Showing Soon - Snippets For October / November September 17, 2007
Posted by John Hodson in : DVD News & Info, Showing Soon , trackbackAn update to what’s coming your way in the UK during October and November…
In the first Showing Soon, I mentioned three film noirs upcoming from the BFI and conjectured that extras would only consist of trailers and booklets; the reliable Zeta Minor has published full details, and the discs are not quite as bare as feared.
Night And The City has an ‘interview with Jules Dassin, a feature commentary by film noir specialist Paul Duncan, a short film comparing the US and British versions of the film (the studio produced a second edit for the British market with a different music track). Plus the DVD also contains a fully illustrated 18-page booklet – whose cover features the original film poster artwork – with essays by author Lee Server and Paul Duncan; cast and credit details.’
Cry Of The City has the ‘original theatrical trailer. The DVD also contains a fully illustrated 10-page booklet – whose cover features the original film poster artwork – with an essay by author Lee Server and cast and credit details.’
Kiss of Death has an ‘interview with Richard Widmark, original theatrical trailer, presented by famed commentator Walter Winchell. The DVD also contains a fully illustrated 14-page booklet – whose cover features the original film poster artwork – with an essay by Lee Server, author of Ava Gardner and Robert Mitchum: Baby, I Don’t Care; Henry Hathaway’s comments on the closing scenes of Kiss of Death; cast and credit details.’
HMV is also showing several more interesting releases coming from the BFI; at the end of October; Franz Osten’s 1929 silent Prapancha Pash (A Throw Of The Dice), and in November the famous British short documentary Night Mail. They’re also showing a Mikio Naruse Collection for November, no detail, but from the price I’d say a three film set.
Still at Zeta Minor, terrible news on Universal’s forthcoming R2 release of the original Invasion of The Body Snatchers. And I quote Zeta Minor’s Julian Knott:
I’ve seen Universal’s forthcoming Invasion of the Body Snatchers disc, and, as feared, it’s a complete mess.
The disc actually features two versions of the film: a letterboxed black-and-white version, and a colorized version (which wasn’t mentioned in the press release - understandable, since it’s nothing to be proud of).
The colorized version, from 1988, is a 4:3 presentation, with horrible, horrible colours, and distracting NTSC conversion artefacts.
The black-and-white version is presented in 1.81:1 widescreen format, but without anamorphic enhancement! Amazing to think that a video label of any repute would release a non-anamorphic widescreen disc ten years after DVD made its debut. It, too, displays signs of being sourced from an NTSC master….
…Menu screens, and screen grabs comparing the colorized and black-and-white versions are available here.
Ouch! For more on this debacle, visit the Zeta Minor news page.
MovieMail has that rehash of the John Wayne boxset Universal first unleashed on an unsuspecting UK a couple of years back. It contains (deep breath) Angel And The Badman, Back To Bataan, Dakota, Dark Command, Flame Of The Barbary Coast, Flying Tigers, Fort Apache, In Old California, Baby From Louisiana, Rio Grande, Sands Of Iwo Jima, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, Tall In The Saddle, The Flying Kentuckian, The Fighting Seabees, The First Rebel, Flying Leathernecks, The Quiet Man, Three Faces West, Tycoon, Wake Of The Red Witch, War Of The Wildcat, Stagecoach, The Hellfighters, Pittsburgh, Reap The Wild Wind, Rooster Cogburn, Seven Sinners, The Spoilers, The War Wagon, Jet Pilot, The Conqueror, Lady For A Night, and Shepherd Of The Hills. If it’s just a repackage, as it looks to be, then it’s the usual Universal R2 mix of the good, the bad and downright slipshod (not to mention the non-anamorphic), some of which has been bettered by far in R1; coming November.
As is, allegedly - it’s been bounced around the schedules - that 10-disc Universal W.C. Fields Collection with The Big Broadcast Of 1938, The Bank Dick, You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man, My Little Chickadee, Man on the Flying Trapeze, Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch, The Old Fashioned Way, You’re Telling Me!, Six of a Kind, International House, Million Dollar Legs, If I Had A Million, Mississippi, Poppy, Never Give a Sucker an Even Break, It’s A Gift, Alice in Wonderland and Tillie and Gus.
Rewinding to the end of October, and Universal also boxes Doris Day: Young at Heart, That Touch of Mink, Lover Come Back, Pillow Talk, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Send Me No Flowers, The Thrill Of It All, The Ballad Of Josie, Midnight Lace.
MovieMail seems to confirm the November release of the Paul Robeson Collection (Sanders Of The River/Song Of Freedom/King Solomon’s Mines/Big Fella), from Network, though it’s yet to appear on their own site.
