Alastair Sim A CHRISTMAS CAROL November 3, 2009 - (UPDATE New 11-1-2011 Release) (2 Viewers)

[Mike Frezon]

Somehow I knew I'd hook up with you again in this thread, Andrew!


Lucky for you that you hadn't upgraded yet. I wish they had gotten their act together and had all those bonus features ready for the first blu issue. I was really surprised to see a new issue of this already. But I guess it's probably one of VCI's cash cows, eh?!?

 

[Charles Smith]

Yeah, what the heck happened? I just bought the Blu-ray last year...and now this. It sounds like a great package, but sheesh.

 

[Marvin]

Somehow I knew I'd hook up with you again in this thread, Andrew! Lucky for you that you hadn't upgraded yet.  I wish they had gotten their act together and had all those bonus features ready for the first blu issue.  I was really surprised to see a new issue of this already.  But I guess it's probably one of VCI's cash cows, eh?!? 

...provided that they fix all those annoying screen jumps this time. I bought the previous BD version but I'm buying this one too in the hopes that they fix those problems.

 

[Charles Smith]

I'm not even up to date on whatever problems there were, so thanks for the heads up. I can stand to wait for the reviews.

 

[John Hodson]

Someone asked VCI if the jumps would be fixed in the latest transfer on their Facebook page, but though they've answered other questions on this release, oddly on this issue they've remained quiet. Fingers crossed. BTW, there's another thread around revealing that VCI have scrapped plans for 'More Silent Dickens' on the DVD included in the set. Just so folks know.

 

[Osato]

I picked this one up last year on blu ray. Loved it! I am also curious to know about the reissue and if it's the same print, etc.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Amazon has now lowered the price to $10.99!


But it is now listed as "Usually ships within 1 to 3 months."


The blu release of two years ago is listed at $15.49.

 

[Andrew Budgell]

Somehow I knew I'd hook up with you again in this thread, Andrew!

Hey Mike! We love our 1951 "A Christmas Carol", don't we? I just got this reply from VCI about the delay: "The new Christmas Carol went through the experience of being pushed back in the replicators order of importance. You see, Disney's Christmas Carol was determined as being produced ahead of ours. It did put VCI in a bind for street date, however, it has been delivered to its retail partners and should be available and pre-orders delivering now. Thanks for your understanding. It's a wonderful edition this year and loaded with new added materials." Hopefully we'll get our copies soon! Is it too early to say Merry Christmas?

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by Andrew Budgell


We do love our 1951 "A Christmas Carol"...maybe a little bit too much! And something tells me the transfer will probably be exactly the same on this new release as the old one. Time will tell.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Ooooh! I think I just realized something!


The specs at amazon on the new release says it's got a 2.0 PCM audio track (in fact, it's the only audio track listed). That could be a nice improvement over the release of two years ago which, IIRC, had 2.0 and 5.1 SD audio tracks.

I KNEW their had to be a good reason for me to upgrade--again--so soon.


EDIT: Further ooooooh!

I just checked DVD Beaver's review of the 2009 Blu release and it says it was released on a BD-25. The specs on the new title says:

Product Specs: BD50; PCM 2.0; RT - 96 minutes; B&W; Aspect Ratio - HD 1080P; Year - 1951; SRP - $19.99 This Blu-ray edition has been digitally restored from a new 1080p, 24fps high definition transfer master produced from the 35mm negative and fine grain.

Maybe it does have a new transfer. Although I suppose the BD-50 could be necessary simply for the bonus features.

 

[John Hodson]

Well, in this thread they said: "The high definition master has undergone additional digital restoration to further improve the quality of the picture and sound..." A little confusingly (I think, here, they again mean the same master), on their Facebook page they added: "...It's the same HD transfer, but our restoration people are taking another pass at it, since we now have technology that we didn't have 2 years ago."

 

[Mike Frezon]

I missed that thread completely, John.

It's all adding up that they've tweaked the HD transfer. The question remaining would be "how much and to what effect?"


The addition of a lossless audio track would be no small addition.

 

[marsnkc]

A personal anecdote: I remember like it was yesterday my older brothers and sisters talking excitedly about going to see A Christmas Carol at our local flea pit. I was devastated at not being invited along. "Too young", they said. Fast forward to ca. 1973 when, thanks to Siobhan McKenna, I got to meet and become friends with Brian Desmond Hurst. What kills me is that it wasn't until many years later that I discovered that not only had he known T.E. Lawrence, he'd been Korda's chosen man to direct that producer's version of Lawrence of Arabia. Brian was literally in a sea-plane waiting to take off for a recce to the Middle East when word came that the British Colonial governor of whatever country it was to be filmed in thwarted the plan. He didn't want any situation that involved 'a large gathering of Arabs". This is info I gleaned from reading up on the various attempts to make a movie about TEL, none of it from Brian himself, so take it with the proverbial grain of salt.

 

[John Hodson]

You get more than a flavour of Korda's proposed 'Lawrence' in The Four Feathers don't you?

 

[marsnkc]

Thanks, John. That'll be my homework for tonight!

 

[JoeDoakes]

You get more than a flavour of Korda's proposed 'Lawrence' in The Four Feathers don't you?

What are you talking about? Other than some North African location shooting, I can't think what they would have in common.

 

[John Hodson]

What are you talking about? Other than some North African location shooting, I can't think what they would have in common.

The scale, the epic sweep, the 'Boys Own' heroics, the locations (the budget); gives *me* a flavour of the kind of production Korda would have been aiming at. That's what I'm referring to; surely that's clear? BTW, in a vain bid to drag the thread back on track, Deepdiscount shipped my copy of Scrooge (aka A Christmas Carol in the Colonies) today.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Hmmm. Amazon is now showing "In Stock." But, my estimated delivery date is still December 16 thru December 30.

 

[Andrew Budgell]

No worries, your secret is safe with me, Mike! I just checked my orders page at Amazon and it's listed as shipping soon!

 

[Marvin]

I just checked my orders page at Amazon and it's listed as shipping soon!

Have they adjusted your price yet (down to 10.99)? Mine isn't listed as "shipping soon" yet but still shows 11/7-14 as the expected delivery date (still at $15.99).