Customer Reviews

A Christmas Carol (Ultimate Collector's Edition)

5 star:		(244)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I only discovered this movie about four years ago but have watched it every Christmas since. To me it's the best version of the Christmas Carol ever made, and now it gets the best treatment you could have ever hoped for. This two disc collector's edition contains two different versions of this movie. First is the colorized version, but then the second is the real treat. They went back to the original prints of this and worked from there. After carefully removing the skips, scratches, and jerky frames, they digitally restored the movie to a version that looks as if it were made yesterday! The sound has been changed to 5.1 digital surround, and there's even a widescreen version for 16:9 televisions.

The special features include an earlier version of Christmas Carol (not as good as this one), as well as several featurettes on the movie, interviews with the stars, a feature on Alistair Sim, and others.

You can tell the distributor put a lot of effort into this restoration and it shows. I wish they'd do the same for other great films like "It's a Wonderful Life" and "The Bishop's Wife".

Highly recommended as the best version of this classic you'll find anywhere.

Although this 1951 classic film takes some liberties with the Dicken's novel, it remains the film most faithful to the original story. Some of the sets and costumes were directly inspired by the memorable illustrations in the first edition of the book. Alastair Sim is very convincing as the miserly Scrooge who, after a terrifying night of ghostly visits, is transformed into a man who knows how to keep Christmas in his heart.

There have been many DVD editions of this holiday favorite in recent years, several of them from VCI Entertainment. In this package, VCI has included some things featured on previous releases (commentary, Dickens biography, etc.), but the real star of this set is the beautifully restored version of the black and white film. According to a short feature on the restoration of the film, VCI has finally been able to obtain film elements from the original master. Apparently they didn't have access to a complete master, so they used several of the best prints they could gather and digitally read them to determine which frames were the best available. The rest was cleaned up by hand. It sounds like a labor of love, and the result is visible on the screen. The restored print is available in 4x3 and 16x9 in 1:37:1 format. (According to the Amazon product description page, the aspect ratio is given as 1:87 and elsewhere as 1:33, the DVD box says 1:37.) There are a few seconds of less than pristine audio, but overall this is a gorgeous effort.

A nice touch I've never seen on a DVD before is an optional audio track for the blind, in which a narrator describes the action on the screen pausing for dialog from the actors. A wandering commentary track with Marcus Heard and George Cole (young Scrooge) is included. Much of the commentary is reprised in a feature interview by Heard in which Cole reminisces about Alastair Sim, "Spirit of Christmas Past." The audio is in English only. Subtitles are in English or Spanish.

The second disc offers the original 1935 Seymour Hicks' film version of the story. A colorized version of the 1951 film is also included on Disc 2; the brief introduction by Patrick McNee (young Marley) has been seen before on previous releases of the colorized version. There are also theatrical trailers from the UK release ("Scrooge") and the US release ("A Christmas Carol").

VCI has given us a beautiful package here. They've done a great job with the restoration of a film treasure. Many viewers will never have seen such a good print of this holiday favorite before. The bonus features are a nice inclusion, but the restoration is the real reason to get this edition. Highly recommended!

There are numerous issues and re-issues of the 1951 version of "A Christmas Carol" so why purchase this 2007 VCI release? To say that this film version of Dickens' story is a classic would be an understatement. Hailed by most critics as the best of all the versions made over the past 70-odd years, this review need not dwell on whether or not this is a movie worthy of watching; many other reviewers here have said as much. What has typically not been done in reviews posted here is to give potential purchasers an in-depth analysis of what makes this release a most have (or not) for first time watchers, someone looking for a great Christmas gift, or simply a fan who wants "The Ultimate Collector's Edition (as this release is advertised). This review will attempt to cover, not the film itself in much detail - although some aspects will be discussed. Instead it will focus mainly on the extras and production value present on this release compared to other releases. Importantly this review WILL NOT simply provide a litany list of 'extras' present on the discs (you can get that at IMDB), but rather will review the content of the extras. So read on and decide for yourself whether VCI's "Ultimate Collector's Edition" is all it's advertised!

In a comparative sense it is probably most critical to compare this 2007 (two-disc) VCI release of "A Christmas Carol" to VCI's 2004 (one-disc) release of the same movie. Let's start with a list of features/extras on the 2004 release:

- Remastered original B/W version of the 1951 film
- Extras: colorized version of the 1951 film
- Max Fliesher's Technicolor cartoon Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (1948, 8 min) [good quality]
- Selectable subtitles/narration (English, Spainish, narrative for the blind in English) - Introduction to both B/W and color versions (same intro, narrated by Patrick MacNee, in both cases); Cast & Production Notes (really just cast bios)
- Comes with a nice interactive menu
- Nice if simple clamshell packaging with 'movie board' insert.

