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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 50th Anniversary (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review

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8K views 27 replies 17 participants last post by  banjosworld 
#1 ·


Check out our review of the 50th Anniversary release of this holiday classic that took place on one foggy Christmas in 1964, when Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer flew straight into the hearts of millions of Americans for whom watching it became an indispensable part of the holiday season.




The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )

Film:


Extras:


Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )

80



Details:

Studio and Year: DreamWorks - 1964
MPAA Rating: NR
Feature running time: 52 minutes
Genre: Family

Disc Format: BD-25
Encoding: AVC
Video Aspect: 1.33:1
Resolution: 1080p/24

Audio Format(s): English Dolby Digital 5.1, English/Spanish/French Mono
Subtitles: English SDH
Starring: Burl Ives
Directed by: Larry Roemer
Music & Lyrics by: Johnny Marks
Written by: Romeo Muller
Region Code: A,B,C

Blu-ray Disc release Date: November 4, 2014


"Do you recall the most famous Reindeer of all…? "


My Take:

Based on the Christmas song of the same name by Johnny Marks and a story by
Robert L. May, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was produced by Rankin/Bass in a revolutionary animation style they called “Animagic.” The stylized stop-motion animation brings to life the adventure of Rudolph and his very shiny nose. Although all of the other reindeer laugh and call him names, little do they know that Rudolph and fellow outcasts Hermey and Yukon Cornelius will soon come face to face with the Abominable Snow Monster, journey to the Island of Misfit Toys – and find their way back home just in time to help Santa save Christmas.

The holidays just wouldn’t be the same without Rudolph’s sweet and uplifting Christmas story about fitting in, coming of age and acceptance. First broadcast in 1964, the timeless Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special instantly became a success. I just love Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer. When I was young the only time we were able to see classics like this were around the holidays when they came on TV. If you somehow missed it you were out of luck until next year. It was rarely a problem because there was always plenty of advanced notice. Of all the wonderful “yearly” classics this is one that we never missed. The advent of home video changed all of that. I don’t want to say that made it less special but kids growing up in the age of home video don’t understand the excitement/anticipation of waiting each year to see The wizard of Oz, West Side Story, A Charlie Brown Christmas or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It has been forty + years since I first saw it and I still enjoy it very much the same. The seven original songs, music and lyrics written by Johnny Marks, are as memorable as the endearing characters.


The 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition DVD and Blu-ray of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer also includes “Rudolph Unwrapped,” a fascinating interactive section that highlights 50 little-known facts about the creation of the holiday special. Viewers will discover the surprising identity of the talented artist behind the voice of Rudolph, uncover the secret of Sam the Snowman’s pocket watch, and learn how reactions to the original 1964 TV audience for the special led to the version children of all ages have watched and loved for decades.

To say that Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is special would be an understatement. To those of us who grew up watching it I would say that it is a part of our culture. Watching it now brings back warm nostalgic feelings from my childhood. I am pleased to own this 50th Anniversary Blu-ray release.



Parental Guide:

This film is appropriate for all audiences.


AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100/EXCELLENT = 83-91/GOOD = 74-82/AVERAGE = 65-73/BELOW AVERAGE = under 65

**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**



Audio: 72
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)


  • Dynamics:
  • Low frequency effects:
  • Surround Sound presentation:
  • Clarity/Detail:
  • Dialogue Reproduction:
  • Low frequency extension * (non-rated element): NA


Video: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)


  • Resolution/Clarity:
  • Black Level/Shadow Detail:
  • Color Reproduction:
  • Fleshtones:
  • Compression:


Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer comes to Blu-ray Disc from DreamWorks featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 33 Mbps and lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 channel sound that has a constant bitrate of 640 Kbps.

This presentation clearly represents this made for TV special in its finest light and looks great. Having been digitally re-mastered the print is in excellent shape and exhibited little to no obvious signs of its age. Resolution is excellent as the video is rendered with refined clarity and stable sharpness. Colors are vivid with slightly overstated reds and clean rendering that quickly identify with Rudolph’s holiday themed aesthetic. Contrast is nicely balanced as whites are delineated and low levels sequences have ample depth. I detected a light veil of grain and didn’t see any signs of compression related video noise or artifacts. I was very pleased with the overall quality of this video presentation.

There is no lossless soundtrack included which is a bit disappointing. A 5.1 channel lossy Dolby Digital mix as well as the original mono track are the options presented. I opted to give the multi-channel soundtrack a go and found that it makes primary use of the front channels. I was pleased with the level of clarity that I heard in spoken dialogue and lower level sounds contained within the recording. The centrally focused presentation isn’t especially engaging but dimension is fair. There is minimal information mixed to the surrounds and none to the subwoofer but I never missed them. Based upon the original source elements this presentation sounded appropriately dated but gratifying.



