The High Road to China (1983) (1 Viewer)

[Richard--W]

will be released April 17 by Hen's Tooth:
http://www.amazon.com/High-Road-China-Blu-ray-Selleck/dp/B00744WZ0I/ref=sr_1_4?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1329819560&sr=1-4

 

[Thomas Agermose]

YES. Hoping for oar and all-region.
Website says 1.78:1 but oar is 2.35:1

 

[Worth]

I'm almost certain that High Road to China was shot at 1.85.

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Worth /t/318686/the-high-road-to-china-1983#post_3899472
I'm almost certain that High Road to China was shot at 1.85.

Shot in Technovision, which appears to have been spherical for this show, and beautifully by cinematographer Ron Taylor.

RAH

 

[Rick Thompson]

It should be noted that Amazon's aspect ratio listings have been known to be wrong. They're probably supplied by the manufacturer. I can't think of a case where Amazon listed the wrong aspect ratio where the DVD/Blu actually had that wrong ratio. Invariably, the actual product has it right. Excluding "full screen" cases, why would you do a release with the wrong ratio?

 

[theonemacduff]

A lot will depend on how the film is transferred. If they use negatives, rather than an anamorphic print, the results could be fantastic (American Graffiti, also shot in Techniscope, looks to me fantastic on BR). I saw High Road in the theatres when it came out and enjoyed it tremendously. Not a great film, but energetic and fun – and with non-digital biplanes too: what more could anyone ask for?

 

[JoHud]

Look forward to this one. Despite the incorrect aspect ratio, I'm glad Hen's Tooth decided to make this their first blu-ray release.
Another Tom Selleck film, Lassiter is also forthcoming by Hen's Tooth, but only DVD

 

[Thomas Agermose]

It should be noted that Amazon's aspect ratio listings have been known to be wrong. They're probably supplied by the manufacturer. I can't think of a case where Amazon listed the wrong aspect ratio where the DVD/Blu actually had that wrong ratio. Invariably, the actual product has it right. Excluding "full screen" cases, why would you do a release with the wrong ratio?

Hen's Tooth's own website: http://www.henstoothvideo.com/bluray.html
lists the release as 1.78:1. Imdb has the OAR listed as 2.35:1.
Fingers crossed that Mr. Dobbs and Harris are correct, and it was shot flat.
The posters at http://eu.movieposter.com/poster/MPW-48855/High_Road_to_China.html sure look like 1.85:1.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Technovision, not Techniscope, refers to a company providing lenses, cameras, cranes (the Technocrane), etc. so much like Panavision, which manufactures and distributes lenses and cameras, not all films wind up in the same aspect ratio, since Panavision handles both spherical and scope optics. Technovision provided equipment for many films shot in and outside of the US and in far-flung locations, like Apocalypse Now, Popeye, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Trois Couleurs: Rouge.. the list goes on. Note that both of the last two films were shot flat, and the credit in Rouge specifically mentions camera equipment. I would not be surprised in the least if High Road to China was shot flat.

Techniscope was a 2-perf process designed to take advantage of the greater flexibility of spherical lenses over anamorphic lenses, and is the process used for the Sergio Leone westerns, early Dario Argento films and George Lucas' first two films, among others

 

[Jeff Newcomb]

I contacted the president of Hen's Tooth, Steven Newmark, who confirms that it was shot flat and will be 1.78.

 

[Richard--W]

Thanks for looking into that. Now we know.
It will be nice to finally get the film that matches the soundtrack CD by John Barry.
One of his best scores.
Now if only Warner Brothers could be persuaded to release Lassiter (1984) on Blu-ray.

Getting back to Hen's Tooth, I wish they'd go back to the OCN or something and upgrade Heartland (Levitt-Pickman, 1979) directed by Richard Pearce. It is perhaps the most intelligent western ever made, drawing on the prairie letters by mail-order bride Elinore Pruitt Stewart, and telling a factual story about ranch life and cowboying that is refreshingly devoid of mythological elements. There are visible guns in the film, but nobody uses them, or has reason to, yet the story does not lack conflict and adversity. A satisfying western drama, vastly under-rated:

Hen's Tooth present DVD is full screen, but I'm almost positive the correct aspect ratio is 1:85. Shot mostly in the freezing winter, the classic framing and bright gritty cinematography is made to look dim and ugly by an analog-quality transfer. Time for Hen's Tooth to brush this tooth.

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

I think I saw that Hen's Tooth is planning a standard-def release of LASSITER as well as HIGH ROAD TO CHINA; don't recall if there will be Blu for that title though. Both Selleck films were made for Golden Harvest, initially released by WB, but now are controlled by the same licensor that provided them to HT. I want to say it was ITV, since HT have licensed stuff from them before (BOYS IN COMPANY C, FEAR OF A BLACK HAT), and the former ITC obtained TV rights to both films from GH before they closed up shop.
Too bad director Brian G. Hutton passed before this came to fruition. He didn't work that often, but when he did he made some grand entertainments and it would have been nice to hear him discuss those films and why he didn't make more movies.

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

Too bad director Brian G. Hutton passed before this came to fruition. He didn't work that often, but when he did he made some grand entertainments and it would have been nice to hear him discuss those films and why he didn't make more movies.

Old thread, I know...but I believe Brian G. Hutton is still with us, albeit still retired from filmmaking.

 

[Worth]

Old thread, I know...but I believe Brian G. Hutton is still with us, albeit still retired from filmmaking.

Sadly, not any more...

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/brian-g-hutton-dead-kellys-726609

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

Sadly, not any more...

Indeed.