Laurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations [Blu-ray]

I remember way back in the late 1970's/ early 1980's getting my first VCR and recording a whole bunch of Laurel & Hardy movies on early Sunday morning TV to videotape. Grainy picture, commercials, edited, etc...and yet I was ecstatic to have them. Now almost half a century later and multiple incarnations on videotape and DVD later come these high resolution transfers. The image quality is breathtaking. OK its not like if you went out and filmed these today but by far these prints along with informative commentary on every short and feature is like finding and viewing these gems for the first time. The print of "Son's Of The Desert" is by far the best print that I have ever seen of this L&H classic. The entertainment value watching in this quality increases tenfold. Look forward to future Kit Parker L&H releases. Also highly recommend Flicker Alley L&H silent blu ray releases

Most releases of Laurel & Hardy films over the years, whether they be from the old Video Classics or Blackhawk collection, were taken from 16mm print masters that had long been over-used. As a result, the VHS releases I grew up with in the 90s had a rather cable-tv feel to them. In recent years, the old Hal Roach Studios films have traded hands multiple times and have been kept in storerooms with little to no care. On top of that, Laurel & Hardy's films were redistributed so many times and the negatives used so much between the late 40s-80s, that it resulted in their Roach films looking ancient compared to their Fox films--made only 9 years a part in most cases. In 2011, we finally got the Digital Restorations of all their sound Roach films that Hallmark had owned, which included every sound short and all but 2 Roach features. The digital releases were restored from the original 35mm negatives as much as humanly possible. Still, they show wear and tear. But were the best release of Laurel & Hardy's films to date. Now here we are with this release. A 4K/HD restoration of two features of multiple short subjects taken from the original negatives. Again, these aren't perfect restorations, bit they are as perfect as we will get for multiple reasons. Hal Roach didn't take care of his films the way MGM, Fox, Universal, or Columbia did. And he sold the rights to those films to studios and people who took even less care than he did, with few exceptions. MGM owned Our Gang, and two Laurel & Hardy movies. Because of the lack of care, the films fall into disrepair. It's why some Laurel & Hardy shorts look like they weren't even filmed in the same decade as Moe, Larry and Curly--when they were! This is a fine restoration, and the best we've had of the boys' work so far. I only hope that Kit Parker films restores the rest of the Laurel & Hardy catalogue--including their silent films.

Having collected every video release of Laurel and Hardy material, I must say that these films represent the best any of these films has ever looked on video. Granted, this set is rather pricey for the small selection of films you get, but the sharp transfers (in most cases), and the interesting and informative commentary tracks by Randy Skretvedt and Richard W. Bann add a lot of value to fans. That any of these films has survived in prints this exceptional, is remarkable. There are instances of slight video degradation in some of the films, but overall they look stunning. Only "Brats", my favorite, shows quite a bit of wear. All of the supplements are interesting and this package includes the highest rated Laurel and Hardy features, "Way Out West" and "Sons Of The Desert."

Classic Laurel and Hardy Silent and sound Need I say more?

Fast delivery, left usa on Tuesday night received In the UK Thursday morning. I have watched most of the Blueray and I am pleased with what has been restored and preserved, the quality varies but overall is pretty impresive, a special nod to the commentary on the disks which is done really well, informative and entertaining but I would have preferred to have the audio level of the films lowered as opposed to muted during the commentary. I am watching these on a 75" tv and have to say picture quality for the majority of the time is super clear which really highlights the odd lower quality segments,eg the music box 2 or 3 seconds where ollie is sliding down the stairs in really poor quality. Some shorts part way through when changing reels the quality you feel gets slightly better or worse but you only notice this because the overall quality is so good. I would recommend this to anybody who has an interest in the boys and would like to confirm it plays in the UK with no issues.

My grandsons moan "Not another black and white movie" when I play a DVD for them but when I put on a Laurel & Hardy movie, its a completely different story. None of the painful slapstick of The Three Stooges, none of the puerile acting of Abbott & Costello and none of the stupidity of Jerry Lewis in Martin & Lewis. Just two great comedians who obviously enjoy working together. Pure magic.

I don't think of all the restorations I have there is no better one than "Laurel and Hardy: The Definitive Restorations. The prints are crystal clear and the shorts and two features are some of their best work. The bonus features are highly informative. Most comedies I watch elicit smiles but the "boys" timing makes me laugh out loud. Yes their classic routines are silly but in comedy it is not what you deliver but how you deliver it. No comedy team ever delivered it better than Stan and Ollie.

Una serie di DVD rimasterizzati in modalità 4k ma visibili in ogni lettore DVD o Blu-ray e di ottima qualità. Alcune comiche di culto che non si trovavano da anni come "La battaglia del secolo" ed altri classici visibili con ottime immagini. Un cofanetto imperdibile.

