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A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Great Race -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Robert Harris

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Blake Edwards' 1965 The Great Race makes it Blu-ray arrival via the Warner Bros. Archive Collection, and I've a feeling that if the brilliant Mr. Edwards were still with us, he'd be thrilled with what he'd see and hear on this release.

Beginning with the original Overture (I still prefer the word "Overture" to fade in and then out, leaving a dark screen), The Great Race is a magnificent Blu-ray.  I recall thinking, when I first saw the film in 35mm dye transfer, that it was very highly resolved.  The image comes through on Warner's Blu-ray as color, densities, shadow detail, black (and white) levels, along with specular glints coming from Mr. Curtis' teeth are all perfect.

Process shots, which can be an Achilles heel, work beautifully and transparently to the surrounding production shots.

Audio, in DTS-HD MA 5.1, is likewise, perfect.

One of the most beautiful Blu-rays of a catalog title I've seen in quite awhile.

This was not an inexpensive Blu-ray to produce, and at under $19 at Amazon, a total winner.

Image - 5*

Audio - 5

Very Highly Recommended.

RAH

 

David_B_K

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I kinda wish they would show curtains for the overture and have them open at the end. They could close at intermission if there is one.
 

Alan Tully

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Oh yes! In any top five, wanted on Blu-ray list of mine, The Great Race has always been among them. So it's great reading Robert Harris' opinion, but I can't say I'm surprised. In a short time Warner Archive Blu's have gained a reputation for being the best, & I'm sure a lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes to achieve that.My release of the year.
 

Robert Harris

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Billy Batson said:
Oh yes! In any top five, wanted on Blu-ray list of mine, The Great Race has always been among them. So it's great reading Robert Harris' opinion, but I can't say I'm surprised. In a short time Warner Archive Blu's have gained a reputation for being the best, & I'm sure a lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes to achieve that.My release of the year.
The amount of effort and expense is up there...RAH
 

Charles Smith

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This one's special -- not only for being great in its own right, but for being the source of very happy family movie-going memories in the same general time frame and same vein as IAMMMMW. Wonderful stuff.
 

Paul Hillenbrand

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Wonderful to hear about the quality of this Blu-ray! First saw The Great Race with my fellow resident-students which happened to be released theatrically in 1965 at the time that was the end of my freshman year of high school. A perfect ending celebration experience for the group that I spent my first school year with and which left fond memories of the end of my freshman year!
 

Matt Hough

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Oh, I could not be more thrilled or excited to read a write-up on a movie. It's one of my all-time favorite comedies, and I was hoping Warner Archives' perfect track record would hold with it. Seems like it's exceeded even my expectations.

Hooray! Can't wait for my copy to arrive!
 

lukejosephchung

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If Amazon keeps street date on this, I'll be getting this to watch on my birthday next Tuesday...so gratified to know that Mssrs. Feltenstein & Price have hit another home run for Warner Archives...thanks for the rave review, Robert! :cheers:
 

john a hunter

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David_B_K said:
I kinda wish they would show curtains for the overture and have them open at the end. They could close at intermission if there is one.
Until I used an Oppo,"pictorial" Overtures used to drive me up the wall.
Then I discovered the Oppo has a function where you can cut the picture and still run the sound.
You then click a button when the music finishes and then, presto, on with the show.
 
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DP 70

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Yes its the Pure Audio Button its a shame you do not have a button to fade the lights and open the curtains.
 

Robert Crawford

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Robert Harris said:
The amount of effort and expense is up there...RAH
I hope Warner is rewarded with some good sales. I was never a big fan of this film, but I will buy this BD because I want to support the studios that are releasing classic films onto BD and to encourage them to keep releasing such films.
 

Randy Korstick

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Happy to hear that this Blu Ray turned out so well as its one of my favorite films. Can't wait to get this.
 

David_B_K

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john a hunter said:
Until I used an Oppo,"pictorial" Overtures used to drive me up the wall.
Then I discovered the Oppo has a function where you can cut the picture and still run the sound.
You then click a button when the music finishes and then, presto, on with the show.
Hmm...Never knew about that button. I shall have to try that when I watch The Great Race on Blu-ray. Thanks.
 

john a hunter

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DP 70 said:
Yes its the Pure Audio Button its a shame you do not have a button to fade the lights and open the curtains.
The remote lighting system is being installed as we speak.
Decided against curtains as my Scope screen is only 8'wide.
Would look like a Punch and Judy show ( if any one is old enough to remember the comparison ! ) .
 

Mark-P

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David_B_K said:
Hmm...Never knew about that button. I shall have to try that when I watch The Great Race on Blu-ray. Thanks.
I think the implication in RAH's review was that the overture is already against a black screen, but I could be misreading him.
 

Jefferson

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The dvd edition of this had a huge, glaring error in the main titles. The wrong "reaction chorus" tracks were used as each star's name came onscreen. There are supposed to be cheers for Tony Curtis, whistles for Natalie Wood, and booing for Jack Lemmon. All of this was wrong on the dvd 5.1 track. The cheers came for Jack, the villain, the whistles came for Tony and Natalie got the cheers. OK, but not correct. If you switch to the French soundtrack, you hear the correct placement of these effects. My concern is that this has not been fixed for the blu-ray. I will hold out a little bit of hope that it did get corrected, although, I am not certain if the powers at be even knew it was incorrect in the first place. Fingers crossed.
 

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