“Small Faces” (Immediate LP) DELUXE EDITION by SMALL FACES. A Review Of The June 1967 Album Now Remastered & Reissued On A 2012 2CD DELUXE EDITION.

"…What Did You Do There? I Got High!"

Monday 7 May 2012 sees the UK release of a whopping four DELUXE EDITIONS for Small Faces fans (15 May 2012 in the USA) - and while number 3 in the pack lacks the celebrated glory of it’s illustrious follow up ("Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake") – "Small Faces" is for many fans 'the' criminally forgotten LP on Immediate Records. This DELUXE EDITION of it however is not without its niggles…

Here are the finite details for Universal/Sanctuary 278 134-5:

Disc 1 (52:47 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 14 are the MONO version of "Small Faces" - their 3rd studio album released 23 June 1967 in the UK on Immediate Records IMLP 008

BONUS TRACKS (15 to 22):

"Here Comes The Nice", "Itchycoo Park", "I'm Only Dreaming", "Tin Soldier", "I Feel Much Better", "(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me (Alternate Mix)" (20), "Eddie's Dreaming (Alternate Mix)" (21) and "Green Circles (Take 1: Alternate Mix 3)" (22)

[Note: 20 to 22 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED VERSIONS]

Disc 1 will also allow fans to line up the 3 x UK 7" singles that were issued (in Mono) around the LP (track number after title):

1. Here Comes The Nice (15) b/w Talk To You (11) – released 2 June 1967 on Immediate IM 050

2. Itchycoo Park (16) b/w I'm Only Dreaming (17) – released 4 August 1967 on Immediate IM 057

3. Tin Soldier (18) b/w I Feel Much Better (19) – released 2 December 1969 on Immediate IM 062

Disc 2 (53:54 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 14 are the STEREO version of "Small Faces" - on Immediate Records IMSP 008

BONUS TRACKS (15 to 23 – all are Stereo except 21 and 23 which are Mono):

"Just Passing", "Itchycoo Park", "Here Comes The Nice", "Don't Burst My Bubble", "Things Are Going To Get Better (Alternate Version)", "I Can't Make It (Session Version)", "Green Circles (Alternate Take 2)" (21), "Tin Soldier" and "(If You Think You're) Groovy (Backing Track)" (23)

[Note: 21 and 23 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED Versions]

UK and USA LP Differences:

The American LP was belatedly released in February 1968 as "There Are But Four Small Faces" in Stereo (only) on Immediate Z12 52002 - and with different artwork front and rear. Also to accommodate their lone US hit single "Itchycoo Park" (lyrics above) – the tracks were jiggered around giving "Itchycoo Park" pride of place as Track 1 on Side 1. Essentially the US album dropped 7 tracks of the English LP ("Something I Want To Tell You", "Feeling Lonely", "Happy Boys Happy", "My Way Of Giving", "Become Like You", "All Our Yesterdays" and "Eddie's Dreaming") - took the remaining 7 and added on the 5 non-album sides of the 3 x British 7" singles mentioned above to make a 12-track LP. To sequence the AMERICAN LP in 'both' MONO and STEREO from this 2CD DELUXE EDITION you line the tracks up as follows:

MONO (CD 1)

Side 1:

1. "Itchycoo Park" (16)

2. "Talk To You" (11)

3. "Up The Wooden Hills To Bedfordshire" (13)

4. "My Way Of Giving" (6)

5. "I'm Only Dreaming" (17)

6. "I Feel Much Better" (19)

Side 2:

1. "Tin Soldier" (18)

2. "Get Yourself Together" (9)

3. "Show Me The Way" (12)

4. "Here Come The Nice" (15)

5. "Green Circles" (7)

6. "(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me" (1)

STEREO (CD 2 – note – see Omissions)

Side 1:

1. "Itchycoo Park" (16)

2. "Talk To You" (11)

3. "Up The Wooden Hills To Bedfordshire" (13)

4. "My Way Of Giving" (6)

5. "I'm Only Dreaming" [see Omissions]

6. "I Feel Much Better" [see Omissions]

Side 2:

1. "Tin Soldier" (22)

2. "Get Yourself Together" (9)

3. "Show Me The Way" (12)

4. "Here Come The Nice" (17)

5. "Green Circles" (7)

6. "(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me" (1)

OMMISIONS:

Eagle-eyed collectors will notice that the 35th Anniversary 2CD set that came out in 2002 in the UK on Sanctuary has 48 tracks - while this 2012 2CD Deluxe Edition has less - 45. The three that are missing are "I Can't Make It" and "Just Passing" – a 3 March 1967 UK single-only release on Decca F 12565 – it's been put on the "From The Beginning" Deluxe Edition (as befits the label). The 3rd missing track is called "Album Sampler" on Immediate AS 1. It was a 1-sided UK-only Promo 45 issued just prior to the album's release and contains Mono excerpts of 5 songs with 'groovy' advert dialogue about 'aware minds' – it runs to 3 minutes and rather clumsily it's been left off here. To add insult to injury this legendary £200+ rarity is pictured on Page 10 of the booklet. 

There are minor artwork niggles too. The 2002 CD had a card wrap with the UK artwork on the outside (which is right and proper), but rather cleverly the foldout inlay inside featured 5" artwork for the US "There Are But Four Small Faces" LP as its lead page with the rear LP artwork on the back page. This new booklet relegates the American front cover to a snap shot on Page 21 and the rear sleeve has disappeared altogether. Worse than that however is the missing STEREO versions of "I Feel Much Better" and "I'm Only Dreaming" (on the 2002 2CD set) which would have allowed American fans to sequence their version of the album complete. All these exclusions are a tad sloppy to say the least. Music wise – the point would be that if you want "Album Sampler" and especially those 2 Stereo versions – then don't throw away that old Sanctuary issue just yet.

UNRELEASED:

As already highlighted above there are 5 PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED VERSIONS - unfortunately the liner notes don’t make any reference to them. In fairness to Mark Paytress – he probably didn’t have access to what was being lined up for the release as he composed his appraisals – but again – it short-changes the fans info-wise. What is here however is very good. The "Green Circles" outakes are excellent and the mythical "Groovy" track now appears as a 'backing track' when some thought it didn't exist at all.

