Film 

Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, and Fred Astaire are just a few of the big actors to speak of in this film.  The characters and roles vary in the adventure and escape of a super-skyscraper and the fire that consumes it on its opening night. The characters range from the architect that designed the structure, the seedy contractor who installs its faulty wiring, various inhabitants of the building and the fire chief that helps pursue the blaze. Others play supporting roles to make the story more complex, with personal dramas and relationships adding smaller stories within the main.

A lot of careful planning, advanced special effects, an incredible cast of so many talented stars, great writing and a superb producer all made this an explosive hit in its time.

So just how does it all stack up on the Blu-ray format?  Does it all burn down?  I know.  Bad joke!  Let’s roll the proverbial dice of fortune and find out!

Video 

The visual aspect of the film, as recreated for the Blu-ray, is extremely crisp and sharp.  For the time-period of the filming, pops of super-strong colors are expected to keep it more visually stimulating.  However, the transfer to Blu-ray rendered spectacular coloring outside what I think may have been intended in the original.  Most colors are especially saturated, and the high contrast between all colors leaves quite a nice effect.  Reds are almost too red, even skin tones seem more colorized than real-life. There are a few scenes, however, especially during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening of the building, where I think the editing falls short.  Throughout the movie, we don’t see marks and dust as you would in the original film, but I caught a severe difference in contrast between certain angles (as in, where the black is quite rich and colors bright, a different angle of the same objects were quite dull and gray-ish in comparison).  This did not happen much, but was quite noticeable when it did take place.  A great job, overall, restoring this film’s video, and is especially appreciated when compared to the unrestored deleted and extended scenes of the special features.

Audio 

Audio set-up gives you many options, from the simpler Dolby and 4.0 surrounds, to 5.1 DTS HD and even the option of using D-Box Motion Code, if you should be lucky enough to have a Motion Code Platform.  I am not so lucky to own this, but I am intrigued as to how they could tie it into this particular movie, given its age.  Another option in the audio setup is a very interesting commentary by film historian F.X. Feeney, who provides a slew of knowledge of both historical facts pertaining to the film, as well as insightful views as to why certain things were done in the movie to create a desired effect.  This was very interesting to listen to while the movie was playing, and allowed me to appreciate a whole new level of the movie.  There were also many scene-specific commentaries from a present special effects director, Mike Vezina, and a present stunt-coordinator, Branko Racki, who both give insight into how certain action scenes would have been made.

Overall, the movie’s audio was as expected from the period, not as much dimension as more current films, but did have great detail, especially in small things, such as the rustling of clothing.  I could even hear someone scratch his or her head at one point during a dialogue scene.  Now that’s Blu-ray!

Special Features 

There are many features on this disc to keep you busy for a while. The featurettes are the most interesting, ranging from interviews with stars years later, to a History Channel-esque featurette on towers and skyscrapers, to inside looks on the producer or the writer of The Towering Inferno.  An AMC backstory, storyboards, trailers, interviews, and still gallery are just a few of the things you can look forward to watching, as all are quite informative and definitely not as boring as one might think. For the extensive reach of the variety of special features to keep your attention, I recommend devoting some time here.

Final Thoughts 

Overall, I can safely say that any movie buff who enjoys such classic actors and ground-breaking ideas in movies from the past would love this movie to be apart of their collection. And if they want to really enjoy what this movie can offer, owning the Blu-ray is a must, for the mastering and special features alone make it easy to appreciate all that went into making this film, and its role in paving the way to disaster movies of the present.

Film 

Our movie starts off with two families, the Franks and the Van Daan’s arriving at a building in Amsterdam owned by a Mr. Kraler.  Kraler, you see, is a compassionate soul and does what he can to hide both families in the shadows, out of sight from the Nazis.  He leads the party of seven upstairs to a moveable bookcase, which conceals the loft behind it.  For the next two years, the two families would live here.  Of them was Hans Van Daan, his wife Patronella, their son Peter, Otto Frank, his wife Edith and their daughters, Margot and Anne.  In time, the small group in very small confines would welcome fellow man of Jewish descent into their attic home, Albert Dussell.

