Looks a little bit different from the other Criterion blu, but, in this case, it goes in the other direction than Amarcord. I.e. it's a little brighter and more detailed than the previous release. I'm happy with the looks of this one (which is good, because I love La Dolce Vita).
I'm really curious about 8 1/2. The original blu-ray is now ten years old; I have high hopes for this new one.
yeah I did also notice some subtle differences in the brighter picture. Well in this case I can safely let go of my standalone release but still considering getting he old Amarcord blu
Judging by the bitrate graphes, La Dolce Vita new disc re-uses exactly the individual release encode, so any difference perceived on the caps can't be on the disc.
Beaver clearly states that La Dolce Vita is the same version as the stand alone disc. Only the extras are different.
"The included film is identical image/audio-wise to the previous Criterion stand-alone Blu-ray released in 2014 (using the same transfer full of inky blacks and sharp detail). The only new inclusion here are the two bonus features, "Second Look" and "Once Upon a Time: La Dolce Vita" which run 31-minutes and 52-minutes, respectively. "
OldBobbyPeru wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 7:17 pm
Beaver clearly states that La Dolce Vita is the same version as the stand alone disc. Only the extras are different.
"The included film is identical image/audio-wise to the previous Criterion stand-alone Blu-ray released in 2014 (using the same transfer full of inky blacks and sharp detail). The only new inclusion here are the two bonus features, "Second Look" and "Once Upon a Time: La Dolce Vita" which run 31-minutes and 52-minutes, respectively. "
Thanks. I missed that. The beaver caps definitely look different, though.
I just checked them by downloading them and checking their RGB values through ACDSee histograms and while they're not 100% identical, they are so similar (and switching from one to the other reflects this) I haven't been able to find the exact pixels that were differing.
This being written, it's not surprising that the same thing captured twice by Beaver doesn't yield the exact same result...
I’m buying the set next week and was wondering if anyone had recommendations for some Fellini literature. I’m looking to read a biography and one or two “films of” books.
It has a narrower focus than you might be looking for, but I found Hava Aldouby's Federico Fellini: Painting in Film, Painting on Film to be really excellent. This one also has the advantage (from my point of view) of focusing on four films from my favorite period of his work: Juliet of the Spirits, Toby Dammit, Satyricon, and Casanova.
The only biography I've read is the one by Peter Bondanella; I can recommend it, but it's been a long time so perhaps not a full-throated endorsement.
I second The Cinema of Federico Fellini by Peter Bondanella. After that, Fellini on Fellini is excellent, and I also recall Charolette Chandler's I, Fellini being very good. I haven't read Federico Fellini: Painting in Film, but it sounds great.
In regards to the transfers, I'm scratching my head over Amarcord, especially given that it was color graded by Giuseppe Rotunno. The crushing and teal tinting not only looks inconsistent with every other version of Amarcord that I've seen (Warner VHS, Home Vision VHS, Criterion DVD, older Criterion blu-ray) but also inconsistent with other color films photographed by Rotunno that I've seen (which is all of the Fellini films he shot, as well as Candy [which is trying to look like a Fellini film], The Leopard, Carnal Knowledge, Popeye, Sunflower, and too many more to mention). Rotunno usually had a fairly consistent style he brought to the table no matter who the director was (he's similar to Vittorio Storaro in that way, but many other Italian DPs also had identifiable styles that they carried across different directors) and these don't seem like decisions he would make as a cinematographer. Then again, I could be completely off in my discernment - I've never seen this film theatrically, so perhaps this is the intended look. But the older Criterion blu-ray looks far more like the work of Rotunno as I've come to know it over the years.
It reminds me of the Death in Venice transfer, which is similarly inconsistent with other versions of that film I've seen, as well as other films I've seen photographed by Pasqualino de Santis (Romeo and Juliet, The Damned, The Devil Probably, Nenè, etc.). Then again, having never seen that film theatrically, I can only go by what looks right to me (the transfer on the Warner DVD looked perfect) and like with Amarcord my perception could be based on transfers I thought looked correct but in fact may have been at odds with the cinematographer's intentions.
I can kind of understand Juliet of the Spirits having a pink tint, but that too is inconsistent with every other version of the film I've seen (including the Nouveaux R2 that isn't on DVDBeaver) as well as the other colors films I've seen photographed by Gianni di Venanzo (The Honey Pot, The Tenth Victim, etc.).
