really don't have a clue when it comes to comedy movies of this type. Disrespect and irreverence for the establishment has been a staple of comedy movies for years. Are the only good comedies the light-hearted drivel that the likes of Grant and Hepburn made in the 30's? Of course not!

Caddyshack features fine performances from Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase, Ted Knight, and of course, the gopher. This motion picture is replete with sight gags and one-liners that to this day are repeated by afficianados of clever satire.

You don't have to be a lowbrow to like this movie, and just because you think it's funny doesn't mean there's something wrong with you. Caddyshack and Animal House withstand the test of time as two of the funniest comedies ever made...and that stands for a lot! The next time you find someone who thinks you're a reprobate for liking this movie, get Carl the Greenskeeper to cut his hamstring...he'll never play golf again!

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This is one of the funniest movies ever, and with a great soundtrack with the dancing gopher! It's too bad that Hollywood doesn't have the courage to make politically incorrect comedies like this and Blazing Saddles anymore. Seems many people are afraid of "the message" this might send to the children. Well, "Caddyshack" didn't make me a boorish and dim witted misogynist, and "Blazing Saddles" didn't make me a racist. Both movies do, however, let me laugh at these people and help me see how stupid the behavior really is. Have a laugh and stop taking yourself so seriously.

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I'm not going to review the movie, as everyone reading should have already seen it considering it's more than 30 years old. I'm simply commenting on the Blu-Ray version and the picture and sound quality. Both picture and sound is excellent. I can't believe that they can make a movie that looks so grainy on DVD look so beautiful on Blu-Ray DVD. The color is very good, without being overdone, and the remastered sound is wonderful on my 7.1 surround sound stereo. Great buy and well worth $15-$20 if you're a fan of the movie.

Discount Ben-Hur (50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition) (2011)

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William Wyler's Oscar-winning BEN-HUR (1959), produced by Sam Zimbalist (who died of a heart attack near the end of filming) and based on a best-selling late 19th Century novel by Lew Wallace, is one hell of a movie experience. Watching a brand-new, pristine camera negative copy, I could not believe that the opening Nativity scene and the Resurrection finale were the same movie. There is just so much here. This remake of the 1925 silent epic, runs 3 hours and 45 minutes, including powerful roadshow bookend music by Miklos Rozsa. It takes its leisurely time in telling the story of a Jew (Charlton Heston) and a Roman (Stephen Boyd), raised as best friends, who become bitter enemies in the Holy Land of Jesus Christ's life. Director Wyler was always known as a painstaking perfectionist who would exhaust cast and crew by doing take after take after take of every scene. But the result for the audience is enthralling.

Wyler had never made a Biblical epic before and wanted to work in every genre; his BEN-HUR is the one with a literate brain. It is hard to believe it had major writing problems, multiple writers, and scenes written the night before they would be filmed. It flows beautifully and is continually engrossing, despite its near four hour length. The cast is impeccable, including Martha Scott, Cathy O'Donnell, Jack Hawkins, lovely Haya Harareet, and Oscar winner Hugh Griffith.

If you are looking for the sea battle (directed by Andrew Marton), it is about 70 minutes into part one. If you are seeking out the greatest chariot race in movie history (choreographed and directed by Yakima Canutt), it is about ten minutes after the intermission. The Christ scenes are handled with taste and subtlety; we see only his back or his hand and never hear his voice. In fact, non-Christians might have a difficult time understanding what is going on in those scenes with Jesus, including an impressive Sermon on the Mount near the movie's end. The art direction and costumes are absolutely gorgeous, and Robert Surtees' use of ultra wide-screen Camera 65 is masterful. Most of all, Miklos Rozsa contributes the music score of a lifetime. Everyone won Oscars for their distinguished work. No wonder this BEN-HUR won eleven Oscars the same year as SOME LIKE IT HOT, NORTH BY NORTHWEST, and ANATOMY OF A MURDER. It is a masterpiece. The audio commentary, by scholar and author Gene Hatcher and Mr. Heston, is thoughtful and insightful.

The 1925 silent version, starring Ramon Novarro as Ben-Hur and Francis X. Bushman as Messala, is on disk three of the new and magnificent four disk set. In some ways it is even more impressive than the remake. Novarro and Bushman give performances of a lifetime, the 143 minute length is a good 75 minutes shorter than the 1959 version, the color tinting is very beautiful, the sea battle and chariot race are sensationally good by any standards, and the silent version has far more Jesus Christ scenes and in two-color Technicolor. Carl Davis' orchestra score is outstanding, as always.

The disk four bonuses include two major documentaries, one for the 1994 tape version and one brand-new for this 2005 DVD restoration. We also get "BEN-HUR: A JOURNEY THROUGH PICTURES", several 1959 movie theatrical trailers, and a gallery of vintage newsreels heralding the arrival and covering the premiere of the lavish remake in 1959. This $40 DVD set is a work of art and deserves a place in every library, even if it takes you a while to see all four disks of material. Amazon.com has it for $30, not much more than the cost of a family of four going out to a new movie at night. With both the 1925 and 1959 versions included in flawless prints, this DVD set gets my highest recommendation.

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I WOULD GIVE THIS RELEASE 10 STARS if Amazon allowed me to!

Ben-Hur is one of my all time favorite films. It is probably the single greatest performance ever given by Charlton Heston and the greatest epic ever filmed until the Lord of the Rings trilogy came along but still it holds it's head high and remains a timeless classic, just as good as it ever was, maybe better today!

Much has been written about the film itself, so my review will just cover the actual Blu Ray presentation and the included extras.

Many sets have been released with much ballyhoo and assorted trinkets and swag included in the box. Much of it is useless stuff you look at once, then put away and never see again. This is NOT the case with the Ben-Hur boxed set. Everything you get in this box set is of high quality and compliments the film itself. Speaking of the box itself, it is a very VERY nice embossed keepsake box that is protected by an outer covering and when opened reveals the film along with two books. The three included discs are housed in a nice glossy fold out container with full color high quality printed photographs both inside and outside. The presentation is gorgeous, a real head turner.

You get the film, Ben-Hur spread over two BD 50GB discs for maximum quality and zero compression artifacts and presented in it's original aspect ratio of 2.76:1. This is basically the widest of the wide screen formats, filmed in luscious 70mm with 65mm used for picture information and the remaining 5% used for the original 6 track magnetic soundtrack. Ben-Hur was painstakingly restored, in fact it took them so much time that the actual 50th Anniversary of Ben-Hur was missed by a few years in order to provide us with the BEST picture and sound possible. Yes, we have all heard those words before, but in this case it is REALLY true!

I have owned Ben-Hur on VHS and then all the various DVD releases. It has always lacked in the video quality department and I am happy to say that is no longer the case. This Blu Ray release of Ben-Hur gives us Bold and Crisp NATURAL color (NO TEAL tint anyway in sight), NO signs of DNR, NO signs of edge enhancement , beautifully lush and focused cinematography that may even perhaps afford the home theater enthusiast with a better visual presentation than most theater goers got back in 1959.

It is a 1959 film to be sure, but is is ALSO reference quality in every sense of the word. This is what REAL film looks like, no digital enhanced crapola! This is a beautifully filmed epic and the Blu Ray transfer faithfully represents the finished product from 1959, looking more like something filmed recently. The investment in both money and time by Warner Home Video was well worth it, showing all of us what Blu Ray releases COULD look like, if the proper care was shown prepping and transferring the original film elements.

The time and money spent on restoring and rescanning Ben-Hur is obvious from the very beginning of the film. The resulting transfer is a singular achievement in home video entertainment. I have only a few negatives to mention, namely a few places that exhibit 'jump cuts' where a very small number of frames in a scene are missing or were damaged beyond repair and needed to be discarded to keep from spoiling the mostly pristine look of the rest of the film. At one point during the start of the big race I noticed a few white blips or print tear marks and an actual hair on the left side of the screen. I thought I imagined it so I went back and watched in slow motion. Yeah, they were there alright, but they were gone very quickly, never to return. Luckily the audio does NOT suffer in these instances and there are very few OF them. This is NOT a transfer that in any way requires an apology (such as The Godfather, pt.1) or needs to be prefaced by saying "It looks good for the films age". This IS a classic film from the tail end of Hollywood's Golden age, and as such has the look of a classic film. The color timing and lighting choices, the types of special effects used (no CGI back then) and the sometimes very noticeable dialogue looping are all byproducts of the way films were made then. I guess what I am trying to say is this is NOT 100% perfect, but then again, no film is or ever was. The only way Ben-Hur could look any better is to print this new scan at it's full resolution and then project it the old fashioned way.

Even with a few missing frames I easily give Ben-Hur on Blu Ray 10 stars for the video quality alone!!!!

As a nice bonus this disc is NOT Java encumbered and as such your 'disc resume' feature WILL work, which is a boon for a title of this length if you can't sit still for the entire run time and need a few breaks.

The audio is pretty much just as great as the picture. Presented in DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 , this might be the very best Ben-Hur has EVER sounded, then or now. Nothing gimmicky about the surrounds, the dialogue is perfectly rendered, no clicks, pops or blatant flaws, no screechy sounding music. During the big race the crowd sound effects coming from my rear surrounds were distorted a bit. This might have been how they were originally recorded but as the race progresses some elements of the audio mix suffer a bit, the louder things get, the more certain sounds break up. It isn't my system, I can blast the LOTR trilogy with no ill effects. You need a good ear and decent speakers to notice this, but for those that are picky I will admit that it is there.

