Enhancing this DVD release still further is a brand new Dolby Digital 5.1 channel soundtrack. Considering the film s age and recording technology available at the time, Warner has done a tremendous job with the sound. Of course, there are frequency limitations, which are primarily noticeable in relation to Bernard Herrmann s brilliant score. However, the original music recordings never sounded better on any other video release than they do here. In fact, the music greatly benefits from being spread out across the discrete channels by sounding fuller than I ever remember hearing it.
Dialogue is locked into the center channel and is very cleanly reproduced.
Directional sound effects are introduced into the remix by panning the original monaural effects across the soundstage. These new directional effects don t sound as if they are being faked and are especially effective during the film s crop duster sequence. A French monaural soundtrack is also encoded onto the DVD, as are English and French subtitles. The interactive menus are nicely animated and include sound. Through the menus one has access to the standard scene selection and set up features, as well as a very nice array of supplemental features.