6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A henpecked New Jersey grocer makes plans to move to California to grow oranges, despite the resistance of his overbearing wife.
Starring: W.C. Fields, Kathleen Howard, Jean Rouverol, Julian Madison, Tommy BuppComedy | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.36:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Norman McLeod's "It's a Gift" (1934) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only bonus feature on the disc is an exclusive new audio commentary by film historian and author James L. Neibaur. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
California Dreamin'
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, It's a Gift arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
The release is sourced from an old master that was supplied by Universal Pictures. It is a mostly decent master, but if properly restored It's a Gift would clearly have a more appealing organic appearance. For example, while most close-ups tend to look fine, the panoramic footage usually struggles to convey decent delineation and depth. Also, even though the master isn't marred by serious digital adjustments, it is very easy to see that
the surface of the visuals does not have naturally exposed grain. (Basically, in most areas you will see a telecine-esque type of surface). The grayscale is good. The blacks looks solid and there are fine ranges of grays and whites. However, an all-around healthier master master will reveal a better grayscale as well. Image stability is good. Minor scratches, specks, and blemishes can seen from time to time, but there are no serious age-related imperfections. Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The audio is clear is and stable. However, I had my volume turned up quite a bit and there were a few areas where I noticed minor pops. You don't have to worry. They are not distracting and you may even miss them, but I wanted to mention them because this audio track can benefit from some minor cosmetic work. Dynamic balance is good for a film from the early 1930s. There are no distortions or audio dropouts to report.
When you watch a Charlie Chaplin or Harold Lloyd film, you immediately sense that the perfection that materializes before the camera is the result of great choreography and acting that were executed right. You realize that it took countless takes to get it right too, because Chaplin and Lloyd were notorious perfectionists. In the films W.C. Fields left us there is a different kind of mastery, and to be honest with you, I am unsure precisely how to deconstruct it. Plenty in these films is very clearly choreographed as well, but when Fields is in front of the camera it feels like he is completely unaware of its presence, which is why the perfection seems so casual. I find this incredibly attractive, but I can't quite tell if everything Fields does is entirely organic or rehearsed ad nauseam. In It's a Gift, which might be Fields' funniest film, there is an abundance of such brilliant material that also looks very, very casual. I absolutely loved this film and would enthusiastically place it next to some of Chaplin and Lloyd's greatest gems. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
1944
Warner Archive Collection
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