Fox is to release The Marlon Brando Collection in November, titles are: The Fugitive Kind, The Young Lions, Viva Zapata and Morituri; typical of Fox to drop in that previously unavailable Lumet title. Same month, Tartan release the Victor Sjostrom 1921 silent The Phantom Carriage - KTL Edition: ‘Created by pioneering Swedish film-maker Victor Sjöström, The Phantom Carriage is arguably the most influential and enduring horror film of all time. Its all-pervasive tone and the groundbreaking use of trick photography lend it an otherworldly atmosphere not since matched in modern cinema. Now, nearly 90 years since audiences were first chilled by its evocation of dead souls lost in the land of the living, leading sonic innovators KTL (the powerhouse collaboration between Stephen O’Malley and Peter Rehberg, aka Pita) have created a dense and darkly atmospheric score which compliments and blends with the original imagery to devastating effect. This collision between one of history’s greatest masters of the cinematic arts and two of today¿s most challenging and unclassifiable musicians is totally unprecedented and truly inspired.’
Tartan also offer up Sergei Eisenstein: Volume 2 - ‘A collection of seminal films by the Russian master Sergei Eisenstein. ‘Brezhin Meadow’ (1937) is based on the life of Pavik Morosov, a pioneer who was killed by his ‘Old Russia’ father for being an enemy of the people. ‘Alexander Nevsky’ (1938) was Eisenstein’s first sound film and tells the story of a legendary hero who led the Russian Army against a German invasion in the 13th century. The film was made just before World War 2 and the inevitable onslaught between Russia and Hitler’s Germany. The authenticity of the battle scenes was vouchsafed by Eisenstein being allowed unlimited access to the real Russian army. In Eisenstein’s epic production of ‘Ivan The Terrible Part 1′ (1944), he tells the story of one of Russia’s greatest and most ruthless leaders. The first part chronicles his childhood, coronation, marriage and illness. Eisenstein juxtaposes striking imagery with a stirring score by Prokofiev. In ‘Ivan The Terrible: Part 2 (The Boyars Plot)’ (1958), Ivan is feeling isolated and lonely after his attempts to establish a united Russia have left him without a wife (poisoned), and the defection to the Poles of his most trusted fighter. In an effort to build bridges he appoints a monk, Philip, to be Bishop of Moscow, but his plan backfires when Philip tries to bring Ivan under the Churches influence. Ivan’s response is swift and brutal, sending in his own secret police, the Oprichniks, against the Boyars. Eisenstein’s complex storyline reflects the bloody events of the time, and is full of political in-fighting, family betrayal, assassinations and murder.’
MGM/Fox are to release The Elvis Presley Box Set (Wild In The Country, Love Me Tender, Flaming Star, and Follow That Dream), plus Warners release The Jazz Singer: Special Edition on November 12; will it contain the same extras as the R1 edition? If it does, the offer price at several etailers would seem to suggest a bargain. However, past experience tells me to be extremely cautious - we’ll see.
Because their quality can be, shall we say, variable, I very rarely point folks at titles from minor labels, but to be honest, I’m not familiar with the output of an outfit called Showbox Media, save to say that they normally seem to specialise in titles of an, er, adult nature. However, they are releasing a Long Lost Comedy Classics Box Set, containing British comedy titles they’ve released singly previously: The Love Match, Make Me An Offer, Orders Are Orders, Time Gentlemen Please, John And Julie and Miss Robin Hood. Looks like they’re also going to responsible for the two Hammer films coming out next month as well in the UK; The Evil of Frankenstein and Brides of Dracula, plus a two film Peter Cushing set (no titles, but no prizes for guessing). They were given such beautiful transfers by Universal in R1 - here’s hoping.
I mentioned the Kenneth More Collection from ITV DVD in the last Showing Soon and the confusion over what’s included. Looks like it will be a five disc set (originally it was eight) with Genevieve, Reach for the Sky, A Night to Remember, North West Frontier, Chance of a Lifetime - only one previously unreleased title. Disappointing.
Finally, you might be wondering what happened to Fox’s UK release of 1900, scehduled for earlier in the year, then bumped. The full version of Bertolucci’s film, aka Novocento, was released by Paramount some months ago in R1. I wasn’t aware of any problem until I read on the Fox UK website: “Our intention is to re-release this title, once we are in receipt of a new and revised master. We are currently working to access a new master and will hopefully be in a position to confirm our next steps and anticipated timing of the re-release very shortly.”
Got to end with a bargain: scoot over to Play.com and tap ‘Cinema Reserve’ into their search engine and you’ll see a host of those tinned special editions at a bargain £7.99; one word of warning, Fox have been a little shy at including original mono soundtracks on those titles that should have one, but I can tell you that on Lifeboat, for instance, it’s almost impossible to discern it’s a remix (thank God), and the trade-off is that Hitchcock interview not available on the equivalent R1 Fox disc. Play.com have been undercut on one ‘Cinema Reserve’ title - Kagemusha is £4.89 at Sendit.com or part of their four for £15 sale.
Get ‘em while they’re hot…
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