PACKAGING:

The first thing you notice about this Deluxe Edition is the quality of the reproduction. The album sleeve pictured on the 2002 Sanctuary double had slightly faded colours – no such mistake here. The front sleeve repro is really crisp - beautifully done - as are the superb images in the booklet. The inner flaps of the foldout digipak have Melody Maker and Record Mirror reviews from 1967, the original mono LP label is reproduced beneath the see-through plastic trays and each CD is a different picture disc. The 24-page booklet is gorgeous – rare European picture sleeves for "Tin Soldier" and "Here Comes The Nice" (the German issue of this is a belter), pictures of ultra-rare Emidisc Acetates, publicity shots of The Small faces with Immediate label notables like PP Arnold, Chris Farlowe and Twice As Nice - and even an Olympia Sound Studios master-tape box. The new liner notes are by respected writer MARK PAYTRESS and are filled with facts and recent interviews with Jones and McLagan. It’s a lovely thing to look at and a solid read.

SOUND:

But the real meat for fans will be the NEW REMASTERS from best-ever sources and overseen by surviving members of the band - KENNEY JONES and IAN McLAGAN. Tape Research and Recovery is by ROB CAIGER, Tape Restoration and Transfer from Analogue is by ROB KAYLACH and Mastering by NICK ROBBINS. The punch is fantastic especially on fan favourites like "Get Yourself Together", that great guitar opening on "Talk To You" and the psychedelic swirl of "Green Circles". I find the sonic difference between the MONO and STEREO mixes is marked – I thought "My Way Of Giving" in Mono is fabulous - while the opening "Darlings Of Wapping…" dialogue and brass of "All Our Yesterdays" is HUGE in Stereo. The drums, bass and acoustic guitars on "Up The Wooden Hills…" sound amazing - as does the piano-happy intro to the album finisher "Eddie's Dreaming". Fans will love the clarity on the brilliant singles – gems like "Tin Soldier" and "Here Comes The Nice".

To sum up – part of me feels I should dock a star for those sloppy exclusions – but I've been enjoying the listen too much (the sound and overall presentation just 'so' good). This double also made be bite the bullet and acquire the first two Deluxe Editions as well – the Decca sets "Small Faces" and "From The Beginning" - and I can report that they’re truly gorgeous too.

Will we ever know their like again – I doubt it. In fact the dialogue in the "Album Sampler" promo bragged that the Small Faces were "small of stature, but great of music…" – and on the strength of these reissues – you have to say that the Immediate Records motormouth was absolutely on the money. It really is "all too beautiful…"

“Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake” by SMALL FACES. A Review Of The 1968 Album Now Remastered And Reissued Onto A 3CD DELUXE EDITION In 2012.

“Are You All Sitty Comftybold Two Square On Your Botty? Then I’ll Begin…”

**** THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE 2012 3CD 'DELUXE EDITION' ***

Monday 7 May 2012 sees the UK release of a whopping four DELUXE EDITIONS for Small Faces fans (15 May 2012 in the USA) - and for many their 1968 masterpiece "Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake" (a Number 1 album in the UK) will be 'the' jewel in a very tasty set of crowns.

Here are the finite details for Universal/Sanctuary 276 523-5:

Disc 1 (38:30 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 12 are the MONO version of "Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake" - their fourth studio album released 24 May 1968 in the UK on Immediate Records IMLP 012

Disc 2 (41:17 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 14 are all PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED (Track 8 Previously Unreleased on CD)

1. Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (Early Session Version - Mono)

2. Afterglow (Alternate USA Mix - Stereo)

3. Long Agos And Worlds Apart (Alternate USA Mix - Stereo)

4. Rene, The Dockers Delight (Early Session Mix - Stereo)

5. Song Of A Baker (Alternate USA Mix - Stereo)

6. Lazy Sunday (Alternate USA Mix - Stereo)

7. Happiness Stan (Backing Track - Mono)

8. Bun In The Oven (Early Session Mix - Mono)

9. The Fly (Take 4 - Instrumental Version - Stereo)

10. Mad John (Take 7 - Early Session Version - Stereo)

11. HappyDaysToyTown (Alternate USA Mix - Stereo)

12. Kamikhazi (Take 7 - Backing Track - Mono)

13. Every Little Bit Hurts (Early Session Mix - Mono)

14. Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (Alternate Take - Phased Mix - Stereo)

Disc 3 (38:21 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 12 are the STEREO version of "Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake" - on Immediate Records IMSP 012

[Note: in advance of the album "Lazy Sunday" b/w "Rollin' Over" was released 5 April 1968 as a 7" single in the UK on Immediate IM O64 (mono mixes above).

"Afterglow" was also released as 7" single in the UK (credited as "Afterglow Of Your Love") in March 1969 on Immediate IM 077 with the non-album track "Wham Bam Thank You Man" as its B-side.

That song is NOT on here]

PACKAGING:

Since Universal stopped using titled plastic slip-around wraps on their DELUXE EDITIONS - they've plumed instead for a bit of sticky tape at the base that you have to cut and split to get open - not the most graceful of presentations it has to be said. But once inside the detail is impressive. As fans will know "Ogdens'..." was released in the most beautiful and elaborate artwork designed by Mick Swan - a foldout five-flaps circular-sleeve based on a Victorian tobacco tin (name changed by the boys to avoid copyright infringement). Folded out in full - it featured two colour prints on the inside and 4 black and white snaps of the band on the other flaps. The Mono and Stereo CDs contain 'variants' of the gorgeous colour prints by Pete Brown and Nick Tweddell (the actual LP ones are in the booklet) while Gered Mankowitz's black and white 'spider's web' snaps of the band that filled each of the other circles are reproduced on the card flaps. Beneath the two see-through CD trays are repros of the labels for Side 1 and Side 2 of the original 1968 Stereo LP.

The booklet is lovely - 24 colour pages filled with Immediate memorabilia, rare worldwide 7" picture sleeves for both "Lazy Sunday" and "Afterglow Of Your Love" and even a battered-looking Scotch tape box. The liner notes by MARK PAYTRESS are typically informative and fact-filled (such a good writer) and give you great insights into the album's formation, Stanley Unwin's "Unwinese" gobbledegook English that fills Side 2's "Happiness Stan" suite and indeed the general creative mayhem that surrounded this most beloved of English albums. I particularly like the Immediate Records trade advert that uses a re-wording of "Our Father" (The Lord's Prayer) to sell the LP ("...and deliver us Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake..." etc) - blinding!

SOUND:

But the real meat for fans will be the NEW REMASTERS from best-ever sources and overseen by surviving members of the band - KENNEY JONES and IAN McLAGAN. Tape Research and Recovery is by ROB CAIGER, Tape Restoration and Transfer from Analogue is by ROB KAYLACH and Mastering by NICK ROBBINS - and man have they collectively done a bang-up job. Little will prepare fans for the sonic whack off this...

