Biblical-Roman-Egyptian epics not yet on Blu-ray (5 Viewers)

[davidmatychuk]

I'm going to agitate for an Easter showing of "The Ten Commandments" or "Ben-Hur" at my local cinematheque, which is run by very agreeable people. I'd go see either of those projected onto a big screen from the exemplary Blu-Rays in a heartbeat, and I bet that a couple of posters in a church or two would pack the place.

 

[bujaki]

Here you can order the box that contains Pharaoh!

http://store.mspresents.com/screen/product

Milestone Films made 90 box sets available to the USA and Canada. I managed to get one. So far I have watched Pharaoh and Man of Iron. Both transfers were excellent and had English subtitles. I am looking forward to the other titles. The box set cost $169, no tax outside NY state, no shipping.

 

[OliverK]

I'm going to agitate for an Easter showing of "The Ten Commandments" or "Ben-Hur" at my local cinematheque, which is run by very agreeable people. I'd go see either of those projected onto a big screen from the exemplary Blu-Rays in a heartbeat, and I bet that a couple of posters in a church or two would pack the place.

Try for them to get a 4k DCP, that should be really nice!

 

[Konstantinos]

Milestone Films made 90 box sets available to the USA and Canada. I managed to get one. So far I have watched Pharaoh and Man of Iron. Both transfers were excellent and had English subtitles. I am looking forward to the other titles. The box set cost $169, no tax outside NY state, no shipping.

THank you for the report!

I really hope for a standalone version of Pharaoh.


From what i read, there were more boxes made and the box was back in print for USA/Canada on January 25th.


edit: Hmmm, now I don't see the exact date but it says it's coming soon:

http://milestonefilms.com/collections/international-cinema/products/martin-scorsese-presents-masterpieces-of-polish-cinema

 

[Quatermass II]

I don't know of anyone who watches The Silver Chalice (1954) for any other reason besides kitsch-giggling over young Paul Newman, but I've wanted to see it again just for the strange anachronistic visual design.

Pier Angeli is always a good reason to watch The Silver Chalice! - but I've always thought that it was a particularly striking Biblical epic especially with the visual design you mention - quite a bold decision for the period it was made. Paul Newman isn't so bad, really - he just seems a little uncomfortable in the role - he never played one like it again for the rest of his career. A couple of really hammy performances by supporting players drag it down somewhat. I'd still buy a Blu ray like a shot.

 

[cinemiracle]

So, now that Christmas is gone, the next big Holiday is Easter in 3,5 months.
The genre of the title, is one of my most favourite genres, and I think such films would look spectacualr in HD.

Has anyone heard anything about classic films (except for Solomon and Sheba that is coming from TT) on the way?

A list of my most wanted films that aren't yet on Blu is this:

David and Bathsheba (1951) (I know about the Scandinavian release)
Salome (1952)
Land of the Pharaohs (1955)
The prodigal (1955)
[test][test]The story of Ruth (1960)[/test][/test]
Esther and the King (1960)
Barabbas (1961)
[test]Sodoma and gomorra (1962)[/test]
Jesus of Nazareth (1977) (I know about some European/Mexican releases)
King David (1985)

What else would someone like?

The best of them all PHAROAH - the epic fromPoland.

 

[OliverK]

Pier Angeli is always a good reason to watch The Silver Chalice! - but I've always thought that it was a particularly striking Biblical epic especially with the visual design you mention - quite a bold decision for the period it was made. Paul Newman isn't so bad, really - he just seems a little uncomfortable in the role - he never played one like it again for the rest of his career. A couple of really hammy performances by supporting players drag it down somewhat. I'd still buy a Blu ray like a shot.

I would buy it, too but I do not particularly enjoy sets that look like they filmed a stage play in Cinemascope (or Warnerscope).
Still with so few biblical epics available I would support its release with a purchase.

The Warner epic that I really want is still Land of the Pharaohs. Now that would be movie that has grown in stature since its underwhelming initial release and imo Warner did it a disservice when they released it as a "cult camp classic" on a mediocre DVD.

 

[Quatermass II]

I'd second Land Of The Pharaohs, absolutely,along with Helen Of Troy from the same studio at around the same time. The best thing you can say about the DVD release of Pharaohs, I guess, is better that than nothing. I believe the BFI has - or had - a 35mm, 2.55.1 print of it, which was going to be screened at Bradford a few years ago, I remember. Several of us drove over to see it in eager anticipation, but when we got there, it had been deemed too brittle to run, so they substituted Battle Cry instead - a good picture, but a bit of an anticlimax all the same.

