Blu-ray Review Singin in the Rain: 60th Anniversary Collector’s Edition Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Steve Tannehill]

I'd assume that it replicates the movie disc from this set, so you'd get the film, the commentary, the "New Generation" documentary, the "jukebox" and the trailer.  That could be wrong, but it'd make sense for the one disc release to simply be this package's Blu-ray Disc...

As suspected, the single disc edition has exactly that.

 

[Citizen87645]

There's at least two generations represented in the documentary - the current one with the likes of Matthew Morrison and Harry Shum from Glee and then Adam Shankman, Rob Marshall and a few others. Go back further, and I'm not sure if it would make the point any more clear.

I didn't get the sense they were trying to justify the release through the documentary, but merely celebrate it. The inclusion of "trendy" figures from Glee and the like may be off putting to some, but Glee and shows like So You Think You Can Dance have done a lot for renewing interest in song and dance. If they can be a voice that says, "Hey kids, check out this musical from the 1950s, it made me want to be a dancer." I think that's a powerful message. Lord knows they have more pull than us film nerds.

That said, I understand your point about the overall length. My wife got tired of hearing them saying essentially the same thing repeatedly.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I expected little from the new documentary but thought it was pretty good. From my review:

Overall, the program mixes those two moments well. While we get the expected gushy fan notes, I do like that we learn about the film’s modern influence, and we get to see a variety of homages from recent years. Although I wouldn’t call this an essential documentary, it works better than most of its ilk.

 

[David_B_K]

The Paula Abdul segment ended up very touching.  The rest was interesting, but they took to long to cover the subject.  What would have been better would have been to take the idea and bring the documentary across many generations and not just the latest.  It felt they were trying to give a reason why they redid the classic and released in Blu-ray and that reason is because it is still relevant today.  Well the movie has been relevant for many decades and generations.  This scares me that that this is the end of classic MGM musicals on Blu-ray.
But the good news is that the movie does look wonderful.

I would not read too much into the idea that the movie was released because it is "still relevant to today's generation". Those types of documentaries are always the same. If you've seen one "I decided to become a filmmaker after I saw Citizen Kane" type of documentary; you've seen them all. I have no plans to watch the new doc. I can't stand these types of features.

 

[Ethan Riley]

I don't need "today's stars" to tell me that Singin' in the Rain is relevant or that it's damn good film-making. I already knew that. I knew that before the cast of Glee were even born. I'll know it twenty years from now when none of them can get a job and they're all smoking crack in an alley somewhere. They'll be gone, and Singin' in the Rain will still be shown.
Did they say that in the documentary?

 

[Citizen87645]

I think it got cut.

 

[Rick Thompson]

I don't need "today's stars" to tell me that Singin' in the Rain is relevant or that it's damn good film-making. I already knew that. I knew that before the cast of Glee were even born. I'll know it twenty years from now when none of them can get a job and they're all smoking crack in an alley somewhere. They'll be gone, and Singin' in the Rain will still be shown.
Did they say that in the documentary?

Don't know about the rest of them -- Glee interests me not at all -- but Matthew Morrison has Broadway chops. He was Lt. Cable in the acclaimed Lincoln Center revival of South Pacific, and he was very good. I know; I saw him.

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by Rick Thompson /t/322289/singin-in-the-rain-60th-anniversary-collector-s-edition-blu-ray-review#post_3950779
Don't know about the rest of them -- Glee interests me not at all -- but Matthew Morrison has Broadway chops. He was Lt. Cable in the acclaimed Lincoln Center revival of South Pacific, and he was very good. I know; I saw him.

But all he talks about is how Glee was inspired by Singin' In The Rain. I usually love the documentaries added to classic titles, but this is one that let me down. About half of the talking heads in this documentary either stars on Glee or is or producer/Choreographer and then we have two from High School Musical. I did like the one older generation guys that talked about what would have become of Miss Lamont after she was exposed has a singing fraud.

 

[Citizen87645]

About half of the talking heads in this documentary either stars on Glee or is or producer/Choreographer and then we have two from High School Musical.

Actually, here's who was interviewed:

• 
  Matthew Morrison, cast of Glee
• 
  Harry Shum, cast of Glee
• 
  Charles Klapow, choreographer of High School Musical
• 
  Adam Shankman, director of Hairspray
• 
  Usher, recording artist
• 
  Paula Abdul, recording artist
• 
  Zach Woodlee, choreographer of Glee
• 
  John DeLuca, choreographer of Nine
• 
  Corbin Bleu, cast of High School Musical
• 
  Michael Rooney, choreographer of (500) Days of Summer
• 
  Rob Marshall, director/choreographer of Chicago
• 
  Rudy Behlmer, film historian
• 
  Baz Luhrmann, director of Moulin Rouge
• 
  Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, screenwriters of The Commitments
• 
  Sam Wasson, film historian

Of course I didn't count the minutes each one talked, but I would agree the popular faces probably got a bit more face time (and of course led off the interviews).

