Scrooge
Singin' in the Rain
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Speed
The Star Wars Trilogy: The Definitive Collection
The Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition
Superman: The Movie
The Ten Commandments 35th Anniversary Edition
The Three Tenors In Concert 1994
The Who: Thirty Years of Maximum R&B
T2: Special Edition
The Ultimate Oz
U2: The Unforgettable Fire Collection
Roger Waters: The Wall: Live in Berlin
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Willow
The X-Files: Volumes 1 through 3
You're Darn Tootin' / That's My Wife The Lost Films of Laurel and Hardy, Vol III
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This movie has always induced claustrophobia in its seasonal appearances, so it's nice to see it finally widescreen with some headroom and breathing space, and where the opening credits aren't squashed beyond recognition. The movie may be heavy-handed in its approach to the beloved Dickens classic but it still maintains much of the charms, and boasts a lively score undeservedly dismissed. The look of the film is dark, with subdued colors; these appear to be goosed up a bit on the disc, so while the image is colorful it also appears slightly blotchy. The sound is robust but betrays some of the distortions of an analog mix. The sets are marvelous, as are the costumes. And Alec Guinness is a standout in his gruff but fey depiction of Jacob Marley, and my own dislike for the overdone and unnecessary scene in Hell is made almost, almost worthwhile as an excuse for his return.
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This review refers to the MGM CAV release. I am unable to compare it to the Criterion Collection release, which I have been told has pale colors and a washed out look. In places, the MGM version appears pristine, with full and vibrant Technicolor. I have read that a fire destroyed the original negative, which might explain why some scenes, later in the movie, appear of lesser quality and look rather blueish. Some side changes are rather abrupt; the chapter listing is incorrect in this regard. (The British Film Institute released a book on the film in 1992, which includes photographs struck directly from the film; it is interesting then to note that their photopraphs show not only more information on top and bottom, but substantially more on the sides.) The movie is completely charming, still enjoyable to watch after many viewings. Side four contains some extras, including an interesting deleted musical number.
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This box came out the same month as MCA's Jurassic Park but while that got all the attention this deserves an equal amount of praise. What the Snow White box might lack in full-bodied surroundsound it makes up for in supplements and attention to the detail. The handsomely designed package contains three discs, a collection of lithographs, and a slim hardcover book. The movie is spread to four sides in CAV with well chosen side breaks. The digital audio has been processed into stereo, noticeable almost exclusively in the musical sountrack, but contains so many clicks that the original mono soundtrack, found on the first analog track is perferable. A music and effects track (which was used to create the stereo digital mix) is isolated on analog channel two. A third disc, in its own attractive sleeve, covers the making of the movie. The first side features a CLV documentary which is included with the videocassette edition of this box; however the laserdisc boasts more material including an interesting Silly Symphony exhibiting the state-of-the-art in animated the human form up to Disney's first feature. The second side is CAV and features a wealth of material, from character sketches to pencil tests of deleted scenes specifically reanimted and revoiced for this box. Both sides feature supplemental audio on the the analog tracks from radio broadcasts of the movie's premiere to radio commercials. All in all, a stellar achievement. Walt Disney Home Video in honoring this Disney masterpiece have created one themselves.
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With all the action and quick cuts this movie practically demands to be seen in its widescreen letterboxed format. The full-screen broadcast version looks much too claustrophobic, with little more than continual close-ups. It also would've been nice to have a CAV version for people like me who can't freeze-frame on their players. The image on the THX-approved disc is quite strong; almost too strong since colors verge on bleeding. Flesh tones also tend toward orange. The sound is phenomenal. The action is so continual that any side break would be intrusive, but this one is chosen well enough. I have a relative who does nothing but complain about the absence of logic in the movie. To hell with it.
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Articles, magazines, and books to numerous to mention have dedicated themselves to analyzing and studying this modern day mythology, as well as pinpointing all the inadequacies of these nine discs. It seems almost pointless to compete with them. My edition I have is one of the first, before all the corrections Fox Video evidently has put into effect. The box exhibits in one package the best and worst of the medium. A New Hope (yeah, all right, I'll play along) presents the most obvious improvement. The broadcast version is almost always too bright and slightly washed out, but the colors are rich and strong on the disc. My copy of Empireis the one missing the seven seconds of Princess Leia at the beginning of side three. It also has some bleed-through from a video slate at the beginning. The movie exhibits the same grain as seen at the theater, but is still the most visually satisfying of the three. Return of the Jedi takes forever to get going and could still use a bit of trimming to it. But the climax, bouncing between battles on three fronts, manages to bring it all to rousing conclusion. The sound on all three titles, remixed for this edition, is full-bodied and vibrant. These movies definitely need to be seen in widescreen, and the letterboxing on the discs provides not only lots of much-appreciated information on the sides, but also a sliver more on top and bottom. Those wishing more exact information on the discs' shortcomings are instructed to search out the Star Wars FAQ. When I come across, I will add its link here.
