A Few Words About A few words about...™ Funny Girl -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Charles Smith]

When it was released, I'd never seen the stage show or even listened to the cast album, but I remember being quite thrilled with the film. (Though I know where I saw it, and that it was within the first week or two, I'm sorry to say I have no memories of it being a roadshow presentation.) However, for whatever reason, I never got around to returning to it, and when I'd catch it now and then on television years later, it seemed good, but blah, and I never achieved any renewal of the original thrill. So, how wonderful that its time has come -- again -- with thanks, once again, to Mr. Grover Crisp, and to RAH as always for just the right few words.

 

[bryan4999]

My parents had the soundtrack LP which I heard long before seeing the film. I listened to it often and created a story in my head from what I was able to infer from the musical numbers. I was a bit disappointed when I finally saw it on television; the combination of the small screen, pan and scan, and commercial interruptions made it seem rather slow. My opinion changed when I saw it at a revival house in the early 1980's on a double-bill with Gypsy. I fell in love with the movie that night. I am so excited to get this blu-ray tomorrow as I feel it has never looked great on home video and from RAH's words it sounds like it has finally gotten its due.

 

[Charles Smith]

My copy is out for delivery, and, as I'm mostly sitting around "enjoying" a cold today, I know what tonight's pleasure is going to be.

 

[Everett S.]

I used to hand out keenex's at films end, due to the crying. It always got a big laugh. "The New Theatre" was just torn down in Balto. Md. Where it showed as
a RoadShow.

 

[Everett S.]

My parents had the soundtrack LP which I heard long before seeing the film. I listened to it often and created a story in my head from what I was able to infer from the musical numbers. I was a bit disappointed when I finally saw it on television; the combination of the small screen, pan and scan, and commercial interruptions made it seem rather slow. My opinion changed when I saw it at a revival house in the early 1980's on a double-bill with Gypsy. I fell in love with the movie that night. I am so excited to get this blu-ray tomorrow as I feel it has never looked great on home video and from RAH's words it sounds like it has finally gotten its due.

I really miss going to the revival houses in Washington D.C. One Wed. afternoon I saw a double bill of "Meet Me In St.Louis" & "The Wizard Of Oz". It was one of the best times I ever had! People crackin jokes about the Wiz. Next time you see it just think of the Lion as Gay. It was packed.

 

[Charles Smith]

Well, that was fabulous, and rewarding. Now I remember sitting in that theater.

I've always been a musical aficionado, but something I appreciate more than ever, these days, are the musical arrangements and orchestrations in the great musical adaptations of the '50s/'60s. I think the speakers enjoyed their little workout today.

And the colors, man. Popping off my screen like, oh, Hello, Dolly! or something. Incredible.

 

[Noel Aguirre]

Just received it and watching it:
WOW-what an amazing transfer and mastering! Contrast perfect. Every color perfect. Blacks inky.
And the sound is absolute perfection- full, deep and wide with a perfect high end too. Amazing depth and presence.
I hate to say it but better than the recent Hello Dolly in both look and sound.

 

[Kevin McD]

Well, I just finished watching the Blu-ray. I agree, the visuals are beautiful. Really a wonderful restoration. I wasn't as thrilled with the audio. I thought it was a nice audio presentation, but that it lacked power and depth. There were moments of new clarity in midtones of the orchestrations which were great to hear, but overall it felt a bit light and airy to me. The bass elements seemed to be missing...the oomph!

 

[lukejosephchung]

Well, I just finished watching the Blu-ray. I agree, the visuals are beautiful. Really a wonderful restoration. I wasn't as thrilled with the audio. I thought it was a nice audio presentation, but that it lacked power and depth. There were moments of new clarity in midtones of the orchestrations which were great to hear, but overall it felt a bit light and airy to me. The bass elements seemed to be missing...the oomph!

Remind yourself that you are hearing a 1968 old-school film musical...very few of them had the "ooomph" factor you desire here..."The Sound Of Music" wedding scene with the pipe organ instrumentation and the thunder in "My Favorite Things", for example...

 

[Kevin McD]

Remind yourself that you are hearing a 1968 old-school film musical...very few of them had the "ooomph" factor you desire here..."The Sound Of Music" wedding scene with the pipe organ instrumentation and the thunder in "My Favorite Things", for example...

I'm aware that it's a film from 1968, but "The Sound of Music", "Camelot", and recently "Hello Dolly", even "Gigi" seem to have a fuller audio range, and to my ear more "oomph". Maybe it's the lack of the dedicated .1. "Funny Girl is 5.0 audio and the others are 5.1 or 7.1 (SOM).

 

[Michel_Hafner]

Waiting for "Yentl"...

 

[Noel Aguirre]

Hello Dolly totally lacks ooph and and yet the film won the Oscar for sound. Funny Girl sounds absolutely pure. And no bloomin whites. Waiting now for Columbia's best- Oliver. If it looks anything like Funny Girl .....!

 

[Noel Aguirre]

The Tugboat blasted through my room.

 

[Cinescott]

This is too good to pass up. Thanks again, Mr. Crisp!

 

[Mark-P]

Finally got to preview my copy. It does look and sound spectacular.
One small footnote: The soundtrack does not have split surrounds. It's only mono surround, encoded as 5.0 but in actuality 4.0. You will only notice this if you have a 6.1 or 7.1 system and engage EX processing. In that case the rear channel will collapse into the rear center speaker(s).

 

[Eastmancolor]

I was hoping the new Blu-ray would look as good as the new 35mm IB Technicolor prints that Sony made in the 1990's. The new disc is even better. An absolutely gorgeous Blu-ray!

 

[RobertSiegel]

Perhaps it is a setting on my stereo, but for some reason I am getting all of the dialogue coming out of the left center and right channels, when I think it should be in the center. Has anyone noticed this? I put several other discs in and they played fine. I would think a film from Columbia of the era would probably not have panned voices, but the dialogue shouldn't be in the left and right channels should it? Please let me know if something is set wrong on my system somehow. Otherwise, beautiful! Imagine Dolly and Funny Girl all in the same 4 week period! I must say that Dolly truly beats out Funny Girl for quality in my humble opinion. Of course, Funny Girl was Todd-AO and as Mr. Harris points out, the negative was used quite alot.

I find the dialogue poorly recorded in some scenes. Anyone else?

 

[john a hunter]

Perhaps it is a setting on my stereo, but for some reason I am getting all of the dialogue coming out of the left center and right channels, when I think it should be in the center. Has anyone noticed this? I put several other discs in and they played fine. I would think a film from Columbia of the era would probably not have panned voices, but the dialogue shouldn't be in the left and right channels should it? Please let me know if something is set wrong on my system somehow. Otherwise, beautiful! Imagine Dolly and Funny Girl all in the same 4 week period! I must say that Dolly truly beats out Funny Girl for quality in my humble opinion. Of course, Funny Girl was Todd-AO and as Mr. Harris points out, the negative was used quite alot.

I find the dialogue poorly recorded in some scenes. Anyone else?

Funny Girl was 35mm Panavision anamorphic.It would have been breathtaking if shot in 65mm.

 

[OliverK]

Funny Girl was 35mm Panavision anamorphic.It would have been breathtaking if shot in 65mm.

I think he meant to say wasn't Todd-AO.

 

[Dick]

I used to hand out keenex's at films end, due to the crying. It always got a big laugh.

Streisand has always been superb at doing the dignified woman losing her man bit, choking back tears and using her facial expressions subtly in ways I've rarely seen in movies. She does is here, in THE WAY WERE WERE and in PRINCE OF TIDES, perhaps among others. Very Kleenex-inducing.