Best on Blu-ray, continued[web exclusive]
Jeff T. Dick -- Library Journal, 11/15/2009
Earth. color. 96 min. Disney. 2009. Blu-ray UPC 7-94051-40012-3. $39.99.
Migrating polar bear, elephant, and hunchback whale families are magnificently captured in their disparate habitats in this stunning nature documentary, adapted from the BBC/Discovery series Planet Earth. For this theatrical release, a more kid-friendly story line and revised narration from James Earl Jones (subbing for David Attenborough) have been added. Alternate title: The original 2007 series, clocking in at 550 minutes, offers the full course in lieu of this worthy appetizer.
The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration. color. 549 min. Paramount. 1972/1974/1990. Blu-ray UPC 0-97361-38644-7. $124.99.
Painstakingly restored on 35mm film by noted preservationist Robert Harris before being digitized for video, the first two parts of The Godfather trilogy make the previous DVD releases look like they slept with the fishes. The color is less muted but still accurately reproduces the subtle sepia tone and film grain of the original theatrical prints. A look at the effort to rescue the dilapidated negatives makes for a revelatory extra. Alternate title: Goodfellas? Fuggedaboutit.
How the West Was Won. color. 164 min. Warner. 1962. Blu-ray UPC 8-83929-02627-2. $34.99.
The first feature film shot in the ultrapanoramic three-camera Cinerama process, this sprawling epic employed three directors and an all-star cast to tell its episodic pioneer tale. The technically impressive presentation gets a Blu-ray exclusive with the addition of a "smilebox" transfer that reasonably replicates the experience of watching the film on a deeply curved Cinerama screen. Includes a fascinating look at the history of Cinerama. Alternate title: John Ford's The Searchers looks like it was shot yesterday.
The Robe. color. 135 min. Fox. 1953. Blu-ray UPC 0-24543-57008-0. $34.98.
A scornful Roman tribune (Richard Burton) converts to Christianity after being touched by Christ’s burial cloth. The first movie made in CinemaScope, utilizing anamorphic lenses to squeeze a widescreen image onto standard 35mm film, this moving religious picture benefits from a recent restoration. Exclusively on Blu-ray is the standard-width version designed for theaters not equipped to exhibit 'Scope prints. Alternate title: None until the genre pinnacle Ben-Hur comes to Blu-ray. (See Video NewsBriefs, LJ 5/1/09.)
Sleeping Beauty. color. 75 min. Disney. 1959. Blu-ray UPC 7-86936-74688-8. $35.99.
The most expensive animated movie of its time gets restored to its original full-width glory with particularly vivid colors brighter than those seen in most theaters 50 years ago. Unlike the DVD (included as a bonus), the Tchaikovsky-adapted score has more dynamic range thanks to uncompressed sound. For Blu-ray players equipped with the BD Live feature, viewers with broadband Internet access can play trivia games, chat about the movie, and more. Alternate titles: Ratatouille or WALL-E or Up or…
The Third Man. b/w. 104 min. Criterion Collection. 1949. Blu-ray UPC 7-15515-03382-4. $39.95.
The way Blu-ray makes colors pop overshadows the more subtle improvement the format brings to older black-and-white films. Case in point: Carol Reed's classic story of romance, deceit, and murder in postwar Vienna gets its already palpable atmosphere heightened by the more pronounced chiaroscuro look of its pervasive night scenes. Alternate title: Any other film—black-and-white or color—from the two dozen Blu-ray titles in connoisseur distributor Criterion's catalog.
The Wizard of Oz. b/w & color. 101 min. Warner. 1939. Blu-ray UPC 8-83929-09368-7. $84.99.
Who knew Dorothy had freckles? That's just one of many little revelations in this remastered 70th-anniversary edition of the timeless classic. Besides such hitherto unseen details, the Technicolor lensing looks even more vibrant. The problem for libraries is the "ultimate collector's edition," which includes booklets, crystals, a watch (!), and other memorabilia (but no ruby slippers) unsuitable for circulation. Alternate title: Gone with the Wind, which has comparable packaging issues.
