Ken Burns' THE CIVIL WAR : Sept. 17th (1 Viewer)

[Marty M]

I missed the announcement of this one. I just noticed it being advertised in a catalog I received today -- Marshall Field's Direct. It says nothing about pre-order, so I was curious of the release date. I didn't think it had been released yet.

 

[Enrique B Chamorro]

You can pick up "The Civil War" soundtrack and
it will have both the Ashokan Farewell music only
and the last track has the Ashokan Farewell with the
letter narrated like it was in the video.
I can not tell you how moving that passage is.
:frowning:

 

[Ken Chan]

Looks like PBS is rebroadcasting it next month:

Beginning September 22, 2002, twelve years after the film premiered, PBS will rebroadcast this landmark series in its entirety complete with digitally remastered images and audio. In addition, the updated version will include a new introduction by filmmaker Ken Burns, as well as special interviews with Shelby Foote, Stanley Crouch, George Will, musicians Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, among others, and new behind-the-scenes material, including a side-by-side demonstration of the remastered footage.

Anyone know if the new stuff will be on the DVD?

//Ken

 

[oscar_merkx]

http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showarticle.php3?ID=55
Coming on September 17 on DVD from PBS Home Video is The Civil War—A Film by Ken Burns in a 5-disc box set featuring the entire series plus a quiz, maps, biographies and selected commentary by the filmmaker. Burns took time off from a remarkably busy schedule to attend a teleconference about the DVD release.
PBS will rebroadcast The Civil War in its entirety beginning on September 22, complete with digitally remastered images and audio. The updated version will include a new introduction by Burns, behind-the-scenes material, and include a side-by-side demonstration of the remastered footage. Also planned are presentations of special interviews with Shelby Foote, Stanley Crouch, George Will, musicians Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, among others.
Burns credited the success of his four-hour, two-part portrait of American humorist Mark Twain as an impetus toward putting the immensely popular Civil War series onto DVD. With the entire film now digitized, Burns described his feeling when they first saw the new video transfer: "Paul [Barnes] and I looked at each other and our eyes filled with tears because it looked like that moment when the raw footage came back from the lab. From the interview with Shelby or the trip to the Library of Congress where I spent six weeks filming thousands of Matthew Brady photographs or out at dawn at a Civil War battle site straining to hear the ghosts and echoes of that inexpressively wise past. And so there's something so satisfying for us in what we have been doing."
there is a lot more at the site, absolutely fascinating to read the entire transcript, sept 17 can't come quickly enough

 

[Rob Willey]

Got my copy of this long-awaited title on Wednesday, so while most of the country was immersing itself in our national tragedy of one year ago, I was immersing myself in our national tragedy of 140 years ago.

I'm through the first two (of five) discs and I am very pleased. Video has gone through a restoration and looks great. A new stereo audio mix has been created along with a 5.1. Almost all the sound in the 5.1 is in the mains and center channel, but I slightly prefer it to the stereo 2.0 mix.

There are ample extras on the first disc: a documentary of the restoration, biographies of the central characters in the series (North, South, and Civilians), and interviews with Ken Burns, Shelby Foote, George Will and others. Each disc represents a year of the war, so Episode One is on the first disc along with the extras, Episodes Two and Three are on the second disc, and so on.

Each disc contains Battlefield Maps of the battles on that disc and there is audio commentary by Ken Burns sprinkled throughout. To skip from one AC section to the next, you have to go back to the menu, but it is easily navigable.

Highest recommendation.

"History is not was, but is."
- Wm. Faulkner

Rob

 

[Lew Crippen]

Thanks for the update Rob. This is a must buy for me.

 

[David Lambert]

Here's a pricing alert for those of you who want this set.

The software section isn't the right place to discuss pricing, though, so I'll just say this: Check out the Weekly Roundup (in the Coupons & Bargains section of HTF) to find out how to get this in a national department-type store chain at a huge savings.

 

[Rob Willey]

Finished the five-disc set over the weekend and wanted to provide this update. There are a few annoyances, all relatively minor:
1) The audio and video are out of sync on a couple of the talking head portions (e.g., Shelby Foote) of Episodes Seven and Nine. It only affects the 5.1 track, not the 2.0.
2) When watching the first episode on a disc in 5.1, it will default back to 2.0 for the second episode (for some reason, 5.1 is a "special feature"that must be specifically selected via menu or remote).
Overall though, an excellent presentation of an outstanding cinematic achievement.
Rob

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Dave: why be such a tease? Couldn't you be a little more on target about this store? :p)

 

[David Lambert]

Cute, Dennis!