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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
directed by Vincente Minnelli
U.S.A. 1944
It seems pretty strange to think now that nobody concerned really wanted to make this movie, or wasn't happy shooting it either, since it has long since achieved the status of a particularly evergreen classic. Like the considerably inferior White Christmas, made 10 years later, we can't seem to do without it. But whereas you need nostalgia to get through White Christmas, you can be the vilest cynic and still like Minnelli's fluent four-act examination of a nice, middle-class St Louis family and its ups and downs circa 1903. Nostalgia, of course, is what it was all about when it was made in 1944. It looked back to a largely imaginary time when values were values and family life was paramount to happiness. Even so, there's very little cuteness or sentimentality, and you have to admit the period detail, right down to the changing seasons, is marvelous. Then there's The Trolley Song, Judy Garland at her most charming, etc, etc. Have yourselves a merry little Christmas, as Judy sings... Excerpt of Derek Malcolm's review in the Guardian Unlimited located HERE |
Posters
Theatrical Release: 28 November 1944 - U.S.A.
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Warner - Region 2,4,5 - PAL vs. Warner (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Big thanks to Ole Kofoed for the DVD Screen Caps!
1) Warner - Region 2,4,5 - PAL LEFT2) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE3) Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT |
Box Covers |
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Distribution |
Warner Region 2,4,5 - PAL |
Warner Region 1 - NTSC |
Warner Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:48:16 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:52:48 | 1:52:57.061 |
Video |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
1080P Single-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 41,266,694,052 bytesFeature: 25,587,111,936 bytesVideo Bitrate: 23.94 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate:
Warner (PAL)
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Bitrate:
Warner (NTSC)
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Bitrate:
Blu-ray |
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Audio | English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish and German Dub DD 1.0 |
English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) |
DTS-HD Master Audio English
3231 kbps 5.0 / 48 kHz / 3231 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.0 / 48 kHz /
1509 kbps / 24-bit) Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 5.0 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB Dolby Digital Audio French 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB |
Subtitles | English, English for the hearing impaired, Finnish, French, German, German for the hearing impaired, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Italian for the hearing impaired, Portuguese, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Arabic, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Turkish and none | English, Spanish, French and none | English (SDH), French, Spanish, and none |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Warner Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
Chapters 32 |
Release Information: Studio: Warner Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
DVD
Release Date: April 6th, 2004 Chapters 32 |
Release Information: Studio: Warner Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: CD Sampler of songs 40-page
Digibook - articles, trivia etc.
Blu-ray
Release Date: December 13th, 2011 Chapters 32 |
Comments |
NOTE: These Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.
ADDITION: Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray (November 11'): The DVD was fabulous but, predictably, the Blu-ray advances beyond it in many, subtle, areas. The grain is more prominent, colors seem to support the previous SD rendering but also perk up and look very impressive. There is slightly more information in the frame. There is minor depth but I can definitely see this higher resolution (a bit less than 4X the SD bitrate) is an improvement that fans of the film will appreciate.
Audio is another area where those familiar with the film will swoon. We get a DTS-HD Master 5.0 channel at 3231 kbps. You could easily play this Blu-ray with video. The Ralph Blane / Hugh Martin standards crooned by Garland are incredible at times - it has more depth and crisper high-end than the DVDs. Separation is never crisp but does exist adding some surround flavor to the presentation. There are English, French and Spanish subtitles on Warner's region FREE Blu-ray disc.
On
supplements -
Absolutely we can recommend this - they certainly don't make gems like this anymore and the Blu-ray has done a fine job of presenting the film in the glory of HD. ***
ON THE DVDs: Although the images are virtually identical these two editions offer a very different package. Firstly on the image: it is as close as I have ever seen between a major studio PAL and NTSC release. Even the bitrate graph indicates this with the same peaks and valleys. Being picky, the NTSC is minutely cropped up top and bottom - very slightly, but I do think the NTSC shows more film grain. Otherwise a complete draw. On the audio front the PAL edition does not offer the original Mono track, except in two DUBs - bad show! So because of this enormous faux-pas for purists the NTSC wins this category with ease. Extras too go easily toward the NTSC with a stacked 2 - disc release to the PAL's measly one. Overall we must recommend the NTSC version, but we should also comment that this DVD image, for both editions , is gorgeous. Fabulous work Warner! |
Menus
(Warner - Region 2,4,5 - PAL - LEFT
vs. Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)
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Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Subtitle sample
1) Warner - Region 2,4,5 - PAL TOP2) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE3) Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
NOTE: Not exact frame
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Screen Captures
1) Warner - Region 2,4,5 - PAL TOP2) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE3) Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Warner - Region 2,4,5 - PAL TOP2) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE3) Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Warner - Region 2,4,5 - PAL TOP2) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE3) Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Warner - Region 2,4,5 - PAL TOP2) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE3) Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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Report Card:
Image: |
Blu-ray |
Sound: |
Blu-ray |
Extras: | Blu-ray |
Box Covers |
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Distribution |
Warner Region 2,4,5 - PAL |
Warner Region 1 - NTSC |
Warner Region FREE - Blu-ray |