Here's what you get with the 2-disc 2007 VCI "Ultimate Collector's Edition" with commentary on the 'value' of the features/extras:

Disc 1 contains
- 4x3 and 16x9 [enhanced for widescreen TVs] B/W (original) version of 1951 film with selectable subtitles (English, Spainish) - buyers should be aware that original release was full screen thus 16x9 version is cropped on top and bottom to make widescreen (essentially vertical version of Pan-Scan to convert WS to FS); The picture quality of the remastered version is splendid. Improved over 2004 version. Very few flaws still visible. Tones are crisp and contrast great.
- Audio options (2 channel, 5.1 channel Surround, narration for blind in English - same narration as on 2004 VCI version) - Surround sound - very nice for most part, although tends to 'amplify' noise - audio apparently harder to clean up than the picture. Yet did nice job enhancing certain parts, e.g., when Scrooge gets to his front door (when he sees the first ghost of Marley) we here the wind blow from front left (channel) to rear right; when Scrooge is shown his tombstone by ghost of Christmas future, the music is nice in surround, Scrooge's voice only comes through center front channel - very well done.
- Cast bios - much expanded over 2004 version
- Audio Commentary by Marcus Hearne (British film/music documentarian) and George Cole (played young Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1951 version) - some interesting insights are provided by Cole about the actors and making of the movie. Hearnes' historical knowledge also provides interesting material and context for Cole's personal recollections

Disc 2 contains
- "Scrooge" 1935 version (directed by Henry Edwards, starring Sir Seymour Hicks as Scrooge) - picture is very dark and grainy; this is true of both outside and inside shots. Nice extra to have but quality not very good.
- Colorized version of 1951 movie (same as on 2004 VCI release) with selectable subtitles/narrative (English, Spainish, narrative for blind in English)
- Two trailers, one titled "Scrooge" and one titled "A Christmas Carol" - "Scrooge" is very dark in theme and picture tones, music is "Scrooge theme" from 1951 movie, whereas "A Christmas Carol" is happier and lighter in both theme and picture tone, upbeat Christmas music accompanies
- "The Spirit of Christmas Past" - Marcus Hearne interviews George Cole about Alastair Sim. Interview done against blackscreen such resulting in sharp visual contrasts (when Hearne is seen asking questions, he too in against blackscreen), with pictures and clips of Sim interwoven into the interview dialog. Much of interview not directly about Sim, but rather (appropriately) also about Cole's career (especially when co-staring with Sim in other projects). Fairly dry interviewer and interviewee, but informative. [total run time just less than 15 min]
- "Richard Gordon Remembers George Minter & Renown Pictures" - Gordon helped raise money for making "A Christmas Carol" and distributed it in US. This feature is done entirely as an audio interview of Gordon by Tom Weaver (author and film historian], laid over still photos and film clips of elements being discussed in interview. Much of the interview is centered on story of how Gordon and Minter formed working relationship (via Renown Pictures). Gordon tells several stories: Minter's rise as producer/presenter of films; how "Scrooge" as made in UK was re-titled "A Christmas Carol" for release in US; how picture released in US was not initially hailed, was actually not seen as 'family' movie but more equated to 'horror' movie; how when "A Christmas Carol" hit US TV it became a cult hit, but in UK was hit from initial release (Sim was very popular actor in UK at time); tells of other films in which Minter collaborated before and after "Scrooge" with considerable discussion of other Minter films (e.g., "Svengali" and work with "Old Mother Riley" films that were popular in UK). [total run time ~20 min]
- "Charles Dickens, His Life and Times" - Audio biography accompanied by illustrations and photos. Discusses Dickens' unpbringing, early relationships, early struggles and later prolific writing career (critically acclaimed), his marriage (to Catherine Hogarth) and affair with Ellen Ternan, and his poor health later in life.
- "Before and After Restoration" - Not really a 'before and after' comparision as advertised on the clamshell. Rather a few scenes are shown in split screen comparison but most thus is a discussion of the technical aspects of the restoration process. Like to be of most interest to those with technical savvy [~ 2 min in length]. If the viewer wants a fair comparison of the picture restoration of this 2007 version watch it in comparison to VCI's 2004 release (or previous prior releases).
- Photo gallery - stills from the movie, as well as production stills and actor/actress publicity shots. All images shown in "Ken Burns effect" (moving and zooming). Edge of screen is surrounded by a 'snowy' matte. No audio tracks accompany this extra.