 

[Alan Tully]

Yeah, Helen Of Troy & The Land Of The Pharaohs, two of my favourite epics (& two really great epic music scores). I ran them both (DVD) a couple of months ago & really enjoyed them.

 

[skylark68]

Not necessarily an epic, but a movie about Ancient Egypt that deserves a release is Robert Taylor's Valley of the Kings. I don't believe it was even released as a DVD or laserdisc.

 

[Konstantinos]

Nothing planned again this year for Easter!
(Well, except for the recent cut release of Jesus of Nazareth by Shout)

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Okay, here's some really interesting news for region free folks. Elephant Films will be releasing a blu-ray of Douglas Sirk's Roman epic Sign of the Pagan this coming May 3. It's up over at Amazon.fr as La Singe du Paien and is a 2.35:1 presentation. Perhaps they found a really clean print, since the German Attila featured the better looking non-anamorphic version and a pretty lousy widescreen alternative. We'll keep our fingers crossed. Just love this wild card of a movie with Jack Palance and Rita Gam elegantly chewing up the elaborate scenery. Can't wait! Elephant Films' BDs usually feature removable subtitles.

 

[OliverK]

Okay, here's some really interesting news for region free folks. Elephant Films will be releasing a blu-ray of Douglas Sirk's Roman epic Sign of the Pagan this coming May 3. It's up over at Amazon.fr as La Singe du Paien and is a 2.35:1 presentation. Perhaps they found a really clean print, since the German Attila featured the better looking non-anamorphic version and a pretty lousy widescreen alternative. We'll keep our fingers crossed. Just love this wild card of a movie with Jack Palance and Rita Gam elegantly chewing up the elaborate scenery. Can't wait! Elephant Films' BDs usually feature removable subtitles.

Fantastic! Jack Palance and Rita Gam in a Douglas Sirk movie - what's not to like?

 

[Quatermass II]

Absolutely! Will be grabbing a copy of Pagan - and removable subs on a French disc will be a bonus!

 

[Everett S.]

I'm going to agitate for an Easter showing of "The Ten Commandments" or "Ben-Hur" at my local cinematheque, which is run by very agreeable people. I'd go see either of those projected onto a big screen from the exemplary Blu-Rays in a heartbeat, and I bet that a couple of posters in a church or two would pack the place.

the Ten Commandments will have a nation wide showing on March 20 & 21, if you have never seen a Technicolor showing @ a theater go ! also VistaVison go!!!

 

[Angelo Colombus]

Love the SCTV version of Ben Hur.....one of their funniest episodes ever!

 

[Dr Griffin]

Love the SCTV version of Ben Hur.....one of their funniest episodes ever!

I remember an episode with Flaherty as Heston, where someone harshly critiques his performance in El Cid, saying 'can you believe how bad he was in that', or something like that. Then Flaherty as Heston just growls "Damn you."

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Recently watched the French release of Sign of the Pagan. The subs are removable and the image is sharper than, say, the Kings of the Sun BD, but I had hoped it would be slightly better. Still, it's so much clearer and colorful than the earlier DVDs were and, thus, something I'd recommend. Also picked up the recent MGM MOD of Revolt of the Slaves, which is rather elegant peplum starring Rhonda Fleming. I really enjoyed this one, nice plot, plenty of action and great sets and costumes. Also, coming in July from Sony MOD is Slaves of Babylon, directed by William Castle back in '53 and starring Richard Conte. This one's got Nebuchandnezzar versus the Israelite army. I just can't get enough of these!

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Oh, and this might be of interest. At the 70mm festival weekend at Varnsdorf, Austria last May 12th to 15th, a 70mm Super Panavision print of the three hour roadshow of The Big Fisherman screened. The print was reported to be in great shape. Original article at http://www.in70mm.com/news/2016/schwach/index.htm.

 

[Konstantinos]

Oh, and this might be of interest. At the 70mm festival weekend at Varnsdorf, Austria last May 12th to 15th, a 70mm Super Panavision print of the three hour roadshow of The Big Fisherman screened. The print was reported to be in great shape. Original article at http://www.in70mm.com/news/2016/schwach/index.htm.

oh, wow!
So they could scan that print and present it on bluray if they wanted to?
I'm not so sure what the situation is with this film, in what condition is the negative etc.
It's Disney, right? So I guess there's 0 chances of ever seeing a bluray of it.