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4K UHD Review: COLUMBIA CLASSICS 4K ULTRA HD COLLECTION VOLUME 4

Feb 19 Posted by in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

For its new Limited Edition Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4, Sony brings 6 more films (His Girl Friday (1940), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Starman (1984), Sleepless in Seattle (1993) & Punch-Drunk Love (2002)) to 4K disc for the very first time in a deluxe new limited edition collection. This time around, the films share the common theme of Love.

While the individual films are not currently available as separate releases outside of this premium box set, each movie is packed in its own separate 4K keepcase, so we have posted separate detailed reviews of each title. In this review, we will give a general overview of each movie and more details of the packaging as a whole, but for more detailed reviews of each film, check out the individual reviews here:

 

His Girl Friday (1940)

The 1940 screwball comedy His Girl Friday was directed by Howard Hawks, and is based on the hit Broadway play “The Front Page” by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur.

Walter Burns (Cary Grant) is the charming, fast-talking editor of the Morning Post who will do and say anything to get a story. His desire to always put the headline first is what ultimately led to the demise of his marriage to his ace reporter Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell), missing their honeymoon to cover a story about a cave-in. Hildy has just returned to New York City with some news for Walter. She has met insurance salesman Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy), and the two are engaged. She is quitting the newspaper business and will be heading out on a train to Albany in the evening to get married. Walter never stopped loving Hildy, and can’t believe someone like her could ever give up the thrill of chasing headlines to be a housewife. He is determined to get her back (both as a reporter and as his wife), and so he insists on meeting her future husband, and uses his cunning tactics to try to delay their trip.

Meanwhile, Walter plans to show Hildy how much she’d miss the newspaper game by getting her help to write a major news story. The city has a big election coming up, and the Mayor (Clarence Kolb) and Sheriff Hartwell (Gene Lockhart) plan to execute cop killer Earl Williams (John Qualen) as a way to win over the public’s favor. However, Williams claims that he wasn’t in his right mind at the time, and is hoping for another reprieve from the Governor, but the Mayor has already lined up Dr. Egelhoffer (Edwin Maxwell) to provide a statement saying that Williams is sane enough to be hanged. While Hildy eventually agrees to interview Williams and write up the story, that doesn’t change the fact that she still plans to marry Bruce. However, an exciting jailbreak may just be enough to remind her how much she loves this life.
 

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)

Just 10 days ago, 23-year-old Joey Drayton (Katharine Houghton) met 37-year-old Dr. John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) in Hawaii, and the two have been inseparable ever since. In fact, Joey knew that she was in love just 20 minutes after meeting John. The couple plans to get married in a week, and Joey is eager for John to meet her parents first, so they decide to surprise them with a visit. However, the engagement isn’t the biggest shocker of their relationship…it’s that John is Black. Joey’s parents are quite liberal people—her father Matt (Spencer Tracy) owns The Guardian newspaper, and her mother Christina (Katharine Hepburn) runs an art gallery—and so she ensures John that they won’t have any issues with their interracial relationship, but John isn’t so sure. In fact, he hasn’t even told his own parents yet.

The Draytons are quite surprised by the news—it’s clear from their faces, but they bite their lips and initially hold off saying anything. In private, John tells Matt that he will only go through with the wedding if he has his blessing. However, Matt only has a few hours to make his decision, before the couple heads off to get married in Geneva, where John will be doing a 3-month stint with the World Health Organization. Matt feels ambushed and pressured to accept this union. He loves his daughter and wants her to be happy, but he is worried about the hardships she and her future children would face as part of an interracial couple. And to make the situation even more complicated, John’s parents (Beah Richards, Roy E. Glenn Sr.), are also on their way over for dinner, and they are about to be surprised with the news as well.
 

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman) is a work-obsessed Manhattan advertising executive whose career is looking up—he has just been assigned to a major account. He comes home to share the exciting news with his wife of 8 years, Joanna (Meryl Streep), but is shocked to find her holding a packed bag. She announces that she is unhappy and leaving him, and walks out the door. Kramer had been too busy with work to be a present father for 6-year-old son Billy (Justin Henry), but now he’s got to quickly learn some parenting skills as he tries to balance his career with caring for his son alone. While he does get some help from neighbor Margaret (Jane Alexander), Ted’s job performance starts to suffer. However, he’s started to realize that being a present father for his son is more important than any job. When his now ex-wife re-enters the picture, looking to obtain custody of their son, Kramer must fight to keep Billy. He has formed a bond with his son over the past 18 months and can’t imagine his life without him.
 

