What's the best quality version of Zulu? (1 Viewer)

[Huw Williams]

I should be getting the PAL laserdisc of this classic film next week for a cheap price as the DVD versions as supposed to be a no-no. So...
What is the best quality version available?
Criterion Laserdisc?
Cheers
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[AdrianJ]

From everything I've read the Criterion Laser Disc is the way to go. I've heard the DVD versions are just bad.
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Adrian Jones

 

[Michael Harris]

The Criterion version on LD is about as good as LDs get considering the age of the film. They should get the lisence for a DVD version. "Zulu Dawn" would be nice too.
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[Larry Schneider]

Rumor has it that this will be out from MGM in 2002.

 

[andrew markworthy]

The DVD I have isn't totally awful, and it's widescreen, but it's certainly no advert for the superior quality of DVD. I think the best that can be said is that it's like watching a really good quality VHS tape. FWIW, there have been rumours of a R2 disc for quite some time. I've got mine on advance order (curiously enough, I was just checking up on it before reading this thread).

 

[Douglas Bailey]

I have the Front Row widescreen DVD and had, for a while, the Platinum Entertainment disc. (N.B. As far as I know, neither of these is a bootleg. If I'm misinformed, administrators, please feel free to delete this post.)
Both are obviously sourced from the Criterion laserdisc of Zulu -- which I now also have. There are white dirt marks (of the sort seen on LD players) and some noticeable pauses at the side-changes.
Both discs look poor (pallid colours and obvious line structure) but not unwatchable. I thought the Front Row edition was marginally better in quality: it'll hold me until there's a decent legitimate release of this great film.
hth,
doug
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"How can it be the same movie if they've changed my character from a
tightly-wound convenience-store clerk to a jittery Eskimo
firefighter?... uh huh... uh huh... uh huh. Well, that's actually a
pretty good explanation..."
--James Woods, on The Simpsons

 

[Justin Doring]

The pan and scan DVD is terrible! However, the widescreen DVD isn't bad, and is most likely sourced from the Criterion LD. It's also available for around $5 in the U.S. (I don't know what that means to a British consumer). MGM, however, is supposedly coming out with a "definitive" brand new anamorphic widescreen transfer in a year or so, so you might want to wait. Now if somebody would just release the very underrated Zulu Dawn, one of my favorite films, I'd be very, very happy.
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"Home is where the theater is!"

 

[ChristopherM]

As I mentioned on another thread, a UK magazine has reported that a new edition of "Zulu" (plus "Alfie" and - finally!! - "The Italian Job") is being prepared for 2002 release. Michael Caine's participation on the extras is being sought.

 

[richard plumb]

Isn't Zulu Dawn out in R2?