Let’s take a moment and think about our daily lives.  Perhaps we live or have lived with a sibling or roommate that just gets on our nerves after a while.  Nevertheless, you can still walk outside any time you want to escape their comments and habits.  Sure, it may not be the best living situation for you, but it can always be worse.  Case in point is what Anne Frank and her ‘roommates’ went through 65 years ago.  Put yourself in her shoes.  You are living side by side with seven other people and one cat.  You must be as silent as a mouse from 8:30AM to 5:30PM as that’s when the building is frequented by visitors downstairs.  One false move and the creak of a floorboard can give you away to the Nazis.  Even when the Nazis are not within earshot, you cannot leave the building, ever, and all eight people must ration scraps of food and share the same toilet and sink.

As the film progresses, the eight inhabitants almost become one family instead of two and a stranger.  Then there are those times when tempers flare from the ultra-close quarter living.  It is in times such as these when things become a near free for all while Otto Frank tries to maintain both order and sanity above all else.  The film delivers these emotions quite well but brings the suspenseful moments across with even more emphasis.

Actress Millie Perkins (playing Anne Frank) was around 17 years old during her screen test for the film.  Although I found her acting questionable at times, she did well in adding a childlike aura to her 13-year old character, which in turn added an authenticity to the film.  My main complaint of The Diary of Anne Frank was its 3-hour runtime.  I am well aware of how tremendous of a story this is and believe me, I am not trying to cheapen it, but the same emotion could have been delivered by easily shaving at least 30 minutes off the film reel.  It just became too much of the same after a while but I know it pales in comparison to actually living the boredom those folks must have gone through.  Still, one must be cautious in filmmaking as you can easily lose the audience’s attention.

Video 

I’ll be honest.  The video quality is pretty grainy in this 2.35:1 aspect ratio with an AVC encode.  When reverting back to the original source though, you can plainly see that the visual noise was quite prevalent.  The cleanup job done via the film’s restoration cleared a great deal of those dancing specks.  There are scenes you will find here and there throughout the film that looked like they came straight from a VHS tape and offered no visual upgrade whatsoever.  Bear in mind that such scenes are few in number and when they do come around, they are not visible for long.  This movie is in black and white so one cannot comment on flesh tones or color vibrancy.

Audio 

Though you will hear usage of the front and rear channels, it wasn’t an all-encompassing sound experience.  While the rear speakers are utilized, they were done so in a minimalistic fashion and thus lacked emphasis.  There were even a couple of scenes where Allied bombers made their pass over Amsterdam’s airspace, only to be brought down by German anti-aircraft guns.  This would have been the perfect opportunity for the subwoofer to roar to life.  Unfortunately, it did not happen and I was left with a rather anti-climactic scene that did not draw me in as it otherwise should.  Even other scenes where the creaking of wooden planks startled an intruder or a German soldier made his way down brick road, the clack of his boots against the masonry surface would have been another welcomed audio opportunity in this film.

Special Features 

It’s an interesting trend I’ve discovered amongst Blu-ray extras.  Studios seem to pile on the features when it comes to the classics.  For the newer films, and when I say newer I mean anything in the last 30 years or so, the extras can typically be counted on one hand.  Take An American in Paris, Gigi, or the subject of this review, The Diary of Anne Frank. They all share a common attribute in being Thanksgiving Day for special feature fanatics.  Unfortunately, just like its predecessors, The Diary of Anne Frank, while containing mucho extras, delivers them all in standard definition.  I know many of them were not shot in High Definition film, but other items could have easily been shown on the disc in at least 720 resolution if not higher.

