Powell and Pressburger (UK releases)

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Rsdio · #101 Post by **Rsdio** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:31 am

So, as someone who only owns the Carlton release of The Red Shoes, what would be the best way to hoover up most of the others? At the moment I'm leaning towards getting the 9-disc HMV set for Â£15 then the Network Black Narcissus and the Criterion Tales of Hoffmann (or possibly waiting to see what the upcoming Optimum is like). The Criterion of 49th Parallel has thrown a spanner in the works of my thinking though, I don't tend to double-dip on things..

Lino · #102 Post by **Lino** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:13 am

You do know that there is an 11 disker that includes both Black Narcissus and Tales of Hoffmann, don't you? Just scroll up the thread for my comments.

Rsdio · #103 Post by **Rsdio** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:19 am

I know, but the cheapest I can find that set is Â£45 on Play - buying the 9 disc one and the other two titles seperately would end up being cheaper and would have more extras to boot.. Unless I'm missing something?

Lino · #104 Post by **Lino** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:27 am

Well, if you put it that way, maybe you're right. It's just that I'm perfectly happy with my 11 disker and apart from an eventual Criterion reissue of Red Shoes (and depending on the final results), I don't see myself double-dipping on any more P&P.

Rsdio · #105 Post by **Rsdio** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:47 am

Yeah, if it was cheaper I'd go for it but the 9 disc set is such a steal at Â£15 delivered. I was holding off on buying any Powell and Pressburger until the newer set was released to see what was included, so your post above was very helpful.

Greathinker · #106 Post by **Greathinker** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:20 pm

Amazon UK has the cover art up for the new Peeping Tom, and interestingly enough you can also view Scorsese's introduction.

Can't wait for this release. Though it looks like they're really playing off the whole 'British Pyscho' idea with the cover art.

Gordon · #107 Post by **Gordon** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:19 pm

Peeping Tom should be Â£11.99 max at CD-WOW if you have voucher:

Peeping Tom: Special Edition

jt · #108 Post by jt » Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:34 am

Rsdio wrote:At the moment I'm leaning towards getting the 9-disc HMV set for Â£15 then the Network Black Narcissus and the Criterion Tales of Hoffmann (or possibly waiting to see what the upcoming Optimum is like). The Criterion of 49th Parallel has thrown a spanner in the works of my thinking though, I don't tend to double-dip on things..

That's exactly what I did and I'm very happy, I got the 9-discer as it was much cheaper than the new 11 disc set and I already had Narcissus.
Seeing as it is basically the price of a single CC, you shouldn't hesitate. I also don't like double dipping unless absolutely necessary but the extras and artwork on the new 49th Parallel are making me rethink my policy...

Lino · #109 Post by **Lino** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:13 pm

DVDManiacs reviews the new UK SE of Peeping Tom.

Greathinker · #110 Post by **Greathinker** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:46 pm

Lino wrote:DVDManiacs reviews the new UK SE of Peeping Tom.

Strange review; he tears into it for the video while at the same time saying that it's an improvement over the many previous releases. Also there isn't a word about the most important extra, Ian Christie's commentary-- was it dropped? Sure as hell hope not.

This guy also claims that Peeping Tom's OAR is 1.78, is that true? I thought it was 1.66?

nick · #111 Post by **nick** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:14 pm

Greathinker wrote:This guy also claims that Peeping Tom's OAR is 1.78, is that true? I thought it was 1.66?

Actually he makes note of them not using the correct aspect ratio

DVDManiacs.net wrote:Anamorphically presented at 1.78:1 which looks more like 1.73:1 here as it is matted at the sides, Optimum has missed a trick here in not using the OAR like the existing Criterion disc.

The only problem with this is that the Criterion, although stated on the box at 1.66:1, is actually 1.78:1 as seen over here.

Greathinker · #112 Post by **Greathinker** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:28 pm

I don't understand what you're getting at Nick. He claims Peeping Tom's OAR is 1.78 like the Criterion, whether they advertised it at 1.66 or not. I'm wondering what the actual OAR is for this film, since its already obvious from the review that optimum didn't get it right.

Another, more optimistic review at DVD Outsider

Tommaso · #113 Post by **Tommaso** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 6:39 am

The caps on dvdmaniacs again support my assumption that 1.66 is correct. I find the framing at the top far too tight. The colours, however, seem to be far more natural than the reddish Criterion, but I guess we will have to wait for a Beaver comparison to come to final conclusions. I feel urged to double dip, though, simply for the Christie commentary. His job on CC's "Canterbury Tale" and "IKWIG" was plain fabulous.

