Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Blu-ray Book Packaging) (2009) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The 30th Anniversary Edition of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was originally botched as a fullscreen-only effort. However, Warner listened to the people and gave them a wonderful widescreen transfer.
Colors are vibrant, the 5.1 Dolby Digital track is very nice, and there are a handful of cool extras. There is the 30-minute documentary "Pure Imagination" which shows some of the cast today, including all the children and Gene Wilder himself. The interviews of the cast looking back at the movie which was the defining thing for so many of them is very interesting. The documentary on the whole is rather fulfilling. While one feels that the documentary could have delved deeper and maybe been an hour-long, at a brisk 30 minutes, the pacing seems okay and it won't leave you wanting too much more. There is a limited amount of archival on-set "B" roll footage, but all that is there is interesting.
Also included is the original theatrical trailer (Warner left off the 25th Anniversary trailer that was on the original DVD release from 1997), a 4-minute featurette on the production design, and a feature-length audio commentary from the children, who have now grown up. The other features - "character bios" and sing-alongs - are pretty much fluff features. Since this was one of my most anticipated DVD releases of the year, I can't help but feel Warner could have done more in the way of extra features - games, outtakes, deleted scenes, etc. Nevertheless, the overall content of this DVD is satisfying enough.
As one of the greatest films of all time, and certainly one of the most enjoyable musicals and most enjoyable films of the 1970s, "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" has a timeless feel to it. This DVD deserves a place in every collection.
If you like the movie, then know better than to be the fullframe edition, which was released earlier. Widescreen in the original ratio is the only way to go. Especially in a few years from now, when we all have 16 x 9 widescreen TVs, and that "fullframe" version leaves you with big bars on the side of the TV. See the movie the way it was made and meant to be seen - in widescreen. And when you do get that 16 x 9 television, guess what - the widescreen DVD will fill your screen!
A classic movie with classic peformances, and a wonderful amount of heart. What are you waiting for -- get the widescreen 30th Anniversary Edition DVD of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory so you can enter a world of pure imagination today!
Video: A -
Audio: A
Extras: B+

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Join the expedition visiting legendary Candy Man Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) in a splendiferous movie that wondrously brings to the screen the endlessly appetizing delights of Roald Dahl's classic book. Coated with flavorful tunes and production design that constantly dazzles the eye, this effervescent musical never fails to enchant young and old. On a whirlwind tour of Willy's incredible, edible realm of chocolate waterfalls, elfish Oompa-Loompas and industrial-sized confections, a boy named Charlie (Peter Ostrum) will discover the sweetest secret of all: a generous, loving heart. And you'll rediscover the timeless magic of a delicious family classic.

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The Mel Brooks Collection (Blazing Saddles / Young Frankenstein / Silent Movie / Robin Hood: Men in Tights / To Be or Not to Be / History of the World, Part 1 / The Twelve Chairs / High Anxiety) (1974) Review

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(More customer reviews)Most of the movies here are classics which makes it a problem if you don't want all the movies. The version of "Blazing Saddles" is the earlier release from Warner which doesn't look as good as the 30th Anniversary re-release and the extras aren't any great shakes. The transfer looks so-so and lacks the sharper look of the later 30th Anniversary Edition. "Young Frankenstein" resembles the first DVD release of the film from Fox with the same extras. Reportedly "Young Frankenstein" was supposed to be remastered in anamorphic widescreen but the wrong master used or the wrong discs shipped with this set. For those that care it's not anamorphic. The film looks extremely good but if you already have these classic films, I'd suggest waiting for these to be released individually.
Fans of Brooks will be buying this for the previously unreleased films "Silent Movie", "Robin Hood:Men in Tights", "To Be or Not to Be" (which Brooks didn't direct but stars in) and "High Anxiety". All these films look pretty good here (although "The Twelve Chairs" is probably going to be of the least interest to fans that grew up on Brooks other classic films). "Robin Hood" comes with an featurette produced for HBO on the film. Most of the others come only with theatrical trailer(s). "To Be or Not To Be" comes with a short featurette and some profiles of Brooks, the late Anne Bancroft and Charles Durning. Clearly they weren't produced for the DVD but must be some sort of promotional bits for another format (you're guess is as good as mine)possibly for an Electtronic Press Book.
If you have problems with any of the discs you can contact Fox at their customer service phone number 1-888-223-2FOX.


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This 8 disc boxset includes Blazing Saddles, High Anxiety, History of the World Part I, Robinhood Men in Tights, Silent Movie, To Be or Not to Be, Twelve Chairs, Young Frankenstein.

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Winnie The Pooh Movie (Two-Disc Blu-ray / DVD Combo in DVD Packaging) Review

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(More customer reviews)Pooh is always in need of honey, but his own search for honey is put off when he hears that his friend Eeyore has lost his tail. Pooh and his other friends embark on a mission to find Eeyore a new tail, and as they work toward that goal, they discover that Christopher Robin is missing. His note says he has been taken by the fearsome Backson monster--either that, or he says he'll be "Back Soon". But no matter how many misunderstandings and missteps Pooh and crew make, they are always a delight to be around.

It's good to be a part of the Hundred Acre Wood again. This film is a return to form for Disney, and it works marvelously and is easily better than the last three theatrical releases--The Tigger Movie, Piglet's Big Movie and Pooh's Heffalump Movie--combined. They were three cute movies, but they were mostly forgettable. 2011's Winnie the Pooh is much more like 1977's The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh with its adorable stories about the blustery day and the honey tree. In this film, there is a narrator that Pooh talks to, the characters are aware that they're in a story, and there are many imaginative instances where the characters interact with the pages and the text that surround them.

The characters are as charming as ever. The new character designs are just a slight change from previous films, but the changes are very cool. Pooh and the others have a wider range of facial expressions now, which allows for some neat close-up animation angles as well as adding to the comedy of the film. Pooh's looks of confusion, Rabbit's glares of disbelief, and Owl's pompous eyebrow-raises are all employed to make the funny scenes even funnier.

The sheer number of funny moments in this movie is shocking. I was expecting to see another average, slightly-dull Pooh movie, but all the children (and all the adults) in the theater were in stitches from beginning to end. The sight gags, misunderstandings, and thwarted victories keep the laughs coming for all members of the audience. Many of the lines come directly from A.A. Milne's books, which is positively fantastic for fans of the original stories. The 8-year-old I watched the movie with was very excited to hear lines he recognized from the book, such as when Owl talks about "customary procedure" and Pooh asks, "What does Crustimony Proseedcake mean?" The classics are classics for a reason, and this movie draws its sweetness and hilarity from the best of sources.
The main flaw in Winnie the Pooh?' At just over an hour, the movie's too short. Even the 8, 6, and 4-year-olds I took to the movie were wanting more and felt sorry that the show was over. This could easily be a new classic, with its comforting pastels and earth tones, lovely music from Zooey Deschanel, countless laugh-out-loud moments, and it's message about putting your friends first. This super-cute show is safe for the smallest toddlers and enjoyable for the most sophisticated adults. I want to see it again.

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