• Audio Commentary with George Stevens Jr. and Millie Perkins
• George Stevens in WWII – A look at the director/producer of The Diary of Anne Frank when he shot color footage in WWII as a Lieutenant Corporal in the U.S. Army Signal Corps (7:40).
• The Making of The Diary of Anne Frank: A Son’s Memories - George Stevens Jr., the son of director George Stevens, shares memories and thoughts of his dad and their work together on The Diary of Anne Frank (25:05).
• The Diary of Anne Frank: Memories from Millie Perkins and Diane Baker - Interviews with actresses from the film, Millie Perkins (as Anne Frank) and Diane Baker (as Margot Frank) (25:53).
• Shelley Winters and The Diary of Anne Frank - Footage from a 1983 interview with actress Shelley Winters (as Patronella Van Daan) (7:00).
• The Sound and Music of The Diary of Anne Frank - Behind the scenes discussion regarding the sound effects and composition for the film (7:54).
• The Diary of Anne Frank: Correspondence - Letters from Otto Frank (Anne Frank’s father) pertaining to his discussions with the film’s cast.  Narration and readings by George Stevens Jr. (13:12).
• Fox Movie Channel presents Fox Legacy with Tom Rothman – Discussion from host Tom Rothman on the true story of Anne Frank as well as a look at director/produce George Stevens and his films (14:08).
• The Diary of Anne Frank: Echoes from the Past – Narrated by Burt Reynolds, this featurette covers Anne Frank’s writing and how it came to be published, made it to Broadway and eventually to film (1:30:07).
• Diary of Anne Frank Excerpt from George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey – Reflections on when Otto Frank met with George Stevens (7:54).
• George Stevens Press Conference - From the late 1950′s is a press conference with director/producer George Stevens (5:01).
• Millie Perkins Screen Test - Before she landed the role of Anne Frank, she had to go through a screen test just like everyone else (2:20).
• Fox Movietones - Six Fox Movietones to view with a total runtime of 6:44
  • Millie Perkins, 18, to be Anne Frank in Film of Diary
  • Nobel Peace Prize to Belgian Priest
  • Anne Frank Diary Star Readies for Films’ 1^st Nights
  • Academy Award Highlights
  • Millie PerkinsVisits the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
  • Brilliant Turnout for L.A. Premiere Anne Frank Diary

• Theatrical Trailer – (3:11)
• International Trailer - (4:32)
• Interactive Pressbook Gallery - A series of still images including newspaper and magazine articles as well as movie posters.  The magazine and newspaper pages allow the user to zoom in on the various articles for easier reading.
• Behind the Scenes Gallery - A variety of still photos from the set of The Diary of Anne Frank.

Final Thoughts 

Before I watched this film, there have been some who have seen it that said it was not a very uplifting movie and that it can be depressing.  I disagree, to an extent.  It is not uplifting in that it does not have a happy ending.  However, to see eight people living in seclusion in relative harmony while the world is caving in around them, speaks volumes for what people can achieve and what we are capable of when hope seems absent.

I guess one thing that irks me is the fact that there are still several people out there who say the Holocaust was a myth, a farce.  I really do feel sorry for those people.  They have either lied so much in a mirror that they now believe themselves and/or they are so lost in life from truth that has been kept from them.  How much more evidence does one need to realize this was no case of fiction?  For Anne Frank and the other 11 million Jews that were killed as a result of the Holocaust, I have a great appreciation for this film and those like it that continue to respect the memory of those lost.

]]> http://intotheblu.com/2009/08/the-diary-of-anne-frank/feed/ 0 http://intotheblu.com/2009/03/the-robe/ http://intotheblu.com/2009/03/the-robe/#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:24:30 +0000 Joe Whip http://intotheblu.com/?p=2330 I really hadn’t recognized the historical significance of the film, The Robe, prior to its release on Blu-ray. Oh, I knew it was an important film alright, but generally thought of it as the film that appeared all chopped up and panned and scanned on TV each December as Christmas approached.

While the film didn’t look very good on a small black and white TV as a kid, it made even less of an impression after the advent of DVD as The Robe was easily one of the worst looking films ever released on DVD. This was one of those films that was begging for a complete restoration, not only due to the poor image quality of the prior DVD release but for the historical nature of the film as well. I am happy to report that The Robe has undergone a complete and thorough restoration for its release on Blu-ray, bring bringing the film back, as close as possible, to the splendor of its opening night debut in 1953. The question is, how much of a difference did the restoration make?

