Mask of Zorro: Original vs. SE vs. SB (1 Viewer)

[Aaron Garman]

Hello all. I decided to pop in my Mask of Zorro DVD tonight. I had forgotten how great the AV presentation is. I was curious if the SE or the SB really improve in this area. The colors on this just seem to pop out. The audio is very dynamic and directional as well. Any thoughts?

AJG

 

[Dan Hitchman]

If you have the original, DD-only version I would spring for the SuperBit Deluxe version.

The DTS audio is even better than the DD, and that's saying a lot since both the SE and SB's use a higher bitrate for DD than the previous barebones release.

Basically, except for the lack of the commentary and the needlessly included pan&scan version, the SuperBit version is the same as the special edition, but with the supplements over on the second disc rather than with the movie.

Dan

 

[Aaron Garman]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to think about it. With so many other DVD's out, and the fact that I'm in college, one must spend money wisely. But I'm such a sucker for killer DTS tracks. I bought Stargate on DTS laserdisc because I found it for $8 locally. Haven't finished it yet, any thoughts on this one?

AJG

 

[Britton]

From what I remember reading in previous posts, the original Mask of Zorro DVD had a better image quality than the SE because they crammed way too much on the disc. The Superbit is probably the best video presentation of the movie. Since it's also a Superbit Deluxe, and therefore has the same special features, there really is no reason to even consider getting the SE unless you desperately want the commentary and the P&S version. As a matter of fact, I believe the extras disc for the Superbit is the same disc that comes with the SE; even the disc art is the same.

 

[Rocky F]

I haven't actually seen the SB, but I can say that it wouldn't be the same disc as the SE. I fact, I've never understood exactly what they were thinking when they designed the SE. The first disc has the widescreen version of the film, with DTS and commentary, and all of the special features. The second disc has the full screen version of the disc, with DTS and commentary, but none of the extras. I never had any reason to even put the second disc in my player, so I made a color copy of the cover, stuck it in an extra keepcase I had lying around and gave it to my 6 year old nephew. (Don't worry, I am teaching him the importance of OAR, but like I said, I had no other use for the disc.) I guess my point is that at this point the SuperBit would probably be the way to go, although the SE might be cheaper. My display isn't good enough to justify it myself.

 

[Randy A Salas]

Since it's also a Superbit Deluxe, and therefore has the same special features, there really is no reason to even consider getting the SE unless you desperately want the commentary

The problem is that you should want the commentary. It's one of the best examples of a solo director's commentary available. The eloquent Martin Campbell offers a non-stop treatise on every aspect of the film's production, much of it not repeated in the making-of documentary and including bits about the original director, Robert Rodriguez.

 

[Brian McHale]

I also was surprised to find that the second disc in the SE only had the full screen version and NO extras. Since I put my DVDs in jewel cases, I moved the artwork into a regular keep case, inserted the second disc and mailed it to my in-laws.

I haven't seen the original or the SB, so I can't comment on relative quality.

 

[Dick]

I would highly recommend the true original version of this story, made in 1940 with Tyrone Power in gorgeous black and white - coming soon from Fox.

 

[Jeff_HR]

I would highly recommend the true original version of this story, made in 1940 with Tyrone Power in gorgeous black and white - coming soon from Fox.

The one & only!

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

The one & only!

Well, I would neither call it the "true original" or the "one and only" given the Douglas Fairbanks silent version that is currently available from both Image and Kino. I believe Kino even has a twofer available pairing both the Fairbanks "Mark of Zorro" and the sequel, "Don Q. Son of Zorro" along with some extras.

Regards,

 

[Randy A Salas]

I was going to say the same thing, Ken. Fairbanks was, after all, the actor who created Zorro on screen.

From my write-up a year ago, when the Kino disc came out:

Paper: STAR TRIBUNE (Mpls.-St. Paul) Newspaper of the Twin Cities
Headline: DVD // VIEWS // Fairbanks wields a swift sword
Date: 06/18/02
Byline: Randy A. Salas; Staff Writer

That sly smile, those effortless acrobatics, the masterful swordplay - all defined the swashbuckling heroes played by the inimitable early-film legend Douglas Fairbanks.

"There was never anybody in his league, as far as we were concerned," said director Orson Welles, who grew up idolizing Fairbanks - as did, he noted, his friend Laurence Olivier. Fairbanks "had something that nobody ever equaled--a kind of charm, a kind of dash, a sort of innocent arrogance that has never been seen since on the screen."

Welles' 12-minute tribute, taken from his 1971 TV series "The Silent Years," is among the supplements on the double-feature DVD "The Mark of Zorro"/"Don Q, Son of Zorro" (Kino, $29.95). It's one of two essential Fairbanks DVDs of his silent films--along with "The Iron Mask" (Kino, $29.95)--available today.

Fairbanks originated the film role of Zorro, the masked vigilante who fought for the oppressed in old Spanish California.

Although 1920's "The Mark of Zorro" is available on a no-frills DVD from Image, the new DVD contains a less-brightly tinted transfer that's more pleasing to the eye. Of course, it also has Fairbanks' other Zorro film, 1925's "Don Q."

The supplements are Welles' tribute, which was offered as an introduction to an airing of "The Mark of Zorro"; home-movie footage, including scenes of Fairbanks practicing with a whip for "Don Q"; a newsreel excerpt in which the actor clowns around with boxer Jack Dempsey, and three chapters from his 1918 motivational book, "Making Life Worthwhile." Jon C. Mirsalis' original piano score provides fine accompaniment for both films.

Fairbanks' reappearance as D'Artagnan in 1929's "The Iron Mask" (after 1921's "The Three Musketeers") signaled his farewell to the silent era. The film originally carried Fairbanks' spoken introductions, and they have been restored for this good-looking DVD. The restoration, done by New York's Museum of Modern Art, also includes a new orchestral score composed by Carl Davis.

The supplements are outtakes from three scenes in the film, including Fairbanks repeatedly (and tirelessly) swinging from a tree branch to grasp and hang from the bars of a second-story window; a five-minute excerpt from a 1952 reissue of the film in which the intertitles were removed and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. provided newsreel-like narration; an extensive gallery of concept art, production stills and behind-the-scenes photos; and comprehensive background essays taken from a 1999 program book for the restored film.

Fans simply must see the image of Fairbanks that ran with my write-up. That original 1925 photo was actually in our newspaper's archives.