Young at Heart AR (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

Is it 1.66:1 as IMDB says? I just stumbled across an Artisan release that has that old "full-screen...modified to fit your TV" BS. Funny, my TV is 16:9.

This is a DVD I've never seen before. Love the film.

Anyone know if something better is coming down the pike? The best part of the deal is...it was just $8.99 at my local BJs Wholesale Club.

 

[Joe Caps]

Young at Heart in its ads said available for wide screen in the trade papers. At Warners that usually meant 1:85
DVD quality is okay but I don't think that is artisans fault.
The original elementws are still at Warner Brothers, at least they were as of 1994. warners still had the original negative and a mono magnetic track. Both would yield infinitely better picture and sound for a new dvd. can artisan get this stuff from warners?

 

[Mike Frezon]

I went ahead and picked this up (even with the uncertaintly about the AR...shame on me!). I just love this film and haven't seen it in years! Was delighted with the film...the DVD is quite lacking in its transfer. The cropping wasn't a terrible distraction...but I would buy a new OAR transfer in a heartbeat!

Joe: Big question of the night is what is up with the ending? As the camera pulls back and the closing credits start rolling over the music, a garish blue screen (think Microsoft's "blue screen of death"...or that color blue which used to always be under the FBI warnings at the front of VHS & early DVDs) with "THE END" in big block white letters while the music continued. I'd say it was an unfortunate act on the part of Artisan...but there IS film noise (white speckles, dust, etc) on the blue. Very weird! A BIG !

 

[Joe Caps]

The transfer looks like it was done from a film print. The film was originally distributed by warner Bros.
The Warner logo was taken out of the prints from the beginning and ending of the film.
at the beginning, where the Warners logo should be, we only get black screen. You hear Sinatra sing the song over black. Same with the end of the film.
Interestingly, the title song, Young at Heart is not a recording with the Warners Orchestra conducted by Ray Heindorf. The film uses the Capitol recording.
to me, this song was always the title song from the film. Yes and no. The song was already a hit when this film went into production and warners decided to use it in the film and to rename the movie Young at Heart.
The film also has a couple neat songs. My favorites are Theres a Rising Moon for every falling star and the finale song, You My Love.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I should have figured that was not just done for effect. D'oh! But that "The End" screen over the back end is so jarring. It's hard to believe anyone could have made that "creative" decision to do that.

Why wouldn't Warners retain the rights to the DVD distribution of this film? If it did, then I could look forward to one of their fabulous releases. Even if they did not undertake an intensive restoration...it would be nice to have any framing issues fixed and the open and close both restored.