Film

The Robe is an historically significant film as it is the first motion picture presented in a widescreen format named Cinemascope by the folks at 20th Century Fox. While widescreen movies are the norm today, they were a new concept to the major motion picture studios in the late 1940′s and early 1950′s, who were looking for something new to bring people back to theater. It seems that movie attendance had been dropping since the introduction of television and the studios were concerned about their continued viability as a result of TV. The studios felt they needed something to differentiate themselves from TV, hence the introduction of not only widescreen films but stereophonic sound as well.

In a sense, we have history repeating itself yet again today with the advent of DVD, HDTV, Blu-ray and affordable home theater systems, which have been undercutting movie attendance. As a result, the motion picture studios have been rolling out 3D films in an effort to get folks back into the theaters. Special anamorphic lenses were used to film The Robe and required the installation of special lenses and of course, wider screens, in any theater that wanted to show The Robe in Cinemascope.

Needless to say, The Robe and Cinemascope were huge hits. In fact, it was the Cinemascope process that saved 20th Century Fox financially in the mid 1950′s and brought movie fans back to theaters in record numbers, beating back the “challenge” of TV, which, quite humorously, was actually thought of as a threat to the future viability of the motion picture industry. The film itself is based on the book of the same name which tells the fictional story of a Roman Centurion, Marcellus Gallio, who helps crucify Jesus Christ and who comes into the possession of the robe that Jesus wore to his crucifixion. Marcellus acquired the Riobe while gambling with other Roman soldiers at the foot of the cross. Marcellus was fearful that the Robe had magic powers as it had a strange effect on him. He quickly came to regret the role that he played in Jesus’ crucifixion and returned to Rome. He later returned to the Holy Land to find the Robe and destroy it to ride himself of interior demons. However, when he came back into possession of the Robe, he had a spiritual awakening and became a follower of Jesus, putting him at odds with the new Roman Emperor Caligula.

The film features a relative unknown at the time, Richard Burton, in the lead role of Marcellus and Jean Simmons as his love interest Diana. The film also stars Victor Mature as the Greek slave Demitrius, Jay Robinson as Caligula and Richard Boone as Pontius Pilate, as well brief cameos by Harry Shearer as a child. The Robe was nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Actor for Richard Burton, Best Picture and Best Cinematography and winning two for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.

Video

The Robe has been encoded with AVC and is presented in its original aspect ration of 2:55:1. This is one wide widescreen film! The films has undergone a complete 4K restoration by the folks at Lowry Digital and it shows. This Blu-ray release utterly puts the prior DVD release to shame. In fact, the differences are so striking that it is hard to believe they are the same film. Despite this, there are some noticeable issues with the look of the film on Blu-ray. On the plus side, the Blu-Ray release has a beautifully natural palette with good black level reproduction. However, the film is rather soft and lacking in detail which is a by product of the type of anamorphic lenses used on the film. The overall image is also quite flat, lacking much in the way of image depth. While the film lacks detail, the added resolution of Blu-Ray really shows how cheesy and cheap the painted backdrops used in the film look. They really stick out like a sore thumb.

There are sections of the film that look quite nice with a bright color scheme and nice levels of detail. However, there are some segments of the film where the original film elements had degraded so much that not that much could be done to clean them up during the restoration process. These sections of the film look bland, dark and fuzzy, lacking much in the way of any clarity at all, looking much worse than your average DVD in comparison. I also noted that the image quality degraded appreciably during fade ins and fade outs, looking darker than one would expect with noticeable degraded color fidelity. I am sure than many of you will be unimpressed by the image quality on this release as it does fall good bit short of the better looking Blu-ray releases, lacking the clarity, detail, focus and depth of more modern films. However, fans of the film familiar with the prior incantations of the film on TV, VHS and DVD will be thrilled with the look of the film on Blu-ray as it looks better than it has in generations. Given the historical importance of the film, this Blu-ray release is a must buy for all hard core film fans. However, I would only recommend the rest of you check the film out on the basis of a rental.

