LION of the DESERT (Finally on Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

[Ernest]

Anchor Bay Entertainment has released "Lion of the Desert" in Blu-ray in the full length version of 2 hours and 56 minutes. The movie staring Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed and Rod Steiger is now on Blu-ray for the first time.
In 1929 Benito Mussolini is still faced with the 20 year long war waged by Bedouin patriots to combat Italian colonization and establishment of the "Fourth Shore". Omar Mukhtar, teacher by profession, guerrilla by obligation, fights against his oppressors and commits himself to a war that cannot be won in his lifetime.
The Blu-ray is a big improvement over the DVD adding much more depth created by background objects that include more detail. For the first time I was able to clearly see the women's tongues wiggling when they are making a siren type noise.
Video: 1080P/24
Audio: DTS-HD MA
Running time: 2 hours 56 minutes
Region code: B
Highly recommended this Blu-ray can be purchased from Amazon.UK.

 

[TonyD]

Thanks for the heads up but foreign or non U.S. releases should be indicated as so in the title.

 

[AdrianTurner]

This 60s-style epic movie was bankrolled by Colonel Muammar Gadaffi and was filmed in the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (RIP). I saw it blown up to 70mm and bought the brochure.
The siren sound mentioned by the OP is called ululation - just one of several echoes of Lawrence of Arabia in this movie.

 

[David_B_K]

So do we know the aspect ratio of this Blu-ray? The original non-anamorphic DVD was letterboxed in the correct AR (2.35:1?); but the subsequent anamorphic DVD was cropped to 16:9.

 

[Ernest]

The aspect ratio is 1:78 x 1 the movie fills the 16 x 9 screen there are NO BLACK BARS. Looks really good doesn't have a cropped look that 2:35 x 1 downsized to 1:78 x 1 would have.

 

[David_B_K]

The aspect ratio is 1:78 x 1 the movie fills the 16 x 9 screen there are NO BLACK BARS. Looks really good doesn't have a cropped look that 2:35 x 1 downsized to 1:78 x 1 would have.

I'll pass on this. Epic films like LION OF THE DESERT deserve to be seen in all their widescreen splendor. Too bad my original non-anamorphic 2:35 x 1 DVD no longer plays.

 

[Ernest]

David you are correct I have owned all releases by Anchor Bay. (1.) the 4 x 3 letterbox, (2.) the 16 x 9 anamorphic DVD and (3.) the 1080P/24 Blu-ray. When Anchor Bay transferred the film to the 16 x 9 DVD the aspect ratio was changed to 1:78 x 1. The Blu-ray has followed the same format as the DVD and is presented in 1:78 x 1.

 

[Simon Lewis]

I was intending to get Lion Of The Desert, so I'm very disappointed that Anchor Bay have released this in 1.78:1. According to IMDB it was filmed in Panavision anamorphic, so if thats correct then Anchor Bay have cropped it. So I wont be buying.

 

[John Stockton]

Anchor Bay must be out of their minds to crop the movie yet again for the BD release. Is the company run by J6PK's who like their TVs filled all the way. :f :f :f
I am assuming they will also ruin the other Moustafa Akkad epic "The Message" :f :f :f

 

[Ernest]

It is unfortunate but the majority do not want black bars whether they be vertical or horizontal. Many of the Bond movies are playing this month on Encore HD and all the titles have be formatted to fill the screen. That is because subscribers complained many years ago to HOB and the others they did not want to see those dreaded black bars. VHS ruined the home viewing public by incorporating pan'n scan formatting. The majority never realized they were only seeing 2/3's or less of the movie and wanted that aspect to carry over to the movie channels. It is what it is there is no going back the majority whether right or wrong hate black bars of any type. Those of us that want movies always to be shown in the true aspect ratio are in the minority. We lost the battle a long time ago.

 

[Simon Lewis]

We lost the battle a long time ago.

We didn't lose the battle because the vast majority of DVD's and Blu-Rays are in correct aspect ratio.
On most modern TV's if people dont like the black bars they can simply hit the zoom control and get rid of the black bars in an instant. So Anchor Bays decision to deliberately crop these titles is a bit odd, in my opinion.

 

[flagbrothers]

What is mind boggling is that we are still having a discussions with the advent of widescreen televisions on companies not releasing films in the proper aspect ratio. I for one will not buy any CinemaScope or Panavision film cropped.

 

[David_B_K]

We didn't lose the battle because the vast majority of DVD's and Blu-Rays are in correct aspect ratio.
On most modern TV's if people dont like the black bars they can simply hit the zoom control and get rid of the black bars in an instant. So Anchor Bays decision to deliberately crop these titles is a bit odd, in my opinion.

Anchor Bay certainly lost the battle for my Blu-ray dollars.