Not sure if this is old or new, news. ED WOOD DVD (1 Viewer)

[todd stone]

Found this while browsing:

http://www.areadvd.de/dvdreviews/edwood.shtml

Original
Ed Wood
Studio
Tocuhstone Pictures (1994)
Anbieter
Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003)
Laufzeit
121:16 min. (FSK 12)
Regie
Tim Burton
Darsteller
Johnny Depp u.a.
DVD-Typ
DVD-9
TV-Norm
PAL
Bitrate
6.2 Mbps (Video: ca. 4.7 Mbps)
Bildformat
1,85:1 (anamorph) (s/w)
Audiokanäle
1. Englisch, Dolby Digital 5.1 (384 kbps)
2. Deutsch, Dolby Digital 5.1 (384 kbps)
3. Italienisch, Dolby Digital 5.1 (384 kbps)
4. Audio-Kommentar (192 kbps)
Untertitel
Englisch, Deutsch u.a.
Regionalcode
2
Verpackung
Amaray-Case
Preis
ca. 20-25 €

Film
Der exzentrische Filmemacher Edward D. Wood Jun. (JOHNNY DEPP – Chocolat, Gilbert Grape) möchte als Hollywood-Regisseur Filmgeschichte schreiben. Es gibt da nur ein klitzekleines Problem: Er ist hoffnungslos untalentiert. Doch seine Leidenschaft für den Film ist grenzenlos und somit sieht Ed Wood über dieses kleine Detail großzügig hinweg. In primitiven Pop-Kulissen und mit einer mehr als skurrilen Schauspieltruppe dreht er unbeirrt Horror- und Science-Fiction-Billigproduktionen, die zu der Zeit bei den Kritikern und dem Publikum auf wenig Verständnis stoßen. Mit Stummfilmstar und Dracula-Prototyp Bela Lugosi (MARTIN LANDAU) möchte Ed Wood sein Meisterwerk drehen, doch schier unüberwindbare Hindernisse stellen sich ihm in den Weg …




Bild
Ed Wood wurde bewusst in Schwarz/Weiß gedreht, um so das trashige Flair der Ed Wood-Filme etwas zu verdeutlichen. Der Kontrast des Films ist gut. Die Körnigkeit des Filmmaterials wird aufgrund der niedrigen Videobitrate von 4.7 Mbps nur zum Teil richtig reproduziert. Es ist auch leichtes Blockrauschen und eine leichte Unruhe des Bildes zu beobachten. Während die Kantenschärfe (noch) gut ist, fehlt es dem Bild aber sichtbar an Detail.



Ton
Beim Dolby Digital 5.1-Ton handelt es sich vermutlich um einen einfachen Dolby Surround-Upmix. Denn die Surround-Wiedergabe ist hier sehr dezent und monoton. Der dezente, aber auch metallische Raumklang wird vornehmlich durch die Musik erzeugt. Ansonsten ist der Mix sehr frontlastig und lässt nur selten auch Effekte oder Kulisse wie z.B. den Beifall während des Boxkampfes in Kapitel 10 ertönen. Die englische Originalfassung fällt außerdem durch ihren hellen Klang ohne richtige Bässe auf. Gerade die Dialoge klingen sehr dünn. Hier kann die deutsche Synchro im Direktvergleich mit etwas mehr Bassvolumen aufwarten. Aufgrund von User Prohibitions ist kein direkter Wechsel zwischen den Tonspuren der DVD möglich.



Special Features
Audio-Kommentar mit Regisseur Tim Burton u.a.


Making of (13:55 min.): Die Bezeichnung "Making of" ist eigentlich eine etwas falsche Übersetzung ins Deutsche, da es sich hier praktisch nur um einen Zusammenschnitt von Behind the Scenes-Aufnahmen handelt, die weitgehend unkommentiert einen Einblick in die etwas chaotischen Umstände vermitteln, unter denen der Film gedreht wurde.


