I feel like Chicago just came out a year ago. Two things happen as one grows older, your perception of time changes in how you experience days passing by and one’s recollection of the past can make certain things that happened long ago feel like it happened yesterday. Of course there is a lot more to aging than I have listed, but basically all of this can be distilled into one word, perception.
Everything we experience in every way, including mental, emotional and spiritual feelings are based on perceptions. Does a primary color seem exactly the same to you as it does another? So many factors one takes for granted like position, light, shadow and how one feels on the inside can and do effect how something is perceived. In fact I would go so far as to state that we live in a world of perceptions and mutual agreements as to the nature of our reality even though everything is ultimately unknowable.
So now you ask, “What the hell does this have to do with a Blu-ray Disc review? It actually has quite a lot to do with it because the reason why people read and watch reviews is because they seek validation. If you like how I write and express myself, you may trust my opinion over another and this holds true in how we view media. I prefer physical media, but others prefer just to stream. Well as long as your disc player works on whatever you use to watch it, you will be happy and as long as the licensee has the rights to rent or sell you a digital copy, you will be happier just viewing it that way. The difference however is when you have a disc, you don’t need an internet connection to watch it, but you do when you stream, even through an intranet and or personal NAS server.
Of all the genres that have had the hardest time making a comeback it is the classic Hollywood musical. Westerns, Sword & Sandal, epic fantasy, space opera, slasher flicks and more have made multiple comebacks in the the last thirty years, but despite many successful award winning pictures, great songwriting and choreography as well as big name talent, the musical nine times out of ten flops on the contemporary big screen. It may be that something on a stage does not translate to a screen in the way some books have been regarded as unfilmable, but that is still just a perception. Some musicals find an audience and become true critical and financial successes, but this seems to be the exception for now. Chicago, starring Richard Gere, Renée Zellweger, and Catherine zeta Jones is the exception to the trend in that is won great awards, was a financial success and was released on Blu-ray Disc in limited edition steel book packaging by Paramount Home Entertainment.
Chicago tells the tale of two women behind bars for murder. Roxie, a housewife who shot her lover when she realized that he was only using her for sex and Velma, a famous vaudeville performer who is locked up for murdering her sister. Roxie has to sway a jury in her favor with the help of Attorney, Billy Flynn Legal trials are all about perception. It is about who can create the best argument over whatever is contested and ultimately while one hopes the truth will win all, there is a reason why Justice is blindfolded and it is not only about being impartial.
Paramount Home Entertainment’s 20TH Anniversary Limited Edition Steel Book presents Chicago in it’s theatrical exhibition aspect ratio of (1.85:1) with a sharp 1080p Full HD presentation coupled with a dynamic English Dolby TrueHD Soundtrack. English and Spanish Language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtracks are encoded as options along with English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired.
Extra Value Features include an introspective Audio Commentary with Director Rob Marshall and Screenwriter Bill Condon. Also included is Chicago In The Spotlight: A Retrospective With Cast And Crew (HD, 2:22:19) a new documentary for this release, chronicling the production, extended performance scenes a code for a limited time only redeemable digital copy of the film and the beautiful steel book packaging wrap up this Paramount Home Entertainment Blu-ray Disc release.
Chicago: 20TH Anniversary Limited Edition Steel Book Blu-ray and Digital Copy set is available now at retailers on and offline. I perceive new and longtime fans will be happy to add this to their libraries. Thank you.
(C) Copyright 2023 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
