New Classics From Fox Cinema Archives (Blu-ray) December 2016 (1 Viewer)

[cinemel1]

Woman's World looks great in high def. Scenes of Manhattan at the beginning of the film are amazing, showing the Big Apple as it looked in the mid 50s. Audio sounds full and clear, but not that full stereo spread on Fox CinemaScope productions of that period. Story reminds me
of MGM's Executive Suite which also involved choosing an executive of a company. Interesting scenes of futuristic auto that parks automatically as shown to executives by Clifton Webb character.

 

[Conrad_SSS]

With the caveat that I haven't seen this disc myself, I found it rather distressing that Fox would release "Woman's World" on Blu-ray, get the aspect ratio right, not go the Sony route with a BD-R, but yet have MONO audio, when it has been confirmed by another poster here that it has been broadcast on Cinemax with its original STEREO audio. Sounds like their "Cinema Archives" Blu-ray program is off to a tellingly bad start with this error, if it is indeed true.

 

[BRAD1963]

I just finished Woman's World. Quite frankly, I think it is a nice disc. The PQ was quite stunning IMO. If this is sample of what the Fox Cinema Archive discs will be like then I have no problem with them. As long as they remain pressed discs. I just ordered Sitting Pretty.

 

[John Hermes]

I just finished Woman's World. Quite frankly, I think it is a nice disc. The PQ was quite stunning IMO. If this is sample of what the Fox Cinema Archive discs will be like then I have no problem with them. As long as they remain pressed discs. I just ordered Sitting Pretty.

Thanks for the insight. I just now ordered from Family Video.

 

[Brent Reid]

It does seem rather odd that Woman's World should get a 4K restoration but isn't paired with its original stereo soundtrack, if it exists. Does anyone know the best person or department to write to, for more information?

 

[Robin9]

As you can see in the link below, Woman's World was recently submitted to a 4k restoration.

http://www.parkcircus.com/films/28086-womans-world

I wonder how reliable that link is. They list numerous other films as 4K restorations including the two Fred Astaire/Rita Hayworth musicals and also The Long Hot Summer which the German Blu-ray disc suggests needs some work.

Woman's World looks really good although the "blue and teal" brigade will make their usual complaint.

 

[DannyLewis]

I wonder how reliable that link is. They list numerous other films as 4K restorations including the two Fred Astaire/Rita Hayworth musicals and also The Long Hot Summer which the German Blu-ray disc suggests needs some work.

Woman's World looks really good although the "blue and teal" brigade will make their usual complaint.

This list is pretty reliable and is always amendment as new restorations are completed.

The Long Hot Summer restoration is very recent (I think completed this year) as well as Woman's world. It was completed long after the release of the German bluray.

As for the Astaire / Hayworth, TT already confirmed it has both films in 4k restorations under license (with the first one already announced for an April release).

 

[BRAD1963]

This list is pretty reliable and is always amendment as new restorations are completed.

The Long Hot Summer restoration is very recent (I think completed this year) as well as Woman's world. It was completed long after the release of the German bluray.

As for the Astaire / Hayworth, TT already confirmed it has both films in 4k restorations under license (with the first one already announced for an April release).

This a great link. Some of the Fox titles coming via Twilight Time including (I think) The Long Hot Summer. Curious choice 1979's Lost and Found from Sony.

 

[Thomas T]

The one title that really caught my eye on that list was Gidget (1959). Hopefully that means a blu ray is due sooner than later. The current pan and scan DVD is an abomination!

 

[Steve...O]

Do these Fox Blu-Rays have English Subtitles (SDH) included?

 

[Robin9]

Do these Fox Blu-Rays have English Subtitles (SDH) included?

The only one I have so far is Woman's World. This does not have subtitles. The disc is Zone Free so in that regard Fox are following the example set by Warners and Sony.

 

[Powell&Pressburger]

Watching Woman's World BLU I think it looks great and maybe they no longer have the stereo audio tracks for the film but would it be too much to ask to at least get HD uncompressed MONO audio instead of DVD quality DD audio?

I hope all these FOX cinema titles aren't DD audio only.

 

[Paul Penna]

Watching Woman's World BLU I think it looks great and maybe they no longer have the stereo audio tracks for the film but would it be too much to ask to at least get HD uncompressed MONO audio instead of DVD quality DD audio?

