Blu-ray Review HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: Enchanted (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

I ran out and got the Enchanted soundtrack as soon as I had seen it in the theater. The last time I remember doing that was after seeing Disney's Beauty and the Beast back in 1991 (another Alan Menken classic...and my all-time favorite).

I consider the DVD of Beauty and the Beast to be among the worst-looking I have. And I have a very small CRT HD TV which covers a lot of PQ sins...but seems to emphasize the bleeding reds and mosquito noise of B&tB.

I can't wait for the Blu-ray of that film to be released!

 

[RobertSiegel]

Mike, I agree, Amy did a stunning job with this. I was also surprised by why there was a 4.5 for the sound, since there weren't any complaints listed but only praise. Judged on its own, this one has an incredible lossless track. Scanned through the songs tonight since no one was home and pumped the volume, wow!!!

I also would hope Amy does more musicals...too bad more aren't filmed, there are so many musicals available to film.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Ain't that the sad truth.

I had hoped that Chicago winning Best Picture in 2002 would have brought on an onslaught of movie musicals.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing Sweeney Todd (which I missed in the theater and have never even seen a production of). I haven't even purchased the DVD yet. I'm contemplating an order of the BD which will be available in the UK next month.

 

[RobertSiegel]

Well, I agree with you. I think thanks to Chicago we got Phantom, Rent, Sweeney and The Producers (one of my favorites, which by the way I watch on blu-ray, imported from Japan-it's on the Sony/Columbia label there with an awesome PCM track).

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[Matt Hough]

And don't forget DREAMGIRLS which was one of my favorites and a stage musical I long ago said would make a great movie.

 

[RobertSiegel]

I also feel a musical ripe for filming and that might go well with today's audiences would be Miss Saigon. I also keep reading about Glen Close in Sunset Boulevard, but nothing seems to ever come if it. Webber himself has mentioned it several times. I also understand the musical "Nine" is being made for tv.

 

[Matt Hough]

I thought NINE was for theaters. With Antonio Bandaras, Penelope Cruz, and an international cast of stars directed by Rob Marshall, I'd be surprised if it was for TV.

 

[RobertSiegel]

I stand corrected, thanks for the info (directed by Rob Marshall too, who directed the great tv version of ANNIE and also worked on Jerry Herman's Hallmark TV special and great musical Mrs. Santa Clause with Angela Lansbury):

Nine (2009)

 

[Mike Frezon]

Robert: You've got me salivating now with that Japanese BD of The Producers. [nathanlane]Woowahwahwahwoowoowoooh![/nathanlane]

I am going to have to give that some considerable thought, too! Did you get yours from amazon.jp?

If you've never seen it, the documentary on the recording of the cast album of The Producers is really terrific.

 

[RobertSiegel]

Mike, I got mine from Amazon Japan. My total cost was 55.00. I wouldn't normally spend that much for a movie, but I really love this one and before I bought it could only imagine the great colors and picture and the beautifully recorded music in PCM, so I went for it. I now realize what a beautiful job they did recording this soundtrack, it's a 10 out of 10. I cranked the musical numbers and can't believe how good this movie sounds, picture is stunning as well. Great LFE bass track too, when they do Springtime for Hitler, the guns shook my room. Horns and violins and bass and everything else are stunningly clear and rich.

I ordered mine from Amazon Japan, it was about 35.00 and they charged an extra 20 for the postage, it was sent on a Saturday and got here Monday, I couldn't believe it. I am not sure why because It didn't offer any shipping options but the one, maybe I missed something and you can order it for cheaper shipping. Since I was so excited to find it, I didn't mind paying that anyway to get it here fast.

The other reason I ordered it is that Universal, who has the American rights, never released it on hd-dvd in 2 years, so I figure it will be at least that for a blu-ray from Universal.

The disc has all Japanese menus but you navigate the same as our discs, and all you have to do is select PCM (it says PCM in English) and then turn off the Japanese subtitles. It has all the extras of the dvd edition, sadly the deleted musical numbers look to be 480 and not 1080, but I only looked once quickly. It's unfortunate because my favorite song KING OF BROADWAY was cut right before release on demands from Universal to cut the running time, so when I show the movie, I always stop it and play that scene where it was supposed to be (right at the beginning after the song "opening night" and right before they first show Max's office when Matthew is knocking on the door)..then I return to viewing.

I always try to watch it at 11:00 if I am not busy (hint) (those who have seen the movie will get this joke).

 

[Matt Hough]

Let me correct my correction about NINE!

It's Javier Bardem, not Antonio Bandaras, in the lead in the film version. Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, and Sophia Loren are some other principals. Catherine Zeta-Jones was originally to be in it but has dropped out. Anthony Minghella was working on a script rewrite at his death, so I'm not sure where the project stands at the moment.

 

[RobertSiegel]

Mike, did you end up getting "The Producers" blu-ray from Japan?

