Wellesnet Message Board

by **Shaunfon333** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 3:41 pm

I keep up with the news on this site, hoping to catch a glimpse of future Orson releases. Aside from the now $80.00 (Amazon) price tag on the Image (milestone) version of The Trial, does anyone see this coming out in the near future in a region 1 or All Region format (French-Studio Canal like quality)?
Since Studio Canal is listed with Universal overseas, are we in the US forced with the awful Focus Films(despite their claims to the contrary) "Restored" version of The Trial, not to mention The Stranger.

The same would go for The Magnificent Ambersons. Since Warner owns the rights, I'm wondering if they are ever going to come out with this on DVD.
This would especially apply to The Trial, to which I have to suffer through my Laserlight Version. Anyone know anything? Heard any rumors, chat room/forum stuff? I presume it would probably be in the news here, if known.

By the way, I just purchased the Korean import of Othello, which seems to basically be a bootleg of the Image Entertainment version, same special features and all.

Chimes of Midnight is another I would like to see on a Region 1 or all region DVD. Apparently the recent Brazilian import of this movie seems to be a cut version, at least according to their minutes.

by **Store Hadji** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 5:39 pm

My God! The Milestone copy is 80 bucks now? I couldn't have paid more than 20 for it a few years ago! Maybe it'll show up on ebay for less.

Check out the set called Citizen Welles. The copy of The Trial in that is very very good. The credits look a little wiggly, but the rest of the footage and the audio are very fine. I think Catbuglah just found that set for 18 bucks or so.

I haven't seen the Focus Films version. Maybe it's the same as in Citizen Welles, but I thought the CW one looked good.

Regarding Ambersons, we think that Beatrice's lawsuit over ownership of the RKO stuff is what's holding up the releases here. If you can't tape it off TCM, I guess there's the European versions which you can order online.

Yeah, avoid anything coming out of Brazil.

There are two versions of Othello and a great version of Chimes available in Europe. I don't know if they'll play on our machines in the US.

Check ebay for other bootlegs. It's possible you'll get a good Region 0 copy, but it's always a gamble.

by **Shaunfon333** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 7:42 pm

Thanks for the reply. The Focus Films one is Citizen Welles. Unfortunately, the quality is just not there. Check out Film comparison on this site (Click films-The Trial-Video availability-side by side comparison) and you'll see what I mean. It compares Milestone, Focus Films and the amazing French Studio Canal Version. Call me spoiled, but damn it if we couldn't have that quality here in the USA on a DVD of the Trial.

By the way, I checked the Milestone version on Amazon just to make sure of the price and I was wrong. It's actually $150 dollars. The 80.00 one is by some seller saying that it's the Miracle Pictures Version which I believe you can get for a big 90 cents used if you look it up as a different version on Amazon. Sounds like this seller is pulling a rip job.

by **Store Hadji** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 8:14 pm

It's actually $150 dollars

####################!

Oh, that is just ################# insane! There's no way it is worth that much. It's obvious they don't want to sell any.

Maybe the Canal version looks better than the Milestone (I haven't checked those screen shots) but i doubt I'd appreciate the difference much on a US television set. An EU television maybe.

This segues into my old rant about DVDs not having high enough resolution to look good on an HDTV, which means that a new generation of HD-DVDs will have to be done...

by **catbuglah** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 8:35 pm

http://www.milestonefilms.com/movie.php/trial/

Milestone has The Trial for $30 - I went for the cheaper ($12) ebay Citizen Welles (The Stranger, Trial, Hearts of Age)deal and for the price, it's pretty decent, you get the trailer as well - they did some digital restoration work when transferring as seen in the documentary (which mentions interestingly how Welles' former school days at Todd's influenced the basis for the school and small town setting in the film.) Although the Stranger seems muddy, the Trial looks OK.

by **colwood** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 10:31 pm

Those prices are outlandish and can't imagine why anyone would want to pay that much. The Milestone site lists it. So unless that's an error and its actually out of print, you could probably get it from them. Kind of makes me wish I had bought a copy just to sell it on Ebay right now.

Anyway, I have the french disc but still got the Milestone version from Netflix just to check it out. No comparison, the Studio Canal version is superior. It's running about $30 USD over at amazon.fr.

Also here's a comparison. The evaluation is kind of confusing and not as clear as most others, but the bottom line is the French disc is the winner.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare8/trial.htm

by **colwood** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 10:36 pm

As for the others you've mentioned, WB has hinted here and there that Ambersons is forthcoming, but nothing solid. The restored Othello is the only one you're going to find on dvd (outside of dvd-r's of the Criterion LaserDisc or European versions). And Chimes' Spanish disc is Region 0, only it's formatted for PAL.

Eventually these may all see the light of day in R1 but your best bet now for the likes of The Trial and Chimes would be to simply invest in a multi-region dvd player that also converts pal to ntsc. You can find good ones in the $100 range.

by **jaime marzol** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 7:36 am

don't buy the milestone trial from milestone, buy it from image ent. it's the same version. this was told to me about 8 months ago by milestone when i inquired about purchasing rights to their version. they said no, they were doing just fine distributing their version through image ent, and planned in a few years to release a deluxe trial, which really means they have no plans to do anything with it.

by **jaime marzol** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 7:41 am

it's sort of like when i bought a photo enlarger about 10 years ago. if you buy a 23xl from beseler, it's $600. if you buy it from a mail order photo place in ny, it's $210. same enlager. it's just that beseler will only sell you one if you are stupid enough to pay $600. so buy milestone films, they do great work, just don't buy them from the milestone site

by **colwood** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 11:05 am

Good idea, forgot about the Milestone - Image Entertainment thing. Unfortunately, if you go to the Image website and click to buy the Milestone Trial, it links to amazon and their used copies for $80.

by **Jeff Wilson** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 11:40 am

For the price of one of those used Milestone copies, you can buy a region-free PAL converting DVD player and the French release, and probably still have money left over. The Studio Canal release really is superior.

by **Store Hadji** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 12:11 pm

a region-free PAL converting DVD player and the French release

Jeff, you got any recommendations/links?

by **Shaunfon333** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 12:31 pm

I'm quite, well not happy about this, considering all the best quality Welles movies seem to be overseas, meaning not region 1. I just recently bought a Panasonic HT-680 home theater system and it is quite excellent, but, you guessed it, only plays Region 1 dvd's. There is no way around it on this specific model as far as changing codes to make it region free. (I've checked, believe me.) I paid about $220 bucks for this system, so I'm not wanting to dump it, obviously.

I imagine there is no way to buy just a region free DVD player stand alone with PAL-NTSC tv converter and hook it up through my current home theater? Hmmm, I'm thinking not, but who knows.

Any suggestions?

by **jaime marzol** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 5:42 am

i think that a computer dvd drive is region free. if it is, buy whatever region you want, burn a copy. watch the copy in dvd player. the burned european discs i've received, play in any dvd player. try dvd shrink. it makes region free copies.

dvd shrink will ask you to click a box if you want this to be a region free disc.

by **Shaunfon333** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 10:29 am

Thanks jaime, but I think I'm probably going to end up buying a region free home theater. Call me crazy, but there are just too many fantastic import DVD's that I would want to buy right now and would rather just be able to put the dvd in and play it.

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