"Ogdens'..." for me has always been a two-sided production job - Side 1 is good - but Side 2 is stupendous - and that feeling continues on this reissue. The extensive use of guitar 'phasing' on Side 1 gives the tracks that evocative 60t's feel for sure - but it also sounds sonically compromised somehow - Side 2 does not. Take the strings and opening Stanley Unwin dialogue on "Rollin' Over" (his words title this review) - it's unbelievably clear and full of presence. Then when the band does kick in with that riff and harmonica blasting - it's awesome. The drums and acoustic guitars that open "Mad John" are HUGE - as is the drums and organ on the STEREO mix of "The Journey". The last remaster I had was good - but this is so much better and musically sweeter. And "Lazy Sunday" has never sounded so glorious. "Song Of A Baker", "Rene" - it's all a triumph...

UNRELEASED:

A "...1, 2, 3, 4..." vocal count-in gives us a stringed-up and heavily phased "Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake" that is fascinating - and even in its unfinished form - sounds extraordinary - like something from another world. Unfortunately you can understand why the 'Alternate USA Stereo' mixes have stayed in the can - Marriott's vocals echoed to a ridiculous degree in the mix - almost to a point where it's all you hear. Better is the 'Early Session Mix' of "Rene" which accentuates the drums and sees the piano and organ stretch out (the lyrics still make me laugh). The opening plucked strings of "Happiness Stan" sound bare without Unwin's witty vocals following - but I love the harpsichord and keyboard playing to the fore as the song progresses. "Bun In The Oven" turns out to be an early session version of "Rollin' Over" which is rougher than the finished article but just as powerful. Even in rehearsal mode Steve Marriott lays into Brenda Holloway's Motown classic "Every Little Bit Hurts" with great results and feeling. "The Fly" is an acoustic instrumental version of "The Hungry Intruder" with a count-in and along with another band-instrumental "Kamikhazi" (so-funky-Small Faces) for me are the highlights on here.

NIGGLES:

The cracking non-album B-side to "Afterglow Of Your Love" is "Wham Bam Thank You Man" - but it’s nowhere to be seen. Nor is the near 7-minute Alternate Stereo version of “Wham…” that turned up on the "Darlings Of Wapping Wharf Launderette" 2CD set in 1999 - strange omissions to say the least. Maybe they're been kept back for that other missing piece in the jigsaw - the Immediate Records double-album "Autumn Stone" from 1969? Most fans will already have "Wham Bam..." track from preceding comps of course - but it's a point worth making. And bluntly I miss the sheer visual impact of the vinyl album artwork...(vinyl is due in full repro glory soon).

To sum up - while Disc 2 may not exactly set the Universe on fire - there are some unheard nuggets worth the admission price. But for me it's the brilliantly released remasters that thrill the most. Both Jones and McLagan are to be praised for keeping the recorded legacy of Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane alive - and in such style.

What a band - and what an album. 44 years on and it still blows you away.

"What up man!" indeed.

“Jurassic Park – Augmented Reality Edition BLU RAY”. A Review Of The 2012 Reissue In Universal’s “100th Anniversary” Series.

“…Clever Girl…”

*** THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE 2012 'AUGMENTED REALITY' BLU RAY ***

Part of Universal Studios "100th Anniversary" celebrations - there are 15 UK-released titles in this 23 April 2012 BLU RAY and DVD series - and "Jurassic Park" is one of them - an "Augmented Reality" issue.

Each of these re-releases has generic "100th Anniversary" card-wrap packaging on the outside with matching artwork on the inside box (no repackaging of old discs). The full series list (including US titles of which there are a lot more) is in the 'comment' section attached to this review…

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" from their website 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 wirelessly loads and then begins playing a 3D display that lasts about 20 seconds - in this case you're looking down at a Velocaraptor attacking a Tyrannosaurus Rex while the Rex lets out that distinctive roar. That's it I'm afraid. Pretty silly stuff and over as soon as its begun.

Better however 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. And it’s the first time "Jurassic Park" has been on BLU RAY as a single disc outside of the "Ultimate" Box Set (and with copious extras – some of which are new).

PRINT QUALITY:

Truth told it's not great. I recently reviewed "The Blues Brothers" in this series and before that the "Back To The Future" Trilogy Box Set – both of which have fabulous print quality. I wish I could say the same for "Jurassic Park". A large amount of the time there are dollops of shimmering grain on the print – especially if the scenes are indoors – of which there are a lot. You wouldn't think this would put you off - but at times it's so prevalent (computer room sequences with Samuel Jackson and Richard Attenborough) – it's all you see. And while the T.Rex attack sequence is still mind-blowing – as are the Velocaraptor chases inside the main facility - time has caught up with the rest of the prehistoric renderings – many of the dinosaur special effects shots looking decidedly dated and every so slightly out-of-focus. 

SOUND:

Given a full on 7.1 surround remaster - the SOUND QUALITY is exceptional from the get go. Even on standard audio systems something as ordinary as the opening shot of trees blowing in the dark comes to life – leaves rustling and creature shrieks fill every corner of your room. It adds incredible power to so many scenes. I just wish the actual watch was better – but like "Close Encounters Of A Third Kind" – the BLU RAY seems to have made the viewing experience worse and not better – accentuating all too often how bad the print is.

PACKAGING MISTAKES/EXTRAS:

First up - 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 which tells you what BONUSES on the disc. In other words you cannot visually tell what's actually on this release - even as you hold it in your hand! It's a simple mistake - but a staggeringly stupid one - and I'd argue sabotages sales of otherwise excellent titles.

And when you peel off the sticker – more carelessness. The card-wrap tells you there's a 'never-before-seen 6-part documentary featuring all-new interviews with Directors Steven Spielberg and Joe Johnston – cast and crew including…William H Macy'. THERE ISN'T. That blurb belongs to the 5-disc "Ultimate" Box Set. What you do get however is impressive - the first '3-parts' of that documentary - and an impressive 12 (not 13 as the box says) archival featurettes of old. You have to say that it’s sloppy presentation to say the least and Universal could surely be had legally for advertising something that isn't on here? But – and it's worth re-stating this – what's on here is EXTENSIVE and properly indepth (see full list below).

