Pre-Order A Fish Called Wanda Special Edition (1987) Available for Preorder (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

The link below will take you directly to the product on Amazon. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.

 

[CraigF]

Anybody have info if this is a new scan? Cleaned up elements, or anything that might improve on the IMO mediocre quality of the discs already available? I'd really like a spiffy version of this, but I don't know if it's even possible.

 

[dpippel]

Yeah, I also find the existing Blu-ray to be pretty poor. If this is a new scan I'll buy it. If not? No dice.

 

[richardburton84]

The press release on the other site indicates that this is a new 4K scan.

 

[dpippel]

Sweet! Thanks Jack.

Here's some more info from Arrow. It's listed as Region B locked in this press release:

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• Brand-new 4K restoration from the original negative, produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original English mono audio (uncompressed LPCM)
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Commentary by writer and star John Cleese
• Brand-new appreciation by Vic Pratt of the BFI National Archive
• Brand-new interviews with composer John Du Prez, production designer Roger Murray-Leach, executive producer Steve Abbott and makeup supervisor Paul Engelen
• John Cleese’s Final Farewell Performance, a 1988 documentary on the making of A Fish Called Wanda featuring interviews with actors Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin, Kevin Kline and director Charles Crichton
• Something Fishy, a 15th anniversary retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Cleese, Curtis, Kline and Palin, executive producer Steve Abbott and director of photography Alan Hume
• Fish You Were Here, a documentary on the film’s locations hosted by Robert Powell
• 24 deleted/alternative scenes with introductions by Cleese
• A Message from John Cleese, a tongue-in-cheek introduction recorded for the film’s original release
• Gallery
• Trivia track
• Theatrical trailer

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Booklet featuring writing on the film by Sophie Monks Kaufman

DETAILS:
Region: B
Rating: 15
Cat No: FCD1574
Duration: 108 mins
Language: English
Subtitles: English SDH
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: Mono
Discs: 1
Colour

 

[Rodney]

Sweet! Thanks Jack.

Here's some more info from Arrow. It's listed as Region B locked in this press release

Doug:

I think you might be looking at their UK site. I am looking at Arrow Films site and it says it is Region A:

• Details
  • Region: A
  • Rating: R
  • Cat No: AV105
  • Duration: 108 mins
  • Language: English
  • Subtitles: English SDH
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
  • Audio: Mono
  • Discs: 1
  • Color

 

[Ferdinand Hudson]

The likely outcome is that the disc, regardless if you are buying the UK edition or the US, will be open to both Region A & B. Arrow will probably be updating the website's specs before release.

 

[dpippel]

Doug:

I think you might be looking at their UK site. I am looking at Arrow Films site and it says it is Region A:

• Details
  • Region: A
  • Rating: R
  • Cat No: AV105
  • Duration: 108 mins
  • Language: English
  • Subtitles: English SDH
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
  • Audio: Mono
  • Discs: 1
  • Color

Duh! Right you are Rodney. Not enough coffee I suppose. Thanks for the correction.

 

[Rodney]

No problem, Doug. Thank you for posting that this was a new transfer and what it will include. That made me pull the trigger and pre-order this one.

 

[CraigF]

Thanks, sounds promising. A or B or both, I'll be in. I had a feeling it would be decent, Arrow has been very reliable in whatever I've got from them.

Edit: I usually buy Arrow from the UK, and yikes!, it's expensive. It also says 2 discs at UK amazon, presume that's an error, hope the price is too. This seems to be the standard (amazon) price for the September Arrow new releases. Just seems higher than I'm used to from Arrow for a standard 1xBD release (i.e. no special packaging, fancy "art" book, etc.).

 

[dpippel]

If the past is any indicator, the price will drop to a reasonable level by release day.

 

[titch]

Arrow's masters of classic films, when they commission them scanned from the original negative themselves, are second to none. A few examples: Cinema Paradiso, The Time Bandits, Deep Red, Withnail & I, Donnie Darko, Hellraiser, Phenomena and The Long Good Friday - these beautifully represent the original cinematography. I have the MGM/Fox 2011 blu-ray of A Fish Called Wanda and the picture quality is quite frightful when projected. I'm really looking forward to this new release.

 

[Johnny Angell]

This movie is a very, very guilty pleasure with me. I have problems with all the dog killing. Yeah, it's fiction, but it bothers me.

I would think a commentary by Clease would be one of the best of all time.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

This movie is a very, very guilty pleasure with me. I have problems with all the dog killing. Yeah, it's fiction, but it bothers me.

I would think a commentary by Clease would be one of the best of all time.

The Cleese commentary first appeared on the 2006 DVD. It's a decent commentary but not a great one - certainly not one of the all-time best...

 

[titch]

The same Cleese commentary is on the 2011 MGM/Fox blu-ray.

 

[CraigF]

£15 now. Whew!

For those not in the U.S. who may find it more - expedient - to order from the UK.

 

[Robert Crawford]

£15 now. Whew!

For those not in the U.S. who may find it more - expedient - to order from the UK.

I hate to say it, but it's cheaper for even U.S. residents to buy many of Arrow's releases from the UK. I've done that with 2-3 titles including this one.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I hate to say it, but it's cheaper for even U.S. residents to buy many of Arrow's releases from the UK. I've done that with 2-3 titles including this one.

I bought A Fish Called Wanda and Castle Keep from the UK for $40.43 total as both releases were priced the same which came out to about $20.22 each which for A Fish Called Wanda is about $5 cheaper plus no sales tax than the US release. By the way, both releases are Region-Free.

 

[KPmusmag]

The color is much more vivid and true than the MGM disc. Very pleased!