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I will put the arguments aside of whether this set needed to be released again or if it is improved by the addition of a few deleted scenes and enhanced effects. Regardless, the release is a definite improvement over the so-called Definitive Collection. The picture is darker, the colors are much stronger, and the image much cleaner and sharper. The graininess is gone, especially in Star Wars and Empire. The sound also packs a greater punch, with a stronger surround mix. The letterboxing is different than the Definitive Collection though: there's slightly less headroom now, and slightly less information on the extreme sides. Empire also seems a tad shifted to the left. The three movies are spread over nine sides, with side three and six in CAV. Each feature is succeeded by its special edition trailer, and a twenty minute making-of featurette caps off the box set. The movies are so greatly improved that I can almost come very close to rationalizing owning two sets of the trilogy. On the negative side, I still cannot believe that with all the corrections and enhancements the producers still did nothing to cover up that black splotch on the Emperor's cowl at the end of Jedi.
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The movie is spread to three sides in CLV. It is perhaps Christopher Reeve's magnum opus and certainly, by far, the best of the four Superman (or is it five?) movies (don't get me started on Superman II). Reeve is perfectly cast, acting with a light touch but quick to amply provide the heroics when called for. The movie has a gauzy look which tends to make things look too soft. The sound, exhibiting some distortion from its analog roots, still provides a busy and strong surround track.
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The disc boasts a few extras, but tangential to the movie. Cecil B DeMille himself appears at the beginning of the film to introduce his epic to the audience; and the overture, entr'acte, and exit music have been reinstated (in fake stereo). The movie is presented in widescreen Vistavision which opens up the movie on all four sides, giving DeMille's stagily composed shots some breathing room. One still feels the bottom of the frame is unnecessarily masked. A comparison to ABC's perennial network showing, reveals the benefits of the letterboxing, but also show how pale this Paramount release is. The TV version is darker, with richer colors. The disc's colors seem almost pastel in comparison. The difference is misleading: on network TV the crossing of the Red Sea seems to take place at dusk. On disc, the crossing seems to take place in broad daylight. Contrast is also high, with the episodes shot in the desert showing up blisteringly bright. The first three sides (including the Burning Bush sequence) are CLV. Sides four and five, featuring the last of the plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea are CAV with unsteady freeze frames. However, this anomaly fortunately clears up in time for that most famous of movie effects sequences. Side six, in CAV, is filled up with trailers -- three from the film and three more from other DeMille releases. A not too satisfying edition of this classic movie.
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All the reviews I've seen of this title concentrate on the tame setlist, a series of milquetoast greatest hits, pandering toward the uninitiated American audience. Well, so be it. Who really cares what these voices sing, as long as they sing. The video quality is spotless, sharp and clean and colorful. The audio is flawless as well. The concert was shown live on PBS, but apparently contains more material (due to pledge break interruptions), including a reprise of Nessun Dorma, which seems Pavarotti's new signature tune, and a moving performance of Ave Maria (also from Pavarotti).
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Since this release is basically a collection of live performances spanning the band's long career, video quality is bound to vary. The disc seems to be brighter than it needs to be, not only in the blurry archival footage but in the recently shot video interviews interpolated throughout the chronology. Video and audio content varies. Side breaks are nicely chosen but still abrupt. The disc spans three sides. Oddly, much of the more recent material is mono. The performances themselves are what make the disc. Also, in comparison with the frenetic pacing and cutting of modern music presentations, it's refershing to see a concert performance with plenty of lock down shots and steady close-ups, allowing the music and performers to speak for themselves.
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If there were ever a contest for the most impressive laserdisc package, this one would probably win. So much has been said about thsi package that my praise is almost pointless. The transfer of the movie is flawless. It also contains audio commentary track, featuring various members of cast and crew, introduced by package producer Vince Ling. The movie is on three CLV sides, and the supplements fill three CAV sides. The supplements cover every aspect of the movie, from the complete screenplay to discussions of the movie's scientific basis, to discussions of the shooting schedule, a lab course on film editing, in depth analysis of each special effects scene, marketing techniques, even a look at the how the transfer was made. I made the mistake of watching the package all in one night, and the supplements were so exhaustive that I was frankly sick of the movie by the time I finished. I viewed the letterboxed version. This is preferable for all special effects scenes, but since the full-screen version provides substantially more information on the top and bottom for all other scenes.
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The beautifully colorful transfer is itself enough to garner this release its title, but what makes it a must is all the extras. I balked at getting this title since I'd seen the movie so often, but to get this package is as if seeing it for the first time. You might think you know everything about the movie, having seen it yearly and memorized virtually every line of dialogue, but this disc is sure to open your eyes. It contains an illuminating audio commentary, plus about five hours of musical soundtrack (edited down by Rhino Records to form their CD soundtrack release) on the analog tracks. The supplemental disc, which also contains the analog soundtrack music, includes plenty of photos, information, and the requisite Harold Arlen home movie footage of the "Jitterbug" sequence, but it also contains some stunning test footage of the tornado effect. I've seen some complaints about slight blurriness during the sepia toned passages; evidently the master print for these no longer exists, but the color scenes are quite breathtaking. With such clarity, one is able to discern Judy Garland's acne and also the subtle yellow tints in Margaret Hamilton's green makeup. Simply put, a must.
