Christmas Carol: 60th Anniversary Diamond Edition

 

 

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For the umpteenth time VCI has re-released A Christmas Carol in a,now called,Diamond Edition.They have even enlisted the talent of movie critic Leonard Maltin to introduce the film to give them more street cred and added some extras like silent versions of the film and a new 5.1 Dolby surround sound along with the original mono,and on and on.The print that many others have raved about DOES look excellent,to a point.I actually kind of re-discovered the film all over again,that is how good the picture looked.I even saw for the first time the legendary man in the mirror.If you aren't aware of the story,a stage hand is visible in mirror Sims looks into Christmas morning.
Here's the nitty-gritty.
Let's start by saying that the menu is not user friendly at all.There is no option to skip Maltin's intro,you have to push forward for that.If you go into the options menu there is a list for the commentary,the different sound options,etc.If you hit one,for example the commentary,there is no way to stop it but to come back there and hit something else like a sound option!
The film is shown in a boxed form.There are two black bars running horizontally top and bottom(like widescreen),then there are two vertical bars on either side of the picture,so the film is seen in its original a/r,not an entire full screen format(i.e. fitted to your TV screen).This is alright per se',but I will now list the defects that occur and leave the speculation as to what causes them(either poor film elements,the digital process or a manufacturers defect)to YOU.Throughout the film there are periodic white flashes along the side black bars,at one point on the far right side of the frame a distortion bar appears running vertically from top to bottom of the film,there are constant slight jumps in the film,the scene where Marley's ghost throws open Ebeneezers' door to enter,the door blurs as it opens and Ebeneezer blurs as he quickly steps-back,and finally comes the scene where two women and an undertaker are trying to sell off dead Scrooge's belongings.At one point as the second woman speaks her dialogue it cuts out completely,as her mouth continues to move,then cuts back in as her dialogue quickly catches back up to her mouth.A strange glitch.What is even stranger is that I thought I would watch the movie with the commentary on at that point,and from what I heard there is NO cut out of dialogue at that exact moment,during the commentary.Now,go figure that one out!
I can only ask VCI one thing,where is the quality control here? Does anyone there actually watch the finished product or is it just rush it out and cash in?And speaking of VCI,this is the second product of theirs in the last month I have reviewed and the other didn't fair well either because of VCI's cheap packaging which compromised the integrity of the discs inside.If you have seen Maltin's intro you will have noticed(coincidence?)two figurines to his left.They were Laurel and Hardy and the set of their films VCI released so terribly,is what I refer to.
So my final thoughts are these.VCI,after repeated releases,have finally released a half way decent print of this film but,as you have read,it is terribly fraught with glitches and defects throughout.My advice is to hold out and hope either 1)VCI gets their quality control act together and releases a much more professional and consumer friendly DVD product or 2)someone else comes along and beats them to the punch.Either way give this one a big pass.

VCI Entertainment present "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" (aka: Scrooge) ~ (96 min/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) - The definitive version - In Glorious Black and White --- Starring: Alastair Sim, Kathleen Harrison, Mervyn Johns, Hermione Baddeley, Michael Hordern, George Cole, Rona Anderson, John Charlesworth, Glyn Dearman, Clifford Mollison, Patrick Macnee, Jack Warner

Produced & Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst

The perfect story if you want to get your family together for a quiet evening of holiday viewing, over a half century later, "A Christmas Carol" is still working its little magic.

Brian Desmond Hurst directs a fine cast, headed by the incomparable Alastair Sim (a man who can play both malevolent and humorous) as the about-to-be-redeemed Ebenezer Scrooge -- Sim's reactions are priceless and he settles down well in the role --- Sim's performance transcends all description of greatness -- Hurst's direction evokes the ideal emotions at all the right moments --- The rest of the cast remain faithful to the Dickens' characterizations.

It is a version which has holly, plum pudding and carol singers written all over it -- One of the major contributing aspects to the impact of the film is the memorable score by Richard Addinsell, conjuring up (and alternating between) both fear and joy, darkness and light, grief and happiness, the music stands out as the best of any film adaptation of the story.

This Blu-ray edition has been digitally restored from a new 1080p, 24fps high definition transfer master produced from the 35mm negative and fine grain.

Looks great on a Big Screen Television/Monitor -- just like being in a movie theater.

Very reasonable and a good value for the price --- For product description and editorial review check this out on the Amazon site above my review.

BIOS
1. Charles Dickens (Author)
Date of Birth: 7 February 1812 - Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK
Date of Death: 9 June 1870 - Gad's Hill, Rochester, Kent, England, UK.

2. Brian Desmond Hurst (Producer & Director)
Date of Birth: 12 February 1900 - Castle Reagh, Ireland
Date of Death: 26 September 1986 - London, England, UK.

3. Alastair Sim
Date of Birth: 9 October 1900 - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Date of Death: 19 August 1976 - London, England, UK.

2. Kathleen Harrison
Date of Birth: 23 February 1892 - Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK
Date of Death: 7 December 1995

3. Mervyn Johns
Date of Birth: 18 February 1899 - Pembroke, Wales, UK
Date of Death: 6 September 1992 - Norwood, England, UK.

4. Hermione Baddeley
Date of Birth: 13 November 1906 - Broseley, Shropshire, England, UK
Date of Death: 19 August 1986 - Los Angeles, California

5. Michael Hordern
Date of Birth: 3 October 1911 - Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, UK
Date of Death: 2 May 1995 - Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK

6. George Cole
Date of Birth
22 April 1925, Tooting, London, England, UK
Date of Death: Still Living

7. Glyn Dearman
Date of Birth: 30 December 1939
Date of Death: 30 November 1997 - London, England, UK.

8. Richard Addinsell (Music Score Composer)
Date of Birth: 13 January 1904 - London, England, UK
Date of Death: 15 November 1977 - Chelsea, London, England, UK

ALL NEW SPECIAL BONUS FEATURES:
1.) - Commentary Tracks By Marcus Hearn and George Cole
2.) - INTRODUCTION BY LEONARD MALTIN
Many, Many more in this one of a kind collection.

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 5 Stars
Performance: 5 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 2 DVD Set ~ VCI Home Video. ~ (November 1, 2011)

Before the bluray came out, I had the 50th Anniversary "Emerald Edition" dvd with the UK version "Scrooge" as well as the US version, both restored from the best copies of the film then available, including some restored scenes that had been missing. There were only a few glitches in the movie, including a brief pause in one or two places.

The new bluray release is even better, taking advantage of the restored 35mm print, and adding subtitles (a lack in the dvd release) and a 5.1 track for those who prefer that to the original mono audio.

I didn't see any of the problems Badgley described, and I wonder what player he was using for playback. I use a Samsung bluray player that is a few years old now but doing well. The price is excellent too. I got it for 11.20 US+4.98 shipping, or 16.18 US. You can't go wrong.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Christmas Carol
Wonderful, just as described. We watched the b&w version and it was great. Have not watched the colour version yet.

Published 5 months ago by Tracey

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest version of this story ever!!!!
Alistair Sim is so incredible as Scrooge, it was like the story was written for him to play the part. The supporting cast is a history book of British film stars. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Keetsbro

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