Also, for those with 'Golden Ears' you WILL hear the occasional hiss that the digital noise reduction didn't get rid of and you will also hear a bit of low frequency hum and rumble at times which sounds mechanical in nature to me but it is on the track and on the disc. Most people will never notice it, but I tend to watch and listen with critical eyes and ears the first time around. All in all it is simply a stunning job of remixing and remastering the original magnetic sound elements. Put this together with almost perfectly restored picture quality and you have an epic presentation of an epic film. The good far outweighs the bad in regards to the sound.

The Bonus features are superlative. A keepsake quality book of glossy production photographs, an exact reproduction of Charlton Heston's personal production diary, two full length documentaries, screen tests, original movie trailers, a wonderful 'Music Only' track that highlights Miklos Rozsa's beautiful Oscar wining score , Newsreel footage and even Oscar Highlights from 1960 when Ben-Hur swept the awards with a record 11 Oscars, not topped EVER and not equaled until Titanic and then Lord of the Rings. Add to all this the original Silent version of Ben-Hur from 1925 and you have enough bonus features to fill all the chariots in the big race.

This Ben-Hur Boxed set totally exceeded any and all my highest expectations. The best presentation imaginable for one of the best films ever made. Ben-Hur (50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition) is a MUST OWN for all classic film lovers and fans of Charlton Heston. I think it is THE BEST Blu Ray release of this year, easily outshining Star Wars and even the LOTR trilogy. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

WORD OF WARNING!!(contains spoilers)--- Make sure you hit the STOP button on your Blu Ray player IMMEDIATELY following the "The End" title card , otherwise you will be inexplicably treated to a censors approval screen from India and then directly into the FBI threatening to put you in prison if you bootleg or share your discs. It REALLY spoiled the mood I was in after such a wonderful movie and just a beautiful ending. Judah Ben-Hur has his Mother and Sister back and Leprosy free, he got the girl, Masala was ripped apart and Judah Ben-Hur has just been converted to Christianity by Jesus (In Person!!), The music swells to a crescendo and it says "The End" .. Great! Then less than 10 seconds later you get this other weird stuff and I can't for the life of me figure out how this got past the disc authoring stage and onto my disc! GRRR! ANYWAY, you might wish to avoid that mood killer by remembering to hit STOP as soon as the end title card fades out. Like Gilda Radner liked to say, "It's always SOMETHIN'" !!

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Great movie. My primary concern when I ordered was the movie would be cropped to 1.77:1. Based on information from other sources, I took a chance. Fortunately, the product details above are wrong. The back cover says the aspect ratio is 2.76:1, not 1.77:1. On my TV, it measures out around 2.65:1. It looks like this is discs 1 & 2 from the Ultimate Edition, so if you can forgo the books, nice case, and the special features on disc 3, this is a low cost alternative.

Honest reviews on Ben-Hur (50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition) (2011)

This film when it was released in 1959 saw it's studio MGM teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and the fact that this film cost in 1958 close to $15 Million dollars was most assuredly a make or break film for the studio.

William Wyler the film's director, in order to make this film unique as if a running time close to four hours was not enough, filmed it in an aspect ratio of 2.76:1 using what was called MGM Camera 65, an Ultra Panavision process.

This film was one of only two films that were filmed in that process which is the widest of processes used in film to date.

Filmed utilizing 8000 extras, 300 sets, and over 100,000 costume changes this film epitomizes the word grand and released a few years after the Ten Commandments, it helped quench the public thirst for Biblical films.

This new DVD release is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and the LFE channel(Low Frequency Effects) is apparent on two standout scenes, the Sea Battle scene, and the now infamous chariot scene which last close to 11 minutes.

There are quite a few special features on this DVD release most of which appear on side two of this disc including a documentary, Ben Hur: The Making Of An Epic, which is just under an hour long.

There was an open casting call for the lead role in this film and they have included on this DVD the original screen tests by Leslie Nielsen, and Cesare Danova which are interesting to see even though the quality of the audio and video are not up to the level of the film itself.

Also included are storyboard art and posters as well as film biographies of the cast with pictures of them in character from the film.

Overall this film is an incredible piece of work and presented in it's original aspect ratio with the enhanced sound combines to make an experience that should not be missed.

This film on the small screen does lose a little bit of it's lustre especially if your television is under 27 inches in size but this film begs to be seen in it's broad presentation, so even if you would normally shy away from widescreen presentations, this is the only way to view this film in my honest opinion.

On a rating scale of Bronze to Platinum...This film receives my highest rating.....Platinum!!!! Run don't walk to pick this DVD up!!!

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OK, let me get my review of the film itself out of the way first. FLAWLESS in every aspect!!!! You just don't see films like this anymore. Enough said.

Now I will get down to the specifics of this Blu-ray edition:

Outer Box:

About the same size as Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind collections. You slide the slipcover off to reveal a GORGEOUS black box with the title in bronzed bas relief on the top. This is not a flip up case like Wiz and Gone, but a box with a removable lid. The artwork of the title is truly beautiful. It looks like bronze with the statues from the arena of the big chariot race bookending the title BEN HUR. You immediately get the feeling that what you're holding in your hands is something of high quality.

Inside the Box:

Lift the lid off the box and you see the hardcover book with a black ribbon underneath to help lift it out of the box. The book also has the title in bronzed raised text with a wonderful picture of Heston in the iconic chariot race. The book itself is filled with gorgeous quality images where the colors just pop off the page. The gold background on some of the pages adds a touch of class to this book.

The Discs:

The three Blu-ray discs are housed in a very study try-fold disc holder that is very similar to that used in the recent Taxi Driver Blu-ray. Each disc is very sparse in its presentation. The background of the try-fold is a color image of Heston in the chariot race. The discs themselves are very classy with solid black and the text on the discs in a dusty gold. Nothing flashy here, which adds to the ambience of class that oozes from this set. What's on the discs is just breathtaking. Warner Bros. has outdone themselves with the restoration of Ben Hur on Blu-ray. The image is so crisp and clear that I noticed things in the far distance of some scenes that I had never noticed before. e.g.) In the opening of the film when we see a Roman garrison walking across the landscape, I now notice a tiny line of red capes in the far distance moving. I have never seen them before, because I never saw the red robes that are easy to spot now. While Blu-ray could easily hold the full content of this epic on one disc, it was a wise decision to spread it over two discs. Thus allowing the film to be presented in the most pristine image and sound ever!! The bonus disc has the original silent version of the film, along with tons of extras. One of the new extras is a documentary of Heston as he was filming Ben Hur. This documentary is worth the purchase alone. The Heston family has allowed the inclusion of family films and pictures, which really present Heston as a truly loving family man. While the silent version does not seem to have received any major restoration, it is still an upgrade to the image of the previous DVD version.

Heston Journal:

Have you ever bought a collector's edition of a movie and thought, "Why would they include this in the box???" There are no cheap chachkis here. I really wasn't really enthused about this journal, until I actually read it. First of all the journal is a beautiful reproduction of Heston's personal daily journal as he worked on this film. It opens with an introduction from his son Fraser, and then you turn the page and see Heston's personal daily journal pages that have been reproduced so that you actually feel like you're looking at the real thing. The hardcover is designed to look like a stitched leather journal with the bas-relief image of one of the arena statues from the chariot races on the cover. The name Charlton Heston is stamped in gold at the bottom. it is really interesting to see what Heston was thinking on a daily basis of filming one of the greatest films of all time. There are some reproductions of photos, tickets, and other items that are actually taped into the journal to make it seem more realistic. At the end of the journal, we are presented with some personal photos showing Heston with his family around Rome and the movie set. The last image of him walking away on the ancient streets of Rome dressed in a suit while holding his sons hand who happens to be dressed in Roman soldier garb is truly touching. To my surprise, we are also treated to some of Heston's sketches from the movie set. I had no idea he was such an artist! Finally, the journal closes with a brief biography of Heston. This journal is captivating, and engaging to read. What a wonderful extra to put in this collection. No collectible watches, no stacks of cheaply produced post cards, just simple memorabilia of this historic film.

I previously had the 4-disc collector's edition DVD, and I was quite happy with it. However, seeing the love and attention that Warner Bros. has put into this edition, I can strongly urge you to upgrade to this new Blu-ray edition. The sound and image is better than you've ever seen before, and the extra items in the box are well worth keeping. Oh, and did I mention you can get all of this for a fraction of the price you may have paid for previous collector's editions??? This is a no-brainer.......Add it to your cart right now!!

Reviews of Apollo 13 (15th Anniversary Edition) (1995)

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First off, this is easily a five-star film. It's handsome, taut, and thoroughly engaging.

For picture and audio quality, this Blu-ray is obviously superior to prior releases. There is moderate film grain to the transfer, giving it a natural feel. The special effects (i.e. the launch sequence) receive the greatest benefit and the clearest visuals, but on the whole the film is beautifully rendered and, for these benefits, the Blu-ray is worth picking up.

I do concur, however, that this disc has some slight issues. It takes too long to load -I timed it at roughly two minutes on my slim PS3. This is mildly annoying but comparable to other Universal and Disney releases. I was more annoyed that after waiting for the BD-Java to load, selecting "English," waiting for more loading, waiting for the menu to animate, and selecting the film that I was treated to a "social BLU" splash page asking me if I wanted my Facebook status updated. What aggravated me was that this admittedly brief interruption occurred after I had already selected to play the film, and it would seem that it will occur every time I choose to do so; it was an unwanted and, in my opinion, rather lame attempt to add "interactivity," if having your Blu-ray player post that you're watching a film on your Facebook wall can be considered as such. I would rather that this option could be turned off BEFORE I select to watch the film, and that this setting could be saved. Additionally, advertisements for other Universal products pop-up in the background of the menus, presumably for "shopping convenience" but really an irritating marketing gimmick. These so-called bonuses serve to make the general experience of navigating this disc feel very clunky.

