DVD Review “The Three Stooges: The Ultimate Collection”

Starring: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard
Number of discs: 20
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Running Time: 635 minutes

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I have been watching “The Three Stooges” from since before I could walk…or probably talk (thanks to my Grandfather).  There is something about that humor that really lasts through time and never looses its laughs.  When they released this under the title of “The Ultimate Collection”, they were not joking…this is really the ultimate collection of the Three Stooges.  They cover 25 years of the Three Stooges and really captures their unique brand of humor.  Included in this set is all 190 short films, plus 11 hours of movies and other never-before-released material…like I said really the ultimate collection.  Get ready to enjoy all the eye-pokes, face slaps, hollow head knocks and knuckle cracks that you can possibly handle.

These have been properly and beautifully remastered for the best quality picture and sound. For shorts that were filmed back as far back as the 30’s, they definitely do not show it.  Great job from Sony for a great digital restoration.  You’ll experience the Stoogers  like you’ve never heard or seen them before. This collection also not only includes all of the Three Stooges Columbia shorts but also three discs of bonus material as well featuring the solo work of the Stooges!  This never-before-released bonus content features included are films “Rockin’ In The Rockies” (1945) and “Have Rocket–Will Travel” (1958) . There are also 14 Shemp Howard solo shorts, 10 Joe Besser solo shorts and 4 Curly-Joe solo shorts.  Lastly, there is also three animated shorts from Columbia as well. This is worth the purchase of the collection alone.

Besides the three discs of rare and unreleased content, the rest of the collection is split up into eight individual volumes.  The first volume covers from 1934-1936, includes the first 10 Columbia shorts, including “Punch Drunks” which made them big. Vol. 2 focuses on 1937-1939 in chronological order including 24 shorts and such classics “Dizzy Doctors”, “Saved By The Belle”, and “Calling All Curs. Vol. 3 covers what some thought to be the Golden Age from 1940-1942. Included are 23 shorts among was also a historical first featuring Moe Howard as the first American to portray Hitler on film, in 1940’s “You Nazty Spy”, which was also Moe’s personal favorite. Vol. 4 covers 1943-1945 and include 21 shorts with some of their best work, including “Micro-Phonies” (1943). Also featured are “They Stooge to Conga” (1943) and “The Yoke’s On Me” (1944), both were very controversial shorts.

Next up we have Vol. 5 which covers 1946-1948 and features 25 shorts. This period also marks the end of Curly’s career with the Stooges and the return of Shemp. Vol. 6 covers from 1949-1951, which continues with Shemp as the third Stooge. These collection of 24 shorts contain classics like “Merry Mavericks” (1951) and a reworking of “Phony Express” (1943) featuring Red Morgan. Vol. 7 features 22 shorts from 1952-1954. It was a hard time for the Stooges with the passing of Curly in 1951. Though it did still includes such classics as the first 3-D short, “Spooks!” (1953) and “Shot In The Frontier” (1954), a parody of the film “High Noon”. Lastly Vol. 8 covers the last 32 short for Columbia from 1955-1959 and marks the end of comedy era. 1955 also came with the sudden death of Shemp Howard, which caused Moe and Larry to use a stand-in on some of the shorts. This concludes 24 years and 190 shorts with Columbia.

The Three Stooges are really a comedy team that to this day remains unparalleled in both their success and popularity. I have a feeling that it will stay that way as well. They are true Hollywood legends. Their slapstick humor and physical comedy have influenced numerous icons in today’s times like Robin Williams and Jim Carrey and will continue as time goes on. Luckily for studios like Sony, we get to enjoy this complete and ultimate collection of The Three Stooges work and if you are fan of theirs this release is extremely recommended and also very affordable. Do not miss out of this wonderful release!

