|
|
|
|
|
News
Reports
Recent
Archives
|
|
|
A Star Is Born Deluxe Edition Blu-ray Announced
|
Share
|
Posted February 28, 2010 05:11 AM by Juan Calonge
|
|
|
|
  Warner Home Video has announced A Star is Born, directed by George Cukor and starring Judy Garland, for release on a two-disc Blu-ray Deluxe Special Edition on June 22, including a 40-page booklet with rare photos, press materials and an essay by film historian John Fricke. As previously reported (see blu-ray.com, May 23, 2008), this was the first film to be completely mastered at 6K — from scanning to restoring to mastering.
Special features include:
- Introduction
- Ten additional and alternate takes
- Film effects reel
- Vintage featurettes:
- A Report by Jack L. Warner
- Huge Premiere Hails A Star Is Born Newsreel Montage
- A Star Is Born Premiere in Cinemascope
- Pantages Premiere TV Special
- 1956 WB cartoon: A Star is Bored
- Trailers:
- A Star Is Born (1937)
- A Star Is Born (1954)
- A Star Is Born (1976)
- Audio Vault (audio only):
- Two outtakes
- Dec. 28, 1942 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast with Judy Garland and Walter Pidgeon)
- Judy Garland Radio Interview
- Born in a Trunk
- Someone At Last – Rehearsal
- Someone At Last
- My Melancholy Baby
- Black Bottom
- Swanee
Famously reconstructed in the early eighties under the leadership of late film historian Ronald Haver, MPI has meticulously preserved and restored Haver's 176-minute version of A Star Is Born to its original luster, bringing back the brilliant, saturated colors and crisp picture. Using cutting edge digital restoration tools, MPI removed heavy chemical staining that affected several portions of the film and utilized an ultra-resolution recombine process to correct the heavily damaged sections. Without this painstaking preservation, the fragile negative stock in which the film was created would surely be near extinction.
"Our colleagues at MPI have not only done a phenomenal job in restoring the impeccable visual style of this great motion picture, but through their work, they have also ensured the survival of this cinematic treasure," said George Feltenstein, senior vice president, theatrical catalog marketing, Warner Home Video. "The unparalleled superiority of Blu-ray combined with one of the best musical dramas ever made, come together to create an unforgettable home entertainment experience that is now preserved for the ages."
A timeless story, sophisticated in the way it conveys its controversial themes, particularly considering the period of time in which it was made, A Star Is Born brought together a cadre of extraordinary talent to portray this evocative contemplation of show business. The film became such a major part of American cinematic heritage that the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
About the film
George Cukor directed this classic musical drama about the doomed marriage of an entertainer whose career is on the rise (Judy Garland) and her husband whose career is in decline (James Mason). A Star Is Born marked Judy Garland's return to movies after a four-year absence, director George Cukor's first musical and first color film, and a showcase for great Harold Arden and Ira Gershwin songs in state-of-the-art stereo. One of the most beloved show business stories of all time, the film represents a career peak for many involved. Garland is singer Esther Blodgett, an undeniable talent on the rise. She catches the eye of Norman Maine (James Mason), an alcoholic actor in career decline. Their intense love transforms them both. Only one will survive Hollywood's slings and arrows. The film sports an impressive supporting cast including Jack Carson, Charles Bickford and a host of Hollywood luminaries.
Songs include "The Man That Got Away," "Lose That Long Face" and Garland's tour de force performance of "Born in a Trunk."
About the 1983 reconstruction
A Star Is Born triumphed anew in 1983 after archivist/historian Ronald Haver spent months ransacking studio vaults to spearhead a reclamation of George Cukor's original edit, ultimately funded by Warner Bros. He located the entire 181-minute soundtrack, along with footage for three lost musical numbers and portions of the deleted dialogue scenes. Where no film existed, Haver used stills-over-track for transition and only slightly trimmed the audio when photographic coverage for some sequences was deemed inadequate. Haver's A Star Is Born debuted at the sold-out New York Radio City Music Hall on July 7, 1983, with James Mason, Sid Luft, and Garland's daughters Lorna Luft and Liza Minnelli in attendance. Cukor, who had died six months before, was extolled from the stage by Fay Kanin, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which had encouraged Haver on his search and co-sponsored the screening. It is Haver's assemblage of the picture that is presented in Warner Home Video's June 2010 release on Blu-ray.
