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Repulsion and Yesterday Today and Tomorrow DVD

post #1 of 44
1/18/05 at 5:20am
Thread Starter 
I noticed recently an announcement that was in DVD Planet that Koch was releasing Polanski"s "Repulsion" and "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow",. The later was a very funny Italian movie with Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni.
Has anyone heard any other details?
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post #2 of 44
1/18/05 at 9:34am
Um, Koch "released" Polanski's Repulsion years ago and if there's a more repulsive DVD available I haven't seen it. Taken from a battered 16mm print - and the cover... the cover... my eyes, my eyes.

You want Repulsion get an all-region player and buy Anchor Bay's excellent (but not perfect) transfer from the UK - available separately or in a box with Cul-de-Sac and Knife in the Water.
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post #3 of 44
1/18/05 at 9:43am
We can only hope that Koch will retain their previous coverart for Roman Polanski's Repulsion---perhaps the most inappropriate cover in the history of the medium:

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post #4 of 44
1/18/05 at 9:49am
I don't know if there's a Repulsion release (or re-release) coming soon, I checked the KL website and they didn't say anything about it.

That old cover makes it look like Catherine Deneuve was starring in "The Betty Grable Story."
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post #5 of 44
1/18/05 at 3:42pm
Thread Starter 
I have the multi region Polanski set and its great.
I was just hoping that perhaps that these might be new transfers with some integrity.
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post #6 of 44
1/19/05 at 7:40am
Yes, the PAL release of "REPULSION" is very good -- not sure if the image will ever look pristine, but that disc is the best I've ever seen it. And, I have to admit, the rejiggered DTS surround mix is very effective and not too hollow or processed sounding. Some may still prefer the original as the surround remix betrays a bit of that processed sound, but when those walls start cracking all around you...

So, "Koch" is now "Koch Lorber"? Maybe we can hold out some hope for this. That previous release still has my vote for the most godawfully inapt cover ever created. Had those idiots even seen the film?
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post #7 of 44
1/19/05 at 2:22pm
So, "Koch" is now "Koch Lorber"?

Koch Lorber is the art-film division of Koch International (and has no relationship--except for founder of both labels, Richard Lorber--with Fox Lorber, which is now called Wellspring).
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post #8 of 44
1/20/05 at 5:26am
Yep, definitely get the R2 Repulsion if you can (okay, I have it, but haven't watched it yet, but if it's anything like the Cul-De-Sac disc...).
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post #9 of 44
1/20/05 at 6:00am
I have been holding out for a R1 of Repulsion for years now. I don't know why I haven't pulled the trigger on a region free player yet. Between my desire for this as well as "The Goodies", I should have been put over the edge to get that player.
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post #10 of 44
1/20/05 at 7:15am
My only beef with the R2 "Repulsion" is the PAL thing. My monitor won't display PAL, so I have to convert the image to NTSC, thus introducing some unwanted artifacts.

Still, it's way better than all the other releases!

So this "Koch" is not the new, occasionally improved "Koch Lorber"? Damn.
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post #11 of 44
1/20/05 at 7:23am
No, Rich, I think they are the same. But I don't think they're releasing a new disc of Repulsion.
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post #12 of 44
1/26/05 at 4:30pm
Comcast's on demand MoviePass package is currently showing Repulsion, or at least in Atlanta. Anyway, this print starts with an old Columbia lady logo. I dunno if this means that Comcast got this print and the broadcast rights from Sony, or if TV packages and DVD rights even overlap in this case, but there you go.

Anyway, I'll agree that the Anchor Bay disk is still a pretty good way to go. I doubt an R1 disk will include the commentary.
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post #13 of 44
1/26/05 at 5:10pm
The UK Anchor Bay set also has all of Polanksi's short films and Repulsion has the Criterion Laserdisc commentary by Polanski and Deneuve. There are interviews for each film, also. It's a brilliant set - one of the best releases ever by Anchor Bay.
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post #14 of 44
1/26/05 at 5:16pm
Quote:
It's a brilliant set - one of the best releases ever by Anchor Bay.


We owe most of it to Daniel Bird, who, among other things, tracked down the shorts from the Polish archives.