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As far as I know this title is only available as a Japanese import. This is what I review here. The images of the opening videos show their limited budget and their slight age; there is a bit of grain, but it is not distracting. The videos alternate from film to video tape. The taped ones seem overly bright in places, but are still sharp. The audio has a questionable tendency to grow really distorted in the bass, most noticably in the title track. The collection is rounded out by the half hour documentary which focuses on the recording of the track "Pride". It is only here where Japanese subtitles come in to play, albeit briefly. The image of the documentary is clean and sharp. The sound is clean and only occasionally stereo.
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This is a massive concert, performed in an open air plaza in Berlin, featuring dozens of guest stars, an orchestra, and the creation and destruction of a giant Wall. With the history of the city and country inundating the proceedings, one can't help but feel the irony as the crowd cheers to the strutting despotic rock star, feel a chill when Rogers belts out the line "Turn on the showers and fire the ovens!" (from "Waiting for the Worms"), and feel a great sense of release when the Wall is finally pulled down -- just as a similar Wall had been months before. The video, shot in Europe, translates fairly well to NTSC though with some blurring. The cameras have a lot of stage to cover and manage capture most everything well. The TV viewer certainly sees more than the audience, who were separated from the performers for close to half the show!
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By now everyone interested knows what to look for at the beginning of side four. But the CAV version has other uses too, especially in helping recognize all the cartoon cameos at the film's climax. Letterboxing helps a great deal in these scenes too, but for all other scenes not involving special effects the matting blocks off a great deal on the top and bottom. In fact, in many cases, the framing for these "straight" scenes is better than when letterboxed. The colors are adequate, with a tendency toward brown. The images show evidence of break-up from the video source in a few instances, when viewed frame by frame. The movie is quite satisfying as animation, but is hardly the kids movie it would have us think it is, even without its freeze frames. A new edition has been released, with commentary and improved transfer; but reportedly some of the animation has been retouched, censoring the ruder moments.
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Columbia/Tri Star came under attack for the high price of this title upon release. Justified or not, it is a THX-approved remaster, widescreen, with excellent sound and pristine visuals. The clarity is quite striking. However the disc boasts no extras. The movie is spread across three sides with questionable side breaks. Side three is in CAV, but if the disc producers had begun it five minutes earlier, at 52:19 on side two -- which could've been done easily since side side three is just over twenty-four minutes long, a better and quiter side break could've been achieved, with more of the battle scene available, as well as CAV capabilities on ILM's début of their morphing process. For the price, Columbia/Tri Star really should have provided the entire movie in CAV, especially since the best scenes come near the middle. The packaging is quite nice, featuring a gatefold cover with production essays in lieu of disc supplements; there is plenty of chapter encoding.
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It might be unfortunate to group these six episodes within one paragraph, but my reviews of them are similar enough. The first episode, "Pilot", might get the series off to fitting start, but makes a laserdisc buyer a bit more uncertain. The clarity of the image is pleasing, but the colors are drab and blueish. Side two of Volume One, "Deep Throat" the second episiode of the series, comes, then, as a relief. Colors are stronger and truer, suggesting the Pilot's imperfections may have been budget-related. The sound on both is excellent. Problems return on side two of Volume two, during "Ice". The sound is meaty with a strong bass but the upper registers are distorted, almost sounding like a blown speaker. I thought at first it might be an error in manufacture but apparently the episode was like this when broadcast. This is a great shame since it arguably the best of the six. Volume three also exhibits some peculiarity in the audio; it is still clear and strong, but now the music, a strong point in the show, is mixed monaurally, although the sound effects remain in stereo. The image on all three discs is clear and strong. There is some grain exhibited in the darker moments, but compared to the ingress problems afflicting our local Fox affiliate these discs are a godsend. It's a pleasure to finally be able to see some of the scenes in these episdes, without a big herringbone pattern drifting over them, or that irritating "Fox" logo in the corner.
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The movies contained on this disc exhibit more wear than on Volume I. This is especially apparent on the second short, "That's My Wife", which contains some severe markings during its opening moments. The producers were also forced to use video effects to doctor the opening title cards. The humor shines forth however. In the first short the Boys' attempts at playing street corner music for money turns into a pants-ripping melée; and, to placate the expectations of a rich uncle, Laurel has to pose as Hardy's wife in the second short, leading to some awkward ribalds at a night club. The second halves of either short are probably recognizable from Robert Youngon's L&H compilations, but it's a pleasure to finally see them complete and in context. The disc is single-sided CLV. By the way, disregard the blurb on the back cover: there are no extras on the disc.
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Corrected December 26 1997.