The bottom line is the audience for the documentary is not the same as this audience. For the intended audience (of which I am somewhat a part), I think it's effective. And I've said my piece about the importance of passing on this film to the next generation; that doesn't happen without the people who kids look up to telling them about it.

 

[TravisR]

The bottom line is the audience for the documentary is not the same as this audience. For the intended audience (of which I am somewhat a part), I think it's effective. And I've said my piece about the importance of passing on this film to the next generation; that doesn't happen without the people who kids look up to telling them about it.

Yep. You'd think that people who already love the movie would just be happy that others are trying to pass the movie on to a younger generation.

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by Cameron Yee /t/322289/singin-in-the-rain-60th-anniversary-collector-s-edition-blu-ray-review#post_3950836

Actually, here's who was interviewed:

• 
  Matthew Morrison, cast of Glee
• 
  Harry Shum, cast of Glee
• 
  Charles Klapow, choreographer of High School Musical
• 
  Adam Shankman, director of Hairspray
• 
  Usher, recording artist
• 
  Paula Abdul, recording artist
• 
  Zach Woodlee, choreographer of Glee
• 
  John DeLuca, choreographer of Nine
• 
  Corbin Bleu, cast of High School Musical
• 
  Michael Rooney, choreographer of (500) Days of Summer
• 
  Rob Marshall, director/choreographer of Chicago
• 
  Rudy Behlmer, film historian
• 
  Baz Luhrmann, director of Moulin Rouge
• 
  Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, screenwriters of The Commitments
• 
  Sam Wasson, film historian

Of course I didn't count the minutes each one talked, but I would agree the popular faces probably got a bit more face time (and of course led off the interviews).

The bottom line is the audience for the documentary is not the same as this audience. For the intended audience (of which I am somewhat a part), I think it's effective. And I've said my piece about the importance of passing on this film to the next generation; that doesn't happen without the people who kids look up to telling them about it.

I stand corrected on my remark about "half the talking heads were from Glee or Hairspray." It just seemed that they were more of them, but that might have been the face time each had. I just did not like the documentary and as I have said before, I usually enjoy them. It just did not work for me. I still praise the Paula Abdul segment as very warm. But Michael Rooney, who had many close encounters with Gene Kelly did not come off so warm. But Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais were hilarious. The Glee and Hairspray segments just seemed to me as, look what I did. Usher's segment looked as to be a real tribute and his recording and video of the Singin' in the Rain number, which I have seen many times, is one of his best.

I want the film to cross as many generations as it can and live forever as the entertaining movie that it is.

 

[MrsMac]

We watched our copy on Friday evening and we very pleased with the quality of picture and sound. We still have our older plain dvd, and will likely keep it -- but we have to play it through our DVR player and so the sound isn't as nice. This is one of our favorite musicals, and it's a total treat to have such eye and ear candy to enjoy.
As to the interviews/commentary ... we'd heard of Paula Abdul, but the rest -- not a clue. It was interesting, but we'll probably never watch it again. Still, agree with those who say if it pulls the younger generation in, then it's a good thing.

 

[Mark-P]

I just watched the new documentary. I was hoping they would talk a little bit about the restoration, but no such luck.
I was wondering about one thing though: most of the clips from the movie had a lot of debris (dirt, flecks and such) and I wondered if this was just an attempt to be stylish, as they also alternated between full aperture with curtains on the sides and cropped to 16X9. I wondered if the reason for the debris was that the clips were prepared after the image harvest but before the digital cleanup? It really doesn't matter one whit as the movie presentation itself is pristine, but I'm just curious, that's all.

 

[Tony Bensley]

I'm looking forward to receiving the 60th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition, which I was able to order on a recent Amazon "Deal of the Day" deep discount! Heck, for under $40, I don't even mind the Umbrella--Have had worse, actually!


Other than there being no original English monophonic soundtrack (Though the 5.1 surround sound reportedly retains its humble qualities, whatever that means!), this should be fantastic!


CHEERS!

 

[Tony Bensley]

I thought the 2012 documentary was fine. Of course, it probably helped that I was also a regular viewer of GLEE and have been viewing DANCING WITH THE STARS the last few seasons. I did also learn a few "new" tidbits, which is always nice.


Though I haven't really viewed the full Film on this set as yet, what I did hear through my headphones sounded very pleasing, with perhaps just the slightest hint of separation during the opening theme. Retained humble qualities does seem an apropos description. For anyone who might be still wondering at this late date, the DVD version that's included in the 60th Anniversary Box Set, doesn't include the original mono soundtrack, either.


Just for the record, my Limited Edition is numbered "30917 OF 75000".


CHEERS!

 

[Osato]

4k disc coming in 2022.

News via the digital bits…

 

[Robert Crawford]

4k disc coming in 2022.

News via the digital bits…

It was only a matter of time.

 

[Osato]

It was only a matter of time.

Day one but for me. It’s my wife’s favorite film.