International ORDINARY PEOPLE from Shock in Australia - A Quick Look (1 Viewer)

[Dick]

The good news? ORDINARY PEOPLE is available on Blu-ray as a legit commercial release in Australia. It looks a tad better than the domestic Paramount DVD.

The bad news? Where to begin...

Looks like a simple up-res to me. Sharper than a typical DVD, but with a peculiar combination of added DNR plus a layer of something to maybe offset it...well, it's like watching the movie through a scrim. There's a pattern over the image that isn't grain, and it doesn't move when the camera pans. It's subtle but, once you notice it, is annoying as hell. It also has a soft image due to the smoothing of natural grain, and there is little detail in things such as tree limbs, leaves, delicate lines, clothing textures, etc. The sound is okay, but certainly nothing thrilling (2.0 mono).

The disc has the "Shock" logo and then goes immediately into the Paramount logo and movie. There is no menu, and no option for subtitles.

I'd not recommend it except that it is one of the last remaining Oscar-winning films to receive Blu-ray release (Paramount has another one, too: THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH, still m.i.a.). ORDINARY PEOPLE took almost exactly one month to reach me. I'm glad to have it, knowing it is probably as good as we'll see of this film on physical disc. And it's an oddball release -- not coming from Imprint and its recent line of Paramount titles, this seems to be a rogue release from Shock, which has certainly produced better-looking product in the past.

I'd give it a C- / D+.

 

[Bryan^H]

I guess I will stick with the DVD. Weird how some award winning films are treated on home video. This must have sold terribly for Paramount on DVD.

 

[JohnRice]

It's available in HD on iTunes. I bought it for $5 and I'm fairly certain it looks better than how the BR appears to be.

 

[maxfabien]

The good news? ORDINARY PEOPLE is available on Blu-ray as a legit commercial release in Australia. It looks a tad better than the domestic Paramount DVD.

The bad news? Where to begin...

Looks like a simple up-res to me. Sharper than a typical DVD, but with a peculiar combination of added DNR plus a layer of something to maybe offset it...well, it's like watching the movie through a scrim. There's a pattern over the image that isn't grain, and it doesn't move when the camera pans. It's subtle but, once you notice it, is annoying as hell. It also has a soft image due to the smoothing of natural grain, and there is little detail in things such as tree limbs, leaves, delicate lines, clothing textures, etc. The sound is okay, but certainly nothing thrilling (2.0 mono).

The disc has the "Shock" logo and then goes immediately into the Paramount logo and movie. There is no menu, and no option for subtitles.

I'd not recommend it except that it is one of the last remaining Oscar-winning films to receive Blu-ray release (Paramount has another one, too: THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH, still m.i.a.). ORDINARY PEOPLE took almost exactly one month to reach me. I'm glad to have it, knowing it is probably as good as we'll see of this film on physical disc. And it's an oddball release -- not coming from Imprint and its recent line of Paramount titles, this seems to be a rogue release from Shock, which has certainly produced better-looking product in the past.

I'd give it a C- / D+.

Still waiting for blu-rays of "Broadway Melody", "Cimarron", "The Great Ziegfeld", "The Life of Emile Zola", Olivier's "Hamlet", and "Around the World in 80 Days" to complete all the Best Picture Oscar winners. Supposedly "The Lost Weekend" will be released shortly.

 

[Robin9]

Still waiting for blu-rays of "Broadway Melody", "Cimarron", "The Great Ziegfeld", "The Life of Emile Zola", Olivier's "Hamlet", and "Around the World in 80 Days" to complete all the Best Picture Oscar winners. Supposedly "The Lost Weekend" will be released shortly.

With a name like Max Fabien, you should be chasing a Blu-ray disc of Affair In Trinidad!

 

[maxfabien]

With a name like Max Fabien, you should be chasing a Blu-ray disc of Affair In Trinidad!

Already have All About Eve!

 

[B-ROLL]

Still waiting for blu-rays of "Broadway Melody", "Cimarron", "The Great Ziegfeld", "The Life of Emile Zola", Olivier's "Hamlet", and "Around the World in 80 Days" to complete all the Best Picture Oscar winners. Supposedly "The Lost Weekend" will be released shortly.

He's the announcement from the KINO announcements thread ....

Coming November 24th!

