“The Blues Brothers – Augmented Reality Edition BLU RAY”. A Review Of The 2012 Reissue In Universal Studios “100th Anniversary” Series.

“…We’re On A Mission From God…”

Part of Universal Studios “100^th Anniversary” celebrations - there are 15 UK-released titles in this 2012 BLU RAY and DVD series – and “The Blues Brothers” is one of them – an “Augmented Reality” issue.

So what is “Augmented Reality”? It’s a 3D mini-show that’s built into the front sleeve of each release. You download the free “Universal 100 App” to your Smartphone or Tablet (iPhone 3GS or above, iPad 2, Android and other high-end devices) – you open the download and hold your phone/tablet over the front sleeve. It loads up on your phone and begins playing a 3D display which lasts for about 20 seconds - in this case - both suited boys dancing on the cover. The "Jurassic Park" release has a Velocoraptor attack a T.Rex while it roars - pretty silly and over before it starts...

As you can imagine this is essentially a ‘gimmick’ primarily only available to iPhones users and the novelty wears off pretty quickly. Worse - some marketing bright spark has also stuck a lengthy “Lifetime Of Memories” Universal sticker right across the back of each release advertising holidays and prizes you can win – except that it completely covers that part of the back-cover whcih tells you what BONUSES on the disc. In other words you cannot tell what’s actually on the disc! It’s a simple mistake - but a staggeringly stupid one – and I’d argue sabotages sales of otherwise excellent titles. For instance this “Blues Brothers” issue has BOTH the Theatrical Release and the Extended Version – a superbly restored print - and comprehensive extras - but the packaging doesn’t tell you that because its busy selling you competitions and 3D gimmick packaging that few will see let alone want.

Better is the ‘price’ – this is the first time Universal has reissued BLU RAY retailing at less than ten pounds (these singular discs are eight quid in most places - the DVDs two for a tenner).

PRINT QUALITY:

Despite some grain and bad picture quality as the credits role – when you get to the following sequence where Jake (John Belushi) is being paroled from Chicago’s Joliet Prison – suddenly both the picture and sound kick in to extraordinary effect – really clean - and it pretty much stays that way for most of the movie. And while the print is beautiful in many places - I can’t emphasize enough how good the remastered soundtrack is. When the Henri Mancini Peter Gunn guitar riff is coming at you as the boys go into the Plymouth Hotel by the overhead rail tracks or when the Blues Brothers theme plays as they wreck the shopping mall in their ‘cop car’ – it’s just brill – full of power and clarity.

EXTRAS:

The Extras for “The Blues Brothers” are the same as the Special Edition: “Stories Behind The Making Of The Blues Brothers” runs to a pleasing star-filled 55-minutes and is broken down into 14 parts. Second up is a 14-minute “Transposing The Music” featurette that has interviews with Howard Shore (who gave them the name) and keyboardist Paul Schaffer (now with The Jay Leno Show) - and finally a tribute to John Belushi called “Remembering John” that features his wife Judy and film-star brother James Belushi. It’s properly comprehensive stuff and none are padded out with excessive duplication.

THE FILM ITSELF:

I had to double take when I looked at the date on “The Blues Brothers” – 1980? Is it really thirty-two years ago – Jeez Louise! I remember seeing it at the cinema with my mates and being absolutely blown away – audacious, funny, hip, property destruction on an industrial scale, car chases to make your nose bleed, the cool black outfits and shades, the cartwheel flips, the running dance routine, Aykroyd and Belushi gelling so beautifully - and better than anything – the totally killer music that seemed to fill every scene with life and joy.

