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I know it comes down to preferences, but Gary's reviews have made at least two things clear to me: both "EWS" and "Prenom: Carmen" look immensely better in the 1.33:1 ratio.

Person wrote:I see that Arrow Films in the UK have just released Les Diaboliques. It features an audio commentary by Professor Susan Hayward of the University of Oxford. No online reviews yet. A Beaver comparison would be great.

Yes, a Beaver comparison would indeed be great. Susan actually lectures at Exeter, and I'm very curious about her commentary track as well.

2 more...

Paramount (Two-Disc Collector's Set) (B/W & Color) - Region 1 - NTSC "It's a Wonderful Life" vs. Paramount (60th Anniversary) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Republic Studios - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Universal Pictures Video - Region 2 - PAL

Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL "Do You Remember Dolly Bell" vs. Koch Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC

It's A Wonderful Life...



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Cheers,
Gary

Oh, dear. Of all the films to colorize. What do the gloomy night-time cemetary scenes look like, I ask with reticence?

Two new...

Home Vision - Region 1 - NTSC "Innocence" vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL vs. Seville / Warner - Region 1 - NTSC

Sony - Region 1 - NTSC "Golden Boy" vs. Universal (Stanwyck Goddess Set) - Region 2 - PAL

Masterpiece...

Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC "I Am Cuba" vs. New Yorker Video/Milestone Cinematheque (3-disc Ultimate Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC

One more...

Platinum Disc Corporation - Region 0 - NTSC "The Lady Vanishes" vs. Carlton Visual Entertainment - Region 0 - PAL vs. Criterion Collection - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Criterion (2-disc RE-Mastered) - Region 1- NTSC vs. Concorde Region 2 - PAL

A little late with this, sorry:

Eureka - Masters of Cinema - Region 0 - NTSC "Fantastic Planet" vs. Accent Cinema - Region 0 - NTSC

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Best,

Are you going to review I Don't Want to Sleep Alone or do you just assume everyone knows of Strand's mediocrity?

Yes - will be doing Diaboliques...

New...

BFI - Region 2 - PAL "Drunken Angel" vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC

2 more...

Arte Video - Region 2 - PAL "The Man With the Movie Camera" vs. Absolut Medien - Region 0 - PAL vs. British Film Institute - Region 2 - PAL

Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC "Les Diaboliques" vs. Arrow Films - Region 0 - PAL

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Best,

sidehacker wrote:Are you going to review I Don't Want to Sleep Alone or do you just assume everyone knows of Strand's mediocrity?

Quick rundown, though no screencaps (I'll leave that to Beaver) - DVD5, burned-in subs, 16x9 enhanced, progressive. So a mixed bag, but overall pretty watchable. Hope to see a dual-layered optional-subs release somewhere outside region 1, but if this is all we get, it's decent.

Wait, Strand actually released an anamorphic disc?!

The Kino is coming out Tuesday...

Second Sight - Region 2 - PAL "Monsieur Hire" vs. Kino - Region 1 - NTSC

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Cheers,

Gary when you do the comp on the new MoC NOSFERATU could you pleeeeeeeze (nasal twang) include a cap of Orlok popping out of the coffin on the ship?

Whole world of silent fans is waiting w baited breath on whether or not his head-top was chopped back off in all editions (after the last resto prior had just put it back on... many jangled nerves will salute you for clearing this up!).

Per-Olaf added the BFI Edition with the Nyman score...

Arte Video - Region 2 - PAL "The Man With a Movie Camera" vs. Absolut Medien - Region 0 - PAL vs. British Film Institute (Nyman Edition) - Region 2 - PAL vs. British Film Institute - Region 2 - PAL

Our comparison of the two new Nosferatu's (Kino/MoC) should be ready soon.

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Happy Thankgiving in the US.

Best,
Gary

New...

Eureka - Masters of Cinema (2-disc) - Region 0 - PAL "Nosferatu" vs. Kino Video (2-disc) - Region 0 - NTSC

Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC "Sansho the Bailiff" vs. Eureka (Masters of Cinema with Gion Bayashi) - Region 2 - NTSC

In the Nosferatu comparison I will be replacing captures throughout the day. Our conclusion doesn't change but I'll get the 'head chopped' still in there as well as some others. Ex.

Masters of Cinema


Kino


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Best,
Gary

Just a short note: In our review of Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 HD DVD/DVD combo Boxset, Eddie has compared a number of captures from the old boxset to the SD available in the HD set and I have added some HD captures myself.

New...

