The Premiere Frank Capra Collection (1 Viewer)

[Rick Z.]

I checked the amazon.com dowloadable interview with Frank Capra Jr. discussing this upcoming set and while most of it is pure fluff (he even talks about what he thinks of remakes (!))there are some nice things like learning that these upcoming transfers will be high def sourced this time, apparently they've been restored like the previous Cary Grant set. Too bad the interview doesn't mention who will appear in the commentaries, although I'm pretty sure they'll be the same from Capra Jr. as the previous DVDs which thankfully I never bought. And the only one I did, Lost Horizon, is not included here though I would definitely be interested in an a remastered and more complete version of the film (which is highly unlikely to happen, I mean, what they didn't find in 20+ years of search they won't find it now....hope I'm wrong).

The big bonus, of course will be the 1997 two hour doc on the sixth disc. Though apparently there will also be other featurettes.

Are there any reviews already or is it too early?

 

[Rick Z.]

has anyone seen the 2 hour TV doc included on the sixth disc?

 

[JohnMor]

Yes, and it's excellent. Goes over his life and all his films pretty thoroughly. A little dry for non fans or non-Hollywood history buffs, but for others it's highly recommended.

 

[Jeff Wilson]

The featurettes on American Madness and YCTIWY are new; the rest are recycled from previous releases. The new commentaries for Madness and YCTIWY feature Capra Jr and NYU professor Catherine Kellison, but neither gets into anything beyond the superficial.

 

[Rick Z.]

I pretty much imagined that. So where did you get this information, Jeff?

 

[Jeff Wilson]

I'm reviewing the set for Digitally Obsessed.

 

[Rick Z.]

Great! As I said on post 1, I can't wait for a review on this set!

 

[Rick Z.]

DVDBeaver posted a comparison this morning, and while the reviewer says the difference on the remastered versions from the originals is little, I think the degree of improvement actually varies from title to title. Check out the blacks in It Happened one Night, the difference is huge (the newspaper image mostly) and the film which needed a restoration the most, You Can't Take it with You has NOT been compared to the previous disc, which was atrocious by all accounts. Also, it looks like the 100 page scrapbook won't be just filler as I thought it would be.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

...and was also expensive, never getting a MSRP reduction from Sony/Columbia's $30 level at which it debuted.

Regards,

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I requested a screener, but haven't received one as of yet. If it shows up, I'll review it here.

 

[Rick Z.]

Taking a second look to DVDBeaver's screenshots, I don't know if it's correct for It Happened One Night to be so dark! Take a look to Claudette Colbert's pic, the earlier one may have been brightness-boosted however this one may have been boosted on the blacks...I certainly don't know,maybe both. Which do you think it's more accurate?

 

[BarryM]

Golly....only 1 of 5 titles is new?

The remaining 4 would have to be Criterion quality to get me to buy 'em again.

In terms of cinematography, this period of Columbia movies were never all that good...not like the crystal clear quality of Paramount or other studios. Even the many of the best 1930's Columbia titles had a shabby look because they used cheaper film stock.

So....Sony (one of the kings of the double-dippers) strikes again.

 

[JohnMor]

I also thought that (according to the screenshots anyway) It Happened One Night has been atrociously darkened. To the point of losing 60% of the details. Just horrible. Mr. Deeds has also been darkened, but not nearly to the level of Night. Sadly, as much as I love American Madness, I may have to give this a miss and wait a year or two for it to come out as a single. One of the biggest DVD disappointments for me in years.:rolleyes