Solaris (1 Viewer)

[Mark_Wilson]

Watched this DVD the other day. I never had the chance to see the LD version. RUSICO has done a great job on this DVD. The picture is very clean and anamorphic. I only noticed one or two frame 'judders' during the almost 3 hour movie. It is spread across two DVDs. Probably a good idea because of the three 5.1 tracks (english, russina, french) and 14, 14!, subtitle tracks. There are a few extras, production photos and something that looks like a documentary, couldn't tell. I didn't watch too much of it. The only noticed one problem. I watch the English dub with English subtitles. Good thing as titles aren't subtitled with the English sub track on and during about 6 scenes in the movie the English track falls back to Russian. I don't know if the English dub was damaged or if they added scenes back into the movie that never had an English dub. The dub doesn't sound new and I thought it very good, for a dub.
This disc was a bear to find! Link Removed was the only place that had it. There web ordering thing looked like it took my order but didn't. After a week I phoned in an order. You'll need to ask for an english sales person, but after that they were very helpful.
I'd love to see a Criterion version of this fine movie.

 

[alan halvorson]

Well, you're going to see a Criterion version of this film - it's scheduled for release next year.
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They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa To the funny farm. Where life is beautiful all the time and I'll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats and they're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!!!!
- Napoleon XIV

 

[Rich Malloy]

I think SOLARIS is the finest Ruscico disc I've seen. Of course, I can't wait for Criterion's (and I hope it's a special edition), but in the meantime I highly recommend the Ruscico release.
And although I do NOT care for most of the 5.1 remixes that Ruscico does (their Andrei Rublev sounds very artificial in many places), I was simply blown away by what they've done to SOLARIS. It's an extraordinarily aggressive and directional mix - and it works! In fact, I think it's one of the most effective 5.1 remixes of an original monaural track I've ever heard. The long scene where Berton drives back to Moscow from Kelvin's dachau is simply extraordinary. It comes alive in a way that the original track never quite did, and the immediate cut from the noise and fury of the traffic to the nighttime quiet of the countryside elicited an astonished "wow" from both myself and my wife.
I'm usually a purist on these things, preferring the original track to any after-the-fact remixing. But credit where it's due. This is an extraordinary remix.

 

[Jonathan.e]

I believe the Criterion will be a direct port of the Ruscico disc as the R2 UK Artificial Eye disc is identical - that was one of the conditions of the licence. The R2 UK disc is available to pre-order on line for as little as $22 for anyone with multi region capability.

 

[Rich Malloy]

I really don't think the Criterion release will be a port of the Ruscico disc. First, the Ruscico disc is mastered from PAL and has the inherent speed-up. Second, the original audio track is not included and I don't believe Criterion is interested in a 5.1 remix for this film.

And, finally, Criterion was pissed upon hearing that this release was being sold by distributors based in the US, as they have exclusive distribution rights. I recall a very strongly worded letter that Ron shared with us before closing a thread discussing the Ruscico SOLARIS release.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

And, finally, Criterion was pissed upon hearing that this release was being sold by distributors based in the US, as they have exclusive distribution rights. I recall a very strongly worded letter that Ron shared with us before closing a thread discussing the Ruscico SOLARIS release.

Because one importer that was selling the disc had sold bootlegs before, there was confusion that the Ruscico release might be bootleg. It is not.

Criterion could sue a business importing and distributing this title in the USA, but the business cannot be arrested as grey importing is not a crime.

Discussion of Rusciso imports is no different than 90% of the discussion in the 'Regional DVD' area of the forum.

I'm waiting for the Criterion release, but they have no right to try and suppress discussion of grey imports.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Oh, I completely agree, Michael (at least to the extent that Ruscico's disc is completely legit and I have every right to purchase it).

But Ron didn't see things that way!

 

[Kevin Coleman]

Exactly right Michael,
If Criterion was that worried about it they should get off their duff and release their own version and quit whining. I have the Russico release and it is a fine disc.
Kevin C.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

But Ron didn't see things that way!

The situation was confusing, particularly due to the way that Criterion worded their accusations.

 

[Ted Todorov]

I really don't think the Criterion release will be a port of the Ruscico disc. First, the Ruscico disc is mastered from PAL and has the inherent speed-up. Second, the original audio track is not included and I don't believe Criterion is interested in a 5.1 remix for this film.

If this is so, then it would be really worth it to buy the upcoming Artificial Eye disk or the Russico PAL version (does St-P sell that and does it have English subs?)

Ted

 

[Jonathan.e]

The 5.1 mix has been praised in the reviews I’ve read so R2 will be getting my cash this time around instead of Criterion. Same with Withnail & I.

 

[Rich Malloy]

I'm impressed by the 5.1 remix RUSCICO did for SOLARIS (though I'm not impressed by their remixes on other films, particularly ANDREI RUBLEV).

I'd pick it up, if only to bide the time between now and the (hopefully feature-laden) Criterion release. The image quality of the RUSCICO disc is also quite good, though not particularly "film-like" (it has the cold "digitized" look of a transfer like CITIZEN KANE, though comparitively not as good as Kane's). It's also from a PAL master and thus has the inherent speedup, though I didn't notice any of the strange "jerkiness" that seems to accompany PAL>NTSC transfers on panning and tracking shots. These may well be noticeable on larger displays.

Ruscico's STALKER is due out in December (no firm date yet). From the looks of the trailer included on previous Ruscico Tarkovsky discs, it should be a winner.

 

[Takayuki Kihara]

Ted,

Ruscico version is in NTSC. I believe this version is more expensive than the UK PAL version (it costs about $40 from US online retailers), so the UK version might be a better choice because they are identical. At least the NTSC version is all region, though (I'm not sure of the UK version). The disc has tons of subs, and the English is certainly one of them.

 

[Nathan_H]

Anybody seen the Stalker disc yet? The Rusisico site still says Dec 2001 as the release date.... but I can't seem to find it for sale.
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edit: it's out now (Jan 18), for example at http://www.rbcmp3.com/store/product....=850&sku=29321