“The Blues Brothers” literally set off a global phenomenon – the resurgence of Blues and Soul - and is beloved for it to this day. And like “The Big Lebowski” or “Withnail And I” - you know you’re in the presence of a cult classic when dialogue-quotes from it pepper the net... Kathleen Freeman as the fearsome nun Sister Mary Stigmata nicknamed The Penguin - whacking the boys with a wooden ruler every time they curse “…You come back here with foul mouths and bad attitudes!”, the lady at the house when the boys enquire after former members of their band “Are you from the Police? No Mam…we’re musicians…” John Belushi in the high-class Chez Paul restaurant asking a snob customer to sell his wife and daughter to him for sex “How much for the little one? I want to buy your women!” When they get into the Bluesmobile (BDR 529) and have to head to Chicago with all manner of State Forces giving chase – “It’s 106 miles to Chicago, we’ll got a full tank of gas, half a packet of cigarettes and we’re wearing sunglasses – hit it!” And of course - best of all - the quote that titles this review… and their mantra throughout the film for getting the band back together to pay off $5000 worth of debt and thereby save a Convent for Orphan Boys ”We’re on a mission from God…”

Written with aplomb and affection by DAN AYKROYD and Director JOHN LANDIS – and played out by Akyroyd and the greatly-missed-madcap JOHN BELUSHI (who had an incredible singing voice as the “King Bee” extra shows) scene after scene is filled with their love of the Blues in all its forms. The 78” of Louis Jordan’s “Let The Good Times Roll” in their tiny Plymouth Hotel room - the picture of Big Joe Turner on the wall – all great touches.  

You also forget about the incredible number of cameos – Frank Oz of The Muppets as the Parole Officer in Joliet Prison reading out the contents of Jake’s worldly possessions (“one unused prophylactic – one soiled…”), Carey Fisher of “Star Wars” fame with a rocket launcher intent on killing Jake for running out on her three years earlier, Twiggy as a Chic Lady, Pee Wee Herman’s Paul Reubens as a waiter in Mr. Fabulous’ restaurant, Henry Gibson from “Saturday Night Live” as a hysterically funny neo-Nazi (the American Socialist White People’s Party), Mr. T from the A-Team in the crowd and you even get Steven Spielberg as a clerk with a sandwich in his mouth in the Cook County Assessor’s Office at the end of the movie.

But the film belongs to the music and the superstars of that music – Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown, John Lee Hooker and Cab Calloway - many of who had their fading careers revived by the public’s rekindled love affair with Blues, R’n’B and Soul. There’s Cab Calloway as Curtis the Janitor in the convent counselling the Jake and Elwood on what to do next (“You get wise! You get to church!”), James Brown as the all-singing all-dancing revivalist preacher Reverend Cleophus (“Have you seen the light!”), Aretha Franklin as the mouthy owner of the ‘Soul Food Cafe’ in Chicago’s Maxwell Street (“There’s two honkies out there dressed like Hasidic diamond merchants!”), Ray Charles as the blind proprietor of a pawn shop who shoots two bullet holes in the wall as a street urchin tries to steal a guitar (‘breaks my heart to see those kids go bad”), John Lee Hooker singing “Boom Boom” and shouting “How! How!” in the street-market and then getting into a row about who wrote it. as if that isn't enouh - the backing band Murph and The Magic Tones turns out to be Steve Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Willie Hall, Murphy Dunne and Tom Malone – the guts of Booker T and The MG’s who played on so many historical Stax cuts. There’s harmonica legends Walter “Shakey” Horton and Pinetop Perkins, guitarist Joe Walsh as a prisoner, soul legend Chaka Khan in the Choir, singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop as a chatty State Trooper…and on it goes.

In the end – a movie like “The Blues Brothers” defies description. But like a secondhand record shop that you stumble on – you’re so glad it’s there after all these years – still surviving – still bringing pleasure – still doing the business…

Gimmick packaging or not – dive in on this BLU RAY – (pun intended) you’ll be ‘soul’ glad you did.