Bonus Features:
  • (HD) Rudolph pop-up book – 2 minutes
  • (HD) Holly Jolly Christmas sing-along
  • (HD) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer sing-along
  • (HD) Learn to draw: Hermey, Rudolph, and the Abominable Snow Monster with Dave Burgess of DreamWorks animation
  • (HD) Rudolph unwrapped: 50 fun facts – 16 minutes





Final Thoughts:

It is a treat to revisit this beloved TV Special that is so near and dear to many brought to high definition Blu-ray celebrating its 50th Anniversary. It comes complete with digitally re-mastered high definition video, satisfactory and faithful sound quality and a complimentary assortment of fun bonus features. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a holiday staple and this 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition makes for a perfect way to share it with your family. Enjoy!






Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews



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#16 ·
Actually a Blu-ray version has been out since at least last year, which I already own. What I would really like to know is if this version is clearly better or not. What I've heard is that the two are pretty much equal quality wise, so if you already own the first one its not worth the time from a PQ point of view.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Does it have the various versions on it in extras?

I've got a DVD holiday set and it has "Fame and Fortune" and "We're a Couple of Misfits" scenes, plus a few others, a commercial of the snowman for norleco...we watch it 1-2 times / year.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolp...(TV_special)#Original_1964_NBC_broadcast_edit
Different versions

Original 1964 NBC broadcast edit

This version has the NBC "living color" peacock at the introduction. It includes the original end credits, where elves are seen delivering boxes which list all the technical credits. It also includes commercials which were exclusively for GE small appliances with some of the same animated elves from the main program introducing each of the products, and closing NBC network bumpers, including promos for the following week's episodes of GE College Bowl and Meet the Press, which were presumably pre-empted that Sunday for the inaugural 5:30 PM (EST) telecast. The College Bowl quiz show was also sponsored by GE.[5] The original does not include Santa traveling to the Island of Misfit Toys, but does include a scene near the end of the special in which Yukon Cornelius discovers a peppermint mine near Santa's workshop. He can be seen throughout the special tossing his pickax into the air, sniffing, then licking the end that contacts the snow or ice. Discarded in 1965 to make room for Santa traveling to the Island of Misfit toys, the audience was left to assume that Cornelius was attempting to find either silver or gold by taste alone.
1965–1997 telecasts

Viewers were so taken by the forlorn Misfit Toys that many complained Santa was not seen fulfilling his promise to include them in his annual delivery. In reaction, a new scene for subsequent rebroadcasts was produced with Santa making his first stop at the Island to pick up the toys. This is the ending that has been shown on all telecasts and video releases ever since. However, to make room, several sequences were deleted: the instrumental bridge from "We Are Santa's Elves" featuring the elf orchestra, Rudolph & Hermey's duet reprise of "We're a Couple of Misfits," additional dialogue by Burl Ives, and the "Peppermint Mine" scene resolving the fate of Yukon Cornelius. A new duet, "Fame and Fortune," was shot for the revised version and put in place of "We're a Couple of Misfits." The special's 1998 restoration saw "Misfits" returned to its original film context, while the 2004 DVD release showcases "Fame and Fortune" as a separate number.
1998–2008 CBS telecasts

The above 1965 deletions were returned to the film, but "Fame and Fortune" was not included and was replaced with the original "We're a Couple of Misfits" reprise. This telecast also deleted the "Peppermint Mine" scene (to date, it has never aired on CBS).
Starting sometime in the 2000s, CBS aired the video for "Fame and Fortune" synced with an edited version of "We're a Couple of Misfits." Beyond that, the special has been edited further due to more commercial time by being time-compressed with some musical numbers shortened.
2009-Present CBS telecasts

"Fame and Fortune" has once again been replaced with "We're a Couple of Misfits," with the special itself undergoing further cuts for more commercial time.
also - My DVD has this video clip on it, a fun tune
 
#11 ·
#9 ·
Thanks Ralph for the great review. I admit it brings back memories and I am glad this film is still around for more generations of kids (and parents) to enjoy.

On a side note Johnny Marks did several Christmas songs including "Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree," "A Holly Jolly Christmas" ... to name a few.
 
#27 ·
Ha, I seen this this at Walmart today. We have a box set off all these movies or I would have bought it. I actually want to get White Christmas on BD, but it was $20 bucks. That's allot to pay when you have on DVD.
 
#28 ·
I recently purchased the Storybook edition from Walmart, it came with both DVD and Blu-ray. It's the 50th anniversary collector's edition. On the back, it said that it's closed captioned on the DVD, and subtitled for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on the Blu-ray. Well, I tested both of them and neither are captioned nor subtitled. Wish I could say this was the first time ClassicMedia did something like this, but it isn't.

I have been trying to get in touch with them the last couple days, so far, no response. Hope to hear something soon though.
 
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