DJ
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post #15 of 44
1/26/05 at 11:02pm
I have the old video tape, and it is from columbia videos. Wasnt this on LD?
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post #16 of 44
1/27/05 at 2:00am
This is another one of those annoying quasi-PD situations. Compton Productions produced Polanski's REPULSION and CUL-DE-SAC, and they are out of business. REPULSION was released by Columbia, and CUL-DE-SAC bought by Filmways and released by Sigma III, both companies' assets eventually making their way to MGM. As such, they do technically control the films and posess excellent elements on both. But there has been little incentive in the U.S. for them to release the films for fear of having the transfer hijacked by these PD outfits. And it does happen: Criterion made a glorious letterboxed laserdisc of ZULU years ago, and any time you see a cheap DVD of the title, labeled "widescreen," it's readily obvious that it's been sourced from that disc.
Columbia collaborated with Criterion on a beautiful laserdisc years ago, back when they had a general output deal with the company, but that has gone out of print. I can only hope that Columbia may be enticed to release a good version to tie in with their upcoming Polanski adaptation of OLIVER TWIST.
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post #17 of 44
1/27/05 at 7:00am
Ooooh, Repulsion is one of my all time favorites. I'm heading over to NetFlix NOW!
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post #18 of 44
1/29/05 at 7:50pm
Tommy G, the R2 UK release of the The Goodies looks very good. They spent some time restoring this. Considering how obscure this is, I don't see it coming to R1...ever. Most Brits I know haven't even heard of The Goodies!
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post #19 of 44
2/2/05 at 5:20am
Thanks Mark. I'm still holding out hope for both The Goodies and Repulsion. I've heard that the PAL conversion to NTSC deteriorates the picture quality and that is the reason I don't do the region free thing. Anyway, I may have to look for a Criterion LD on ebay or something and convert it to dvd that way for Repulsion.
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post #20 of 44
2/2/05 at 5:38am
If they do show up on DVD here they'll be PAL to NTSC conversions. In my past experience, a good PAL converting dvd player will give you a better image than most 'professionally' converted dvds. You can see this as 'ghosting'. Shows up in DVDBeaver.com comparisons all the time.
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post #21 of 44
4/27/05 at 4:48pm
Holy s**t... did any of you know that a new transfer of Polanski's Repulsion was available on dvd??

I just came back from my local retailer looking to pick up a couple of older ctalogue titles and out of the corner of my eye, a cover on the new release shelf caught my attention - Repulsion!

It appears to be a brand new remastered transfer, and with much more fitting cover art this time too!!


I'm so stoked about this, I can't wait to get home and pop it in!

Am I the only one that was unaware of this new issue, and if so... has there been any word/reviews on the new dvd??

I'm so excited!!

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post #22 of 44
4/27/05 at 5:40pm
Marco:

I think most of us assumed that Koch had simply slapped a new cover on their old substandard transfer. I haven't seen any reviews for the re-release, but DVD Empire lists a MAR of 1.33:1.

Hard to believe that Koch wouldn't have released a "digitally re-mastered" version of this great film under their Koch Lorber label, with a few extras and at a higher price.

I look forward to your comments on the AR and transfer quality (compared to the DVD Beaver screen caps linked above).
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post #23 of 44
4/27/05 at 5:44pm
Aspect ratio is not listed anywhere on the cover, nor are any specs for that matter... but it seems to be released under some independant studio and not KOCH. The cover also indicates (don't have it in front of me) something about transfered from original source elements or something to that extent...
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post #24 of 44
4/27/05 at 9:04pm
So the covers on your (Canadian?) version differ from the version distributed by Koch on March 29th?

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post #25 of 44
4/28/05 at 6:21am
No, that's the exact same cover... it indicates that it's been digitally remastered and I had thought it mentioned something about original source material but I guess not. Maybe I was just excited when I read that on the back cover. It seems to be released by a company called Entertainment Programs Inc. though...

Is this the same release that you guys were criticizing earlier for having a MAR transfer and looking terrible? (*crosses fingers it's not)
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post #26 of 44
4/28/05 at 5:35pm
Thread Starter 
"No Shame" from Rykodisc just released a terrific 2.35 restored print of "Yesterday Today and Tomorrow" on DVD.
Also the uncut "Boccaccio 70"
I'm very pleased with these
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post #27 of 44
4/28/05 at 6:40pm
oddly enough, EPIs' site ***mentions nothing*** of the DVD, but here is what they do show listing in their catalog:

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post #28 of 44
4/28/05 at 8:04pm
That looks like a VHS cover to me, Mark.

I'm gonna watch the dvd now on my regular 20" crt and let you guys know what I think, though obviously I won't be able to offer a thorough assessment without properly auditioning on my ht setup. I just want to make sure the aspect ratio is correct and the transfer looks decent. This was obviously shot 1.85:1, right?
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post #29 of 44
4/28/05 at 8:20pm
1:85 or 1:66 would be acceptable. Anchor Bay DVD seems to be more 1:66 to my eye. But it absolutely should NOT be full frame.
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post #30 of 44
4/28/05 at 9:41pm
Quote:
1:85 or 1:66 would be acceptable. Anchor Bay DVD seems to be more 1:66 to my eye. But it absolutely should NOT be full frame.


Anchor Bay's disc is 1.78:1 or 1.85:1, depending on who you ask. Criterion's LD was ~1.75:1.

DJ
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