DVD Review HTF REVIEW: That's Entertainment - The Complete Collection (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). (1 Viewer)

[Roger Rollins]

quote:How are the songs handled in the documentaries? Are they just clips of songs or are they the full songs?

Most of the songs in all 3 of the films are "edited" in some fashion, but done so with intelligence and cleverness that helps the films keep their pacing (important), but in vrtually ever case, does not interfere with the integrity of the performance, and would only be noticed by people very familiar with the footage.



I'm sure it would be a great gift for anyone who likes musicals, and has often been a turning point for people who previously didn't find the genre appealing. These films are just terrific.

 

[Chris Cheese]

quote:Most of the songs in all 3 of the films are "edited" in some fashion, but done so with intelligence and cleverness that helps the films keep their pacing (important), but in vrtually ever case, does not interfere with the integrity of the performance, and would only be noticed by people very familiar with the footage.

So at the very least they show enough of the song that you can enjoy it as a song, right? Not 15 second clips of the songs or something?

 

[Roger Rollins]

Absolutely. They "tightened" the numbers to run 2-3 minutes a piece on average. Some, like Gene Kelly's SINGIN' IN THE RAIN are presented in their entirety. They're not "excerpts" the way you see on a typical A&E or AMC docuementary. The films really aren't documentaries, but 'docu-tainments' as Robert Osborne says in his intros.

 

[Herb Kane]

quote:'docu-tainments'

I just couldn't bring myself to use that word...

 

[Roger Rollins]

Yep, Herb. It's a little "corny", but I was quoting Robert Osborne, so I didn't feel responsible for coining the phrase

 

[Amy Mormino]

For musical fans and lovers of classic movies in general, check out the latest Robert Harris column in the Digital Bits. He does a great interview with Warners' George Feltenstein and it really makes you appreciate the amount of work put into this release and the challenges involved. Plus, there are some sneak peaks into future releases.

 

[Chris Cheese]

I have another question about this set, regarding the different aspect ratios on the opposite sides of the discs. I'm one of those who doesn't have a widescreen television, so I'm interested in this. Now is the standard side a pan and scan transfer of the film, or is it simply an opportunity for me to see the non-widescreen clips on my entire tv instead of surrounded by black bars on all four sides? And does it still show widescreen clips with the letterbox format or does it crop them for P&S? I've seen some conflicting info about this so I'm curious. Also, how does that side handle the non-film clips part of the show? Are those cropped or are they still letterbox?

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Chris,
The "standard" side presents the widescreen clips letterboxed and the 4:3 clips in full frame. There are a few instances where clips that was cropped from their original 4:3 academy ratio to a widescreen ratio for the theatrical releases of the That's Entertainment films (and appear as such on the 16:9 enhanced side) have been unmatted back to their original 4:3 ratio for the 4:3 "standard" presentation.

Regards,

 

[Chris Cheese]

Thanks for the info. So it's not a Pan and Scan transfer, but a way for both widescreen owners and standard TV owners to both see the film in its original presentation?



Are the parts of the films that aren't clips from musicals letterboxed widescreen as well?

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

quote:Thanks for the info. So it's not a Pan and Scan transfer, but a way for both widescreen owners and standard TV owners to both see the film in its original presentation?

Something like that. It minimizes the compromises for both sets of customers. The 16:9 version is exactly how it was presented in theaters. The 4:3 version unmakes a few of the compromises that were required and institutes a few new ones as required.

quote:Are the parts of the films that aren't clips from musicals letterboxed widescreen as well?

It varies by film. The newly-shot introductions for TE1 were shot and windowboxed in 4:3, even for the theatrical release. TE2& TE3 were different, though.



Regards,

 

[Chris Cheese]

Great, thanks a lot for taking the time to clear that up for me. I love that WB is taking the time to try to make the set as enjoyable as possible for every viewer. Just shows how classy they are.

 

[Roger Rollins]

I spent several hours with this set today (while not watching GWTW) and just wanted to put in another good word for what is, arguably, one of the very best DVD releases of recent years.



For those of you wanting to have something fantastic to enjoy with your families on Thanksgiving...this is certainly something to transfix audiences of all ages.



A magnificent achievement....

 

[Roger Rollins]

Just finished some Xmas shopping and got a bunch of these for a great price as Xmas gifts. Along with GWTW and Looney Tunes, this set is a perfect DVD for any Xmas recipient.

Share the love on Amazon makes it even a better deal!

 

[Patrick McCart]

I picked up the first film for $13 today (Wal-Mart)... I'm looking forward to watching it.

FYI, here's examples of the 16x9 side vs. the 4x3 side:










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