Network DVD

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L.A.
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Re: Network DVD

#251 Post by L.A. » Fri Sep 04, 2020 1:02 pm

Dr Amicus wrote:
Sat Jul 11, 2020 5:19 pm
Invasion is a really interesting low (more like no) budget British SF film - essential watching for the upcoming lists project.
Beaver.

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L.A.
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Re: Network DVD

#252 Post by L.A. » Sun Jan 24, 2021 11:24 am


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Aunt Peg
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Re: Network DVD

#253 Post by Aunt Peg » Fri Feb 12, 2021 6:24 am

State Secret (1950) directed by Sidney Gilliat: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_ ... lu-ray.htm

I had no idea this was finally coming to home video. Highly recommended.

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swo17
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Re: Network DVD

#254 Post by swo17 » Sat Jun 26, 2021 8:34 am

senseabove wrote:
Fri Feb 26, 2021 3:28 pm
Not exactly a "problem," but IIRC, for the Monty Python set, they ship the 24fps or 25fps Monty Python set depending on your address, so there's no way to order the version with the correct framerate from them if you live in a 24fps territory.

EDIT: Actually, the other forum indicates that's no longer the case since there was a Region A Universal release of the set and Network sold out their 24fps stock. So nevermind!
I ordered this from Amazon US and the back of the box says it's 1080i. Pardon my ignorance, but does that indicate anything about whether it's 24 vs. 25 fps? If not, is there some other way to tell from the outside of the package whether you have the 25 fps version?

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Adam X
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Re: Network DVD

#255 Post by Adam X » Sun Jun 27, 2021 6:20 am

According to this comparison, both editions were 1080i. Looking over my set, there doesn't seem to be any way to tell which version you have short of playing the disc. It's likely the number on the bottom of the box is unique to each version?

Mine, which is the UK 1080i50 version, has 7958226 / 7958300. I'd guess if yours is different, it's the US 1080i60 edition.

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swo17
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Re: Network DVD

#256 Post by swo17 » Sun Jun 27, 2021 12:08 pm

I don't see anything like those numbers on the bottom of the US release but thanks, I'll have to pick up the UK version now

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Adam X
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Re: Network DVD

#257 Post by Adam X » Sun Jun 27, 2021 1:46 pm

I guess I was assuming you’re referring to the “Norwegian Blu-Ray” box set? On mine, it’s underneath on one corner, with the Network logo.

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swo17
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Re: Network DVD

#258 Post by swo17 » Sun Jun 27, 2021 2:35 pm

No, this is the standard version without the crazy packaging

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Adam X
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Re: Network DVD

#259 Post by Adam X » Sun Jun 27, 2021 2:48 pm

Ah, yep, could’ve done without the oversized box. Guess you’re back at square one.

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swo17
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Re: Network DVD

#260 Post by swo17 » Mon Jul 19, 2021 6:31 am

I got a copy of the Monty Python set from both Amazon US and Amazon UK, and am trying to understand the differences. When I try to play the very first episode, "Whither Canada," on my Oppo, the display screen for the UK disc shows a runtime of 31:47 and the bottom right corner shows "BDMV PAL 16:9." For the US disc, the runtime is 31:46 and the bottom right corner display reads "BDMV 29.970Hz 16:9." I believe "PAL" here signifies 1080i50 or 25fps while 29.970Hz means 1080i60 or 24fps. If the UK disc is 25fps though, shouldn't the the US disc run like 4% longer?

Can anyone with the 1080i50 release confirm the runtime of this episode on your disc?

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vsski
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Re: Network DVD

#261 Post by vsski » Mon Jul 19, 2021 8:34 am

Hi swo - not sure this is helping or confusing you, but I have the UK version of the set, at least I always believed I did, as it has the Network label and the BBFC classification on the discs and I also have a multi region Oppo Player.
My player shows the run time at 31:47 like your UK disc, but shows BDMV 29.970 Hz like your US disc (it’s the same whether I have the player on Region A or B).
In case it matters the disc has the number VFD00239 (and a serial number of 7958296A).The outer big box at the bottom in the corner shows a Network logo and the numbers 7958226 / 7958300, which Adam in this thread previously has identified as the UK edition.

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swo17
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Re: Network DVD

#262 Post by swo17 » Tue Jul 20, 2021 3:35 am

I feel fairly confident that "BDMV PAL 16:9" is how my Oppo identifies 25fps material. (Actual PAL discs say "PAL" but not "BDMV.") Other sets that I know are 25fps like Dissent & Disruption, Play for Today, and Dekalog all display this way, and I haven't noticed any other material that does. For what it's worth, my UK set prominently displays the code 7958225 on the spine and back of the case, as well as on each disc. (This is off one from Adam X's and vsski's numbers, though from what I can tell, the US edition includes neither.) However, my booklet does have the 7958226 code! The discs also include the code VFD00239, same as vsski's

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Adam X
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Re: Network DVD

#263 Post by Adam X » Tue Jul 20, 2021 7:17 am

swo17 wrote:
Mon Jul 19, 2021 6:31 am
I believe "PAL" here signifies 1080i50 or 25fps while 29.970Hz means 1080i60 or 24fps. If the UK disc is 25fps though, shouldn't the the US disc run like 4% longer?

Can anyone with the 1080i50 release confirm the runtime of this episode on your disc?
The runtime on my disc is the same, and yes the PAL id does mean it's 1080i50. Not sure what the lack of running time difference means though. Maybe someone can explain. I know I've watched NTSC > PAL conversions on DVD that still have the same NTSC runtime, so maybe that's what happened here? ie they sped up the 1080i60 release to match the original broadcast speed, or it was just improperly converted?

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Thornycroft
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Re: Network DVD

#264 Post by Thornycroft » Tue Jul 20, 2021 8:37 am

My uneducated guess is that they used a similar method as Criterion did to present Baal and Berlin Alexanderplatz at their original speeds. You can get 25 frames into 60 interlaced fields with the right pulldown method (usually by converting 25fps into 30fps then to 60i). The result is less "pure" than a progressive 25fps presentation due to duplicate frames or interlacing but it maintains the original speed and shouldn't be visible in motion if done correctly.

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L.A.
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Re: Network DVD

#265 Post by L.A. » Thu Jul 22, 2021 4:17 pm


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L.A.
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Re: Network DVD

#266 Post by L.A. » Tue Jul 27, 2021 9:06 am


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L.A.
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Re: Network DVD

#267 Post by L.A. » Wed Sep 08, 2021 2:13 pm

Twice the terrors: two British Horror classics resurrected in HD this October!

The landmark Edgar Wallace adaptation, The Dark Eyes of London, arrives with a new commentary from Kim Newman and Stephen Jones terrifically presented in a limited-edition Blu-ray plus Joan Collin’s 70s exploitation horror, The Monster, both available on Blu-ray and DVD just in time for Halloween.

Pre-order now: https://bit.ly/3nbzeXN

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L.A.
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Re: Network DVD

#268 Post by L.A. » Fri Sep 10, 2021 10:26 am

The Singing Ringing Tree (1957) coming in October.

The magical tale that haunted the dreams of a generation…

The Singing Ringing Tree (1957) is presented in High Definition for the first time!

And it’s out in time for Halloween!

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bad future
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Re: Network DVD

#269 Post by bad future » Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:37 pm

I’ve been doing a survey of fantasy/fairytale films this year and The Singing, Ringing Tree has been one of my favorite things I’ve found online so far. On the more straightforward/didactic side but delightful production design and perfectly pitched tone, with a charming, easy way with magic.

I’m in the US and have never ordered a Network release. Is there a consensus best way?

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J Wilson
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Re: Network DVD

#270 Post by J Wilson » Fri Sep 10, 2021 3:48 pm

bad future wrote:
Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:37 pm
I’ve been doing a survey of fantasy/fairytale films this year and The Singing, Ringing Tree has been one of my favorite things I’ve found online so far. On the more straightforward/didactic side but delightful production design and perfectly pitched tone, with a charming, easy way with magic.

I’m in the US and have never ordered a Network release. Is there a consensus best way?
I'm in the US as well, and I just order direct from Network. Their shipping rates aren't outrageous, and they remove VAT.

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ianthemovie
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Re: Network DVD

#271 Post by ianthemovie » Sat Sep 18, 2021 12:55 pm

bad future wrote:
Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:37 pm
I’ve been doing a survey of fantasy/fairytale films this year and The Singing, Ringing Tree has been one of my favorite things I’ve found online so far. On the more straightforward/didactic side but delightful production design and perfectly pitched tone, with a charming, easy way with magic.

I’m in the US and have never ordered a Network release. Is there a consensus best way?
At the risk of splitting off this discussion in another direction, I'd love to hear more about what other fairy-tale films you've discovered in your survey!

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L.A.
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Re: Network DVD

#272 Post by L.A. » Sat Sep 25, 2021 4:41 pm

L.A. wrote:
Fri Sep 10, 2021 10:26 am
The Singing Ringing Tree (1957) coming in October.

The magical tale that haunted the dreams of a generation…

The Singing Ringing Tree (1957) is presented in High Definition for the first time!

And it’s out in time for Halloween!
According to DVD Compare the disc is 1080i50. :-k

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The Fanciful Norwegian
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Re: Network DVD

#273 Post by The Fanciful Norwegian » Sat Sep 25, 2021 10:34 pm

My guess is the widescreen version is 1080p24 and the fullscreen version is 1080i50 (or 1080p25 in a 50i stream), since it was produced for TV. I don't think the person who compiled that information was very attentive, since they don't seem to be aware that the two versions of the film have different language options. Either that or Network's official specs (stating that the German audio is exclusive to the widescreen theatrical version) are incorrect.

