Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy on DVD! (1 Viewer)

[Chris PC]

Cool, so do you figure the BBC ones I linked above are as good or better than the Acorn ones? The Acorn releases were fraught with missing scenes etc. I figure its possible the BBC releases may be better.
How is the audio in the BBC Smiley's People?
thanx

 

[John Hodson]

How is the audio in the BBC Smiley's People?

It's been a while, but IIRC there's absolutely no problem - the transfer is marginally better than TTSS too.

 

[Chris PC]

Ok, fair enough. The Acorn Smiley's People has severe issues with things like the audio tracks being missing, as mentioned earlier in this thread.
I guess I will take a closer look at the BBC versions. They are probably what I need.
thanx for the feedback,

 

[Richard--W]

I saw both mini-series when they were first aired. Later I bought the vhs tapes, which didn't seem to have anything missing, that I can recall. I bought the Acorn DVD's which seem identical to the tapes.

What exactly is missing, do you remember?

 

[Chris PC]

See Ian's description in his earlier post in this thread. Smiley's is the one that was apparantly messed up the most in acorn release.

 

[Richard--W]

Reviving this thread to ask a question of Mr. Hodson:

Do you know if the BBC shot this series on 35mm film? Sometimes there's enough grain to make it look like 16mm, and not just in the night scenes, although overall the image quality is better than that. What medium does the BBC usually shoot in? Lately I've been watching some British programs and the image quality begs the question to be asked. With regard to Brett's Sherlock Holmes series, same question.

We watched Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy again last night for the first time in almost a year, and my goodness, what a rewarding program. Nobody writes this well anymore. Some of the British mannerisms and expressions are lost on me -- cultural differences, you know -- but the gist is always clear. I also wonder how the Brits see, or rather define, some of these characters. Roddy is supposed to be obnoxious but a truth teller? is he also supposed to be a little gay? Villem is a dangerous killer who restrains himself? Ricky Tarr is a sleaze? Jim Prideux is a man's man, a more realistic Bond?

I'm wondering if the UK editions of both Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley's People don't have better picture quality than the Acorn.

 

[James Phillips]

Both of them were shot on 16mm.

 

[John Hodson]

We watched Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy again last night for the first time in almost a year, and my goodness, what a rewarding program. Nobody writes this well anymore. Some of the British mannerisms and expressions are lost on me -- cultural differences, you know -- but the gist is always clear. I also wonder how the Brits see, or rather define, some of these characters. Roddy is supposed to be obnoxious but a truth teller? is he also supposed to be a little gay? Villem is a dangerous killer who restrains himself? Ricky Tarr is a sleaze? Jim Prideux is a man's man, a more realistic Bond?

The characters are also, to a certain degree, defined by class, a British pre-occupation. It's a very, 'English' piece (it begins with cups of tea...) with it's understated use of language and mannerisms, the emotionless blank that is George Smiley. Many of the expressions Le Carre uses are, don't forget, 'spy speak', and not in everyday usage. Who's who? Well, that's the game.
Ian Bannon's brilliant isn't he? ''He'll pitch the Alvis next. Best car England ever made, and out of production!''

 

[Richard--W]

My thanks to both of you for confirming that the BBC shoots primarily on 16mm. That explains a lot.

Of the Acorn and BBC releases, which do you prefer? Is the image quality different? Is anything missing from one or the other? I'm used to the Acorns, but the BBC editions are tempting me on amazon.co.UK . I want to have the best editions possible, because I value the films so much. A Perfect Spy may be leCarre at his best, but it doesn't have Alec Guinnes.

I'm still not sure how British audiences see some of these characters at first glance. I have a feeling leCarre and the director are working with character types -- no, not stereotypes exactly -- that we may not have in the USA, and then revealing layers to them that are not apparent at first glance. But how they are seen at first glance is vital to understanding the story being told.

Yes, Ian Bannon is brilliant, but he was always brilliant. Did you see Sidney Lumet's The Offence? That film begins badly. It needed a different approach at the opening. But I particularly liked the way Ian Bannon played those scenes with Connery. Class conflict emerges and a host of other emotional dynamics for the two actors to play on. I'm not sure what those dynamics are because I'm not British, but their conflict is running very deep. The last film I saw Bannon in was Boorman's Hope and Glory, as the crusty grandfather. Another small part he makes memorable.

You mentioned the BBC Sherlock Holmes with Peter Cushing. I've always thought, on the basis of Hammer's only Holmes film, that Cushing's interpretation of Holmes was ahead of its time, a thought confirmed when I watched the the BBC set for the first time. Do you know if additional episodes have surfaced since this set was released? And didn't Cushing replace another actor? Do episodes with the previous actor survive, and if so, is there a DVD?

 

[John Hodson]

You mentioned the BBC Sherlock Holmes with Peter Cushing. I've always thought, on the basis of Hammer's only Holmes film, that Cushing's interpretation of Holmes was ahead of its time, a thought confirmed when I watched the the BBC set for the first time. Do you know if additional episodes have surfaced since this set was released? And didn't Cushing replace another actor? Do episodes with the previous actor survive, and if so, is there a DVD?

