If all gangs were as passive aggressive as the Sharks and the Jets, what a wonderful world this could be. While today's Blu-ray release of
West Side Story is laughable in comparison to the violent reality of gang life today, it does represent one of the most memorable versions Romeo & Juliet ever created. As a winner of 10 Academy Awards – including Best Picture – it's a true classic in every sense of the word.
For the
West Side Story Blu-ray review , staff reviewer Jeffrey Kaufman commented, "There are troubling, if overall minor, issues with both the video and audio presentations." He continues, "The pluses of this release far outweigh the troubling minuses. The color, detail and clarity of this presentation are for the most part amazing, and the soundtrack, even sourced from four track mags instead of six, sounds wonderful."
Another Best Picture winner receives the high definition treatment with today's Blu-ray release of
My Fair Lady. Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison steal the show with performances that are some of the best ever given. No, this film isn't going to convince musical haters to sing its praises, but it will definitely please fans of all ages.
Staff reviewer Martin Liebman commented in his
My Fair Lady Blu-ray review , "My Fair Lady is a definition of classic cinema. It's big, lavish, populated by several great stars, and most importantly, is simply unforgettable." He continues, "Paramount's Blu-ray release of My Fair Lady offers handsome picture quality, a sound 7.1 lossless audio track, and a nice array of classic supplements."
Of course, life isn't all singing and dancing. Lionsgate is re-releasing
Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn which was previously released by Starz back in 2007 (which, by my calculations, mean there are only four more Evil Dead II releases forthcoming on Blu-ray before that horse finally dies). They haven't been able to work any miracles with the footage - it was shot on a tight budget in 1987 - but who are we kidding? All hail Ash!
For the
Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn Blu-ray review , staff reviewer Jeffrey Kaufman commented, "There's no doubt that Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn won't be everybody's cup of tea, even those who like horror movies in general. But if you're a fan of out there, completely daffy humor, chances are you'll end up loving this film for its brisk marriage of over the top gore and blood with equally over the top hilarity."