Overall, the content in this package (which carries over most of the content from the last two-disc DVD) is fantastic, but the design of the disc's menus and bonuses suffers from baffling and annoying gimmicks that are mildly aggravating but hardly ruin the experience; you'll forget about the hiccups once the film starts and you're engrossed. If you are a fan of the film and have the necessary equipment to benefit from the technical improvements in this release, it is highly recommended.

But, Universal? In the future, either streamline your gimmicks or leave them off the disc. We purchase these to watch the films, not to update our social networks.

EDIT 3/15/12: If possible, disable your player's internet connection when playing this disc. Without streaming trailers and that other crap, this disc loads right up. HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you do so. Makes the experience much less bile-inducing.

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Others have remarked well enough on the virtues of _Apollo 13_ as a film. What makes the Special Edition DVD worth its purchase price, however, are the tons of extras that you get. The story of the making of _Apollo 13_ is at least as interesting, if nowhere near as harrowing, as the actual moonshot itself, and this DVD gives you hours of material to walk you through that process.

Anyone who's interested in filmmaking will be riveted by both the Ron Howard running film commentary and the hour-long "Making of" documentary. Perhaps even more intriguing is the Marilyn and Jim Lovell audio track, in which you get to hear how Lovell feels about Howard and Hanks made his movie. This is made all the more interesting and informative for the filmmaking student in that _Apollo 13_ wasn't just the retelling of Lovell's real-life experience, it's also the film version of his book. Getting his perspective both as narrative object and storyteller is fascinating, as are Marilyn's observations on Kathleen Quinlan's Academy-nominated performance.

Combine all this with the superb technical brilliance of the encoding here, and you've got a DVD that's entirely worth the surprisingly modest price.

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"Failure is not an option!". So says mission-control director Gene Kranz, played by Ed Harris, as mission control devises a way to get the astronauts safely home. Although initially viewed as a disaster (explosion in spacecraft which forces cancellation the the moon-landing mission), in reality it is a story of success due to resourcefulness. The astronauts must return to earth and splash down safely with only enough electrical power to run a coffee pot.

Probably the best of director Ron Howard's movies, it is well acted by stars Tom Hanks (as Jim Lovell), Kevin Bacon (Jack Swigert), and Bill Paxton (Fred Haise) as the three space-bound astronauts, Gary Sinise (mission-bumped astronaut Ken Mattingly), Ed Harris (mission control Gene Kranz), and Kathleen Quinlan (Marilyn Lovell). The movie was nominated for 9 Oscars including best picture, writing, supporting actor (Harris), supporting actress (Quinlan), music, and visual effects, and won for editing and for sound.

There are a lot of special effects thoughout the movie, including the entirely-recreated lift-off sequence from a bird's-eye viewpoint. The weightlessness scenes were achieved by filming in a KC-135 airplane that did a series of parabolic climbs and dives, allowing about 25 seconds of filming at a time.

An exciting 220 minute movie about one of the most-watched successful rescues in history, the DVD contains a good "making of" documentary, a commentary by director Ron Howard, and another by Jim and Marilyn Lovell. "Bill Paxton's home movies" were never located, and the "comparison with NASA footage" and the "extensive exploration of special effects" were brief parts of the "making of", not separate items. Text-based production notes and cast/crew blurbs, and a trailer. Undocumented feature is the isolated score which plays in its entirety at the main menu (can skip forward, but not backward, however). The 2.35:1 wide-screen movie has 56 (!) chapters. Highly recommend for fans of any of the actors listed above, the space program, or adventures in general.

"With all due respect, sir, I believe this will be our finest hour" Gene Kranz

Honest reviews on Apollo 13 (15th Anniversary Edition) (1995)

This disc is the most anti-consumer user-hostile Blu-Ray (or DVD, for that matter) I have ever encountered. People should not have to skip through not 1, not 2, not 3 but FOUR(!!) previews to watch the movie they paid for. Not only that, but by the time you get to the main menu you'll be treated to you guessed it MORE ADVERTISING!!! What makes a bad situation even worse is all the other crap that you have to wade through to get to the movie. Here's what happens after you load the disc into your player:

*Progress (loading) indicator (For BD Live?)

*Animated Universal Pictures logo

*Notification that your player is "Loading a fresh preview from the internet"

*Preview 1

*Preview 2

*Preview 3

*Preview 4

*Menu asking you to select your language

*FBI Anti-piracy warning

*Disclaimer: "The views and opinions expressed in the interviews and/or commentaries are solely of the individuals..."

*MPAA rating

*Disclaimer: "Availability of network-related features subject to change..."

*Animated BD logo

*Apollo 13 Main menu (displaying ads for other Universal BD movies, the "ticker")

This is the kind of consumer-hostile design which turns people to download movies from the internet. When I load a movie into my player, I want to be taken directly to the main menu with a minimum of fuss. I paid for convenience and I didn't get it. Had I known this disc was authored this way, I would not have purchased it. Help discourage this kind of behavior by NOT purchasing this disc.

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Everyone knows that Apollo 13 is a well written and directed movie (Ronny Howard). What everyone may not know is that the DTS audio track transfer from the Video master to the DVD is excellent. With nice speakers and a subwoofer, DTS makes this movie worth the price. AC-3, having to compress the audio more than DTS on the DVD disc, the Dolby Digital just doesn't sound as good. Period. The rumbles of the lift-off are clean and tight they are not just a low "buzz" or vibration. The high's in the dialog are much crisper and give the audience the sense they are sitting right there next to Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon. DTS does a much better job with the surround channels as well. What moves around the rear with AC-3 Dolby Digital, REALLY moves around the room with DTS. Transitions are smoother and the sound "flows" around you. The one problem? The cheapest DTS decoder (needed to watch DTS DVD's) is a Technics for 300 bucks. I say that the DTS decoder and the DTS movies by Amazon are well worth the money for even the small home theater guru.

Reviews of Fantasia (Special 60th Anniversary Edition) (1941)

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The quality and presentation of this restored version of FANTASIA is wonderful. Finally restored, unseen since the initial release, are the complete introductory sequences, including a chimes player's accident with his instrument, the orchestra applauding Mickey Mouse, and the orchestra shuffling out for the intermission. Even the original title card has been returned to its proper place, during the intermission. (Some of the narration was rerecorded due to original voice tracks being no longer available.)

But there is CONSIDERABLE CONTROVERSY over the continued censorship of the "Pastorale" sequence. Circa 1969, the seemingly racist shots of a black centaurette (similar to Our Gang's "Buckwheat") attending on the white centaurettes were cut from the film, resulting in a "jump" in the music. Allegedly, the 1980 release's newly recorded music soundtrack covered up the clumsy edit, so that the remaining choreography was in sync. Subsequent releases to video have used optical tricks to remove the appearance of black centaurs, so that the original music track scans properly.

In this "restored" version, these optical edits are still glaringly obvious. (E.g., an optical zoom to avoid the black centaurette shows you the film grain up close, in another shot, a green bush magically slides across the ground by itself!)

The film survives as a masterpiece of filmic art, and this presentation of a "politically correct, original version" (my description) is tempting. But Disney does this release, and all customers and fans, a disservice by inappropriately calling it a "restored" and "uncut" version, when in fact it is NOT the version that was seen in the 1940 road shows.

Let your buying conscience be your guide, but consider the significance of buying an "original, restored" version that is neither, and perpetuates revisionist cuts as if they never happened.

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Don't get me wrong -this film is fantastic, and by itself it rates 5 stars. But this DVD edition is not all its cracked up to be.

First, there's the editing in the Pastoral Symphony, as noted by other reviewers. This is nothing new -that editing was originally done back in the 60s -but it makes for some very grainy frames in an otherwise beautiful print.

Then there's the re-dubbing of Deems Taylor's parts. As I understand it, this was necessary because the original soundtrack was missing for parts of the extended interstitials. However, I can't believe that they couldn't find a better voice match for Taylor, given the wealth of voice talent in Hollywood these days. If you're used to the original, the difference is kind of jarring.

My biggest gripe, though, is the apparent re-mixing of the music. The original soundtrack was full-on surround sound (what Disney called Fantasound) that had the music literally surrounding the viewer, often sweeping about the room to follow movement on the screen. The 1990 theatrical and video releases contained this Fantasound mix, but the DVD seems re-mixed as a static symphony recording, with the rear channels carrying only reverb. The sound is a bit cleaner than the last go-round, but it's far less dramatic. And the differences are noticable even in plain stereo.

All of these things add up to considerably less than a faithful rendering of this film. The editing is understandable since racial stereotypes are unacceptable these days, but the rest is a shame, and hard to understand in view of Disney's usual attention to detail.

As I noted, the film itself is well worth seeing, and aside of the editing, it has never looked better. But the original laserdisc/VHS release is far more interesting.

