A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Innocents -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Robert Harris · Sep 20, 2014

Jack Clayton's 1961 The Innocents, is one of those magical films, with a world of its own, in this case carefully plotted in every frame of it's meticulous cinematography, as performed by the great Freddie Francis.

Typical for a Criterion release, the extras are front and center. One special addition to this release is a discussion with cinematographer John Bailey, regarding Mr. Francis' work on the film.

I've always felt that black & white cinematography was more difficult than color. What we have in this example is Schawn Belston, Fox's Asset Protection exec, sending the original negative to NY, so that Cineric could run it pin-registered.

The resultant data files are magnificent, with absolutely luminous black & white.

Slightly fearing things that go "bump" in the night.

This is your film.

Image - 5*

Audio - 5

Very Highly Recommended.

Btw, anyone holding the earlier UK Blu-ray... fugettaboutit.

FoxyMulder · Sep 20, 2014

Great movie, some scenes really chill me, the atmosphere generated and the acting from all is really that good.

So i guess you are saying this is an improvement on the UK edition which i held off from buying.

EddieLarkin · Sep 20, 2014

There are caps over at DVDBeaver comparing the two. The improvement is tenfold.

Stephen_J_H · Sep 20, 2014

Clayton is extremely undervalued as a filmmaker in this genre. I'd love to see Our Mother's House get the Criterion treatment. It's a creepy little gem of a flick, with great performances by Pamela Franklin and Dirk Bogarde.

JohnMor · Sep 20, 2014

A truly great film! I can't wait to spin this disc. It'll be a battle over which I spin first, this or Polanski's Macbeth.

rsmithjr · Sep 20, 2014

I gather from the Criterion site that the sound is "compressed monaural". Is this true?

The age of the film is just about when Fox stopped making stereo prints for many productions deemed not to "need" stereo. The print I saw in original release was mono.

Any details appreciated!

Matt Hough · Sep 20, 2014

rsmithjr said:
I gather from the Criterion site that the sound is "compressed monaural". Is this true?

The age of the film is just about when Fox stopped making stereo prints for many productions deemed not to "need" stereo. The print I saw in original release was mono.

Any details appreciated!

Here's what I said about the UNCOMPRESSED sound mix in my review in the review section of this forum:

"The PCM 1.0 (1.1 Mbps) sound mix is typical of its era but has been cleaned up with terrific precision so that there are no age-related artifacts like hiss or flutter to spoil the ambiance of this sinister mansion. Dialogue has been excellently recorded, and it has been combined with Georges Auric’s music and the chilling sound effects with utmost care to make sure they blend in masterful harmony."

Angelo Colombus · Sep 20, 2014

Saw this for the first time last year when it was broadcast on TCM and liked it very much and was planning to buy the dvd but glad i did wait so now i can buy this new release. One of Clayton's best films is the underated "The Pumpkin Eater" (1964) which i am happy to have in my collection.

Charles Smith · Sep 20, 2014

Robert Harris said:
Btw, anyone holding the earlier UK Blu-ray... fugettaboutit.

Okay!!!

Yorkshire · Sep 21, 2014

First time I saw this was on a small portable TV, pan & scan.

Scared the life out of me then.

I think the UK release looks pretty good. The fact that this is even better simply fills me with joy, especially as it's one of my Top 10 films.

The Criterion is expensive. I'd pay double.

Steve W

philip*eric · Sep 22, 2014

I wonder that Pamela Franklin was not asked to participate in this release.

She did a great commentary for PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODY.

ShellOilJunior · Sep 23, 2014

Several years ago I was looking for a book recommendation. A librarian pointed me to Henry James' Turn of the Screw. I read it in a day or two then sought out The Innocents. James had a way of keeping me guessing - I didn't know what to expect with each new paragraph or sentence. Clayton does the same cinematically.

Both are essentials.

Lord Dalek · Sep 23, 2014

The old Fox dvd offered an English stereo track only. I've never listened to it though.

haineshisway · Oct 3, 2014

Lord Dalek said:
The old Fox dvd offered an English stereo track only. I've never listened to it though.

