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

[B-ROLL]

*horrific laugh* - Witchiepoo

Which witch is which?

 

[JohnS]

One of my favorite movies.
Can't wait to play this on my 4K TV.

 

[alistairKerr]

Also, I saw The Digital Bits reported that this was being released on December 26, but Amazon is still listing it for 12/12. Anybody hear word on it being possibly pushed back?

According to the UK Arrow website, this is now scheduled for December 18th.

Alistair

 

[mackjay]

I was 9 or 10 when it was released, so too young (& it must have been an A certificate in England) & my parents were not big cinema goers, it's a wonder I never caught up with it on TV, but then I'm sure most of us have alarming gaps in our movie viewing history (maybe not Robert Harris).

I was 7 when it was released but didn't see it that year. Strange, since my family were big movie-goers and had no qualms about bringing me to see PSYCHO in a theater that same year. Did they think THE APARTMENT too adult for me? lol.

Anyway, I too missed it on tv in the years that followed. Good thing, probably, since what we would have seen on tv in those days would have been some horribly truncated, pan&scan or center framed desecration. But years later, I must have been in my mid-late 20s, I managed to see it on a double-bill in a local Los Angeles theater that specialized in reviving classic movies. I wasn't drawn to the double-bill for THE APARTMENT, didn't really know much about it, but for the other movie on the bill. Actually, even the theater somewhat downplayed THE APARTMENT, which seemed designated as the lesser of the two movies screening that night. Maybe that was only because it had already been shown so often on tv by then and the other movie hadn't. I don't recall.

Well, today I cannot even remember what that other movie was. I was just knocked out by THE APARTMENT, soaked up every minute of it, couldn't stop thinking about it for a very long time and talking about it with my friends over the next several days. I trot it out to watch every year on whatever latest media has it in original aspect ratio.

I envy you watching it for the first time on as fine a media presentation as we have today!

I was also too young to see a film like this when it came out, but I recall seeing a trailer for it.

In the late 60s I was going to a lot of double-features at a local rep house in Hartford CT. THE APARTMENT was showing with something else I have forgotten. Not knowing what to expect, I was also blown away by this film. Something about it draws me in---the characters, the setting (artificial as it may be), the dialog, the beautiful b&w, the music (C.C. Baxter's lonely saxophone theme, by Adolph Deutsch), the main theme (by Charles Williams). I also suffered with pan/scan showings on local TV. Never saw it again in widescreen until laserdisc in the 80s...then on DVD, now Blu-ray. I do think the current Blu-ray looks great, but I'm tempted by this new one. My favorite film by far. Glad to see so much interest and admiration.

 

[alistairKerr]

And I have just received my copy here in the UK this afternoon! Loving the packaging.

 

[Robin9]

I was also too young to see a film like this when it came out, but I recall seeing a trailer for it.

In the late 60s I was going to a lot of double-features at a local rep house in Hartford CT. THE APARTMENT was showing with something else I have forgotten. Not knowing what to expect, I was also blown away by this film. Something about it draws me in---the characters, the setting (artificial as it may be), the dialog, the beautiful b&w, the music (C.C. Baxter's lonely saxophone theme, by Adolph Deutsch), the main theme (by Charles Williams). I also suffered with pan/scan showings on local TV. Never saw it again in widescreen until laserdisc in the 80s...then on DVD, now Blu-ray. I do think the current Blu-ray looks great, but I'm tempted by this new one. My favorite film by far. Glad to see so much interest and admiration.

Two years ago I showed this film to a friend, a woman who has loved well but not wisely. I had told her I thought she might identify with Fran Kubelik, the Shirley MacLaine character. At one moment in the film my friend exclaimed "That's me!" At the end she said she had thoroughly enjoyed The Apartment and thanked me for introducing her to the film.

 

[commander richardson]

And I have just received my copy here in the UK this afternoon! Loving the packaging.

and picture quality ... as compared to original BD release which I presume you have ??????

 

[alistairKerr]

and picture quality ... as compared to original BD release which I presume you have ??????

Sorry, no I haven't got the older blu - and I haven't had time to look at the new one yet!

 

[willyTass]

Sorry, no I haven't got the older blu - and I haven't had time to look at the new one yet!

.

