Fox Cinema Archives Debuts 18 New Classic Films on DVD starting March 18! (1 Viewer)

[classicmovieguy]

At least "Esther and the King" now has a legitimate disc release - for what its worth... :/

 

[Mark Collins]

I wish they would be up for order at Amazon. I always seem to have trouble ordering from Fox Connect. I have to look at every MOD title before the one I want comes up.

 

[lionel59]

The German release of ESTHER AND THE KING is an excellent 16:9 transfer in full CinemaScope. Germany have also released SODOM AND GOMORRAH in 16:9 1.85:1. BACHELOR FLAT (a good comedy which showcases British actor Terry Thomas) usually plays in LBX on the Fox Movie Channel. GOOD MORNING MISS DOVE is usually shown in Full Frame on the Fox Channel but has turned up in Letterbox format on TCM. (I have read that a few test sequences were made for CinemaScope 55 with the sets/backlot streets used in this film). I believe TT turned this one down due to quality issues, but I have seen the LBX print and I think it is quite acceptable.
Although the subtitles cannot be removed when viewing the English version of FOREVER AMBER on the French Blu Ray release, it is nonetheless a very pleasing transfer. I doubt that Twilight Time would be able to present a better image of this Technicolor film (transferred to Eastman color preservation elements).
This is an interesting and varied selection of classics. I will be interested to learn how many of the wide screen movies are released that way. My hopes are not high based on (depressing) precedent.

 

[AlanP]

I can't find this on AMAZON, help !!!

 

[Ernest]

Just beware from the titles I checked out none were transferred in Anamorphic Widescreen 16 x 9. Sodom and Gomorrah is the true film length of 154 minutes which is excellent. The movie is displayed on the DVD in "Full Screen" . Since the aspect ratio is 1:85 x 1 the movie should look okay. Esther and the King is presented in 4 x 3 "Letterbox".

I did purchase Sodom and Esther. Esther I purchased from Amazon.de because the movie is listed as being Anamorphic 16 x 9 reviews confirmed this as begin true. I also purchased King of the Khyber Rifles (Tyrone Power) the aspect ratio is 4 x 3 "Letterbox".

Sure most LCD's have a zoom feature that will reformat a 4 x 3 letterbox with some cropping to 16 x 9. I tried the zoom on my Sanyo with Khyber Rifles and it worked okay. What is missing is the 33% increase in vertical resolution that anamorphic 16 x 9 formatting adds to the picture quality. Just beware these are not very good quality as you would expect in this day of Blu-ray and unfortunately not cheap.

Previously I purchased several MOD's from Warner and they were all formatted for 16 x 9. I was happy when Fox started their program for MOD distribution I just wish they would reformat all their excellent classics to 16 x 9.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Thats dissapointing on Sodom and Gomorrah. I'll have to pass on that one. The Laserdisc was 1.85:1. The least they could have done is port that over from the Laserdisc. I would have beeen happy with that.

Just beware from the titles I checked out none were transferred in Anamorphic Widescreen 16 x 9. Sodom and Gomorrah is the true film length of 154 minutes which is excellent. The movie is displayed on the DVD in "Full Screen" . Since the aspect ratio is 1:85 x 1 the movie should look okay. Esther and the King is presented in 4 x 3 "Letterbox".

I did purchase Sodom and Esther. Esther I purchased from Amazon.de because the movie is listed as being Anamorphic 16 x 9 reviews confirmed this as begin true. I also purchased King of the Khyber Rifles (Tyrone Power) the aspect ratio is 4 x 3 "Letterbox".

Sure most LCD's have a zoom feature that will reformat a 4 x 3 letterbox with some cropping to 16 x 9. I tried the zoom on my Sanyo with Khyber Rifles and it worked okay. What is missing is the 33% increase in vertical resolution that anamorphic 16 x 9 formatting adds to the picture quality. Just beware these are not very good quality as you would expect in this day of Blu-ray and unfortunately not cheap.

Previously I purchased several MOD's from Warner and they were all formatted for 16 x 9. I was happy when Fox started their program for MOD distribution I just wish they would reformat all their excellent classics to 16 x 9.

 

[Douglas R]

Just beware from the titles I checked out none were transferred in Anamorphic Widescreen 16 x 9. Sodom and Gomorrah is the true film length of 154 minutes which is excellent. The movie is displayed on the DVD in "Full Screen" . Since the aspect ratio is 1:85 x 1 the movie should look okay. Esther and the King is presented in 4 x 3 "Letterbox". I did purchase Sodom and Esther. Esther I purchased from Amazon.de because the movie is listed as being Anamorphic 16 x 9 reviews confirmed this as begin true. I also purchased King of the Khyber Rifles (Tyrone Power) the aspect ratio is 4 x 3 "Letterbox".

I'm confused. Are you saying you purchased the Fox Archive releases of Sodom and Esther (released yesterday?) or the German releases?

 

[JoHud]

I did purchase Sodom and Esther. Esther I purchased from Amazon.de because the movie is listed as being Anamorphic 16 x 9 reviews confirmed this as begin true. I also purchased King of the Khyber Rifles (Tyrone Power) the aspect ratio is 4 x 3 "Letterbox".