Audio

Given the age of the film, I was not expecting much in the audio department on this release. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the overall audio fidelity. The release comes equipped with 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio track as well as a 4.0 Dolby Digital track which is noted as being the original audio track. Mono tracks in French and Portuguese are also included. While falling a good deal short of a more modern film, the audio here is more than respectable with a nice smooth tonal balance and decent bass response.

The musical score here was the most impressive in this regard. The dialogue track seems to have been fairly well recorded and placed in the mix. As one might expect given the age of the film and its original sound design, the sound mix is very front heavy with most of the sound emanating from the front three speakers. The overall sound lacks the level of transparency and depth that we have come to expect from modern films but is more than acceptable given the age of the film. While the original 4.0 track is included, I much preferred the DTS HD Master Audio track for overall fidelity, dynamics and musicality. As long as you don’t expect the moon, I am sure that you will be satisfied with the audio quality on this release.

Special Features

Overall, I was quite pleased with the extras included on this release. The first is the introduction to the film and its historical significance by Martin Scorsese, presented in high definition. As a film fan, the two most interesting extras are the Cinemascope Story featurette which explains in great detail, the history of widescreen films and the Cinemascope process used in The Robe specifically.

I found this featurette very informative and well worth a look. I also really enjoyed the Making of Featurette which details the history of the film, how it was once owned by RKO films and sold by Howard Hughes to 20th Century Fox as well as how the screenplay for the film was impacted by the blacklistings that resulted from the McCarthy hearings in the late 1940′s and early 1950′s. This featurette also details the process behind finding a director for the film, the casting as well as the cinematography. All in all, this is a very interesting featurette as well and well and is also worth your time. Both of these featurettes are presented in high definition.

The extras also include a commentary with film composer David Newman, and film historians John Burlingame, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman. Also included is an isolated score, The Music of The Robe, an audio interview from the screenwriter Phillip Dunne from 1969 as well as another featurette From Scripture to Script: The Bible and Hollywood. Also included are two Bonus View Picture-in-Picture features, The Robe Times Two: A Comparision of Widescreen and Standard Version of the film and A Seamless Faith: The Real Life Search for The Robe interactive featurette as well as Fox Movietonews, still galleries and an interactive pressbook.

Final Thoughts

The Robe is a historically significant film that has undergone a painstaking restoration that has yielded mixed results visually, due to the limits of the anamorphic lenses used to make the film and the deterioration of the original film elements. Despite these limitations, The Robe has never and will likely never look better in the home than it does on this Blu-ray release. This is a must have for the collection of any serious film buff.

Film 

Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) is East High School’s star basketball player, and the quintessential jock. Gabriella Montez is your atypical pretty math genius , and when the two meet at a ski lodge over Christmas Break the sparks fly. Coincidentally Gabriella’s mother is transferred to New Mexico, where she begins attending East High School.  At first the story plays off a bit like Grease, the are standoffish at first, too shy to express their feelings. Then there’s the typical falling out, while the two try out for the high school play the school becomes divided, choosing sides. The two are pressured to be apart while longing for each other, it seems all very dramatic… but it’s not. The song and dance aren’t entertaining and the storyline is predictable. I’ll give you one guess on how this one turns out.

If you haven’t heard of High School Musical, then chances are you’re living under a rock. If you have heard of it, then I hope you’re hiding under a rock. Compared to quality musicals or even quality Disney musicals that I was accustom to growing up, this is atrocious. Seriously, it’s utter garbage and I don’t know what kids and teenagers find so compelling about it. The music is a lot of things, but entertaining or talented isn’t one of them. Your initial reaction might be that I’m coming off a little harsh, but then chances are you haven’t watched it yet. I’ll give it to the cast, it isn’t easy singing and dancing, and there’s no doubt that given the horrible material they didn’t do half bad. But singing and dancing is one thing, acting is a whole other, and all I saw in High School Musical was a bunch of amateurs.