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: collection, dvd, review, stooges, ultimate

DVD Review “Ultimate Avengers Movie Collection”

MPAA Rating: PG-13 / PG
Distributed by: Lions Gate
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Running Time: 217 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

With “Marvel’s The Avengers” on the way this May, this is very hot content. The “Ultimate Avengers” series was made back in 2005 and “New Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow” was made in 2008. If you already own the “Ultimate Avengers” films, you don’t need to re-purchase this for the bonus film “Next Avengers”. If you don’t own any of these I would run out to the store and grab these, especially since they are being sold at a very reasonable price. If you have a Blu-ray player, I would recommend you grab this set

“Ultimate Avengers” is inspired by Marvel’s best-selling books, The Ultimates. It focuses on six heroes, lead by Captain America, who must fight as one to save the world. “Ultimate Avengers 2” forces our heroes to reunite in order to fight a rematch of heroic proportions in order to assist The Black Panther. “New Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow” focuses on the spawn of The Avengers taking the lead after their parents demise was met by Ultron.

To top off this impressive collection of movies, there is also a ton of bonus features included on this release. There are a few making-of featurettes, interactive games, concepts art gallery and more. The animation on this film are very colorful and sharp. The movies are just plain fun and if you are fan of Marvel’s work it is a no brainer. If you are looking to get more excited for “Marvel’s The Avengers” to hit theaters then this collection is a good way to brush up on your favorite superheros and get ready for May 4th.

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: avengers, collection, dvd, movie, review, ultimate, ...

Book Review “Watching the Watchmen: The Definitive Companion to the Ultimate Graphic Novel”

Author: Dave Gibbons, Chip Kidd, Mike Essl
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: October 21, 2008

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I have been a huge “Watchmen” fan dating back to the original graphic novels. When the film came out, which I LOVED, I felt like it literally jumped off the pages of the novel. This is the ultimate visual companion to the amazing graphic novels. You know that this book is going to get some love since it is authored by award-winning artist of the “Watchmen” series Dave Gibbons. We get a chance to dive into his profound personal archives. It is really a must own for all fans of the series, no questions.

It is really rare that you are given this candid of a look into new material. I mean you feel like you are sitting looking through Gibbons’ personal diary. Fans of this series you are going to flip out with the reveal of never-published pages, original character designs, page thumbnails, sketcher, alternate posters, covers and rare portfolio art. The detail in the image are just so crystal clear and high quality. It is the kind of book that you are going to look through and then read it completely and then look through it again.

This book had a lot of love put into it and you can tell. With a series like “Watchmen” it has a very loyal fan base and it’s obvious that Gibbons is a really big fan himself. Props need to also go to Chip Kidd and Mike Essl for some amazing design in this book as well. Props should go to Titans Books for continuing supporting this series and releasing book after amazing book keeping this series alive and continuing to deliver new and exciting release to their fans.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: book, companion, definitive, graphic, review, ultimate, ...

Blu-ray Review “The Town: Ultimate Collector’s Edition”

Directed by: Ben Affleck
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively
MPAA Rating: R (Theatrical) / Not Rated (Extended)
Distributed by: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: March 6, 2012
Running Time: 125 minutes (Theatrical) / 153 minutes (Extended)

Overall Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Before reading this review, if you have never seen this film…stop reading and go out to the store and by this release. It is simple as that. This film was one of my favorite films of 2010. This Ultimate Collector’s Edition Blu-ray is the perfect set release for this amazing film. “The Town” is most definitely going to become a classic like other robbery films like “Dog Day Afternoon” and “The Italian Job”. Ben Affleck does a flawless job not only directing but also acting, easily the best work he has done to date.

This new 3-disc (2 Blu-ray, 1 DVD) release feature a a new cut of the film including an alternate ending with audio commentary available as well. It is actually the third cut of the film and is even different from the recent extended cut. There is also an amazing 30 minute documentary called “Director’s Journey”. If that is not enough this release comes with amazing packaging and really cool goodies. There is a 48-page book filled with high quality photos. There is a letter from director Ben Affleck.  There is a huge poster-size map of Charlestown with notes from the film.  Wait…there is still more…including a confidential folder packed with a fifteen-page FBI report, four mugshot cards, a Vericom employee file and a sheet of rub-on tattoos. I think they went above and beyond with these extras.  It is very impressive and a great collectable for fans.