Die Musik zum Film (07:25 min.): Bei "Ed Wood" arbeitete Tim Burton ausnahmsweise einmal nicht mit Danny Elfman zusammen, sondern holte sich Howard Shore ab Bord, der hier aus dem Nähkästchen plaudert. Im Vordergrund steht hier das Musikinstrument "Theremin", welches für die typischen jaulenden Klänge verantwortlich ist, die das Flair der klassischen Horrorfilme prägten.


Martin Landau als Bela Lugosi (08:16 min.): Dieses Feature portraitiert den Schauspieler Bela Lugosi. Während Martin Landau etwas über das Leben des wirklichen Bela Lugosi und seine Rolle erzählt, kommt hier auch noch Special Effects-Spezialist Rick Baker zu Wort, der Martin Landau in die Filmfigur Bela Lugosi verwandelte.


Männer in Frauenkleidern (09:23 min.): Weitgehend losgelöst vom Film behandelt dieses Featurette das Faible von Männern, die in Frauenkleidern herumlaufen und portraitiert hier die eigenen Lebens-Erfahrungen eines Transvestiten.


Das Set-Design - Fliegende Untertassen über Hollywood (13:50 min.): Produktion Designer Tim Duffield erläutert in diesem etwas längeren Featurette die Ideen für das Set-Design und präsentiert dabei eine Menge Entwurfskizzen und Bilder aus seinem eigenen Archiv.


Musikvideo mit Auszügen der Filmmusik (03:30 min.)


Trailer

 

[James Reader]

Surly this belongs on the Regional DVD forum, along with all the other UK/European/Australian ED WOOD posts

 

[Henry Gale]

Don't call todd Surly!

Es gibt da nur ein klitzekleines Problem: Er ist hoffnungslos untalentiert.

You don't even have to know German to get a smile out of this.

I think I remember this import available, but really, where the bleep is the Region 1 disc.!

 

[Mehdy]

when will the US release of this version be available??????

 

[James Reader]

It was available for a few days before the original (cancelled) release was released.

Some UK residents managed to snag a copy on import (discs are often avilable in the UK before the US release) before Disney finished recalling all the stock.

 

[Runar_R]

Whatever happened to that R1-edition anyway? Now even the aussies have got their version out (in a nice pink cover)

 

[Mehdy]

So is it becase of the new extras we do not have a US release or is it because the US release will have ADDitonal
extras...This is really a great film that I can watch multiple times....

 

[James Reader]

All of the extra's on the international versions were on the 'recalled' US version.

I know the general consensus is that the R1 release will be 'improved' but I doubt Disney would go to all the expense of recalling a completed DVD for no reason other than to "add additional supplements" at the whim of a director, especially a underperforming film like "Ed Wood" (sorry, but it was/is, even though it got huge critical acclaim). Also, shouldn't Tim Burton have got around to completing the supplements by now? At least announcing a date for the release?

Personally I think the problem is the commentary track, which is in-fact excerpts from various interviews edited together. I pretty sure there must be a US rights issue involved in one of more or the interviews featured.

My theory - Disney has all the recalled discs in a warehouse somewhere, and is trying to work out the rights so the same discs can be re-released.

 

[Ronn.W]

The R1 DVD was already printed and distributed. It was pulled on release day as boxes of the DVDs sat in back rooms waiting to be put on the shelves. A small handful that were put out early actually escaped to a few consumers.

That said, I think it's highly unlikely that Disney recalled an entire printing of DVD's so that they could make it better. That would cost millions, and would make no business sense at all. The DVD was recalled because of rights issues, plain and simple. When that is cleared up, the exact same discs that were recalled will be reshipped out to the stores.

 

[Cees Alons]

Nah. It's rather simple, actually.
They had this interview with an older actress who wasn't in the movie and who unfortunately died just before they shot the interview, so she was replaced by Tim Burton who spoke with a high-pitched voice, while Johnny Depp was standing between him and the camera. No one could actually see it wasn't her.

Unfortunately, the estate of the lady didn't believe it was Tim, so they demanded the agreed upon fee.
Therefore Disney pulled the disk now and replaced the images of the interview with other images where Tim Burton is speaking from under a potatoe sack that totally covers him, only to lift it up now and then so everyone can see it wasn't her at all. Saves them a lot of money!

Cees

 

[Mehdy]

does anyone out there have a region 1 dvd....what was the transfer like...the extras...were they dvd created???

 

[James Reader]

I know somebody who claims to have the Region 1 DVD - and I trust him. If you want to believe it was released or not is up to you, but many people (including some on this forum - do a search) claim to own the disc.


The extras are the same as the international versions, I've been told that there was no supplements on the LD release, so they all seem to be created for the DVD (perhaps "When Carol Met Larry" was bought in, and the "Lets Shoot This" featurette is just b-roll film) Bizarre is the only word that can be used to describe the "Music Video" - especially if it was filmed just for the DVD!:

* Audio commentary (this seems to be several interviews edited together to form a commentary track, each segment introduced by the host. The track features Tim Burton, Martin Landau and more)

* Music video (bizzare!)

* Lets Shoot This (behind the scenes)

* Theatrical trailer

* The Theremin (featurette on the rare insturment used for the soundtrack)

* When Carol Met Larry (cross-dressing featurette)

* Pie Plates Over Hollywood (production design)

* Making Bela (make up)

As for the transfer, the UK one has quite a low bitrate if I remember correctly (perhaps because it is black and white it doesn't need as much?) but looks fine. I've not specifically heard about the US transfer.

 

[Mehdy]

Thanks for all the great infomation...Just a tip..I had a chance to read the screenplay book a while ago and there was supposed to be a great shot of bela and eddie in a cemetary...now I dont know if this was shot but I would hope that the US edition will have deleted clips from that which was filmed..if you get a chance READ the screenplay there was some great stuff there...I think the book was in a screenplay series.....

 

[James Reader]

You know, I thought the same after reading the screenplay to Warners' dismal Avengers movie - a lot of the deleted scenes actually explain the plot and 90%+ of all the plot-holes or niggles critics use to attack the final film are actually addressed in the original screenplay. Strange how the Warner execs seemed to think the public would prefer a film with almost no plot, yet blame the filmmakers for it's failure! Still, even though most of these scenes were originally filmed, I doubt we'll see them on a DVD anytime soon (if at all).

I recommend to everyone who has an interest in a film to see if a screenplay is available - most are enlightening reading.

As for Ed Wood - sorry no deleted scenes reported on the R1 release, and there are none on the UK and International versions. Even if the scenes were filmed, I doubt that they will appear when the disc is released, for the reasons mentioned by myself and Ronn.W (but not Cees Alons ) above.

Out of interest, does any Tim Burton DVD contain deleted scenes? It seems to be something he's not keen on.

 

[Douglas R]

I know somebody who claims to have the Region 1 DVD - and I trust him. If you want to believe it was released or not is up to you, but many people (including some on this forum - do a search) claim to own the disc.

I was able to buy the R1 disc when it shipped early to the UK and subsequently bought the R2 version as well. I was able to compare them and they are exactly the same.

 

[Ronn.W]

I was able to buy the R1 disc when it shipped early to the UK and subsequently bought the R2 version as well. I was able to compare them and they are exactly the same.

Nice to have confirmation on that, thanks!

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Is there any speed up on the R2 PAL? Just about ready to order it due to this new BV fiasco, but I'm wondering if I should search out the R3 NTSC instead. Thanks for any help!

 

[Julian Lalor]

The R2/4 version has PAL speed-up. If you hear the speed-up, you're better off going for the R3 Korean DVD.

Try here:

Ed Wood DVD

 

[Matt_H]

Pee wee's Big Adventure and Planet of the Apes come to mind

 

[David Yevin]

The R2/4 version has PAL speed-up. If you hear the speed-up, you're better off going for the R3 Korean DVD. http://www.koreandvds.com/dvddetail.html?id=7956

Julian,
just curious if you have ordered from them before and if so, how everything went, ie. shipping times, quality of dvd, etc.
also, i assume this is identical to the R1 version, other than the korean writing and language track?

thanks!