Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972) - Blu-ray Forum

jaredofmo · 10-02-2013, 05:12 AM

If any of the film adaptations of Lewis Carroll's nonsense classic deserved a Blu-Ray remaster, it's certainly William Sterling's musical film adaptation from 1972 featuring future Bond girl Fiona Fullerton as Alice, future Phantom of the Opera Michael Crawford as the White Rabbit, along with Dudley Moore, Robert Helpmann, Peter Sellers, Davy Kaye, Ralph Richardson, Spike Milligan, Michael Horden, Peter Bull, Roy Kinnear, and Flora Robson as the Queen of Hearts.

Every home video release in the US has been a cropped and sometimes dirty fullscreen version, available on budget DVDs and Hulu and Amazon Instant. In the UK and other countries, a widescreen version has been made available on DVD, but it's matted. It is not anamorphic, a major shame due to its wide aspect ratio (2.35:1). The small picture size causes a flickering effect and as can be expected, when blown up (I've tried), the image only looks worse and worse.

The movie took a different take on the visuals of Wonderland. Rather than going for a "trippy" look, the movie based its look quite faithfully on John Tenniel's illustrations. It won two BAFTAs in 1973 for its cinematography and costume design. The makeup was by Stuart Freeborn, who would soon go work on Star Wars.

It also boasts a score by John Barry and songs with original lyrics by Don Black in addition to many of the Carroll poems being sung.

A clean transfer of the film, if not a full restoration, would probably look very nice on Blu-Ray.

PowellPressburger · 10-02-2013, 06:52 AM

I always wanted to see this version of the film, but I wasn't about to watch a pan/scanned DVD mess. I would buy a quality blu of this title. I even have the John Barry soundtrack CD FSM released years back. Great film cast too!

wonkavision · 10-04-2013, 06:26 PM

I like this version too. I wish it has been treated nicely on home video, but alas...just awful. I had hopes that after Dudley Moore's passing, some of his films would find there way out. A restoration would be ideal and I would buy this day one. Childhood favorite.

EricJ · 10-04-2013, 09:10 PM

There IS a gorgeous, eye-popping colorful widescreen restoration out there, at least in that it's been playing UK satellite.

(Found a copy online.)
Over here, though, it's Public Domain, which means dingy square second-generation VHS prints from mom-and-pop loser labels.

But yes, apart from Disney's Alice (which is more lively), THIS is the "Definitive text" adaptation to tie down and deprogram any remaining victims of Tim Burton.
The songs are a bit pointless, but the dialogue is better than Cliff Notes.

Musicguy · 10-05-2013, 05:09 PM

This film did badly in the US and was barely released. Which may be why there isn't a good video transfer available here.

RogRog · 02-27-2015, 10:56 AM

As this is the year of the story's anniversary (over a hundred years old) it would be a good time to rerelease and remaster the movie which IS the definitive version and give the woderful John Barry score a DTS 5.1 remaster too. I have the UK cinemascope version but hate the fact that it is formatted in a 4:3 letterbox and the mono sound is DREADFUL! Please Fox release it properly

James762 · 10-23-2018, 05:16 PM

Actually, there is a good video transfer in the US, but unfortunately, it's cropped to 1.77:1 from 2.35:1 and has interlaced combing and slightly muffled sound. It's by DigiCom TV and the Moving Picture Archive.

jess1581 · 10-23-2018, 06:11 PM

Ugh thanks for the tease... This is my favorite Alice in Wonderland film. Lack of blu-ray is criminal.

James762 · 02-01-2019, 08:29 PM

Maybe this year or next there could be a quality Blu-ray with the film scanned at 4K and digitally restored by having every instance of print damage, scratches, dirt, dust, debris, and flicker removed frame-by-frame with MTI software and every click, pop, and hiss removed with audio software, then down-converted to 1080p, like what Warner Bros. do when restoring their films with the Ultra Resolution process.
I would love it if the Blu-ray had an isolated score track, so people could listen to John Barry's score and the songs without vocals or sing the songs themselves (sort of like the isolated score track on The King and I Blu-ray).

moviemaker · 11-12-2024, 05:57 AM

Bumping this thread in 2024.

This version came on TV coincidentally whenever I was sick from school as a kid in the 80s, and back then, it didn't register that this was a film from the early 70s. It was like comfort food, while the musical numbers always put me at ease.

It's ridiculous that this has never received a basic Blu-ray, never mind a 4K.