The film itself is still hugely entertaining and a milestone in special effects development. The cup of water on the dashboard rippling as T.Rex approaches – the vegetation-eating long-necked Brachiosaurus nudging the children and Sam Neill in the tree – climbing the fence and getting off of it just before the electricity comes on – outrunning the 'meatosaurus' in one of the theme park cars with Jeff Goldblum caustically remarking afterwards "You think that was part of the tour?" – Bob Peck's face and remark as the Raptor ambushes him from the side instead of the front (dialogue above) - the 'When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth' banner falling to the ground at the end… "Jurassic Park" is Director Steven Spielberg at his entertaining best - expertly racking up so many scenes with palpable tension and thrills.  

To sum up then – the silly gimmick packaging, content misrepresentation and sometimes disappointing picture quality aside – the single disc of "Jurassic Park" gives you a lot of bang for your buck. But I still can't help feel that if you can plum the extra for the Ultimate Box Set (same thing for the "Back To The Future” Trilogy set too) – then the multiple is a far better buy.

A good release then (and with great extras) - just don't expect that "Perfect Hi-Def Picture" as per the blurb on the back of the box.

BLU RAY Specifications:

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

AUDIO: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese DTS Surround 5.1

SUBTITLES: English SDH (Deaf/Hard Of Hearing), French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Icelandic, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish and Traditional Mandarin

SPECIAL FEATURES:

1, Return To Jurassic Park: Dawn Of A New Era (NEW – Part 1 of 6)

2. Return To Jurassic Park: Making Prehistory (NEW – Part 2 of 6)

3. Return To Jurassic Park: The Next Step In Evolution (NEW – Part 3 of 6)

4. Archival Featurettes:

1. The Making Of Jurassic Park

2. Original Featurette On The Making Of The Film

3. Steven Spielberg Directs Jurassic Park

4. Hurricane In Kauai Featurette

5. Behind The Scenes:

1. Early Pre-Production Meetings

2. Location Scouting

3. Phil Tippett Animatics: Raptors In The Kitchen

4. Animatics: T-Rex Attack

5. ILM and Jurassic Park: Before And After The Visual Effects

6. Foley Artists

7. Storyboards

8. Production Archives

6. Theatrical Trailer

7. Jurassic Park: Making The Game

8. My Scenes

LOWRY DIGITAL Transfers and Restorations - A List (May 2012)

LOWRY DIGITAL Restorations and Transfers onto DVD and BLU RAY
Lowry is famously associated with Disney and James Bond (see separate lists below),
and superlative transfers of Star Wars, Raiders Of The Lost Ark and Lord Of The Rings -
As of 2008 the company is now known as "Reliance MediaWorks" incorporating Lowry Digital (founder JOHN D. LOWRY died in January 2012)

A LIST OF THEIR RESTORATION WORK ON MOVIES (Alphabetical)
May 2012

CLASSIC FILMS (1921 to 1989)

The Absent-Minded Professor (Disney, 1961)

Alice In Wonderland (Disney, 1951)

Alien (1979, Ridley Scott)

Aliens (1986, James Cameron)

All About Eve (1950)

All The President's Men (1976)

Anatomy Of A Murder (Hitchcock, 1959)

Bambi (Disney, 1942)

The Black Cauldron (Disney, 1985) 

The Black Hole (Disney, 1979)

The Blue Lagoon (1980)

Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961)

The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)

Brief Encounter (1946)

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)

Captain From Castile (1947, Tyrone Power)

Carmen Jones (1954, Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte)

Casablanca (1942)

The China Syndrome (1979)

Chinatown (1974)

Cinderella (Disney, 1950)

Citizen Kane (1941)

Clear And Present Danger (1994)

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)

The Cookie Carnival (1935)

Crocodile Dundee (1986)

The Curse Of Frankenstein (1957)

Darling (1965)

Diamonds Are Forever (James Bond, 1971)

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Dr. No (James Bond, 1962

Dumbo (Disney, 1941)

The Egyptian (1954, Victor Mature and Jean Simmons)

Fantasia (Disney, 1940)

Fantastic Voyage (1966)

Fatal Attraction (1987)

Flashdance (1983)

Footloose (1984)

The Fox And The Hound (Disney, 1981)

From Russia With Love (James Bond, 1963)

Funny Face (Audrey Hepburn, 1957)

Gaslight (1944)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe, 1953)

The Ghoul (1933)

Giant (1956)

The Godfather (1972)

The Godfather, Part II (1974)

Goldfinger (James Bond, 1964)

Gone With The Wind (1939)

Grease (1978)

The Great Race (Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis, 1965)

Henry V (1889)

How To Marry A Millionaire (Marilyn Monroe, 1953)

The Importance Of Being Earnest (1952)

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989) [Indiana Jones 1st film - see "Raiders..."]

Ice Castles (1979)

The In-Laws (1979)

It's A Wonderful Life (James Stewart, 1946)

The Jungle Book (Disney, 1967)

The Keep (1983)

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

Lady And The Tramp (Disney, 1955)

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Leave Her To Heaven (Gene Tierney, 1945)

Licence To Kill (James Bond, 1989)

The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp (1943)

Little Women (1933)

The Little Mermaid (Disney, 1989)

The Living Daylights (James Bond, 1987)

The Love Bug (Disney, 1968)

Madeleine (1950)

Manhatta (1921)

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (James Stewart, 1962)

The Man With The Golden Gun (James Bond, 1974)

Mary Poppins (Disney, 1964)

The Mercenary (1968)

Mildred Pierce (1945)

Moby Dick (1956)

Moonraker (James Bond, 1979)

The Natural (Robert Redford, 1984)

Niagara (Marilyn Monroe, 1953)

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

North By Northwest (1958)

Now, Voyager (1942)

Octopussy (James Bond, 1983)

An Officer And A Gentleman (1982)

Old Yeller (Disney, 1957)

Oliver & Company (Disney, 1987)

Oliver Twist (1948)

Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)

101 Dalmatians (Disney, 1961)

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (James Bond, 1969)

The Parent Trap (Disney, Hayley Mills original, 1961)

The Passionate Friends (1949)

Peter Pan (Disney, 1953)

Pinocchio (Disney, 1940)

Pollyanna (Disney, 1960)

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes (1973)

Prizzi's Honor (1985)

Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981 - Indiana Jones 1st film)

Rashomon (1950)

Rear Window (1954)

Robin Hood (Disney, 1973)

The Rescuers (Disney, 1977)

The Robe (Richard Burton and Jean Simmons, 1953)

Roman Holiday (Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, 1953)

The Rose Tattoo (1955)

Sabotage (1936)

Sabrina (Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn, 1954)