Starman (1984) / Starman (1986-87, 22 episodes)

On August 20, 1977, the U.S. launched the Voyager II probe into space, containing audio and video recordings inviting other intelligent species in the universe to visit the planet Earth…and now one has taken them up on this offer. However, when NORAD sees a ship on its radar, they assume it’s some sort of Soviet weapon, and send an Air Force squadron to shoot it down. The alien ship crash lands in Northern Wisconsin, where a glowing blue light exits the wreckage and finds its way to a cabin across the lake.

Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen) is watching old home movies and crying over old photos of her recently deceased husband, Scott. As she heads to bed, the alien presence starts to scan the videos, and gathers DNA samples from a lock of Scott’s hair in a photo album. It uses this data to form a new human body, from baby to adult in a matter of minutes. As the process is happening, Jenny wakes up and doesn’t believe what she is seeing. She is now standing in front of a Starman that looks just like Scott (Jeff Bridges). However, the alien can’t really speak English or understand her, so she tries to run, but he suddenly appears by her car as she plans to drive away. The alien observes Jenny and manages to convey that he needs her to take him to Arizona. (He only has 3 days to get to crater, where a ship will take him home, otherwise he will die if he stays on Earth.)

At first Jenny feels like a hostage, and attempts several times to escape or alert the authorities. But as the pair spend time together on their road trip, the Starman learns to communicate and gathers a better understanding of Earthlings and their culture. He assures Jenny that he doesn’t want to hurt her, and she finally starts to believe it. Jenny sees that this alien creature is caring and kind, and the two of them start to fall in love—even if the alien doesn’t understand what that means, he can feel it in his human body. However, in pursuit of the alien are SETI representative Mark Shermin (Charles Martin Smith), as well as the much more sinister Federal Agent George Fox (Richard Jaeckel), who is eager to get his hands on the alien to cut it open and study it. The government has troops and helicopters out searching, and has set up road blocks along the highway. But the Starman has a few tricks and abilities up his sleeve.

In 1986, the story of Starman continued in a short-lived, single-season follow-up TV series. The series is set 15 years after the events of the film. Jenny Hayden’s 14-year-old son Scott (Christopher Daniel Barnes) is living in an orphanage in Seattle after his step-parents were killed in a firey car crash—one that he miraculously managed to walk away from unscathed. Jenny had left her son in the care of others when Scott was just 3 years old, and disappeared, saying that it was too dangerous for her to be around him. Scott doesn’t know anything about his father, and just has a mysterious metal sphere his mother told him his father had left for him. One night Scott is holding the sphere while he’s having a nightmare about the accident, and the ball begins to glow, which alerts the Starman with a call for help.

As his spaceship arrives on the planet, the Starman comes across a snowy crash site and the deceased body of adventure photographer Paul Forrester (Robert Hays), whose helicopter crashed when he got too close to an active volcano while trying to get the perfect shot. The alien clones Paul’s body from the dripping blood, and assumes Paul’s identity as he heads to the source of the sphere’s distress call. However, he’s surprised to find Scott and not Jenny. He tries to explain to Scott that he’s his father, but Scott wants none of it. Paul eventually manages to convince Scott that he’s telling the truth, and the pair head off on a journey to find Jenny, traveling from place to place, helping people in need at each new location, and getting into trouble along the way as ghosts from Paul Forrester’s reckless past come back to haunt them. Along the journey, Scott helps Paul learn more about what it’s like to be human—much like Jenny did for him in the film—and Paul learns more about what it’s like to be a father of a teenager.

Meanwhile, FSA Agent George Fox (Michael Cavanaugh) had been watching Jenny and her son for the first 3 years of Scott’s life, and he even took a blood sample from the boy to try to prove his father was an alien. However, when Jenny disappeared, he lost track of them and had been desperately searching for proof of the alien for the past 11 years. When one of Paul Forrester’s reporter friends contacts the police about his mysterious survival from the volcano, this alerts Fox, who is now back on the case and more determined than ever to capture Scott and his alien father, along with the help of his sidekick, FSA Agent Wiley (Patrick Culliton). He is constantly hot on their tail as Scott and Paul head out on their quest.
 

