A Few Words About A few words about...™ Nicholas and Alexandra -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robin9]

Perhaps I could invest the money in lessons in how to be interesting from your good self. From your totally off-the-wall and un-necessarily negative comment, I assume one of two things: 1) You're having a very bad day 2) You've already paid the additional postage for this disc

Both your assumptions are incorrect.

 

[OliverK]

Alternative 2013 shipping prices for BD/DVD from US to UK as a comparison: Amazon.com = $4.74 Import CDs = $6.99 Olive Films (6 people in an office!) = $8.50 As near as I could figure from the USPS website the Standard Rate for a punter walking into their local post office and posting a BD to the UK is $7.65 The Registered Mail option from the same website is $11.20, but with a caveat that the final price is based on the value of item. Anyone exporting on a regular basis will have discounted business rates. As a reminder - Screen Archive pricing to ship a single BD to the UK: $10 for Standard Shipping £25 ($10 + $15) for Registered Mail. Draw your own conclusion. (even more) Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells

We kind of get your point by now, did you also write as much to the company you seem to be so upset with? Might be a better way to spend your time and actually accomplish something, you might also want to start a separate thread for it as this is not specifically about Nicholas and Alexandra but it is an issue with all TT releases.

 

[Doctorossi]

You young whipper-snappers! Why, back in my day, we paid $40 a piece (in 1990 dollars) for the privilege of a CLV laserdisc, and if we were lucky, we got a panned-and-scanned theatrical trailer... ... and we liked it!

 

[RobHam]

Both your assumptions are incorrect.

Then I suggest sir, that you are just a very rude person. By all means fire off on what I've written (part of the enjoyment here is heated debate), but please cease and desist with personal attacks. There is much from this site that I have learned, and much that has amused me. However, there is nothing I can learn or be amused by through deliberate rudeness or personal attacks. The Ultimate Bore.

 

[Robin9]

Then I suggest sir, that you are just a very rude person. The Ultimate Bore.

You may suggest anything you wish.

 

[RobHam]

We kind of get your point by now, did you also write as much to the company you seem to be so upset with? Might be a better way to spend your time and actually accomplish something, you might also want to start a separate thread for it as this is not specifically about Nicholas and Alexandra but it is an issue with all TT releases.

Hello Oliver. This will be my final thoughts in this thread – promise to leave it alone after this one. The reason why this thread was chosen to express my annoyance at Screen Archives (not Twilight Time) was because I had been waiting on RAH’s review on Nicholas & Alexandra before spending the money. Once above positive review had been read, I attempted to buy – the immediate result of which was my first post in this thread. An individual complaining to Screen Archives about their pricing policy would achieve the same result as the guy standing outside a bank with a protest placard – eccentric crank to be avoided/ignored. Using N&A as an example, what I wanted to find out is if anyone else here had been put off the purchase because the postage was almost as much as the disc itself. In actual fact The Twilight Time thread here has already covered much the same territory – I didn’t know that till after my first post on this thread. Apologies to Mr. Harris for hijacking his thread.

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by RobHam
Hello Oliver. This will be my final thoughts in this thread – promise to leave it alone after this one.
The reason why this thread was chosen to express my annoyance at Screen Archives (not Twilight Time) was because I had been waiting on RAH’s review on Nicholas & Alexandra before spending the money. Once above positive review had been read, I attempted to buy – the immediate result of which was my first post in this thread.
An individual complaining to Screen Archives about their pricing policy would achieve the same result as the guy standing outside a bank with a protest placard – eccentric crank to be avoided/ignored. Using N&A as an example, what I wanted to find out is if anyone else here had been put off the purchase because the postage was almost as much as the disc itself.
In actual fact The Twilight Time thread here has already covered much the same territory – I didn’t know that till after my first post on this thread.
Apologies to Mr. Harris for hijacking his thread.

Not to bring you back 'round to Robin9, but after re-reading the posts, as it appears that the two of you may have gotten off on the wrong foot...
I'm in agreement with post 9, in presuming you're paying with a credit card, especially a premium card, a lost shipment should be protected.
As you seem to appreciate this film as much as I, best to grab it while the getting is good.
The image harvest, typically from Columbia, is gorgeous.
RAH

 

[OliverK]

The image harvest, typically from Columbia, is gorgeous.

