Rod Serling's "Patterns" in out on the 26th!!! (1 Viewer)

[Gordon McMurphy]

I was shocked to see that this astonishing film is finally being released on DVD! How was this release overlooked? Truly great film, folks.

From the Roan Group - and there's extras, too!

Patterns

Amazon listing

One of the most welcome DVD surprises this year, for me.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I hope the specs on Amazon's site are wrong because this movie was filmed in B&W not color. Also, for those that might wonder, Patterns wasn't filmed in a widescreen format.







Crawdaddy

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

As far as I can ascertain, Roan have never released a colorized DVD. They seem to treat their transfers with care and the extras indicate that they respect this film greatly.

 

[Eric Peterson]

I've always wanted to see this, and have never had the opportunity. It looks like it's finally here.

 

[Jay E]

Since it is public domain Patterns is out on DVD already but I've avoided it as I'm not sure what the quality is like.

I'm glad that The Roan Group is also releasing this as I'll finally be able to pick it up.

 

[Scott_J]

If you look at the back cover posted at the first link in the first post of this thread, you'll notice that the pictures of the film are all in B&W, so I would assume that is also how the film is on the DVD.

Here's the direct link:
https://buy.tromamovies.com/images/AED2099-fs.jpg

 

[Craig Beam]

I'm all over this. I've got the film saved on my DVR, and have watched it three or four times over the past year...

 

[JohnMor]

I've only seen a kinescope of the tele-film version of this, which starred Richard Kiley and featured a very young Elizabeth Montgomery as one of the secretaries. Has anyone seen both, and can you tell me how they compare?

 

[Matt_H]

now the only rod serling thing i need is Encounter with the Unknown!

 

[Geremia P.]

The theatrical version is solid, but there's no replacing the tension of the original live TV broadcast. Ed Begley is great in both.

 

[JohnMor]

Geremia P: Thanks for the input. I just might get this on a blind buy.

 

[Neil_Duffy]

Has anyone managed to get hold of this yet???

 

[TravisR]

Mine shipped from Amazon. I should have it tomorrow.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

Hi, Neil.

I received my copy this morning (along with Manufacturing Consent, the excellent, epic Noam Chomsky documentary).

The transfer is said to be "Digitally Remastered and Restored from Original Film Elements" and the picture quality indeed inidicates that a decent element was used, although I doubt that it was the original camera negative, dupe neg, or a fine grain master positive. It looks like a third or fourth generation element. The picture is fairly sharp and his a decent grey-scale. I was very worried when the introduction to the film by Lou Lumenick (New York Post) included clips that had that awful green-tinged 16mm look, but the main feature is a true monochromatic range. Fine, occasionally coarser film grain is visable throughout, as is slight frame damage, but overall, the image is good for what you pay.

The sound isn't remastered at all and contains hiss, crackle, drop-outs at reel-changes (roughly every 10th minute). This is where most money should be spend during mastering on vintage films, I feel. Criterion and Warner, unsurprisingly do the most extensive work in this field.

The extras are okay. They are basically opinions from people you don't associate with the film, like Troma Films President, Lloyd Kaufman (in which he lambasts the hypocrisy of Elia Kazan for naming names and getting the Lifetime Achievement Academy Award!). Director Vincent Sherman (The Adventures of Don Juan) talks about the Blacklisting, which has a tenuous link to the film, but is nevertheless, fascinating.


Overall, it's a very good package for the low price.