DVD/BluRay News

Another title from my Criterion wishlist becomes a reality...



http://www.criterion.com/films/28428-seconds

Erica Ambler wrote:

HJackson wrote:

That problematic boxset of Hitchcock bluies is being split up ... Don't know what I'll go for yet, but it's nice to have choice.

Did Universal fix Frenzy's ballsed-up titles in the end? And what about Marnie and Family Plot?  The grabs I saw made them look like VHS.

My understanding is that the Frenzy issue was all that was resolved during the initial delay, for legal reasons. The other problems, mainly on Marnie, Family Plot, and Frenzy, remain - and one suspects they will be carried over to the individual releases. Thankfully most of the crappiest transfers seem to be on the second of the two split sets coming out, with the first being quite safe (The Trouble with Harry is the only one I've heard mixed things about, from memory).

Still not sure what's happening with Vertigo's mono track since I recall the UK edition didn't have it but the US did. Might want to hold off on that title until it becomes clear what is happening with the single editions.

I saw a boxset with REAR WINDOW, VERTIGO, NORTH BY NORTHWEST, PSYCHO, and THE BIRDS at Best Buy.  It said VERTIGO had the mono track.

I'm still waiting for some of those titles to get an individual release, especially Vertigo.

I have PSYCHO.  It does look great.  I think REAR WINDOW would be a great buy because my DVD copy looks awful on my HDTV.  And THE BIRDS would be interesting to see for the effects in HD.

I saw a screening of that, it's probably the first time I ever saw any movie on the big screen that had composite f/x work achieved via optical printer instead of digital. It's pretty choppy effects when blown up 30 feet high, but the whole flick is still a lot of fun to see. Really glad I caught that, and with a big crowd. Now if only they plan on screening another movie by Hitch that has Herrmann's score, THAT will be a real treat.

Fairbairn-Sykes wrote:

THE SHADOW! THE ALEC BALDWIN SHADOW!! Finally on Blu-ray in Region 1 or A or whatever! Finally an official copy in WIDESCREEN, even! Last shit we had was a fullscreen DVD from like 1996 or some shit.

Heh, look at the name in the ad above the Van Heusen one. Not a coincidence, I'm thinking.

Baldwin was a famous US piano maker, but yes, maybe not accidental.

Any of the five people here know whether the recent Hammer bluray of Dracula (with the famous additional Japaense footage) is worth getting? I ask as it's finally dropped to under a tenner at amazon.

Haven't got it but there's a blog entry here about the release. Worth checking out.

http://blog.hammerfilms.com/?p=366

Fuck. Just lost my reply. 

What's this message-eating draft button? I just lost War and Peace.

Just noticed it. Go to your profile, then on the far right you'll find drafts. Your post is saved.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Any of the five people here know whether the recent Hammer bluray of Dracula (with the famous additional Japaense footage) is worth getting? I ask as it's finally dropped to under a tenner at amazon.

I have it and imo well worth the money, the extra footage is very, very minimal but the clawing at the face toward the end is very effective. As some have noted it is quite a dark print so you do need a display that can deliver some decent contrast, and be careful not to overcook it and crush the black detail, to see it at its best.

Thanks, I've ordered a copy. The lack of Hammer in this forum is sad. They were a huge part of my teenage years and I rarely meet anyone under 30 who's heard of them. Though I did meet an apparently intelligent woman the other day who said, 'Ooooh, Daniel Radcliffe!'

Erica Ambler wrote:

Thanks, I've ordered a copy. The lack of Hammer in this forum is sad. They were a huge part of my teenage years and I rarely meet anyone under 30 who's heard of them. Though I did meet an apparently intelligent woman the other day who said, 'Ooooh, Daniel Radcliffe!'

The respose should be ...No madam that is a fire bucket!

Hammer releases on blu are slowly seeing the light of day, 'Devil Rides Out', 'Curse of Frankenstien', Plague of the Zombies' and 'Quatermass and the the Pit' are certainly worth grabbing on the format (and have been out long enough to see some special offers) while 'Brides of Dracula' and 'Evil of Frankenstein' are coming in August.

A lot of controversy about Devil Rides Out bluray, but the others certainly sound worth getting. Perhaps I can foist my existing DVD copies onto some deserving cause.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Perhaps I can foist my existing DVD copies onto some deserving cause.

Helga's getting lonely in the cellar.

Erica Ambler wrote:

A lot of controversy about Devil Rides Out bluray, but the others certainly sound worth getting. Perhaps I can foist my existing DVD copies onto some deserving cause.

The changes to Devil Rides Out are minimal imo, I'd prefer they hadn't made any (or perhaps gone MORE to town and left it as an alternative branching option) but in the scheme of things they are not pulling 'a George Lucas' here it is a couple of very short flourishes that in no way change the flow.

I wish the Hammer Blu-Ray releases were making their way to our side of the pond.

That reminds me, for U.S. Hammer fans some of those U.K. Hammer films will indeed be making their way to U.S shores very soon because a company called Millennium Entertainment has been given the rights to distribute some of the Hammer titles out in the U.K. already, one of which is Dracula: Prince of Darkness which is coming out September 3rd.

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=11357

I believe all the one's Millennium have the rights to are the one's Anchor Bay had released on DVD back in the early 2000's. I'm hoping The Devil Rides Out isn't too far off into the future as that's my personal favorite Hammer film of the few I've seen.

I'd like to see '58 DRACULA with the restored footage.

Any opinions here on the correct aspect ratio for Hammer's Curse of Frankenstein restoration? The debate was fierce, but from what I can tell, inconclusive. No one seems to believe it's a definitive release, but is it really inferior to the old Warner's DVD as some have suggested?

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Another title from my Criterion wishlist becomes a reality...



http://www.criterion.com/films/28428-seconds

As Walken might say, 'wowee-wow-wow!'

SECONDS and REPO MAN from Criterion in the same year, this is awesome (plus i found out there is a widescreen BITE THE BULLET I never knew existed! oh happy day!)

Now if I could just get LOOKING FOR MR GOODBAR ...

Got an update on Region A Hammer releases including Dracula: Prince of Darkness.

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/174799-hammers-dracula-prince-of-darkness-to-make-blu-ray-debut

Dracula: Prince of Darkness looks to be an almost exact port of the Region B release from the U.K. except for an exclusive still gallery, collectible cards and a really awful cover that looks like it belongs to one of the Public Domain DVD releases of the The Satanic Rites of Dracula (seriously, they couldn't just use the U.K. cover since it's almost the same disc?), the article also mentions Millennium is also planning to bring Quartermass and the Pit, The Plague of the Zombies and The Devil Rides Out to Blu-ray later this year.

I'll be picking up DEVIL RIDES OUT and QUATERMASS for sure.