The Lost Weekend (1945)
• Brand New 4K Master
• Audio Commentary by Film Historian Joseph McBride
• Radio Adaptation
• TRAILERS FROM HELL with Mark Pellington
• Theatrical Trailer
• Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
• Optional English Subtitles

B&W 101 Minutes 1.37:1 Not Rated
From Billy Wilder, the legendary director of Double Indemnity, Sunset Blvd., Stalag 17, Witness for the Prosecution, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Irma La Douce and The Fortune Cookie, comes this classic drama starring screen great Ray Milland (X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, Reap the Wild Wind). An uncompromising look at the devastating effects of alcoholism, The Lost Weekend was almost never released because of the poor reaction by preview audiences unaccustomed to such stark realism from Hollywood. It has since gone on to be regarded as one of the all-time great dramas in movie history, featuring Milland’s haunting portrayal of a would-be writer’s dissatisfaction with life that leads to a self-destructive three-day binge. Filled with riveting imagery, this masterpiece, co-starring Jane Wyman (All That Heaven Allows), won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Wilder), Best Actor (Milland) and Best Screenplay (Charles Brackett and Wilder), and was nominated for Best Cinematography (John F. Seitz), Best Editing (Doane Harrison) and Best Score (Miklós Rózsa).

Oscar Winner: Best Picture (1946)
Oscar Winner: Best Director
Oscar Winner: Best Actor
Oscar Winner: Best Screenplay
Oscar Nominee: Best Cinematography
Oscar Nominee: Best Editing
Oscar Nominee: Best Score
Golden Globe Winner: Best Picture
Golden Globe Winner: Best Director
Golden Globe Winner: Best Actor
Cannes Film Festival Winner: Grand Prize (Picture)
Cannes Film Festival Winner: Best Actor
National Board of Review Winner: Best Actor
New York Film Critics Circle Winner: Best Picture
New York Film Critics Circle Winner: Best Director
New York Film Critics Circle Winner: Best Actor

 

[battlebeast]

Still waiting for blu-rays of "Broadway Melody", "Cimarron", "The Great Ziegfeld", "The Life of Emile Zola", Olivier's "Hamlet", and "Around the World in 80 Days" to complete all the Best Picture Oscar winners. Supposedly "The Lost Weekend" will be released shortly.

November 24 for LOST WEEKEND!

I too am waiting for the rest of the best picture winners on blue. (What’s the hold up, Warner’s?)
Anyway, I recently watched all those you mentioned, and GREATEST SHwas easily the best of them.

CIMARRON and BROADWAY need a lot of work.

ZEIGFELD was good, but needs work; not nearly as much as the two above. ZOLA needs work, too.

The Criterion HAMLET DVD is bad. But MoC did a release several years ago, so there should be a transfer that Criterion could use. They just don’t want to release it on Blu. I’ve asked them many times with no response. :/

 

[Dick]

He's the announcement from the KINO announcements thread ....

Coming November 24th!

The Lost Weekend (1945)
• Brand New 4K Master
• Audio Commentary by Film Historian Joseph McBride
• Radio Adaptation
• TRAILERS FROM HELL with Mark Pellington
• Theatrical Trailer
• Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
• Optional English Subtitles

B&W 101 Minutes 1.37:1 Not Rated
From Billy Wilder, the legendary director of Double Indemnity, Sunset Blvd., Stalag 17, Witness for the Prosecution, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Irma La Douce and The Fortune Cookie, comes this classic drama starring screen great Ray Milland (X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, Reap the Wild Wind). An uncompromising look at the devastating effects of alcoholism, The Lost Weekend was almost never released because of the poor reaction by preview audiences unaccustomed to such stark realism from Hollywood. It has since gone on to be regarded as one of the all-time great dramas in movie history, featuring Milland’s haunting portrayal of a would-be writer’s dissatisfaction with life that leads to a self-destructive three-day binge. Filled with riveting imagery, this masterpiece, co-starring Jane Wyman (All That Heaven Allows), won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Wilder), Best Actor (Milland) and Best Screenplay (Charles Brackett and Wilder), and was nominated for Best Cinematography (John F. Seitz), Best Editing (Doane Harrison) and Best Score (Miklós Rózsa).

