Here’s a selection of top gift ideas for ultra-high definition-loving, cinema connoisseurs in the family.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, rated G, 83 minutes, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, $24.99) — Arguably the most influential animated film in the history of cinema finally gets a 4K restoration worthy of its stature.
Disney’s 1937 musical adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairytale explores a princess escaping from a threatening evil godmother and eventually taking care of a group of pint-sized blue-collar miners while waiting for a prince to save.
The plot arrives with charming songs and dance but even a touch of terror courtesy of a delectable Evil Queen looking to kill her godchild with a poison apple.
All presented in a meticulous hand-drawn style, the classic also featured iconic tunes such as “Someday My Prince Will Come,” “Whistle While You Work” and “Heigh-Ho.”
A new generation can now experience animation history with a transfer offering the cleanest and closest to the source material version of the movie ever available and truly worthy of gifting to those with a home theater library.
Best extras: Viewers get a Blu-ray version of the films with all of the goodies culled from Signature Edition released in 2016.
Highlights include an optional commentary track with Roy E. Disney, historian John Canemaker and legacy recordings by Walt Disney; a 33-minute retrospective on making the movie; and a 30-minute overview of the animation house Hyperion Studios that was renamed Walt Disney Studios.
Indiana Jones 4-Movie SteelBook Collection (Paramount Home Entertainment, rated PG, PG-13, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 482 minutes, $111.99) — Once again, Paramount offers for the holidays a collection of films starring George Lucas and Steven Spielberg’s iconic archeologist and now packaged in a 5-disc set presenting a perfect gift to fans.
Viewers get 4K remastered versions of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981); “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (1984); “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989); and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008).
The extreme-action adventures do not disappoint throughout as Indy battles the Nazis, religious fanatics, the Cold War Russians and even extraterrestrials as he journeys around the world.
I’ll note the elephant in the room and that is not including the latest movie “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” in the box, which does not make for a complete Indiana Jones set, but arguably still does contain the best movies of the franchise.
Best extras: Viewers will find an extra Blu-ray disc in the case for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” that delivers an avalanche of content from the 2012 “Complete Adventures” Blu-ray set.
Expect not only a four-part retrospective of the films (roughly 2.5 hours long) but a 1981 documentary on the first film (an hour long) and another 14 featurettes (more than three hours in total) covering everything from the stunts, sound, music, effects, women, bugs, props and locations.
As far as packaging, toss aside the slightly flimsy cardboard box and gift receivers will focus on the impressive metal cases housing each of the film discs.
Each Steelbook features Indy (torso and up) in limited hues and in a heroic pose on a stark white cover with a swath of orange color splattered across the region below him and an outline of his coveted object in the field. The back of the case reveals the item in limited color.
The interior spread of each offers lifelike color illustrations of key characters from each film in a collage-style design with an orangish world map behind them.
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