
Righteous Recommendations
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Hunting down Analyze This should be easy enough if you're wanting to also get the sequel Analyze That. Getting this one by itself on DVD, though, could be a pain depending on how particular you are.
I couldn't find a Blu version by itself, but there is a Blu 2 pack with the sequel, Analyze That. You can also get the 2 pack in DVD format. A product search turns up several results for the DVD; I've been looking at specs trying to figure out what the difference are. They all look pretty much the same, but a couple have minor differences. I'll break those down as we go along.
My version of the DVD is the older 2-sided disc.
Video:
1.85 widescreen & 1.33 pan-and-scan: The ratios are on opposite sides of the disc. I was impressed with the video quality initially as this was one of the first DVD's I ever saw after watching so many movies on VHS. Compared to newer releases it could be better.
Audio:
5.1 Dolby: The sound is clear and strong. The surround sound is nothing to get excited about but is better than nothing.
Packaging:
Mine is so old that it come in one of those crappy cardboard cases. Those have been phased out, and I believe it has either been re-released or at least repackaged.
The menus show a little fun creativity with their music selection and highlight icon that looks like bullet holes in the TV.
Extras:
This came out when DVD extra features were really just starting to become a big deal. While they aren't numerous there is some enjoyable stuff here. The biggest thing this one has is a pair of commentaries.
-Commentaries:
-Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro: Billy isn’t as funny as I thought he might be and Robert doesn’t say much.
-Harold Ramis: Harold is sparse and dry though he does have some interesting moments. So despite some funny guys talking about a funny movie neither commentary is nearly as entertaining as I expected.
-Outtakes: There’s a very funny outtakes reel.
-Cast List: There’s a cast & crew list with filmographies for 3 people.
-Trailer: Lastly is a trailer for the movie.
Other Editions:
I'll start with the double-feature Blu. The video is 1.85 widescreen at 1080p. The audio is 5.1 True HD.
While the specs are HD the reviews are inconsistent. Some say that it looks noticeably better than DVD and sounds great while others say that it is no better quality than DVD because of how the two movies have been crammed onto a single disc. I would say that most likely if there is an improvement it will be marginal. Unfortunately it doesn't appear to have any of the extras that the DVD does.
The DVD's I found appear to be virtually the same release with a couple of minor differences. Most notably is that the newer version doesn't list the 1.33 pan-and-scan ratio as being included. What it does list is a 1.77 widescreen ratio that is different from the older release. It was shot in 1.85 so you're getting a slightly modified image. If you are particular about seeing movies in the original aspect ratio you may want to consider the older DVD over this one. The audio is 5.1 surround: probably the same track as the one I've already covered. There's no mention of any extras, though that doesn't mean the ones from the original release aren't on here.
The DVD double-feature is listed as being 2 discs, so there's a good chance you'll get everything I mentioned in the DVD details with this release. I can't confirm that, though, and these listings are not always reliable.
Final Thoughts:
I was blown away when I was comparing this DVD to VHS (back when DVD's were a new thing), but now it seems like a light package. You really need to be an aficionado to appreciate the commentaries, but the outtakes are most definitely worth a look. Should you get the two movies together or get the version with the extras? Decisions, decisions...
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