Garv’s Pick of the Week: Popeye the Sailor: The 1940s Volume 1 (Warner Archive)
For the release week of December 11th:
Garv’s Pick of the Week: Popeye The Sailor: The 1940s Volume 1 [Blu-ray / Warner Archive]: Well, blow me down! I never thought I’d see the Famous Studios color Popeye cartoons on Blu-ray (or even DVD). This disc picks up where the Warner DVD releases of the Popeye cartoons left off, with the first 14 Technicolor cartoons. While these shorts don’t reach the heights of the Max Fleischer black & white cartoons, there are still a lot of laughs, and there is huge nostalgia value for those of us who grew up in a time when these shorts were broadcast regularly on TV. Keep in mind that the shorts are presented in their original, uncut versions, so there may be some content that is considered un-PC today.
Warner Brothers is using this release as a barometer to guage the audience for classic cartoons on Blu-ray; so if you would like to see future releases of Popeye, Tom & Jerry, Looney Tunes, etc., please make it a priority to purchase this disc.
Additional Titles of Interest —
Django + Texas Adios (Double Feature) [Blu-ray / Arrow Video]: In the world of Euro-Westerns, Django is second only to “The Man With No Name” in terms of popular characters. This set collects new restorations of the first two Django films — a Spaghetti Western “must own.”
Tailspin Tommy In The Great Air Mystery [Blu-ray / VCI]: More classic movie serials are always welcome on Blu-ray. This 12-chapter cliffhanger is VCI’s first serial release in HD.
Evil Dead 2 [4K UHD / Lionsgate]: The best of the Evil Dead series gets an upgrade to 4K UHD. Who’s laughing now?
Oliver! [Blu-ray / Sony]: If you missed the Twilight Time Blu-ray release of this classic musical, you now have a second chance to get it in HD.
Forty Guns [Blu-ray / Criterion]: Sam Fuller Western — ‘nuff said.
The Last Command [Blu-ray / Kino Lorber]: My full review of this Alamo film can be found here.
Hang 'Em High [Blu-ray / Shout Select]: Clint’s popular American follow-up to his Sergio Leone-directed Euro-Westerns gets the Shout Select prestige treatment.
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