All in all this is an excellent 2-disc set sure to be a hit with all fans of the movie. If you're new to the film version of Dickens' classic pick up THIS release, it's worth the $. 5 solid stars (for movie and extras).

I first saw this movie, starring the incredible Alistair Sim as Scrooge(the real title of the film), at school back in the fifties. We were ushered into the school gym and the projector was run for all of the children in my rather small school. I was entranced with the story. We owned a copy of the book at home, with the original illustrations, and it is remarkable either way. When you have Charles Dickens as the author, chances are you are going to get a classic tale which is honestly great.

I find this movie, which I have viewed countless times, honestly great as well. I believe that it is all too true that people need to be taught at times how to behave toward other people: when Scrooge gets a second chance to become a good man and live the spirt of Christmas every day of the year after his visitations (from Jacob Marley, and the three spirits: Past, Present, and Future) it is incredibly affecting.
I particularly found the visitation of Christmas Past interesting to watch, as an adult. I suppose I understand now why Scrooge became the man he became. No excuses, but it is a realization I didn't have when I first watched this film growing up. It is an excellent explanation of why a person would become cold and bitter and unfeeling.

Alistair Sim's face is an extraordinary one. He sort of looks like a beagle. But when he is angry or mean, he is fearful looking. There are many things in this movie which are genuinely fearful, or sad, or moving.
That is part of what makes it a great classic.

True emotions evoked by fantastic directing (Brian Desmond Hurst) and perfect acting (not just by Sim, but also by Mervyn Johns as Bob Crachit, the epitome of a loving devoted father who must work for Scrooge to support his family, which includes, of course, Tiny Tim) make for a film which is worth watching any time of the year, by anyone.

I recommend giving this to the person(s) you most love, and watching it together!

I love seeing Scrooge go off in the snow at the end with a running, cheerful Tiny Tim, now healed because Scrooge has changed and is helping the Cratchits. It isn't silly, it is lovely. A great, uplifting scene!

It is a true delight to have a great movie come so exquisitely and beautifully packaged just in time for the Holidays! It has everything you could want and more!
Deck the Halls!

Because I read several negative reviews of this restoration I purchased the disc with some misgivings. I'm happy to report that my misgivings were not justified. Now, no one is harder to please than me when it comes to DVD image and sound quality. This is the best looking version of this film I've seen to date. Overall detail is vastly improved over the previous release as is contrast. I can see textures in clothing I've never seen before, as well as detail in shadows that were lacking in previous releases. The sound is 100% improved (even the Dolby Surround is effective). While there is some footage that is a bit degraded it quite minimal and accounts for only a minute or two of the entire film.

Overall, a great restoration job!

This is the best version of this classic Dickens tale. The acting is superb and, even though my family laughs at the overdramatization of Jacob Marley's ghost, we still love to watch this every year. Alastair Sims' performance is finely nuanced and charming.

A word of warning...don't bother watching the colorized version, the original was meant to be seen in b&w. When b&w films were made they were directed and filmed to make the most of the shadows and light, as this one does. Colorizing this film ruins the atmosphere and makes it less intense.

If you're going to buy one Christmas movie this year, make it A Christmas Carol Ultimate Collector's Edition.

It doesn't get much better than this. VCI Entertainment gave us a present worth opening year 'round: a loving restoration of Alastair Sim as "Scrooge." This is the Real Deal; the restoration used the talented folks at Point 360 -- and it shows. Both film and sound quality rate a solid 5. For the first time in 50 years, one is able to experience this film as it must have been in first release: richly textured and luminous. (Minter's British winter looks warm.) Alastair Sim is the quintessential Ebenezer Scrooge. He's a miser and a lot cruel; and nobody's going to change him. And then, one Christmas Eve, he has four very rare visitors... Sim's Scrooge believes the story; so we believe. His transformation is truly joyous, if inexplicable to the rest of his world. "Scrooge" is perfectly cast down to the smallest roles. Things to watch for: the blind man's dog, Marley's SHRIEK, the rich men who refuse to attend a certain funeral unless luncheon is served, the Crachits (of course), and the wonderfully incongruous, laughing Jumeau in the toy store window. "Scrooge" is a joy to watch. It just is. "God Bless Us. Every One!"

