I saw The Sound of Music in some sort of re-issue theater engagement when I was about 7 years old. I don’t remember too much about that first viewing, except that I was captivated by all of the singing (in our family, people really do spontaneously burst into song and dance) and the wonderful adventures that the kids got to go on. The movie still holds a place in my heart and Bug and Lady Bug have already seen most of it on more than one occasion. It’s pretty long, and they usually lose interest long before the family makes their daring escape, but they do love the first half or so of the movie.
When I was asked about reviewing the 45th Anniversary Blu-Ray + DVD release of The Sound of Music, I didn’t hesitate. I knew that it would have all sorts of wonderful extra features to explore. I haven’t been disappointed. This set makes excellent use of the additional storage capacity of Blu-Ray. First of all, the movie looks lovely in HD and you can turn oun audio commentaries with Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer and Robert Wise (director). Up to four on-screen modes can be activated while viewing. They include: Behind-the-Scenes Images, On-Screen Lyrics, Triva Track and Location Quiz. You can activate all of them, or just one, and they will pop up as content becomes available. They aren’t ideal for first-time viewing, as they do take up quite a bit of screen real estate and are often distracting, but they are a great treat for fans who want to delve more deeply into the content.
The second Blu-Ray disc is full of all sorts of goodies from making of and von Trapp family featurettes to interviews and screen tests. The menu system is set in the foyer of the film-based von Trapp home and it’s fun to just look around. Visit with the von Trapp family today at their lodge in Vermont, learn the secrets of the song Edelweiss, and check out deleted songs. You’ll get a virtual tour of the filming locations, and even a peek behind the scenes of the stage version of the story. It’s a treasure trove of information for The Sound of Music fans.
The included DVD is just a nice extra. It has the full length movie in standard def- great for taking on trips without risking loss of the nicer Blu-Ray discs. There are some special features, as well, including a sing-along and some background biographical information.
This would make a very nice gift for a fan or for younger family members who haven’t yet been introduced to the story.
Also for fans, Oprah did a cast reunion show which was fantastic. Watch for re-runs of that, but you can also see a lot of video footage and information on Oprah’s website.
Disclosure: I received a copy of The Sound of Music 45th Anniversary Blu-Ray + DVD combo for review purposes. The opinions contained in this post are my own.
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