A Few Words About A few words about…™ Essential Fellini – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

I saw so many Fellini films in college it became a form of mother’s milk to me.
How many time can one view 8 1/2, Variety Lights, La Strada, La Dolce Vita, Nights of Cabiria?
How many times can a class pick these films apart, and discuss them shot by shot?
Apparently, quite a few.
The Criterion Collection will be releasing this gorgeous collection on 24 November – 14 feature films, and a documentary, along with more extras than there are in the universe. Hours and hours of them, as befit someone of Fellini’s importance.
I’ve not as yet had a chance to peer at a single frame, but we know how it will all come together. 11 of the 14 are new scans and potential actual restorations. And they’re going to shine.
This is a placeholder for that review, but for those Fellini fans, the price on Amazon is currently 50% off, or $125 for 15 films, a guide to the films, and a book, in the form of an old laserdisc box for a three or four disc set.
Large, impressive, and magnificently appointed in...

Continue reading...

 

[AnthonyClarke]

You make it sound too too tempting. Even with the duplicates!

 

[cda1143]

Do we know which films have new scans? I couldn't discover this on Criterion's site, or the other HTF thread.

Thanks

 

[Angelo Colombus]

I think the set is the best release of the year and the ones i sampled so far Intervista, Juliet of the Spirits and And the Ship Sails On looks very good and big upgrades over their old dvd's. The new release of 8 1/2 is slightly better than the 2009 Blu-ray. And yes it did remind me of a laserdisc box set as i was opening it.

 

[B-ROLL]

Sadly the set does not feature the unknown lost Fellini film "Guy Yelling at Woman in Row Boat Swaddling Loaf of Bread "

 

[Lord Dalek]

FTR this is what's not considered essential...because licensing issues:

Marriage Agency (1953, from "Love in the City")
The Temptation of Dr. Antonio (1962, from "Boccacio '70")
The Clowns
Casanova
Orchestra Rehearsal
City of Women
Ginger and Fred
The Voice of the Moon

 

[B-ROLL]

FTR this is what's not considered essential...because licensing issues:

Marriage Agency (1953, from "Love in the City")
The Temptation of Dr. Antonio (1962, from "Boccacio '70")
The Clowns
Casanova
Orchestra Rehearsal
City of Women
Ginger and Fred
The Voice of the Moon

Released on blu-ray (Region A/Free) by other companies:
Love in The City -Kino
Boccacio '70 - Kino
The Clowns - Kino/Raro Video
Casanova - Mr. Bongo Region Free / Kino Announced current release date 12/08/2020
Orchestra Rehearsal - Arrow Academy
City of Women - Cohen
The Voice of the Moon - Arrow Academy

 

[Angelo Colombus]

I have Boccacio 70, The Clowns and The Voice of the Moon on Blu-ray and they looked fine to me.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Sadly the set does not feature the unknown lost Fellini film "Guy Yelling at Woman in Row Boat Swaddling Loaf of Bread "

When I saw it wasn't included, what could I do but utter that classic refrain:

"No Guy Yelling at Woman in Row Boat Swaddling Loaf of Bread, no sale!"

 

[Angelo Colombus]

I decided to compare the documentary Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember to my Fox Lorber dvd from 2000 and a major upgrade in both picture and sound. Happy Criterion included it in the box set.

 

[J. Casey]

Have to chime in to say I love this set as well. Beautiful in every way. My only gripe: 5 discs dislodged from the inserts, rattling around on arrival. Fortunately none scratched, so no harm done.

 

[Derrick King]

Do we know which films have new scans? I couldn't discover this on Criterion's site, or the other HTF thread.

Thanks

Chris over at the Criterion Forum posted the transfer info for the films and it breaks down like this:

New 4K
Variety Lights
The White Sheik
I vitelloni
La strada
Il biodone
Nights of Cabiria
8 1/2
Juliet of the Spirits
Amarcord
And the Ship Sails On
Intervista

Previously released 4K
La dolce vita
Fellini Satyricon

Previously released 2K
Roma

It appears that Roma did get a new 4K transfer, but who knows why it wasn't used.

 

[usrunnr]

I'd like to own this set, but I have no where to store the huge box. I thought about buying
individual blu-ray cases and putting the discs in them, but I wouldn't have any labels.
I'm also concerned about how the discs roll around loosely in the box during shipping.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

I think i have a good spot for my box set and it was the only place i can think of for now.

 

[usrunnr]

MR. HARRIS,

As time goes by I hope you will review each disc in this set and compare to previous releases.

I, among many people, have been waiting a long time for this.

I don't have anywhere to store the box,
but I'll probably figure something out to store the discs in individual blu-ray cases and make my own covers. I'm sorry Criterion didn't find a better way to package all these discs and use better ( and more colorful) artwork.

 

[titch]

Bruce must be settling down with The White Sheik about now. I think the La Strada transfer is wonderful. There's a lovely layer of fine grain present, unlike the horrible StudioCanal DNR effort three years ago. That disc is now consigned to landfill. Anybody working in film restoration, who presses the "DNR" button on their computer, should be banished to the gulag in Siberia and forced to watch Freddie Got Fingered and Catwoman for 20 years.

 

[ahollis]

I revived my copy last Friday and all the discs were still in their pockets. I can’t wait to start ingesting the films and all the extras this coming weekend.

 

[Angelo Colombus]

I'm excited that Variety Lights, The White Sheik, I Vitelloni, and Il Biodone are films i will see for the first time from the great director.

 

[haineshisway]

Yes, I'm watching The White Sheik first and will have reports on everything as I watch. I have to say I'm baffled by all the reports of discs being dislodged - it's just weird. Amazon packs the Criterion box, which is VERY secure and which holds the set very well so that it cannot shake around) inside another box. I opened that and then the Criterion box and there was the set, snug as a bug in a rug. I removed the box, opened it, opened the thing with the discs and they were all where they should be, safe and sound. I also do not understand how people have difficulty removing the discs - it's so simple and easy.

 

[david hare]

It's early days yet but I'll throw a bomb into the discussion and suggest I think all the B&W which are new restorations and encodes are terrific. But the at least three of the color movies are problematic - Juliet is technically superior to the dreadful Cult Films Blu, but at least Cult tried to massage some pop into the color scheme. I cannot forget first run screenings of Juliet, it frankly presented as one of the very great color movies, with Black Narcissus, Gang's All Here, whatever. It was extremely trippy. So in a less dopey way were Amarcord and Satyricon. All three in this have been restored from Onegs but no attempt has been made to replicate the color saturation and density of Tech prints (Technicolore Italiano) from the era. They are basically OK but not outstanding. The exception is Roma which is really awful here, a victim once again of wicked hands at the desk at Bologna Ritrovata where all these restos were done. The Yellow stained blue edged LUT that Ritrovata Bolgona continues to impose on all its color gradings is now frankly a scandal,