Best Deals for Fantasia (Special 60th Anniversary Edition) (1941)

It was great to see all of the narration put back into the film, but this so called "Uncut" edition, is not what is seems. Being a life-long fan and collector of "Fantasia" items, I was shocked to see (or not to see), the small black centaurette pyganinnies, totally removed from the film in the "Pastoral Symphony". Disney's "pan & scan" techinque in one sequence chopped them out and when Bacchus is ushered up the stairs, they have been totally wiped out of the segment (the carpet now rolls itself up to the throne...ah,Disney magic). I have many of the above mentioned sequences on video and was really hoping that they would find their way back into the DVD "uncut version". I realize that in this age of 'racial discrimination" that certain things can't be shown or referred to, but give me a break, "Fantasia" is art and should not have been censored, besides, these are mythical creatures. Also,......I remember Demms Taylor as having a different voice, the one in the DVD really does not sound like him at all. Anyway these are my thoughts. Having waited so long for the "uncut version", I feel very let down.

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I loved Fantasia when I was a kid, and it was now time to share it with my grandchildren. I was satisfied with the price, quality and availability of this product, but, when my daughter first inserted the DVD into the player, she was disconcerted to find that the language of the speaker and the settings was Korean. She's a clever woman and she managed to fiddle with the controls to find how to switch both the spoken and subtitled portions to English, but there was no indication in the ad on Amazon that this would be necessary, and no instructions accompanying the item as to how to adjust the settings for language.

Great show, but I think that the marketing was unclear at the least, and possibly misleading. I am disappointed in the seller, whose response to my emailed comments was unsatisfactory to me.

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As a child, I grew up watching the "almost original" VHS copy of my favorite Disney film of all-time.

Since purchasing the DVD, I was thoroughly disappointed. The redubbing of Deems Taylor's dialogue was blasphemous, and I'm sure that it could be easily restored with the technology we have today. Also, another point of interest is the censored "Black Centaur" scene (talk about 'political correctness'). Hasn't anyone seen the recent "Donald Duck" and WWII cartoon shorts from the "Walt Disney Treasures" series? They can at least have someone come on before the movie to warn those who may be offended by an animated African-American caricature.

All I can say is I hope Disney will have the common sense to faithfully restore the entire "Roadshow" edition on DVD and Blu-Ray next year for their upcoming "Diamond" release in Fall 2010. Oh, I pray that the day will finally come!!!

Review of Fight Club (10th Anniversary Edition) (1999)

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When I'm looking at the Top Ten list's of America's critics and the nominations of the DGA,WGA and all the other guilds and press associations, I terribly miss David Fincher's outstanding film "Fight Club", which is possibly the best film of 1999.

Not only is the film visualy stunning, it is also very thought-provoking, wickedly funny and, above all, extremely entertaining. Only few films managed to be so many things at once. David Fincher, in my opinion one of the most exciting directors of the decade, fills his movie with so many ideas that it would be sufficient for three more movies, and they are not just gimmicks for their own sake, they all mean something. Edward Norton and Brad Pitt are brilliant in the leads and the soundtrack by the Dust Brothers fits perfectly to the images.

Many reviewers thought the film was fascist. I think you can only call this ridiculous, since that assumes Fincher sympathizes with Tyler Durden's project mayhem. In fact, he invites us to form our own opinion, like Stanley Kubrick did in "A Clockwork Orange". "Fight Club" hands over the resposibility to the viewer. This may be uncomfortable to some, others (like myself) will embrace this.

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FIGHT CLUB arrived in the US with a blaze of publicity stressing its violence and nihilism; some critics (and those close to the production) countered this with the suggestion that it was an anti-materialist jeremiad. On a second viewing, it seems like neither -it's easier to see it as a smart, committed and complex piece of filmmaking. David Fincher once again dazzles with his direction, which is as intelligently energetic as the acting of Brad Pitt and, especially, Edward Norton. What's really impressive, however, is the way that the film manages to flirt with an anti-materialist, hyper-masculine primitivism even as it suggests that we're all a little too sophisticated to buy it (as it were).

FIGHT CLUB may hold that we're not the clothes we wear, or the credit cards in our wallet, but it's savvy enough to realise that our paths of thought and modes of organisation are almost entirely contaminated by the world we've created. Is the solution to destroy that world? Well, that's an option - but watch closely in the movie's second half and see how subtly and hilariously Fincher undermines this: the anarchists begin to chant management-speak, to dissolve into a collective identity, and to form franchises as if they were selling frappucino rather than revolution. Norton is especially horrified at all this, and his wonderful reactions to the disintegration of 'Project Mayhem' are the calm (and moral) centre of the film. Rather like ANIMAL FARM, Fincher tells us that we can have our revolution, but it's going to cost us dear; perhaps even the individuality and reason which we'd hoped to gain from our actions.

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It's a number. A star. A rating. Tyler knows that. He doesn't care. He's just pleased to know that in a world where even God doesn't know most people's name, there's another man who knows who Tyler Durden is.

Tyler Durden lets Big Lou punch him repeatedly in the jaw, while laughing maniacally, mocking him and infuriating him. At the end of the scene, Tyler seems to make the point: Real men don't always beat the crap out of other men, Real Men laugh silly at other men who try their best to make them feel pain, but only fail repeatedly. How would you feel if you sucked in all the power you had, landed a blow on a dude, and he laughed in your face as if to say, "That's your best shot?" Not very good, I think.

Tyler Durden [Brad Pitt] is the manifestation of every man's fantasy. Good-looking, brash, arrogant, fights like a tank, takes a beating like a tank, ****s like a machine and doesn't do any REAL work.

The Narrator [Ed Norton] is the manifestation of most modern men's reality. Plain-looking, dead-end job, no stable relationship, a decent collection of lifestyle accessories and sheer boredom.

When the two meet, you might expect the movie takes the usual route where the two men get to learn from each other, and find that each person's life has as many highs as pitfalls, and that your life is what you make of it. Err...no. Tyler is an enigma. A revolutionary of sorts. Hell, he isn't here to "learn" about the Narrator. He's here to "Jack" his life!!! Tyler Durden is a bigger, larger-than-life figure than James Bond, the Terminator or even Neo. He could easily steal any one of Bond's potential bed-mates from right under his nose. He could easily program the Terminator to believe its existence was useless and that it should self-terminate. He might even make Neo give-up and dump the whole "Because I choose to.." talk.

This movie may not "change" your life, but it will affect it. You will develop a liking for red leather. You will start working on a new walk. You will start sizing people up everywhere you go. You will stop caring about the fact that you're a 6-foot 120-lbs weakling with 13" biceps. You will start to think, "I'm sure I could throw ONE good dislocating punch at a 220lbs biker even after I take 4 punches to my face". You will want to be in better shape. You will cringe at the idea of a woman having any kind of control over your life. You will want to learn the art of dead-pan sarcasm that scares your boss out of his/her wits. Watch this movie, and you will wish that someday, people will ask, "Say, Who is (insert your name)?"

One of the better "mainstream" movies to have come out of Hollywood in recent years. Unless you exclusively like movies with a "Made for Oscars" plot [Disabled dude learns to appreciate life, WWII/Vietnam Veteran learn the value of human life,Gay Dude stands up against the system, etc.], you will have a hard time wondering why this movie didn't win a few dozen awards. In Tyler, You Can Trust.

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I didn't see this movie in the theaters because it had gotten very mixed reviews from the so-called professional movie reviewers. But, when it hit the local vidoe store, I thought I would give it a try. WOW, what a kick in the teeth, interesting, and fast moving journey into one man's mind. The path this movie takes is fantastic.

Norton and Pitt are perfectly cast, and supported by a crew of fight club members that make for a well-acted show. Meatloaf, Ed Gil, Jared Leto, et. al. are great in support as the members/followers of the leads. Helena Bonham Carter has the only real female role in this film and is perfectly cast. But as much as the acting, this movie is made by the story. Unconventional, with a great twist at the end, the whole movie kept me on the edge of my seat. As with many great movies, it is hard to classify the genre (action, comedy, drama), as there is a sampling of all in this film. In the end, I would just classify this as a great film.

Much was made of the violence of this movie when it first hit the theaters. Those critics overstated the case. There is blood and violence in the movie, but it is not excessive and it serves the plot well.

If you missed this in the theater, see it now. If you saw it once, see it again. I will.

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Many of the people I know who didn't enjoy this movie simply didn't get it. Some were threatened by the attitude towards consumerism. Others found the violence too much, or even worse, over done. But no one came out of that theatre with something they'd expected or something they could forget about. Those who went in for an action flick were forced to watch a literate, existential, art film with violence that they couldn't get excited about because it had meaning. Those who wanted to see Brad Pitt saw Brad Pitt and paid little mind to the brilliant story brought to us by one of the finest new American authors, Chuck Palaniuk. And the rest were offended by the negative attitude toward their favorite coffee chains, clothing stores, and/or furniture outlet. I say good.

Some wonderful things about this movie, not giving anything away, are that the characters that are fighting the above mentioned institutions are also willing participants in making them as successful as they are, and the body count is as low as a big budget Hollywood film has been in years. Don't believe me? Check it out.

As a film, it stands out as one of the most creative and beautifully shot movies this year. David Fincher, not being bound by convention, made one of the best adaptations from novel to screen ever with Fight Club.

This film will speak to everyone. To some it will say horrible things they do not want to hear. To others it will touch a place you never knew you had in you. Read the book if you want to really know the philosophy. See the movie for a demonstration.

Buy The Muppet Christmas Carol (20th Anniversary Edition) (1992)

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This DVD contains a 4:3 version and a 16:9 widescreen version.

Disney Home Video reps have confirmed that only the 4:3 pan & scan version is the home video version which contains the full version of this movie. The widescreen version is the theatrical cut and does not include the song "When Love is Gone".