 

[Robin9]

and picture quality ... as compared to original BD release which I presume you have ??????

The picture quality of the new Arrow Blu-ray disc is considerably better than on the original Blu-ray disc. I noticed this even before I pressed "play!" The menu has the early shot of Jack Lemmon walking along the street towards his apartment during the voice-over. My jaw dropped. That image was so much better than I'd seen before. Another shot which is hugely better - again during the original voice-over introduction - is of Jack Lemmon at his desk, nodding his head in time with the machine. In the original Blu-ray disc, his suit is a classic "crushed black" with all the detail lost. On the Arrow disc you can see the details of his suit clearly.

The Arrow disc comes with several "extras" plus a book; and I do mean book. I do not mean a leaflet.

I know Christmas makes many calls on people's finances, but for those not too hard pressed, I very strongly recommend this Blu-ray package.

 

[Jimbo64]

Just got another shipping update, mine should be here by Jan 9th

 

[TravisR]

Just got another shipping update, mine should be here by Jan 9th

Got the same one yesterday. I'm not trying to cause a panic but you can't order it any more so I think Amazon has gone through their allotment and some people aren't going to get a copy.

 

[commander richardson]

The picture quality of the new Arrow Blu-ray disc is considerably better than on the original Blu-ray disc. I noticed this even before I pressed "play!" The menu has the early shot of Jack Lemmon walking along the street towards his apartment during the voice-over. My jaw dropped. That image was so much better than I'd seen before. Another shot which is hugely better - again during the original voice-over introduction - is of Jack Lemmon at his desk, nodding his head in time with the machine. In the original Blu-ray disc, his suit is a classic "crushed black" with all the detail lost. On the Arrow disc you can see the details of his suit clearly.

The Arrow disc comes with several "extras" plus a book; and I do mean book. I do not mean a leaflet.

I know Christmas makes many calls on people's finances, but for those not too hard pressed, I very strongly recommend this Blu-ray package.

Just received my copy and you are 100% correct..........the difference between the 2 releases is also 100%.........the new BD is wonderful in every area. . a great Xmas release..

 

[Mark VH]

Got the same one yesterday. I'm not trying to cause a panic but you can't order it any more so I think Amazon has gone through their allotment and some people aren't going to get a copy.

Yeah, I caught earlier this week that it's showing as no longer available, so I went ahead and put in orders at both Best Buy and Barnes & Noble. Hopefully I'm covered on getting one.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Got the same one yesterday. I'm not trying to cause a panic but you can't order it any more so I think Amazon has gone through their allotment and some people aren't going to get a copy.

This would be very impressive if it happened and I think would be a wonderful thing but I think what actually is going on is the allotments are sent out in stages so they may have sold through their first allotment but my guess is there are more coming. I mean, I just think it is not easy to sell 3000 copies of a classic black and white film that probably most people have never even heard of...this is a great picture but not a wildly popular one.

 

[Mark VH]

This would be very impressive if it happened and I think would be a wonderful thing but I think what actually is going on is the allotments are sent out in stages so they may have sold through their first allotment but my guess is there are more coming. I mean, I just think it is not easy to sell 3000 copies of a classic black and white film that probably most people have never even heard of...this is a great picture but not a wildly popular one.

That's certainly true, though with Amazon discounting it so heavily in the last few weeks, I don't imagine selling 500-800 copies or thereabouts would necessarily be out of the question, especially during the holiday season, depending on their total allotment. You have to figure between all the major retailers, 3000 copies doesn't go all that far.

Also, FWIW, just got a shipping notice on my Best Buy order, so anyone worried about not getting a copy can head over there and get their order in and you should be able to net one.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

So, do the people that already have this blu-ray live in Europe? The release date of this film seems to be December 26 in the United States as far as I can tell.

 

[Robert Crawford]

So, do the people that already have this blu-ray live in Europe? The release date of this film seems to be December 26 in the United States as far as I can tell.

It's been out in the UK since December 18th.

 

[Rob W]

I picked it up at a retail outlet in Toronto yesterday.

 

[cda1143]

That's certainly true, though with Amazon discounting it so heavily in the last few weeks, I don't imagine selling 500-800 copies or thereabouts would necessarily be out of the question, especially during the holiday season, .........

Amazon discounting it heavily? $37.99??