Video : Show Stoppers
What do you get movie buffs for Christmas who think they’ve seen everything? A gift with a lot of extras. This season, video companies are featuring lavish gift sets of popular films with added attractions: restored prints, soundtrack CDs, stills, documentaries, posters and scripts.
Below is a select overview of the special editions currently available for the discerning film fan.
White Christmas Collector’s Edition (Paramount Home Video, $60): This special edition of the 1954 holiday favorite contains goodies for fans of the Irving Berlin musical, which stars Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen. The set features the beautifully remastered letterboxed version of the movie. (Only the pan-and-scan scan version is available separately.) Also included on the video are the original and re-release trailers. Exclusive to the edition is a compact disc of the original soundtrack. There’s also a copy of Clooney’s personal script, a brochure with behind-the-scenes photos (with Clooney’s personal captions), a still and a note penned by Clooney.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s Collector’s Edition (Paramount Home Video, $60): This deluxe set should thrill fans of Audrey Hepburn. The edition features a digitally remastered letterboxed video of the 1961 comedy-drama complete with the trailer. Also included is the CD of Henry Mancini’s Oscar-winning score; a copy of Hepburn’s own script with her handwritten notes; three stills; director Blake Edwards’ remembrances of Hepburn; a brochure featuring Hepburn’s personal note to Mancini, as well as remembrances from the late Mancini.
My Fair Lady: The 30th Anniversary Collector’s Limited Edition (CBS Video, $80 and $25): This “Lady” has never looked so good. The 1964 Oscar-winning musical, starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, went through a major face lift this year when it was discovered that the original negative was in horrendous condition. CBS Video is offering two collector’s editions of the restored version: The $25 set features the video in the inferior pan-and-scan format, the original theatrical trailer, a fun 1964 promotional film and CBS News footage of the 1964 premiere. The impressive $80 deluxe box set features the trailer, promo film and premiere footage along with the gorgeous letterboxed version of the film. A separate video documentary hosted by “Lady” co-star Jeremy Brett illustrates how the film was restored and features rare footage of Hepburn singing two numbers. Other delights are a limited imprint of six original sketches of Cecil Beaton’s Oscar-winning costume designs, one-of-a-kind 70mm film frames struck from the original negative and a book about the production by Beaton. There’s also a mail-in offer for the poster.
That’s Entertainment III Deluxe Collector’s Edition (MGM/UA Home Video, $100): This handsomely packaged set features the director’s cut of the 1994 release, which includes eight extra minutes of footage. Also included is a video documentary complete with interviews with such MGM greats as Gene Kelly and Esther Williams and nine musical numbers that had been deleted from various MGM films. Eight full-color lobby cards, a souvenir program and a soundtrack CD round out the edition. There’s also a mail-in offer for two separate posters.
The Ultimate Oz (MGM/UA Home Video, $100): Fans of the 1939 classic receive the restored version of the Technicolor musical with a digitally remastered soundtrack created from the earliest generation audio elements. Also included is the 1990 documentary “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of the Movie Classic.” Angela Lansbury hosts the special that contains interviews with the cast and creators, the theatrical trailer, outtake footage and unused musical sequences. The edition features the original continuity script and five stills from the film. There’s also a mail-in offer for the poster.
Meet Me in St. Louis--50th Anniversary Edition (MGM/UA Home Video, $30): Celebrate the 50th birthday of the delightful Judy Garland musical with a digitally remastered version of the Technicolor film. Included on the video is a “making of” documentary narrated by Roddy McDowall, the 1955 reissue trailer and the deleted musical number, “Boys and Girls Like You and Me.” Also featured is the CD soundtrack, which is not available in record stores.
Ziegfeld Follies--Collector’s Edition (MGM/UA Home Video, $30): This 1946 MGM musical extravaganza looks splendid, having been restored from original Technicolor elements. The set features the CD of the soundtrack, which is not available in record stores, and includes several songs excised from the final cut.
Dances With Wolves: Limited Collector’s Edition (Orion Home Video, $80): The deluxe edition of Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning 1990 epic Western is nearly an hour longer than the theatrical version and features never-before-seen footage that expands several plot points, plus the never-before-released 22-minute companion video “The Making of ‘Dances With Wolves,’ ” the book “Dances With Wolves: The Illustrated Story of the Epic” and six color lobby cards.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Deluxe Collector’s Video Edition (Walt Disney Home Video, $90): Kids and their parents should love this special set, which includes the restored version of the 1937 animated classic; an entertaining “making of” documentary, which includes scenes not in the final version; a special hardcover collector’s book, “Walt Disney’s Show White and the Seven Dwarfs & the Making of the Classic Film”; and 10 limited-edition lithographs of the original theatrical posters.