The video quality of the Blu-ray are just perfect and so clear.  I think they really put a lot into this film and it shows for sure.   The audio also comes packed with a fantastic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track.  You literally feel like you are being caught in the gun fire throughout the film.  Really top notch.  Here is a break down of the discs included in this release. The first Blu-ray comes with the new extended cut with alternate ending on its own Blu-ray. The second Blu-ray has the other extended up and the theatrical cut. There is also a DVD included as well.  Also included is a streaming Ultraviolet digital copy, which will be added to my Flixster account immediately.

Let’s get to some of the special features now.  This release has no shortage of commentary tracks, in fact, it comes with three.  The first is for the theatrical cut of the film and Ben Affleck does a wonderful job of complementing the film in a very entertaining commentary.  The next is the extended cut audio commentary is similar to the theatrical cut but gets into the meat of the extra footage.  Like I mentioned above, this release also features a new commentary for the extended cut with alternate ending.  It is an extension of the extended commentary track.  Too much commentary for you? I do not think so.  Definitely at least give a listen to the commentary for the alternate ending for some great info about the changes.

“The Town: A Director’s Journey” is a new documentary for this release and it runs about 30 minutes.  It dives a lot into the film’s production and you get a lot of Ben Affleck but if you love the film then you would love this.  “Ben’s Boston” Focus Points run about 30 minutes spread out among six behind-the-scenes featurette. They are able to be played during watching the film.  The featurettes  include “Pulling Off the Perfect Heist,” “The Town,” “Nuns with Guns: Filming in the North End,” “The Real People of the Town,” “Ben Affleck: Director & Actor” and “The Cathedral of Boston.” The next feature is so simple but I really like it, which is an “Extended Cut Scene Indicator”.  It features an icon on the screen when there is new footage from the theatrical version of the film.  Lastly there is a theatrical trailer also included. Amazing features + Amazing movie = Amazing release.

Buy It 3/6 on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with UltraViolet Digital Copy http://bit.ly/yMSmoe
Like us on Facebook – http://on.fb.me/TheTownFB
Follow us on Twitter – http://bit.ly/WBHETW

Synopsis: Ben Affleck follows his acclaimed Gone Baby Gone directorial debut by directing, co-writing and starring in a taut thriller about robbers and cops, friendship and betrayal, love and hope and escaping a past that has no future. He plays Doug MacRay, leader of a Boston bank robber gang but not cut from the same cloth as his fellow thieves. When Doug falls into a passionate romance with the bank manager (Rebecca Hall) briefly taken hostage in their last heist, he wants out of this life and out of the town. As the Feds close in and the crew questions his loyalty, he has one of two choices: betray his friends or lose the woman he loves. Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Titus Welliver, Pete Postlethwaite and Chris Cooper also star.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, collectors, edition, review, town, ultimate, ...

Book Review “Clapton: The Ultimate Illustrated History”

Author: Chris Welch
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Voyageur Press
Release Date: September 10, 2011

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I am not sure how to start this review with except the fact that the title simply tells it all…this is the “The Ultimate Illustrated History” of Eric Clapton.  It is the perfect book for one of the greatest guitarists ever. The book covers Clapton’s five-decade-long career includes time from the Yardbirds, to Cream to the Plastic Ono Band to his solo career.  This book honestly has everything and it looks “pretty” also.  The layout of the book flows really well with mixing its amazing photos with amazing stories and information about the man himself.

The layout of the book starts with a great note from the author talking about his time that he has spent over the year with Clapton. The first chapter focuses on his childhood and his influence of the blues covering years 1945-1963.  There is coverage of Eric’s time with The Yarbirds from 1963 to 1965.   Of course there is a lot of coverage from the days of Cream from 1966-1969, as this was the real turning point in Clapton’s career.  The years 1969-1974 features quite a bit between his work the Plastic Ono Band through Derek and the Dominoes.  During 1974-1982, the book focuses on Clapton’s amazing solo career, covering everything from his hit record “Layla” to concert appearances at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, NY.  There is still more as this book also covers 1983-present, with the Cream reunion to his work with the Crossroads Foundation.  Lastly there is a graphic discography included which only expands upon how amazing his body of work truly is.

