Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ That's Entertainment (redux) -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Mea Culpa.

Aeons ago, I knew this was coming, but had totally forgotten.

When a copy of Warner Archive's new Blu-ray of the extraordinary 1974 That's Entertainment arrived, I set it aside thinking "is this the same old Blu-ray, with a faster data throughput?"

I put it on in projection just to see if I could detect a higher rate, and then it hit me...

This is the special edition that's been in the works for aeons.

The one where they supposedly went back to all the original elements and totally rebuilt the film?

Guess what?

The wizards at Warner actually went back to all the surviving elements and new masters, and totally re-built That's Entertainment, making the film we should have, but could not see in 1974, when it was derived from a 35mm CRI - in some cases blown up to 70mm.

I can only describe this new edition as magical. I had put it on to check it out, and then spent two hours absolutely fascinated by how incredibly beautiful everything now is, inclusive of a little film called High Society, now seen from an 8-perf IP.

That's Entertainment is one of the most important releases of the year, so let me say it loud and clear --

Thanks Warner Archive! To quote a film from another studio - "You ain't seen nuthin' yet!"

Absolutely magical!

Image

Forensic - 9

NSD - 10

Audio – DTS-HD MA 5.1 - 10

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Worth your attention - 10

Slipcover rating - n/a

Very Highly Recommended

RAH



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[Nick*Z]

Cannot wait to have this one in my hot little hands. It's always been a 'magical' experience for me. Now, it will have the state-of-the-art presentation it so justly deserves!

 

[roxy1927]

Do they give you the complete musical numbers unlike the original in '74 where the big numbers were appallingly cut to shreds. I won't get started(alright I just did) but boy I was in complete disbelief as I had been having just seen Lucy in Mame at Radio City.

 

[Matt Hough]

Do they give you the complete musical numbers unlike the original in '74 where the big numbers were appallingly cut to shreds. I won't get started(alright I just did) but boy I was in complete disbelief as I had been having just seen Lucy in Mame at Radio City.

I don't have my review copy yet (I was expecting it today, but it didn't arrive), but I don't think they're going to do any extending of what the original film was: just improvements in the visuals are what I'm expecting.

 

[Garysb]

Hopefully the improvement in the clip from "High Society" means the complete film will soon be a Warner Archive release. I was hoping to hear that clips from films not yet released by the archive have noticeable improvements, showing that the films they come from are being worked on for future releases.

 

[Garysb]

Do they give you the complete musical numbers unlike the original in '74 where the big numbers were appallingly cut to shreds. I won't get started(alright I just did) but boy I was in complete disbelief as I had been having just seen Lucy in Mame at Radio City.

You were probably more familiar with the films included in "That Entertainment" than I was when I first saw the film in 1974. Other than obvious clips like the opening "Singin' In The Rain" or the quick clips summarizing a star's career, I was unaware of the editing for the most part on the longer clips, like the finale from "An American In Paris", at that time, and thought later that they did a good job on the editing. I am sure seeing it at the Ziegfeld with a full theater helped but you may have also seen it there. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and there is no right or wrong about this topic.

 

[roxy1927]

Yes I did see it at the Ziegfeld. And I was like they didn't respect the audience enough to allow them to enjoy the whole number. And I had never even seen Good News but I knew something was off. It wasn't balanced.
Well we now have the complete numbers on bluray but at the time if you wanted to see them in glorious Technicolor you only got the jerky slice and diced version.
This was an opportunity to right that wrong, which I hoped they were going to do, and in the context of some of the wonderful things in the movie it would have been the right thing to do and a pleasure.
I wasn't the only person to notice. An old couple behind me after the American in Paris ballet said out loud, 'But that wasn't the whole ballet!'

 

[alistairKerr]

The previous bluray release was a disaster. Many of the black and white excerpts were excessively grainy - it made that release unwatchable for me - I repurchased the DVD as it was less problematic than the bluray. So I am so looking forward to seeing the film again with new eyes when this arrives in the mail.

 

[Garysb]

I imagine time was a factor in their decision to edit the clips. They most likely wanted to get as many clips as possible within a reasonable running time. They would not have known a sequel was coming two years later. I assumed there were some completely cut numbers as at least two songs were in the Overture that were not in the film, "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" and "San Francisco." Of course that is just speculation. I know in Part 2 "Lonesome Polecat" from "Seven Brides was removed from the film when the film went into wide release after playing the big cities and one of the Judy Garland "Annie Get Your Gun" numbers was added back to Part 3 when the movie went to home video. Between "I'm an Indian. Too" and "Doing What Come Naturally "I don't remember which was originally not in the theatrical release but I will speculate it was "Doing What Comes Naturally". The extras on the Part 3 blu ray had at least one complete number that was edited in the film itself ,"Mr. Monotony " Unless I am getting that confused with the "Easter Parade" blu ray. I am just going by memory and have not checked recently. Some complete numbers like that, would be a extra nice on the new blu ray, but apparently it has not been done.

