Topic: BUCK PRIVATES (1941) Blu/DVD Combo, April 17

[BeAStooge]

Universal Studios will release a full restoration of A&C's first starring feature film BUCK PRIVATES (1941) in a Blu-Ray/DVD combo set on April 17.  Shemp Howard appears in the film.

ClassicFlix news item

Bonus features include a few featurettes on the studio's 100th anniversary, plus a 40-page booklet.  (A little unclear if the 40-page booklet will be BUCK PRIVATES related, focus on the studio's anniversary, or both.)

[falsealarms]

This a surprise. I have this on DVD from the big box set, but it's going to look even better on Blu-Ray. The bonuses are intriguing (especially the ones about restoring the classics, the unforgettable characters, and the Laemmle era). The booklet is a nice add as well.

Put it together and we have what looks like a pretty nice package.

[falsealarms]

Nice box art:

[falsealarms]

blu-ray.com reviews this release @ http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Buck-Privates-Blu-ray/36918/#Review (plenty of screenshots there as well).

This one doesn't merit an upgrade from the existing DVD release, especially at the over-inflated MSRP if 39.95. The DVD looked very good and this Blu-Ray release doesn't seem like a major improvement (unlike some other classics later put on Blu-Ray). The Bob Furmanek/Ron Palumbo commentary track from the DVD release is also absent here.

Buck Privates is a relic of a bygone age, with a decidedly different comedy ethos than a lot of what's on display nowadays. Avid fans of Abbott and Costello are only slightly less rabid than those of The Three Stooges, and for those folks, this new high definition presentation of the pair's first starring entry will no doubt be like manna from heaven. Other, more cynical, types may question the film's burgeoning militarism (something inescapable given its context and premise) as well as a couple of questionable bouts with political incorrectness. But for those who grew up with Abbott and Costello, either in the theaters or on television, Buck Privates remains one of their simplest, least forced entries...

[locoboymakesgood]

I guess I'll be passing on this. DVD Talk wasn't kind to it, either.

[falsealarms]

I guess I'll be passing on this. DVD Talk wasn't kind to it, either.

That worthwhile review is here: http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/54210/buck-privates/?___rd=1

Very well written.

[xraffle]

It doesn't surprise me. Like I always said, classic movies will not look as good in HD as current movies.

[Alberich]

It doesn't surprise me. Like I always said, classic movies will not look as good in HD as current movies.

Incorrect.  Classic films have the potential to look as good in HD transfers as do current films, as 35mm film has a higher resolution (the resolution is limited only by the granularity of the print) than digital high definition tape.

[falsealarms]

The problem isn't that classics don't look great on Blu - in fact, many look fantastic on Blu-Ray. The problem here was an excessive MSRP ($40 for one movie?) and the loss of a highly acclaimed commentary track from the DVD. This Blu-Ray is a very poor value. They should have scraped the digibook packaging, left the commentary in, and set MSRP for 19.95.

[xraffle]

Incorrect.  Classic films have the potential to look as good in HD transfers as do current films, as 35mm film has a higher resolution (the resolution is limited only by the granularity of the print) than digital high definition tape.

Ok, believe what you want. All I know is that I have yet to see a classic film look as good as Iron Man, Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc. Yes, classic films will look BETTER on Blu-ray, but will not be as good as the current movies such as the ones I just mentioned. And I own "The Wizard of Oz" and "Dr. Strangelove" on Blu-ray, so I know how good classic movies look.