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

It’s been 15 months since Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) lost his wife to cancer and moved from Chicago to Seattle in hopes of getting away from all the things that remind him of his lost love. But Sam is still sad and grieving, and hasn’t gotten back into dating. Sam’s 8-year-old son, Jonah (Ross Malinger) has noticed this, and on Christmas Eve, he calls into a radio chat show for advice, telling Dr. Marcia Fieldstone (Caroline Aaron) that his Christmas wish is for his father to find a new wife. Sam reluctantly gets on the line, and has a deep discussion with Dr. Marcia about how he has trouble sleeping, and how he still grieves for his wife. The radio host gives him the nickname “Sleepless in Seattle”, and many women start writing in, asking to go on a date with Sam. The radio station forwards these letters over to Sam, but he doesn’t want to read them, fearing these women could be psychos like in Fatal Attraction.

One of the people listening to the call is Annie Reed (Meg Ryan) in Baltimore. She’s driving to spend Christmas Eve with her fiancé Walter’s (Bill Pullman) family at the time, and is brought to tears by Sam’s story. She is engaged to a man who is very predictable and loving, but she never felt the magic both her mother and Sam speak of when they talk about finding the one. She finds herself drawn to Sam, and even writes her own letter, asking Sam to meet her on the Observation Deck of the Empire State Building at midnight on Valentine’s Day—like in her favorite romantic movie An Affair To Remember. She already has plans to spend Valentine’s Day with her fiancé in New York City, and perhaps she could get away to meet this man. While she doesn’t have the guts to mail the letter, her best friend Becky (Rosie O’Donnell) does. And when Jonah reads it, he knows that Annie is the one for his dad—but Sam refuses to go along, preferring to get back into dating the old fashioned way, by catching the eye of a stranger on the street. As Jonah continues to try to convince his father to go to NYC, Annie also continues to explore her own relationship and figure out if it’s what she really wants or if she’s just settling for something safe, and if the world is giving her signs to go after the “magic”, which may lie with Sleepless in Seattle. Will these two people who seem destined to meet ever do so?!

 

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) is a socially-awkward, lonely man, who hates himself, and often cries for no reason. He doesn’t really know how other people act or what’s considered normal. He grew up with seven sisters, all of whom tend to pick on him and harass him about coming out of his shell. Barry tends to get fixated and distracted by things. The latest of which are a mysterious harmonium that was left on the street outside his business, and a loophole in a Healthy Choice free airmiles promotion that has him amassing loads of pudding, even though he has never even flown on an airplane before. He has also just purchased a blue suit out of the blue—none of the other characters know why since he has never shown up to work in a suit before—and he ends up wearing this every day, for the entirety of the film.

Barry doesn’t really have anyone to talk to about his problems, so one evening he decides to call a phone-sex line to vent his frustrations. However, when the operator hears that he owns his own business, she smells a whale, and starts calling him at home and at work, threatening him and demanding that he send her more money. Meanwhile, Barry’s sister tries to set him up with her coworker/friend, Lena Leonard (Emily Watson). At first Barry is very much against the idea, until he meets Lena, and the two almost immediately fall in love. However, this new romance is threatened and Lena is put in danger as the people behind the phone sex continue to increase the pressure and threats, with unscrupulous owner, mattress salesmen Dean Trumbell (Philip Seymour Hoffman), even sending a team of grunts to forcefully collect. Can Barry find a way to regain control of his life before everything completely spirals out of control?

Sony’s new Limited Edition Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4 comes in a deluxe package similar to the previous three volumes. All 6 films are packaged in their own individual 4K keepcases, each covered by a nice cardboard slipcover. The sturdy outer package unfolds at the center to reveal 3 of these cases stored on either side. There is also an insert containing 6 separate codes to redeem for Movies Anywhere-compatible 4K digital copies of each film. In the top/back of the outer packaging is a slot holding a beautiful, 80-page full-color hardcover book containing photos, articles and details about each film, its cast, the production, the 4K restoration process, and more. This is truly a beautiful set!

The bonus material for each film is detailed below. While most of the movies include at least some material that had not been previously released, some of the films do not. Starman even includes the delightful complete follow-up TV series in HD for the first time as an exclusive bonus for this set! Most of the films look and sound great, sporting excellent new Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos options. More specifics on the presentation of each film can be found in the individual reviews.







