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The certain distance is likely due to this film being planned for a widescreen 1.66:1 image?

Brian C wrote:I'm a little peeved that Kauffman did this review.

I wouldn't blame him, because in the end, you also have to get the reader to picture the PQ within an objective scale. What he's basically saying is that the BD is "limited" PQ-wise due to the shooting conditions and the prefered shots of Melville. It's not unusual at all, and is actually much more factual, though not very well put I admit, than a lot of reviews I've read here and there. In the end, the goal of a review is to help the reader "picturing" the PQ, so a couple of exemples like these are always nice to have.

It can seem weird, sure, but in the end, it's just basic exemples of when the BD is limited and when he's nice.

Brian C wrote: he has little business reviewing classic releases, because he seems incapable of viewing them through anything other than a modern-day lens from a PQ perspective.

Agreeing with Tenia here, those are obviously (to me anyway) mere descriptions and also finding this particular statement quoted above a riot of generalization and hyperbole. I read Kaufman's reviews regularly at Blu-ray.com and have found many of his classic reviews to be among the best on the web. Just a few:

Ben Hur

Citizen Kane

Psycho

How do these show someone "incapable of viewing them through anything other than a modern-day lens from a PQ perspective"? Sheesh.

Artwork for Intolerance is up on Amazon.

Back cover confirms what we already knew: feature length versions of The Fall of Babylon and The Mother and the Law with Monte Alto Motion Picture Orchestra score. Also includes featurette with historian Kevin Brownlow.

It's eye-wateringly expensive. Think I'll wait and hope it shows up some day on Amazon's 50% discounts.

importCDs has it for $29.40.

I also find Two Men in Manhattan quite expensive, especially when compared to The Thief of Bagdad and Tristana. Both had a $24.98 RSP while Two Men is $39.98, and Intolerance $49.98. I don't what's justifying this huge increase.

I didn't realize it at first but it's a 2-BD set, so a $50 SRP is pretty understandable. For me, the set doesn't offer a lot aside from the main feature, as I don't really want to watch the story arcs separated from each other and reedited.
The only Cohen Blu-ray that seems really overpriced to me is their 1-disc, nearly barebones Blancanieves, priced at $45. Two Men in Manhattan is no bargain, but it does have that Rosenbaum piece at least.

Finch wrote:It's eye-wateringly expensive.

Hey, that cast of thousands gotta eat.

tenia wrote:importCDs has it for $29.40.

Nice find, tenia, unfortunately importcds always put the value on their packages and I've been stung by Customs for every single importcds package that was above the £15 threshold. Mind, even with the postage and custom charges added, it might still work out marginally cheaper than the £28.99 that dvdworldusa are charging. You can't place an order with importcds yet anyhow but in 4 weeks I'll check again.

@swo,

That is pretty steep for a silent film on home video . . . I haven't dug very deeply beyond the obvious links scattered around here and the Cohen page for the projection of it in cinemas. Do we know what kind of extras are going to be included here, if any?

If there aren't any contextual extras, I'd say the MSRP is some mild foot-shooting. Unless they themselves ran a brand new HD scan strictly for this release and any future takers for other regions and broadcast.

Still adore this film and my favorite Griffith (with Blossoms as my second).

Yes, they did a new digital restoration and it has a new Carl Davis score. The set also includes The Fall of Babylon and Mother and the Law features that I was referring to above. Bonus features are a featurette with Brownlow, a trailer, and a couple of essays.

Tweaking an existing telecine or re scan all of the reels of the title for this release alone a la CC.

Are they saying they did this?

They seem to take credit for the restoration, for what it's worth.

This stuff is tricky. A new photochem resto on reels is one form... then you run the reels through telecine and digitally tweak or not.

Or:

You take pre-existing reels and scan them--or a pre-existing digital HD master from someone elses scan-- and do some tweaking behind a PC and you can claim "a new digital restoration."

HerrSchreck wrote:This stuff is tricky. A new photochem resto on reels is one form... then you run the reels through telecine and digitally tweak or not.

Or:

You take pre-existing reels and scan them--or a pre-existing digital HD master from someone elses scan-- and do some tweaking behind a PC and you can claim "a new digital restoration."

Photochemical restoration? It's 2013, everything is done digitally.

eerik wrote:Photochemical restoration? It's 2013, everything is done digitally.

That will be news to the UCLA Film Archive, Academy Film Archive, Eastman House, and several other international film archives.

Drucker wrote:They seem to take credit for the restoration, for what it's worth.

Yes, the reason I said they had done a new digital restoration was because I'd read on the CFC Tumblr, "The Cohen Film Collection digital restoration of D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance screens at select venues around the country."

I did see the Intolerance restoration when it screened at the Film Forum (NY). It looked terrific. Fingers crossed that the Blu looks worthy.

eerik wrote:

HerrSchreck wrote:This stuff is tricky. A new photochem resto on reels is one form... then you run the reels through telecine and digitally tweak or not.

Or:

You take pre-existing reels and scan them--or a pre-existing digital HD master from someone elses scan-- and do some tweaking behind a PC and you can claim "a new digital restoration."

Photochemical restoration? It's 2013, everything is done digitally.

You're not really serious are you?

I thought that whole Y2K kerfuffle was every form of analog media spontaneously converting themselves to digital?

January 2014

1/7 Hail Mary (1985) DVD and Blu
1/7 For Ever Mozart (1996) DVD and Blu
1/14 Terraferma (2011) DVD and Blu
1/21 The Prey (2011) DVD and Blu

Ashirg wrote:1/7 Hail Mary (1985) DVD and Blu

Time to sell my New Yorker DVD!

Those two Godards are quite a pleasant surprise. For once, we'll have the option to see 80s-90s vintage JLG with removable subtitles. Here's hoping they've got more in the pipline.

This from an interview with Screen Daily.

Press release for Intolerance posted on HTF claims the list prices are $35 for BD and $25 for DVD. Makes it much more affordable and desirable now.