Speaking of photos, this book is packed with over 400 rare shots, as well as images of his guitars, concert posters, and other memorabilia included.  Honestly I think you can spend hours just looking at the pictures and not even reading anything.   The author/rock journalist Chris Welch is no stranger to Clapton, since he previously authored “Cream: Eric Clapton”.  He really shows his extreme knowledge of Clapton and he does an amazing job of showing it in this book. He has also authored books about other great musicians such as Zepplin and David Bowie. Whether you think you know everything about Clapton’s amazing career or you have never heard of him, this book definitely will provide great knowledge into his life and work.  It is a must purchase for sure!

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: book, clapton, history, illustrated, review, ultimate, ...

BBC Ultimate Holiday DVD Giveaway [ENDED]

THANK YOU FOR ENTERING, THE CONTEST HAS ENDED. WINNERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AND NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EVERY WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!

This Holiday season the BBCAmericaShop.com invites you to discover the perfect gift from DVDs to traditional UK Holiday collectibles a : http://bit.ly/BBC_Gifts; and to enter for a chance to win a pair of $500 Gift Cards for you and a friend: https://bitly.com/BBC_Sweeps.

To celebrate BBC America’s newest DVD releases this holiday season, Media Mikes would like to a bunch of great DVD from BBCAmericaShop.com (see below). If you would like any of these DVD’s, please leave us a comment below or send us an email and let us know your favorite BBC show. This giveaway will be open until Monday December 5th at Noon, Eastern Time and is only open to residents of the United States. Only one entry per person, per household; all other entries will be considered invalid. Once the giveaway ends, Movie Mikes will randomly pick out winners and alert the winners via email.

Here is a list of the DVD’s we are giving away:

BBC Holiday Gift Set (DVD)
BBC Holiday Drama Collection (DVD)
Being Human: Season 3 (DVD)
Planet Earth: Special Edition (DVD)
Top Gear 16 (DVD)
BBC Holiday Comedy (DVD)


Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: bbc, holiday, sweeps, ultimate

DVD Review “Trancers: The Ultimate Deth Collection”

Directors: Charles Band
Actors: Tim Thomerson, Helen Hunt, Michael Stefani
Number of discs: 5
Rated: Unrated
Studio: New Video Group
Run Time: 392 minutes

Overall Score: 4 out of 5 stars

I have always been a big fan of Charles Band/Full Moon and their films. The “Trancers” series has always had a special place, no matter how “bad” they are. Included in this Ultimate Deth Collection is “Trancers”, “Trancers II: The Return of Jack Deth” (both directed by Charles Band), “Trancers III, “Trancers 4: Jack of Swords” and “Trancers 5: Sudden Deth”.

The franchise focuses on cop Jack Deth who starts in the future and is sent back in time to 1985 to whip out the Trancers. Basically he spends the whole franchise chasing these Trancers. The series contains appearances from great talent like Helen Hunt, Art La Fleur, Jeffrey Combs, Richard Lynch and Andrew Robinson. Tim Thomerson is such campy fan dream to watch in this films. As the series progresses he reminds me a little bit of Bruce Campbell from “Army of Darkness”.

The extras on the disc are not packed but do include the making of each film, which is definitely a good addition to this great set. Fans of Tim Thomerson, this character Jack Deth and Full Moon should definitely pick up this series for sure. The DVD is not the best presentation and probably could use some cleaning up but I guess that is also what ads the charm for these films.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: collection, deth, dvd, review, trancers, ultimate, ...

Blu-ray Review “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition

Directed by: Mel Stuart
Starring: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Julie Dawn Cole, Paris Themmen, Denise Nickerson & Michael Bollner
Distributed by: Warner Bros.
MPAA Rating: PG
Running time: 100 minutes

Ultimate Collector’s Edition: 5 out of 5 stars

I have seen “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” an uncountable amount of times. I have also interview most of the cast/crew, check it out here. It is for sure in my top 5 films of all time, no question. So obviously, I will not need to say more about the film…and plus who hasn’t seen “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” at least once. When this film came to Blu-ray, I think I smiled for a complete 24 hours straight. The film is meant for this format. The colors are so vibrant, rich and brought to life on this release. The sound and music are perfect and really makes singing along very easy…come on, you all know the words. Now with the Ultimate Collector’s Edition, we get the perfect beautiful Blu-ray release and SOOOOO much more…

