HTF REVIEW: "Amadeus" Special Edition (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

[Patrick McCart]

The complete score is on CD, FYI.
Great review...looks like I'll be hitting the 100 mark on the 24th.

 

[Steve Christou]

Great movie, shame they didn't include an isolated track, I'll hang on to the original DVD, but this is still another must buy.
I was just thinking how important F.Murray Abraham is to this movie, one of THE greatest movie performances of all time, he richly deserved the Best Actor Oscar that year.
Would this film be as highly regarded and revered if some other actor had played Salieri? Hmmmm...

 

[Dan Hitchman]

Damn shame they didn't split the film to two discs and include a fabulous DTS track for the music, especially.

However, I will be picking this up.

If there was ever a reason to allow a tie and dual awards at the Oscars it was this movie. Tom Hulce and F. Murray Abraham both deserved the Best Actor award that year. They played off each other brilliantly. One could not work as well without the other-- a two man show.

Dan

 

[Rob Tomlin]

This is number 12 on my all time favorite movie list. Glad to hear the transfer is excellent.

This will be the first DVD I have ever re-purchased!

 

[Patrick_S]

This will be a definite buy in the 24th.

Although I like the DC version it would have been nice of the original cut was also included.

Perhaps one of these days they will do a new transfer for the original cut and issue a new bare bones DVD.

As it stands now the original DVD's transfer is just not worth the purchase. (Only my opinion of course.)

 

[Eric T]

Doh! I just bought the old one :frowning:

 

[BrianP]

I can't wait to get my hands on this DVD. But I am also glad I recently got the limited edition box set of Amadeus since it has both the CD soundtrack and original cut of the film.

 

[Paul-Gunther]

Thanks for the great review. I saw the new cut in the theater, and I think it's even better than the original version, so I'm really looking forward to this.
BTW:

Music Director Sir Beville Marriner
was immediately flattered to be chosen to perform
the film and his only requirement was that this
film not turn into a Hollywood spectacle.

That's Neville Marriner.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Paul,

Thanks. Corrected.

Next time kindly contact me email about
these errors.

 

[BarryR]

On an indirect note, I hope Paramount will see fit to release Forman's RAGTIME before too long...

 

[Micah Cohen]

HA! I am proud to be the only person who DOES NOT PLAN TO BUY THIS, and is retaining his treasured FLIPPER disc of the original theatrical release!
In my humble opinion, this film SUFFERED from the addition of the extra scenes! SUFFERED! I found them distracting, and they broke up the incredible inexorable momentum of the film. They really added nothing -- except E.B.'s nudity! -- to the overall film! They almost RUINED IT FOR ME! What a perfect film, and the additions were all less-than-perfect. Of the 20 added minutes, only maybe TWO were worthwhile. I dare to speak it -- the additions RUINED IT!
I'll stick with my dark, old flipper disc. I'm STICKING WITH IT! So THERE, Milos! So THERE!
Thanks for the great screenshots, tho, Ron!
MC
PS - I'll rent this one, tho, to hear the commentary track and watch the documentary. But that's just a rental! HA!

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Buy, buy, buy...so much to buy, but this is at the top of the pile. I missed this whole thing until I was a 22 year old. Bought it, watched it, loved it. The huge LD set was my first LD purchase, and I refused the flipper DVD...it'll be very nice to have this film again (and on one disc).

A triumph of the cinema!

Take care,
Chuck

 

[Brian W.]

or does it still sport that stupid Orion logo from the original DVD

For me, if that's the logo that was on the film when first released, that's the logo I want on the DVD. I didn't like it when they removed the original Warner Brothers logo from "The Exorcist" in favor of the WB 75th Anniversary logo.

But since this is a totally new cut of "Amadeus" I don't care.

 

[Adrian_P]

Haven't gotten around to purchasing Amadeus on DVD. One of my favorite films of all time. Haven't seen the Director's Cut as I don't recall it ever getting released anywhere near me. Hopefully I will enjoy this new cut as much as I enjoyed the original as I have already pre-ordered it.

 

[Seth_S]

The great thing about listening two individuals talk is that they know Mozart so well, and they really attempted to achieve authenticity with how they portrayed the composer in this film.

Not to be too picky, but Amadeus is the biggest lie when it comes to who Mozart actually was. The story is told by Salieri in a mental institution, so obviously the filmmakers were conscious of this, despite what they say in interviews and on the commentary. (The film's tagline was even "Everything you've heard is true.") Don't get me wrong, I love the film, but it pains me when people think that it's historically accurate. Now I'm not talking about minor details. For instance, while Mozart loved to tell dirty jokes and was known to be immature, he knew how to behave in front of royalty or more simply, he always acted professionally when it came to his profession. Next, while he was an extravagant spender, he could easily afford to do so. Mozart was in the top income bracket in Venna with lawyers and doctors. Only royalty made more than him. During the last year of his life he did have financial troubles, but this was because the Austrian Empire was at war and all of his patrons couldn't afford to spend money on having music composed. Hiis operas were incredibly popular - neither Le Nozze di Figaro or Don Giovanni were box-offices failures. And while the Emperor did say that Die Entführung aus dem Serail had too many notes, he was joking. In fact Emperor Joseph II was quiet knowledgeable about music. Speaking of his popularity, Mozart was very well known in his time as a composer and many people during his life proclaimed him as the greatest living composer. Now what the film successfully shows in that few people actually realized just how much of a genius he was. Lastly, there is even evidence which suggests that Mozart hardly drank alcohol.
Anyway, I think that Forman and Shaffer are purposely trying to dupe viewers into believing Salieri 's story since Amadeus is a story about story telling.
Great film, just don't believe anything.
Oh, as for the lack of an isolated score, WB obviously wants you to buy the sound track. This is probably better to do anyway considering how much of Mozart's music was edited so it could fit the lengths of scenes.

 

[Patrick McCart]

I'll stick with my dark, old flipper disc. I'm STICKING WITH IT! So THERE, Milos! So THERE!

Yeah, Milos Forman had his original cut released just to spite you.

 

[Dabu H]

Personally, i think it's a huge shame that the original theatrical release wasn't released as well. I saw this D.C. many months ago, and the extra scenes were really unnecessary. The only scene i did enjoy was the extended cut of the opera in the "common" playhouse (the one with the magical horse). Anyone know if there are plans for another release?

-Dave

 

[Patrick McCart]

The 1984 cut is on DVD already and it's not terrible.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

do the chapter stops on the box indicate which scenes are the "director's cut" scenes, a la "Apocalypse Now Redux"?

Yes...

 

[Iain Jackson]

Have a look at the press release... http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=80414
Anyway, I'm glad to hear that the documentary is longer.