I think I'm right in saying that as far as Cushing as Holmes goes, that's it. Douglas Wilmer (Holmes in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother) played Holmes with Nigel Stock for the Beeb in '65, but refused to continue because of short production schedules. After John Neville turned the role down, Cushing came to the resue. There's nothing on DVD of Wilmer and I'm not entirely sure it still exists. Probably wiped.

 

[James Phillips]

I think all apart from two of the thirteen Douglas Wilmer episodes still exist as 16mm telerecordings. With only one reel from each of the other two episodes still in existence.
The BBC released a couple of his episodes on VHS in the early 90s. They should hurry up and release them all on DVD, and get Wilmer involved, while he's still with us. He was brilliant as Holmes.

 

[Richard--W]

I think all apart from two of the thirteen Douglas Wilmer episodes still exist as 16mm telerecordings. With only one reel from each of the other two episodes still in existence.
The BBC released a couple of his episodes on VHS in the early 90s. They should hurry up and release them all on DVD, and get Wilmer involved, while he's still with us. He was brilliant as Holmes.

Well, that's good news the majority of episodes survive in watchable condition. I would gladly buy a DVD collection if the BBC ever decides to disseminate the program. Even incomplete episodes are preferable to no episodes at all. Put the incomplete episodes on as a bonus or something. I'm curious to see what this distinguished actor did with the role.
Now, if only the BBC could be persuaded to re-release Gerald Savory's COUNT DRACULA (1978) with Louis Jourdan. There's a market for that stateside, I assure you.

 

[James Phillips]

Count Dracula's being re-released in the UK next month, as it happens!
http://www.bensonsworld.co.uk/dvd/7000000125157.asp
I love this version, too. It's not perfect, but it's easily the most faithful adaptation of the novel so far.

 

[Richard--W]

I'll grab that right away. Thanks for the alert.

Most people find, to their own surprise, after watching what Gerald Savory and Phillip Saville achieve with the story, that no other Dracula will do. I gather this was a videotape with 16mm inserts. There may be better versions technically, but there's never been a more literate or intelligent adaptation. It really holds one's attention.

 

[John Hodson]

I think all apart from two of the thirteen Douglas Wilmer episodes still exist as 16mm telerecordings. With only one reel from each of the other two episodes still in existence.

Ah! Thank you James.

 

[Richard--W]

Now that I've watched the BBC region 2 DVD's of TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY and SMILEY'S PEOPLE, I must recommend the Region 2 over the Acorn. Picture and sound are marginally superior, but considering they were shot in 16mm, that margin makes a big difference. Also, the region 2 of SMILEY'S PEOPLE is free of the audio problems described above. TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY is supplemented with a fascinating documentary on author John LeCarre. Partly an autobiography of one of the English language's finest authors and partly an interview, it's a must-own that the American Acorn set doesn't have. SMILEY'S PEOPLE is supplemented with an informative interview with LeCarre. Although it is different from and shorter than the interview on the Acorn TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, it covers some of the same ground.

The only reason to buy the Acorn edition of TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY is for the extensive interview with LeCarre, which is valuable for many reasons. But the region 2 editions do a better job of mastering and authoring, and have essential supplements. They are also much cheaper, even at the current currency exchange, they cost a third of what the Acorn editions cost. Royal Mail got them to my mailbox in the USA in 5 days.

Think of TINKER SOLDIER SOLDIER SPY as The Godfather of espionage films, and SMILEY'S PEOPLE as The Godfather Part 2. The analogy fits for all sorts of reasons. Every home should have one of each, in the UK editions.

 

[Chris PC]

Ok, so I should buy both of these via Region 2 versions? Got any links or suggestions on where I should grab them from?
I'm in Canada. Is Benson's World the best place to order them from?
thanks,

 

[Richard--W]

Ok, so I should buy both of these via Region 2 versions? Got any links or suggestions on where I should grab them from?
I'm in Canada. Is Benson's World the best place to order them from?
thanks,

You won't be sorry you invested in the region 2 editions of TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY and SMILEY'S PEOPLE. Both mini-series reward repeated viewings.
Buy the pair dirt cheap at www.amazon.co.uk . The shipping is ultra-fast. You might also want to pick up The Perfect Spy, LeCarre's epic autobiographical- fiction spy saga. Benson's World is reliable enough but it's double the price and not as fast.

 

[Chris PC]

Got Tinker, Smiley's and A Perfect Spy...along with "Troubled Epic"... a book about the David Lean film Ryan's Daughter. Also bought the Ryan's Daughter DVD. All gifts for dad. Philips dvd player with hack code worked no problem

 

[Philip Marlowe]

Does anyone know if the version Acorn is releasing today is any different from prior ones?