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

The Scarlett Pimpernel (1934)

The Seven Year Itch (Marilyn Monroe, 1955)

Singin' In The Rain (1952)

Sleeping Beauty (Disney, 1959)

The Spirit Of St. Louis (1957)

The Spy Who Loved Me (James Bond, 1977)

Stagecoach (1939)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

Star Trek VI: The Voyage Home (1986)

Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope) (1977)

Star Wars Episode V; The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Star Wars Episode VI; Return Of The Jedi (1983)

Sunset Boulevard (1952)

The Ten Commandments (1956)

The Terminator (James Cameron, 1984)

Them! (1954)

This Happy Breed (1944)

Thunderball (James Bond, 1965)

THX 1138 (1971)

To Catch A Thief (1955)

Top Gun (1986)

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)

A View To A Kill (James Bond, 1985)

Young And Innocent (1937)

You Can't Take It With You (Frank Capra Director - James Stewart, 1938)

You Only Live Twice (James Bond, 1967)

MODERN FILMS (1990 to 2012)

Aladdin (Disney, 1992)

Almost Famous (2000)

Aliens Of The Deep (2005)

American Psycho (2000)

Assault On Precinct 13 (2005 Remake)

The A-Team (2010)

Avatar (2009)

Beauty And The Beast (Disney, 1991)

Big Momma's House 3 (2010)

The Black Swan (2010)

Born Too Soon (1993)

Bridge To Terabithia (2007)

Cedar Rapids (2011)

Coraline (2009)

The Country Bears (Disney, 2002)

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008)

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Die Another Day (James Bond, 2002)

Eat, Pray, Love (2010)

Face/Off (1997)

Fantasia 2000 (Disney, 1999)

Fast And Furious 4 (2009)

Fight Club (1999)

Flipped (2010)

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

Fright Night (2011 Remake)

George Of The Jungle (Disney, 1997)

The Godfather, Part III (1990)

Goldeneye (James Bond, 1995)

Hall Pass (2011)

The Hangover II (2011)

Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle ((2004)

The Hunt For Red October (1990)

How Do You Know (2010)

Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)

Journey To The Centre Of The Earth 3D (2008)

Justin Beiber: Never Say Never (2011)

King Arthur (2004)

The Lion King (Disney, 1994)

Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)

Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Lord Of The Rings" Return Of The King (2003)

Miami Vice (2006)

National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002)

Night Of The Living Dead

Open Range (2003)

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Patriot Games (1992)

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

The Preacher's Wife (1996)

Public Enemies (2009)

Real Steel (2011)

The Rescuers Down Under (Disney, 1990)

Rudy (1993)

Rush Hour (1998)

Rush Hour 2 (2001)

Saw 3D - The Final Chapter (2010)

Se7en (1995)

Shark Night 3D (2011)

Shutter Island (2010)

The Social Network (2010)

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones (2002)

Step Up 3D (Disney/Touchstone 2010)

Titanic (1997) (2012 Blu Ray Release)

Titanic in 3D (2012)

Tomorrow Never Dies (James Bond, 1997)

Transformers - Dark Of The Moon 3D (2011)

The Tree Of Life (2011)

True Lies (1994)

The Truman Show (1998)

U2 3D (IMAX Presentation) (2008)

Winnie The Pooh (Disney, 2011)

Worlds Apart (2008)

The World Is Not Enough (James Bond, 1999)

X Games 3D: The Movie (2009)

X-Men (2000)

Yogi Bear (2010)

Zodiac (2007)

JAMES BOND

Dr. No (James Bond, Sean Connery, 1962)

From Russia With Love (James Bond, Sean Connery, 1963)

Goldfinger (James Bond, Sean Connery, 1964)

Thunderball (James Bond, Sean Connery, 1965)

You Only Live Twice (James Bond, Sean Connery, 1967)

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (James Bond, George Lazenby, 1969)

Diamonds Are Forever (James Bond, Sean Connery, 1971)

Live And Let Die (James Bond, Roger Moore, 1973)

The Man With The Golden Gun (James Bond, Roger Moore, 1974)

The Spy Who Loved Me (James Bond, Roger Moore, 1977)

Moonraker (James Bond, Roger Moore, 1979)

For Your Eyes Only (James Bond, Roger Moore, 1981)

Octopussy (James Bond, Roger Moore, 1983)

A View To A Kill (James Bond, Roger Moore, 1985)

The Living Daylights (James Bond, Timothy Dalton, 1987)

Licence To Kill (James Bond, Timothy Dalton, 1989)

Goldeneye (James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, 1995)

Tomorrow Never Dies (James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, 1997)

The World Is Not Enough (James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, 1999)

Die Another Day (James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, 2002)

DISNEY

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Pinocchio (Disney, 1940)

Fantasia (Disney, 1940)

Dumbo (Disney, 1941)

Bambi (Disney, 1942)

Cinderella (Disney, 1950)

Alice In Wonderland (Disney, 1951)

Peter Pan (Disney, 1953)

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)

Lady And The Tramp (Disney, 1955)

Old Yeller (Disney, 1957)

Sleeping Beauty (Disney, 1959)

Pollyanna (Disney, 1960)

101 Dalmatians (Disney, 1961)

The Absent-Minded Professor (Disney, 1961)

The Parent Trap (Disney, Hayley Mills original, 1961)

Mary Poppins (Disney, 1964)

The Jungle Book (Disney, 1967)

The Love Bug (Disney, 1968)

Robin Hood (Disney, 1973)

The Rescuers (Disney, 1977)

The Black Hole (Disney, 1979)

The Fox And The Hound (Disney, 1981)

The Black Cauldron (Disney, 1985) 

Oliver & Company (Disney, 1987)

The Little Mermaid (Disney, 1989)

Beauty And The Beast (Disney, 1991)

Aladdin (Disney, 1992)
The Lion King (Disney, 1994)

George Of The Jungle (Disney, 1997)

Fantasia 2000 (Disney, 1999)

The Country Bears (Disney, 2002)
Step Up 3D (Disney/Touchstone, 2010)
Winnie The Pooh (Disney, 2011)

“To Catch A Thief”. A Review Of The 1955 Film Now Reissued on BLU RAY With A Fully Restored Print In 2012.

                                                

"…Your Terms Are Generous…My Terms Usually Are…"

When 1955's "To Catch A Thief" was relaunched on DVD back in 2007 with a full frame-by-frame Lowry Digital Restoration (the company is now known as Reliance MediaWorks) – fans of the film were quietly blown away by the work done on the print. Like "North By Northwest" (that other great Hitchcock/Grant collaboration cleaned up by the same much-praised process) - "Catch" looked stupendous - beautifully clean vibrant colour - and it came with a nice slew of new complimentary extras.