10-02-2013, 05:12 AM	#1
jaredofmo Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Sep 2013 4K collection:23 Blu-ray collection:819 DVD collection:245 Digital collection:5 Blu-ray reviews: 8 Trading Score:10	Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972) If any of the film adaptations of Lewis Carroll's nonsense classic deserved a Blu-Ray remaster, it's certainly William Sterling's musical film adaptation from 1972 featuring future Bond girl Fiona Fullerton as Alice, future Phantom of the Opera Michael Crawford as the White Rabbit, along with Dudley Moore, Robert Helpmann, Peter Sellers, Davy Kaye, Ralph Richardson, Spike Milligan, Michael Horden, Peter Bull, Roy Kinnear, and Flora Robson as the Queen of Hearts. Every home video release in the US has been a cropped and sometimes dirty fullscreen version, available on budget DVDs and Hulu and Amazon Instant. In the UK and other countries, a widescreen version has been made available on DVD, but it's matted. It is not anamorphic, a major shame due to its wide aspect ratio (2.35:1). The small picture size causes a flickering effect and as can be expected, when blown up (I've tried), the image only looks worse and worse. The movie took a different take on the visuals of Wonderland. Rather than going for a "trippy" look, the movie based its look quite faithfully on John Tenniel's illustrations. It won two BAFTAs in 1973 for its cinematography and costume design. The makeup was by Stuart Freeborn, who would soon go work on Star Wars. It also boasts a score by John Barry and songs with original lyrics by Don Black in addition to many of the Carroll poems being sung. A clean transfer of the film, if not a full restoration, would probably look very nice on Blu-Ray.

10-04-2013, 09:10 PM	#4
EricJ Banned Member since:Jul 2007 Location:The Paradise of New England Blu-ray collection:6	There IS a gorgeous, eye-popping colorful widescreen restoration out there, at least in that it's been playing UK satellite. (Found a copy online.) Over here, though, it's Public Domain, which means dingy square second-generation VHS prints from mom-and-pop loser labels. But yes, apart from Disney's Alice (which is more lively), THIS is the "Definitive text" adaptation to tie down and deprogram any remaining victims of Tim Burton. The songs are a bit pointless, but the dialogue is better than Cliff Notes. Last edited by EricJ; 10-04-2013 at 09:12 PM.

02-27-2015, 10:56 AM	#6
RogRog Junior Member Member since:Apr 2014 Blu-ray reviews: 8	Alice As this is the year of the story's anniversary (over a hundred years old) it would be a good time to rerelease and remaster the movie which IS the definitive version and give the woderful John Barry score a DTS 5.1 remaster too. I have the UK cinemascope version but hate the fact that it is formatted in a 4:3 letterbox and the mono sound is DREADFUL! Please Fox release it properly

10-23-2018, 05:16 PM	#7
James762 Junior Member Top contributor Member since:Dec 2017 Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:-	Actually, there is a good video transfer in the US, but unfortunately, it's cropped to 1.77:1 from 2.35:1 and has interlaced combing and slightly muffled sound. It's by DigiCom TV and the Moving Picture Archive. Last edited by James762; 01-15-2019 at 08:21 PM.

02-01-2019, 08:29 PM	#9
James762 Junior Member Top contributor Member since:Dec 2017 Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:-	Maybe this year or next there could be a quality Blu-ray with the film scanned at 4K and digitally restored by having every instance of print damage, scratches, dirt, dust, debris, and flicker removed frame-by-frame with MTI software and every click, pop, and hiss removed with audio software, then down-converted to 1080p, like what Warner Bros. do when restoring their films with the Ultra Resolution process. I would love it if the Blu-ray had an isolated score track, so people could listen to John Barry's score and the songs without vocals or sing the songs themselves (sort of like the isolated score track on The King and I Blu-ray). Last edited by James762; 03-04-2019 at 07:36 PM.

10-02-2013, 06:52 AM	#2
PowellPressburger Blu-ray Count Top contributor Member since:Aug 2007 Location:DIFFERENT PLACES! Minneapolis 4K collection:991 Blu-ray collection:3676 DVD collection:359 Blu-ray reviews: 51 Trading Score:297	I always wanted to see this version of the film, but I wasn't about to watch a pan/scanned DVD mess. I would buy a quality blu of this title. I even have the John Barry soundtrack CD FSM released years back. Great film cast too!

10-04-2013, 06:26 PM	#3
wonkavision Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Jul 2010 Location:PST 4K collection:316 Blu-ray collection:1537 iTunes collection:2 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:1	I like this version too. I wish it has been treated nicely on home video, but alas...just awful. I had hopes that after Dudley Moore's passing, some of his films would find there way out. A restoration would be ideal and I would buy this day one. Childhood favorite.

10-05-2013, 05:09 PM	#5
Musicguy Special Member Top contributor Member since:Mar 2010 Blu-ray collection:640 DVD collection:148	This film did badly in the US and was barely released. Which may be why there isn't a good video transfer available here.

10-23-2018, 06:11 PM	#8
jess1581 Blu-ray Champion Member since:May 2016 Location:Fairhaven, Massachusetts 4K collection:550 Blu-ray collection:2332 Blu-ray reviews: 73	Ugh thanks for the tease... This is my favorite Alice in Wonderland film. Lack of blu-ray is criminal.

11-12-2024, 05:57 AM	#10
moviemaker Special Member Top contributor Member since:Sep 2009 Location:Hollywoodland 4K collection:315 Blu-ray collection:904 DVD collection:71 Blu-ray reviews:1	Bumping this thread in 2024. This version came on TV coincidentally whenever I was sick from school as a kid in the 80s, and back then, it didn't register that this was a film from the early 70s. It was like comfort food, while the musical numbers always put me at ease. It's ridiculous that this has never received a basic Blu-ray, never mind a 4K.

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