Okay, so I had to vent a little bit, but the fact is I absolutely disliked this film. I don’t see the appeal, but ultimately people for whatever reason like it. There has since been two sequels and countless amounts of merchandise sold to pre teens everywhere. So although I wouldn’t't have like this movie when I was younger, and I don’t like it now, I know kids out there will. Maybe it’s something they can relate too, the pressures of high school and different cliques, and ultimately the morale of the story is not all that bad. So unless you have young kids, or are one yourself, stay away from this movie at all costs.

Video 

Presented in 1080p 1.78:1 aspect ratio and encoded in MPEG4 Remix hits blu-ray with some gorgeous looking results.  All cast members were clearly chosen by their looks as every one of them looks great, even under the magnified glass we call high definition.  Detail was top notch, with every tiny detail clearly seen.  The print itself is in perfect condition with no color banding or dirt specs on the print.

Problems?  I did think the overall color presentation was enhanced, giving those flesh tones a bit too much of an orangey look. Considering this is one of Disney’s most popular series, was there really any doubt this picture would look bad?

Audio 

Disney has included a 5.1 PCM track with the release, sadly for anyone like me who can’t stand this movie; we are given a crystal clear audio presentation.  The musical numbers are extravagant and use all channels often and effectively.  Scenes that have no music just dialogue sound good, but comes off as a bit flat especially when compared to the lively music numbers.

If you are a fan of the music, then you will love the audio presentation here.

Special Features 

• Brining It All Together: The Making Of High School Musical – Not as comprehensive as some making of features, but an interesting view for fans of the movie.

• Learning the Moves – A progressive feature showing the rehearsal of the different choreographed scenes, and then the final product.

• The Hollywood Premier – Expectantly short, a glimpse at the premier of High School Musical.

• Sing Along With The Movie – Self explanatory karaoke like experience.

• Hot Music Videos – Videos of five different songs which include; I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You, We’re All In This Together, Breaking Free Remix, We’re All In This Together Remix, and Eres Tu.

Final Thoughts 

This movie is worth the purchase only for fans, and with no exceptions. I would recommend everyone to stay away from this one. However, fans of High School Musical will be happy to read that the disc is worth the purchase. I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but Disney has put together another great disc, with impressive audio and video transfers sure to keep fans pleased. Along with that is a decent group of features that will keep you entertained beyond the movie. Well there you have it, High School Musical on Blu-ray is a great buy for fans, but not for anyone else.

Young or old, and anywhere in-between Sleeping Beauty is commonly regarded as a childhood classic, a comfort film if you will. Like many other Disney films we remember the vintage animation, the songs, and the often compelling storylines. When Disney announced it would begin releasing its vaulted classics on Blu-ray fans met the news with an outmost enthusiasm and anticipation. For the first time ever classic films including Sleeping Beauty would be available in hi definition, with high expectations of crisp animation and solidified audio Disney had better dress to impress. So how does the Sleeping Beauty clean up after nearly fifty years of entertaining several generations of Disney fans?

Sleeping Beauty is the sixteenth animated film by Walt Disney, released for the first time in 1959, and when adjusted for inflation is one of the top grossing movies of all time. Like so many other Disney classics, Sleeping Beauty is based upon a fairy tale by Charles Perrault written some 400 years ago. Such a timeless story heard by generations of young ears, what better way for Disney to start its Blu-ray collection. While Sleeping Beauty is based upon the 1697 Perrault classic, it does have some feet of its own, and draws more similarities in distinction to the 1890 Tchaikovsky ballet. With epic scores performed by the Berlin Symphony Orchestra the stage is set for a grand love saga. But enough with the historic pre amble, let’s get into the good stuff.