This 2012 BLU RAY reissue of it is no different - a truly gorgeous looking film finally given the format it deserves. In fact there are moments in this transfer that must surely rate as BLU RAY 'restoration benchmarks' – the clean up seeing Robert Burks' original colour cinematography shine like a diamond. Burks and his team (who had framed "Rear Window" for Hitch the year before) pulled an Oscar for their work on "To Catch A Thief" - and would go on to provide Hitchcock with the same filmic magic on "Vertigo" (1958), "North By Northwest" (1959), "The Birds" (1963) and "Marnie" (1964).

"To Catch A Thief" is presently an American issue on BLU RAY (Paramount 14637) but it's due in the UK in July 2012. If you can't wait and want the US version – the good news is that it's NOT REGION-CODED so it'll play in all players. It comes in a card wrap sleeve (which the British issue won't) and features a full compliment of extras including a few new bits over the 2007 DVD issue (see list below).

The film itself is the stuff of legend - a testament to clever scriptwriting, Director grit, meticulous planning and sheer leading man and woman starpower. Battling censorship groups and prudish bosses – Hitch used his brilliant scriptwriter JOHN MICHAEL HAYES to adapt David Dodge's book and construct a screenplay positively bristling with salacious suggestion. For this he needed sex – or more accurately - implied sex. So we get lines like "What you need is two weeks with a good man in Niagara Falls…" (a famous Honeymoon destination of the time where newlyweds rarely left their chalets) or Grace Kelly offering Cary Grant some chicken from the picnic basket "You want a leg of a breast?" Cary smirks and gives the perfect double-entendre reply. "You make the choice…"

Even something as innocuous to us now as sunbathing on a sandy beach was fraught with moral degradation then. The powers-that-be feared bikinis - so Hitch had Grace wear a full bathing suit to get around their protestations. BUT when he came to shoot the scene, she sexily rubs in suntan oil into her elegant bare arms. You don’t notice her passion-killer swimsuit much after that. Or even when they eventually kiss in the darkened bedroom towards the end – it cuts to fireworks in the background to suggest explosions of a more human kind. And yet precisely because both the writer and Hitch had to be so devious – the film is so much better for it. "To Catch A Thief" may be considered by some to be lightweight Hitchcock – but it's bloody entertaining fluff and was hugely racy for its time. Alfred Hitchcock knew that suggestion was more potent than showing – and his audience had a far more active imagination that any Committee of Impeccable Moral Turpitude.

Hitchcock also loved his leading ladies – and few came more gobsmacking than Grace Kelly. Beautiful, sophisticated and (like her name) graceful in every way – she was the very epitome of Golden-Girl Fifties chic. What most hadn’t expected however was that underneath all the glacial glamour lurked an out-an-out sexpot (she apparently devoured men in real life and of course married an actual Prince a year later). So combined with the legendary Hollywood costumer Edith Head – and the loaded lines – you got the gorgeous Grace Kelly both looking and sounding ravishing.

Then of course came Hitchcock's other weapon of choice – the debonair Cary Grant. Cary plays John Robie - a retired jewel thief and burglar of 15-years affectionately known as "The Cat" because of his acts of agility when making house withdrawals. Someone who knows his methods starts robbing jewels from richj ladies elsewhere and it isn’t long before the finger of blame comes calling to Robie's retirement home in the hills. Robie must go to Cannes (where the robberies are) – and confront some of his old 'Resistance' mates even if some want him dead - a thief sent 'to catch a thief'. And on the story goes… Grant was 50 at the time and Kelly 25 (even then a rising star) – yet they seemed so completely believable as a couple. The film was a huge hit with the public largely due to the great script and their explosive chemistry…

Comedy was provided by Jessie Royce Landis as the meddling mother and the gamine French actress Brigitte Auber played the other possible love interest - the wilful Danielle – who has a soft spot for the suave John Robie. Solid dependable accomplice is played by John Williams, a Lloyds of London Insurance agent willing to give Robie what the information he needs if he gets his clients stolen jewels back. And all of it leads to a rooftop finale in the dark with a clever twist in its rather elegant tail…

BLU RAY highlights include the market and flowers sequence – Kelly walking through the Hotel corridors in knockout off the shoulder dresses – Grant in the water by the pontoon – Robie trying to explain his innocence to the Chief of Police (Charles Varnell couldn’t speak good English so you will notice that his entire performance is overdubbed) - and many more. Even the opening sequence that focuses on the window of a travel agent is gorgeous.

To sum up – if you're a fan and the old soft machine flutters at the thought of "To Catch A Thief" and its delicious naughtiness – then you must own it on BLU RAY.

As Elin said on the 18th fairway - is that a Redwood in your trousers Tiger – or are you just pleased to see me? Oh stop it…

BLU RAY Specifications:

PICTURE: 1080p High Definition (Full Frame)

AUDIO: English 2.0 Stereo Dolby TrueHD, English Mono Dolby TrueHD, French Mono Dolby Digital, Spanish Mono Dolby Digital, Portuguese Mono Dolby Digital

SUBTITLES: English, English SDH (Deaf And Hard Of Hearing), French, Spanish and Portuguese

EXTRAS:

1. Feature-Length Commentary by Dr. Drew Casper – Hitchcock Film Historian

2. A Night With The Hitchcocks (Drew Casper introduces Patricia Hitchcock (his daughter) and her daughter Mary Stone to an audience of film students in Nov 2008 to discuss their father and grandfather’s movies) (23 minutes) ** NEW **

3. Unacceptable Under The Code: Film Censorship in Hollywood (discusses how movies were made in such repressive times – 12 minutes) **NEW**

4. Writing And Casting To Catch A Thief (9 minutes)

5. The Making of To Catch A Thief 

6. Behind The Gates: Cary Grant and Grace Kelly (6 minutes)

7. Alfred Hitchcock and To Catch A Thief: An Appreciation (Home movies of Hitch and family – 7:30 minutes)

8. Edith Head: The Paramount Years (14 minutes on the legendary costumer)

9. If You Love To Catch A Thief – You’ll Love This Interactive Travelogue (a map of Southern France allows you to pick out the villas and locations used in the film)

10. Theatrical Trailer

11. Galleries

PS: Hitchcock's "The Birds" is due later in 2012 - fully restored - and part of Universal's "100th Anniversary" celebrations - see my review for "To Kill A Mockingbird"

