Reviews of Altman's M*A*S*H? (1 Viewer)

[PatrickL]

I've been waiting for this one, and found one review online so far, largely positive:
http://www.dvdmoviecentral.com/ReviewsText/mash.htm

M*A*S*H has never enjoyed a quality home video presentation, either on tape or on laser disc…with this DVD, Fox has corrected the two major issues: the picture is now in widescreen, and has been restored.....Though better than ever before, there are still instances of image softness and muted colors from time to time.

I'm not too worried about this, because I've seen the film countless times and some of it was always on the soft side, due to the way it was shot. I'd love to know out of curiousity if anyone here knows the film and can judge the transfer, or if any other early reviews are out there.

 

[Coressel]

I have also been very excited about this. M*A*S*H is one of my all time favorite films. I'm glad to see the sign-post is being utilized in some fasion in the DVD menues... albiet for an easter egg...

 

[Niko Nykanen]

Nice!! Gotta get my hands on this one altough i´ve never seen this movie!!

 

[Tim RH]

Try DVDMG.com too!

 

[Robert George]

Fox's new DVD transfer of M*A*S*H does indeed have a soft, hazy look with desaturated colors, just as it should. Altman shot this film using several filters to give it this very look. Altman also personally oversaw the film restoration and commented that the restored element looked just like he remembered his final answer print looked in 1970.

The upcoming five-star DVD edition is now one of the jewels of my collection. Not only is the film restored to "like-new" condition, but the supplements ofer a detailed and entertaining glimpse of the history of this film and the time it portrays.

 

[Marc Colella]

Here's another review:
http://www.dvdmg.com/mash.shtml

 

[PatrickL]

The upcoming five-star DVD edition is now one of the jewels of my collection.

Wow, Obi! Thanks for the post - it's what I needed to hear to put aside any doubts about the quality of the restoration and transfer, without having the discs myself yet. Looking forward to your full review, if it's one that you plan to take on.

Tim and Marc - thanks for posting about the review at dvdmg. I think, especially after what Obi said, that the reviewers' issues with the video and audio are mostly attributable to unfamiliarity with the movie. I'm prepared to be very happy with what Fox did with M*A*S*H.

 

[Tim RH]

Hey Obi, can you please comment on the differences between the R-rated cut on the DVD and the other (PG) version?

Thanks!

 

[Robert George]

Patrick:

Yes, I'll be posting my review later in the weekend, probably Sunday. Expect an extremely positive review. On the topic of the soundtrack, Altman's use of multiple microphones with layers of overlapping dialog was beyond innovative for the time. It is also one of those rare bits of genius that adds to the timeless appeal of this film. All the times I have seen this film, I still pick up new bits of dialog with each viewing. The work on the soundtrack for this restoration is easily as good as the work on the image.

Tim:

I can't give you exact scenes, though I'm sure others will be able to offer that kind of detail. What I can tell you is the PG version trimmed 4 minutes of mostly gore and a few of the raunchier bits. That version runs 112 minutes. The new DVD is, obviously, the original uncut theatrical version running 116 minutes.

 

[Marc Colella]

DVDFile has their review up:
http://www.dvdfile.com/software/revi...eo_4/mash.html

 

[Richard Gallagher]

== The upcoming five-star DVD edition is now one of the jewels of my collection. Not only is the film restored to "like-new" condition, but the supplements ofer a detailed and entertaining glimpse of the history of this film and the time it portrays. ==

Obi,

I first saw M*A*S*H in a movie theater in Japan in 1970. I was in the Navy at the time, and the film's irreverent humor was perfect for my mood. I can hardly wait for the DVD to arrive.

 

[JohnS]

We saw a snipet of MASH 5 star DVD at Fox, during our L.A. Meet. The movie restored was really amazing. It looked great.
Go out and get this on Jan 8th!! I am, and I've only seen about two whole episodes!

 

[Marty M]

This movie will be released a day after my birthday. I guess I will be giving myself a late birthday present.

 

[Rob Willey]

As John said, we saw a short clip of the opening of the film in L.A. in Sept., but what we saw was on film (35mm, I believe). Since this is Fox we're talking about, I expect a spectacular DVD transfer of the restored film elements we saw just as Altman shot it.

Rob

 

[Dan Brecher]

Rob, we were shown the 35mm restored AND some of the DVD at Fox if you recall. Both presentations put a really big smile on my face, I can't wait for this one to arrive!

Dan (UK)