Amazon is showing my disk is arriving on Friday. Not too much of a delay from release day especially as there should be no mail on Thanksgiving.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Do they give you the complete musical numbers unlike the original in '74 where the big numbers were appallingly cut to shreds. I won't get started(alright I just did) but boy I was in complete disbelief as I had been having just seen Lucy in Mame at Radio City.

This may not be the movie for you.

 

[roxy1927]

Well I already saw it in '74 so I found it out and if they did not put in the complete numbers and there is no reason why they shouldn't have I won't be getting it. And I don't know how people who love movie musicals who know these productions numbers can watch them with these internal cuts. They don't deserve it. It's what they call in opera bleeding chunks.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

there is no reason why they shouldn't have

It's a documentary and still has to function as a movie.

 

[TonyD]

Well I already saw it in '74 so I found it out and if they did not put in the complete numbers and there is no reason why they shouldn't have I won't be getting it. And I don't know how people who love movie musicals who know these productions numbers can watch them with these internal cuts. They don't deserve it. It's what they call in opera bleeding chunks.

Isn't this the what the movie has always been?
I'm not sure what the complaint is on a movie that was always intended to be a "clip show" and was never a "complete numbers" as you say movie.

You might need to come to terms with this as it's never going to be the movie you wanted

 

[Robert Harris]

Isn't this the what the movie has always been?
I'm not sure what the complaint is on a movie that was always intended to be a "clip show" and was never a "complete numbers" as you say movie.

You might need to come to terms with this as it's never going to be the movie you wanted

That’s Entertainment was created in 1974 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the greatest studio that produced musicals.

It never was, nor is it now, a master’s class on uncut musical numbers. It was a reminiscence by those who were there.

For a semester long course, prints, DCPs and discs of the complete folds are generally available, from which a professor / lecturer(s) can create a wonder syllabus.

That is not the purpose of this film.

Think of it more in the style of Made in England - the purpose of which is to both celebrate the work of Powell & Pressburger, and to illicit interest toward the study of their work.

 

[TonyD]

I ageee with all of that, Roxy is the person who wanted the full numbers.

 

[roxy1927]

Still I remember and I still insist it should have been fixed. I last saw this movie in '74. And without have seen either Good New or Hit the Deck I knew that the numbers were cut. The rhythm was totally off. I off course knew the AIP ballet and I was upset and I do not understand why people who love these movies are not upset.
It is unacceptable to have internal cuts.
It is no longer 1974 and it is inexcusable.
What a lost opportunity because I know there is a lot of wonderful stuff in this movie.
You all do not care and there is nothing I can do about it.
Quite a celebration.
Well enough with my moaning I at least have these complete numbers on bluray so I have them at my fingertips. One of the good things about being alive today for cinema lovers. In '74 there was no choice.
My relatives who are no longer alive were going to see these movies first run in the Times Square and Rockefeller Center theaters. That must have been something. But they didn't feel it was special it was as normal as it is today as watching Netflix. If something was sold out you just went to another theater where whatever was there you went to see because seats were available.

 

[TonyD]

Still I remember and I still insist it should have been fixed

It isn't broken so it doesn't need to be fixed

 

[GlennC]

I always wished they would do another edition of the film with all the full musical numbers. If it runs for four hours then it doesn’t matter.

Alternatively; have the full numbers as extras.

 

[mskaye]

Do they give you the complete musical numbers unlike the original in '74 where the big numbers were appallingly cut to shreds. I won't get started(alright I just did) but boy I was in complete disbelief as I had been having just seen Lucy in Mame at Radio City.

I always wished they would do another edition of the film with all the full musical numbers. If it runs for four hours then it doesn’t matter.

Alternatively; have the full numbers as extras.

Do you have any idea how impractical and how logistically and financially impossible that request is?

 

[cda1143]

…Think of it more in the style of Made in England - the purpose of which is to both celebrate the work of Powell & Pressburger, and to illicit interest toward the study of their work.

In that case, I know what to watch while eagerly awaiting That’s Entertainment. Moviezyng already shipped it, but unfortunately they use USPS.