are the music man and west side story on dvd worth purchesing (1 Viewer)

[Ryan L B]

I know west side story is bare bones but how is the quality of the print and the sound, same for music man.

 

[Mitchell Kaufman]

I'm not wild about the sound on West Side Story. The industry was producing some spectacular soundtracks in this era, and this has got a pinched, digital quality to it that I don't believe can accurately represent the real thing.

The PQ, OTOH, is excellent. A bit of EE, but nothing to get bent out of shape about. The color runs the gamut from exceedingly vivid (particularly in the nighttime scenes--take a look at "Hey, Officer Krupke") to a bit faded (the playground scene at the beginning of the film). It was photographed much like a b&w film, with a lot of modeling with light and shadow; this makes it look all the more impressive on video.

The Music Man has way too much EE, and has been over-enhanced to death. Pity, because the look of the source material is pretty darned good. The sound is O.K., but I have many of the same reservations as I do about WSS. If you want the film, it looks fine if you're not overly sensitive to these kinds of things (unfortunately I am), but they could've done so much better.

MK

 

[Randy B A]

I think I read that a SE of WSS is in the works.

 

[Greg_M]

Two of the better transfer of musical films to DVD. Both titles look pretty damn good considering they are 40 years old. Definetly worth a purchase.

"The Music Man" features a new documentary with Shirley Jones and Buddy Hackett.

"West Side story" is pretty bare but it is the best I've seen outside a movie theater. I believe the SE isn't happening due to a law suit over the documentary featuring Jerome Robbins.

 

[Peter Kline]

WSS has never had a decent music soundtrack. Even the original 70mm release was somewhat poor sounding for its time. The "pinched" sound has nothing to do with digital. Why the sound elements are the way they are is something of a mystery. MM has some edge enhancement but that is no reason not to purchase the DVD.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

I'll check these transfers out on my friend's Sharp 9000 DLP projector (90" screen) and let you know how they look BIG.

-dave

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Both transfers are excellent. If you are sensitive to EE, you may have to move your couch back from your television for Music Man, but that's about all that is wrong with it.

Regards,

 

[GerardoHP]

I must disagree with those who find the PQ of TMM good. In addition to EE, the source print has a bleached look with colors looking washed out and weak, which is a shame, because this film has played on TCM in much better shape.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Wow, I've never heard anyone describe the MM DVD colors as washed out and weak. I have not seen it in a while, but I remember it as being very vibrant if not perfect and better than any prior letterbox version I have seen, particularly when viewed in 16:9.
The only complaint beside the EE that I recall vividly was the incredibly loud version of 76 Trombones that played over the menu.
Regards,

 

[Greg_M]

RE: "The Music Man"

When compared to the original letterboxed laserdisc (there were two releases) The laserdisc was pretty dark and had some dirt. The DVD is cleaner, clearer and brighter which may explain why the colors look a little washed out.

 

[Brian W.]

I think West Side Story is a beautiful transfer, almost grain-free, with very good color.

 

[Peter Kline]

When the DVD of WSS came out, one reviewer complained that the picture "broke up" during the scene where Tony & Maria first meet each other at the gym dance! Ummmm. For those who are not familiar with the scene, the director put all kinds of floating "stars" in color over the image.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

West Side Story is due for a massive

restoration and is being planned for

a future DVD release.

That release, however, could be up to

two more years away.

Just keep this in mind when you consider

any current DVD purchase.

 

[Seth Paxton]

The picture on the current WSS story looked very good to me (LCD Sony W400Q).
However I still haven't bought it...because I'm lame. I have been meaning to though.

 

[Marty Neudel]

Ryan,

everybody seems to be in agreement that each of these titles is better than the other and worth getting/or not. Why not rent MM, and see which side you agree with?

Marty

 

[Ryan L B]

i saw mm on tcm on saturday and saw no ee. is it the laserdisc transfer.

 

[GerardoHP]

i saw mm on tcm on saturday and saw no ee. is it the laserdisc transfer.

That's because the version aired by TCM is completely different from the one on DVD: different cropping, different color, different everything. I wantched it side by side against my DVD and the differences were staggering. The DVD seems to be framed at about 2:1 or thereabouts, the TCM version was framed at 2.55:1 or so. The colors in the TCM version were bright and the DVD, as I have already said, have colors that look weak and washed out by comparison. The Turner version shows no edge enhancement, while the DVD does.

 

[SteveP]

Don't notice EE on the last Laserdisc release of MM, but I'll take another look.