Garv’s Pick of the Week: Jack and the Beanstalk – 70th Anniversary Limited Edition (ClassicFlix)
For the release week of July 26th:
Garv’s Pick of the Week: Jack and the Beanstalk – 70th Anniversary Limited Edition [Blu-ray / Kino Lorber]: Abbott & Costello’s first film in color has long been stuck in public domain hell. The film has received numerous home video releases, but all of them have been pretty crummy, until now. Bob Furmanek and the team at the 3D Film Archive have completed a much-needed restoration from the best-surviving 35mm SuperCinecolor elements. The restored image looks as good (or better) than new, with the original studio logos, sepia-toned opening and closing scenes, and vibrantly-colored fantasy sequences intact. Plus, the disc includes 2.5 hours of extra Abbott & Costello content, including an audio commentary, deleted scenes, featurettes, radio and television appearances, trailers, and more. I’ll post a full review soon, but rest assured — it’s highly recommended. There are lots of poor quality versions out there, so accept no substitutes! The ClassicFlix limited edition Blu-ray is the one to get.
Additional Titles of Interest —
The Killing [4K UHD / Kino Lorber]: This early Stanley Kubrick film is one of the best heist films ever made, and it influenced Quentin Tarantino for both better and worse.
Raw Deal [Blu-ray / ClassicFlix]: This excellent Anthony Mann/John Alton noir gets a re-release (as the earlier limited edition Blu-ray was out of print).
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind [4K UHD / Kino Lorber]: My favorite project that involved either Charlie Kaufman or Jim Carrey gets a 4K UHD upgrade.
Tenebrae [4K UHD / Synapse]: One of Dario Argento’s best giallo thrillers gets a 4K upgrade as well.
Night Gallery: Season Two [Blu-ray / Kino Lorber]: Rod Serling’s anthology follow-up to The Twilight Zone is a mixed bag, but it includes some gems.
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