MichaelB · #114 Post by **MichaelB** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 6:56 am

If analysis of a captured frame in Photoshop is a reliable guide, the aspect ratio of the Optimum DVD is about 1.73:1. I think that's probably pretty accurate - even by eye, it's obviously narrower than 1.78:1 (for starters, there are black bars at the sides of the anamorphic frame), but not quite narrow enough for full 1.66:1. (UPDATE: Just read the DVD Maniacs review, which also claims 1.73:1. I suspect great minds are thinking alike.)

The Christie commentary is well worth a listen. I'm loath to draw direct comparisons between it and the Laura Mulvey commentary on the Criterion disc (for starters, I haven't listened to the latter in about five years), but the impression I get is that Christie is intended for the intelligent layman while Mulvey is more likely to appeal to the hardcore academic. Christie supplies plenty of analysis, but also a lot of behind-the-scenes information, as well as a great deal of cultural context (you learn a huge amount about the late 1950s Soho sleaze trade).

Much though I enjoyed the Leo Marks documentary on the Criterion disc, I think the Optimum documentaries have more to say about the film itself - so while both releases are excellent, the Optimum would narrowly be my first recommendation for this title.

Tommaso · #115 Post by **Tommaso** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 7:49 am

The Mulvey commentary, incidentally, is available on its own in written form (only very slightly rephrased) in the excellent collection of essays edited by Ian Christie and Andrew Moor, Michael Powell - International Perspectives on an English Film Maker, published in 2005 to celebrate the 100th birthday of Powell. A fascinating, thoughtful collection, even if there's nothing much on the lesser known films.

Kinsayder · #116 Post by **Kinsayder** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 2:16 pm

Greathinker wrote:What's the status of A Matter of Life and Death and Oh Rosalinda!...? The french releases are never going to see the light of day it seems. Are there any plans else where for these, particularly with the new restoration of AMOLAND?

A French release of A Matter of Life and Death is now scheduled for September 18th. The publisher is Seven 7 rather than Warner France, who did the recent P&P boxes. The Seven 7 website makes no mention of this being a restored edition. No extras to speak of, either. This may well just be the Carlton edition with French subs added.

Greathinker · #117 Post by **Greathinker** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 9:23 pm

The Tales of Hoffman will be out soon, Sep 3rd. I can't find any specs. Wonder how the colors will turn out.

starmanof51 · #118 Post by **starmanof51** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:51 pm

Greathinker wrote:The Tales of Hoffman will be out soon, Sep 3rd. I can't find any specs. Wonder how the colors will turn out.

119 minute running time? A mistake, or the cut version?

Tommaso · #119 Post by **Tommaso** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 5:17 am

PAL speed-up, simply. 128 mins - 4% would probably result in 119 mins. But don't ask me to calculate this precisely....

Rsdio · #120 Post by **Rsdio** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 5:51 am

It still seems a little less, 4% off 128 would be about 123/124 minutes.

Tommaso · #121 Post by **Tommaso** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 6:23 am

It's confusing, imdb says 128 mins., the cover of the CC says 127, but I just checked the CC disc in my player, and it runs 124 mins and 47 secs, including the CC/Janus logos. As this is definitely the full version , it seems save to assume that the 119 min R2 is complete as well.

starmanof51 · #122 Post by **starmanof51** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 8:42 am

davidhare wrote:The timing is fine, I am sure, but the 1.66 ratio really needs adhering to. All the scenes with Mark and Anna Massey end up severely cropped with Bohm's head chopped in anything less than 1.66.

Hope I'm not being dense, but why would this be anything other than Academy ratio?

Tommaso · #123 Post by **Tommaso** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 9:04 am

It was perhaps shot open matte, but I don't know how it was exhibited initially. Criterion's 1.33 always looked completely right to me. Dave, I assume you're talking about "Peeping Tom", though, not "Tales of Hoffmann"? And here I agree completely with you, it should be 1.66. Both CC and Optimum (which I find better colourwise, not to speak of the Christie commentary which far outdoes Mulvey) got it wrong.

starmanof51 · #124 Post by **starmanof51** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 11:17 am

Tommaso wrote:Dave, I assume you're talking about "Peeping Tom", though, not "Tales of Hoffmann"?

Ah yes. I thought we were onto Hoffmann, not Peeping Tom, thus my confusion. But obviously references to Massey/Bohm show otherwise. I shouldn't post at 5am (at the least).

Greathinker · #125 Post by **Greathinker** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 1:11 pm

Any word yet on Tales? It would seem that there's no extras, though I'm most interested in seeing if the color has changed.