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Reading the Blu-Ray description included here, it says that the running time is 85 minutes, which is four minutes shorter than my copy on laserdisc. This can only mean that the exquisite song "When Love Is Gone" is STILL not being included in this release ...

... which means I'm not buying it.

Sorry, Disney, but I refuse to spend my money on a sub-standard presentation, no matter how HD it is.

The story of A Christmas Carol is about Ebenezer Scrooge, not the Muppets. His character arc is the most important factor. Michael Caine gives a fantastic performance, and his greatest moment is during this scene as he tries to sing with the woman that Ebenezer loved and lost -and he winds up losing his emotional control, unable to finish the song. This is why he turns to the Ghost of Christmas Past and says, "Spirit, show me no more. Why do you delight in torturing me?"

If "When Love Is Gone" is not included, that question has no meaning.

This wonderful film should not be released on Blu-Ray without including that moment! Disney, where's your brains?

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Disney has ruined THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL yet again by only including the cut theatrical release version of the movie, minus the song When Love is Gone. This is a song that not only is the heart and soul of the entire movie, but it was at one point added back into the film BY THE DIRECTOR, Brian Henson. Nobody involved in the production wanted the song removed -it was taken out by the studio because they felt little kids would get bored during it. As it is, the film still has an awful cut where that song was supposed to be...and the intended, full version of the film will remain sitting on a studio shelf because Disney wants it that way. Pathetic.

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(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)A full five-stars for the wonderful "The Muppet Christmas Carol." I am amazed that a fresh and interesting take can be found on the often re-made Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol." Muppet movies are hit-or-miss at best, and this one is either the top 1 or 2.

Michael Caine is brilliant as Scrooge, and the combination of the completely straight Caine and the antics of the muppets creates a wonderful reality, blending the original ghost story with a heartwarming chaser.

The DVD contains two really nice special features, including a very interesting "Making of..." featurette , and a nice "Christmas's Across the World" featurette. The "Making of...." featurette is one of the most interesting that I have seen, quite long with cast interviews, special effects, song information and pretty much everything you could want.

However, several really disappointing choices were made on this DVD release, including producing a full-screen edition and eliminating the song "The Love is Gone" from the UK edition. When I buy a DVD, I want to full movie, not 75% or it with the edges trimmed off. Also, the exclusion of "The Love is Gone" from the UK edition makes no sense, as it is singled out to be the most important transition point of the movie during the "Making of..." featurette.

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First of all, the most of these reviews are for previous releases. Second of all this blu-ray will not include the song, "When Love is Gone." I will not be buying this anymore. The songs adds so much, and the edit is so glaringly obvious and not smooth at all. I am also surprised that in this day and age, 2012 (almost 2013) Disney can't just release the complete version. Have they never heard of seamless branching? Anyway, I won't be buying this.

Buy Dumbo (60th Anniversary Edition) (1941)

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Why am I not surprised that there is someone reviewing this classic who trashes it as if they had never seen it and were offended by the cultural sensitivity issues that are part of the film. (See the Tallahassee reviewer titled "Do not purchase this video for children" January 21, 2003) For crying out loud, this script reflects what was normal at the time the film was first released. It's full of classic pieces that of course include a white dominated societal commentary on what was perceived as appropriate black cultural roots at that time. Is it outdated? Sure, so is nearly every other film from that era. Does this make it less of a classic? Absolutely not. In fact, this is the *real* Disney, long before it was sanitized for the Anaheim-Orlando crowd. Is the film inappropriate for a 21st century kid? That's a parental decision, but if you plan to shelter your child from the real history of the U.S., they will have a rude awakening (with all the accompanying psychoses) that you *won't* be able to control. My kids loved this film when they were very young.....we talked about the cultural issues by the time they were in school.....in fact, I distinctly remember them coming home to ask why some kids treated others so badly because of the color of their skin, their accents, etc. We used Dumbo to show them what used to be, was is today, and how to deal with it. And there was never a place where the original empathy of the film was lost on them. They have repeatedly made personal decisions and stood up against improper cultural slurs their entire lives (they are all either in college or their final years of high school now). I've been pleased with how they can see a cultural slur coming and are not willing to put up with any of the culturally "acceptable" ways of trashing others' ethnicity.

Now, what about the film? This is a great Disney classic from the days when there was a full bodied, earthy smell to what they did. It's release in this format provides a historical window on American culture from the 1950s that is true and clear. It loses nothing in the 21st century translation and in fact, gains considerably from it's historical context. A great child's film that every adult needs to understand!

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Dumbo is a cinematic milestone and masterpiece of family entertainment. The storyline and characters are well rounded enough (just) to entertain adults and older children and the quality of the animation both holds children's attention and enables them to empathise with the principle characters. In addition, the moral of the story is well presented without being clumsily overstated as in much modern animation.

Both my children have frequently watched this DVD (which first came out (without extras) in Europe in 1999) since they were one and both enjoy it imensely.

I'm both astonished and disturbed that anyone could deem this movie unsuitable for children but can only assume they come from the same group of people who banned Robin Hood books from schools for being 'pro communist' and Shakespeare for being 'too explicit'!

The 'drunken scene' is funny, brief and discrete (all you see is the shadows of characters through canvas). As to fast forwarding through the dream sequence for the kids' benefit because it is 'too long' that is verging on irresponsible. All doing so teaches a child is that it's OK to have a short attention span and to zoom through films to the 'interesting bits'. Perhaps I was wrong though and the moral of the story has been hidden too deeply "Persevere Don't Give Up" is lost on some people.

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Don't get me wrong, Dumbo is a great movie for kids and adults, one of Disney's greatest films but everything went wrong in this SO CALLED "Big Top Edition"

First of all, it isn't even a 2-disc set!

Most of the old "60th Anniversary Edition" bonus features are put on this DVD taking out some of the making, Dumbo II preview, and a music video. I do not understand Disnet AT ALL!

The new transfer IMO is WORSE then the "60th Anniversary Edition" It has no life to it, it is darker and very dull. Also you are losing 30% of the film do to an overscan! This movie was already filmed in fullscreen why do a pan and scan job to a fullscreen DVD? Come on Disney, you get enough money!

You really need this quick buck?

If you already have the "60th Anniversary Edition" DVD please stick with it! You get to see the WHOLE movie in full and the colors are brighter and you have ALL the great bonus features!

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I don't know why Disney is doing this release, they have deleted some of the "Making Of" documentaries and bonus music videos that were on the "60th Anniversary Edition" DVD release.

The few extra shorts on this disc were also on the previous "60th Anniversary Edition" DVD.

Bottom line: Get the 30th Anniversary DVD release if you still can.

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I bought this movie a couple of days at the Disney Store where I work. I believe Dumbo to be one of the finest classics to come out of Disney during the 1940's. Walt Disney himself said this movie was to be his favorite one to come out of his own studios.

However, with the Big Top Edition, I expected better remastering of the movie. The majority of the picture and sound are crisp and clean and very brilliant in color, however there are moments when it's not. For example, in the beginning of the "Pink Elephants on Parade", you can see some faded color with scratches on the film clearly seen over Dumbo's face. The sound in the song sung by the black ravens, "When I See An Elephant Fly" is a bit underdone in the remastering as well as it becomes harder to hear in this portion of the movie--almost as if the film had aged so bad that the soundtrack is beyond repair.

Other than these difficulities, I believe the release deserves four stars. If you have kids, the bonus features are specifically geared towards them. They'll enjoy it.

The Stewardesses 3D: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Review

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I thought that the 3-D worked quite well, given the limits of DVD. The disc provides three different versions of the film: color 3-D, black-and-white 3-D, and a really good color print in 2-D. There are also interviews with cast and crew members, and a nice documentary about 3-D that even provides a 3-D trailer preview of THE MAZE!

The film itself is a typical softcore flick from the late 1960s. Some of the actresses include Christina Hart (who is interviewed in the accompanying featurette), cult fave Monica Gayle, and Nancy "CINDY AND DONNA" Ison. THE STEWARDESSES was perhaps the first American film of its kind that played mainstream theaters. Because of that, I consider it to be the first film in the "porno chic" movement, although many film historians award that distinction to DEEP THROAT (1972).

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I had a girlfriend that booked movies in San Francisco, and I got to see this movie when it first came out. The 3D was amazing for 1969!! However, when I got the movie with the red and blue glasses one of the early scenes where legs go flying past your head was just not the same. The original movie used Polaroid glasses, like Disneylands Michael Jackson movie. So the 3D is just so so, and the plot is fair. Lots of female nudity, so not for the young ones.

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Back in the 80's a theatre in nyc had a 3d film festival that showed 3d movies from the 1950's to the 1960's. I was lucky enough to see The Stewardesses. What I remember most was that the audience was screaming with laughter at this movie. This movie is the perfect talk back to the screen movie. This is a cheesy soft porn skin flick in 3d, and I loved every minute. I just got the dvd yesterday and watched it again for the first time in years, and it has not changed a bit. I remember the scene the audience went wild over. It was right at the beginning when this girl and guy are making love in a motel room, and the girls feet and legs are going back and forth at the screen. Restoration is good. 3D is fair. It works well in somes parts, but not in others. Take this movie for exactly what it is, a look back at the very early stages of what would become the golden age of porn. This movie can be very sexy.

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I bought this because I saw the original MANY years ago. Nostalgia! Truly a "soft porn" movie. The trip was good but the 3D was weak. At the price thogh, I'd buy again.

