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'Any news on UNDER CAPRICORN coming to blu ray?' (1 Viewer)

ljgranberry

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I understand the BFI did a restoration a few years ago that looks great. I would love to see Criterion release this, one of the few Hitchcock pictures I've never seen. I've tried a few times when TCM has shown it, but the print quality is dreadful.
 

Konstantinos

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This is one of my least favourite Hitchcock films, but I would welcome a Bluray too as I'd like to buy all of them...
 

ShellOilJunior

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Archive.org used to have the whole film up on its site but it's been removed.
Specifically the complaint from ITV was for the following films.Secret Agent, Jamaica Inn, Young and Innocent, Under Capricorn, The Lady Vanishes, the Phantom Fiend and the Man who knew too much.I didn't have the rest of these files, but they were in the federal register.
Surprising ITV claimed Under Capricorn. This film has never been in the public domain in the US. The film was first published in the US and was properly registered in 1949 and renewed in 1977. The rights were transferred to New York Community Trust, then sold on the Leo Guttman, who's catalogue ended up with King World. The film is currently owned by CBS TV Distribution (the successor-in-interest to King World Entertainment).As to the other films, many of them had entered the public domain in the UK before the current copyright act came in. There are many transitional loopholes and grandfathering clauses in the law which mean that their copyrights could not be restored by the copyright extension in UK/European law in the mid 90s.They are a little bit DMCA happy, but so are many people who don't genuinely own a copyright. You have to ask yourself why these films continue to be sold by the same companies over and over again and ITV and Studio Canal never take anyone to court.
From: http://archive.org/post/409093/hitchcock-films-and-gatt-restoration

Personally, it's my least favorite Hitchcock. You may want to give it a look because Jack Cardiff lensed it but ultimately it's a rather banal picture in my opinion. Hitchcock has done a lot better.
 

Konstantinos

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On the other hand, since you mentioned Jamaica Inn, I'm looking forward to that!
I see many people don't like it but i do.
maybe perhaps because it was the first Hitchcock film I had seen in my childhood (without knowing it's a Hitchcock or who Hitchcock was).
 

Matt Hough

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My least favorite of his pictures after he had become established. I'd buy it, too, if it was ever remastered and made to look decent. I do not presently own a copy of it.
 

Scott Merryfield

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I have the DVD of this film that was distributed by Image, and the transfer is pretty rough. Like others in this thread, this is my least favorite Hitchcock film. However, being a big Hitchcock fan, I would probably upgrade to BD if a decent transfer is provided.
 

mikeyhitchfan

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Not my favorite, either, but I'd rate it higher than these:

Juno & The Paycock, Waltzes From Vienna, Number 17, The Skin Game, Jamaica Inn, Stage Fright, The Paradine Case & a few of the silents. At least in my opinion.
 

Rob_Ray

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mikeyhitchfan said:
Not my favorite, either, but I'd rate it higher than these:

Juno & The Paycock, Waltzes From Vienna, Number 17, The Skin Game, Stage Fright, The Paradine Case & a few of the silents. At least in my opinion.
i need to give UNDER CAPRICORN another try. It's my least favorite of his films. However, I love STAGE FRIGHT and think that it, along with I CONFESS, are sorely underrated. I never could understand why it's ranked so low in the pantheon. After seeing all the extant Hitchcock silents last summer, I came away very impressed. All were at least very watchable and at best, occasionally riveting.
 

mikeyhitchfan

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Hitchcock didn't think too highly of Under Capricorn upon reflection, and made it mainly to work with Ingrid Bergman again. She is great in it, too. The long takes experiment continued after Rope, and this gives it a slightly surreal quality at times. I'll bet when we see it in a decent print in HD, there will be a bit more of an appreciation for it. There is a beauty to this film, and Hitchcock only made 3 period films, and none were very successful. Waltzes From Vienna, Jamaica Inn & Under Capricorn.
 

ljgranberry

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I know it may not be great, but I do consider Hitchcock one of the major film artists, so I am naturally interested in all of his work - preferably in the best prints available.
 

Steve...O

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Rob_Ray said:
i need to give UNDER CAPRICORN another try. It's my least favorite of his films. However, I love STAGE FRIGHT and think that it, along with I CONFESS, are sorely underrated. I never could understand why it's ranked so low in the pantheon. After seeing all the extant Hitchcock silents last summer, I came away very impressed. All were at least very watchable and at best, occasionally riveting.
Apologies if I missed a post on this, but are there any known plans to release the silents to BD in the States?
 

Mikey1969

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It's possible that the elements have degraded since 2008, or that they may be no longer sufficient for a decent BD release. It's a pretty terrible film from what I remember. Hitch should have stayed away from period dramas, and using those long takes really hurt the film.

atfree said:
atfree said:
 

Charles Smith

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I need to pull the DVD off the shelf and watch it. I blush (just a wee blush) to admit I've only seen the film once, at the Hitchcock retrospective held at LACMA in.......(ahem).......1973.
 

ROclockCK

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John Hodson said:
I must be one of the few that actually quite likes the film; I *love* Laughton's lip-smacking scenery chewing: 'Make way for Pengallan!!'
Purely from recollection John - I haven't seen Under Capricorn in at least 10 years (via Image DVD) - but I've always enjoyed this picture. Had any other golden era A-list director delivered such an elegantly staged and shot period meller, would we even be debating its merits? Worst sin here seems to be that it's simply not what we've come to know as a 'Hitchcock movie'.*

* ...although his irrepressibly impish fingerprints are all over it throughout in many details, especially those eccentric characters and performances.
 

Matt Hough

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Laughton isn't in Under Capricorn. Perhaps John is talking about Jamaica Inn.

BTW, I happened across it on TCM over the weekend, and it looked as terrible as it has in any recent showings on TV.
 

Timothy E

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Jack Cardiff was the DP on this so it deserves an optimal presentation for that reason alone, much less the involvement of Hitchcock, Bergman, Cotton, etc.
 

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