What’s Included:

Films:

      • His Girl Friday (1:31:57)
          4K UHD:

          • 2160p / Full Frame 1.33:1 / Black & White
          • Dolby Vision / HDR10
          • English Mono DTS-HD Master Audio, German Mono DTS-HD Master Audio, Italian Mono DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Castilian) Mono DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Latin American) Mono DTS-HD Master Audio
          • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Arabic, Chinese Traditional, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai, Turkish

          Blu-ray:

          • 1080p / Full Frame 1.33:1 / Black & White
          • English Mono DTS-HD Master Audio, German Mono DTS-HD Master Audio, Italian Mono DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Castilian) Mono DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Latin American) Mono DTS-HD Master Audio
          • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Arabic, Chinese Traditional, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai, Turkish
      • Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1:48:08)
          4K UHD:

          • 2160p / Widescreen 1.85:1
          • Dolby Vision / HDR10
          • English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Mono DTS-HD Master Audio, French Mono Dolby Digital, German Mono Dolby Digital, Italian Mono Dolby Digital, Spanish (Castilian) Mono Dolby Digital, Spanish (Latin American) Mono Dolby Digital
          • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Arabic, Chinese Traditional, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai, Turkish

          Blu-ray:

          • 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
          • English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 3.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, French Mono, Spanish Mono
          • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
      • Kramer vs. Kramer (1:44:48)
          4K UHD:

          • 2160p / Widescreen 1.85:1
          • Dolby Vision / HDR10
          • English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Mono DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, German 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Italian 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Castilian) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish (Latin American) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Thai 5.1 Dolby Digital, Turkish 5.1 Dolby Digital
          • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai, Turkish

          Blu-ray:

          • 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
          • English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby TrueHD
          • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
      • Starman (Film: 1:54:58, TV Series: 17:34:47)
          4K UHD:

          • 2160p / Widescreen 2.39:1
          • Dolby Vision / HDR10
          • English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, German 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Italian 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Castilian) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish (Latin American) Mono Dolby Digital
          • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai, Turkish

          Blu-ray:

          • 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
          • English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, German 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Italian 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Castilian) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish (Latin American) Mono Dolby Digital
          • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai, Turkish

          4K UHD (TV Series):

          • The complete 1986-1987 22-episode follow-up series, HD episodes included on 4K UHD discs for maximum space
            Disc 1: (8:47:18) “The Return”, “Like Father, Like Son”, “Fatal Flaw”, “Blue Lights”, “Best Buddies”, “Secrets”, “One for the Road”, “Peregrine”, “Society’s Pet”, “Fever”, “The Gift”
            Disc 2: (8:47:29) “The System”, “Appearances”, “The Probe”, “Dusty”, “Barriers”, “Grifters”, “The Wedding”, “Fathers and Sons”, “Starscape Part I”, “Starscape Part II”, “The Test”
          • 1080p / Full Frame 1.33:1
          • English DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo
          • Subtitles: English SDH, French, German
      • Sleepless in Seattle (1:45:06)
          4K UHD:

          • 2160p / Widescreen 1.85:1
          • Dolby Vision / HDR10
          • English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, French (Parisian) 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, French (Québécois) 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, German 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, Italian 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Castilian) 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Latin American) Dolby Surround, Thai Mono DTS-HD Master Audio, Turkish Mono DTS-HD Master Audio
          • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai, Turkish

          Blu-ray:

          • 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
          • English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, French (Parisian) Dolby Surround, French (Québécois) Dolby Surround, German Dolby Surround, Italian Dolby Surround, Korean Mono, Spanish Dolby Surround, Thai Mono, Turkish Mono
          • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish
      • Punch-Drunk Love (1:35:07)
          4K UHD:

          • 2160p / Widescreen 2.40:1
          • Dolby Vision / HDR10
          • English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, German 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Italian 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Castilian) 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Latin American) 5.1 Dolby Digital
          • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Arabic, Chinese Traditional, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai, Turkish

          Blu-ray:

          • 1080p / Widescreen 2.40:1
          • English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, German 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Italian 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish (Castilian) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish (Latin American) 5.1 Dolby Digital
          • Subtitles: English, English SDH, Arabic, Chinese Traditional, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai, Turkish

       

      Extras:
      The majority of the bonus material can only be found on the Blu-ray discs, unless otherwise noted below. Items new to this release are also noted.