Besides the Blu-ray and DVD disc, the set some with a 144-page paperback book, “Pure Imagination: The Making of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” from director Mel Stuart talking about the production from behind the scenes. Next is a replica production correspondence in a heavy paper envelope and it contains 14 letters.  A reprint of the cast list, a letter from producer Stan Margulies to Pia Arnold, a handwritten letter from Gene Wilder to Mel Stuart, a note from producer David L. Wolper to Mel Stuart and some of the letter included. There is a Wonka Bar tin container which holds four multi-colored scratch-n-sniff pencils and a scented chocolate eraser. There is also a replica of a Wonka golden ticket with an online code for a new prize giveaway. I mean if all that isn’t worth the purchase alone then you obviously aren’t a fan of this film.

The special features are a little light and not in HD but there has never been real extras on any of the releases in the past so it is not a shock. Being a fan of this film for almost 30 years, the audio commentary is worth the price of the set alone which included all five Wonka kids, Peter Ostrum (Charlie Bucket), Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt), Paris Themmen (Mike Teevee), Michael Bollner (Augustus Gloop) and Denise Nickerson (Violet Beauregarde). It is fun and very entertaining. The first extra is called “Pure Imagination: The Story of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory”, which runs about 30 minutes and pretty much is a verbal coverage from Mel Stuart behind the scenes book. There are four karaoke-style sing-along videos for “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket,” “Pure Imagination,” “I Want It Now” and “Oompa-Loompa-Doompa-De-Do.” Come all though…we all know the words! There is a really cool vintage featurette from 1971, which is really interesting and of course disc 1 wrap with the 1971 theatrical trailer. The second disc only has two special features first with “Mel Stuart’s Wonkavision” which is a new featurette that has Mel Stuart reminiscing about the film. Lastly, “A World of Pure Imagination” is a newly found vintage featurette with the interview with author Roald Dahl.

Synopsis: A poor little boy wins a ticket to visit the inside of a mysterious and magical chocolate factory. When he experiences the wonders inside the factory, the boy discovers that the entire visit is a test of his character. Special Features: Scrumptious Documentary, Pure Imagination: The Story of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, Mouth Watering Commentary With The Wonka Kids, 4 Sing-Along Songs, Vintage 1971 Featurette, Stills Gallery & Theatrical Trailer.

Available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, On Demand and for Download 10/18! http://bit.ly/oSDajR

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 40th, anniversary, bluray, chocolate, collectors, edition, ...

“Jurassic Park” Ultimate Trilogy Blu-Ray Giveaway [ENDED]

THANK YOU FOR ENTERING, THE CONTEST HAS ENDED. WINNERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AND NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL. PLEASE CHECK BACK EVERY WEEK FOR NEW GIVEAWAYS!

To celebrate one of the most antipicated Blu-Ray™ releases of the year “Jurassic Park” Ultimate Trilogy, Media Mikes would like to giveaway THREE copies of the Blu-ray + Digital Copy set. If you would like to win one of these great prizes, please leave us a comment below or send us an email and let us know your favorite dinosaur from the series. This giveaway will be open until ALL MONTH until November 3rd at Noon, Eastern Time and is only open to residents of the United States. Only one entry per person, per household; all other entries will be considered invalid. Once the giveaway ends, Movie Mikes will randomly pick out winners and alert the winners via email.

One of the most anticipated motion picture trilogies of all-time, Jurassic Park, is now available on Blu-ray!  Welcome to ‘Jurassic Park’ – a remote island where an amazing theme park with living dinosaurs becomes a game of survival.  From filmmaker Steven Spielberg, the action-packed trilogy features groundbreaking visual effects showcasing dinosaurs coming to life like never before and the lush scenery of tropical jungle.  This ultimate Jurassic Park Trilogy boasts beautiful digitally restored pictures, 7.1 surround sound, new bonus features and digital copies of all 3 films. Also available on DVD.