BLU RAY Specifications:

VIDEO: 1080p High-Definition Widescreen 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio

AUDIO: English DTS 5.1

SUBTITLES: English SDH, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish

SPECIAL FEATURES:

1, Both Theatrical (186 minutes) and Extended (220 minutes) versions of the Film

2. Stories Behind The Making Of The Blues Brothers (14 parts, 55 minutes)

3. Transposing The Music (14 minutes)

4. Remembering John (9 minutes)

ADDITIONAL INFO - UNIVERSAL STUDIOS "100th Anniversary" Series - 

In April 2012 – the American movie giant Universal Studios celebrated a centenary of filmmaking – and since January 2012 have been re-releasing huge swaths of their back catalogue in the States in specialist “100^th Anniversary” packaging. The American list is now pushing 60+ tittles and increasing all the time – most being 2-Disc sets containing a Blu Ray, DVD and means to download a Digital Copy. 13 of those releases have even been given full-on $300,000 restoration makeovers and put in beautifully presented limited edition ‘book packs’ – see my reviews for “To Kill A Mockingbird” (1961) and “All Quiet On The Western Front” (1930). But here in the UK (excepting some of those ‘book packs’) - the celebrations have been virtually non-existent. Until now…

Monday 23 April 2012 finally sees Universal Studios get in on the act and UK- release what they’re calling “Augmented Reality” Editions of some of their most popular titles. The 15 issued to date are:

BLU RAY and DVD

1. Apollo 13
2. Back To The Future
3. The Blues Brothers
4. The Bourne Ultimatum
5. Despicable Me
6. Gladiator
7. Jurassic Park
8. King Kong ()
9. Mamma Mia! The Movie
10. The Mummy
11. Nanny McPhee
12. Paul
13. Shaun Of The Dead

DVD-only:

1. The Birds (1963, Hitchcock)
2. Dracula (1931, English Language Version)

[NOTE: disappointingly NEITHER of the above DVDs is the ‘restored’ version of the film despite being in 100^th Anniversary packaging. The restored prints will appear in the US Blu Ray/DVD ‘book packs’ that are due later in the year. “Dracula” will also include the Spanish language version on that issue]

The American releases are:

BLU RAY:

Abbott and Costello – see “Buck Privates”

1. All Quite On The Western Front. 14 Feb 2012. USA two-disc set with Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy. Digitally remastered and fully restored print of the 1930 Black & White masterpiece. Special 40-page book pack... (SEE REVIEW)
2. American Graffiti. 10 January 2012. USA two-disc set, Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
3. American Pie. 5 June 2012. Two-disc set Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
4. Apollo 13. 30 April 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
5. Babe. 10 January 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
6. A Beautiful Mind. 10 January 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
7. The Big Lebowski. 5 June 2012. Two-disc set Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
8. Billy Elliott. 10 January 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
9. The Birds. Release date to be advised - restored and remastered and packaged as per "All Quiet On The Western Front"
10. The Blues Brothers. 6 March 2012. USA two-disc set with Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
11. The Bourne Identity. 10 January 2012. Two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
12. The Bourne Supremacy. 10 January 2012. Two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
13. The Bourne Ultimatum. 10 January 2012. Two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
14. The Breakfast Club. 10 Jan 2012. USA two-disc set with Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
15. The Bride Of Frankenstein. To be advised... (For DVD version see “Classic Monster Spotlight Collection” 3DVD Box Set)
16. Brokeback Mountain. 10 January 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
17. (Abbott And Costello in) Buck Privates. 17 April 2012. USA two-disc set. 1941 movie digitally remastered and fully restored. Book pack.

Creature From The Black Lagoon (DVD-only at present – see “Classic Monster Spotlight Collection” 3DVD Box Set in the list that follows this)

