The film companies behind HD-DVD releases seem, for the most part, to have assumed that the potential audience for this 'early adopter' market consists almost entirely of 13 year-old boys who want brain dead blockbuster or horror fare. The lack of quality 'classic' releases is so bad that online forums are awash with 'explanations' that this is because HD-DVD cameras weren't around when the films were originally made, showing a scary lack of understanding about how films are transferred to digital discs. Given that this is an audience that is expected to understand the differences between two competing technologies (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD) and the subtleties of different 720p, 1080i and 1080p picture formats, this doesn't auger well for the future of high definition in the mainstream!
Fortunately, there have been some excellent exceptions to this 'no classics on HD-DVD' rule (reviews of Casablanca and The Adventures of Robin Hood will no doubt be appearing here shortly), and for the most part, early reports indicate that the picture quality on these old titles is nothing less than stunning.
I can well believe these reports if Forbidden Planet is anything to go by. Make no mistake, Warner Brothers have pulled out all the stops in producing this excellent HD-DVD, which is available in two flavours - the 'standard' version reviewed here, and an 'Ultimate edition' which packages the 'standard' version disk and case in an awkward-sized tin with some film-scene cards and a very small, very plastic Robby the Robot figure. Ordinarily I'm a sucker for 'Ultimate' packaging, but there have been a lot of online complaints about the poor 'value for money' of the significantly more expensive 'Ultimate' edition and its rather tacky contents, so I switched my order at the last minute. As it turns out the 'standard' edition is quite a luxury in itself.
Forbidden Planet set the tone, many argue, for all science fiction we've had since its release. Certainly it's hard to imagine Star Trek having ever been made without this film's release, with the original 1960's series clearly borrowing heavily from its moralistic story-line, futuristic ideas (the transporters have been lifted lock, stock and barrel from the film) and general design. The story is effectively a retelling of Shakespeare's The Tempest in space. A ship of all-male Earth travellers visit a far-flung planet where they find Doctor Morbius and his daughter, together with a powerful man-servant Robby the Robot, who are the only survivors of a colony that landed many years before. The planet appears to be host to some sort of invisible monster that starts attacking the ship's crew. Is the monster one of the long-lost Krell, an technologically superior alien race that once inhabited the planet, or the mysterious Dr Morbius, who appears to begrudge the new arrivals and their effect on his daughter who has only had him for human companionship until their arrival.
The film is undoubtedly a classic, and holds up surprisingly well today in many respects, especially for fans of the genre. However, it does have weaknesses: the performances, particularly from the minor characters, are often wooden and unconvincing, the pacing is painfully slow by modern standards, and the direction is, frankly, dull for the most part - too often one feels one is watching a stage play where the cameras have just been left in the same fixed position throughout. That being said, Walter Pidgeon, playing sort of 'pantomime Shakespeare' is never less than entertaining, Anne Francis and her ridiculously short mini-skirts (long before they became popular in the 60's) and the sight of Leslie Nielsen, known for playing effectively the same role in so many comedic quick-fire movies, as the male romantic lead is fascinating for movie buffs.
It's no exaggeration to say the film has never looked so good. The transfer from a digitally spruced up print is never less than stunning, particularly when one considers the age of the film. Disney technicians were loaned to Universal to help with the special effects, and they're surprisingly good given the advances that have been made in the fifty years since the film was made. This HD-DVD would be a 'Highly Recommended' on the strength of its place in film history and the quality of the transfer alone, but that barely covers what's included here. Robby the Robot proved so popular that another film, The Invisible Boy, albeit one made in black and white, was hastily rejigged to feature the new 'star', and its included in pristine 90-minute glory as just one of the extra's on the HD-DVD. It's not in the same class as Forbidden Planet, but an interesting variation on the 1950's obsession with all matters sci-fi and, I would argue, a film that features some more natural acting performances too (especially from Phillip Abbot who plays 'The Invisible Boy''s father).
Extra's wise, the new capacity of HD-DVD is shown off to incredible effect, because as well as two full-length films the disc includes a one hour documentary looking back at science fiction of the 50;s, in addition to the usual treasure trove of featurettes that more directly relate to the main feature.
The documentary, Watch the Skies! Science Fiction, the 1950's and Us, features high profile film industry figures (Stephen Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott and James Cameron) reminiscing about the 1950's movie experience. Many of the featured films have their trailers included in a separate 18 minute featurette Trailers, which shows how corny, and formulaic the films were for the most part.
A half-hour featurette, Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet, has most of the cast and crew, at least those still alive, involved in the film, reminiscing about the film and how it was made, some 50 years later. It's joined by excerpts from some Walter Pidgeon -hosted MGM Parade episodes of the time where the actor announces the imminent release of the film and chats with Robby the Robot. Robby himself gets his own fifteen minute featurette, Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi icon, an icon so popular that one fan is apparently able to make a living selling modern replicas which sell at $50,000 dollars a time!
In fact Robby the Robot proved so popular he went on to make several more appearances on TV (perhaps, most notably, Lost in Space) including a 'Whodunit' episode of The Thin Man, an episodic half-hour TV series, which is included here with the robot being the prime suspect in a variant on the old 'Did the butler do it?' theme.
Rounding out the package are Deleted Scenes (13 minutes of mainly poor FX shots or fly-bys), and Lost Footage (9 minutes that should carry the warning 'For complete anoraks who must have every test shot only').
Forbidden Planet is an excellent HD-DVD release, which really shows off what the format is capable of, whilst demonstrating how much better value for money it can be that standard DVD. This title comes highly recommended and should be added to the collection of anyone who has even a vague interest in the history of science fiction in the movies.
No comments:
Post a Comment