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The Stewardesses 3-D(1969) is a sexy comedy/drama starring Christina Hart and directed by Alf Silliman Jr. It's packed with sexy women, nudity and 3-D effects. Then again, it has almost no plot or story. The budget for the film was $100,000 and it grossed more than $25 million at the box office. There are several alternate versions of the film. The film is a part of pop culture. It was spoofed on SCTV. The Stewardesses was one of the first movies filmed in Stereophonic 3-D. Many Hollywood 3-D movies were filmed in Anaglyph 3-D. This Shout Factory DVD does deliver in quality. The film claims that it was based on a novel, but that is not true! The film has many filler scenes. People play pool or have fun at a carnival. A stewardess gets high on LSD and tries to make love to a lamp! This film is for adults only. The Stewardesses 3-D is so bad, it's good.

Cheap The Sound of Music (45th Anniversary Blu-ray/DVD Combo Limited

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After years and years and years of watching The Sound of Music on VHS and DVD, I thought I knew every blade of grass and every gust of wind visible in the movie. How wrong I was! You don't realize how much picture is lost with standard 480p releases until a monumental blu ray transfer like this comes along and provides a home viewing experience that literally feels like seeing the movie for the first time.

As far as I'm concerned, this is the best blu ray I own and not just because The Sound of Music is probably the greatest movie ever made, but because the picture quality is truly that beautiful. And that makes sense, considering the movie was filmed in 70mm and could contain so much more data than ordinary 35mm. Also, from what I understand, the restoration process was taken extremely seriously and done with the highest technology possible. There's a reason why so many artists are pushing blu ray, and it's because for the first time people can experience their creativity and attention to detail, as it was meant to be seen. There is SO much detail in this movie. Seriously, if you loved this movie before you will have your mouth dropped open the entire time you sit through it in high definition.

And the Audio quality! I didn't even know it was possible to make ancient audio files sound brand new, but it clearly is. Every song sounds 1000000x better than my old CD soundtracks. Add in surround sound... heavenly.

OVERALL: I don't care how many VHS or DVD copies you have of this movie sitting around, you NEED this blu ray. It's not just a restoration, it's a transformation. You cannot have truly experienced The Sound of Music at home until seeing it in 1080p. Not to mention it's cram packed with amazing extras that are actually watchable. In case you can't tell, this BD just makes me so happy. If you appreciate the movie (or bless you, never seen it before) you MUST experience it on BD!

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"The Sound of Music", the 1965 20th Century Fox musical which would capture the world with its memorable music and it's touching storyline and continues to have thrived through various generations and will continue to thrive for many generations hereafter.

The film is an adaptation of a popular Broadway play which is based on the memoir "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers" written by Maria von Trapp. The von Trapp family are known for escaping from the Nazis in Austria after the Anschluss (the annexation and occupation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938).

The original musical based on the book featured music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II (both Rodgers and Hammerstein were known for their music for "Oklahoma!", "Carousel", "State Fair", "South Pacific", "The King and I" to name a few) which led to the book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The Broadway production began in 1959 starring Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel and would later inspire a film adaptation in 1965 which was loosely based on the Broadway production and memoir.

The film would become an ultimate success as director Robert Wise (known for "West Side Story" and "The Haunting") would win five Academy Awards for Best Director, William Reynolds for Best Film Editing, Irwin Kostal for Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment, Best Picture and Best Sound.

The film would be best known for its wonderful location of Salzburg, Austria (which has inspired an actual "Sound of Music" tour which has been functional for the last 30-years) but most of all, known for its music which include "The Sound of Music", "Edelweiss", "My Favorite Things", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and "Do-Re-Mi".

The film which was budgeted at $8.2 million would go on to gross $163 million worldwide. The film would break the record held by "Gone with the Wind" for box office revenue and would also be a film that would be in circulation in theaters for three straight years.

"The Sound of Music" would also continue to become a hit on video as it was released as a five star DVD release in 2000 to celebrate the film's 35th Anniversary, released in 2005 to celebrate the film's 40th Anniversary and now in 2010 on Blu-ray, a limited edition box set and a digital iTunes release to celebrate the film's 45th Anniversary.

VIDEO:

"The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition" is presented in 1080p High Definition (Widescreen 2:20:1), AVC@22 MBPS. This is where "The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition" literally looks amazing. For those who have owned previous versions of the film on DVD, back in 2005, the film went through restoration using a backup negative of the original 70 mm print. At the time, the original 70mm 6-Track print was so damaged, there was no way to even use the original negative at that time and most of us who watched the 40th Anniversary Edition felt that the film looked absolutely beautiful compared to it's earlier 2000 DVD release.

With that being said, technology has changed within the last five years since the release of the 40th Anniversary. The damaged original 70 mm print that couldn't be used in the restoration of the film in 2005 can now be used for the film with new hardware and software and is now receiving 8K digital scanning by 20th Century Fox for perfect restoration.

No longer is the film hazy, no longer is the film more on the pinkish side. "The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition" is vibrant. The grass...you can see the various grains of grass, the strands in green, yellow and detail of the mountains over looking Salzburg. I was amazed! Another example, Maria splashing the water before she heads to the von Trapps, you can see the water droplets flying in the air, another one is the von Trapp's uncle and his coat, you can see the wool in his jacket. There is so much detail in this latest version of "The Sound of Music", it's incredible! I am literally speechless because I own previous versions of this film on video and never before have I seen this much clarity in the film ever!

And I find it quite funny for each review I have done for the film, I mention of how the cinematography of William Reynolds was captured perfectly but watching it on Blu-ray, the cinematography... may it be the shots of Maria on the mountain, Maria with the kids on the mountain, the wedding ceremony, etc., I just feel that the cinematography as seen on the 45th Anniversary Edition via the new restoration really captures the beauty of "The Sound of Music" than ever before. Absolutely breathtaking!

Once again, the crew who restored this film...I give your crew a standing ovation...what you were able to accomplish with this film on Blu-ray is absolutely fantastic!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition" is presented in English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 4.0 Dolby Surround, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and French 5.1 DTS. Because the film was shot with a 6-track and because they were provided with the audio without the dialogue, for this 2010 edition, they were able to remove all noise but also making sure to utilize a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track and as mentioned, I've owned several versions of this film and I even own the soundtrack to this film.

The way this music was handled through the surround channels was amazing. The music and the instruments playing on individual channels was well done. The first thing that came to my mind during sequences of the sisters singing "Maria" to the wedding sequence, the sounds that were utilized through those channels were amazing. Also, they were able to isolate the sound of Salzburg up the hills, the sound of wind, the birds... I was in awe with the lossless soundtrack.

I absolutely love the soundtrack for this film and this is the best I have ever heard of it. If you have a 7.1 setup (center speaker, two fronts, two surrounds, two rear surrounds and your subwoofer), you will definitely be impressed with how alive the music comes as it really sounds beautiful via the soundscape in the home. Once again, I was in awe when I heard the music and I'm sure many people will be just as impressed by it.

Similar to the video restoration, the audio restoration for this 45th anniversary is fantastic! And the crew responsible for the audio restoration for this release should be proud because they did an outstanding job!

Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES

"The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition" comes with the following special features from the 35th and 40th Anniversary DVD versions of the film but also newer special features that just literally packs this 45th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray release:

DISC 1:

* Your Favorite Things: An Interactive Celebration A new way to watch "The Sound of Music". If you select this option for viewing the movie, you have four categories which you can select interaction with the viewer. One is behind-the-scenes images, the other is viewing with on-screen lyrics, the other is trivia and location quiz. You can select one or all four.

* Audio Commentary: Director Robert Wise The following audio commentary was originally included in the Five Star Collection (2000) for the 35th Anniversary DVD release. Informative commentary by Wise who gives details on the challenges they had in shooting this film. It's important to note that Wise doesn't do much talking and only does when it is necessary.

* Audio Commentary: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Charmian Carr, choreographer Dee Dee Wood, and the youngest son of Maria von Trapp, Johannes von Trapp A lively commentary by the five individuals. Although these are separate commentaries recorded in separate times but Julie Andrews definitely gives us a good idea of the sets and various shooting locations. Also, hearing from Plummer of how he doesn't like to work with children but in this case, he got a long with the children quite well. Charmian Carr who plays the character of Liesl talks about playing the oldest teenage daughter at the age of 21.

* Music Machine Sing-Along Sing-along subtitle tracks which can be seen while watching the film or giving the viewer the ability to select various tracks with the sing-along subtitles.

DISC 2:

* Musical Stages: Creating the Sound of Music This first special feature is actually an interactive "backlot tour" with plenty of in-depth featurettes on the songs, the stage show, the movie, the film and sound restoration and getting to know the real life von Trapp family. Included are:

1. Music in the 21st Century (8:52) A featurette on the popularity of the film and how the film has influenced pop culture from pop artists such as Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguillera to shows like "The Family Guy" and how many various interpretations of the film have made it onto stage and children's books.

2. Restoring a Classic: Bloom & Grow (5:44) A featurette on the 8K digital restoration of the film. How during the 2005 45th Anniversary Edition, they were not able to use the original 70 mm negative but in 2010, with new technology they were able to. Before and after scenes and more. Awesome featurette!

3. Edelweiss (2:28) How the song was created and how Christopher Plummer wanted to sing the song and not be dubbed. We get to see footage of Plummer singing and the dubbed over version.

4. I Have Confidence (8:06) How the lyrics were changed from the original Rodgers & Hammerstein version by Saul Chaplin and constructing it for the film adaptation.

5. My Favorite Things (2:47) Why the song was fun and the popularity of the lyrics.

6. Sixteen Going on Seventeen (2:20) Because Rodgers & Hammerstein know that their lyrics deal with sex, for this film, they had to carefully craft lyrics with slight undertones.