PPS: for other superb BLU RAY reissues (including full restorations) - see also my reviews for:

"The Italian Job", "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning", "The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner", "North By Northwest", "Cool Hand Luke", "The Dambusters", "The Prisoner - The Complete (UK TV) Series In High Definition", "Braveheart", "Snatch", "The Ladykillers", "The African Queen", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "Back To The Future Trilogy", "Brief Encounter", “The Blues Brothers”, “All Quiet On The Western Front”, “To Kill A Mockingbird” and "Kelly's Heroes"

******************************************************************************

LOWRY DIGITAL Restorations and Transfers onto DVD and BLU RAY
Lowry is famously associated with Disney and James Bond (see separate lists below), Star Wars and Raiders Of The Lost Ark
As of 2008 the company is now known as "Reliance MediaWorks" incorporating Lowry Digital (founder JOHN D. LOWRY died in January 2012)

A LIST OF THEIR RESTORATION WORK ON MOVIES (Alphabetical)

CLASSIC FILMS (1921 to 1989)
The Absent-Minded Professor (Disney, 1961)
Alice In Wonderland (Disney, 1951)
Alien (1979, Ridley Scott)
Aliens (1986, James Cameron)
All About Eve (1950)
All The President's Men (1976)
Anatomy Of A Murder (Hitchcock, 1959)
Bambi (Disney, 1942)
The Black Cauldron (Disney, 1985) 
The Black Hole (Disney, 1979)
The Blue Lagoon (1980)
Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961)
The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
Brief Encounter (1946)
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)
Captain From Castile (1947, Tyrone Power)
Carmen Jones (1954, Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte)
Casablanca (1942)
The China Syndrome (1979)
Chinatown (1974)
Cinderella (Disney, 1950)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Clear And Present Danger (1994)
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
The Cookie Carnival (1935)
Crocodile Dundee (1986)
Diamonds Are Forever (James Bond, 1971)
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Dr. No (James Bond, 1962
Dumbo (Disney, 1941)
The Egyptian (1954, Victor Mature and Jean Simmons)
Fantasia (Disney, 1940)
Fantastic Voyage (1966)
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Flashdance (1983)
Footloose (1984)
The Fox And The Hound (Disney, 1981)
From Russia With Love (James Bond, 1963)
Funny Face (Audrey Hepburn, 1957)
Gaslight (1944)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe, 1953)
The Ghoul (1933)
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather, Part II (1974)
Goldfinger (James Bond, 1964)
Gone With The Wind (1939)
Grease (1978)
The Great Race (Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis, 1965)
Henry V (1889)
How To Marry A Millionaire (Marilyn Monroe, 1953)
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989) [Indiana Jones 1st film - see "Raiders..."]
Ice Castles (1979)
The In-Laws (1979)
It's A Wonderful Life (James Stewart, 1946)
The Jungle Book (Disney, 1967)
The Keep (1983)
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Lady And The Tramp (Disney, 1955)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Leave Her To Heaven (Gene Tierney, 1945)
Licence To Kill (James Bond, 1989)
The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp (1943)
Little Women (1933)
The Little Mermaid (Disney, 1989)
The Living Daylights (James Bond, 1987)
The Love Bug (Disney, 1968)
Madeleine (1950)
Manhatta (1921)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (James Stewart, 1962)
The Man With The Golden Gun (James Bond, 1974)
Mary Poppins (Disney, 1964)
The Mercenary (1968)
Mildred Pierce (1945)
Moonraker (James Bond, 1979)
The Natural (Robert Redford, 1984)
Niagara (Marilyn Monroe, 1953)
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
North By Northwest (1958)
Now, Voyager (1942)
Octopussy (James Bond, 1983)
An Officer And A Gentleman (1982)
Old Yeller (Disney, 1957)
Oliver & Company (Disney, 1987)
Oliver Twist (1948)
Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
101 Dalmatians (Disney, 1961)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (James Bond, 1969)
The Parent Trap (Disney, Hayley Mills original, 1961)
The Passionate Friends (1949)
Peter Pan (Disney, 1953)
Pinocchio (Disney, 1940)
Pollyanna (Disney, 1960)
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes (1973)
Prizzi's Honor (1985)
Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981 - Indiana Jones 1st film)
Rashomon (1950)
Rear Window (1954)
Robin Hood (Disney, 1973)
The Rescuers (Disney, 1977)
The Robe (Richard Burton and Jean Simmons, 1953)
Roman Holiday (Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, 1953)
Sabotage (1936)
Sabrina (Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn, 1954)
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
The Scarlett Pimpernel (1934)
The Seven Year Itch (Marilyn Monroe, 1955)
Singin' In The Rain (1952)
Sleeping Beauty (Disney, 1959)
The Spy Who Loved Me (James Bond, 1977)
Stagecoach (1939)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Star Trek VI: The Voyage Home (1986)
Star Wars (Episode IV: A New Hope) (1977)
Star Wars Episode V; The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars Episode VI; Return Of The Jedi (1983)
Sunset Boulevard (1952)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
The Terminator (James Cameron, 1984)
This Happy Breed (1944)
Thunderball (James Bond, 1965)
THX 1138 (1971)
To Catch A Thief (1955)
Top Gun (1986)
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)
A View To A Kill (James Bond, 1985)
Young And Innocent (1937)
You Can't Take It With You (Frank Capra Director - James Stewart, 1938)
You Only Live Twice (James Bond, 1967)

