Chinatown SE?

Any word if there is going to be a Chinatown SE coming out? If so, any info on when? Many retailers seem to be heavily discounting the current DVD.

Re: Chinatown SE?

I can't imagine Paramount would let that go to Criterion as part of their recent deal, but it's a terrific thought isn't it?

Re: Chinatown SE?

I wish! There's no doubt in my mind that Criterion would do justice to CHINATOWN if Parmamount lets them, but I can't imagine Paramount letting them.

And while they're at it, why not ROSEMARY'S BABY . Two of the best movies ever made and two of my favorite films.

Re: Chinatown SE?

Well, I bit recently and picked it up for a few bucks at Best Buy last week.

Knowing my luck, expect a Chinatown: Criterion Collection announcement in another week or so. >_>

Re: Chinatown SE?

I agree: an updated transfer for this is definitely in order. The current disc is lacking.

Re: Chinatown SE?

What about "The Two Jakes"?
Would be a sin if both these films weren't handled equally for Home Video.

Re: Chinatown SE?

There aren't many major people associated with this movie who are still alive. Polanski and Farrow, that's about it. Polanski might agree to do a commentary, though, from Europe. Farrow hasn't done one yet (that I know of), but maybe...

Re: Chinatown SE?

For what it's worth: Amazon.de lists a Special Collector's Edition of "Chinatown" for October 29th. And given Paramount's usual track record I think it's relatively safe to say that an R1 release will happen around the same time.

Re: Chinatown SE?

I read earlier this year CHINATOWN went through a complete restoration and would be released on DVD, HD DVD and BLU RAY by the end of the year. HD NET Movies has been showing it lately.

Re: Chinatown SE?

Bradley, where did you read that news of imminent high def releases of Chinatown?

Perhaps my cursory search didn't find it but it appears there's no HTF review of last November's Special Collector's Edition release.

Would someone who had/has the old disc and who has purchased the new SCE post whether the 13 minutes of "Retrospective Interviews" of Bob Towne, Bob Evans and Roman that are on the former appear in the supps on the latter please?

Re: Chinatown SE?

Oh and one other thing: any comments on whether the new disc also elegantly employs the score under some of the menus and the harp accompaniment under transitions from one menu to another would be appreciated. The Chinatown score CD is OOP and it's nice to have pieces of it under the main menu of the 1999 DVD, which I sometimes just let play repeatedly.

Re: Chinatown SE?

Paul:

Old interviews are not carried over to the newest release.

Also, forget about the nice harp music and the beautiful Venetian Blind wipe when moving between DVD menus. Apparently that was too hard to pull off. Static menus like from a third rate DVD producer is what we get this time out.

What we got was a better looking video (no doubt) and piled higher and deeper mediocre new supplements.

Re: Chinatown SE?

This should've been nominated into "missed oppurtunity of the year" in the htf awards. It's too bad Criterion didn't get their hands on it.

Re: Chinatown SE?

Agreed Marco.

I see that the OOP Chinatown Soundtrack is going for 70+ bucks.

I happen to have the CD.

It's a digital world. Wink wink. Drop me a PM.

Re: Chinatown SE?

Amen.

Dear Criterion: if you can prise this from the grasp of 'clearly couldn't give a toss about classic film' Paramount, I promise I'll buy it. Again. Honest.

Re: Chinatown SE?

Thx much, Rich.

Although I can somewhat understand the studio's probable argument that it is too early in the High Def packaged Media era to release deep catalog titles given the low number of HDM households, on the other hand, there's that kick ass Blade Runner UCE release disproving that theory/notion.

From taking three years to release Braveheart on DVD at all and then taking another seven to release it as an SE, to making us wait forever for an anamorhphic Titanic (although I grant that some of this was at Cameron's behest), to releasing Babel movie-only to HDM when a 2-disc SE was released to SD DVD last fall, to this release, Paramount continues to frustrate. (I'd like to think that's the reason it's leading in the "Worst Studio" HTF awards category, but I bet a lot of those votes are from disgruntled BD partisans.)

I would just Netflix these SD DVDs to mark time until HD release, but one of my few criticisms of Nf is that they are not very good at stocking multiple releases of a particular title, much less making it clear which version you might be getting via the artwork at the site. I find the whole situation vexing. "I'm terribly vexed." At least the SDs are both cheaper than in the past and available for even less after a few months used via Amazon Marketplace.

Re: Chinatown SE?

seems like Paramount Home Video is more focused on their TV shows than mining the vault.

Re: Chinatown SE?

A shame this didn't get a better SE release.

Re: Chinatown SE?

It's a bit of a cheat, isn't it.
In 1999 the Nuart in West L.A. screened a brand new 35mm print four or five times a day over the course of three days. It sold out each time. Entire classes showed up from USC and the AFI. The theater was packed with industry pros, too. Of the five screenings I attended (that's right, five) it held the audience enthralled each time as if it were a brand new film. Before the lights dimmed the manager came to talk about the film and each time he asked the audience to raise their hands if they were seeing Chinatown for the first time, and most people did.

Compared to the new print I saw projected in 1999, the present DVD is woefully inadequate.

Re: Chinatown SE?

Richard,

How so?

Re: Chinatown SE?

In every way. The present DVD was pressed at the outset of the digital technology and the SE is sourced from the same master. It's not up to specs. I would like to see Paramount go back to the elements and start over. Chinatown is immaculate film making. The quality of the image is not present on the DVD.

Re: Chinatown SE?

I own both copies and was actually quite pleased with the improvement in the SE. Also check the comparison on DVDBeaver.

Chinatown Jack Nicholson Faye Dunaway

Re: Chinatown SE?

Certainly the SE is a marginal improvement. but I assure you it can be better. Much better.

Re: Chinatown SE?

That Paramount went back to the same old elements for the initial DVD would be very disappointing and surprising if true.

Do you know that as fact or opinion.?

Re: Chinatown SE?

I read it in a review, hardcopy.
And it just looks that way.

Re: Chinatown SE?

The new SE sure looks like a fresh transfer to me. I rented the old one so I could compare, and I thought the 2007 DVD looked MUCH better than its predecessor:

Chinatown: Special Collector's Edition (1974)

Re: Chinatown SE?

Let's dispense with the personal comments towards other members and focus our posts on the discussion at hand.







Crawdaddy

Re: Chinatown SE?

I will slightly rephrase my original (now deleted) comments and say I do not believe Richard's argument holds water. The new S.E. is a revelation over the original DVD; perhaps it's still not up to Richard's snuff (that's, of course, subjective), but no way is it from the same elements.

Re: Chinatown SE?

Chinatown Jack Nicholson Faye Dunaway

-clearly not the same transfer.

Re: Chinatown SE?

I watched the new SE and I was blown away by the transfer. Perhaps my favourite film of all time.