Columbia Classics Volume 4 4K UHD Review
6 more classics.
In the 4th volume of the Columbia Classics Collection, the general theme of the six films included here is romance with the titles “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner,” “Punch-Drunk Love,” “Kramer Vs. Kramer,” “Sleepless In Seattle,” “His Girl Friday” and “Starman.” Let me break down the six films for you.
1967’s “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” is very much a product of its time, but it remains an important film about race and interracial relationships. The story concerns a young woman (Joey) introducing her soon to be African American husband (Dr. John Prentice) to her family. The Stanley Kramer directed film is perhaps most noteworthy for being an acting powerhouse that features cinematic legends Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn and Katharine Houghton.
“Punch-Drunk Love” is the strangest film on this set, but it also just might be the best. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, this unusual romantic comedy revolves around the anxious, lonely, and socially awkward Barry Egan who meets a woman (Lena) that he falls for. Unfortunately, his romance becomes complicated by a phone sex line scam. It’s not often you see a movie that contains plot points about pudding cups and a Harmonium, but ‘Punch’ pulls it off. It’s a very emotionally complex movie (much like the character of Barry) that features a career best performance from Adam Sandler.
The Best Picture winning “Kramer Vs. Kramer” is the story of love lost. It’s the story of a divorce between Ted and Joanna, a custody battle for their young son, and the struggles of balancing work life and home life. It’s a thoughtful adult drama that features excellent acting across the board from Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep especially.
“Sleepless In Seattle” is the best of the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan romantic comedies. It’s a sweet story of the son (Jonah) of a widowed father (Sam) calling in to a radio show with the hope that his father can find love again. Annie hears this story and becomes infatuated with Sam. Will they meet? Will they fall in love? It may be schmaltzy, but the cast (Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Ross Malinger, Rita Wilson, and Rosie O’Donnell) really sell it. It’s pure Nora Ephron, but it’s also a love letter to cinematic romantic comedies.
While undoubtedly made due to the success of “E.T.,” John Carpenter’s underrated “Starman” is very much its own movie. The plot involves an alien who takes the human form of an Earth woman’s (Jenny) deceased husband. Despite being freaked out, Jenny begins to bond with the alien as he tries to rush to an alien rendezvous all while evading Government agents. While there are exciting moments to be sure, “Starman” is a heartfelt sci-fi romantic story that is strengthened by the lead performances of Karen Allen and especially Jeff Bridges (who gives one of the all-time best alien performances).
Based on “The Front Page” stage play, 1940’s “His Girl Friday” is a Howard Hawks directed screwball comedy about a reporter (Hildy) and her husband (newspaper editor Walter). The couple may be divorcing as Hildy is set to marry someone else, but Walter is fighting to win her back. It’s a very stagy comedy that features lightning fast dialogue (think “Gilmore Girls”) which may be grating to some, but there’s no denying that the chemistry between leads Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell is fun to watch.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p (‘Kramer,’ ‘Guess,’ and ‘Sleepless’), 2.39:1 2160p (“Starman”), 1.33:1 2160p (“His Girl Friday”) and 2.35:1 2160p ‘Punch’). How do the films look? ‘Kramer,’ Guess,’ Friday,’ and ‘Starman” have all been restored from the original camera negative and are presented with Dolby Vision. ‘Sleepless’ and ‘Punch’ are presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision. Every print here is exquisite. The colors of ‘Guess’ are noticeably richer and the “Starman” print is also dazzling.
Audio Tracks: Dolby Atmos for all the films except for “His Girl Friday” which contains a Mono DTS-HD MA track. How do the films sound? All of the tracks are clean and satisfactory with ‘Punch’ and ‘Starman’ having the most layered audio tracks.
Extras:
A hardcover book featuring photos, restoration notes and essays on each film.
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner- 1. Theatrical trailer (on the 4K and Blu-ray) 2. Commentary by film historians Eddy Friedfeld, Lee Pfeiffer, and Paul Scrabo (on the 4K). 3. Intros by Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones, Karen Kramer and Tom Brokaw. 4. Featurettes- “A Love Story Of Toad,” “A Special Kind Of Love,” and “Stanley Kramer: A Man’s Search For Truth.” 5. “Stanley Kramer Accepts The Irving Thalberg Award.” 6. “2007 Producers Guild Stanley Kramer Award Presentation To Al Gore” 7. Photo gallery
Punch-Drunk Love (Extras On The Blu-ray)- 1. 2 deleted scenes 2. Mattress Man commercial 3. “Blossoms And Blood” 4. “Jon Brion Featurette” 5. “Recording Session” 6. “Scopitones” 7. “Theatrical and international trailers 8. Additional artwork imagery
Kramer Vs. Kramer- 1. Theatrical trailer 2. 5 new deleted scenes 3. New commentary by Film Professor Jennine Lanouette 4. 4 featurettes- “Robert Benton On Acting,” “Justin Henry On Acting,” “Mothers And Daughters,” and “Points Of Pride.” 5. On The Blu-ray there is a making of featurette titled “Finding The Truth- The Making Of Kramer Vs. Kramer.
Sleepless In Seattle (Extras On The Blu-ray)- 1. “A Conversation On Sleepless In Seattle With Gary Foster And Meg Ryan” (a new bonus feature) 2. 4 deleted scenes 3. “Love In The Movies” featurette 4. New commentary by film critics Karen Han and David Sims 5. Nora and Delia Ephron commentary 6. Theatrical trailer 7. “When I Fall In Love” music video
Starman (Extras On The Blu-ray unless otherwise noted)- 1. The crown jewel of the extras here is the complete 22 episode “Starman” TV series on 2 4K discs. 2. Commentary by John Carpenter and Jeff Bridges 3. Theatrical trailer 4. Still gallery 5. 21 never before seen deleted scenes. 6. Another new extra- “Behind-The-Scenes Time Lapses” 7. “They Came From Hollywood! Remembering Starman!” featurette 8. Making of featurette 9. A music video for “All I Have To Do Is Dream”
His Girl Friday (On The Blu-ray)- 1. 2 new featurettes “Screwball Style: The Iconic Costumes Of Robert Kalloch” and “Breaking The Speed Barrier: The Dialogue Of His Girl Friday” 2. “Lighting Up With Hildy Johnson Hosted By Film Scholar David Bordwell” 3. Commentary by film critic Todd McCarthy 4. Theatrical trailer and re-release trailer 5. Vintage advertising 6. “The Funny Pages” (about the play and its film versions) 7. “Rosalind Russell: The Inside Scoop” 8. “Cary Grant: Making Headlines” 9. “Howard Hawks: Reporter’s Notebook” 10. “On Assignment: His Girl Friday” featurette 11. “Ben Hecht” (featurette on the writer of “The Front Page”)
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