      • His Girl Friday
        All bonus material can only be found on the Blu-ray disc.

        • Screwball Style: The Iconic Costumes of Robert Kalloch (16:17)
          In this brand new featurette, author/film historian Kimberly Truhler discusses the career of costume designer Robert Kalloh, who became the head of the department at Columbia Pictures. Includes clips and production photos.
        • Breaking the Speed Barrier: The Dialogue of His Girl Friday (12:39)
          In this brand new featurette, author/film historian Jeremy Arnold discusses how the idea for making the character of Hildy into a woman came about, the film’s rapid pace and dialogue, the overlapping dialogue, the lack of music, the physical comedy, casting Rosalind Russell, the use of improv, the challenges for the sound department, and more.
        • Lighting Up with Hildy Johnson Hosted by Film Scholar David Bordwell (25:04)
          In this featurette originally created for Criterion’s 2017 Blu-ray, film scholar David Bordwell talks about director Howard Hawks and his approach to character and dialogue, and demonstrates how His Girl Friday is a prime example of classical filmmaking and editing techniques.
        • Audio Commentary Featuring Film Critic and Author Todd McCarthy 1:31:57)
          Originally recorded for Sony’s 2000 Columbia Classics DVD release, Todd McCarthy, Variety film critic/author (“Howard Hawks: The Grey Fox of Hollywood”), provides an interesting and informative commentary, delving into the history of the film, filmmakers, and industry as a whole.
        • Ben Hecht (25:43)
          In this featurette originally created for Criterion’s 2017 Blu-ray, Ben Hecht expert David Brendel delves into the life of the journalist/writer.
        • On Assignment: His Girl Friday (8:46)
          Author David Thomson (“The Biographical Dictionary of Film”) and film critic/author Molly Haskell, discuss the film and its themes, the director, the cast, the dialogue, and more. Presented in 4:3 format.
        • Cary Grant: Making Headlines (4:51)
          Narrated featurette on the life and career of actor Cary Grant. Presented in 4:3 format.
        • Rosalind Russell: The Inside Scoop (3:09)
          Narrated featurette on the life and career of actress Rosalind Russell. Presented in 4:3 format.
        • Howard Hawks: Reporter’s Notebook (3:17)
          Narrated featurette on the life and career of director Howard Hawks. Also includes interviews with author Todd McCarthy (“Howard Hawks: The Grey Fox of Hollywood”). Presented in 4:3 format.
        • The Funny Pages (3:23)
          Narrated featurette on the origins of the film and its dialogue. Presented in 4:3 format.
        • Vintage Advertising (:56)
          Slideshow of advertising artwork that advances every 5 seconds.
        • Theatrical Trailer (2:50)
        • Re-Release Trailer (1:22)
  • Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner
    No new material has been created for this release—all of this previously appeared on the Twilight Time’s 2015 Blu-ray release. Missing from that release is an Isolated Score track.

      4k UHD:

      • Commentary with Film Historians Eddy Friedfeld, Lee Pfeiffer and Paul Scrabo (1:48:08)
        Lee Pfeiffer (editor in chief of Cinema Retro magazine), video engineer Paul Scrabo, and writer/historian/film professor Eddy Friedfeld discuss the film, its dialogue, the partnership between director Stanley Kramer and writer William Rose and how their stories unfold in a single day, and more. The participants provide an entertaining and informative commentary, sharing lots of factoids and thoughts about the film and the production.
      • Theatrical Teaser (1:04)

      Blu-ray:

      • Introductions (9:39)
        To celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary, various celebs offer their own thoughts on Stanley Kramer and his commitment towards social change. Play All, or select from:

