1) Warner- Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

ADDITION: Warner - Region FREE- Blu-ray - June 12': What a wonderful presentation this new Warner Blu-ray provides. Wow. Things tighten up from detail to the vibrancy of the colors and contrast has the more layered effect that we have come to expect from the 1080P format. There is a touch of depth and the grain is very fine. This is a success and fans will bathe in the image rendering on the dual-layered disc with a high bitrate. The deeper you look into the video the more advancement you see over the SD - smoother, brighter... livelier!

The 5.1 mix is solid via the DTS-HD Master at 2180 kbps with the musical numbers gaining a crisp edge. It adds another beneficial attribute to the viewing. Brilliant. There are optional DUBs and subtitles signifying and supporting the disc as being region FREE - playable on Blu-ray machines world wide.

Supplements include the old commentary and a new 2012, 50-minute, documentary entitled Singin' in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation directed by Gary Leva . It has input from Paula Abdul, Rudy Behlmer Baz Luhrmann, Rob Marshall and others offering just accolades for the film. There is also a JukeBox feature to access the musical numbers and a 4-minute theatrical trailer.

Great price considering the immense value. I can't wait to watch it again. Our highest recommendation. . 

***

ON THE DVDs: Quite a striking difference in image quality between the two editions. Even the colors were obviously manipulated by the contrast boosting the the initial offering. Color balance is actually quite disturbed. It's fairly obvious that the newer 2 disc set has all the advantage, except that we can now see it is cropped quite a bit on the left and bottom edges. Criterion tend to do this as well - it must have something to do with the restoration to DVD process. I don't have an answer, but in this case if all we have to put up with is some side cropping to get such a vast improvement in every area - I'll have to begrudgingly accept it. In the new release they really toned down the chapter stops too. The old edition had 60! I'd be surprised if you don't own this SE version already, but if you don't - correct this grave error immediately.  

 - Gary W. Tooze

NOTE (From Enrique!): Just a quick note -The old Warner DVD was a reissue of the previous MGM DVD. The old MGM DVD came in a plastic keepcase along with an 8 page booklet. If you want to make your own liner notes, you could reprint the notes from Criterion's great laserdisc. The laserdisc has a commentary track by Ronald Haver and original versions of songs in the movie, as performed by Bing Crosby, Cliff Edwards, Charles King, and Anita Page. Also a 1926 "talking picture" demonstration. Here is a link to the old LD linernotes by Ronald Haver.