Biblical-Roman-Egyptian epics not yet on Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

Yes, The Big Fisherman has been shown on TCM a couple of times, always pan and scanned and looking soft, faded, and rather yucky. I can't watch it like that, so I've passed both times I've come across it there..

 

[andySu]

The Awakening 1980 when will it awake on bluray?

 

[mark brown]

Calling Dave Strohmaier. Your next restoration assignments await...

 

[Paul Rossen]

AGORA

 

[ABaglivi]

Agora is a great film. I have the Region A/B/C Blu-ray from Video Film Express (Netherlands).

 

[Ed Lachmann]

@Ed
Since the pre-order date was pulled, how does that mean we will see it?
Maybe it was cancelled?

Well, they did the same thing when they were about to release Wojciech Has' "The Saragossa Manuscript" and "The Hourglass Sanitorium". The pre-orders were there one day, then gone for a month or two, then re-appeared with the cover art and order button. Same company is doing "Faraon", so I'm confident of English subs as the ones I've mentioned above had them. They've spent some time and money on the restoration, so I'm certain we will see it soon. I'm always jumping over there to see if it's up yet. They do a wonderful job, so it should be gorgeous.

 

[ABaglivi]

Ed, please let us know if you find out anything about Faraon.

 

[Konstantinos]

Well, they did the same thing when they were about to release Wojciech Has' "The Saragossa Manuscript" and "The Hourglass Sanitorium". The pre-orders were there one day, then gone for a month or two, then re-appeared with the cover art and order button. Same company is doing "Faraon", so I'm confident of English subs as the ones I've mentioned above had them. They've spent some time and money on the restoration, so I'm certain we will see it soon. I'm always jumping over there to see if it's up yet. They do a wonderful job, so it should be gorgeous.

Thanks for the info!
Yes, let us know if you find out anything..
I'm not sure if this film would be engaging story-wise, maybe it is too slow, but It seems impressive visually.

 

[OliverK]

Well, they did the same thing when they were about to release Wojciech Has' "The Saragossa Manuscript" and "The Hourglass Sanitorium". The pre-orders were there one day, then gone for a month or two, then re-appeared with the cover art and order button. Same company is doing "Faraon", so I'm confident of English subs as the ones I've mentioned above had them. They've spent some time and money on the restoration, so I'm certain we will see it soon. I'm always jumping over there to see if it's up yet. They do a wonderful job, so it should be gorgeous.

Looking forward to hear about it being released - I always wanted to see it after reading about it in the book about epic films by Derek Elley.

I hope they properly preserve the film grain.

 

[Alan Tully]

You should call this thread; Ancient World Epics, & then you can include the 1956 Helen Of Troy. I recently re-viewed the DVD's of, The Land Of The Pharaohs & Helen Of Troy & enjoyed them very much. I remember being a bit bored by The Fall Of The Roman Empire, but if there was a Blu that looked & sounded great, then I'd have to buy it. The TT release of The Egyptian cost a lot of money (with p&p), but I'm so glad I bought it, as it looks & sounds terrific. I wonder if Sony have done any work on Barabbas, the film noir of epics, & the early DVD didn't look up to much.


And I can recommend the book on epic movies by Derek Elley (if you can find it), I like the way he writes a lot about the music, which is so important in these films.


Ditto, Jeffrey Richards' Swordsmen Of The Screen, the best book about swashbucklers that I've read.

