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"A Matter Of Life And Death"

#31
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9/19/05 at 8:42am
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This just showed on TCM yesturday for the first time ever. Does this mean we might see a region 1 DVD release soon?
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#32
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9/19/05 at 10:30am
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This just showed on TCM yesturday for the first time ever. Does this mean we might see a region 1 DVD release soon?


Perhaps. Sony spent considerable money on further restoration of the film a couple of years ago (around the time cinematographer Jack Cardiff was awarded an honorary Oscar), to the extent of importing the film negative to the U.S. to work on it. It was announced for DVD release by Sony/Columbia over a year ago (many online retailers listed it at the time), but was pulled, supposedly so that Martin Scorsese, then busy with THE AVIATOR, could record a commentary track.

It suddenly dawned on me last night that next year will be the film's 60th anniversary (and we all know how studio marketing departments like those, especially when they end in a "0" or a "5"), so that could bode well for an R1 release, but who knows? Sony/Columbia is also erratic in their classic film DVD releases. Since this film was made prior to the Cinemascope era, at least we won't have to worry about Sony/Columbia's shakey commitment to OAR with this one, whenever the DVD comes to pass.
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Top 5 most-wanted films on R1 DVD wish list:

SANDS OF THE KALAHARI (1965) / MURDER, HE SAYS (1945) / UNEARTHLY STRANGER (1963) / CRACK IN THE WORLD (1965) / ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1933)
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#33
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3/5/08 at 6:22am
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Re: "A Matter Of Life And Death"

Has this been released?

Fred

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#34
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3/5/08 at 7:53am
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Re: "A Matter Of Life And Death"

It's several years since Sony said that were just waiting on Martin Scorsese to record a commentary for the R1 release (it's been out in R2 for some time). However, it looks like that hasn't changed. In January, Thelma Schoonmaker introduced a screening of Bluebeard's Castle and The Tales of Hoffmann at the LA County Museum and in a Q&A session she apparently mentioned that Sony's A Matter of Life and Death is complete except for one thing - they're waiting on Scorsese to record a commentary (still!)
So many films, so little time...
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Harold Shand: What I'm looking for is someone who can contribute to what England has given to the world: culture, sophistication, genius. A little bit more than an 'ot dog, know what I mean?
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#35
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3/5/08 at 2:24pm
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Re: "A Matter Of Life And Death"

On another thread - the one about NORTH BY NORTHWEST I mentioned that this Sat - Mar 8, 2008 The Lafayette Theater in Suffern NY will be showing that film as part of it's big screen classics series. Check out their website Big Screen Classics they are also going to show A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH on another Sat- I asume the print is from Sony, hopefully this means the video release is approaching. If not they should turn the film over to Criterion to release as they seem able to secure Martin Scorsese for their tracks!
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#36
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3/5/08 at 8:59pm
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Re: "A Matter Of Life And Death"

I wonder if they prepped a hi-def transfer for a Blu-ray release. By the time Scorsese gets around to that commentary, hi-def may be the standard bearer.

Derek M. Germano
THE CINEMA LASER
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#37
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10/7/08 at 10:53am
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Re: "A Matter Of Life And Death"

Sony has already indicated that AMOLAD is on the way (well, it's been on the way for some years...). Over at the BritMovie forum, P&P guru Steve Crook has some more info, courtesy of Thelma Schoonmaker:

It'll be packaged with Age of Consent in their "Collectors Choice" series. An odd choice but Columbia have the rights to both of them in the States.

AMOLAD will have a commentary by Ian Christie and Martin Scorsese has done an interview and introduction to both films.

AoC will be the one with the original soundtrack restored and there are also interviews with some of the people involved in the making of it like Helen Mirren, Tony Buckley (editor), Peter Sculthorpe (composer), Ron and Valerie Taylor (underwater camera) and Kevin Powell.

Thelma and some friendly people at Columbia have worked hard to get all of this done. They've done some tidying up on the prints of both films and the soundtracks.

So no Scorsese commentary as rumoured...I hope they are slightly more than merely tidied up.

Sony also releases Age of Consent in the UK next month.
So many films, so little time...
Film Journal Blog
Harold Shand: What I'm looking for is someone who can contribute to what England has given to the world: culture, sophistication, genius. A little bit more than an 'ot dog, know what I mean?
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