Mark Twain was a prolific writer! Writing some of the greatest pieces of literature in history! From The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, it's sequel The Adventures of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A young Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and The Prince and the Pauper.
The Prince and the Pauper has been made into movies over the years but in 1977 it was done in a unique way. This time as a star studded swashbuckling adventure comedy. Now the good folks at Kino Lorber under their KL Studio Classics division have given this classic a Blu-ray release this star fest truly does deserve.
The film follows Tom (Mark Lester), a poor commoner, who accidentally meets Edward, Prince of Wales (also played by Lester), and they are struck by their similarity of appearance. After switching clothes as a practical joke, they are unexpectedly separated and forced to take on the other’s life. Everything goes completely haywire when the King suddenly dies, leaving Tom to inherit the throne while Edward must convince the people that he is really the new King of England.
Crossed Swords is one fun little adventure film. It doesn't try to take itself so seriously and neither should the audience, just sit back and enjoy the ride. One of the best parts is all the amazing cameos. Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, George C. Scott, Ernest Borgnine, Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison, David Hemmings, Harry Andrews, Sybil Danning, Lalla Ward, Felicity Dean and Graham Stark. Talk about an all-star cast!
As for the Blu-ray transfer it is a brand new 4K Master. The picture is razor sharp and the colors are vibrant There is just the right amount of film grain! Than there is the audio it is a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track. It is clear and crisp. This is a very impressive 4K Master.
KL Studio Classics didn't stop there. Oh No! They loaded this disc with some very cool bonus features. They include the following;
* Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson. This trio of historians bring a boat load of knowledge and a lot of fun to the audio track! It is a must listen!
* Interview with Star Mark Lester: A near 20 minute interview where he talks about the production and technology and behind the scenes of the making of the movie. Very insightful! A great bonus!
* 121-Minute International Cut: this cut adds 8 more minutes to the release. The film is in Standard Definition and while you may not notice the difference with the addition minute. It is such a cool bonus I can not put it into words.
* Theatrical Trailer
KL Studio Classics continue to impress me with their releases. Time after Time there is another classic that I feel is a must own for cinephiles and Crossed Swords is no different! This Blu-ray is so awesome it needs to be in any adventure film fans library!
If you would like to add Crossed Swords to your library, head over to Amazon.com and order your copy today!
Out of 4 Film Reels (4 Being the Best) KL Studio Classic's Blu-ray of Crossed Swords receives...
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