ADDITION: BFI Blu-ray - February 2020: Short story: this BFI Blu-ray is the best of the bunch. They did it right with the extras on a second disc DVD. The image takes a small notch forward with richer black levels looking slightly darker and excellent, it has 24-bit uncompressed mono audio, a new commentary by Jim Hemphill (who spends some valuable time defending Kramer from the likes of Andrew Sarris), and a 86-minute Guardian interview with Max Schell that plays to the film.

On the second disc DVD it includes the previous extras; In Conversation with Abby Mann and Maximilian Schell from 2004 where the actor and writer reminisce about Stanley Kramer and working on the film, also from 2004, The Value of a Single Human Being interview with screenwriter Abby Mann discusses his Oscar®-winning screenplay and the 1/4 hour Tribute to Stanley Kramer celebration of Stanley Kramer's life and career, featuring interviews with screenwriter Abby Mann and Karen Sharpe, Kramer's widow.

Plus the BFI adds Resistance a 2008 short film about a group of defectives and their lives within the walls of an institution as part of the Nazi's Aktion-T4 a programme of mass murder through involuntary euthanasia, Heredity in Man - a chilling insight into pre-Holocaust eugenics made in 1937, These Are the Men - a Ministry of Information propaganda short featuring narration written by poet Dylan Thomas from 1947, Man One Family - a 1946 propaganda short made for the Ministry of Information by Ivor Montagu at Ealing Studios and Berlin Airlift The Story of a Great Achievement from 1949. On the main Blu-ray there is only a trailer and extensive image gallery. The package (for first pressing purchasers) contains a fully illustrated booklet featuring reminisces of the film by actor William Shatner, new writing on the film and director Stanley Kramer by Jennifer Frost and full film credits.

BFI have easily created the best Blu-ray package - kudos to the herculean commentary for the, almost 3-hour, film and the additional new extras plus the booklet. Fans of this film, many whom consider Kramer's best, should own this BFI Blu-ray. Period.

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ADDITION: Kino Lorber Blu-ray - January 18': The new Kino 'Special Edition' has a significantly higher bitrate and this shows up in-motion where their transfer excels over the Twilight Time looking smoother. Twilight Time advances with their 24-bit audio (Kino's 16) - and the surround option. Both have optional English subtitles. The Kino is Region 'A'-locked.

The Twilight Time has the option of playing with the Overture, Intermission, Entr'acte - the Kino does not. The extra featurettes are the same but the Kino does not offer the Ernest Gold isolated score ability nor the Julie Kirgo liner notes. The Kino is less expensive and seems a very good bet for the price but for those desiring the additional feature of the Twilight Time - it still appears available.

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ADDITION: Twilight Time Blu-ray - November 14': Seeing as the 2004 DVD is non-anamorphic - it would appear, on many HD systems, as a letterboxed rectangle - framed by thick black bars - making the new Twilight Time Blu-ray even more desirable with its 1080P resolution. The 3-hour feature takes up almost 40 Gig, but because of the film length has only a modest bitrate. Still it is easy to see the superiority with more layered contrast and textured grain, plus the 1.65:1 image shows some pleasing depth. The menu gives the option of playing with the Overture, Intermission, Entr'acte and Exit music (in 5.1 only) or without. So you may have surround, original 1.0 channel mono or an isolated score (also in 5.1) - all three in lossless. A solid score by Ernest Gold (Cross of Iron, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, On the Beach, The Secret of Santa Vittoria) and it seems to benefit from the uncompressed rendering sounding subtly impacting. Twilight Tome offers optional English subtitles on their region FREE Blu-ray.

Supplements mimic the DVD with the 20 minute conversation with Abby Mann and Maximilian Schell, the 6-minute The Value of a Single Human Being featurette and a 1/4 of an hour Tribute to Stanley Kramer. There is a trailer and the package, limited to 3,000 copies includes extensive Julie Kirgo liner notes.

Not much more to say - Kramer fans don't need my endorsement - this is a fairly easy decision - and we encourage a purchase. It actually may be one of those that go out of print fast (only a guess) - so if you were keen no sense in waiting. 

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ON THE DVD: The image is quite good considering it is not anamorphic-ally enhanced. Sharp, great contrast and a little film grain peeking through. The 5.1 audio mix is wasted as the film's content does not warrant it - so stick with the original mono. Great extras, gaudy yellow subtitles.  

Gary W. Tooze