August 19th for that Bob Fosse classic musical... (1 Viewer)

[gregstaten]

Betcha, come August 18th-19th no one chooses to buy "ALL THAT JAZZ" over this year's best picture winner "CHICAGO"

I bet you're wrong. Sure, I'll buy CHICAGO. But I'll watch ALL THAT JAZZ first. This is one of my favorite movies and holds a special place in my heart.

Frankly, I'm really tired about people that bitch about this or that movie not coming out when they want. Look at the bounty of movies already on DVD. (Hell, I have over 600 unwatched DVDs sitting on the shelf waiting to be watched.)

Patience is usually rewarded and I suspect it definitely *will* be in this case. I saw the restored print in LA and it looked spectacular. Fox has really gotten behind restoration and I'll always wait for a film that's worth waiting for.

-greg

 

[Greg_M]

Quote:

Patience is usually rewarded and I suspect it definitely *will* be in this case. I saw the restored print in LA and it looked spectacular. Fox has really gotten behind restoration and I'll always wait for a film that's worth waiting for.

-greg


Aw sucks, I'll bet it's the same transfer Ron reviewed back in 2001.

:star: FOX doesn't have to release "All That Jazz", but they will make money from it, so they will release it. Peter Staddon does a pretty good job restoring many FOX films, (Sound of Music excluded) and I can understand him wanting to hold off on the promotion and tie in to "Chicago" (Though I don't see how "the Rose" of "Hello Dolly" have much in common with "ATJ" or "CHICAGO").

But again like I said, I'm getting very VERY selective on titles I purchase now (As compared to three years ago) knowing HD is going to be a reality. I've seen the picture and it's incredible.

There are many films I would have purchased in the begining of DVD and have gotten my money's worth, But not this late in the game. Unlike many of you, I supported Laserdisc from the beginning only to see it killed within a few months after DVD was launched: Already Been There.

 

[GlennH]

I'm more interested in HELLO DOLLY, and while I like a bargain as much as the next guy, but I'm a bit wary of the low price. It seems more in line with barebones type releases, and this title deserves SE treatment.

Well, at the very least I hope it has top-notch picture and sound.

 

[Jon Robertson]

Ron - I read your report, but I'm not seeing anything like as impressive on my R2 disc as what you describe. The R2 is dual-layer, so it's not a low bitrate problem. Did you see a DVD screener or a high-def source on your Fox tour?

 

[Brian Kidd]

Greg_M, it is apparent that you don't like the film and aren't going to purchase it when it comes out. Can't we just leave it at that? As for how HELLO DOLLY and THE ROSE are related to ATJ? Uh......MUSICALS? Movie Musicals are once again popular. By releasing these Musicals at the same time as CHICAGO, Fox can maximize their profits.

 

[SteveP]

Never cared that much for ALL THAT JAZZ, even though my best friend played the stripper who diddles the young Fosse character in the burlesque house flashback. (Fosse wanted an over-the hill looking stripper, so she was somewhat over-weight in the scene--after we saw the film for the first time, we came home and she promptly threw up!)

The film did go majorly over-budget and that is why my friend was not called back to appear in the "hospital fantasy" musical sequence--at that point they were trying to save money on salaries.

Frankly, on-screen open heart surgery was never my idea of entertainment!

 

[PatrickL]

Frankly, on-screen open heart surgery was never my idea of entertainment!

No one could ever accuse Bob Fosse of subtlety, I'll say that much. Personally I choose to find that scene darkly amusing, considering how he edited it.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Jon,

I have recently seen a bit of the R1 disc that
is being released this August.

I don't know if I am allowed to post a review
on it yet or not, but I'll say this....

It probably looks exactly the same as the R2 version.

I have only looked at the first 10 minutes of the
transfer -- the same 10 minutes worth I saw at Fox
last year. The transfer does not look as vibrant
as it did that day. We may have been looking at
actual film, but even if we were, I would have
expected the transfer to faithfully reproduce
everything we saw.

Not to say the transfer is subpar -- it isn't.
Actually, when you consider that this film had
considerable sprocket damage, thumb prints
throughout and was nearly destroyed for all time,
the studio did an amazing ressurection of this
title.