Enchanted: 6th viewing last night, I like it more each time!

 

[Ron-P]

7th viewing for me last night, after I watched AvP-R. It does get better each time.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Nope. But I did watch my SD-DVD of it just the other night. I'm having trouble with the high cost for a double dip...even though I can imagine the improvement that would come with the BD.

I just watched Martian Child tonight. At the head of the disc was a trailer for Hairspray (a film I watched about a month or so ago for the first time). It blew me away to realize James Marsden was in Hairspray. I had, obviously, seen Enchanted in the theater a long time before I watched the disc of Hairspray. But I never made the connection. I'll have to watch a couple of segments of Hairspray and check it out.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Ron: My turn to announce that I watched Enchanted again. And I wasn't planning to...but I couldn't tear myself away. I started the film to show my mother-in-law, daughter and son-in-law--all of whom hadn't seen it before. They were all in town for my son's high school graduation. Anyway...once it started I couldn't pry myself away and I was stuck until the end when I had to go and post the RoundUp at midnight!

Robert: Still didn't order The Producers (from Japan)...but I did order the UK BD of Sweeney Todd and am in absolute heaven! (the blurb on the front cover describes it as "a bleedin' masterpiece!" I crack up every time I see that!) While it was a blind buy for me, it is terrific and I have to figure that the SQ and PQ are that much better than the SD version available in the US.

 

[RobertSiegel]

Mike, I have watched Enchanted 7 times now, I love the blu-ray. The movie sort of takes you in and reminds you of everything Disney over the years mixing in some of modern day. I thought it was brilliant and Menkin and Schwartz always provide a great score (I loved Schwartz's score for the tv musical from Disney "Geppetto."

I am excited about Sweeney Todd. I hear the disc is awesome, and hope they announce it here soon, which I think is going to happen very soon, so that's why I didn't order.

I still recommend The Producers (Nathan Lane version, Japanese import)...5 out of 5 picture and 5 out of 5 on the PCM. Can't tell you how fantastic this movie was recorded, especially the full orchestra and what a great mix. I am assuming Universal won't be releasing it here for quite some time, since they never released it in 2 years on hd-dvd, I would assume the same will be true for blu-ray here in the states and because of it's poor (which I don't understand) boxoffice here. Seriously, you can't go wrong and will probably watch it many many times and if you have a good sound system, it's probably the best recording that was ever transferred to video of an old-fashioned style musical with that type of orchestra and showtune-type musical arrangements, if you like the old-fashioned style musical numbers..very different from Sweeney lol.

Have I talked you into it yet? hehe...just kidding...it's just I feel it was way worth the cost and more. Thank God Columbia used PCM on it. I am actually on my 13th showing coming up this week I gave my dvd to my uncle.

I am eagerly awaiting the first musical release of a classic musical on blu-ray. There are many announcements but have you noticed not a single title like My Fair Lady, Sound of Music, Molly Brown, and so on.....I suppose they are waiting for more market penetration for the format before they feel there will be a big enough market to substantiate those releases. Robert Harris did comment on a thread on another site that The Music Man should be released in the next year and he says the transfer is fantastic, and then at Warner's 85th celebration, they talked about Gypsy, American in Paris and Gigi, I just hope at least a few of them are this year. I can't wait to listen to some of those with uncompressed tracks (provided Warner gets their act together and stops this dolby digital thing and uses lossless on all discs).

 

[Mike Frezon]

That's funny. I loved "Gepetto", too. I own the soundtrack CD but never got around to the DVD.

Bring on The Music Man on BD! That will be awesome!

I'm afraid that price on The Producers is just a little too stiff for me right now. You are tempting me like crazy, though...

 

[RobertSiegel]

I have the Geppetto cd too, love it. The dvd was not released except through the Disney DVD club (I'll never know why), but you can find it on ebay too and some used ones on Amazon but it was never released to stores except in VHS, not dvd. It has a great 5.1 soundtrack and is a very good video transfer.

My main desire is getting my hands on a beautiful blu-ray disc of The Sound of Music with DTS Master audio. (drooling). I am ready, Fox!!!!

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Well, picked this one up maybe a month or so ago. We like it (as a pleasant Disney style flick), but I'm not sure we love it. The family definitely loves Hairspray a good bit more -- well, except for my grade school age son I guess. Amy Adams was quite good overall, but I can't say she's comparable to Julie Andrews though when it comes to her voice. Of course, maybe I (and the family) do have a clear preference for the smoke-ier, deeper, more velvety voice of Andrews -- not sure I'd say Adams' voice is quite squeaky, but it's certainly leaning in that direction (at least in this flick anyhow).

Still, very worthwhile owning, especially for those w/ kids in the family (or simply love the best that Disney offers).

_Man_

 

[Ron-P]

Mike. Once you fire the movie up it's tough to turn away or turn it off, it's that good. Everything about it from the cast, to the songs to all the Disney classic throwbacks, it's just fantastic.