Eureka unearths EARLY UNIVERSAL VOL. 2 (review)

EARLY UNIVERSAL VOL 2 provides another survey of the studio's begginings and their strategies for competing with the majors.  They take on the epic in 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA with exotic settings and landmark special effects techniques.  In THE CALGARY STAMPEDE, the studio's western hero Hoot Gibson is falsely accused of murder and goes on the run.  In WHATEVER HAPPENED TO JONES?, the studio's comedy star Reginald Denny becomes entangled in a madcap farce as a groom-to-be who makes the mistake of joining a late night poker game that gets raided.

REVIEW LINK: Eureka Video (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

EARLY UNIVERSAL VOL. 2 Blu-ray specs:

• Disc One:
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen
• Orlando Perez Rosso score LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• English Intertitles
• "Kim Newman on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"
  
• Disc Two:
• The Calgary Stampede (1925):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen
• Chris Tin score LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• English Intertitles
  
• Audio Commentary by professor and film scholar Jason A. Ney
• Whatever Happened to Jones? (1926):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen
• Anthony Willis score LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• English Intertitles
• Audio Commentary by film historian and writer David Kalat
  
• Limited Edition O-Card Slipcover (first 2000 copies)
• 27-page Collector's Booklet