I'm guessing both Amarcord and Juliet of the Spirits look spectacular in motion, but the side-by-side comparison has thrown me a bit. Has anybody seen these theatrically and can recall if the new transfers reflect how the prints looked projected?
And the Beaver Sails On From Gary's description of the restoration, it seems like this was the title that didn't receive a 4K restoration. Though that wouldn't matter since the picture quality looks to be superior of that of the old Criterion DVD.
yoloswegmaster wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:20 pmAnd the Beaver Sails On From Gary's description of the restoration, it seems like this was the title that didn't receive a 4K restoration. Though that wouldn't matter since the picture quality looks to be superior of that of the old Criterion DVD.
Too bad the English-language audio track has not been included; still, it, indeed, looks like a really good transfer. Since it's a new restoration from last year, I don't know why it wouldn't have been done in 4K. Criterion specifically states that 11 of the 14 films received new 4K transfers with the three outliers most likely being La Dolce Vita (confirmed), Satyricon, and Roma.
I wonder if there is some legal snag preventing them from including the English dub in the US? La Strada has the English dub, so it isn't like Criterion is completely opposed to including them.
Roger Ryan wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:45 pm
Too bad the English-language audio track has not been included; still, it, indeed, looks like a really good transfer. Since it's a new restoration from last year, I don't know why it wouldn't have been done in 4K. Criterion specifically states that 11 of the 14 films received new 4K transfers with the three outliers most likely being La Dolce Vita (confirmed), Satyricon, and Roma.
The Criterion blu of Roma was sourced from a 2K restoration and I know that it's gotten a 4K restoration, so I think it's safe to say that Criterion will be using the new 4K transfer. However, I can't find any information as to whether or not And the Ship Sails On received a 4K restoration.
dwk wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:55 pm
I wonder if there is some legal snag preventing them from including the English dub in the US? La Strada has the English dub, so it isn't like Criterion is completely opposed to including them.
Of course it was the MOC Satyricon that included the English track and the Criterion had omitted it. So there is a precedent for this.
As for the English track, I agree that it's disappointing for it not to be included. I personally feel that - for historical reasons - every foreign film that had an English dub should include it as an option if it's available, especially if one of the actors in the film performs on it. I would've loved for Criterion to have made the English dub for 8 1/2 available - Joe Dante has said that he owns a 16mm print of the film with the English track, and that it's actually his preferred version of the film (and I believe it's a top ten [or twenty] film for him).
Sorry, since I got the set I've been meaning to post the info on the restoration and just haven't been able to get to it. The films open with more detailed notes on the restorations, but I haven't written down all of them yet, so this is all taken from the summaries in one of the included books:
Variety Lights
4K Transfer
35mm original negative
35mm composite fine-grain master positive
L'Immagine Ritrovata (Fellini 100 Project)
The White Sheik
4K Transfer
35mm original negative
35mm positive print
L'Immagine Ritrovata (Fellini 100 Project)
I vitelloni
4K Transfer
35mm fine-grain master positive
35mm positive print
35mm preservation negative
Cinema Communication Services
La strada
4K Transfer
35mm duplicate negative
L'Immagine Ritrovata
Il bidone
4K Transfer
35mm original negative
35mm fine-grain master positive
L'Immagine Ritrovata (Fellini 100 Project)
Nights of Cabiria
4K Transfer
35mm fine-grain master positive
L'Immagine Ritrovata (Fellini 100 Project)
La dolce vita
4K Transfer
35mm original negative
35mm fine-grain master positive
L'Immagine Ritrovata
8 1/2
4K Transfer
35mm original negative
L'Immagine Ritrovata (Fellini 100 Project)
Juliet of the Spirits
4K Transfer
35mm original negative
35mm interpositive
Rumblefish VFX
Fellini Satyricon
4K Transfer
35mm original negative
Criterion Post
Roma
2K Transfer
35mm original negative
L'Immagine Ritrovata
Amarcord
4K Transfer
35mm original negative
35mm internegative
L'Immagine Ritrovata
And the Ship Sails On
4K Transfer
35mm original camera negative
Istituto Luce (Fellini 100 Project)
Intervista
4K Transfer
35mm original negative
Istituto Luce (Fellini 100 Project)
