Amadeus Director's Cut: Blu-ray

[dx23]

AVS reporting the release of Amadeus in Blu Ray. Warner is adding several things not available in the Special Edition DVD:

AMADEUS DIRECTOR’S CUT

Amadeus Director’s Cut, with an additional 30 minutes which includes deleted scenes and extended scenes, will be the Blu-ray Hi-Def version of the title and will be presented with an exclusive bonus book packaging with 35 pages of insightful essays, beautiful photography, trivia and details about Mozart and his music. The Blu-ray Hi-Def also includes a special CD compilation from the Best Sound Oscar-winning original film soundtrack created especially for this release. Also included will be a digital download copy of the film for use with Windows Media and iPod portable devices.

Nominated for eleven Oscars and winner of eight, Amadeus was directed by Milos Forman from the Peter Shaffer screenplay. Tom Hulce, F. Murray Abraham, Jeffrey Jones, and Christine Ebersole, among others, starred in the film based on events in the life of classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Amadeus Director’s Cut will sell for $35.99 SRP. Orders are due January 6, 2009.

About The Film

Amadeus (1984)
Amadeus. The man. The music. The magic. The madness. This is the incredible, mostly true story about the relationship between two composers in 18th century Vienna -- Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), the successful court composer for Emperor Joseph of Austria, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce), a child prodigy who, while vulgar and irritating, writes the greatest music the world has ever heard. The film unfolds in a series of flashbacks, as Salieri is consumed with jealously by Mozart’s natural talent, and is unable to accept the knowledge that he will never possess the genius of a man he cannot stand.

Special Features:
· Director’s Cut commentary by director and writer
· The Making of Amadeus documentary
· Theatrical trailer
· BONUS DISC: Soundtrack Compilation CD
· Digital download copy of the Director’s Cut (run time: 180 minutes)

CD Sampler Track Listing:
1.W.A. Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio, K.384), Chorus of the Janissaries (arr.)/Ich möchte wohl (Ein Deutsches Kriegslied), K.539 (arr.) 4:30, Sir Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
2.W.A. Mozart: Concerto for Two Pianos, K.365; 3rd movement 7:15 Sir Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields; Imogen Cooper, Anne QueffelecCpianos.
3.W.A. Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro, Act IV, Ah Tutti Contenti 2:19, Sir Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
4.W.A. Mozart: Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), Aria (No. 14), “Queen of the Night” (Die Hölle Rache Kocht) 6:53, Sir Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields; Louisa KennedyCsoprano.
5.W.A. Mozart: Piano Concerto in D minor, K.466; 2nd movement (Romanza) 12:21, Sir Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields; Imogen CooperCpiano.
6.W.A. Mozart: Symphonie Concertante, K.364; 1st movement 13:38=, Sir Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields; Levon Chilingirian Cviolin; Csaba ErdélyiCviola.
7.W.A. Mozart: Six German Dances (Nos. 1-3), K. 509. 2:52, Sir Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
8.W.A. Mozart: Don Giovanni, K.527; Act II, Commendatore scene 6:56, Sir Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields; Ambrosian Opera Chorus, John McCarthyCdirector. Richard Stilwell (Don Giovanni), John Tomlinson (Commendatore), Willard White (Leporello).

OSCAR BLU-RAY HI-DEF PROMOTION
Street Date: February 10, 2009
Order Due Date: January 6, 2009

Amadeus Director’s Cut
Run Time: 180 Minutes
Dolby TrueHD
Rated PG
$35.99 SRP

[domino harvey]

Finally, I can watch Amadeus on my iPod

[foliagecop]

Domino scores a 10 on the sarc-o-meter again.

[Mr Sausage]

Domino scores a 10 on the sarc-o-meter again.

That one counts as irony. We're highbrow here.

[tojoed]

SD or Blu-Ray, it's a travesty however you look at it." Mostly true story..",
it's not even on nodding terms with the truth.

[teddyleevin]

SD or Blu-Ray, it's a travesty however you look at it." Mostly true story..",
it's not even on nodding terms with the truth.

So? It's a thoroughly entertaining film.

[Highway 61]

Yeah, even in its choice of title--Amadeus rather than Mozart--the film announces immediately that it's all figurative. The studio markets it the opposite way, of course.

[SuperBlu]

From the lack of discussion am I right to assume there is not much enthusiasm for this title? I was a little disappointed myself with the picture quality of this blu-ray. It seems the same master for the 2002 SD edition was used, and we only get the inherent improvement of blu-ray over SD. To me, this is the main reason why it is tough for blu-ray to be fully adopted by the public: the inherent advantage of blu-ray over SD is often not able to wow the viewer. The best-looking blu-rays are often benefitted by a NEW REMASTER of the video. Without a new remaster, we only feel half the impact.

[aox]

Well, I think you make the obvious point. A lot of these movies are being rushed out hoping the technology will carry the improvement itself. They did the same thing with DVDs from '97-01 just rushing out the VHS or LD masters on a new format. The companies will spend the money again to remaster these films in the coming years and we will see another surge of remastered Special Editions come 2011-2019+.

I skipped this purchase. I thought the improvement was marginal at best. I am either buying new films or films that have undergone a meticulous remastering improvement (e.g. The Third Man) for HD.

[dx23]

Amadeus is being re-released on blu-ray in September without the Digibook packaging and CD.

[stroszeck]

Amadeus was one of my favorite movies from the 1980s and I probably watched it around a dozen times. Just got done watching the film on netflix in a FAR inferior "directors cut" edition, which apparently is also the only version available on home video format. What is the story with these very prominent movies from past (the cover art on the Blu ray proudly announces the fill was the recipient of 8 academy awards) being altered, having scenes added or removed and not having the ORIGINAL theatrical release available? I mean that's the movie that won acclaim and awards and frankly in many moments not only is the narrative significantly altered as when salieri tries to get mozarts wife to sleep with him in exchange for a royal post (which is even further infuriating when a silly extended sequence of him rejecting her when she returns) but there's clear issues in pacing issues and some of the subtle, implied aspects of the movie become overwrought and obvious.