|
|
Source: TCM Movie News |
Permalink
|
Relevant for:
|
|
Shanester
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
 
|
More Hollywood classics on Blu is always great news!  |
|
The Chosen One
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
Amazing movie. A great story, well acted with some suprises along the way. A must for any moviefan. |
|
Arkadin
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
this is going to be INCREDIBLE!
thanks again best bd studio Warner Brothers.
ball's still in your court Universal, Paramount, and Sony.
ya'll can start announcing 6k restored films any year now. |
|
Mann9
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
I was very fortunate to be at Radio City that night, a mere two rows in behind of Liza. Did impress my date for sure.
I have been anticipating this release since its first mention. Bring us more of these classics WB! |
|
Paulo Elias
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
I tend to regard myself as a reasonably well educated film buff, but until today I sincerely don't know what to make of A Star is Born. It is now a historical fact that Miss Garland had health problems related to drugs, and that she was once regarded as a high risk contract by Hollywood studios. Historically too, Hollywood mistreated actors and actresses who made huge profits for its studios, and perhaps this film may very well be Hollywood looking into itself, and showing to the audiences about how they ruined the lives of many of its artists.
Be as it may, the fact that Warner has been meticulously restoring flim classics, and turning them back to the public, in this case in an already proven hi-def medium, is showing an unique, unequivocal, film preservation effort that deserves our most sincere accolades.
If memory serves, Warner's restoration facility had already undertaken ASIB for experimenting 6K scanning, when North by Northwest was released, with a more daring resolution yet, and therefore we have now a pretty good idea of the results they got.
In my humble opinion, it is not the resolution per se that counts, but also the nature of the original film elements. Until now, the best looking Blu-Ray disc containing a restored negative is that of How the West Was Won, in this case 2K for three-stripe Cinerama.
If A Star is Born is in the same league as HTWWW, I for one who will be very pleased, regardless of my personal likings of the film. |
|
Pochita
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
6K Damn!!!! Now this is gonna be a true Blu Ray Disc..I have never seen this movie but i will definately buy it. Kudos WB |
|
NYorker
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
A side question: what's the difference between 4k, 6K & 8K? |
|
that1guypictures
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
I was really hoping that they had found the missing footage for this film. I love and respect what Haver did, but there is about a 5-7 minute piece made of home video footage and photographs. While it is interesting to see these photographs, it is no substitute for actual footage. I remember reading Haver's book about the restoration of the film back in the 80's. It is quite an interesting read for film fans...glad to see it is finally coming out. I am impressed with what he did back in the 80's when the technology for restoring films was not yet developed. It's too bad he passed away and wasn't able to supervise this restoration. Maybe they could have used some more modern technology to "dress up" the still images used in those several minutes of footage.
One piece of info missing from Blu-ray.com's news article and it's kind of important...the release date.
June 22, 2010. (At least you can find it when you click the link to TCM or you click on the movie title itself...but it would be good info to have in the main article.
