Umbrellas Of Cherbourg- is a new remastered disc on the way? (1 Viewer)

[Paul_Scott]

i could have sworn i heard something about this title getting a new issue, but i now i can't seem to find it.
i just found out Criterion had put out the LD and its a real shame the rights seem to be tied up with the one-step-away-from-madacy Fox/Lorber.

anybody here anything more on this?

 

[Douglas Bailey]

There's a new release coming from Koch Releasing on 6 April 2004, but very few details so far.

I don't have any experience with Koch, so don't know what to expect: not sure whether it'll be anamorphic, or even a new transfer. Perhaps some other HTF'ers can shed more light on the company: do Koch do good work, or are they another Fox Lorber/Winstar?

 

[Page]

I believe that Koch and Lorber are now connected and are one and the same company. Hopefully, it won't be just a reissue of the same transfer, BUT knowing Lorber's past track record I wouldn't get my hopes up too high.

(More details about the merger here
http://lorbermedia.com/website/conte...103_HR_klf.pdf

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

Funny, I had heard that Rialto had picked up the rights to this, which would mean that a new Criterion DVD would be possible.

Remember, Koch Lorber also claimed they were doing LA DOLCE VITA until Paramount put the kibosh on it.

I suspect Koch Lorber may still have some rights left to titles from the former Fox Lorber (before they became Wellspring), but the license is expiring soon, so this could be their last chance to cash in. I've noticed many former Fox Lorber/Wellspring releases in the past (TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI, A WOMAN IS A WOMAN) are now coming out from Rialto, so many of those rights must be coming up for grabs.

 

[Zen Butler]

I don't see how the Koch disc will be much better/different. This film was in pretty bad shape before restoration. I hope I am wrong and there is a remaster on the way.

As to the Fox Lorber disc: It's not a bad disc. There is the beginning frame that seems to be clipped off, some artifacts etc. This is still a very enjoyable disc. Of course I wouldn't be opposed to a Criterion outing, that is for sure.
One of my favorites!

 

[Peter Kline]

The original release looks good, except of course, it is PAL sped up and badly framed. It was mastered from a brand-new restored print. It's not for everybody, but it is one of my guilty pleasures. There's a famous story that Michel Legrand the composer tells. He was in Los Angeles and heard the melody of one of the songs in the film with English lyrics on his car radio. He didn't know that it had been done. It was the recording of "Watch What Happens" by Brasil '66.

 

[Brian PB]

Koch Lorber is a newly-formed company that has no relationship to Fox Lorber (which was also known as WinStar, but is now called Wellspring). [Richard Lorber, one of the founders of Fox Lorber has started a new DVD company dedicated to releasing foreign, indie, and classic films--often in deluxe, 2-disc editions. Koch International is handling the distribution for this new label. Fellini's La Dolce vita was to have been their marquee release in September 2003, until they encountered legal problems with Paramount.]

Koch Lorber has purchased the DVD rights to The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and will release it on April 6th, featuring a new anamorphic transfer, and a featurette on Jacques Demy.

Further Info:

Koch Lorber Press Release from February 2003
CCF thread on La Dolce vita
CCF thread on Koch Lorber

 

[Jay Gregory]

Has anyone seen this new Koch/Lorber disk, or seen any reviews of it yet?

Apparently it will be released in a week...

When is The Pied Piper going to be released?

 

[Jeff Adkins]

The (now OOP) French DVD was reportedly much better than the Fox Lorber disc, so a better version is indeed possible. I guess we'll find out next week.

Jeff

 

[Rain]

Quite right. It is in fact a horrible disc.

If you have been fortunate enough to have seen a theatrical presentation of the restored film, there is no way in the world you would ever be able to enjoy the Fox Lorber DVD.

Hopefully the new version will be a dramatic improvement.

 

[Mark_Wilson]

The old OOP French disc only had MPEG audio.

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

Yes, I take a full mea culpa on my erroneous Rialto information.

For what it's worth, the theatrical release that is coming to coincide with the DVD and the 40th anniversary is through Zeitgeist, as it had been before. Nothing different from the previous '92 reissue has been announced by them for this engagement.

I just hope this DVD is better than the last one. I do love this movie.

 

[ThomasC]

More information here: http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/catalo...umbrellas.html

 

[Brian PB]

The trailer looks very nice at the Koch Lorber website, with its beautiful pastel and candy colors. I really have my fingers crossed for the DVD of this magical movie (I sold my Fox Lorber copy months ago).

 

[rob kilbride]

This is a movie I would like make a blind purchase of if the quality is good. I look forward to some feedback.

 

[ThomasC]

I went out on a limb and pre-ordered it. I can always sell it used on Amazon, so no big loss if the quality sucks. I only have a 17 inch Trinitron monitor and a 2.1 speaker setup to judge the transfer by, so I won't be the best judge of the DVD quality.

 

[Zen Butler]

I have not been that fortunate to have seen the restored version. I have though seen previous prints in the theater, making the Fox/Lorber disc quite tolerable. Especially in comparison to what I have seen before.

 

[Jeff Adkins]

Funny though how no one said that when that same transfer came out on LD from Criterion.

Jeff

 

[Marc Colella]

It's a phenomenon known as the "Criterion Factor"...

kinda like the Criterion Fear and Loathing... DVD was considered to have an amazing transfer - yet it was the same transfer that was on the original Universal DVD.

 

[Jeff Adkins]

Ha! Same is true with Brazil, Dead Ringers and a few others. Even though Hong Kong Legends version of The Killer is far superior, there are still those who swear by the Criterion and its non-anamorphic, low-bitrate transfer.

Jeff