Blu-ray disc news, reviews, opinions and deals. Everything that's fit to print about the world's favourite HD format!

Casablanca: 70th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Disc Review $64.99

Casablanca: 70th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Disc Review

Author
  • THE FILM
  • VIDEO
  • AUDIO
  • EXTRAS

CASABLANCA: 70TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED COLLECTOR’S EDITION
(1942, Blu-ray released March 27, 2012 – MSRP $64.99)

THE FILM:Casablanca“: easy to enter, but much harder to leave, especially if you’re wanted by the Nazis. Such a man is Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), whose only hope is Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a cynical American who sticks his neck out for no one – especially Victor’s wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the ex-lover who broke his heart. Ilsa offers herself in exchange for Laszlo’s transport out of the country and bitter Rick must decide what counts more – personal happiness or countless lives hanging in the balance. Winner of three Academy Awards(R) including Best Picture, “Casablanca” marks its 70th anniversary as a beloved favorite with so many bonuses that no matter how often you’ve seen it, this beautiful 70th Anniversary (Limited and Numbered) Edition looks like yet another beginning of a beautiful friendship with an unforgettable classic.

WHO SHOULD BUY: This is a tough call. Yes, every film fan should own a copy of Casablanca. It’s really that good. But, the thing is, Warner already made the film available on Blu-ray a number of years ago in a pretty decent boxed set and single-disc edition, sporting a great looking transfer. So, the questions is, really, if you already own the film on Blu is this boxed set worth the upgrade? The answer depends on what kind of fan/viewer/collector you are.

If you hate those big, un-shelve-able Warner “Ultimate”-style boxes and all the goo-gahs packed inside, then avoid at all costs. I’m sure a regular release will follow later in the year. If you’re satisfied with the old edition you have, then stick with that. This new one is, indeed, an upgrade, both in its presentation and in feature set, but only the most critical of Blu-ray and film fan will find the expenditure worthwhile. However, if you don’t own Casablanca on Blu already, or if you have the kind of eye that can spot the difference in a Criterion versus a Masters of Cinema transfer or the kind of ear that appreciates lossless audio, or if that extra, brand new 45-minutes worth of bonus content compels you, then you won’t be dissatisfied with this extraordinary boxed set.

THE BLU-RAY DISC: This is a brand new 4K transfer and it’s stunning. That said, the old one was pretty great too. But they’re different in a lot of ways. The one you’ve no doubt seen before is brighter and smoother and very pleasing to the eye. The new one looks a lot more like you’re watching a film, with grain now more evident and much deeper contrast giving the film more texture and a richer overall look. I can’t say there’s more detail apparent (though I wouldn’t be surprised if a frame-to-frame comparison didn’t reveal some) or that this transfer is definitive but it’s the best I’e ever seen the film looking. Audio is available in a brand new, lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track. Unless you’ve got those famed “golden ears” of legend, you most likely won’t notice much of an upgrade here but, to my ear and on my sound system, this is the best I’ve heard Casablanca sound.

Bonus features on this 3-disc set are voluminous and exhaustive. You’ll spend hours foraging through all these goodies, though, if you’ve owned the film on Blu or DVD in the past, you’ll note that you’ve seen most of it before. The included hardcover book is a quick read but features a lot of great content and beautifully reproduced photos. I can personally do without the drink coasters included in the box but the poster is a nice addition for fans.

Highest possible recommendation!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

  • Over 45 Minutes of New, Never-Before-Seen Bonus Content Created For The 70th Anniversary Release, with 2 New Documentaries: “Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic” and Feature Retrospective on Director Michael Curtiz
  • 3 Feature Length Documentaries on a Separate Blu-ray Disc For Nearly 9 Hours of Compelling , Cinematic Historical Content:
    • “Jack Warner: The Last Mogul”
    • “The Brothers Warner”
    • “You Must Remember This”
  • Introduction by Lauren Bacall
  • Two audio commentaries:
    • Film critic Roger Ebert
    • Film historian Rudy Behlmer
  • Roster for Warner’s A Night at the Movies viewing mode:
    • Theatrical trailer for Now Voyager
    • Vintage newsreel
    • Vaudeville Days short feature
    • The Bird Came C.O.D. short feature
    • The Squawkin’ Hawk short feature
    • The Dover Boys at Pimento University or The Rivals of Roquefort Hall short feature
  • Eight behind-the-scenes documentaries:
    • Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of
    • Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic
    • You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story
    • The Brothers Warner
    • Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul
    • Great Performances: Bacall on Bogart
    • You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca
    • As Time Goes By: The Children Remember
  • Deleted scenes
  • Outtakes
  • Who Holds Tomorrow? feature
  • Carrotblanca Looney Tunes cartoon
  • Scoring the Casablanca stage sessions
  • Two vintage Casablanca radio broadcasts:
    • 4/26/43: Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater
    • 11/19/47: Vox Pop
  • All New 2012 4K Feature Transfer on Blu-ray and Standard Format DVD
  • Limited and Numbered For Collectibility
  • All New Collectible Memorabilia:
    • Full Size Reproduction of the Original 1942 Film Poster
    • 62-Page Production Art Book that Includes Never-Before-Seen Photos, Personal Memos, and Archival Documents About the Production
    • 4 Collectible Drink Coasters
  • [flv:casablancaUCE.flv 640 360]


    Related posts: