To avoid a glum holiday, consider a trip to Blue Hawaii instead. For the first time ever, Elvis Presley’s legendary 1961 surf picture will be available in 4K Ultra HD as part of the Paramount Presents line in November, just in time for the upcoming holiday season. In Blue Hawaii, Presley plays Chadwick “Chad” Gates, a soldier who has recently been released from the Army and has returned home to Hawaii with his surfboard, girlfriend, and mother (the late, great Angela Lansbury).
The movie chronicles Chad’s journey back to normalcy, from dealing with an unrequited high school crush to tying the knot with his fiancée Maile (Joan Blackman). This year saw the release of Baz Luhrmann’s dazzling blockbuster biography, so the release of the new 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray editions of the film provides the perfect opportunity to revisit one of Presley’s most recognisable parts. Since Lansbury died away last week at the age of 96, this new release will also provide viewers with a new look at the scope of her decades-long career as an actor.
Her portrayal as Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote brought her the most fame. The new 4K UHD version will feature the technicolour musical in stunning detail thanks to the inclusion of Dolby Vision and High Dynamic Range (HDR) 10. The film was digitally remastered from the original 35mm camera negative for this new release. With this new version, the tropical Hawaiian musical will be presented in a whole new light, with an abundance of brilliant colours.
In addition to being the first of three movies, Hawaii is now synonymous with the hip-shaking crooner because of Elvis Presley and his three trips there to make Blue Hawaii. The film’s soundtrack includes the platinum-selling single “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” a staple of wedding first dances everywhere. Blue Hawaii will be available on both 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs and standard Blu-ray Discs. In addition to the digital distribution, the film will be available on Blu-ray. Bonus features on the Blu-ray release will include audio commentary from film historian James L. Neibaur and a scrapbook of high-resolution pictures from the Paramount archives devoted to the film Blue Hawaii.
On November 15, you may buy the remastered versions of Blue Hawaii.