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 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

directed by Robert Wise
U.S. 1961

 

The winner of 10 Academy Awards, this 1961 musical by choreographer Jerome Robbins and director Robert Wise (The Sound of Music) remains irresistible. Based on a smash Broadway play updating Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to the 1950s era of juvenile delinquency, West Side Story stars Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer as the star-crossed lovers from different neighbourhoods--and ethnicities. The film's real selling points, however, are the highly charged and inventive song-and-dance numbers, the passionate ballads, the moody sets, colourful support from Rita Moreno, and the sheer accomplishment of Hollywood talent and technology producing a film so stirring. Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim wrote the score.

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 Comparison:

MGM - Region 1 - NTSC vs. MGM - SE - Region 1 - NTSC vs. 20th Century Fox (2-disc) - Region FREE - Blu-ray

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) MGM (Special Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Twentieth Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 
 Box Covers

  

Distribution

MGM

Region 1  - NTSC

MGM 
Region 1 - NTSC

 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime 2:31:25 2:32:55 2:33:14.254
Video

2.20 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate:6.37 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

2.20:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 5.72
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 44,232,659,845 bytes

Feature: 38,850,883,584 bytes

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Total Video Bitrate: 23.49 Mbps

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:

MGM

 

Bitrate:

MGM-SE

Bitrate:

Blu-ray

Audio English (Dolby Digital 5.1)

English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)

DTS-HD Master Audio English 5019 kbps 7.1 / 48 kHz / 5019 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS Audio French 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
DTS Audio German 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 448 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 448 kbps 4.0 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps
* Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps
Subtitles English, French and none English, Spanish, French and none English, English (SDH), Chinese (traditional and simplified), Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish , none
Features Release Information:
Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 2.20:1

Edition Details:
• Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen
• Non-anamorphic widescreen trailer - 2:58
• 8-page booklet featuring trivia, production notes and a revealing look at the making of the movie
• Widescreen anamorphic format

DVD Release Date: October 20, 1998
Keep Case

Chapters 36

Release Information:
Studio: M G M, Inc

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 2.20:1

Edition Details:
• Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby
• Disc 1:
• New Dolby Digital 5.1 audio
• Option to play feature with or without intermission
• Disc 2:
• "West Side Memories": 1-hour retrospective documentary containing Natalie Wood's original vocal recordings and new interviews with the cast and crew, including Robert Wise and Stephen Sondheim
• Original film intermission music, restored and remixed in 5.1 surround
• Storyboard-to-film comparison
• Original release trailers and behind-the-scenes photos, plus production design and storyboard galleries
• Collectible scrapbook:
• Ernest Lehman introduction
• Complete copy of the working film script
• Reproduction of the original lobby brochure
• Behind-the-scenes memos plus film reviews from 1961
• Widescreen anamorphic format
• Number of discs: 2

DVD Release Date: April 1, 2003
Keep Case

Chapters 32

Details coming soon...
Comments:

SNEAK PREVIEW

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: 20th Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray - October 11': Please accept this as a 'sneak preview' for the West Side Story Blu-ray. I have the 2-disc UK edition (2 discs only - no books, cards etc), and it is reputed to be the same transfer (subtitles and DUBs may change due to the geographic region). I know the MGM US 50th Anniversary edition (see package image below) has more hardcopy extras.

I can tell you that the audio - a DTS-HD Master 7.1 at 5019 kbps is incredible in some of the musical numbers I sampled.

NOTE: According to Robert Harris at HTF - there is an issue with the opening sequence. I guess I am not familiar enough with the film to identify it but have confidence that this will be addressed by Fox (over time).

I can also tell you that the feature Blu-ray disc and second Blu-ray disc of extras are both region FREE.

When I have time and it is closer to the US release date I will cover the extras and more specifics on the image and audio.  

***

ON THE DVDs: The old version (was 'out of print') has the same perfect picture quality as the new SE. Great colors and tight blacks. The new SE has a huge host of extras on a 2nd disc. I have no proof, but my ear says the SE's 5.1 is a little more defined than the older version 5.1 and I understand it has been remastered and remixed . I don't have any evidence that it is a lot better, but it sounds so to me. No right-minded cinema fan should be without this masterpiece of film and now DVD in their collection.   

  - Gary W. Tooze

US 50th Anniversary Blu-ray Package

 

 

Menus

(MGM - R1 - NTSC-Left vs. MGM - SE - R1 - NTSC-Right)

 

 

Twentieth Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Subtitle Sample Twentieth Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) MGM (Special Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Twentieth Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) MGM (Special Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Twentieth Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

More Blu-ray Captures

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Report Card:

 

Image:

Blu-ray

Sound:

Blu-ray

Extras:

Blu-ray

 

 Box Covers

  

Distribution

MGM

Region 1  - NTSC

MGM 
Region 1 - NTSC

 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Gary Tooze