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Matter of life (1 Viewer)

Jon Martin

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A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH is available from Movies Unlimited. It is from Nostalgia Family and is a fair--but "watery" in spots-- transfer
That sounds like a bootleg to me. Movies Unlimited has been known to release films with questionable rights issues. They all put that FBI warning in there to make it seem legit.

Columbia issued it on VHS in the 90s so I would assume they still own the rights. Anyone else releasing it would be questionable.
 

PhilipG

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Excellent news, Brian. I can't believe I've missed this thread up till now, as AMOLAD is my favourite movie. :)

But, if you have a multiregion player, it is available on a UK DVD on a double feature disc with COLONEL BLIMP, for less than the Criterion BLIMP DVD.

No extras though.
Not true about the extras. My R2 DVD (which I bought even despite my hatred of PAL speedup) has a "Behind The Scenes Commentary" featurette, which is actually a very interesting 9 min interview with Director of Photography Jack Cardiff.
 

Richard Stammer

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Just so everyone knows, I was unhappy with the PAL speedup from the Carlton release. Investigated some more and got a beautiful asian DVD from YesAsia that is basically the Carlton release but in NTSC. Fewer artifacts, correct speed. Beats the Region 2 Carlton until the restored copy is hopefully released.
 

PaulP

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Hmm, my preorder on Amazon still says 5/25 yet on DVD Empire they changed it to TBA :frowning: I hope it comes through though. I see the R2 has a commentary by the cinematographer. Hopefully that's being ported over (fingers crossed).
 

Rain

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DVDAf has some cover art up for this disc.

If it's accurate, then it appears Columbia/Tristar has once again dropped the ball, as it looks like they are releasing it as "Stairway to Heaven."

From what I've read on the subject, P&P hated that title. And I may be mistaken, but I thought I had read that Thelma Schoonmaker was involved with the restoration and was quite adamant about using the proper title. :confused:
 

Terry St

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If it's accurate, then it appears Columbia/Tristar has once again dropped the ball, as it looks like they are releasing it as "Stairway to Heaven."

From what I've read on the subject, P&P hated that title. And I may be mistaken, but I thought I had read that Thelma Schoonmaker was involved with the restoration and was quite adamant about using the proper title.
If you were a clueless PHB concerned only with selling as many DVD's as possible, would you not pick the name that matches a song you probably have in the glove compartment of your car? (Some people say that any recording left in a glove compartment for more than a fortnight will magically morph into a Queen's Greatest Hits album, but I'd say a few randomly mutate into Led Zeppelin as well.) Such is life.

But honestly, would those in the know actually *not* buy this movie because of the title? I'd preorder this baby the very first possible moment even if they renamed it "Scottish Highlander Mothra vs. Led Zeppelin, a.k.a. Invasion of the Blanc Manges 3".
 

Peter M Fitzgerald

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I wouldn't be too worried about the fate of the actual on-screen title. The Columbia Tristar VHS edition of a few years back sported "STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN" on its box, but the print had the proper "A MATTER OF LIFE & DEATH" title in the credits.

Every time I've seen the film broadcast on TV in the USA, either 1980s airings on WPIX 11 out of NYC, or cable/satellite broadcasts on BRAVO and IFC, the TV listings would say "STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN", while the real title would always be "A MATTER OF LIFE & DEATH".

The fact that Sony/Columbia apparently went to a lot of trouble to restore it a few years ago (from the negative, imported from the UK) would seem to cement the notion that this wouldn't feature the "STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN" title. I suspect that we in the USA haven't seen the "STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN" title in the film itself since Universal lost the domestic distribution rights, long ago. It'd be cool if a clip of the "STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN" title were included as a little extra, though (or the American-release trailer of the old, Universal-distributed version).

This also happens with some other Powell/Pressberger films; sometimes TCM airs "NIGHT AMBUSH", but what we actually get (fortunately) is the un-cut version, under it's proper title ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT (1957). Same deal with "PURSUIT OF THE GRAF SPEE", what is always shown is (correctly) BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE (1956).
 

PaulP

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Isn't the "Stairway to Heaven" version cut, thus a different title? Or am I mistaken?
 

Rain

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But honestly, would those in the know actually *not* buy this movie because of the title?
On principle, I would avoid buying it if they used the improper title onscreen.

If it's just "Stairway to Heaven" on the box, but A Matter of Life and Death onscreen, then I couldn't care less. I'd buy it if it came in a brown paper bag, so long as the onscreen presentation is correct.
 

Jay E

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Since you mentioned the title Peter, Ill Met By Moonlight is coming out in the UK on DVD in May.

For Michael Powell fans who have a multi-region player, here are some of his other films out on DVD in the UK:

49th Parrallel, The
Battle of the River Plate
A Canterbury Tale
Gone to Earth
Small Back Room, The
- Coming in May
 

Jay Gregory

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I placed this DVD on my wish list several weeks ago, and today I noticed that Amazon is showing cover art. The cover sports a picture of Niven and Hunter, a Martin Scorsese quote, and the title A Matter Of Life And Death.

In less exciting news, the release date has been changed to 12/31/2025.

Don't know that this link will last forever, but here it is:
AMOL&D Cover at Amazon
 

PaulP

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I preordered this a few days ago. Now it's changed to a December 31, 2025 release date, which means it's probably delayed or canceled. Hopefully we'll get some news either way.

:angry: :angry: :angry:
 

Cees Alons

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After all that restoration work, 'delayed' seems more probable than 'cancelled'.


Cees
 

John Hodson

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Great stuff Gordon! It was listed at dvdpacific.com albeit sans release date, but now it's disappeared.

---
So many films, so little time...
 

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