MODERN FILMS (1990 to 2012)
Aladdin (Disney, 1992)
Almost Famous (2000)
Aliens Of The Deep (2005)
American Psycho (2000)
Assault On Precinct 13 (2005 Remake)
The A-Team (2010)
Avatar (2009)
Beauty And The Beast (Disney, 1991)
Big Momma's House 3 (2010)
The Black Swan (2010)
Born Too Soon (1993)
Bridge To Terabithia (2007)
Cedar Rapids (2011)
Coraline (2009)
The Country Bears (Disney, 2002)
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008)
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Die Another Day (James Bond, 2002)
Eat, Pray, Love (2010)
Face/Off (1997)
Fantasia 2000 (Disney, 1999)
Fast And Furious 4 (2009)
Fight Club (1999)
Flipped (2010)
The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
Fright Night (2011 Remake)
George Of The Jungle (Disney, 1997)
The Godfather, Part III (1990)
Goldeneye (James Bond, 1995)
Hall Pass (2011)
The Hangover II (2011)
Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle ((2004)
The Hunt For Red October (1990)
How Do You Know (2010)
Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Journey To The Centre Of The Earth 3D (2008)
Justin Beiber: Never Say Never (2011)
King Arthur (2004)
The Lion King (Disney, 1994)
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)
Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Lord Of The Rings" Return Of The King (2003)
Miami Vice (2006)
National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002)
Night Of The Living Dead
Open Range (2003)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Patriot Games (1992)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
The Preacher's Wife (1996)
Public Enemies (2009)
Real Steel (2011)
The Rescuers Down Under (Disney, 1990)
Rudy (1993)
Rush Hour (1998)
Rush Hour 2 (2001)
Saw 3D - The Final Chapter (2010)
Se7en (1995)
Shark Night 3D (2011)
Shutter Island (2010)
The Social Network (2010)
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones (2002)
Step Up 3D (Disney/Touchstone 2010)
Titanic (1997) (2012 Blu Ray Release)
Titanic in 3D (2012)
Tomorrow Never Dies (James Bond, 1997)
Transformers - Dark Of The Moon 3D (2011)
The Tree Of Life (2011)
True Lies (1994)
The Truman Show (1998)
U2 3D (IMAX Presentation) (2008)
Winnie The Pooh (Disney, 2011)
Worlds Apart (2008)
The World Is Not Enough (James Bond, 1999)
X Games 3D: The Movie (2009)
X-Men (2000)
Yogi Bear (2010)
Zodiac (2007)

JAMES BOND
Dr. No (James Bond, Sean Connery, 1962)
From Russia With Love (James Bond, Sean Connery, 1963)
Goldfinger (James Bond, Sean Connery, 1964)
Thunderball (James Bond, Sean Connery, 1965)
You Only Live Twice (James Bond, Sean Connery, 1967)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (James Bond, George Lazenby, 1969)
Diamonds Are Forever (James Bond, Sean Connery, 1971)
Live And Let Die (James Bond, Roger Moore, 1973)
The Man With The Golden Gun (James Bond, Roger Moore, 1974)
The Spy Who Loved Me (James Bond, Roger Moore, 1977)
Moonraker (James Bond, Roger Moore, 1979)
Octopussy (James Bond, Roger Moore, 1983)
A View To A Kill (James Bond, Roger Moore, 1985)
The Living Daylights (James Bond, Timothy Dalton, 1987)
Licence To Kill (James Bond, Timothy Dalton, 1989)
Goldeneye (James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, 1995)
Tomorrow Never Dies (James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, 1997)
The World Is Not Enough (James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, 1999)
Die Another Day (James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, 2002)

DISNEY
Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Pinocchio (Disney, 1940)
Fantasia (Disney, 1940)
Dumbo (Disney, 1941)
Bambi (Disney, 1942)
Cinderella (Disney, 1950)
Alice In Wonderland (Disney, 1951)
Peter Pan (Disney, 1953)
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)
Lady And The Tramp (Disney, 1955)
Old Yeller (Disney, 1957)
Sleeping Beauty (Disney, 1959)
Pollyanna (Disney, 1960)
101 Dalmatians (Disney, 1961)
The Absent-Minded Professor (Disney, 1961)
The Parent Trap (Disney, Hayley Mills original, 1961)
Mary Poppins (Disney, 1964)
The Jungle Book (Disney, 1967)
The Love Bug (Disney, 1968)
Robin Hood (Disney, 1973)
The Rescuers (Disney, 1977)
The Black Hole (Disney, 1979)
The Fox And The Hound (Disney, 1981)
The Black Cauldron (Disney, 1985) 
Oliver & Company (Disney, 1987)
The Little Mermaid (Disney, 1989)
Beauty And The Beast (Disney, 1991)
Aladdin (Disney, 1992)
The Lion King (Disney, 1994)
George Of The Jungle (Disney, 1997)
Fantasia 2000 (Disney, 1999)
The Country Bears (Disney, 2002)
Step Up 3D (Disney/Touchstone, 2010)
Winnie The Pooh (Disney, 2011)

Ghost Protocol On BLU RAY. Mission Impossible 4 Reviewed.

                                 
“…This Review Will Abseil Up Its Own Arse In Five Seconds…Sizzle…Sizzle…”

Bought this today - just finished watching it - and already have a bad feeling that I should have saved my money and waited for the rental.

"MI:4" has all the usual hair-brained stunts - a convoluted plotline about some Russian loony Hell bent on setting off nuclear Armageddon (aren't they always) - leggy molls with silencer guns, cleavage and perfect teeth (in that order) - very fast and very garish cars - even faster sandstorms - a blown-up wing of the Kremlin - a flash Hotel in Mumbai - Sawyer from "Lost" having an all-too-brief lifespan in Budapest (really should have used more of Josh Holloway) - the Cruiser crawling around the outside of the tallest building in the world (in Delhi) with magnetic gloves that only half work - etc etc...

Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton do their stony-faced best as new members of the IMF team - but neither ever gets properly comfortable in all that wall-abseiling, gadget operating, sub-Bond silliness. But Simon Pegg is a revelation. His deadpan and very, very funny contribution to "Ghost Protocol" is just what's needed a lot of the time (man did they get lucky casting him) - and some would say he practically ‘makes’ the movie.

But I have to say that I found "MI:4" strangely lacklustre. Admittedly the false-screen visual in the vaults of the Kremlin is so clever - and the Hotel stunt is stupendous - but you've already seen the guts of it in trailers that typically give away too much. Cruise as Ethan Hunt still looks good if not a little too old to be doing this juvenile dreck - and that stench of making money for Scientology by doing ever more ludicrous stunts - hangs over everything. Perhaps we've just seen this sort of 'popcorn fun' one too many times - in fact to a point where it isn't 'fun' anymore.

Amazingly too (for a brand new release in 2012) - I found the BLU RAY picture quality to be decidedly weak in definition - and at times felt like an ok-only DVD. It's also defaulted to 2.35:1 aspect so you've got bars top and bottom of the screen - which I can't stand. You can of course extend it - but that compromises the quality and subtitles.

"Ghost Protocol" is fun in places - it is - but it feels formulaic to the extreme and like they're all doing a job rather than having fun in the job. Perhaps enough is enough for the ‘disavow all knowledge’ team - because on the strength of “Ghost Protocol” - there's very definitely a whiff of diminishing returns in the "Mission Impossible" franchise.

Resist that theme song folks - I'd advise a rental on this one rather than a purchase...

“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…)