International PAL AND OTHER-REGION DVD ANNOUNCEMENTS & REVIEWS (1 Viewer)

[Thomas T]

Received my German DVD of Raoul Walsh's Esther And The King (1960) with Joan Collins and Richard Egan today. It's an excellent colorful, vibrant transfer in anamorphic 2.35 aspect ratio. It has the original English soundtrack and a German dub with optional German subtitles.
It includes the original theatrical trailer in English and it has a handsome reversible jacket with two different covers so you can choose the one you prefer. If anyone's interested, you can't go wrong with this release. Having only seen the film in pathetic public domain transfers, visually it was a near revelation.

 

[Robin9]

Received my German DVD of Raoul Walsh's Esther And The King (1960) with Joan Collins and Richard Egan today. It's an excellent colorful, vibrant transfer in anamorphic 2.35 aspect ratio. It has the original English soundtrack and a German dub with optional German subtitles.
It includes the original theatrical trailer in English and it has a handsome reversible jacket with two different covers so you can choose the one you prefer. If anyone's interested, you can't go wrong with this release. Having only seen the film in pathetic public domain transfers, visually it was a near revelation.

Thank you very much. I'll place my order today together with orders for some German BRDs.

 

[Robin9]

I watched the U. K. DVD of Checkpoint today. This comes from Strawberry Media who should be embarrassed by this DVD. I'm giving it away tomorrow to a work colleague who is less demanding than I am. 4 X 3, VHS quality, no "extras": what more could anyone want?

 

[speedspin]

Thanks for the warning about Checkpoint...although I note that some of the contributors to Amazon's reviews seem to think its quality is quite good. Also, isn't this one on Spirit Entertainment? There's nothing indicated about its correct aspect ratio on the IMDb but I suppose we can assume that a 1956 film should be 1.85. This is one I had intended to order at some point.

 

[Robin9]

Thanks for the warning about Checkpoint...although I note that some of the contributors to Amazon's reviews seem to think its quality is quite good. Also, isn't this one on Spirit Entertainment? There's nothing indicated about its correct aspect ratio on the IMDb but I suppose we can assume that a 1956 film should be 1.85. This is one I had intended to order at some point.

Strawberry Media seems to include Spirit Entertainment. Both their names are on the back of the DVD cover.
I can only assume that those Amazon reviewers either have poor eyesight or tiny TV screens. I've unloaded the DVD onto my colleague. That's what I think of it.

 

[Nick Beal]

Agree with all the above comments regarding the Strawberry Media release of CHECKPOINT. My off - air copy from
UK digital TV is significantly better. Oddly, both prints are also framed differently.

 

[Robin9]

Park Circus are releasing a new DVD of the Robert Mitchum version of Farewell My Lovely. There was previously a 4 X 3 version. Park Circus's website specifies their DVD as 16:9 which gives cause for optimism. Has anyone bought this new DVD and can they give an opinion?

 

[David Com]

Have just received the Park Circus version of "Farewell, My Lovely." I've only spot checked it, but it is indeed 16x9 anamorphic with the best looking transfer of this film I've seen on the DVD format. Definitely happy I picked it up.

 

[Robin9]

Have just received the Park Circus version of "Farewell, My Lovely." I've only spot checked it, but it is indeed 16x9 anamorphic with the best looking transfer of this film I've seen on the DVD format. Definitely happy I picked it up.

Thank you very much. That's what I was hoping to hear. I'll place my order immediately.

 

[Robin9]

Have just received the Park Circus version of "Farewell, My Lovely." I've only spot checked it, but it is indeed 16x9 anamorphic with the best looking transfer of this film I've seen on the DVD format. Definitely happy I picked it up.

I've now watched the DVD through and I agree that it's the best transfer so far. The soundtrack is also much better.

 

[Thomas T]

Received three titles from Germany yesterday, two of which remain unavailable so far in region 1.
Me And The Colonel (1958) with Danny Kaye, a nice B&W transfer anamorphic wide screen (1.85) transfer.
Moderato Cantabile (1960) with Jeanne Moreau and Jean Paul Belmondo in a nice anamorphic wide screen (2.35) transfer. In either French or German but there's English subtitles.
The White Buffalo (1977) with Charles Bronson and Kim Novak (available in region 1 only as a MOD) in a nice anamorphic wide screen (1.85) transfer.

 

[Robin9]

One of Jayne Mansfield's more notorious films is available now on DVD in Germany. Too Hot To Handle was directed by Terence Young before he became involved with James Bond. I've never been impressed by anything he did outside of the James Bond series but I've always wanted to see this film, partly because it has such a bad reputation. I'm sure Jayne Mansfield and Christopher Lee fans will also be interested. There was a very poor quality Region 1 DVD put out by Alpha Video but from all reports it's as bad as every other Alpha Video DVD.

I'll probably buy this German DVD.

 

[Thomas T]

Don't know what happened, I only clicked on submit once!

 

[Thomas T]

Accidental double post!

 

[Robin9]

Thomas, try again! So far you haven't said anything! Third time lucky.

 

[schan1269]

One of Jayne Mansfield's more notorious films is available now on DVD in Germany. Too Hot To Handle was directed by Terence Young before he became involved with James Bond. I've never been impressed by anything he did outside of the James Bond series but I've always wanted to see this film, partly because it has such a bad reputation. I'm sure Jayne Mansfield and Christopher Lee fans will also be interested. There was a very poor quality Region 1 DVD put out by Alpha Video but from all reports it's as bad as every other Alpha Video DVD.

I'll probably buy this German DVD.

Is this in color?

 

[Thomas T]

Thomas, try again! So far you haven't said anything! Third time lucky.

Oh those gremlins! My original post stated that if you get the DVD, please let us know about the quality. I'm a big Mansfield fan but the disc is rather pricey and I don't want to pay the big bucks for a mediocre transfer.

 

[Robin9]

Oh those gremlins! My original post stated that if you get the DVD, please let us know about the quality. I'm a big Mansfield fan but the disc is rather pricey and I don't want to pay the big bucks for a mediocre transfer.

I'll be placing my order today. I'll report back when I've watched it.

 

[Stefan Andersson]

The soundtrack seems to be in German (Deutsch) only. Go here and click to enlarge back cover: http://www.amazon.de/Zu-heiss-zum-Anfassen-Filmclub/dp/B0066IJA8I/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1357905681&sr=1-1 I glanced at a customer review (in German). Positive comments about the video quality.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I have recently bought the German release of Too Hot To Handle. It is in widescreen and in colour and the print is in excellent condition. The credits and soundtrack are in German so it is obviously a German print. I thought I could run the soundtrack of my Alpha copy simultaneously but it is a slightly different edit, one of Jayne's numbers is truncated and included as an extra. I have always wanted to see this in colour and I recommend it. A Blu-ray is on my most wanted list.