HTF REVIEW: "The Quiet Man" (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

There is no problem with the film elements for Quiet Man.

All original elements exist.

The problem is with the publisher not caring what they put out.

The pity of a release of this type is that it will be purchased by many people switching over from VHS, and finding the same horrific quality picture which has been available, the concept of what DVD can offer will be lost.

QM can be made to look gorgeous, even on VHS.

But someone at Artison has to care enough.

What at pity.

Do not purchase this dvd. If you already have it...

return it.

Re: How Green...

The current DVD is beautiful and very representative of the film. Word is that an even better release is coming. For those who don't already own it, I would have no problem suggesting a purchase of the current release, which can be given to a friend if and when it is subsumed by another. How Green should be one of those core films for any film collector.

RAH

 

[DaViD Boulet]

What can be done? Should we all write Criterion and beg them to negotiate for the rights to produce a proper transfer of this? Now that the studio who owns the rights has made their SE and can garner sales they may be more likely to let Criterion do it in the future.

I'll send an email to Criterion via their website and see if I get a response.

-dave

 

[Robert Harris]

The films are now owned by Paramount, to whom the current license will revert within a certain time period. Sit back, do nothing, and bide your time, until Paramount releases them, no doubt in beautiful editions.

RAH

 

[Kajs]

Republic put out some pretty good DVDs that I picked up like "Its a Wonderful Life," "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," "High Noon," and "The Bells of Saint Mary's." In the booklet inside some of them it said "The Quiet Man" and "Young at Heart" would be future releases, I couldn't wait to get the same high quality THX approved transfers. Well once distribution switched to Artisan "The Quiet Man" came out looking horrible and over a year later "Young at Heart," not looking good itself.

Why did Republic have to give distibution to Artisan of all companies??????

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Wow Robert. Thanks for the info.
If anyone is interested in requesting that Criterion address this title (or others) contact them here:
http://www.criterionco.com/asp/ask_form.asp
Robert, any idea what is the situation with Last Emperor? Is it going to revert to a larger studio as well? I bought the Korean import (region 0) and it has a LOVELY (not reference, but quite watchable on a projection system) 16x9 anamorphic transfer of the theatrical version (though it as on a 2nd disc the same sub-par 4x3 lbxed aliasing-ridden horrid artisan transfer of the SE version).
So at least I got my theatrical version in a form I can project and watch without cringing for dear life!
Any others of you out there who would like a region 0 NTSC version of the theatrical cut of "The Last Emperor" the Korean Import is your ticket to joy...a very film-like presentation that will delight you on a 16x9 HDTV or projection screen and you DON'T need a region-free player to watch it!
-dave

 

[Douglas R]

RE: How Green was my Valley

The current DVD is beautiful and very representative of the film

I can't agree with this Robert. I don't know what the technical term for it is but the disc is full of scenes where the background keeps moving about compared to the foreground. I will quickly ditch my present disc when Fox bring out the new version.

 

[Jo_C]

Hmmmmm...puff...OK, here's the drill again which I discussed numerous times on other message boards.

Republic was once a wholly owned subsidiary of Spelling Entertainment. Before Viacom bought Republic in its entirety, the studio struck a home video output deal with Artisan for the video rights to their library. Shortly after the deal, Spelling consolidated its companies (WorldVision, for example, became Republic). The current Artisan/Republic deal runs a certain amount of years.

And Robert Harris, while it's partially true that Paramount owns "The Quiet Man" and other Republic films (Paramount's Classics division actually owns the distribution rights), remember Republic still exists in-name-only, so Republic is still the true owner of these films. But Mr. Harris, in a way you are correct since Paramount does indeed now own Republic.

Oh, one more thing that needs to be said for all future reviews of Republic titles...the studio is Republic, not Artisan...you could say 'Studio: Republic (through Artisan)'.

Other than that...well, "Quiet Man" could use some more work.

'nuff said?

 

[Henry V]

This is bad news but thanks for the warning anyway,the current "Quiet Man" DVD is the worst looking transfer I own and I have no intention of giving Artisan another penny for their butchery of a classic in a new not-so-Special Edition.

 

[Rain]

The films are now owned by Paramount, to whom the current license will revert within a certain time period. Sit back, do nothing, and bide your time, until Paramount releases them, no doubt in beautiful editions.

Well, that is indeed the best news I've heard all day.
Thanks for the 411, Robert.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Thanks RAH for your comments and this is just a crying shame that Artisan thinks so little of this film then to release the dvd with such a poor video presentation after a second dvd release.




