A large hue and cry was heard from classic film fans when it turned out the
new Blu-ray release of the venerable multi-Oscar winning film
West Side Story had an inexplicable fade out during Saul Bass'
iconic opening Prologue graphics sequence at circa 4:40 into the film. Fox
responded quickly to the brouhaha and is offering a corrected version for
those who wish to exchange their discs. Blu-ray.com staff reviewer Jeffrey
Kauffman has received the replacement disc and has personally confirmed the
fix is in place.
On the first release of the film, at around 4:40, the image faded to black for
around a second and then reappeared just as the graphics faded to footage
of lower Manhattan. On the new, corrected disc at 4:40 the colors change
dramatically, almost leaving Bass' graphic skyline in
bas relief for a
moment, though still clearly visible, before the segue to the actual footage of
Manhattan begins.
Fox is exchanging discs via either a toll free number or by emailing their
Customer Service department. The phone number for the exchange is 1-877-
369-7867 (accessible from Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST). The
email address is support@foxcustomercare.com. The original 4 Disc Set
features a UPC of #88390424521680, while the new version differs by only
the last number: #88390424521681. Eagle eyed consumers can spot the
difference easily, however, due to the fact that the new UPC has been
stamped on a label which is affixed over the original UPC code.