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Double post

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Just a handful of semi-obscure ones I'd also love to own:
Cabiria (1914) Giovanni Pastrone's Carthaginian epic which was recently restored to 109 minutes, the original score re-recorded and screened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. Check out Roger Ebert's review of it on his website. It just had its 100th birthday, and, sadly, no release happened.
Sodom and Gomorrah (1921) Michael Curtiz directed this massive epic which featured a modern story and some of the most impressive sets and costumes of the silent historical epic era. Originally a three hour two part event, it has been restored to 98 minutes and is owned by Filmarchiv Austria.
Moon of Israel or Die Sklavenkonigin (1924) The second large-scale epic directed by Michael Curtiz, it tells of a Hebrew slave girl who falls in love with the son of pharaoh. Moses and the Exodus are part of the plot and the parting of the Red Sea is pretty phenomenal for the year it was made. It was restored by the Filmarchiv Austria, but no DVD has been released so far. I caught it a few years ago at the Jewish Film Festival in L.A. Very enjoyable.
Fabiola (1949) Italian/French production which was recently released on DVD (French only) from Gaumont, comes in two parts, "Mirage de Rome" (87 minutes) and "Le Sang des Martyrs" (90 minutes). Restored recently to its original length by Gaumont, it is the tale of early Christians who were killed in the area a la "Quo Vadis" and some claim it is the film that inspired that production.

 

[Keith Cobby]

This is probably my least favourite genre (with the exception of Ben-Hur and King of Kings). Always happy to watch Belinda Lee though!

 

[Konstantinos]

So, returning to my initial question (besides wish lists), has anyone heard anything?

Has any label/studio programmed anything for this Easter?

Or is it too early and maybe we hear some announcements in February/March?

 

[Robin9]

This is probably my least favourite genre (with the exception of Ben-Hur and King of Kings). Always happy to watch Belinda Lee though!

. . . and I'm always happy to oblige!

Belinda Lee has been very poorly served by DVD and not at all by Blu-ray. She made several films in Italy that are worth reviving but at present are only available in bootlegs DVDs of, it seems, very bad quality. The only decent DVD is the German disc of Messalina which has an English soundtrack.


There are numerous discs of Joseph And His Brethren, Constantine And The Cross and the film where she plays Lucrezia Borgia. This film has as many titles as there are discs! As far as I can judge, not one disc is legitimate and not one is watchable.

 

[Ed Lachmann]

So, returning to my initial question (besides wish lists), has anyone heard anything?

Has any label/studio programmed anything for this Easter?

Or is it too early and maybe we hear some announcements in February/March?

First, I am so happy you began this thread as this is my favorite genre. I fear the only offering for Easter this year will be Solomon and Sheba, which I'm praying will sell enough units to keep Twilight TIme on that path. They're the ones who will, hopefully, give us Story of Ruth, David and Bathsheba, Esther and the King and Barabbas. I had hoped for Kino to toss out a few, but the historical epic they bet on was Taras Bulba, which the Aussies had released as a nice BD two years before. Shock AU had brisk sales, but Kino, evidently, didn't and everyone who really loved it already had it. It's a bad time for folks like us, but if Solomon and Sheba does good business, I'm sure more will follow.

 

[Konstantinos]

Well, The Egyptian sold out, although Demetrius and the Gladiators hasn't still (maybe it has to do more with the not so good transfer of this specific film).

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Well, The Egyptian sold out, although Demetrius and the Gladiators hasn't still (maybe it has to do more with the not so good transfer of this specific film).

And at $35 a pop. One of the only ones at that price that did.

 

[Paul Rossen]

First, I am so happy you began this thread as this is my favorite genre. I fear the only offering for Easter this year will be Solomon and Sheba, which I'm praying will sell enough units to keep Twilight TIme on that path. They're the ones who will, hopefully, give us Story of Ruth, David and Bathsheba, Esther and the King and Barabbas. I had hoped for Kino to toss out a few, but the historical epic they bet on was Taras Bulba, which the Aussies had released as a nice BD two years before. Shock AU had brisk sales, but Kino, evidently, didn't and everyone who really loved it already had it. It's a bad time for folks like us, but if Solomon and Sheba does good business, I'm sure more will follow.

I can only speak for myself but once I heard that Taras Bulba was in mono it quickly became a no sale.

 

[Vahan_Nisanain]

Correct me if I am wrong, but are any of Steve Reeves' Hercules films on Blu-Ray here in the States?