Crawdaddy

 

[Adam_S]

A crying shame about the transfer, I was really looking forward to buying this blind (John ford is a personal favorite), because I thought I'd wait to see a really amazing visual presentation on the new dvd. No sale for me! :frowning:

It was a very personal film for director
John Ford who was originally from Ireland and
always wanted to tell a story about his roots.
....
John Ford used to love to tell all sorts of false stories
to people

and that he was from Ireland was one of his favorite stories to tell. Ford was born in Maine grew up in Maine, played football in Maine, and CLAIMED to have shortly attended a Maine college; his father may have been from Ireland, I can't quite remember. His given name was Finney or something close to that; Ford is his 'Hollywood' name.
damn, I really would have loved to have this film, I'll probably wind up renting it for the extras.
Adam

 

[Ronald Epstein]

and that he was from Ireland was one of his favorite stories to tell. Ford was born in Maine grew up in Maine, played football in Maine, and CLAIMED to have shortly attended a Maine college;

Well I'll be damned!

You know, I did research on this film before
writing the DVD review and everything I read
has stated Ford was from Ireland. I think, it
is even brought out in the supplemental docs.

That's interesting to hear.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Ron,
It's no biggie, his parents were Irish immigrants. The family's Irish name was O'Fearna, but in the States the name became O'Feeney, but John took the last name of Ford from his older brother who was a film director and actor in silent films. Matter of fact, that's John's brother Francis playing the elderly gentleman supposedly dieing in bed with his family praying by his bedside when the big brawl breaks out and then him rushing out the house putting his pants on to watch the fight. Another interesting fact is that John's real first name is Sean which happens to be John Wayne's character's first name, would that be a coincedence? No way! John Ford was a rascal and a brilliant filmmaker.




Crawdaddy

 

[Sanjay Gupta]

One would think atleast in today's more enlightened (?) times Native Americans would no longer be referred to as Indians because they are not.

Sanjay

 

[Nick_Scott]

One would think atleast in today's more enlightened (?) times Native Americans would no longer be referred to as Indians because they are not

Funny you should say that- I just heard someone saying on AM Radio that "Native American" is now offensive since any person born in America is "native", and the proper term for those pre-european groups is "Aboriginal Americans".

Doesnt exactly roll off the tongue though... But thats political correctness for ya....

Anyway, great movie. I bought the original DVD for the beautifull Irish landscapes.. and was disappointed by the transfer. I have a nice collection of "irish" movies, though most are actually filmed in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK (ie Roan Inish, Waking Ned Divine,etc).

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

The screen shots certainly do look like they were from the same transfer of the same element with the same registration problems that has been appearing on VHS, laserdisc, and DVD for a decade now. Of course, being the sucker that I am, I will probably buy it again and then again when someone finally gets it right. Fool me once (laserdisc) shame on you. Fool me twice (DVD) shame on me. Fool me three times (DVD w/more extras), well, P.T. Barnum had a quote about people like me being born every minute. :b

BTW, I would never have described the colors as "washed out" (although this would apply to some broadcast masters of the film that I see from time to time on cable). This transfer has brilliant color, but lots of smearing and little detail.

Regards,

 

[Cees Alons]

... and that he was from Ireland was one of his favorite stories to tell.

Which almost proves in itself he must have had Irish roots....
Cees

 

[Robert Crawford]

I am sorry to report that the supposedly new remastered transfer on this latest release of "The Quiet Man" appears to be the same one used on the previously released dvd. I'm still doing some more A versus B comparisons, but so far, the same defects appear on both dvds. Like Ken mentioned, there is a lot of smearing and a general lack of detail in many scenes.




Crawdaddy

 

[Randy A Salas]

One would think atleast in today's more enlightened (?) times Native Americans would no longer be referred to as Indians because they are not.

Our style at the Minneapolis Star Tribune is "American Indians" on first reference and just "Indians" on subsequent references. Why? Because that's what the leaders of our large American Indian community here in Minnesota told us that *they* prefer.

 

[CameronS]

I am sorry to report that the supposedly new remastered transfer on this latest release of "The Quiet Man" appears to be the same one used on the previously released dvd. I'm still doing some more A versus B comparisons, but so far, the same defects appear on both dvds. Like Ken mentioned, there is a lot of smearing and a general lack of detail in many scenes.

Thanks Artisan! Now I'll have more money to spend on other studio's relases this week!