18. Casino. 5 June 2012. USA two-disc set with Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
19. The Deer Hunter. 6 March 2012. USA two-disc set with Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
20. Despicable Me. 6 March 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
21. Do The Right Thing. 10 January 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD & Digital Copy.
22. Dracula. 1931 Black & White. To be advised… (For DVD version see “Classic Monster Spotlight Collection” 3DVD Box Set)
23. 8 Mile. 10 January 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD & Digital.
24. Erin Brockovich. 5 June 2012. Blu Ray, DVD & Digital Copy.
25. E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial. To be advised...
26. The Fast And The Furious. 5 June 2012. Two-disc set Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
27. Fast Times At Ridgemont High. 10 January 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
28. Field Of Dreams. 10 January 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
29. The 40-Year-Old Virgin. 10 January 2012. Two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
30. Frankenstein. To be advised... (For DVD version see “Classic Monster Spotlight Collection” 3DVD Box Set)
31. Harvey. Release Date To be advised. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
32. Inglorious Basterds. 10 January 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
33. Jaws. August 2012. 2-disc set – Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy. Card Wrap and Book pack… (two variants)
34. King Kong (Peter Jackson version). To be advised. Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
35. Meet The Parents. 6 March 2012. Two-disc set - Blu Ray and DVD (No Digital Copy).
36. Mamma Mia! The Movie. 10 January 2012. Two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
37. The Mummy. 5 June 2012. Two-disc set Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
38. National Lampoon’s Animal House. 5 June 2012. Two-disc set Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
39. The Nutty Professor. 6 March 2012. Two-disc set Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
40. Out Of Africa. 6 March 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy. Digitally remastered and fully restored. Book pack
41. Parenthood. 6 March 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
42. Pillow Talk. 1 May 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy. Fully Restored and Digitally Remastered. Book pack.
43. Ray. 10 January 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
44. Schindler’s List. To be advised…
45. Seabiscuit. 10 January 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray & DVD (No Digital Copy).
46. Sixteen Candles. 5 June 2012. USA two-disc set – Blu Ray, DVD & Digital Copy
47. Smokey And The Bandit. 5 June 2012. Blu Ray, DVD & Digital Copy.
48. Spartacus. 5 June 2012. Blu Ray, DVD & Digital Copy.
49. The Sting. 5 June 2012. Blu Ray & DVD 2-disc set. Fully restored and Book Pack like “To Kill A Mockingbird”...
50. To Kill A Mockingbird. 31 Jan 2012. Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy. Fully Restored and Digitally Remastered. See also UK release. (SEE REVIEW)
51. United 93. 5 June 2012. Two-disc set Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy.
52. Waterworld. 10 January 2012. USA two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy - Theatrical and Extended cut (40 more minutes). 

DVD:

1. Action Adventure Spotlight Collection [The Bourne Identity, The Fast And The Furious, The Mummy]. 6 March 2012. 3DVD Box Set.
2. American Graffiti. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
3. American Pie. 5 June 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
4. Apollo 13. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy
5. A Beautiful Mind – Russell Crowe and Ed Harris. 6 March 2012. DVD.
6. Best Picture Winners Spotlight Collection [Out Of Africa, A Beautiful Mind, All Quiet On The Western Front, Going My Way]. 6 March 2012. 4DVD Box Set.
7. The Big Lebowski. 5 June 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
8. Billy Elliott – Jamie Bell. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
9. The Blues Brothers. 6 March 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
10. The Bourne Identity. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
11. The Bourne Supremacy. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
12. The Bourne Ultimatum. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
13. The Breakfast Club. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
14. Brokeback Mountain. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
15. Car Wash – Richard Prior. 6 March 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
16. Casino. 5 June 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
17. Charade. 6 March 2012. USA 2-disc set. 1963 movie
18. Classic Monsters Spotlight Collection [Dracula, Frankenstein, The Bride Of Frankenstein and Creature From The Black Lagoon]. 6 March 2012. 4DVD Box Set. Note: The “Spanish Language” version of Dracula is also included on the “Dracula” DVD - effectively making this a 5-film box set although it doesn’t actually state it as such).
19. Coal Miner’s Daughter. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
20. Comedy Greats Spotlight Collection [National Lampoon's Animal House, The Blues Brothers, The Jerk, Car Wash]. 6 March 2012. 4DVD Box Set.
21. The Deer Hunter – Robert DeNiro. 6 March 2012. DVD.
22. Despicable Me. 6 March 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
23. Destry Rides Again – James Stewart and Mischa Auer. 6 March 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
24. Do The Right Thing. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
25. Duck Soup. 6 March 2012. Marx Brothers. DVD & Digital copy.
26. Earthquake. 1974 film with Charlton Heston. 5 June 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
27. The Egg And I. 6 March 2012 DVD. Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert 1947 film.
28. 8 Mile. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
29. 80’s Comedies Spotlight Collection [The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Fast Times At Ridgemont High]. 6 March 2012. 3DVD Box Set.
30. Fast Times At Ridgemont High – Sean Penn. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
31. The 40-Year Old Virgin. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
32. Frances The Talking Mule. 6 March 2012. DVD.
33. Harvey. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
34. High Plains Drifter. 5 June 2012. DVD and Digital Copy. (See also Westerns Spotlight Box Set…)
35. Hollywood Legends Spotlight Collection [Harvey, Spartacus, Touch Of Evil]. 6 March 2012. 3DVD Box Set.
36. Inglorious Basterds. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
37. Imitation Of Life – Two Movie Special Edition. 10 January 2012. Features both the 1934 version with Claudette Colbert and the 1959 remake starring Lana Turner. 2DVD set and Digital Copy.
38. Inspirational Favorites Spotlight Collection. [Apollo 13, Field Of Dreams, Seabiscuit]. 6 March 2012. 3DVD Box Set.
39. The Jerk – Steve Martin. 6 March 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
40. Jesus Christ Superstar – Ted Neeley. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
41. King Kong (Peter Jackson version). 5 June 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
42. The Last Temptation Of Christ. 6 March 2012. DVD.
43. Mamma Mia! The Movie. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
44. Meet The Parents. 6 March 2012. DVD.
45. Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life. 6 March 2012. DVD & Digital Copy
46. The Mummy. 5 June 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
47. Musicals Spotlight Collection [Mamma Mia! The Movie, Jesus Christ Superstar, Flower Drum Song]. 6 March 2012. 3DVD Box Set.
48. My Man Godfrey. 6 March 2012 DVD. William Powell and Carole Lombard 1936 Black and White.
49. National Lampoon’s Animal House. 5 June 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
50. The Nutty Professor – Eddie Murphy remake. 6 March 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
51. Parenthood – Steve Martin. 6 March 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
52. Ray – Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington. 10 January 2012. DVD and Digital Copy.
53. Schindler's List. 10 January 2012. USA DVD and Digital Copy.
54. Screen Couples Spotlight Collection [Charade, Double Indemnity, Pillow Talk, My Little Chicadee]. 4DVD Box Set.
55. Seabiscuit – Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper. 10 January 2012. DVD.
56. Sullivan's Travels – Joel McCrae. 6 March 2012. DVD.
57. Three Smart Girls – Deanna Durbin. 6 March 2012. DVD
58. Touch Of Evil – Orson Wells. 10 January 2012. DVD & Digital Copy
59. Westerns Spotlight Collection [High Plains Drifter, Destry Rides Again, Winchester ‘73]. 6 March 2012. 3DVD Box Set.
60. Winchester ’73. 5 June 2012. DVD and Digital Copy. (See also Westerns Spotlight Box Set…)

"All Quite On The Western Front". A Review Of The 1930 Film – Now Fully Restored And Reissued On Blu Ray In 2012 for Universal’s 100th Anniversary.

"...Neither An Account…Nor A Confession…"

In April 2012 Universal Studios is 100 years old - and to celebrate that movie-making centenary - they've had 13 of their most-celebrated films fully restored for BLU RAY. But it doesn't stop there. As many as 80 other titles will be given re-launches across the year as well each featuring distinctive "100th Anniversary" gatefold card-wrap packaging and in some cases a host of new features. Most (not all) of these re-issues will be two-disc sets containing the Blu Ray, the DVD and also means to obtain a Digital Copy via download.

1930's "All Quiet On The Western Front" is one of the thirteen singled out for full restoration (see list below) - and age hasn’t diminished its anti-war punch one jot. If anything this incredible new restoration finally gives this black and white masterpiece the care and attention it so thoroughly deserves.

