Time For THE THREE MUSKETEERS & THE FOUR MUSKETEERS on a Region A Blu (1 Viewer)

[Dick]

StudioCanal controls these, released in 1974 and 1975, and so far, only an edition from Optimum in the UK offers them on Blu. Making matters worse, they are devoid of grain. They do seem to be correctly framed, and the color is okay, but that damn DNR kinda kills them. We need for Shout! or Criterion or someone to rescue these brilliant Richard Lester adventure films (actually one film that producer Alexander Salkind split in two without informing the cast, prompting lawsuits over royalties, as I understand it) for proper domestic Blu release! If you've not seen them, you've missed out on a marvelous pair of exciting, often hilarious films that combine into one 3 1/2-hour story representing the Alexandre Dumas book, with a cast that includes Christopher Lee, Charlton Heston, Michael York, Raquel Welch, Oliver Reed, Faye Dunaway, Roy Kinnear and many other terrific actors. The music is gorgeous as well (Michel Legrand for the first part, Lalo Schifrin for the second). Delightful films. SOMEONE, PLEASE RELEASE!

 

[Jim*Tod]

Agreed.... incredible cast and Lester at his peak in some ways.

 

[Thomas T]

The interviews with the cast and crew on the Anchor Bay DVDs are priceless. One hopes that any blu ray incarnation will port them over to the blu ray release.

 

[deepscan]

Any current reissue will be up to Lionsgate (which has a deal with the films’ owner, StudioCanal).

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

I saw a 35mm print of The Four Musketeers and it had an alternate voice over at the start. Every version I've ever seen on video had the voice over by Frank Finlay, but the print (with a 20th Century Fox logo at the start) featured Richard Chamberlain. I'd love for a future home video release to have both.

Neil

 

[Alan Tully]

I had the region B Blu-rays of these great films, but I got rid of 'em. I didn't even like the colour, the picture would improve if I turned the colour right up on my TV, which can't be right. I've said it before, these films could look spectator on Blu-ray if done right. Maybe one day.

 

[Matt Hough]

Here's another vote for the release of these very amusing and highly entertaining adventure films. I rewatched the first one on TCM about a year ago, and I didn't think the transfer they showed looked all that great, but I was so delighted with the film that I endured it.

 

[Dee Zee]

Both films are available for HD streaming on Amazon. Has anyone screened those? I

 

[bugsy-pal]

I have these on AU bluray, and the picture is not good. The highlights are blown out and there is DNR and bad encoding. The DVD looks better, IMO

 

[Randy Korstick]

The Four Musketeers features one of Oliver Reeds finest performances.

 

[JoeDoakes]

These are wonderful films and two of my favorites. They are also two of the best films of the 70s (which is saying a lot). They deserve a Criterion.

 

[Derrick King]

Any current reissue will be up to Lionsgate (which has a deal with the films’ owner, StudioCanal).

Lionsgate is the worst. Apart from, maybe, a dozen titles, they have shown no interest in releasing StudioCanal's titles on Blu-ray in the US.

 

[DP 70]

Both these films were 35mm 4 Track Mag in the UK on release.

 

[MarkantonyII]

Just done a quick search at the BFI archives, as they often hold weird & wonderful disparate elements, unfortunately they have no audio multi-track, separation elements or even Mags for 3 or 4 M, hopefully they are sitting in the Salkinds vault...

M

 

[mharrison56]

I read a rumor a while back that criterion was working on a release of both THE THREE AND FOUR MUSKETEERS - any news?

 

[Dick]

I read a rumor a while back that criterion was working on a release of both THE THREE AND FOUR MUSKETEERS - any news?

Has Criterion ever had an arrangement with Lionsgate for any movie?

 

[Alan Tully]

I saw both films the other day (I recorded them off TV a few months ago). I much prefer The Four Musketeers, that's the one I saw at the cinema. I'd certainly buy a new great looking scan/transfer (as I posted a while ago, my Blu-rays went to a charity shop). I do like David Watkin's photography, so these two films & The Devils & The Charge Of The Light Brigade (the French & Aussie Blu-rays were god awful) & Catch-22 please.

 

[DVBRD]

Any current reissue will be up to Lionsgate (which has a deal with the films’ owner, StudioCanal).

4M appears to be with Lionsgate, but it appears Warner Bros. and Sandrew Metronome have 3M, if Amazon is to be believed.

 

[Dick]

4M appears to be with Lionsgate, but it appears Warner Bros. and Sandrew Metronome have 3M, if Amazon is to be believed.

What would be the point of that? The two are parts of a single whole.

What is not is the 1989 film RETURN OF THE MUSKETEERS. Same cast and director, but it simply doesn't feel like part of a trilogy. Too many years between, plus the script and editing are sloppy, the cinematography kind of sucks and poor Roy Kinnear as Planchette was killed after a horse fall well before his part had been completely shot. It's quite noticeable when he isn't really onscreen (usually from behind). That film was released through Universal in the U.S. as opposed to the first two, which were originally from 20th Century-Fox. The Salkinds had no production involvement. This 14-year delay in getting out the film pretty much killed it, critically and at the box office. It is available on Blu-ray through Pidax in Germany.

 

[Alan Tully]

I've never seen The Return Of The Musketeers & I never want to. I think the accidental death of Roy Kinnear during filming soured the whole thing, I'm sure it did for Richard Lester, who never directed another feature after this. A couple of quotes from IMDB:

"Sir Christopher Lee said they seriously considered abandoning this movie after Roy Kinnear died. Lee said it would have been no loss to the world if they had never finished the movie."

"Richard Chamberlain quit this movie because he was angry at the producers lack of reaction over the death of Roy Kinnear. This is why Chamberlain's role is so brief in the final cut. The producers had previously refused Kinnear a stunt double for his riding scenes."