Please share if the German releases of Sodom and Esther are anamorphic widescreen once you receive them

 

[lionel59]

As I stated above, I have the German ESTHER AND THE KING. It is a very good anamorphic transfer in 2.35:1 'Scope. The information at amazon.de indicates that SODOM AND GOMORRAH is also an anamorphic (1.85:1) transfer.From the way I read 'Ernest's' post, it sounds to me like he has received this disc and it is indeed in 16:9 Wide Screen. If you like these movies and have a multi-regional dvd player and a multi-system (ie.PAL system-friendly) monitor, I believe you will be better off acquiring the German discs.
I have the foreign blu ray of THE LONG HOT SAUMMER. It has not been further restored since the US SD release (from what I can see), but the better resolution of the Blu Ray format make it very pleasing to view. I believe there is now a German Blu Ray of the 1966 STAGECOACH which exceeds the TT SD. I would nor like to be a collector of classics and be limited to any one country's output.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

Does anyone have a good link for the Blu-ray of Sodom and Gomorrah at Amazon.de? I see several DVDs there, but no Blu-ray.

 

[lionel59]

I believe the German release of SODOM is SD not Blu Ray. It is 141 minutes long. PAL speedup may account for this. It may be the 154 min cut though from what I can understand it should be a little longer if it is the uncut version. The running time may be a misprint. if anyone on HTF has the German copy and knows the movie well, maybe you could inform us if it's complete.

 

[ABaglivi]

I have the German Black Hill (Warner) release. The slip says 143, which would bring it closer to the full-length running time in PAL. It is 1.85:1. Have not watched it in a long while and my player, for some reason, is not displaying the time.

 

[Douglas R]

I have the German Black Hill (Warner) release. The slip says 143, which would bring it closer to the full-length running time in PAL. It is 1.85:1. Have not watched it in a long while and my player, for some reason, is not displaying the time.

The German Black Hill DVD is complete other than the title sequence which is about 2 minutes shorter than the American version of the film which has additional footage of Tamar (Scilla Gabel) riding away from the city. It is NOT anamorphic. I've seen several versions of the film and the title sequence varies in many of them, for one thing, to take account of different languages for the credits. The German DVD does of course have the German titles. It also has an awkward fade-out at the Intermission point, 90 minutes into the film - as does every other DVD version I've seen.

If this new Fox DVD is anamorphic then it will be the first and only one one. I don't suppose it will be the roadshow version because as far as I know, the film seems to have only been roadshown with Overture, End of Act 1 Intermission, Entr'acte and Exit Music in Australia, where it also had its only stereo soundtrack. I saw the film when it opened in London (with heavy censor cuts) where it was shown in continuous performances but with the Intermission..

 

[Mark Collins]

I am glad Amazon has the titles now up for order for under 18 dollars.

Esther and the KIng in Shown in 4:3 letterbox
Shown in 4:3 full frame presentation Sodom And Gomorrah

 

[Ed Lachmann]

I do have an original studio promotional book on S&G that was only sent to Fox studios offices around the world. It is still in mint condition. It has lavish photos and is almost 2 feet wide. The photos are also covered with tissue paper. Unusual, but that only goes to show how lavish their promotional book was.

If you ever want to put that up on the auction block, let me know! I'm one of the few who just loves that movie, especially the retractable spikes chest plate, the human rotisserie wheel and both gals in that cut away blue number! Too bad about the 4:3, these deserve blu-ray editions, really.

 

[cinerama10]

If you ever want to put that up on the auction block, let me know! I'm one of the few who just loves that movie, especially the retractable spikes chest plate, the human rotisserie wheel and both gals in that cut away blue number! Too bad about the 4:3, these deserve blu-ray editions, really.

I did put it on ebay several years ago but there were no bidders. The soft covered book is 18 inches by 12 inches and contains 18 pages that are 18x12 and inside there are further 15 smaller size colored photos 14 x 10 in. The smaller photos are attached to the inside of the book and cannot be removed...It would not be cheap to pack it and post from Australia to overseas.I am not sure what anyone would pay for it. The book was produced and designed in London and printed in Rome. It is entirely in English. Robert Aldrich directed the film despite most of the cast and crew being Italian

 

[Richard Gallagher]

Thanks for the clarification on the German release of Sodom and Gomorrah. I would have ordered it if it were Blu. As it is I may get the Fox DVD the next time there is a Fox Connect sale, since we'll probably never see a proper release in my lifetime.

 

[lionel59]

The German release is at least in Wide Screen. Amazon.de states it is in 16:9. I have this on LD in Wide Screen. If I didn't and wanted to get a copy of the movie, I'd go for the pressed Wide Screen version from Europe over the (reportedly) panned+ scanned Fox MOD, which may also have other image quality issues, going by precedent.

 

[Douglas R]

The German release is at least in Wide Screen. Amazon.de states it is in 16:9. I have this on LD in Wide Screen. If I didn't and wanted to get a copy of the movie, I'd go for the pressed Wide Screen version from Europe over the (reportedly) panned+ scanned Fox MOD, which may also have other image quality issues, going by precedent.

As I said above, it's not anamorphic. It's letterboxed - 1.85:1 within a 4x3 picture. I would think the Fox DVD is the same.

 

[lionel59]

According to some amazon reviews, the Fox release is a poor, panned-and-scanned transfer which looks like the same one used for an old VHS release. It has apparently also been released in Wide Screen in Korea and Portugal. I do not know if these releases are 16:9 or LBX, but either way, they sound like a better option.