US released 14 February 2012 (13 February in the UK) - it comes in a gorgeous limited edition 'book pack' (Barcode 5050582882773). The outer hardback holder has a card-pouch wrapped around it at the base and a 40-page booklet contained within. The book has a two-page preamble by American film historian and chronicler Howard Maltin followed by biog pages on Lewis Milestone the Director – whose other credits include "The Front Page" 1931, "Of Mice And Men" 1939, "Ocean's Eleven" 1960 and "Mutiny On The Bounty" 1962. Each of the principal actors is featured accompanied by a classy black and white photo. Unknown at the time - Lew Ayers played the disillusioned German soldier Paul Baumer - a burly and gruff Lewis Wolheim played Sergeant Katczinsky who fathers it over the rookie platoon - and wizened-up Arnold Lucy played the rabid almost Nazi-like teacher Kantorek - who whips the young idealists of his 'beloved class' into patriotic 'Fatherland' frenzy with a mixture of bullied-guilt and sly wording. There are some 'Not In Picture' stills from deleted scenes, pages of press clippings and telegrams… It's a visual feast and Universal are to be praised for it. But the real fireworks comes in the glorious new print...

Digitally remastered and Fully Restored from Original Film Elements - Universal are reputed to have stumped-up over $300,000 for the restoration - and the results are BEAUTIFUL. First up is the picture quality – when you see what it did look like before (covered in lines and scratches) – the new print is little short of miraculous. Lines, tears, blocking, flickering and rips in the negative – have all been repaired. Women buying flowers to throw at the troops marching through city streets at the beginning – the recruits exiting a train at the front when the town gets shelled - Katczinsky stealing a pig carcass at night in the rain – it all looks amazing. It isn’t perfect by any means – there are occasional scuffs and grain – but mostly the depictions of war are so authentic and the print so clean - that it feels like you’re eavesdropping on actual historical footage. And the sound is expertly woven in too – hiss gone, crackle - the voices now expressive and clear. Then you also notice the complete lack of music - which adds an almost eerie and maniacal feel to many of the scenes – especially in the trenches and bunkers where the soldiers are slowly losing it after days of shelling and starvation. An exemplary job done.

Unfortunately - after the copious amount of quality extras on “To Kill A Mockingbird” (which sent that release into the stratosphere – see separate review) the extras here are frankly a major let down. The 'Introduction' by Robert Osborne turns out to be barely two and half minutes long - but it's followed by The Library of Congress 'Silent Version' of the film (with word cards replacing the dialogue) which does at least show you how bad the original print was.
The two 'Universal' features are very interesting (and indeed informative) – but as generic titles to the series, they'll be on all releases and don’t advance this one. What was needed here was a dedicated 'Making Of' – and it's a very real let down not having it…

The movie itself has entered into folklore – based on the 1929 novel "Im Westen Nichts Neues" by Erich Remarque – he was a German World War One veteran who joined the Rhineland front in 1914 (his book's prologue printed on screen at the beginning of the movie titles this review). The adapted screenplay involved as many as 8 experienced writers including Maxwell Anderson and George Abbott. The huge production utilized the fearless skill of Arthur Edeson as principal cameraman and cost 1.5 million dollars to make – a staggering amount of money for the time.

Some scenes are seared into the memory – the transformation from youthful exuberance to terror as the new arrivals dig trenches and cut their hands on barbed wire to the muzzle flashes of artillery in the distance - the machine guns panning left to right as they mow down soldier after soldier in No Man’s Land on yet another pointless assault – Baumer trapped in a bomb crater haunted by the look of the young boy he’s just killed.

Being so old though, it’s not without problems. With talkies only beginning – it has to be said that some of the acting is seriously hammy – a throw back to silent films where over exaggeration was the way to get noticed. But it doesn’t stop the set pieces from being unnerving. We get the training 'before' they went to war where the men are brutalized ("Full Metal Jacket" really fleshed this out). On the other side of the coin we get the brief moments of elation and humanity - an officer lets the famished men have two rations of food instead of one despite a cook’s clumsy protests – laughing, flirting and swimming with the local farm girls in the moonlight.