BFI Video - Region 2 - PAL "The Iron Horse" vs. 20th Century Fox (2-disc - International and U.S. versions) - Region 0/ Region 1 - NTSC

Paramount (10th Anniversary Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC "Titanic" vs. 20th Century Fox / SF - Region 2 - PAL vs. 20th Century Fox / SF (DeLuxe Collector's Edition 4-Disc) - Region 2 - PAL

WBV (Taiwan) - Region 0 - NTSC "My Darling Clementine" vs. The Ford at Fox Collection - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Fox Studio Classics - Region 1 - NTSC

Nothing groundbreaking - it's the exact same dual-sided disc from Studio Classics 2004 as I expect How Green Was My Valley and The Grapes of Wrath will be as well... but we will verify.

Apologies if this is not news to anyone.

Young Mr. Lincoln in the Ford Collection IS THE CRITERION DISC. It is even labeled as such. Just the feature disc, not the second supplement one, is included.

Many more Fox at Ford comparisons on the way...

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Cheers,

New...

Diamond Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC "The Last Man on Earth" vs. MGM (stand alone) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. MGM (Midnite Movies with Panic in the Year Zero) - Region 1 - NTSC

Just a little caution - the single edition of The Last Man on Earth being released Dec 3rd, 2007 is exactly the same (menus, bitrate, single-layered transfer, disc size etc.) as the March 2005 Midnite Movies edition... but minus Panic in the Year Zero... for essentially the same price.

More...

Eureka (Master's of Cinema # 22) - Region 2 - PAL "Prisoner of Shark Island" vs. Fox (Ford at Fox) - Region 1 - NTSC

20th Century Fox (The Ford at Fox Collection) Region 1 - NTSC "Drums Along the Mohawk" vs. 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Optimum - Region 2 - PAL

Masters of Cinema Prisoner of Shark Island


The Ford at Fox Collection


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Cheers,

WOW.

New...

BFI - Region 2 - PAL "What Price Glory" vs. 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC

20th Century Fox (Studio Classics) - Region 1 - NTSC "The Grapes of Wrath" vs. 20th Century Fox (Ford at Fox) - Region 1 - NTSC

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Cheers,

That Prisoner of Shark Island image is outstanding. Lord.

Just to note - in our review of the Mikio Naruse Collection by BFI, with When a Woman Ascends the Stairs / Onna ga kaidan o agaru toki (1950), Floating Clouds / Ukigumo (1955) and Late Chrysanthemums / Bangku (1954) - we have compared two frames from the Criterion When a Woman Ascends the Stairs.

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Best,

Thanks for the Naruse caps, Gary! It appears that BFI may have vertically compressed "When a Woman Ascends the Stairs", albeit mildly.

Thanks Rich ! - Happy Holidays Bud!
***
New...

Tartan - Region 0 - PAL "The Seventh Seal" vs. SF Film - Region 2 - PAL vs. Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Tartan (50th Anniversary SE) - Region 0 - PAL vs. Criterion (Janus Collection and 'Four Masterworks' boxset) - Region 1 - NTSC

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Best,

New...

Warner - Region 1 - NTSC "Blade Runner" vs. Warner (Remastered - Limited Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Warner (2-disc - FINAL CUT) - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC

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Best,

Oedipax wrote:

sidehacker wrote:Are you going to review I Don't Want to Sleep Alone or do you just assume everyone knows of Strand's mediocrity?

Quick rundown, though no screencaps (I'll leave that to Beaver) - DVD5, burned-in subs, 16x9 enhanced, progressive. So a mixed bag, but overall pretty watchable. Hope to see a dual-layered optional-subs release somewhere outside region 1, but if this is all we get, it's decent.

I disagree... maybe it was just my monitor, but combing was quite visible throughout all of the film (I wish I still had it on me to make caps). All in all, I'm glad I rented it, and in between that and the awful cover, I'd wait for a non-R1 release.

Gary Tooze wrote:Thanks Rich ! - Happy Holidays Bud!

Same to you and your wife! Hopefully one day we can all get together (maybe at the next Toronto film festival).

Tartan BR "Seventh Seal" (apparently no longer The Seventh Seal): contrast boosted? Appears to lose detail in the white crush. I have to agree with your reviewer that this doesn't necessarily constitute an upgrade.

Hopefully one day we can all get together (maybe at the next Toronto film festival).

That would be a blast... and best to your better half - Avril (right?)!

Actually I reviewed it Rich and it's definitely an improvement. I just don't know if its enough of one for some people. It's not my fav Bergman so maybe that's why I said so.

Unfortunately our capture method adds some contrast (always trying to improve it though), but I can say confidentally that most all high-def discs that I own are brighter (colors and whites) and black levels much darker (pitch). The great thing about them, that Luiz mentioned, is that they are flexible in systems adjustments - must have something to do with the higher resolution.

Just working on my Blade Runner (hi-def) review now... here's a sample (example):



Best,
Gary