Oscar Winner: Best Picture (1946)
Oscar Winner: Best Director
Oscar Winner: Best Actor
Oscar Winner: Best Screenplay
Oscar Nominee: Best Cinematography
Oscar Nominee: Best Editing
Oscar Nominee: Best Score
Golden Globe Winner: Best Picture
Golden Globe Winner: Best Director
Golden Globe Winner: Best Actor
Cannes Film Festival Winner: Grand Prize (Picture)
Cannes Film Festival Winner: Best Actor
National Board of Review Winner: Best Actor
New York Film Critics Circle Winner: Best Picture
New York Film Critics Circle Winner: Best Director
New York Film Critics Circle Winner: Best Actor

How is this relevant to the OP? I thought I was starting a thread about ORDINARY PEOPLE, an International release...

 

[Mark B]

I just pulled out my still sealed widescreen laserdisc of OP yesterday and transfered it to digital. It is really a brilliant film that should be given a top notch gold star release.

 

[maxfabien]

I just pulled out my still sealed widescreen laserdisc of OP yesterday and transfered it to digital. It is really a brilliant film that should be given a top notch gold star release.

I don't understand why this was never released on blu-ray. I hope it happens soon, along with the other 7 Best Picture Oscar winners not yet available on blu-ray.

 

[JohnRice]

BTW, I did take a quick look at the streaming version on iTunes and it looks exactly how the OP described the Australian BR. Probably an upres, with what appears to be some weird, almost pseudo, static grain pattern in it. Like something intended to mask the actual grain. I don't know, but it looks awful.

 

[titch]

I don't understand why this was never released on blu-ray. I hope it happens soon, along with the other 7 Best Picture Oscar winners not yet available on blu-ray.

Never released on blu-ray? Masters Of Cinema released an excellent region "B" version in 2012. Anyway, The Lost Weekend has nothing to do with the thread title, which is Ordinary People.

See on Amazon

 

[JohnRice]

What movie is this thread about?

 

[KMR]

What movie is this thread about?

At this point, it seems like it might be anything you want it to be...

 

[SixOfTheRichest]

I love Ordinary People, took me over a decade to appreciate it but that was just a maturity thing and when I was younger it looked a bit too drab. I have watched many many times and one of the best family drama films I have ever seen. A grittier t.v. movie of the week that the 70's and 80's were so good at doing. Redford kept it all skillfully and carefully on track.

I do NOT care for Raging Bull at all. One I have tried to appreciate and many movie buffs believe this should have won best picture. I find it to be an ugly, repellent and even boring film. I bet they have never even seen OP either. The best performance I have ever seen Donald Sutherland give and while his character was initially in denial, he was such a warm and generous person. What a terrific bloke to have for a dad.

I will keep it on dvd for now. It would be nice to see on blu ray and sharper, but this edition does sound drab.

 

[Nick*Z]

The sad reality is that disc sales are in steep decline and unless that trend changes, the quantity and quality of disc output will continue to dwindle. It makes supporting work like that done by Warner on their WAC titles all the more prudent - to show the studio's we appreciate what they do and offer and to encourage them to do more. Case in point. In the recent spate of WAC titles, they included Pump Up The Volume - hardly a classic, and a movie to have its following, though I am not among the devotees.

Nevertheless, I bought a copy. Why? Well, I have a friend who, although appreciating the movie, likely would not buy it for herself, and second, to send a message to WAC, namely, that so long as they keep their end up in terms of quality and output, I am there to support their efforts. I should point out, I haven't missed a WAC new-to-Blu release in the last 5 years. It's quite a collection, and whenever one of their offerings doesn't interest me, I find it a good home elsewhere from my roster of friends, where I know it will be loved as much as I love the real/reel classics they are putting out in tandem with titles like Pump Up the Volume and Selena.

Bought both. Gave both away. Ditto for The Green Slime and Queen From Outer Space. Kept about 85% for myself. My ratio of WAC titles on MOD DVD, of course, far outnumbers the Blu's currently, simply because WAC's output of MOD DVD to Blu is top-heavy. But when I die, someone will be inheriting a hell of a film library. At last count,

I'm holding onto nearly all of the studio's releases from 1935-1952, and about 60% of their output elsewhere. My goal is to literally own every MGM movie ever made that is released via WAC now or in the future. Basically, I can then hang a shingle outside my front door that reads something like "Irving Thalberg and Louis B. Mayer worked here" and theoretically, mean it. I pray they continue to treasure these movies as I have and continue to do so. Collecting great vintage art - be in a sculpture, painting, rare book, or, in my case, great movies, is NEVER a waste of time or money.