What I am saying right now, based on the few
minutes I watched, the transfer is not demo quality
nor the best transfer I have seen of a 70s title.
Yet, this is absolutely the best the film has ever
looked anywhere.

If I get permission to post a full review, I will
do so.

 

[Jon Robertson]

Not to say the transfer is subpar -- it isn't. Actually, when you consider that this film had considerable sprocket damage, thumb prints throughout and was nearly destroyed for all time, the studio did an amazing ressurection of this title.

What I am saying right now, based on the few minutes I watched, the transfer is not demo quality nor the best transfer I have seen of a 70s title. Yet, this is absolutely the best the film has ever looked anywhere.

Based on the R2, I totally agree!

 

[David Lambert]

For those interested:

All That Jazz extras:

Theatrical trailer, Fox Flix: All That Jazz, The Commitments, The Rose, The Sound of Music

All $14.98 SRP, all on 8/19.

 

[Eric Paddon]

What a gyp that a title that was loaded with fascinating extras on LD like "Star" was, gets this kind of barebones DVD treatment. No sale!

 

[Greg_M]

For $14.95 "Star!" is a great deal. Remember the laserdisc (load with extras) cost $90.00

Picked up "A Chorus Line" & "Sweet Charity" at Tower Records for $10 bucks each. "Star! will most likely have the same sale price, since Tower knocks $5.00 off the retail price on new releases.

 

[Jeff_HR]

I for one would pay more for a DVD that includes a boat load of extras.

 

[Thomas T]

Curious how extras mean so much to some people. I own the extra laden Star laser disc and would you believe I've never watched the extra material or listened to the commentary? I'll be dumping it as soon as I get my hands on the Star DVD!

 

[Eric Paddon]

Actually, $14.95 for something with nothing compared to what I already have on LD (and I didn't pay full price for mine) is not a good buy by my reckoning. The supplements are what help this film take on an epic aura with me and no way would I spend money better spent on a different title for zero supplements.

 

[Greg_M]

Eric, we're talking about "Star!" not "Citizen Kane"


On a side note,

Ron, I know this is one of your favorite films, but why post a review 4 MONTHS before the street date? Why not wait at least until August so the review would be fresh on readers minds. 4 Months from now your review will be forgotten by many people.

 

[Eric Paddon]

The extras are the only way I get to appreciate the movie in the first place. Stand alone, there's not much to recommend. With supplements, "Star!"'s context in a fascinating era of Fox history in the late 60s becomes magnified.

So yes, because the film isn't "Citizen Kane" is why the film is not worth getting for the film alone from my standpoint especially when I have a version that is more interesting.

 

[Paul_Scott]

I agree with Greg,
no real reason to post the full review at this point, especially since your brief comments would seem validate what others and myself had thought regarding the other regions dics of this.
no reason whatsoever for fans of the film to be unhappy or seriously dissappointed.
a solid ( if unspectacular) presentation with some bonus content all for a rock bottom price.

oh how I WISH I could say the same about 50 or so other favorite movies of mine.

 

[Patrick McCart]

What the heck happened to the film elements that got them in THAT bad of shape?

 

[Jeff_HR]

I have recently seen a bit of the R1 disc that
is being released this August.

I don't know if I am allowed to post a review
on it yet or not, but I'll say this....

It probably looks exactly the same as the R2 version.

I have only looked at the first 10 minutes of the
transfer -- the same 10 minutes worth I saw at Fox
last year. The transfer does not look as vibrant
as it did that day. We may have been looking at
actual film, but even if we were, I would have
expected the transfer to faithfully reproduce
everything we saw.

Not to say the transfer is subpar -- it isn't.
Actually, when you consider that this film had
considerable sprocket damage, thumb prints
throughout and was nearly destroyed for all time,
the studio did an amazing ressurection of this
title.

What I am saying right now, based on the few
minutes I watched, the transfer is not demo quality
nor the best transfer I have seen of a 70s title.
Yet, this is absolutely the best the film has ever
looked anywhere.

Based on this opinion of the transfer, I guess there is no reason for me to buy the R1 version since it appears to be pretty much the same as the R2 & R4 transfers. A "significantly" better transfer might have persuaded me to buy the R1.