        • Introduction by Steven Spielberg (1:08)
        • A Message from Quincy Jones (2:53)
        • Introduction to the Film by Karen Kramer (2:50)
        • Introduction by Tom Brokaw (2:47)
      • A Love Story of Today (29:53)
        Originally produced in 2004, this featurette is a discussion about the themes of the movie, how it came about, the cast, the challenges of making the controversial film, and more. Includes interviews with Stanley Kramer (archival), Karen Kramer, filmmakers Norman Jewison & Garry Marshall, Sidney Poitier’s agent Martin Baum, actress Katherine Houghton (“Joey Drayton”), editor Robert Jones, script supervisor Marshall Schlom, film critic Joe Morgenstern (The Wall Street Journal), author/educator Salome Thomas-El, actor Louis Gossett Jr., and actor Will Mead aka Skip Martin (“Delivery Boy”).
      • A Special Kind of Love (17:15)
        In this continuation of the previous featurette, the participants talk about working with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey, Tracey’s health issues, the lasting effects of the movie, and more. Includes interviews with Stanley Kramer (archival), Katherine Hepburn (archival audio), Karen Kramer, stars Katherine Houghton (who does a fun impression of her aunt) & Will Mead, editor Robert Jones, script supervisor Marshall Schlom, author/educator Salome Thomas-El, and film critic Joe Morgenstern.
      • Stanley Kramer: A Man’s Search for Truth (16:56)
        Originally produced in 2004, a look at the life and career of Stanley Kramer and his constant search for answers, conveying messages, and tackling huge topics. Includes interviews with Stanley Kramer (archival), Karen Kramer, filmmakers Norman Jewison, Dennis Hopper, Gary Marshall & Taylor Hackfield, actors Dick Van Dyke, Beau Bridges, Alec Baldwin & Louis Gossett Jr., and script supervisor Marshall Schlom.
      • Stanley Kramer Accepts the Irving Thalberg Award (2:03)
      • 2007 Producers Guild “Stanley Kramer” Award Presentation to Al Gore (4:38)
        Karen Kramer provides and introduction to Al Gore accepting the award for An Inconvenient Truth.
      • Photo Gallery (4:10)
        Production photo slideshow auto advances every 5 seconds.
      • Theatrical Trailer (2:37)
  • Kramer vs. Kramer
    All bonus material can only be found on the Blu-ray discs, which appears to be identical to Sony’s 2009 release.

      4k UHD:

      • Commentary ith Film Professor Jennine Lanouette (1:44:49)
        A new commentary provided by professor Jennine Lanouette, who teaches screenwriting/screenwriting analysis. I found this commentary to be quite slow and not very informative out of the gate, with Lanouette pretty much just stating the obvious of what’s happening on screen, with lots of pauses and dead air. These academic commentaries are usually filled with interesting trivia and factoids, but I found this one to be generally bland and not worth the time.
      • Deleted Scenes (6:21)
        Collection of 5 never-before-seen deleted scenes sourced from the Columbia Pictures archive. They are presented in full frame black and white. The original audio could not be located, so they are presented with light environmental audio (such as chatter in the school hallway) and subtitles from the film’s screenplay. Play All, or select from:

        • Joanna’s Bathroom Cabinet (:34)
          Joanna goes through the bathroom cabinet grabbing some perfume and a toothbrush.
        • Joanna Makes a List (1:34)
          Joanna sits at the table smoking and drinking wine while making a list on the back of an envelope.
        • Margaret Calls Ted (1:31)
          Margaret holds her daughter while calling Ted from a pay phone at the school to ask when he’s coming to pick up Billy.
        • Conversation at the Park (2:04)
          Ted is teaching Billy how to ride his bike in the park when he runs off. Another “Saturday Father” offers advice on how to kill time with his kid.
        • Finding Billy (:45)
          In the park, Billy runs away from his father towards a woman that looks like his mother.
      • Featurettes (10:56)
        Clips from a post-screening Q&A with writer/director Robert Benton and star Justin Henry (“Billy”). Play All, or select from:

        • Robert Benton on Acting (2:41)
          Robert Benton talks about how he passed his direction of Justin through Dustin so that Justin would feel like it was coming from his father. He also talks about filming the ice cream fight scene between Billy and Ted.
        • Justin Henry on Acting (2:45)
          Justin Henry talks about how he got cast for the film, and the acting process.
        • Mothers and Daughters (2:45)
          Melissa Morell, who played Jane Alexander’s daughter Kim, asks if there were any casting changes in the film. Robert Benton mentions that there was a different well-known actress originally cast as Margaret but she froze up while filming one of the scenes.
        • Points of Pride (3:00)
          Robert Benton talks about the scenes that stood out to him.
      • Theatrical Trailer (1:39)

      Blu-ray:

      • Making of Kramer vs Kramer (48:44)
        The cast and crew talk about signing a disinterested Dustin Hoffman onto the project, rewriting the script based on Dustin’s own experiences, casting a busy Meryl Streep, casting the son, the relationship between Justin and Dustin, creating scenes based on truth, improvisation, making Justin cry on set, filming the glass break, the trial speech, reshooting the ending, the response to the film, and more. Includes clips, behind-the-scenes photos, and interviews with producer Stanley Jaffe, screenwriter/director Robert Benton, author Avery Corman, and stars Dustin Hoffman (“Ted Kramer”), Meryl Streep (“Joanna Kramer”), Justin Henry (“Billy Kramer”) & Jane Alexander (“Margaret Phelps”). Presented in full frame format.
      • Previews
        Trailers for “Blu-ray DiscTM is High Definition!” and Stranger than Fiction.
  • Starman
    All bonus material can only be found on the feature Blu-ray disc.

    • Deleted Scenes (18:19)
      Collection of 21 new, never-before-seen deleted scenes. They are presented in their original aspect ratio and the picture quality is quite good, but dirt and specs still remain. Play All, or select from:

      • Sleeping Pills (1:45)
      • Self-Discovery (1:30)
      • “We Must Go” (:43)
      • SAC Alert (:37)
      • Positive Identification (2:35)
      • House of God (1:31)
      • The Cloning Question (:43)
      • “You Could Take the Car” (:33)
      • A Theory (1:09)
      • Happy Pills (:26)
      • Mating Ritual (:57)
      • Learning to Dance (2:14)
      • Vending Machine (:32)
      • CB Warning (:31)
      • ID Verification (:19)
      • “We Want Him Aive” (:30)
      • Fugitives (:33)
      • Colorful Language (:14)
      • “Keep Her at 60” (:26)
      • “Little Bit Tired” (:43)
      • “Take ‘Em Out” (:32)
    • Behind-the-Scenes Time Lapses
      Two brand new time lapse videos of behind-the-scenes footage. There is no audio, but the clips are accompanied by a score. Select from:

      • The Light at the Window (4:58)
      • Pep Rally Prep (4:46)
    • They Came from Hollywood: Revisiting Starman (23:23)
      The cast and crew talk about the story, casting the movie, the alien’s movement, working with Karen Allen, the filming locations, the lighting and night shoots, trying to blow up a forest in the rain, the spacecraft, the score, and more. Originally produced for Scream Factory’s 2018 Blu-ray release. Includes behind-the-scenes photos, and interviews with director John Carpenter, script supervisor Sandy King-Carpenter, and stars Charles Martin Smith (“Mark Shermin”) & Jeff Bridges (“Starman”).
    • Commentary with Director John Carpenter and Actor Jeff Bridges (1:54:58)
      Director John Carpenter and star Jeff Bridges provide a thoroughly entertaining and interesting commentary, originally recorded sometime around the year 2000. They discuss the story, talk about the special effects, share lots of fun behind-the-scenes stories about the production and other projects they’ve worked on, and more.
    • Making-Of Featurette (11:24)
      This vintage promotional EPK featurette from 1984 includes clips, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director John Carpenter and stars Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen & Charles Martin Smith. Presented in 4:3 full frame format.
    • “All I Have to Do Is Dream” Music Video (3:59)
      Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen since “All I Have to Do Is Dream” in a recording booth, intercut with clips from the film. Presented in 4:3 full frame format.
    • Still Gallery (5:44)
      Slideshow of international posters and promotional artwork that auto-advances every 7 seconds.
    • Theatrical Trailer (2:09)
  • Sleepless in Seattle
    All bonus material can only be found on the Blu-ray disc.