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bad future
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Re: Network DVD

#274 Post by bad future » Sun Sep 26, 2021 5:52 am

ianthemovie wrote:
Sat Sep 18, 2021 12:55 pm
bad future wrote:
Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:37 pm
I’ve been doing a survey of fantasy/fairytale films this year and The Singing, Ringing Tree has been one of my favorite things I’ve found online so far. On the more straightforward/didactic side but delightful production design and perfectly pitched tone, with a charming, easy way with magic.

I’m in the US and have never ordered a Network release. Is there a consensus best way?
At the risk of splitting off this discussion in another direction, I'd love to hear more about what other fairy-tale films you've discovered in your survey!
I missed this last week, but I’m happy to share some highlights!

I was quite taken with a 1963 Czech film called Zlaté kapradí or The Golden Fern, which starts in this ethereal, edenesque mode where a woodcutter lures a forest spirit home to be his wife, but then takes a hard turn into a more lucid tale of ego and folly as the woodcutter leaves to seek worldly advancement in the army. The juxtaposition really worked for me, especially in retrospect as the film continues to grow in my estimation.

I happened to watch two 1968 films back to back which both played like a guess at what a Jacques Demy fairytale might look like, before he did his own a few years later. The Soviet A Very Old Story has sets and musical numbers that made me think MGM or Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and had similarly melancholic notes at the end. And the Czech The Incredibly Sad Princess is like a cool, youth-culture take on a fairytale with contemporary-styled pop songs that kind slap. Both very charming!

I’ve watched at least a dozen other Soviet fantasy films, largely family-oriented fare from Aleksandr Rou, which might be hard to pick a recommendation from as they’ve all been similarly gonzo, all elaborate sets and costumes and slapstick humor. But the first time I encountered Rou’s talking bears in Maria, the Wonderful Weaver (1959) was kind of miraculous, so maybe that one. The most striking sets and effects I’ve seen in one of these Soviet “fantastika” films have been in Aleksandr Ptushko’s Ruslan and Ludmila (1972) but that’s also a more straightforward heroic quest narrative and at 2.5 hours it did lose some steam as it went.

Other highlights will probably be more familiar to anyone on this board: Cocteau’s B&B, The White Reindeer, Kuroneko, Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (and Parajanov’s earlier Андриеш, 1954), Viy, Disney’s Sleeping Beauty (after some other underwhelming Disney revisits, this floored me!), Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, the aforementioned Donkey Skin, the Reg Park Hercules movies by Cottafavi and Bava, and a bunch of Karel Zeman of which criterion’s selections have surprisingly been the clear winners for me. Oh, and speaking of Parajanov, I should mention The Eve of Ivan Kupala (USSR, 1968) which isn’t by him but struck me as pretty close stylistically to Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, and quite good! (not intentionally leaving out Parajanov’s later, more singular work that definitely meets my criteria; I’m working mostly chronologically and only at ~1973 currently!)

Oh one more! Jiri Trnka’s all-puppet Midsummer Night’s Dream, awesome even in terrible quality on YouTube. Really hope this gets a proper release somewhere down the line.

Hopefully I haven’t derailed the Network thread too completely and it can get back to sorting out this 1080i business… Also I appreciate the advice on ordering from Network directly — my order is placed!

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ianthemovie
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Re: Network DVD

#275 Post by ianthemovie » Sun Sep 26, 2021 4:13 pm

Thank you for this, bad future. You've done an impressive job tracking down some truly obscure titles for this project. I'll need to try to find some of these, like The Golden Fern and A Very Old Story, which sound intriguing. I am familiar with only one of Aleksandr Rou's films, Jack Frost, which I first saw on public television as a child and then later rediscovered when it was turned into an episode of Mystery Science Theater!

Have you seen any of the other German fairy tale films made in the mid-1950s, like the 1955 Snow White directed by (I think) Erich Kobler, or a version of Rumpelstilstkin from the same year? They're a bit goofy but they have their charms, maybe similar to Rou.

When you make it up to the 1990s I might recommend the fairy tale films of Tom Davenport, if you don't already know them, especially Bearskin, Bristlelip, Ashpet and Willa, though they're quite different in style from the European films you've mentioned. Davenport is based in Virginia and his films reimagine the Brothers Grimm stories within an Appalachian context, often utilizing local/non-professional performers and settings to accomplish a kind of communal or collective film-storytelling process. Willa is of particular interest because it's an adaptation of Snow White that references silent cinema (though in a very different way than Pablo Berger's Blancanieves). I believe Davenport has now put all of them up for free streaming on his website so they're easy to see that way.

Incidentally I'm in the middle of working my way through the Japanese animated series Grimms' Fairy Tale Classics, newly released on DVD, which is notable in part because it adapts twenty or so truly obscure Grimms' stories alongside all of the classic ones (and it reinterprets some of the classics quite freely, for example turning "The Dancing Princesses" into a horror story in which the princesses are under the spell of monsters!)

Moderators will probably want to move this to a more appropriate thread...

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