7. After the Escape (8:43) The true story of how the von Trapps escaped Austria and interviews with Maria von Trapp and the grandchildren.

8. Rodgers & Hammerstein: Partners at it's Peak (3:53) The popularity of Rodgers & Hammerstein and how they crafted hit after hit.

9. Shaping the Story (4:50) The original screen adaptation of the von Trapp and the differences between stage and the film adaptation.

10. The von Trapp's Today (5:48) How the von Trapp's continue with their grandchildren who have a lodge in Vermont.

11. Climb Ev'ry Mountain (2:07) The difficult of the lyrics of the song and singing it.

12. Stage vs. Screen (3:12) A more thorough featurette on the differences between the stage and film adaptation.

13. Maria (3:03) The making of the song.

14. The Sound of Music (2:32) The popularity of the song, how it was Oscar's idea and what inspired him.

15. Maria and the Musical (5:06) The real life Maria von Trapp and how she got involved with the musical and trying to take a hands off approach to the film (since it differed from the real life story).

16. Cutting Room Floor (2:50) Three songs from the stage production that were not used on the film.

17. Something Good (2:17) Rodgers wrote to more songs for the film.

18. The Lonely Goatherd (2:30) How the song was used in the stage production and how it was incorporated into the film.

19. Do-Re-Mi (3:31) The popularity of the song and how different it was from the stage production compared to the film version.

20. So Long, Farewell (1:11) How the song was used in the film.

21. A Generous Heart (3:54) The life of eldest daughter Maria von Trapp who like her mother, went on to do great things with her generous heart in other countries.

22. Final Dream: Oscar Hammerstein Remembered (5:51) How "The Sound of Music" was the final show Rodgers & Hammerstein would work together and how he handled his cancer and the short time he had left in the world and how he said goodbye to family and friends and how the song "Edelweiss" was literally Hammerstein's song saying goodbye.

23. Stories from Broadway (4:19) Stories from the Broadway cast.

24. Restoring a Classic Glorious Sound (5:31) Using the 6-Track Master and creating the lossless 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.

* A City of Song (34:38) This feature adds an interactive map of Salzburg, Austria. Because so many people have traveled to Salzburg for "The Sound of Music" Tour or to visit the locations shown on the film, this special feature is great as you can select a map and get video to know about the locations, photos and fascinating facts of the area.

* Vintage Programs Featuring featurettes and documentaries included in the 35th and 40th Anniversary of "The Sound of Music" (note: Most of the special features are in 480p, standard definition):

1. The Sound of Music: From Fact to Phenomenon (1:27:22) A documentary on the real von Trapp story and how the the film received the green light. Robert Wise talks about casting and cast talk about their involvement in the film and what they wanted for the film.

2. My Favorite Things: Julie Andrews Remembers (1:03:18) A documentary featuring Julie Andrews remembering "The Sound of Music". From the original pre-production, filming on location, the music and working with the cast and crew. Also, featuring Christopher Plummer, Charmian Carr and those who worked with Julie Andrews as they reminisce about working on "The Sound of Music".

3. Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer: A Reminisce (19:24) Both Julie Andrews and Christopher Plumber reminisce 40 years later about their involvement in the film and working together.

4. From Liesl to Gretl (33:33) A reunion of the seven talents who play the Von Trapp children in the film talking about their experience working on the film, hijinks behind-the-camera and mistakes they made that are on the film.

5. Salzburg Sights and Sound (13:04) Narrated by Charmian Carr. A documentary on her arrival to Salzburg and filming for "The Sound of Music".

6. On Location with the Sound of Music (22:33) Charmian Carr hosts a documentary on Salzburg and visiting the locations where the film was shot.

7. When You Know the Notes to Sing A Sing-Along Phenomenon (12:50) The 40th Anniversary sing-along screening at the Hollywood Bowl for "The Sound of Music".

8. Rodgers and Hammerstein: The Sound of American Music, 1985 (1:23:25) Popular Broadway talent Mary Martin hosts a documentary on Rodgers and Hammerstein, the history and hits of this dynamic duo and their work on "Oklahoma", "Carousel", "Flower Drum Song", "The King and I" and "The Sound of Music".

9. Rodgers and Hammerstein: The Sound of Music, 1996 (1:36:36) A documentary on Rodgers and Hammerstein's successful music in film hosted by Shirley Jones and guests Rita Moreno, Nancy Kwann, Charmian Carr and Julie Andrews as they comment on the films they worked on that featured music by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

10. Audio Interviews: Location Interviews Featuring audio interviews with Julie Andrews (11:48), Christopher Plummer (5:15) and Peggy Wood (8:34)

11. Audio Interview: Reissue Interview with Julie Andrews and Robert Wise from 1973 (7:48)

12. Audio Interview: A Telegram from Daniel Truhitte (13:02) Daniel Truhitte reminisce about playing the part of Rolfe.

13. Audio Interview: Ernest Lehman: Master Storyteller (34:56) An audio interview with Ernest Lehman.

* Rare Treasures Featuring programs from TV shows related to"The Sound of Music":

1. Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall: The Pratt Family Singers (6:41) A parody of the musical shown on the 1962 CBS special starring Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett.

2. The Julie Andrews Hour: Julie Andrews and Maria von Trapp (16:33) A segment from 1973 featuring Julie Andrews and Maria von Trapp. Featuring performances by both women and also Julie Andrews interviewing Maria von Trapp.

3. Screen Tests (26:13) The 1999 AMC "Hollywood Screen Tests" of The Sound of Music. Various screen tests featuring auditions for "The Sound of Music" in which talent such as Richard Dreyfuss, Mia Farrow, Leslie Ann Warren, Kurt Russel and more auditioned but Robert Wise talks about what he wanted and that was more family quality and the family becoming believable.

4. 40th Anniversary DVD Intro by Julie Andrews (2:10) The original DVD intro by Julie Andrews included in the 2005 40th Anniversary DVD release.

5. Galleries Featuring concept art, storyboards and still photos from the film. Using your remote, you can cycle through images for "What Will My Future Be? (Pre-Production)", "Facing Adventure (Production) and "A Grand and Glorious Party (Promotion and Publicity)".

* Publicity Featuring various publicity, trailer and TV spots for "The Sound of Music":

* Fox Movietone News Academy Awards Footage (2:45) Featuring Julie Andrews on the red carpet of the 38th Annual Academy Awards and footage of Andrews and the Academy Award winners for the film.

* Trailers and Teasers Featuring the following trailers: Teaser Preview (1:28, Dec. 1964), General Release Preview (4:00, 1965), Academy Awards Preview (4:24, April 1966), First Anniversary Preview, :50, May 1966), Release Preview (4:01, Dec. 1972), Release Preview Alternate Soundtrack (4:01, Dec. 1962), Testimonial Trailer (2:22).

* TV Spots (1:23) Featuring the 60-second reissue TV spot (March 1973), 30-second Reissue TV Spot (March 1973).

* Radio Spots Featuring the following radio spots: 60 Second Reserve Seat Engagement, 60 Second 1973 Reissue, 30 Second Reserve Seat Engagement, 30 Second 1973 Reissue.

EXTRAS:

"The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition" comes with a DVD version of the feature film which is presented in 2:20:1, widescreen. Audio in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, English 4.0 Dolby Surround, Spanish Dolby Surround and French Dolby Surround. Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish. Also, included is a slip-over cover case.

JUDGMENT CALL:

I literally grew up in a household where "The Sound of Music" played and to tell you the truth, when I was younger, I really couldn't stand the musical as my mother would sing the songs over and over again. But as I got older and I began watching more classic films, I found myself watching "The Sound of Music" around 1990 or so and I ended up purchasing the soundtrack for the film on cassette. When I visited my mother, I ended up playing the cassette and in a very long time, I heard her sing the songs once again.

When I got married, I was amazed that my wife knew the lyrics also by heart and by the birth of our son, to help calm him, she would sing "My Favorite Things". Needless to say, the music of "The Sound of Music" has been part of me during my childhood and I have no doubt that with my wife and son, it will continue on to the next generation.

As for the film, I have watched and owned various incarnations of this film on video and I have purchased the five star edition of the movie on DVD in 2000 and I clearly felt that the 40th Anniversary 2005 release was just unprecedented. I felt that it was the ultimate release and I figured, if it was on Blu-ray, it would be an HD version of the film and the same special features. But I was wrong. Twentieth Century Fox has given fans of the film the ultimate release with "The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition".

Not only do we get another restoration of the film using the original 70 mm negative and now presented in 1080p High Definition, we get a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless soundtrack which sounds incredible! Just the fact that the film looks and sounds better is significant. The colors just pop! It's hard to describe of how awesome this film looks on Blu-ray compared to previous video releases. In the past, there was always this dreamy, hazy look to the film. Though it was colorful, I have always thought that was how the film was shot. And the opening scene with Julie Andrews on top of the hill spinning around, I always thought that was a beautiful shot... that was until I saw this 45th Anniversary Edition and everything that I have thought about the look of the film has went out the window because this presentation is just amazing! I felt the old colors always had a greenish/pinkish tinge but now, the colors look accurate. Blue skies look vibrantly blue and no pinkish haze on the background. Grass and hills are still green but now we can see the strands of grass quite clearly, more than ever before.

The blues of Julie Andrews and Charmian Carr's eyes just captures your attention, the detail of Captain von Trapp's home or the clothing is detail that is much more cleaner and more evident than ever before. Only one time in the film is where things do look a bit faux is when the Captain, the Baroness and Uncle Max are driving and of course, you see the usual fake background and that scene, you're not going to get much realism but for the most part, the film looks amazing.