For those expecting a disc of the caliber of HTWWW, Gone with the Wind or Wizard of Oz, be prepared for Star Is Born not measuring up to those expectations on an eye candy level. Although, I know for sure the restoration and transfer will be top notch, it must be remembered that Star is Born is a drama, shot mostly indoors on a sound stage with fairly dark and dreary lighting. Certain musical sequences should look astounding though. It was shot in WarnerColor, not technicolor, and WarnerColor was a new technology at the time, which was not without its problems. |
|
Jimmy W
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
Can't wait! The SD DVD was beautiful so the Blu-ray should be a real knock-out! Keep those classics a-comin' ! |
|
dmarvin
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
Blind buy. Love musicals. Love Garland. |
|
dougotte
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
I had never seen this movie until a month or so ago on HDNet Movies. I'm not usually a fan of musicals, but I loved this one. Garland's performance was outstanding, and the musical numbers are very enjoyable. I'll be getting this on BD. |
|
Russell_L
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
Warner is the king of classic Hollywood films on Blu! |
|
bluskies
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
Day One for me! Thank you, WB! |
|
nathanp
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
Good to hear, never seen it and now I finally will. |
|
Trogdor2010
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
Spending about over a year for this movie sounds as Warner is giving the goods for this. I knew a friend who was a huge fan of Judy Garland, he was at a bar where he was given a chance to sing with Judy Garland, unfortunately he passed it up. You don't get a chance everyday to sing with one of Hollywood's most iconic actresses. |
|
blindcat87
-
Feb 28, 2010
|
|
I've never owned this classic before. This will be a great way to add it to the musicals section of my collection! Keep it up with the classics WB! |
|
bluskiff
-
Mar 01, 2010
|
|
I hope the price isn't as high as the gone with the wind box set. I love old hollywood on bluray It is like looking back in time. |
|
mntwister
-
Mar 01, 2010
|
|
What they have been showing on HDnet Movies over the past 5-6 years has looked stunning and gorgeous in HD, and to think that was an OLDER transfer not this new one. I can't wait! Glad to hear it is the reconstructed version, sad to hear they have not located the rest of it. This is very exciting. Warner is really stepping up with classics and my hats off to them for doing this for Blu-ray consumers who love classics.
Now I wish Universal, Paramount and Sony would step up to the plate and release some of their catalog. We finally got a Spartacus announcement from Universal, but that is the only one, nothing else in their pre-1970 catalog has been released and they have all the Hitchcock and films like Thoroughly Modern Millie (which at the time became their biggest moneymaker). Same with Paramount. Where's Ten Commandments and some of their epics? Sony could do much better too with Lawrence of Arabia (promised since the Blu-ray format was introduced), Oliver (Best Picture winner), Funny Girl (Best Actress Oscar), River Kwai, ect.
Fox is doing ok, I would rate them up there with Disney, considering we get The Sound of Music (45th anniversary), Agony and the Ecstacy, Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines and Oklahoma 55th anniversary this year (and hopefully more to be announced in 2010). Disney has been great with their catalog, though Disney should release a few of their non-animated classics like Mary Poppins.
Can't wait for A Star is Born! Day one purchase for me! I am just as excited to hear the film in lossless DTS MA as I am with seeing the newly transferred picture! The only thing that makes me sad when I read about or watch this film is knowing that Judy Garland did not win the Oscar for Best Actress that year. Such a travesty! |
|
mntwister
-
Mar 01, 2010
|
|
Paulo Elias said "In my humble opinion, it is not the resolution per se that counts, but also the nature of the original film elements. Until now, the best looking Blu-Ray disc containing a restored negative is that of How the West Was Won, in this case 2K for three-stripe Cinerama"
I would have to agree on that great restoration but I think that South Pacific, in my opinion, is the best restored negative. Both are examples of what I wish all classics on Blu-ray would look like. Of course what survives in the vaults varies. I am keeping my fingers crossed that The Sound of Music looks as good as South Pacific. The problem with Sound of Music is that the negative was run so many times over the years to create prints, so much more than South Pacific that I hear it is not in nearly as good shape. But nothing that can't be digitally corrected. |
|
Paulo Elias
-
Mar 03, 2010
|
|
I think that Oklahoma is still in worse conditions than Sound of Music, at least the last anamorphic DVD edition was a disaster on all accounts, except for sound. |
|
Add comment
Please login to post a comment.
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
The Dark Knight
$8.99, Save 64%
|
|
2.
|
The Die Hard Collection
$32.99, Save 59%
|
|
3.
|
Spartacus: Blood and Sand, The Complete First Season
$34.99, Save 56%
|
|
4.
|
3:10 to Yuma
$7.99, Save 60%
|
|
5.
|
Batman Begins
$15.49, Save 47%
|
|
6.
|
The Office: Season Six
$37.99, Save 46%
|
|
7.
|
Killers
$18.99, Save 53%
|
|
8.
|
The Bourne Trilogy
$38.49, Save 45%
|
|
9.
|
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Skynet Edition)
$9.99, Save 50%
|
|
10.
|
Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue
$21.99, Save 45%
|
» See more deals
|
|
