brazil non criterion transfer (1 Viewer)

[DarrylWHarrisJr]

how's the transfer..luxurious? Criterion wants to dvd msrp's worth for theirs

 

[Rob Lutter]

I don't understand your question... but I believe that Universal's DVD is taken from the same master as the Criterion.

It would be a shame to not get the Criterion DVD though... it has some of the best extra features ever made (along with one of the best commentaries by Mr. Gilliam).

 

[Dwayne]

...not to mention, the true cut of the film.

 

[Jon Robertson]

It's not as good a transfer - Criterion's disc is dual-layered and Universal's is single-layered. There is a noticeable difference; I've owned both and kept the Criterion.
See here: http://www.thedigitalbits.com/review...criterion.html

 

[Andy_MT]

just a shame that terry gilliam didn't do a commentary for the "love conquers all" version. now that would've been interesting.

 

[Danny R]

...not to mention, the true cut of the film.

What do you mean by this? Both Universal and Criterion are the same cut and length films. Criterion quality is better, with better transfer and more extras, but its the same film I believe.

 

[Brian Kidd]

Danny, you're mistaken. The Criterion version is an amalgam of all the pre-existing versions put together by Gilliam to represent his final vision for the film. The Univeral disc is the American release version. The differences are minor, but they're there. That being said, the Criterion set is one of the finest sets ever to grace a silver platter.

 

[Rob Lutter]

Brian, Danny is right... I am pretty damn sure that they are the same (being from the same master).

 

[Prentice Cotham]

Isn't Universal re-releasing Brazil? It is probably the same DVD they've always with a new ugly cover ala Frighteners.

 

[Rob Lutter]

Didn't they lower the MSRP?
I doubt it is a cover change... although I would LAUGH MY ASS OFF if they put DeNiro on the cover

 

[Jay Sylvester]

The Criterion version contains both the final director's cut and the lame 94-minute "love conquers all" cut. The runtime of the Criterion director's cut is 142 minutes, and is the definitive final cut of the film. The disc from Universal is 131 minutes. I've never seen that disc, so I don't know what the extra 11 minutes on the Criterion cut contain. I have the Criterion set and it's beautiful.

If you want to see what Gilliam meant for you to see, get the Criterion version.

 

[Rob Lutter]

No.
It is a misprint on the back of the packaging of the Universal DVD. It is the same transfer w/ slightly different compression for single layer/dual layer... really... why would I lie?
I think it has been talked about before.

 

[Charlie Essmeier]

The Criterion DVD is a bargain. So was the laserdisc, which had a retail price of $149.99.

Charlie

 

[Jeff Adkins]

The Universal disc uses exactly the same video transfer as the Criterion 142 minute cut.....there is no difference in the transfer or cut of the film whatsoever! The difference lies with the Universal disc cramming 142 minutes onto a DVD-5, while the Criterion is on a DVD-9 with a much higher bit rate. Rob Lutter is correct.
Jeff

 

[Jeff Adkins]

It's highly possible that all this will be moot come May 15th anyway. Fox is releasing a DVD of Brazil in France and it's very likely that it will have a new anamorphic transfer.
Jeff

 

[Kevin M]

According to the Digital Bits link that Jon provided above both DVD's contain the same cut. I have only ever owned the Criterion version so I can neither verify or refute this...why would the man lie though?
I personally would recommend getting the Criterion version simply because the extras are that good.

 

[CraigF]

Look, the Universal release is 143 minutes, the Criterion "final cut" is 142 minutes. So they say, I didn't time them myself. I don't recall ANY difference, except the Criterion looks marginally better here, I think, but I wouldn't stake my life on it. It could look "better" because it cost 3 times as much and I like it . If you just want the movie, might as well get the Uni. Neither of these discs has the "American" version of the film released in theatres, which is allegedly 131 minutes long, but who can remember?

 

[Jeff Adkins]

Look, the Universal release is 143 minutes, the Criterion "final cut" is 142 minutes. So they say, I didn't time them myself. I don't recall ANY difference, except the Criterion looks marginally better here, I think, but I wouldn't stake my life on it. It could look "better" because it cost 3 times as much and I like it . If you just want the movie, might as well get the Uni.

Both of them are the same running time...142 and change. I agree the Criterion does look better. 142 minutes is way too long for a DVD-5 so the extra layer definitely helps. I was just saying that the transfers are identical although the compression is much better on the Criterion.
Even if I just wanted the movie, I'd get the Criterion. Although, I'm curious to see this new French DVD coming out from Fox in May. If it's a new transfer it's bound to be better than the 7 year old laserdisc transfer on both US releases.
Jeff

 

[StevenA]

I hope this new French version has the "black screen" opening used in the film's UK release, which is the one thing I wish were on the Criterion cut (despite the fact that Gilliam apparently prefers the "clouds" opening). I think it's a much more dramatic opening.

 

[Aaron Reynolds]

Neither of these discs has the "American" version of the film released in theatres, which is allegedly 131 minutes long, but who can remember?

I can!
I have the 131 minute US Theatrical Cut on MCA LD. I keep it around partly for completist reasons, and partly because there are a couple of things I like better about the US cut. (For instance, I love the abrupt cut to the close-up of the waiter that introduces the restaurant scene in the US version...I find that cut alone more energetic and funny than the whole metal detector scene. Also, I find that the gift for Sam with the torn wrapper is funnier when we don't know how it got torn. Overall, however, I believe that the Final Cut is superior, and it's obviously the way that Gilliam wants the film.)
I remember waiting something like five years for Criterion's Brazil LD to finally materialize, and when it did I was happy to pay $169 CDN for it.