VCI's intent is obvious: the company wants everybody to enjoy this movie and it provides 3 formats in order to do it! Along with 4x3, a "colorized" version and an enhanced widescreen 16x9 version are included. (The "enhanced" version appears to cut off the tops of certain visuals, like the toy store window display. The "colorized" version is done in soft, matte colors and isn't bad as far as these things go... The Original 4x3 theatrical version is by far the best!) "Scrooge" is the first movie I own to have an audio track for the Blind. However, it isn't Closed Captioned. VCI blundered making the subtitles red. For those of us with Aphasia and other learning disabilities, red is difficult to process if not impossible to read. For a company that obviously wants its product to be accessible, the red subtitles are a mystery.

Disc 1:
Original 4x3 (original theatrical ratio)
Film Quality 4.5-5 (On a scale of 1 to 5)
Sound Quality 5
Subtitles - in RED - English & Spanish
Commentary Track with Marcus Hern & George Cole
English with Narrative for the Blind
16x9 Version for Widescreen TVs, with access the above features

Disc 2
"colorized" version
1935 "Scrooge"
Extras:
Trailers
Spirit of Christmas Past
Richard Gordon remembers George Minter and Renown Pictures
Charles Dickens, His Life and Times
Before & After Restoration
Photo Gallery

When growing up outside of Chicago, WGN or PBS would air this classic every Christmas. My dad would watch it and of course I would watch it with him, but being scared out my wits when Marely showed up, when I 5 years-old.

Recently I bought the new 2-disc ultimate Christmas Carol from VCI and I must congratulate them on an excellent transfer. The picture has no scratches or dirt, but there are few bright white spots in the film, but its 56 years old. The sound is awesome. Sure the 5.1 surround doesn't really work with all the talking, but once the orchestra kicks in, its like they are playing in your house.

If you own a previous copy, its worth the upgrade for the sound and picture alone, but the special features are not the best and the commentary will make you fall asleep.

In 19th century London, cold-hearted miser Ebenezer Scrooge gets a Christmas Eve visit from the ghost of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley. Marley's visit heralds three more, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, all to come that night in turn. The goal of the spirits is to reform Scrooge in order to save him from Marley's fate: an afterlife of unrest bearing heavy chains of remorse. They seek to accomplish this by showing Scrooge select moments from his life and the lives of those he affects, as have been, are, and will be, from Christmases long past to those yet to come. Scrooge witnesses how his lonely boyhood changed to happiness, but soon turned cold with growing greed, anger, loss, and distrust. He sees the plight of London's poor and destitute and how he ever turned a bind eye to them, and witnesses the love he lost in his pursuit of an idle fortune. Nothing, however, is as disturbing as those images of Christmases yet to come. Can these emotional visions work their magic in time to save Ebenezer Scrooge's soul?

Presented in this new, 2-disc DVD set is probably the world's favorite version of "A Christmas Carol," the 1951 British film (known as "Scrooge" in England) starring the magnificent Alastair Sim. As a great fan of the various film versions of "A Christmas Carol," from those starring human actors to ones featuring the likes of Yosemite Sam, Kermit the Frog, and Mickey Mouse, I have to confess that this is probably the best, and it had been years since I'd seen it! Most versions of Charles Dickens' classic Christmas tale have something special that sets them apart and makes them worthy of the holiday film lover's home library, and I think one of the best aspects of this version is the depth the film takes us into Scrooge's past, something barely touched upon in the 1935 version included as a bonus in this set. Adding to the touchingly real and thorough look into Scrooge's history is the excellent casting of George Cole as the young incarnation of Ebenezer. He bears a fine resemblance to Alastair Sim, and both are wonderful in the role. It makes the flashbacks all the more believable. The rest of the ensemble cast is also excellent, featuring great British character actors like Hermione Baddeley and Mervyn Johns, who play the struggling Cratchits, and Michael Hordern, who plays Jacob Marley. Directed beautifully by Brian Desmond Hurst, the excellent restoration job done for this release makes it look better than ever in glorious black and white! Of course, you also can watch the unrestored, colorized version if you have a mind to, and there's even a mock widescreen version of the restored film included for folks who want the picture to fill up their modern, wide-style screens.