Play the bonus feature on the disc, a slide show of stills, and listen to the accompanying audio - it's sections of the film soundtrack that sound like true stereo to me.

 

[Robin9]

I watched Coney Island yesterday. It looks quite good but I suspect that this is one of the films where the original elements were junked and Fox today have to work with sub-standard material. To my unprofessional eye - and with my total lack of technical understanding - I got the impression that this disc came from a well-mastered transfer from mediocre material. The images and sound are clear and stable. I thought the images were a bit dark, but I don't know what this film is supposed to look like, so I may be wrong. My sole criticism is that in one musical number, there is haloing around the hats of a group of male dancers.

I'm glad I bought this disc but I'd very much like to hear the opinions of people like Robert Harris and Joe Caps.

The next disc in this collection I'm buying is Sitting Pretty.

 

[Simon Lewis]

I watched Coney Island yesterday. It looks quite good but I suspect that this is one of the films where the original elements were junked and Fox today have to work with sub-standard material. To my unprofessional eye - and with my total lack of technical understanding - I got the impression that this disc came from a well-mastered transfer from mediocre material. The images and sound are clear and stable. I thought the images were a bit dark, but I don't know what this film is supposed to look like, so I may be wrong. My sole criticism is that in one musical number, there is haloing around the hats of a group of male dancers.

I saw Coney Island last week, I thought it looked very good with lots of fine detail. I agree that it was rather dark. I was suprised by how much I enjoyed this film, as my viewing doesnt venture into the forties very often. I thought it was very witty and had some great musical numbers.

 

[Robin9]

I saw Coney Island last week, I thought it looked very good with lots of fine detail. I agree that it was rather dark. I was suprised by how much I enjoyed this film, as my viewing doesnt venture into the forties very often. I thought it was very witty and had some great musical numbers.

I'm a Betty Grable fan and a huge chunk of my viewing consists of films from the 1940s. I was really on home ground with Coney Island!

 

[Joel Arndt]

Sorry Robin, I'm not Mr. Harris or Mr. Caps, but I'll chime in anyway until they possibly come along. You're correct that original elements couldn't be used for this transfer. This was probably derived from Eastman elements because as you stated, Fox junked most of their original three-strip Technicolor materials in the 1970s which is a shame because Coney Island was considered the gold standard of that particular type of vibrant Technicolor photography for which Fox was known at the time. I read somewhere long ago that after a screening of Coney Island, MGM head Louis B. Mayer supposedly insisted that all Technicolor MGM musicals should be filmed to look the same way.

I felt that overall it looked pretty good, decent color and sound, but a bit dark in places as mentioned by you and Simon. It's probably the best we'll get until technology advances to the point where three-strip Technicolor can be replicated from less than stellar elements economically. Very enjoyable film with Grable at her best.

I watched Coney Island yesterday. It looks quite good but I suspect that this is one of the films where the original elements were junked and Fox today have to work with sub-standard material. To my unprofessional eye - and with my total lack of technical understanding - I got the impression that this disc came from a well-mastered transfer from mediocre material. The images and sound are clear and stable. I thought the images were a bit dark, but I don't know what this film is supposed to look like, so I may be wrong. My sole criticism is that in one musical number, there is haloing around the hats of a group of male dancers.

I'm glad I bought this disc but I'd very much like to hear the opinions of people like Robert Harris and Joe Caps.

The next disc in this collection I'm buying is Sitting Pretty.

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Just received both Sitting Pretty and Woman's World. Both look wonderful in my opinion. So happy that Fox is going for really classic titles of the sort that WB would probably never consider. Now if they'd give the epic fans a treat with Story of Ruth or Esther and the King I'd be ecstatic.

 

[ahollis]

So happy that Fox is going for really classic titles of the sort that WB would probably never consider.

I'm confused with this comment. You don't consider the WAC Blu-ray titles that have been released or announced classic?

 

[Robin9]

Just received both Sitting Pretty and Woman's World. Both look wonderful in my opinion. So happy that Fox is going for really classic titles of the sort that WB would probably never consider. Now if they'd give the epic fans a treat with Story of Ruth or Esther and the King I'd be ecstatic.

In view of the rapid rate at which Fox is restoring and releasing their catalog titles, either by themselves or via a "boutique label," I think there is now a very good chance that Fox will run out of obvious titles and will have to concentrate on the half-forgotten films in their collection. I'm very optimistic.