Elephant Man and Eraserhead on DVD (1 Viewer)

Where to get these? I've found so far Region 2 PAL and Region 4 PAL.
Any preferred version? Any release date for North America? I am tempted to get these from www.chaosmusic.com in Australia (Region 4) but I dunno what kind of temporal anomalies I'm going to get on my Apex AD600A converting PAL to NTSC. (PS. Would getting a Malata solve my problems? I already have a Panny RP91.)
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Eugene Hsieh, VisorCentral FAQ Editor
1000 km on a tank of gas??? Check out the Prius and drive the future now!

I do believe Paramount has Elephant Man coming out later this year, if i recall correctly. Not sure about Eraser Head.
As far as PAL to NTSC players, the Malata seem's to be one to get. .I too am looking for a similar player (primarily to get the HK Legends titles being released in the UK). However, I'm not sure of quality or of any technical issues, and am trying to research a little more before buying.
later
Jim

No need to get the PAL versions. They are both available in NTSC Region 2 from Japan.
Jeff

Hmmm... Just checked and http://www.cdjapan.co.jp I couldn't find Eraserhead there though.
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Eugene Hsieh, VisorCentral FAQ Editor
1000 km on a tank of gas??? Check out the Prius and drive the future now!

The UK PAL edition of Eraserhead is pan and scan; the Japanese NTSC edition is widescreen and features removable subs.

Personally, I'd wait on Elephant Man. It's been reported that Paramount has it in the works. Eraserhead is another story, though. Who knows when that one will ever see the light of day in R1.
Jeff

quote: Eraserhead is another story, though. Who knows when that one will ever see the light of day in R1.[/quote]
Anyone know what studio owns this one? I'd love to see it released on DVD. That flick totally freaked me out when I first saw it around a decade ago. In fact, it still gives me the creeps.
Link Removed

[Edited last by Mark Bendiksen on August 11, 2001 at 12:13 AM]

I read (but can't remember where) that Criterion was going to be releasing Eraserhead. I hope this is correct. Maybe someone else can join in with more specific information.

Mark:
David Lynch owns Eraserhead personally. He made it over five (yes, FIVE) years with independent financing, some of which came from the American Film Institute. Whether or not a DVD comes out is entirely up to him.
He did talk with Criterion two or three years ago about a release, but word got around on the internet, and soon people were asking retailers, "Is Eraserhead in yet?" Someone from Criterion said things fell through after that because Lynch is very particular about how he wants things, especially the presentation of his films. He won't have anything to do with VHS, and I think he feels the same about laserdisc. But now with DVD, films can be seen in their proper aspect ratio, beginning to end, with picture and sound (almost) at the level of a theater. The only DVD that has his approval is The Straight Story. If the upcoming Elephant Man disc has chapter stops, it probably means Lynch wasn't involved.
At a convention or something, the woman who played the Log Lady on Twin Peaks said Lynch has some deleted scenes that could appear on an eventual Eraserhead DVD. (It's been rumored that Lynch cut twenty or thirty minutes from the film after the first showing.)
Now personally, I've never seen Eraserhead. It's kind of my cinematic holy grail.
Any official information should appear at davidlynch.com.

Just to interupt this for a sec, David Lynch doesn't like chapter stops? Man, the list of eccentricities for directors goes on and on.
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"I don't know, Marge. Trying is the first step towards failure." - Homer J. Simpson

The UK R2 version of Elephant Man is anamorphic 2.35:1 and DD 2.0 and looks pretty good. If Lynch owns Eraserhead outright, then he must have approved its release on DVD in R2/4, both of which are open matte. I don't think these versions are pan and scan.
[Edited last by Julian Lalor on August 11, 2001 at 03:50 AM]

Here is some good info on David Lynch's movies:
http://web.gymnasium.sundsvall.se/av...20on%20DVD.htm
It's not 100% clear to me about the aspect ratio. While the UK one is listed as open matte, the Region 2 French one is simply listed as 4:3. The Australian one is not listed but on www.chaosmusic.com website it says it's also 4:3. However, like Julian says I suspect it's an open matte just like the UK one.
http://www.chaosmusic.com/shop/produ...oductID=700980
Maybe I'll just order it just to check it out, especially there are no specific plans for Eraserhead any time soon in North America, and because it's only US$14.25. Rumours have it that the transfer has been completely redone however, for future (who knows when) North American release.
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Eugene Hsieh, VisorCentral FAQ Editor
1000 km on a tank of gas??? Check out the Prius and drive the future now!

The R2 UK and French releases are not open matte. They are pan and scan, just as the U.S. VHS and LD editions were.
The cropping is evident from the get-go when the title comes up as:
RASERHEA

"ERASERHEAD" is definitely NOT open-matte. I've got the Japanese import laserdisc, letterboxed at 1.66:1. When compared to the full-screen versions available on VHS and elsewhere, there is clearly more picture information gained at the sides on the letterboxed version.

I actually own the european Eraserhead, and although I find pan n scan to be an abomination against humanity, I don't find anything wrong with this disc. I've seen the japanese widescreen version and it really does not offer much more. I'm tempted to say the the euro one is indeed open matte because it just doesn't feel cropped and shitty looking. The transfer is remarkably good, and yes, you can read the full "Eraserhead" opening title. As a die hard Lynch fan, I recommend it. (and at around $20 american it's a steal compared to the $60+ shipping japanese version)
James
PS just for the record, the japanese Wild at Heart sucks. That was a waste of sixty bucks.

Go here for an excellent explantion of EVERY Lynch movie on DVD in ALL regions.
http://www.mikedunn.com/lynch/lynchdiscs.html
I don't think the picture quality is very good on either of them though. Best wait for the new Lynch approved Region 1 version!!
You can read my review of the Elephant Man on Region 2 here:
http://www.dvddebate.com/article.php?sid=1909
[Edited last by John CW on August 13, 2001 at 06:34 PM]
[Edited last by John CW on August 13, 2001 at 06:35 PM]

That mikedunn.com site reports Lynch has already completed the transfer for the Eraserhead DVD. Hopefully its release is just around the corner!

Forget all this...just give me LOST HIGHWAY.
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Patrick Larkin
Kubrick Multimedia Film Guide
"Something About the Duality of Man"