WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Oliver!
Genre:Musical

Reviewed In Issue 09 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Ron Moody, Oliver Reed, Shani Wallis, Mark Lester.

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 2.5
Sound Rating: 4
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
Internet Links

Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): Columbia/TriStar Home Video
(Catalog Number): 79236
(MPAA Rating): G
(Retail Price): $39.95
(Running Time In Minutes): 146
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Theatrical Release): 1968
(LD Release Date): 04/01/94
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

Credits Information
(Director): Carol Reed
(Screenplay/Written By): Vernon Harris
(Story): NA
(Music): Lionel Bart & John Green
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): John Box
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor): Ralph Kemplen
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): NA
(Co-Producers): NA
(Producers): NA

DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.40:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Surround
(Theatrical Sound): Mag Stereo & 70mm 6 Track Mag Stereo
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital):
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Winner of six Academy Awards including Best Picture, this vivid musical versio n of Dicken’s immortal story (“Oliver Twist”) about a young orphan whose misadventures leads him to a group of petty theives (with Moody brilliant as Fagan) will delight just about everyone with lively, energetic and witty song and dance numbers. This is a Columbia Pictures Award Winner Widescreen Presentation.

LaserDisc Picture:
The picture on this release has an aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The picture suffers from poor color fidelity, over saturated color and orange tinted fleshtones. Some grain is apparent throughout as well as slight artifacts. The frame appears to be excessively cropped for an unnatural composition.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
Considering the original soundtrack won an Academy Award® for Best Sound, the soundtrack is wanting. The original four-track directional stereo mag presentation was expanded to six-track via the common European faking of tracks 2 and 4 for the 70mm version. Unfortunately the original directional dialogue has been centralized as was the case in the previous Pioneer version. But the presentation does include the film’s Overture, Entr’ Acte and Exit Music, and the music score is enjoyably stereophonic.
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
(Aggressive System Surround):
(Intense 25Hz Bass):
(Deep Bass Challenging):
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield):
(Aggressive Split Surround):
(Center Back Surround Imaging):
(Directionalized Dialogue):
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: