International PAL AND OTHER-REGION DVD ANNOUNCEMENTS & REVIEWS (1 Viewer)

[lionel59]

PRUDENCE AND THE PILL is a great 16:9 transfer with a 50 minute TV interview with David Niven as a bonus feature. AND NOW TOMORROW with Alan Ladd is also quite a good transfer. Both can be ordered from amazon.co.uk. I have just noticed that Germany has a 16:9 CinemaScope transfer of Alan Ladd's WALK THE PROUD LAND (released here in Australia in LBX). I have the French Blu Ray of David Lean's OLIVER TWIST. It is superb. I found one for a great price from a French Ebay seller. His international shipping price was much cheaper than amazon.fr. It is worth searching for the best deal on these foreign pressings. I am also very happy with the German Blu Ray of Billy Wilder's A FOREIGN AFFAIR. The German DOCTOR DOLITTLE (1967) is generally good, though dual-layering and a bit of color rerstoration would have made it even better.Still good to have this title on Blu Ray.

 

[Lutz Koch]

The final four ROCKFORD FILES movies have recently been released in Germany.
http://www.amazon.de/Detektiv-Rockford-Anruf-genügt-Filme/dp/B00AOYOV02/ref=sr_1_4?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1369954166&sr=1-4&keywords=detektiv+rockford

 

[David Weicker]

The final four ROCKFORD FILES movies have recently been released in Germany.
http://www.amazon.de/Detektiv-Rockford-Anruf-genügt-Filme/dp/B00AOYOV02/ref=sr_1_4?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1369954166&sr=1-4&keywords=detektiv+rockford

I just took a look, and this isn't a Universal release (at least not by that name). This is being released by someone called Explosive Media (Alive). The other seasons have Universal on the boxes.

I can't tell from the comments or description if there is an English soundtrack.

However, if Universal has licensed them out, then maybe we will finally see a US release.

David

 

[Lutz Koch]

This is being released by someone called Explosive Media (Alive). The other seasons have Universal on the boxes.

I can't tell from the comments or description if there is an English soundtrack.

Alive is releasing this under licence from Universal, according to the small print on the back cover.
And yes, the soundtrack is in English and German.

 

[Thomas T]

Just finished the region 2 DVD of Follow The Sun (1951), the film bio of golf legend Ben Hogan with Glenn Ford and Anne Baxter. It's a more than decent B&W transfer.

It's not available on region 1 DVD but being a Fox film, I wouldn't be surprised if it shows up in their MOD program.

 

[lionel59]

Just received the Spanish 16:9 release of NINE HOURS TO RAMA. Nice transfer. Worth getting. Well-priced from starscafe.com. Also very happy with the UK R2 releases of VIVACIOUS LADY with Ginger Rogers, PRUDENCE AND THE PILL (16:9) and AND NOW TOMORROW (Alan Ladd)

 

[Robin9]

Just received the Spanish 16:9 release of NINE HOURS TO RAMA. Nice transfer. Worth getting. Well-priced from starscafe.com. Also very happy with the UK R2 releases of VIVACIOUS LADY with Ginger Rogers, PRUDENCE AND THE PILL (16:9) and AND NOW TOMORROW (Alan Ladd)

I am also very pleased with the Nine Hours To Rama DVD. Lionel, you left that pretty late, didn't you? You're normally quicker off the mark!

 

[lionel59]

Yes. I kind of forgot about it. However, I had a refund to use up and trawled through the listings at Starscafe and re-discovered it. Richard Attenborough said that the Fox unit which made NINE HOURS in '64 left such a "bad taste" in the mouths of the govt in India that he had difficulty gaining permission to shoot GANDHI there in '82. (A movie I find over-rated and less interesting than NINE HOURS TO RAMA).
I have since ordered the Spanish editions of KING OF THE KHYBER RIFLES (in stereo, my local copy is in mono. Bernard Herrmann should be heard in stereo), THE ROAD TO GLORY and THE LION. Oddly, it is cheaper for me to order one dvd than to order two for a combined shipping price.
I received an R2 UK copy of the Paul Robeson movie JERICHO as a free item from Odeon entertainment.after answering a survey card. What I have seen looks to be very good. A promotional booklet inside revealed that a few movies have been released by this company in the UK which I had not heard had been released on dvd. They are:
SAY HELLO TO YESTERDAY (16:9, Jean Simmons)
THEY MET IN THE DARK (James Mason)
THE MAN ON THE EIFFEL TOWER (restored, Charles Laughton)
FOUR IN THE MORNING (Judi Dench, BAFTA winner for this performance) and
THE WINDOW (Bobby Driscoll)

 

[Robin9]

Yes. I kind of forgot about it. However, I had a refund to use up and trawled through the listings at Starscafe and re-discovered it. Richard Attenborough said that the Fox unit which made NINE HOURS in '64 left such a "bad taste" in the mouths of the govt in India that he had difficulty gaining permission to shoot GANDHI there in '82. (A movie I find over-rated and less interesting than NINE HOURS TO RAMA).
I have since ordered the Spanish editions of KING OF THE KHYBER RIFLES (in stereo, my local copy is in mono. Bernard Herrmann should be heard in stereo), THE ROAD TO GLORY and THE LION. Oddly, it is cheaper for me to order one dvd than to order two for a combined shipping price.
I received an R2 UK copy of the Paul Robeson movie JERICHO as a free item from Odeon entertainment.after answering a survey card. What I have seen looks to be very good. A promotional booklet inside revealed that a few movies have been released by this company in the UK which I had not heard had been released on dvd. They are:
SAY HELLO TO YESTERDAY (16:9, Jean Simmons)
THEY MET IN THE DARK (James Mason)
THE MAN ON THE EIFFEL TOWER (restored, Charles Laughton)
FOUR IN THE MORNING (Judi Dench, BAFTA winner for this performance) and
THE WINDOW (Bobby Driscoll)

Please let us know if The Lion is in anamorphic widescreen.

 

[Thomas T]

Please let us know if The Lion is in anamorphic widescreen.

I have Spanish The Lion and it is not anamorphic. It is 4x3 letterboxed.

 

[Robin9]

I have Spanish The Lion and it is not anamorphic. It is 4x3 letterboxed.

Thank you. You have just saved me some money.

 

[lionel59]

Hi Robin. Thomas beat me to it re THE LION. I would speculate that when Fox in the USA get around to releasing it as an MOD it will also be 4:3 Letterbox or- worse again-panned+scanned!

 

[Thomas T]

For those interested, the region 2 (via England) release of Rene Clement's The Deadly Trap (1971) with Faye Dunaway, Frank Langella and Barbara Parkins is a nice anamorphic wide screen (1.85) transfer. The official Studio Canal release is a 100% improvement over the wretched Australian release which looked like a public domain print.

 

[lionel59]

OLIVER! and GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER are emerging on Blu Ray in Germany this month.

 

[Professor Echo]

I've only had a chance to watch the opening credits of the German Blu for THE SCALPHUNTERS, but it looks fantastic. Credits are, however, in German.

Very eager to hear reviews of KING OF THE KHYBER RIFLES!

 

[lionel59]

If the UK version of KHYBER RIFLES is mono- like the Australian pressing- the Spanish release is reportedly in genuine stereo. (2-track, not surround as originally presented in cinemas, but this beats mono). Time will tell what the Fox MOD release is like.

 

[Thomas T]

Received three pressed DVDs from Germany today that are available only on MOD version in the U.S.

The Wonderful Country (1959) with Robert Mitchum in an excellent anamorphic wide screen (1.78) transfer.

Berserk (1967) with Joan Crawford and Roger Corman's Gunslinger (1956) both in nice anamorphic (1.85) transfers.

All three in English with optional German soundtracks and Wonderful Country and Gunslinger contain the original theatrical trailers.

 

[Professor Echo]

Has THE BIG FISHERMAN (1959) ever been released anywhere? Apparently it's owned by Disney? TCM recently ran it, but unfortunately, panned and scanned.

 

[lionel59]

I don't believe it has been released anywhere. A shame TCM had to present it in pan-and-scan. It was shot in 70mm.

 

[Robin9]

Has THE BIG FISHERMAN (1959) ever been released anywhere? Apparently it's owned by Disney? TCM recently ran it, but unfortunately, panned and scanned.

No. At least, not to my knowledge. If it had been, I would have bought it. I've been wanting this one for ages.