Studio Canal / Kinowelt / Optimum

[peerpee]

The Criterion Blu-ray of PLEIN SOLEIL looks *incredible*.

Would love to know who was responsible for this StudioCanal version looking like it does.

[shaky]

Atanasov reviews the UK Studio Canal edition of PLEIN SOLEIL. Obviously it's the same old shit we got from Studio Canal's French release:

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Plein-sol ... 98/#Review" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[tenia]

Ecran Large posted an update of the French Plein Soleil BD from SC : http://www.ecranlarge.com/dvd_review-list-16375.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
They have been able to screen the French BD VS the French DCP VS the Criterion BD in a theater (owned by Carlotta, so that's really the editors playing the game ).

The French DCP is equivalent to the French SC BD minus a logical lower resolution and a slight "veil" impacting the contrast.

[John Doe]

Ingmar Bergman's collection is coming to BD in Germany in November. http://www.bluray-disc.de/blu-ray-filme ... u-ray-disc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[MichaelB]

Great if you speak Swedish or German, perhaps less so if you don't.

Although of course it might well be a harbinger of an English-friendly edition - who picked up the UK rights when Tartan folded?

[Ashirg]

Palisades Tartan re-released Persona in January.

[artfilmfan]

Has anyone bought the Studio Canal Blu-ray of Il Postino ? Can you comment on the picture quality and whether Italian audio track and English subtitles are available on the disc?

[andyli]

November

Intégral Jacques Tati (7 BD, Jour de fête, Les vacances de M. Hulot, Mon oncle with alternative versions)

December

La Bête humaine
Le Mépris (50th Anniversary Edition)

[Drucker]

November

Intégral Jacques Tati (7 BD, Jour de fête, Les vacances de M. Hulot, Mon oncle with alternative versions)

December

La Bête humaine
Le Mépris (50th Anniversary Edition)

Pretty assume the Contempt re-issue is going to be the new restoration which just played at Film Forum.

[manicsounds]

The Integral Jacques Tati will also include the rest, Playtime, Trafic, and Parade.

[warren oates]

Given that we know Criterion got a special exception to the Studio Canal blacklist for these titles direct from the Tati estate, is it at all reasonable to anticipate a similarly complete box of new transfers from them in the next year or so?

[andyli]

Pretty assume the Contempt re-issue is going to be the new restoration which just played at Film Forum.

Did you see it at Film Forum? I went with high hope but it turned out to be the same transfer as the Studio Canal blu-ray years ago. Same color inconsistency. Same sudden drop of quality from shot to shot, from scene to scene. Same "grain management". Even the same scratches and specks. I couldn't figure out what exactly is new about this restoration...

Very disappointed.

[Max von Mayerling]

andyli, thanks for the report. Sigh. I had my hopes up.

[MichaelB]

Given Studio Canal's patchy track record with restorations (understatement), I'll be intrigued to see if these Tati titles actually do improve on the BFI Blu-rays!

[Drucker]

Pretty assume the Contempt re-issue is going to be the new restoration which just played at Film Forum.

Did you see it at Film Forum? I went with high hope but it turned out to be the same transfer as the Studio Canal blu-ray years ago. Same color inconsistency. Same sudden drop of quality from shot to shot, from scene to scene. Same "grain management". Even the same scratches and specks. I couldn't figure out what exactly is new about this restoration...

Very disappointed.

I'd only seen the trailer for it, which actually looked pretty good. Since I saw a 35mm print there of the film I was seeing, perhaps they just used images from an old trailer to make it? Either way, that is a bummer.

[tenia]

Given Studio Canal's patchy track record with restorations (understatement), I'll be intrigued to see if these Tati titles actually do improve on the BFI Blu-rays!

There will still be Parade, the short movies, and alternative versions of Jour de fête, if I understood correctly.

[MichaelB]

I was talking about the quality of the headline restorations.

[dwk]

Does StudioCanal have anything to do with the Tati restorations? I thought that they were being done by Les Films de Mon Oncle, the Technicolor Foundation and the Fondation Groupama Gan.

[JamesF]

The director's cut on the Anchor Bay disc had the introduction of Christopher Lee's Lord Summerisle when he sees two snails mating outside the inn (if I remember this correctly). He makes some remark about fertility and then sends a young lad upstairs to be deflowered by Willow, the landlord's daughter.

Then there is an extended cut of Willow's Song, which includes the full lyric and doesn't drop the beat, the way the theatrical cut does.

Hopefully that much will be on the "final cut?" I don't remember other edits very clearly, though there may have been some extra closeups in the final scene that were originally cut for animal cruelty or something of the like?

Having seen the Final Cut at the cinema last night - the snails scene is back in, but Willow's Song is still missing the same footage as before. Very much hoping that doesn't have a knock-on effect to the DC on the Blu-Ray if they're using seamless branching.

[manicsounds]

Hammer's "The Witches" 1966, BD review by DigitalFix

[manicsounds]

BlurayDefinition on "The Witches"

[manicsounds]

The Wicker Man Final Cut BD review at AVforums

[manicsounds]

The Wicker Man Final Cut, BlurayDefinition review

Beware people who ordered the steelbook edition from Zavvi: Looks like it's only a 2-disc set, and not the 3-disc set. It's missing the second BD with the theatrical and extended cuts with the commentary track.

[Finch]

Dead of Night (1945) Blu on 24 February according to Amazon. Touch wood it's one of their good discs!

[domino harvey]

Even one of their bad ones would be better than the existing releases!