Two Essential Blu-Ray Sets

 

While many of you will know about these two Blu-Rays, I want to give my wholehearted recommendation of two fairly recent Blu-Ray sets that every film lover should own. 

Laurel and Hardy: Year Two

If you are a Laurel and Hardy fan, who does not own this Blu-Ray set, you need to buy it immediately. This set has all the silent short films that Laurel and Hardy released during 1928. I am very glad to see the silent Laurel and Hardy films finally getting the attention they deserve. Most of the DVD and VHS sets focused on the team's talkies and paid little attention to their silents (except for some of the two's early solo work, which was in public domain and therefore found its way on to cheap DVDs). This is a shame as the Laurel and Hardy silent shorts often mark some of their best work. This set includes some true classics of silent comedy (restored and looking amazing) including Two Tars (1928), The Finishing Touch (1928) and You're Darn Tootin' (1928). I was laughing myself silly watching these films and this laughter would be worth the price of admission alone. However, these shorts aren't the only reason to buy this set. The bonus features are fantastic and everything a classic comedy fan can hope for them to be. The audio commentaries (by Laurel and Hardy experts, Richard W. Bann and Randy Skretvedt) are so chock full of information that you might want to have a pencil and paper as you listen to them. There are also some wonderful bonus films including some solo work from Stan and Ollie, a Charley Chase short where both appear separately and an absolutely hilarious short starring Anita Garvin and Marion Byron.

Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol.4

I am in love with this Looney Tunes Collector's Choice sets. What I love about these sets is that they focus on the shorts that have not been released on Blu-Ray or DVD before. As you watch these sets, it becomes amazing that such wonderful films as these could have possibly been overlooked in previous sets. The cartoons on this set are truly delightful and still make me laugh after all the years, I have been a Looney Tunes fan. To see these cartoons in such great conditions only makes this more of a treat. While there aren't any real bonus features on this Blu-Ray (unless you include two cartoons listed as bonus cartoons), this is more than made up for by how delightful the films themselves are. 

-Michael J. Ruhland