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post #271 of 280
2/18/09 at 2:34pm

Re: Bronston epics and Land of the Pharaohs coming at last!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Huffstutler
No one mentioned if there is a descent NTSC All region (0) copy of 55 Days available to play in Region 1 (for someone without a Region Free player)? Can you point the way?

DVDBEAVER has a review on this page - Nicholas Ray's 55 Days at Peking DVD Review . You can buy the Korean version (which should be the same) on Amazon.com or on Ebay for less than $10.
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post #272 of 280
4/2/09 at 8:51am
Thread Starter 

Re: Bronston epics and Land of the Pharaohs coming at last!

I just got hold of the recently released Spanish version of The Manificent Showman (El Fabuloso Mundo) which says it is newly remastered. It's 2.35:1 anamorphic with OK but not brilliant picture quality. It doesn't include the original Overture, Intermission or Exit music. The sound is stated on the box to be 2 channel stereo but actually is a mono spread (there is no left/right separation of music or sound effects). I wonder if the korean release previously mentioned is also a mono spread. I'm beginning to doubt that this film will ever receive it's original road show version on disc.
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post #273 of 280
4/4/09 at 6:33am

Re: Bronston epics and Land of the Pharaohs coming at last!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Douglas R
I just got hold of the recently released Spanish version of The Manificent Showman (El Fabuloso Mundo) which says it is newly remastered. It's 2.35:1 anamorphic with OK but not brilliant picture quality. It doesn't include the original Overture, Intermission or Exit music. The sound is stated on the box to be 2 channel stereo but actually is a mono spread (there is no left/right separation of music or sound effects). I wonder if the korean release previously mentioned is also a mono spread. I'm beginning to doubt that this film will ever receive it's original road show version on disc.

I have the Korean DVD and there is no Overture, Intermission or Exit music. But, you aren't missing much as the laser disc had them and they just played the same song 'Its the Circus..." that is played with the opening titles for the Intermission and Exit music. The Overture on the laser disc was only 15 seconds. The sound on the Korean disc is 4.0 and there is separation on the front three channels but I hear no sound coming out the surrounds.
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post #274 of 280
4/4/09 at 7:22am

Re: Bronston epics and Land of the Pharaohs coming at last!

Roland L. Are you sure the Korean version is 4-channel? I have "55 Days at Peking" and "Circus World" - both made by the same company and both are 3-channel. I also mentioned on another thread that the Korean releases look fine even on HD but suffer from print shrinkage issues and "Circus World" has some noticeable dirt and scratches in places especially at reel changes.

It is too bad that Weinstein cancelled their releases. I have the Special Collectors box sets for "El Cid!" and "Fall of the Roman Empire" and both are class packages. They were even numbering the spines like Criterion. I am not sure why they didn't sell? The retail was at $50 and I am sure you could have gotten them a lot less at online retailers which would equate to a Criterion but these releases had a whole LOT more and restorations were beautiful!

The Korean versions of his other two epics will work for now. I am a bit disappointed with "Circus World" because this was Bronston's last big film and you can see the budget was cut (he was in bankruptcy when this was made) and they used a lot of green screen unlike real live shots in his other films which gave it a depth of believability.

I am also surprised his very first epic... "John Paul Jones" (1959) hasn't been released on DVD? It was released on VHS in 1994. Especially when Bette Davis is in it!?!

And wondering why his "Jack London" (1943) hasn't received a decent transfer either?

Eric
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post #275 of 280
4/4/09 at 7:49am

Re: Bronston epics and Land of the Pharaohs coming at last!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Huffstutler
I am also surprised his very first epic... "John Paul Jones" (1959) hasn't been released on DVD? It was released on VHS in 1994. Especially when Bette Davis is in it!?!

...and Charles Coburn as Ben Franklin, and Peter Cushing as the Captain of the Seraphis (who surrenders to Jones after the climatic battle), and a very young Mia Farrow (her father directed)..."

This title is controlled by Warner, so I'm hoping we'll at least get a Warner's Archive release
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post #276 of 280
4/4/09 at 10:26am

Re: Bronston epics and Land of the Pharaohs coming at last!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Huffstutler
Roland L. Are you sure the Korean version is 4-channel? I have "55 Days at Peking" and "Circus World" - both made by the same company and both are 3-channel. I also mentioned on another thread that the Korean releases look fine even on HD but suffer from print shrinkage issues and "Circus World" has some noticeable dirt and scratches in places especially at reel changes.

It is too bad that Weinstein cancelled their releases. I have the Special Collectors box sets for "El Cid!" and "Fall of the Roman Empire" and both are class packages. They were even numbering the spines like Criterion. I am not sure why they didn't sell? The retail was at $50 and I am sure you could have gotten them a lot less at online retailers which would equate to a Criterion but these releases had a whole LOT more and restorations were beautiful!

The Korean versions of his other two epics will work for now. I am a bit disappointed with "Circus World" because this was Bronston's last big film and you can see the budget was cut (he was in bankruptcy when this was made) and they used a lot of green screen unlike real live shots in his other films which gave it a depth of believability.

I am also surprised his very first epic... "John Paul Jones" (1959) hasn't been released on DVD? It was released on VHS in 1994. Especially when Bette Davis is in it!?!

And wondering why his "Jack London" (1943) hasn't received a decent transfer either?

Eric

I seem to be the only one who hears surround on that title, as Roland stated, he "hears no sound coming out the surrounds." I only hear it during the music sections, and at that time, I hear it out of my surrounds, and bass in my subwoofer. I haven't checked other stereo DVD releases to see if there's something in my sound system, but I do know that mono and surround play correctly, as I'm sure it does on your systems. Is it a defect? I don't know.

I would love for WB to release John Paul Jones !!! Even as part of the Archive collection.

Also would like Jack London.
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post #277 of 280
4/4/09 at 11:43am

Re: Bronston epics and Land of the Pharaohs coming at last!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Huffstutler
Roland L. Are you sure the Korean version is 4-channel? I have "55 Days at Peking" and "Circus World" - both made by the same company and both are 3-channel.
Eric

4.0 is displayed on my receiver and on the screen when I select "Display" on the Blu-ray player.
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post #278 of 280
4/4/09 at 11:49am

Re: Bronston epics and Land of the Pharaohs coming at last!

Quote:
Originally Posted by WadeM
I seem to be the only one who hears surround on that title, as Roland stated, he "hears no sound coming out the surrounds." I only hear it during the music sections, and at that time, I hear it out of my surrounds, and bass in my subwoofer. I haven't checked other stereo DVD releases to see if there's something in my sound system, but I do know that mono and surround play correctly, as I'm sure it does on your systems. Is it a defect? I don't know.
.

What do you have selected on your receiver for sound? Is it one of those "enhanced" selections like the "Movie", "Stereo", etc. that I have on my Yamaha? I always use "Straight" so nothing extra is added.
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post #279 of 280
9/17/09 at 2:33am
So Vivendi bought all rights from Genius. What happens to the Bronston titles?
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post #280 of 280
9/17/09 at 6:45am
The Bronston titles are still owned by The Weinstein Company.  Weinstein had an agreement with Genius to release their DVD product.  An interesting note is that yesterday it was announced that The Weinstein Company signed a DVD distribution deal with Vivendi for catalog titles.  The announcement did not speak of new film DVD releases, but in the case of Inglorious Basterds, it will be handled by Universal.

Not sure what all this means for 55 Days and Circus, but their could be a little light there.
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