And as mentioned, the sound...I've listened to this soundtrack so many times but to hear it in 7.1 and hear of how the instruments were carefully selected for various channels, for those who have a 7.1 setup, you can't help but be happy of how nice this soundtrack comes in DTS-HD! Again, awesome!

And just when you think that was it, there are literally hours and hours of special features included in this release of "The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition". It took me two days or so just to go through everything and watch everything and once again, I thought the 40th Anniversary Edition was significant, but this 45th Anniversary edition just blows it out of the water. Various documentaries, commentary, various featuretttes, audio interviews and more! And I can't even imagine what 20th Century Fox will do for the 50th Anniversary Edition but I do have one request and that would be to record the live sing-along for the film and give people a chance to select it as an optional soundtrack to watch the film and sing-along with those thousands of people (like the 18,000 or so that showed up to the Hollywood Bowl). That would be awesome!

And I need to go back to the restoration and to say that if Twentieth Century Fox now has the technology in 2010 to take damaged negatives and are able to repair it to the point where they can re-use the film for a master in a Blu-ray release, that literally makes me extremely giddy and happy because that means a lot of those wonderful classic films in their catalog can receive a wonderful Blu-ray release using this technology. I'm very impressed with this release and I look forward to the potential of what this can mean for classic films on Blu-ray from Twentieth Century Fox.

With that being said, for the very hardcore fans of "The Sound of Music", for this 45th Anniversary release, you also have the opportunity to get the Limited Collector's set packaged in a keepsake box and features a 100-page "My Favorite Things" scrapbook, a 45th Anniversary Soundtrack, a reproduction of the original 1965 souvenir program, an exclusive handpainted "My Favorite Things" music box and more. And for those people who prefer all things digital, on November 2nd will also include a digital release on iTunes of "The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition" which includes a sing-along version of the movie and 180-minutes of behind-the-scenes material.

Once again, I was shocked when I watched this release because I had no idea how much went into the restoration of the film for this 45th Anniversary edition because they just did one for the 40th Anniversary. But the fact that they have the technology and that they were given a chance to do give this film a new restoration using the latest technology was impressive. The addition of all this bonus material for the Blu-ray release is magnificent and the fact that this entire Blu-ray release of "The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition" just raises the bar of what a studio can accomplish for a classic film.

Overall, this is a fantastic release of "The Sound of Music" and if you are a big fan, whether you get this version or the Limited Edition version, all I can say is that this is the definitive version to own that just stands out from its previous video releases in quality and quantity. Great music, great story, musical performances, cinematography and just a wonderful family film. Sure, it may be a bit too saccharine sweet for today's audience (or too long) but for those who have never watched this film ever, please give it a try.

This is a perfect release in every category and easily deserving of five stars! "The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition" is highly recommended!

Best Deals for The Sound of Music (45th Anniversary Blu-ray/DVD Combo Limited

WOW...that's all I can say. I've been waiting for this one to come out on Blu-ray for quite awhile...and I can truly say, it was worth the wait. Finally, this movie looks like it did in the theater...the colors, details and clarity are amazing...This movie has never looked good on VHS, Laserdisc OR DVD...Finally Blu-ray does it justice. Kudo's to FOX for giving this such a nice treatment. I just bought my copy and watched it all the way through...was only going to watch bits but got caught up all over again in the magic. I even put in the DVD and jumped back and forth to compare...and there just wasn't anything to compare...the Blu-ray blows the old copy away. Just watch the scenes of Do-Re-Mi or the Church Wedding scene and be amazed by what Blu-ray can do...the details in the church are stunning...every detail from the carpet to the candles and gold backgrounds just stand out perfectly...looks as close to the print I saw in the theater last year as I've ever seen...For all those that think only new movies can look good on blu-ray, just look at how wonderful this 45 year old movie looks!!! If you have any doubts about this one...Don't...Run right now and pick it up...you will be glad you did.

Honest reviews on The Sound of Music (45th Anniversary Blu-ray/DVD Combo Limited

Reviled by some, beloved by many, consistently referred to as the most popular movie musical ever made, THE SOUND OF MUSIC more than fulfills the promise of its beautiful visuals and expert song numbers on home video via DVD. This edition tops the 1995 laserdisc by allowing the sparkling, exemplary design of its 70mm. Todd-AO frame to be exhibited with increased sharpness and resolution. The 4.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack is powerful and clean, but since this film was originally mixed for six-track magnetic stereo, it's curious why the effort wasn't made by Fox to split the surrounds! Nonethless, the film sounds terrific. The extra features make this package a bargain at the price. Full length commentary by director Bob Wise, with the musical numbers presented sans vocals, is a great touch. And the two documentaries are beautifully presented; full of facts and bits of arcane information that any fan will truly enjoy. A great movie, and a great DVD rendition. More like this, PLEASE!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for The Sound of Music (45th Anniversary Blu-ray/DVD Combo Limited

For some reason The Sound Of Music has never had any luck in home video release. It has never achieved the picture quality commensurate with its status. The 40th Anniversary Edition seemed like the opportunity for it to finally shine. Alas no. Yes it is a marked improvement over the previous DVD which image-wise was deplorable. But it is far below what we know is possible in film restoration today.

What's good about the new SoM transfer? Well for starters they've removed the much criticised electronic edge enhancement which infuriated so many people in the previous DVD. This is artificial sharpening which looks good on small screens but produces halos around objects when seen on larger displays. The result is a slightly softer image but definitely an improvement over the old DVD. And they've made some effort at restoration. The picture looks visibly brighter. The color timing which was way off in the previous DVD has been partially corrected but not totally. Skin tones which looked overly red previously, now appear closer to normal. However this color correction is haphazard. Some scenes have skin tones looking very natural, others still have that ruddy, sun-burnt look. The night scenes especially have skin tones taking on an ugly muddy-red appearance. In short, the color timing for the new DVD is inconsistent. Ironically, one drawback of the present color-correction is an overly-accurate representation of the original colors in some scenes in the Edelweiss reprise at the Salzburg Folk Festival, Angela Cartwright's face (Brigitta) takes on a faint greenish-yellow hue under the stagelight. In the previous DVD this had been corrected to give everyone a uniform pink glow but not in the present DVD. It may be a truer reflection of stagelighting but it is not at all pretty to look at. So in terms of color-correction, in trying to please everyone, the technicians ended up pleasing no one. Black levels however are spot on. Level of detail is also fairly good, especially shadow detail in the darker scenes, definitely better than in the previous DVD but again below what we've come to expect of DVD transfers on the cusp of the Hi-Def era. This is especially so considering that SoM was shot, not on 35mm film like other movies, but on 70mm which should, if properly handled, enable us to see detail that would eclipse the very latest Hollywood productions, almost all of which are shot in 35mm today. Sadly it does not.

Sound-wise, the THX Certified 4.1 Surround Sound of the previous DVD has been replaced by a 5.0 Surround. Note the loss of the .1 LFE (subwoofer). This won't make much difference as SoM does not make much use of the LFE channel but those using less expensive sound systems may end up losing the lower-most frequencies as the front speakers of these systems often cannot reproduce the lowest frequencies that will now be passed on to them. One also wonders why they did not use all 6 channels of the original Todd-AO soundtrack for this DVD. To find out in the Extras that they actually remixed the original 6 track audio into a new DTS soundtrack which we are not given here is only to add insult to injury. Apparently Fox is reserving the DTS soundtrack for its upcoming High-Definition version of SoM due out next year.

The selling point of this 40th Anniversary Edition must be the Extras of which there are tonnes. What I appreciate most in the current set of Rodgers & Hammerstein Anniversary releases is the inclusion of a separate songs-only chapter list. I hope this becomes a feature for all future musicals. An interesting curiosity in this DVD is the ability to hear and sing along with the film in both French and Spanish with the appropriate lyrics appearing beneath much like in a karaoke-singalong. Although the French soundtrack was already present previously, this is the first time I've heard the songs sung in Spanish. There are hours of documentaries. I especially liked Charmian Carr's new documentary "On Location with The Sound of Music," and the children's reunion, "From Liesl to Gretl: A 40th Anniversary Reunion," where the now grown-up children reminisce about their time on the set and point out all the little bloopers they made onscreen. It's heartening to learn that they've all turned out very well indeed. Unfortunately with all the new Extras, some of the features from the previous DVD had to be dumped. By far the saddest loss was the exclusion of Charmian Carr's delightful 1967 documentary "Salzburg Sight and Sound".

The Sound Of Music underwent a complete restoration in 2002 for its inclusion in the Academy Film Archive (A.M.P.A.S.). That 65mm restored print was first exhibited in early 2003. From the Film-to-Video restoration comparison included among the Extras, it would seem that this is the restoration used in the DVD. However it also shows how much more muted the colors on the film elements were even after restoration. It is only after the video transfer and color correction that the colors come to resemble what is seen here. The telecine color-timer was obviously over-enthusiastic with the color correction, pumping the colors up beyond what is natural.

For those contemplating getting the 40th Anniversary Edition, do note that Fox has announced that The Sound Of Music will be re-released next year on its new Blu-Ray High-Definition DVD. That's where the new restoration will re-emerge, hopefully with a more accurate telecine transfer and the newly remixed DTS soundtrack. If you can, it may be wiser to wait for the next incarnation of this beloved classic and hope that Fox finally gets things right.