As for the bonuses, Disc One includes the aforementioned regular and enhanced widescreen versions of the newly restored, black and white film, along with text cast bios, English and Spanish subtitle options, an optional narrative track for the blind, and an audio commentary by Marcus Hearn and actor George Cole. The audio commentary may seem a bit dry to American ears and the film isn't discussed all that much (more attention is focused on the careers of George Cole, Alastair Sim, and other cast members), but it's a welcome extra nonetheless. Disc Two features the colorized version of the film, which is unrestored and seems to be taken from a TV airing, including opening and closing host segments (which are rather nice, picture quality aside) by "Avengers" star Patrick MacNee (who has a small role in the film as young Jacob Marley). Now, most of us film buffs don't think much of colorization, however, I can see a bit of nostalgia to it now, being amongst the many who grew up during the period when TV presentations of holiday classics often were shown that way. Also on Disc Two are the audio options from the first disc (minus the commentary) and some other fine extras as well! We receive the original British and American theatrical trailers, a brief look at the restoration process for the black and white version of the film, a Photo and Press Book gallery (which runs on its own, something I rather appreciate, though some accompanying music would have been nice), a fine and rapid yet thorough look at the life and times of Charles Dickens, an interview with George Cole on the subject of Alastair Sim titled "Spirit of Christmas Past," an audio interview with Richard Gordon on the subject of Renown Pictures and "Scrooge" producer George Minter, and, most delightfully, the 1935 Seymour Hicks version of "Scrooge." The only disappointment here is that the bonus film of Seymour Hicks' "Scrooge," an excellent film in its own right, is not complete. I noticed one of its sweetest moments, the scene at the end where Ebenezer joins the Cratchits in church, was not there. This left me wondering what else might have been cut out, if anything, and deciding I would definitely be keeping my bargain bin edition of that film.

Nevertheless, this 2-disc release from VCI, complete with lovely, opening flap slipcover, is the finest presentation of Alastair Sim's "A Christmas Carol" to date, and if you love this film and holiday films in general, you owe it to yourself to get it right away!

VCI Home is releasing a brand new DVD of the 1951 classic "A Christmas Carol", a remake of the 1938 film. Ebenezer Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas and reforms after being visited on Christmas Eve by four Ghosts. Scrooge is a cruel miser. The spirits show him how his behavior has degenerated over the years, and how his heart has grown cold. The apparitions try to melt his steely soul; they help him learn the true meaning of Christmas. Alastair Sim's performance alone makes this a great movie. Really none can compare with Sim's portrayal of Scrooge. The lusty joy he displays after his "rebirth" is a marvel to behold. The solitary character of Ebeneezer Scrooge is carefully drawn here. It's a crystal-clear portrait of his lonely, selfish life. He comes home, shelters himself from the winter cold, locks himself away in his home, and counts his money. He attends only to his pitiable self. Sims, as Scrooge, time-travels back to his own past: witnessing how he lost young Alice, his sweetheart. The gentle creature Alice decides not to marry Scrooge, for she learns money means more to him than her. Scrooge can barely watch as the event from his past is re-lived. It is heartrending. She tells him: "There's more in life than money". "A Christmas Carol"s supporting cast is superb. Hermione Baddeley plays Mrs. Cratchit. The British actress enjoyed a lengthy career in American movies and television, and at Disney Studios. She was remarkable in 1964's "Mary Poppins". Veteran Ernest Thesiger plays the undertaker. Although he made sixty films in a fifty year career, he will always be remembered for his plumb role in the 1935 "Bride of Frankenstein". Rotund Peter Bull has a small part as a businessman. He appeared in, among others, the 1964 classic "Dr. Strangelove". "A Christmas Carol" was produced by Renown Pictures, a generally low-budget studio that released the old English Mother Riley comedies. They are infamous for "Mother Riley Meets the Vampire(1952)" starring Bela Lugosi. Strange for Christmas, Dickens' book is really a ghost story. Spooking lighting and nimble camerawork provide a few shudders, even today. When Marley's ghost throws open the window to reveal a strange world of suffering specters to Scrooge's eyes, a truly haunting effect is achieved. The two-disc set has many extras, including the original black-and-white version, a colorized version, a bonus movie("Scrooge" from 1935), audio commentary by Marcus Hearn, and three featurettes: "Spirit of Christmas Past", with actor Gearge Cole, "Richard Gordon Remembers Renown Pictures", and "Charles Dickens, His Life and Times". You also get two trailers, before-and-after Restoration Comparison, cast bios, and a photo gallery. This DVD, released by VCI as a "special deluxe edition", actually replaces a few earlier versions of "A Christmas Carol". Previously, the movie was sold as a double-sided disc, color on one, black-and-white on the other. Then VCI released a new version, with each color and black-and-white version on their own discs, sold seperately. This new transfer is the result of different original 35 MM artifacts. The quality is good. Blacks are solid, but white levels seem too dark. The sound is thin, but the dialogue is OK. Not bad for a 50-year-old public domain film. The 1951 "Christmas Carol" is surely a classic for all-time. Dickens' message is clear. So true in the 19th century, and so very true today. "There's more in life than money".