Special Features:

  • The Making of Jurassic Park featurette
  • The Making of The Lost World: Jurassic Park featurette
  • The Making of Jurassic Park III featurette
  • Steven Spielberg Directs Jurassic Park featurette
  • Early Pre-Production Meetings
  • The World of Jurassic Park featurette
  • The Magic of Industrial Light & Magic featurette
  • Location Scouting
  • Phil Tippett Animatics: Raptors In The Kitchen featurette
  • The Jurassic Park Phenomenon: A Discussion with Author Michael Crichton featurette
  • Industrial Light & Magic and Jurassic Park: Before and After The Visual Effects featurette
  • Industrial Light & Magic and The Lost World: Jurassic Park Before & After featurette
  • The Industrial Light & Magic Press Reel
  • A Visit to Industrial Light & Magic featurette
  • Hurricane in Kauai featurette
  • Dinosaur Turntables featurette
  • The Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park III featurette
  • Montana: Finding New Dinosaurs featurette
  • Animatics: T-Rex Attack featurette
  • The Special Effects of Jurassic Park III featurette
  • The Sounds of Jurassic Park III featurette
  • The Art of Jurassic Park III featurette
  • Tour of Stan Winston Studio featurette
  • Feature Commentary on Jurassic Park III with Special Effects Team
  • Production Archives: Storyboards, Models, Photographs, Design Sketches, and Conceptual Drawings
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Theatrical Trailers

 

Related Content

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: bluray, giveaway, jurassic, park, trilogy, ultimate, ...

Blu-ray Review “Ben-Hur 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition”

Directed by: William Wyler
Starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith
Distributed by: Warner Bros.
MPAA Rating: G
Running time: 212 minutes

Overall Score: 5 out of 5 stars

“Ben-Hur” is such a classic film and it is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary this year. Warner Bros is giving this film the real ultimate collector’s edition. Not only it is packed with great content (which I will get to shortly), for this release, “Ben-Hur” has undergone a $1 million restoration. Warner Bros. performed a frame by frame restoration from the original 65 mm negative making this the highest resolution restoration ever completed by the studio. It is no joke and it really deserves the high praises. To get to the new goodies includes first we get an all-new high-definition feature-length documentary called “Charlton Heston: A Personal Journey”. This chronicles Heston’s life while filming Ben-Hur. The other new feature is called “Charlton Heston: The Ben-Hur Diaries”, which is a first-time exclusive look into an Oscar-winning actor’s experience while making an award-winning film. Along is those feature an actual reproduction of Charlton Heston’s personal diary is includes which dates from January 1958 through April 1960. There is also an exclusive hardbound book with rare photography, production art and reproductions from the original theatrical press book. Wow…right? So amazing!

The Blu-ray itself includes the movie split over two discs and features some really crisp and clear Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio. The special features on those discs are commentary by film historian T. Gene Hatcher with scene specific comments from Charlton Heston. There is also an amazing music-only track showing off the terrible memorable score by Miklos Rozsa. Disc three features “Charlton Heston: A Personal Journey”, which we talked about already. It runs about 80 minutes as well. There is the 1925 Silent Version of “Ben-Hur” includes. Next up is the 2005 documentary “Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema”, which shows Ben Hur’s influence on today’s films. Heading back another decade or so, we then have the 1994 Documentary “Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic Hosted by Christopher Plummer”. A very interesting extra is next called “Ben-Hur: A Journey Through Pictures” it is a travel through the film with stills, music and storyboards…very interesting. There are about 30 minutes of screen tests, which is fun to watch since it is aged 50 years. If you dig vintage, then you will love the old newsreels galleries from the film. Lastly there is highlights from the 1960 Academy Awards ceremony. Great extras on a wonderful Blu-ray release. This really earns the title of Ultimate Collector’s Edition.

Synopsis: Experience the visual splendor, thundering action and towering drama of this record-setting Academy Award-winning film. Charlton Heston, in his Best Actor Oscar-winning role, is Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish nobleman in Palestine whose heroic odyssey includes enslavement by the Romans, vengeance against his tormentors during a furious arena chariot race and fateful encounters with Jesus Christ. Best Director Oscar-winner William Wyler masterfully grips the reins of an enduring and spellbinding spectacular.

Read Complete Article
Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 50th, anniversary, benhur, bluray, collectors, edition, ...
« sdf
Previous
Page 3 of 3