- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,428
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
Back in the dark ages, before Alfred Hitchcock and family sailed for America at the behest of David Selznick, he directed a handful of nice, little British films, of which Young and Innocent (1937) was the third from final.
This is a film that was in PD hell for a number of years, and is still sold as PD by those who have little care about the copyright laws. I wonder how Amazon or Barnes and Noble would feel if someone created on-line retailers with the same names as theirs? Probably wouldn't notice.
Regardless, this edition, from the recently shut down Network, a major purveyor of quality British films, was properly licensed. And I commend them for trying.
I had the MGM DVDs in my library - donated my 16s aeons ago - and thought that even at this late date, and because of discussion on this forum, I'd best take a look.
I came away both pleased, because there actually is some decent quality to the image and track and displeased, as there has been zero attempt at clean-up. What I'm seeing a an unstable image that looks a bit like a used 35mm print, derived from a dupe neg. Light positive and negative scratches, occasional wear, semi-attractive detritus, and an image that seems to drunkenly wander about the screen.
The problem - and it's not with Network, so much as the owners of the IP, who seem far to busy to write a letter to get the pirated copies out of the way, is that with just a few pounds spent on clean-up, this could have been a spectacular release. And it's not as if the film was released in 1997. It's from 2014, so there's no excuse.
A wonderful Hitchcock film, and a pity that this and a few others aren't with Criterion, who would actually do something nice with them.
Image – 3.25 (Region B)
Audio – 3.5 (Monaural)
Pass / Fail – Pass
Plays nicely with projectors - Yes
Upgrade from DVD - Yes
Worth your attention - 8
Slipcover rating - n/a
Very Highly Recommended
RAH
Thank you for supporting HTF when you preorder using the link below. As an Amazon Associate, HTF earns from qualifying purchases. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.
This is a film that was in PD hell for a number of years, and is still sold as PD by those who have little care about the copyright laws. I wonder how Amazon or Barnes and Noble would feel if someone created on-line retailers with the same names as theirs? Probably wouldn't notice.
Regardless, this edition, from the recently shut down Network, a major purveyor of quality British films, was properly licensed. And I commend them for trying.
I had the MGM DVDs in my library - donated my 16s aeons ago - and thought that even at this late date, and because of discussion on this forum, I'd best take a look.
I came away both pleased, because there actually is some decent quality to the image and track and displeased, as there has been zero attempt at clean-up. What I'm seeing a an unstable image that looks a bit like a used 35mm print, derived from a dupe neg. Light positive and negative scratches, occasional wear, semi-attractive detritus, and an image that seems to drunkenly wander about the screen.
The problem - and it's not with Network, so much as the owners of the IP, who seem far to busy to write a letter to get the pirated copies out of the way, is that with just a few pounds spent on clean-up, this could have been a spectacular release. And it's not as if the film was released in 1997. It's from 2014, so there's no excuse.
A wonderful Hitchcock film, and a pity that this and a few others aren't with Criterion, who would actually do something nice with them.
Image – 3.25 (Region B)
Audio – 3.5 (Monaural)
Pass / Fail – Pass
Plays nicely with projectors - Yes
Upgrade from DVD - Yes
Worth your attention - 8
Slipcover rating - n/a
Very Highly Recommended
RAH
Thank you for supporting HTF when you preorder using the link below. As an Amazon Associate, HTF earns from qualifying purchases. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.
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So you ended up buying that Network Blu-ray like some of us have recently done.
