International BLU-RAY DISCS FROM GERMANY (1 Viewer)

[John Hodson]

Caps-a-holic compares the German release of The Blue Max

 

[Alan Tully]

Caps-a-holic compares the German release of The Blue Max

I can't say I'm impressed. I must have false memory syndrome, I remember all these films looking great at the cinema, with a colourful & punchy picture. I'm glad The Sand Pebbles & Patton (& The Egyptian) don't look like this

 

[John Hodson]

Excellent news regarding the upcoming Studio Canal Germany's 'Arthaus' release of High Noon; included is the excellent documentary Inside High Noon - Paramount insisted on four minutes of cuts when this was included on the Lionsgate CE DVD a while back (they hacked out what they perceived as attacks on John Wayne), and it's not known yet whether this is the full version (you can see the missing footage here). There's also the rather ancient Leonard Maltin hosted 'making of', the Tex Ritter song, trailer and a reversible sleeve.

Who knows? The transfer might also be a step up from the 'oh so nearly' US Olive disc...

 

[Robin9]

Barbara Eden fans might be interested to learn that Five Weeks In A Balloon has been releaased on Blu-ray in Germany. I've never seen this film but I'm sure it has its admirers. Barbara Eden certainly has.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I have had Five Weeks in my list at amazon.de for months. The reviews are good but I can't quite decide whether to buy or not. Has anyone bought it?

 

[Robin9]

Last night I watched the German BRD of Western Union. I'd delayed buying this because I suspected that the elements were either gone or worked to death. I thought there had to be a reason this film never was released on Region 1 DVD.

To my surprise and delight this Blu-ray disc is really good. In fact my guess is that it shows the film off better than film prints did in theaters in 1941. Right at the beginning there are a couple of stock shots of buffalo - and you can see horsemen behind them! A second or two later there is a long shot and in the far distance a white motor vehicle can be seen moving fast! I doubt theater audiences saw those details when the film first came out.

The colors for the most part look good. I'm no expert on this movie but skies are blue, tree leaves are green and desert dust is brown, yellow and sometimes slightly red. Human skin is very lifelike. Most of the long shot are startlingly good.

This BRD is Zone free, gives a choice betwen English or German soundtracks and has no forced sub-titles. And it's not mega-expensive . . . .

 

[John Hodson]

Lonely Are The Brave has dropped below 10 Euros, so I've popped it in my basket (with Man of The West) - sounds like a very decent release...

 

[Simon Lewis]

I have had Five Weeks in my list at amazon.de for months. The reviews are good but I can't quite decide whether to buy or not. Has anyone bought it?

Saw Five Weeks a few months ago. The PQ is pretty good, though I recall there were occasional soft shots. I was a bit disappointed in the film, I thought the plot was rather weak.

 

[John Hodson]

This is one of those 'mouseover' comparisons between the new German Studio Canal BD of High Noon and the old German DVD - if nothing else, you get some nice 'caps of the new disc.Possibly more pertinent is this comparison between Studio Canal's disc and Olive's, sadly, just the one 'cap, however, I'm convinced...

 

[Keith Cobby]

The Man with the Golden Arm scheduled for release on blu-ray in September and Cobra Woman in October. I hope the picture quality of Cobra Woman is comparable with Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves released by Eureka in the UK.

 

[classicmovieguy]

I have the UK release of "Cobra Woman" from Odeon. Picture quality on that is very nice - a HD bump I'm sure would be amazing. Looking forward to how the German BD turns out.

 

[classicmovieguy]

Cover art for "Cobra Woman"...

http://www.amazon.de/Die-Schlangenpristerin-Cobra-Woman-Blu-ray/dp/B00DKY7FUG/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1374787945&sr=1-1&keywords=cobra+woman

 

[Wade Sowers]

The Koch Media Western Legenden Blu of Robert Wise's TWO FLAGS WEST indicates Region B on the back, but plays with no problems in my Region A machine.

 

[John Hodson]

Okay; the German Studio Canal BD of High Noon arrived today. Is it substantially better than Olive's disc? I couldn't say, I don't have that disc. Nor do I own a projector - and thus only speak of what I see on a 52" screen rather than splashed against a six foot, or greater, screen. Nor am I, I hasten to add, Robert Harris. I can say that it looks a peach, with fine detail and what appears to be appropriate levels of film grain, much like Paramount's superb European DVD release of a few years ago.What Blu-ray brings to the party is greater depth to the blacks, a better handling of motion and, of course, even better detail than that excellent DVD thanks to increased resolution. In fact, I'm pretty sure BD hails from the same master. The mono sound comes via a DTS-HD MA track which is also excellent.The disc is locked to Region B, and comes with a handful of supplements. Chiefly, for me, is John Mulholland's Inside High Noon. Sadly it's still the version censored on the 2008 R1 DVD from Lionsgate, excising criticism of John Wayne - it's NTSC, in 1.33:1 (like the film) and comes complete with ratty clips exhibiting much combing.There's also the old 'The Making of High Noon', a German trailer and US trailer, all in PAL. The extra called 'The Ballad of High Noon' is simply the title sequence (in HD).Here's a film that's deserving of Criterion standard extras, of incisive essays and deconstruction, the full 'Inside High Noon' in HD; but until then, I reckon this is the best choice we have on Blu-ray.

 

[Robin9]

In September two Otto Preminger films are being released on Blu-ray in Germany by Concorde Home Entertainment. The films are The Cardinal and The Human Factor. I've never seen a Concorde disc and have no idea what their usual quality is. The Cardinal could look magnificent in high definition, and if "the word" on this disc is good, I will definitely buy this BRD. (For some reason I can't upload a picture of the BRD cover)

The Cardinal was photographed by Leon Shamroy who was nominated for an Oscar for his work. At the Awards he lost out to . . . . . . . . Leon Shamroy who won for Cleopatra!

 

[Stefan Andersson]

Anne of the Indies out on German Blu - "Piratenkönigin" (The Pirate Queen)

Caps:

http://www.dvdclassik.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=34857

 

[Keith Cobby]

Society is being released on 27 September.

 

[classicmovieguy]

Anne of the Indies out on German Blu - "Piratenkönigin" (The Pirate Queen)

Caps:

http://www.dvdclassik.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=34857

Does the Blu have removable subs? I'd be interested in this one for sure.

 

[John Hodson]

In September two Otto Preminger films are being released on Blu-ray in Germany by Concorde Home Entertainment. The films are The Cardinal and The Human Factor. I've never seen a Concorde disc and have no idea what their usual quality is. The Cardinal could look magnificent in high definition, and if "the word" on this disc is good, I will definitely buy this BRD. (For some reason I can't upload a picture of the BRD cover)

Concorde's track record is pretty good; I believe both Premingers have been transferred by TLEFilms for Ignite, who have been supplying masters for Olive in the US.

 

[Robin9]

Concorde's track record is pretty good; I believe both Premingers have been transferred by TLEFilms for Ignite, who have been supplying masters for Olive in the US.

Many thanks. In that case I'll order The Cardinal which I haven't seen for at least twenty years.