    • A Conversation on Sleepless in Seattle with Gary Foster and Meg Ryan (3:36)
      In this new featurette, originally filmed in 2018, producer Gary Foster and star Meg Ryan (“Annie Reed”) sit own together in New York to discuss filming the last shot in New York City, working with Norah Ephron, working with Tom Hanks, and why the film still resonates with audiences 25 years later.
    • Love in the Movies (13:09)
      In this vintage featurette, the cast and crew discuss how love is depicted in the movies, using movie references within the movie, their own experiences falling in love, and more. Includes interviews with associate producer/writer Delia Ephron, Empire State Building historian Lydia Ruth, director/writer Nora Ephron, Dr. Drew Pinsky & Adam Carolla (Loveline), producers Lydia Obst & Gary Foster, and stars Meg Ryan & Tom Hanks (“Sam”). Presented in 4:3 format.
    • Deleted Scenes (6:07)
      Collection of 4 deleted scenes. Play All, or select from:

      • Opening Gifts (2:32)
        Jonah and Sam open their Christmas gifts.
      • Guest at the Door (2:25)
        Sam and Jonah are singing Christmas carols when some young radio show fans knock at their door.
      • Fishing (:53)
        Sam and Jonah discuss the previous night’s radio show appearance while fishing.
      • Airport (:27)
        Sam tries to get a plane ticket to NYC.
    • 30th Anniversary Commentary with Karen Han and David Sims (1:45:06)
      In this brand new commentary track, critics Karen Han (culture writer/screenwriter) & David Sims (staff writer/critic, The Atlantic) discuss the film on its 30th anniversary. They talk about the rom-com genre in general, the evolution of the film, the themes of the movie, the cast, and more. Overall it’s a lively and fun discussion.
    • Nora and Delia Ephron Commentary (1:45:06)
      Originally recorded for the DVD release, director/writer Nora Ephron and her sister associate producer/writer Delia Ephron provide an informative commentary, talking about the evolution of the script, the music, the cast, and more. They share many behind-the-scenes stories and factoids about the production.
    • “When I Fall in Love” Music Video (4:21)
      Clive Griffin and Celine Dion sing “When I Fall in Love”, along with clips from the film. Presented in 4:3 format.
    • Theatrical Trailer (2:31)
  • Punch-Drunk Love
    All bonus material can only be found on the Blu-ray disc. There was no new material created for this release, and some of the material from the 2016 Criterion Blu-ray has not been carried over.

    • Deleted Scenes (10:36)
      Three deleted scenes. The first two are presented in 4:3 letterbox frmat, and the last in full frame format. Play All, or select from:

      • The Sisters Call (7:21)
        Alternate/extended version of the various sisters calling Barry to see if he’s coming to the party.
      • Are You From California? (2:26)
        Barry gets the money from the ATM and asks the brothers what he should do and where they are from.
      • Mattress Man Commercial (:56)
        Dean films a TV ad for the mattress store.
    • Blossoms and Blood (12:03)
      Originally produced in 2002, includes clips from the film and music by Jon Brion. I’m not really sure what the purpose of this is. Presented in 4:3 letterbox format.
    • Jon Brion Featurette (27:19)
      Originally created for the Criterion release in 2016, composer Jon Brion talks about how the music was integrated early on in and throughout the filmmaking process, the harmonium that appears in the movie and how it was an analogy of what’s happening in the story, designing the film’s score, and more.
    • Recording Session (9:55)
      Footage from the scoring sessions at Abbey Road Studios in December 2001. Presented in 4:3 format.
    • Scopitones (6:26)
      Collection of 12 scopitones, short montages of clips, music and colorful animation. Play All, or select from:

      • First (:21)
      • Harp Finger (:15)
      • Punchy Doorbell (:23)
      • Mysterio (:24)
      • Boy Businessman (:18)
      • Healthy Choice (:23)
      • He Needs Me (:46)
      • Lena (:17)
      • Come and Get Me (:36)
      • Exit Love Story (:27)
      • Sissy Lake’s Love (1:27)
      • Waimanalo Walk (1:17)
    • Additional Artwork (2:41)
      Montage of artwork set to “I’ve Gone Native Now” by Annie Kerr.
    • Trailers (3:28)
      Play All, or select from:

      • Theatrical Trailer (2:26)
      • International Trailer (1:02)



Final Thoughts:

My Rating
Films:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Highly Recommended

Sony has put together another amazing set for its latest volume of the Limited Edition Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection, bringing together 6 more love-themed films to 4K disc for the first time. The new audio and video transfers generally look very good, and there is some brand new bonus material included for most of the movies. My favorite is the inclusion of the complete Starman TV series in HD for the first time. The packaging for this set is high quality and looks beautiful, and will make a handsome addition to any shelf along with the previous 3 volumes. More details on the individual titles can be found in the separate reviews linked at the top, but this collection is definitely worth picking up for film fans.



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