Wellesnet Message Board

by **Jeff Wilson** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 12:38 pm

A couple quick notes on the UK Kane SE: picture quality isn't fantastic, but it's okay. They present a "restoration" feature that looks totally bogus, with the "before" shots looking as if they were shot through a gauze curtain. The scene in the screening room is still too bright, as faces (like Cotten and Sandford) are still clearly discernable. The RKO logo is not there at the start, but the British Board of Censors certification is there instead. Extras are so-so; the radio shows are hit and miss ("War of the Worlds" is classic, but "The Happy Prince" (record release version) just sounds silly with Bing Crosby as the title character; the Lady Esther series version the Mercury did is much better). The documentary is aimed squarely at newcomers to the film, and that's fine. It does what it's meant to do. The film's budget is presented, for whatever reason. Placing it in some context of the time might have been a good idea. Haven't sampled the commentary yet. My computer DVD player is currently out of commission, so no screen caps till this weekend, probably. If you already have the Warner edition, though, I wouldn't bother with this one, unless you really don't like the crispness of the R1 picture.

Website · by **Glenn Anders** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 5:27 pm

Dear Jeff: I really don't know much about you (except that you seem to know a great deal about both the technical elements of Movies/Videos and their story aspects, plus having far more about knowledge of Welles and his work at a finger touch than I do), and so I am reluctant to raise this suggestion:

Are you familiar with the advice given in a magazine called WIDESCREEN?

The editors maintain that TV monitors are factory adjusted at far too high a level. They recommend bringing the brightness level of your TV set way down, balancing black and white, adjusting color, and they give you instructions on how to do it. They say that, not only will your TV set last at near optimum condition longer, but that you will see films much more as they were intended to be seen when made.

Knowing some of this vaguely myself for decades, without ever changing any settings, I resolved to follow their steps, and I found that, in any formatting of CITIZEN KANE, I could achieve an excellent balance for "The Projection Room Sequence," or in any film. But of course, as you suggest, in CITIZEN KANE the matter is critical.

You might want to check that out, if you have not.

Glenn

by **Michael** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 2:50 am

Do you have a link to that Widescreen article? Or is there a website you know of that have those instructions?

Thanks! Michael

Website · by **Glenn Anders** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 2:32 pm

Dear Michael: I no longer subscribe to WIDESCREEN. I came to think that they did not care enough for the content of what they reviewed, and they became increasingly upscale. Lots of expensive equipment to insure bigger, brighter explosions on $20,000 Home Theaters. However, for anything technical, either in equipment or in the reproduction of movies on Laser, now on DVD and CD-ROM, they strike me as the best. And the publication is handsome, though reduced in size of format recently. Here is their web site:

http://www.widescreenreview.com/index5.html

I note that they are make reference to a new calibration guide of some sort.

Glenn

by **colwood** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 8:13 pm

I think it's been mentioned in other threads or in the news section, but in August, there will be region 2 UK releases of Lady from Shanghai (same as reg 1), Othello (same as "restored"), and Macbeth.

I had not heard about Macbeth being re-released. (I only found out about it as I was looking for the previous Reg 2 dvd to buy.) It seems Macbeth is one Welles film that's currently released about as good as we're ever likely to see. Does anyone know if this is supposed to be something better or just another release of the previous UK DVD or Republic LD?

Website · by **Glenn Anders** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 2:58 pm

Dear Colwood: Welles' MACBETH was one of the first of his movies to be restored. It had been cut to 89 minutes by Republic, re-ordered, and a re-dubbed voice track and different musical score added, other than those elements Welles intended. The 105-107 minute version we have now has things pretty much back in place, the prologue restored, Jaques Ibert's original score added, the Scots accents the players adopted to begin with.

There may be more, but I would not count on it.

Glenn

by **colwood** » Tue Aug 05, 2003 10:58 pm

Amazon's UK site is now advertising a release on DVD of Confidential Report by Prism Leisure Corporation for September 1. No other details given.

by **colwood** » Fri Aug 08, 2003 7:50 pm

As I slowly build my DVD collection, I was trolling for the best price I could find for TOE DVD when I came across an interesting thing. At deepdiscountdvd.com (and a couple of other smaller online retailers), they list a "Collector's edition" of TOE to be released 9/2/03. They didn't mention any specifics (neither did any other site that advertised it as well). However, at Deep Discount DVD, there is a sticker on the pic of the dvd that I can barely make out as "...exclusive to DVD...."

I was surprised this isn't listed with Amazon yet. So...does anybody know if this is another re-issue or might it be something more?

by **Jeff Wilson** » Fri Aug 08, 2003 10:10 pm

The TOE disc appears to be the same thing, just at a lower price than the original release. They're probably re-releasing it so retailers don't get confused about the price drop.

Edited By Jeff Wilson on Aug. 08 2003 at 22:10

by **colwood** » Fri Oct 03, 2003 7:20 pm

Was searching around Amazon and their international affiliates (mostly looking the Japanese F for Fake DVD) and according to Amazon.fr, there is a French DVD release of F for Fake by AK Video scheduled for October 20.

Anybody have info? Want to get the Japanese DVD but will probably hold off now till the verdict is in for this disc.

by **Narshty** » Fri Oct 03, 2003 10:08 pm

I asked Jon Mulvaney at Criterion whether they were going to finally stop Orsen around (forgive me) and get some of his stuff into the collection, and received this encouraging response:

We hope to introduce Welles to the DVD collection next year, but nothing is certain at the moment.

by **Electric2k** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 10:18 am

colwood wrote:Was searching around Amazon and their international affiliates (mostly looking the Japanese F for Fake DVD) and according to Amazon.fr, there is a French DVD release of F for Fake by AK Video scheduled for October 20.

Anybody have info? Want to get the Japanese DVD but will probably hold off now till the verdict is in for this disc.

Well here's two Japanese sites that list the DVD

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=IMBC-86

http://www.hmv.co.jp/Product/Detail.asp?sku=568138

I got mine from CD Japan, they still might be able to get one for you.

by **Alan** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 9:50 am

Just a note to say - the UK will finally have a DVD of 'Touch of Evil' on 10/11/2003, according to Play.com

Seems to be the same as the US version, still no commentary of course...

by **colwood** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 8:59 am

Was wondering if anybody has gotten the recently released French DVD of F for Fake? Any thoughts?

thanks

by **AndersE** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 1:08 pm

I'm also very interested in this one. Does any one know if those french subtitles are removable?

Anders

Wellesnet Message Board

Upcoming DVD Releases

Who is online