Not quite understanding this. You have the DVD and you never watched it? Okay. I would doubt it was real stereo - I don't believe any stereo prints were struck on The Innocents, and frankly I don't believe it was ever mixed into stereo. Happy to be proven wrong, but given that Criterion knows what they are doing, I doubt I will be.

Why are there only twelve posts about this release. Hundreds of posts about The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and twelve posts about this. Completely baffling to me. I watched it this evening and it's everything Mr. Harris says and more. I was concerned it would be the same as the UK release, which I was not happy with at ALL, but this is stunningly realized. The film is a one-off, unique and a classic. Twelve posts. Brilliant performances by everyone concerned. Great score by Georges Auric. Unparalleled black-and-white scope photography by Freddie Francis. Great screenplay by William Archibald and mostly Truman Capote. Brilliant direction by Jack Clayton. And twelve posts. I sure hope it's selling well for Criterion.

willyTass · Oct 3, 2014

its a Transformers world we live in

ljgranberry · Oct 3, 2014

Can't wait to buy the blu-ray, but my fondest memory of this film is going to a screening in Dallas in the mid-90's. A nearby nursing home brought several elderly residents to it. At one of the most frightening and intense moments in the film, one of these octogenarians woke up, and let out a moan that could be heard all over the theater, doubly scaring the ka-ka out of everyone there, and adding to the viewing immeasurably.

davidmatychuk · Oct 3, 2014

haineshisway said:
Not quite understanding this. You have the DVD and you never watched it? Okay. I would doubt it was real stereo - I don't believe any stereo prints were struck on The Innocents, and frankly I don't believe it was ever mixed into stereo. Happy to be proven wrong, but given that Criterion knows what they are doing, I doubt I will be.

Why are there only twelve posts about this release. Hundreds of posts about The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and twelve posts about this. Completely baffling to me. I watched it this evening and it's everything Mr. Harris says and more. I was concerned it would be the same as the UK release, which I was not happy with at ALL, but this is stunningly realized. The film is a one-off, unique and a classic. Twelve posts. Brilliant performances by everyone concerned. Great score by Georges Auric. Unparalleled black-and-white scope photography by Freddie Francis. Great screenplay by William Archibald and mostly Truman Capote. Brilliant direction by Jack Clayton. And twelve posts. I sure hope it's selling well for Criterion.

It isn't true stereo; it's that diffuse kind of reprocessed stereo that's annoying even if you try listening in Pro Logic. There's a Spanish mono track, but there's just the one English track. I was very pleased to have the DVD of this classic when it came out, mostly because the picture looked good, but Criterion's edition is from another planet.

haineshisway · Oct 4, 2014

I didn't think it was true stereo - no way for that to happen because Fox doesn't have the original music elements.

bujaki · Oct 4, 2014

ljgranberry said:
Can't wait to buy the blu-ray, but my fondest memory of this film is going to a screening in Dallas in the mid-90's. A nearby nursing home brought several elderly residents to it. At one of the most frightening and intense moments in the film, one of these octogenarians woke up, and let out a moan that could be heard all over the theater, doubly scaring the ka-ka out of everyone there, and adding to the viewing immeasurably.

I was at that screening. The audience was audibly scared. That was my second viewing. My first was as an 11-year old. It scared the living out of me. Superb all around.

Dick · Oct 4, 2014

haineshisway said:
Why are there only twelve posts about this release. Hundreds of posts about The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and twelve posts about this.

Probably the majority of members here are too young to be very familiar with this movie. CHAIN SAW is much more likely to ring a bell, what with tons of sequels and re-makes, etc. When young people look for "horror" movies these days, they often seek graphic violence and the young-women-in-peril sort of thing, and don't care so much about subtlety. The more you and I and others who are aficionados of great pre-80's filmmaking talk up releases like this one, the more apt they are to try them out. I've little doubt that, if even slightly curious people tried renting this title on Netflix (the DVD is at least anamorphic widescreen) after reading this thread, a lot more of these Blu-rays would get sold, and a lot more posts would be added here.

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