With that in mind and cinematography by Freddy Young is it known if it was considered to shoot this in 65mm? The producer, cameraman and director worked with 65mm before with stellar results (LoA, Lord Jim, Patton, Ryan's Daughter) and I wonder why it wasn't used - seems that Nicholas and Alexandra would have made good use of the format.

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by OliverK
With that in mind and cinematography by Freddy Young is it known if it was considered to shoot this in 65mm?
The producer, cameraman and director worked with 65mm before with stellar results (LoA, Lord Jim, Patton, Ryan's Daughter) and I wonder why it wasn't used - seems that Nicholas and Alexandra would have made good use of the format.

Far fewer sweeping vistas. Correct spelling is Freddie.
RAH

 

[OliverK]

Far fewer sweeping vistas.  Correct spelling is Freddie. RAH

OK, maybe I will pay 40$ to have a look at it myself, who knows if I will ever manage to screen that pink 70mm collector print!

 

[Will Krupp]

Okay, you good folks have convinced me! I've never seen this but I'm pulling the trigger based on all the positive talk here about the movie and the blu-ray. SOLD!

 

[ABaglivi]

Aside from the merits of the transfer, and in agreement with one of the early respondents, Tom Baker's performance as Rasputin is alone worth the price.

 

[Richard V]

Aside from the merits of the transfer, and in agreement with one of the early respondents, Tom Baker's performance as Rasputin is alone worth the price.

Agreed, the best on screen Rasputin I've seen. He steals every scene he is in. Apart from being a beautifully filmed and composed film, it is a fascinating glimpse into how a series of misfortunes, miscalculations, and misguided decisions cumulated in the collapse of the Romanov Dynasty and the rise of the Bolshieviks. There is no doubt that the makers of the film portray the Romanovs as a flawed but sympathetic family.

 

[Paul Rossen]

With that in mind and cinematography by Freddy Young is it known if it was considered to shoot this in 65mm? The producer, cameraman and director worked with 65mm before with stellar results (LoA, Lord Jim, Patton, Ryan's Daughter) and I wonder why it wasn't used - seems that Nicholas and Alexandra would have made good use of the format.

I'm sure it had a lot to do with cutting costs...same as not producing stereo prints.

 

[Robin9]

You will NOT be sorry, magnificent film and transfer.

You're absolutely right.

I finally got around to watching this BRD tonight. (I received it several weeks ago) I agree with all the favorable and enthusiastic comments about the high quality of this disc.

I enjoyed the film far more than I ever have previously - and I don't think I was today especially in the mood for this kind of movie.

I'm very glad to have this BRD in my collection.

 

[DP 70]

I am very impressed with this disc it is a pity they did not make any Stereo prints, as i said in another thead my
brother showed this in 70mm on its release and the track was only Mono.

 

[haineshisway]

Just noticing this thread and the postage stuff - I don't know where you're getting this insane information, but I ship CDs overseas every single day - one CD is 12.75 now. Not 10, not 8, not 6. In fact, we're charging 12.00 and eating the cost of the cardboard box we use for shipping (people rarely take into account that boxes and/or padded envelopes are not FREE). No one is making any money on shipping charges, no matter what they are. And I understand exactly what SAE means, because we have lost in mail packages to overseas all the time - lots of little customs thieves out there in various countries. It becomes impossible to keep replacing packages - you end up losing money like crazy.

I do believe, however, that the postage system we're using has finally implemented tracking on the overseas packages and I don't think there's an extra charge for it - once this stuff is trackable then packages will not be getting lost.

And Nicholas and Alexandra looks great.

 

[classicmovieguy]

Thanks for pointing out the cost of good shipping materials, Bruce. A lot of people fail to even consider the additional costs of cardboard mailers, bubblewrap, etc. (which is why it's a "postage & handling" fee). These things cost money and it's usually absorbed by the shipping fee.

 

[RobHam]

So I finally got this.

The low figures on the TT release convinced me that this film will never see any other BD release in regions B or C - time to purchase now or forever hold my piece.

It's a superb transfer - in many ways reminiscent of Doctor Zhivago. Something odd appeared in the audio at 1:18 - tape hiss, and muffled voices - lasted less than a minute. Anyone else experience this, and have any explanation?

The movie itself is second tier historical epic and, like Khartoum, has Olivier again over-acting to the rear stalls.

Historically fairly accurate, but missing a big action set-piece, probably because of budget.

Cromwell (which has an uncanny historical resemblance to this film) could also do with an HD transfer.

 

[AdrianTurner]

No mention of the god that is Tom Baker?

Who?