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

[Robert Harris]

Elaine May's 1971 production, A New Leaf, is one of the era's funniest films.

Like Unknown Woman, best not to discuss content, as there are riches here to be discovered.

And also like Unknown Woman, it comes from Olive's Signature collection, proving the point, at least to me, that their release of the two Cary Grant films -- both highly entertaining and good quality -- were anomalies, as a part of their "restored" program of titles.

A New Leaf, which is another 4k image harvest from the OCN, is glorious. Color, densities, grain structure, black levels -- everything appears to be in the proper place.

And it's clean.

Also some quality extras.

Image - 5

Audio - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Upgrade from original Blu-ray - Absolutely.

Highly Recommended

RAH

 

[PMF]

What an unlikely and irresistible gem of a film to join Olive's Signature collection.
And who would have imagined that this title would have ascended to the levels of an OCN/4K scan?
More than intrigued; and definitely a must own.
Welcome back, Olive.

 

[Vegas 1]

I don't see this listed on Amazon nor do they list Letter from an Unknown Woman which is a Signature release also, both are released 12/05. I guess I will have to buy from Olive.

 

[B-ROLL]

I don't see this listed on Amazon nor do they list Letter from an Unknown Woman which is a Signature release also, both are released 12/05. I guess I will have to buy from Olive.

https://www.amazon.com/New-Leaf-Blu...1512435678&sr=1-1&keywords=a+new+leaf+blu+ray

Linkage above $18.98 (only 3 left hurry) must Type, key, or tell Lexi "Blu Ray" when you search

 

[ahollis]

I don’t think that’s the new Signuture release.

 

[ahollis]

Here’s the cover of the new release.

 

[lark144]

It's difficult to find, but here are links to Amazon's pages for both A NEW LEAF & LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN in the new OLIVE SIGNATURE EDITIONS.

https://www.amazon.com/A-New-Leaf-B...65953&creativeASIN=B0779934JW&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

https://www.amazon.com/Letter-Woman...rd_wg=FIntt&psc=1&refRID=DQSW7JTN69794NV66QYA

 

[PMF]

William Redfield plays Henry's lawyer with such deadpan comic timing that I sometimes have to remind myself that it isn't Mike Nichols. I wonder if that wasn't deliberate; being an Elaine May film and all.

 

[mark brown]

Does anyone know if any of the footage from the director's original darker cut survived ? It is a shame the film could not be reconstructed as Ms. May originally conceived it.

 

[Vegas 1]

https://www.amazon.com/New-Leaf-Blu...1512435678&sr=1-1&keywords=a+new+leaf+blu+ray

Linkage above $18.98 (only 3 left hurry) must Type, key, or tell Lexi "Blu Ray" when you search

That link takes me to the old BR?

 

[PMF]

Does anyone know if any of the footage from the director's original darker cut survived ? It is a shame the film could not be reconstructed as Ms. May originally conceived it.

What was in the darker cut and how was it conceived?

 

[Paul Penna]

That link takes me to the old BR?

Read down farther and there's one labeled “(December 5 2017)” for $27.99 that's presumably the new one. I've put that on save-for-later at any rate.

 

[MielR]

What was in the darker cut and how was it conceived?

There was a blackmail sub-plot, among other things:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_Leaf_(film)

I love this film---it's one of the best comedies ever made, IMO.

 

[PMF]

There was a blackmail sub-plot, among other things:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_Leaf_(film)

I love this film---it's one of the best comedies ever made, IMO.

An entire William Hickey performance on the cutting room floor? Would love to have seen Hickey and Matthau go at it in a scene.
Hope they one day find May's missing footage.

 

[MielR]

An entire William Hickey performance on the cutting room floor? Would love to have seen Hickey and Matthau go at it in a scene.
Hope they one day find May's missing footage.

Based on what I've read, it sounds like the final cut of ANL is a better, tighter film than May's original cut would have been, but I'd still love to see the cut scenes if they still exist.

Who knows what happened to the footage, though. I would also love to see all the deleted scenes from Harold & Maude (which came out the same year), but I don't know in '71 if they had started storing/shelving unused footage of if they were still in the practice of trashing it like in years past.