To get authenticity they even brought in a German drill Sergeant who put 50 extras through their paces – callisthenics, marching, drill, discharging and maintaining arms – just as it would have been in the Hell Hole of the trenches. It was money well spent – "All Quiet On The Western Front" wowed audiences and critics alike and won Universal their 1st Academy Award for Best Picture in 1930. Director Lewis Milestone also received the Academy Award and there were nominations in two other categories – Cinematography and Writing. Its anti-war message has been a subject of scholarly debate ever since.

"All Quiet On The Western Front" and "To Kill A Mockingbird" are amongst the first vanguard of these 'restored' releases – and they’re superbly done. It's heartening to see Universal Studios finally throw some proper money at the preservation of its movie legacy - and be proud about doing so too. I for one will collect the whole series - and live in hope that other studios respect their past in the same glorious way.

To sum up - despite the lack of a documentary on the making of the film – this is an absolutely first-class release because the money's been spent on what matters – bettering and preserving the print for posterity. It won't be everyone's idea of a nice afternoon in – but that was of course the point – and "All Quiet On The Western Front" has proved its point very well for over 80-years. Impressive to say the least…

BLU RAY Specifications:
EXTRAS:
1. "Introduction By Film Historian Robert Osborne"
2. "All Quiet On The Western Front (Silent Version)"
3. "Theatrical Trailer"
(Blu RAY Exclusives)
3. "100 Years Of Universal Academy Award Winners"
4. "100 Years Of Universal: Restoring The Classics" - An in-depth look at the intricate process of preserving the studio's film legacy by those involved
5. Pocket Blu - download content to your Smartphone and Tablet

VIDEO: 1080p High-Definition Full Frame 1.33:1
(Print Digitally Remastered and Fully Restored from Original Film Elements)
AUDIO: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese DTS Mono 2.0
SUBTITLES: English SDH, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Icelandic, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Traditional Mandarin

PS: The 13 'restored' Blu Ray titles in Universal's 100th Anniversary series are:

1. All Quiet On The Western Front (1930). Released 13 Feb 2012 in the UK. Restored, Remastered and a beautiful 40-page book pack...
2. The Birds (1963). Release date to be advised. Restoration, remastering and packaging probably as per 1...
3. Abbott And Costello's Buck Privates (1941). The Blu Ray is USA released 17 April 2012 (see Amazon.com for artwork) - a 2-disc "Collector's Edition" with Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy. It's fully restored, digitally remastered and in a book pack.
4. Dracula (1931). Release date to be advised. Restoration, remastering and packaging probably as per 1. Will include both English and Spanish versions.
5. E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial (1982). Release date to be advised.
6. Frankenstein (1931). Release date to be advised. Restoration and remastering as per 1 above, packaging probably the same...
7. The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935). Sequel that's better than the 1931 original - release date yet to be advised and will probably be in the same packaging as "Western Front" and "Mockingbird"...
8. Jaws (1975). And about time too - Spielberg's masterful 1975 shark-movie finally gets to Blu Ray. Release date to be advised (probably June 2012) and as above....
9. Out Of Africa (1985). Many will be pleased to see this picturesque romance finally get the Blu Ray makeover. 6 March 2012 release in the States.
10. Pillow Talk (1959). 7 May 2012 UK release - two-disc set - Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy. Fully Restored and Digitally Remastered. In a beautiful book pack.
11. Schindler's List (1993). Release date to be advised. Restoration and remastering as above, packaging probably the same...
12. The Sting (1973). Release date to be advised. Restoration and remastering as above, packaging probably the same.
13. To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) 10 January 2012 - reviewed above.

PPS: For a list of the 60 or so titles in the "100th Anniversary" series see the 'comment' section attached to this review