Christmas came early this year from Fox Home Entertainment, with the release of Miracle On 34th Street and the 1994 John Hughes remake of Miracle On 34th Street on October 6th, 2009.
The movie is a classic Christmas story, where the Kris Kringle character claims to be the real Santa Claus and faces a court case to prove that he is not.
This heartwarming story is set in New York and strongly features the Macy’s store and the Macy’s Christmas Parade, filmed just a couple of years after the end of World War II.
The movie was also nominated for Best Picture and won Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Writing – Original Story and Best Writing – Screenplay.
The cast includes Maureen O’Hara, Edmund Gwenn, John Payne, Gene Lockhart, Natalie Wood and William Frawley.
The remake features Richard Attenborough, Mara Wilson, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott and J.T. Walsh.
< fef
em>Miracle On 34th Street was directed by George Seaton while the remake was directed by Les Mayfield.
The original movie is very well received by critics – it earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 97% and IMDb score of 8/10.
The remake has a middle of the road assessment, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 57% and an IMDb score of 6/10.
The video on the disc is an AVC 1080p black and white encode at 22.5 Mbps, and is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1.
Sadly there are no miracles when it comes to image quality, though I am sure that this is as good as this film will ever look.
Check out the details page for Miracle On 34th Street to see full resolution PNG screen captures taken directly from the disc.
The video on the 1994 disc is also an AVC 1080p encode at 22.5 Mbps, though is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
This one also has a soft look about it, though I imagine it was the directors intent.
Again full resolution PNG screen captures taken directly from the disc can be seen at the details page for Miracle On 34th Street.
The main audio on each release is lossless DTS-HD Master Audio with 5.1 channels – 24 bits resolution at 48 kHz.
The discs are both single layer BD25, with around 24 GB used and are coded for All Regions.
While the remake does not have any supplemental features, the original movie comes with a selection of extras.
The audio commentary on the disc is with Maureen O’Hara, who plays the role of Doris Walker in the movie.
The history of the film is presented in the 22 minute AMC Backstory documentary for Miracle on 34th Street is included, as is an original Movietone News: Hollywood Spotlight from back in the 1940’s showing Edmund Gwenn receive his Oscar for the role of Kris Kringle.
A recently produced segment that runs 15 minutes, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Floating in History notes the importance of the parade in the movie and offers a lot of insight into the history of the movie and the shoot for the 1946 Parade and in the Macy’s store that featured in the film.
The disc also includes a Poster Gallery and a 5 minute Promotional Short from the original release time frame.
Miracle On 34th Street is a great story and a Christmas classic, and the Blu-ray Disc release from Fox Home Entertainment is no doubt as good a presentation as you will ever see.
This classic movie stands up well to multiple viewings and is no doubt a great choice for the Holiday Season.
The retail price is $34.99, or order it right now at Amazon for $21.99, saving 37%, or the 1994 edition at Amazon for $20.99, saving 40%.
Extras:
Audio Commentary by Maureen O’Hara
AMC Back story Miracle on 34th Street
Movietone News: Hollywood Spotlight
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade:
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Floating in History
Promotional Short
Poster Gallery
Synopsis:
Miracle On 34th Street is an irresistible fable that has, for many years, become synonymous with celebrating Christmas. And now this three-time Oscar winning tale is as colorful and resplendent as the holiday itself in an all-new, colorized Blu-ray version that’s sure to delight fans old and new! The holiday season is in full swing when a cultured gentleman with twinkling eyes, an ample belly, and a snowy beard (Edmund Gwenn) is hired as Macy’s department store Santa. He claims his name is Kris Kringle, and soon fills everyone with Christmas spirit….except for his boss, Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara), who’s raising her daughter (Natalie Wood) to not believe in Santa. But when Kringle is declared insane, and put on trail, everyone’s faith is put to the test as young and old alike face the age-old question. Do you believe in Santa Claus?
Synopsis:
In this modern update of the beloved 1947 film classic, six-year-old Susan has doubts about childhood’s most enduring miracle – Santa Claus. But after meeting a special department store Santa who’s convinced he’s the real thing, Susan is given the most precious gift of all – something to believe in. Starring Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott and Mara Wilson as Susan, this uplifting and joyous film will make believers out of the entire family.
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