"The Battle of the Century-Die Schlacht des Jahrhunderts", liegt hier nach fast 90 Jahren, wieder fast komplett vor. Er hat gegenüber der Fragment-Lauflänge von ca. 12 Minuten, jetzt eine Lauflänge von ca. 22 Minuten nach Pal-System und wie hier nach NTSC-System, 27 Minuten. Leider wurde ein Rauschfilter verwendet, für die Restaurierung und das Bild glattgebügelt. Somit ist das Bild von der ARTE-Ausstrahlung besser, da hier noch Filmkorn und mehr Schärfen-Konturen vorhanden sind. Die englischen Inserts kann man schnell selber übersetzten. Der zweite seltene Kurzfilm ist "That's That" von 1938, der seltene alternative Szenen aus "Laurel and Hardy Murder Case", beziehungsweise auch Outtakes aus anderen Kurzfilmen und dem Langfilm "Sons of the Desert" enthält. Dieser wurde extra zu Stan Laurels (geboren: 16.06.1890) Geburtstag, am 16. Juni 1938, so zusammen gestellt. Es ist also ein zusammengestellter Kurzfilm mit einer Rahmenhandlung. Diesen gibt es bisher, auf keiner deutschen DVD oder Blu ray. Auf dem 6-DVD-Set gibt es zudem sehr seltene Trailer (Beau Hunks, Pack Up Your Troubles, Sons of the Desert, Way Out West, Babes In Toyland, The Flying Deuces, A Champ In Oxford, Saps At Sea), Bildergalerien mit selten Setfotos, alternativen Szenenfotos, Kinoaushangfotos u.v.m., Audiokommentare und Interviews. Zum Inhalt: DVD 1: "Sons of the Desert", "The Battle of the Century" (wieder fast komplett) DVD 2: "Berth Marks", "Brats" (plus alternativer Soundtrack), "Hog Wild" DVD 3: "One Good Turn", "Helpmates", "The Music Box" DVD 4: "The Chimp", "County Hospital", "Scram!", "Their First Mistake" DVD 5: "Towed In A Hole", "Twice Two", "Me And My Pal", "The Midnight Patrol", "Busy Bodies" DVD 6: "Way Out West", "That's That", "The Tree In A Test Tube" + als besonderer Schmankerl 12 originale Music-Tracks, ohne den Dialogen von der streng limitierten LP "Marvin Hatley – Music for Laurel & Hardy (and Friends)" Es sind nur zwei Langfilme enthalten. Da fehlen so einige großartige Filme, aber die gibt es ja schon auf anderen DVDs und Blu rays. Für mich als Komplettsammler, war also diese Collection unverzichtbar und nun habe ich auch fast alle Trailer zu den Laurel & Hardy-Langfilmen, auf DVD. Neben den Kinowelt/Studiocanal, Warner, Fox und MGM-DVD/Blu rays Collections, ist diese hier eine weitere Fortführung, mit bisher unveröffentlichtem Material des berühmten Duos Laurel & Hardy. Fehlen nur noch "Hats Off! - Hut ab!" von 1927 (eine Zusammenstellung der Filmfotos, des Fragmentes wäre auch Wünschenswert-zu sehen auf YouTube), das Stan Laurel-Kurzfilmfragment "Monsieur don't care' (1924)" : 7 Minuten hat man bisher gefunden, "When Knights Were Cold (1923)" ebenfalls mit Stan Laurel, das Langfilmfragment plus Rekonstruktion aller Fragmente und Fotos, mit der komplett erhaltenen Tonspur (kann auf YouTube besichtigt werden) von "Rogue Song-Banditenlied" von 1930, mit Stan und Ollie in ihrem ersten und einzigen Farb-Langfilm. "No Man's Law" mit Oliver Hardy und James Finlayson, aber ohne Stan Laurel, ein Western von 1926, den es leider nur in schlechter Bildqualität und zensiert auf DVD (Dick und Doof-die komplette Sammlung) gibt. Auf YouTube kann man eine unzensierte und restaurierte Version besichtigen. "Pick A Star-Sternschnuppen" von 1937 gibt es leider nur auf einer DVD-R von Warner-Brothers- Archive und auf einem gepressten Medium, der DVD "Laurel and Hardy Triple Feature", hier heißt Pick A Star "Movie Struck", einem alternativen Titel (siehe meine Rezension dort-ASIN : B000O75GEE). "Hollywood Revue Of 1929", gibt es leider nur auf einer DVD-R, von Warner-Brothers-Archive und wartet noch auf ein gepresstes Medium. Drei Trailer fehlen mir noch "Swiss Miss" (habe ich leider nur mit Eingangskommentar und mittelmäßiger Bildqualität), "The Bohemian Girl" und "Block-Heads". Wäre Wünschenswert wenn sich ein Label dieser Filme und Trailer noch annimmt.. Fazit: Tolles 6-DVD-Set, das von mir 5 Sterne bekommen hätte, wenn man die Bildqualität nicht so übertrieben bearbeitet hätte. Wie heißt es so schön: Weniger ist oft mehr...

1st things 1st 4get the other reviews I imported these from USA took 20 odd day and boy was they worth the wait ive only watch way out west and the picture is fantastic 2 say it was done in 1930s give or take the remaster is perfect if they done more id buy them all they really r top quality there shoot in 35mm so it's where u get 2 black bars going down side but come on its the greatest double act of the 1930 on wards u buy these u will love l&h 4 ever