Sleeping Beauty tells the story of Princess Aurora and the curse besotted upon her. Promised to Prince Phillip at a young age, the backbone to the story is set early. At her christening Aurora is blessed with the gifts of beauty and song by two of three good fairies. Set the stage for Maleficent, a truly evil villainess, overwrought and filled with hate for not being invited to the christening. She curses the princess to die upon touching a spinning wheel’s spindle. The third fairy alters the curse so that she will not die but instead be put into an eternal slumber until awoken by true loves kiss. To avoid the curse, Aurora and the fairies flee to the woods, where she grows into a beautiful young woman. Maleficent tirelessly looks for Aurora who now goes by the name Briar Rose, and as a last ditch effort sends her raven Diablo to track her down. Needless to say eventually Aurora falls victim to the curse and Prince Phillip must overcome much obstacles and tests of faith to find and kiss his true love.

The story is a classic, and it plays out fantastically in hi definition. The dialogue is plain spoken and sincere, the animation is time honored, and the characters, especially Maleficent, are deep and absorbing. Aurora is the text book definition of a stereotypical princess, the basis of many clichés, enchanting and alluring she brings a lot of color to this film that can be rather dark at times. That is what I find most appealing about these classic fairytales, although extremely dark in nature they manage to come off as uplifting and adventurous.

A lot of you won’t enjoy the singing, and that does narrow the target audience, but if you look past it the story is really quite captivating. For those of you who love the classic Disney song and dance, Sleeping Beauty will not fail to impress. The score is magnificent and fetching only accentuating the already powerful and elevated story.

Video

Presented in 2.55:1 1080p aspect Sleeping Beauty looks phenomenal on Blu-ray.  Colors look new and vibrant with some shots looking three dimensional.   There is a shot earlier in the film that shows the three good fairies discussing Aurora’s fate while standing beside a jewelled goblet.  The goblet itself looked extremely three dimensional and vibrant.

The print itself is in perfect condition with no visible artifacting or color banding throughout the entire film. What Disney has managed to do with Sleeping Beauty simply amazes me.  I may have been sceptical when this was first announced but now I can’t wait for Pinocchio next March.

Audio

Sleeping Beauty is equipped with a 7.1 DTS HD track that sounds great especially when considering its age. The track is front heavy at times but quickly comes to life when frequent sound effects come through the rear channels.   Of course the track truly shines when the memorable music and lyrics are played.  Both rear and supports are extremely rich and deep.

Although not as impressive as the improved picture, the audio track still offers and noticeable upgrade over prior releases of the film.

Special Features

The two disc set is jam packed with great features all of which are worth checking out.

• Audio Commentary – A PIP commentary with Leonard Maltin, Andreas Deja and John Lasseter.  I would definitely recommend a viewing as it provides a nice look at Blu-rays 1.1 Profile.

• Short Film – The 30 minutes short of Grand Canyon.  I nice little short film worth checking out for fans of Disney; best yet its presented in high definition.

• Song Selection – A quick chapter selection that takes you straight to the different songs played throughout the movie.

• Trivia Track – A beautiful looking and informative information track that pops up through the movies entirety.

• Photo Album – Beautiful stills from the movie

• Documentary – A 45 minute documentary that is a much watch for anyone that owns the disc.  The Doc is presented in beautiful HD and covers every considerable aspect of the films creation.

• Featurettes – The featurettes are broken up into sets each bringing its own valued information to the mix.  The best has be the one which focuses on the restoration process for the film.  I have gained a new found respect for these people who continue to bring these classics back with amazing picture.

• Interactive Games – Three games that provide good fun for the children.

• Deleted Scenes – We are basically given four deleted musical numbers.  I must say that these four numbers d seem to lack when compared to the ones left in the film.

• TV Episode – An episode of the short lived Disneyland series which gives a look behind the scenes of Disney.  Definitely worth checking out if you are

• Trailer

Final Thoughts

Simplistically put this disc is a must own for fans of the film, and Walt Disney collectors alike. In accord to their past practice, Disney will vault this disc after a limited time so I suggest you pick it up while you can. The video is extremely well cleaned up, the audio although not tested extravagantly gets the job done, and the features are almost never ending. In the end I was extremely pleased with the packaging of this disc, and must give kudos to Disney, here’s to hoping their future releases will be handled with such class.