International Via Vision Entertainment announces new premium Blu-ray label IMPRINT (10 Viewers)

[cineMANIAC]

LOL @ your icon of Don Ramon from "El Chavo"...

I've watched every episode 50 times and it's still funny each time

 

[battlebeast]

I have received my copies of THE COUNTRY GIRL and ALFIE, and my copies of THE ROLAND JOFFE SET, SAVE THE TIGER and THE ROSE TATTOO are due to arrive this week, so I’ll be watching them all and I’ll let you all know what I think of the transfers and etc.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

 

[battlebeast]

I’m still working on watching the discs, and I will post a review soon.

 

[Capt D McMars]

I love IMPRINT but I find their general indifference towards PQ frustrating. They are an excellent label overall, just wish they would insist on fresh scans when they acquire titles. Kino is one-upping Imprint with fresh scans of films Imprint is releasing, which is now making me pause placing preorders. The Mountain, however, is not on Kino's radar for a US re-release since they say the film did not sell well for Olive. Bummer because it's a fun film.

Agreed, especialy went the "Imprint" line is supposed to be thier elite series!!! I've been let down more than once!!

 

[willyTass]

watched The Rose Tattoo, and Come back Little Sheba . Both touted as coming from 4k masters . They look excellent and the sound quality is great as well . Burt Lancaster can play just about anything .

 

[Ronald Epstein]

 

[Thomas T]

It will be nice to get rid of my non-anamorphic DVD of Georgia (a fantastic performance from Jennifer Jason Leigh) for an anamorphic blu.

 

[Konstantinos]

WOW! Little Buddha at last!
I wonder if I should buy the Imprint or wait for another release in UK or USA. (since Imprint's Blurays aren't always the best)
By the way, it says that the aspect ratio is 2.00:1 but according to imdb, the original one is 2.35:1!!
I wonder what is the right one... (the same "mistake" had some European blurays - I mean they had the aspect ratio of 2.00:1)

Little Buddha (1993) - Technical specifications - IMDb

Little Buddha (1993) - Movies, TV, Celebs, and more...

www.imdb.com

I sent them an email about this. Hope they respond. I will write here what they had to say.

 

[jayembee]

By the way, it says that the aspect ratio is 2.00:1 but according to imdb, the original one is 2.35:1!!
I wonder what is the right one... (the same "mistake" had some European blurays - I mean they had the aspect ratio of 2.00:1)

It sounds like Vittorio Storaro is up to his nonsense again.

Univisium - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

"Additionally, Storaro has reframed many of his earlier widescreen releases for the 2.00:1 ratio upon DVD release, including Apocalypse Now, Reds, and The Last Emperor.[13] This has proved controversial with many film enthusiasts, who believe that regardless of Storaro's attempt to unify all aspect ratios, films should be viewed in the ratio they were filmed in, without any cropping. Due to this backlash, Apocalypse Now and Reds use their original aspect ratios for Blu-ray release."

 

[cineMANIAC]

Absolutely no incentive to purchase that edition of Jacob's Ladder. No mention of a new scan. I bet Kino picked this up with their Lionsgate deal and will give it a sparkling, and much needed, fresh 4K scan. Who knows, it may even get a 4K disc. Sorry, Imprint - ya gotta do better.

 

[battlebeast]

THE COUNTRY GIRL (Blu Ray Review)

THE PRODUCTION 4/5

Frank Elgin (Bing Crosby), is a has-been theater actor addicted to the bottle ever since an accident claimed the life of his young son. Elgin blames himself for the accident, while his loving wife (Grace Kelly) suffers through his bouts of booze. Elgin's career all but dies a painful death.

Bernie Dodd (William Holden) is starting a new production and wants Frank Elgin in the lead role. Dodd is smitten with Elgin, in a platonic sense, having seen him years before as an A-list actor and now believes he can recapture those great times. Those around Dodd, however, dismiss the idea of this has-been in the lead role. They want someone more bankable.

Bernie Dodd is insistent that Elgin is the right man for the role, and his cohorts reluctantly agree. However, it's clear after the first few rehearsals that Elgin is but a shell of his former self. It is up to Dodd and Gracie, the long suffering wife, to help Frank regain his former glory, if at all possible.

Bing Crosby is terrific in this role, playing the drunkard tormented by his son's tragic death. He sings, yes, as he is known to do in many of his films, but it is his ability to bring out the roughness of the character; the sorrow, the heartbreak, the torment, and was rightly awarded an Oscar Nomination. William Holden plays his part well, frustrated that his idol isn't working out, but still holding on to hope that he will come around.

The star of the picture, though, is Grace Kelly, the soon-to-be princess of Monaco, whose passion radiates out in every scene she is present in. When confronted with her husband's problems, she ferociously defends him; when attacked personally, she ardently defends herself. Kelly's emotional passion exudes across all 104 minutes of the film. Grace Kelly was loaned out from MGM to play the part; She wanted it desperately, and agreed to do the film Green Fire, a picture she reportedly hated.

So grand in fact was Grace Kelly's performance that she won an upset Oscar over front-runner and everybody's expectation Judy Garland for A Star Is Born (1954). Groucho Marx called it "the biggest robbery since Brinks."

The film was nominated for seven Oscars: Picture, Director, Actress, Actor, Screenplay, B&W Cinematography and Art/Set Direction, winning two: Actress and Screenplay.

The Country Girl is, in my opinion, Grace Kelly's best work (and not just because she won the Oscar) in an oeuvre of only 11 films. Sadly, she left acting altogether, marrying Prince Ranier of Monaco, and becoming a princess for some 26 years before her tragic death in 1982. Who knows how great her career may have been…

VIDEO 3.75/5

This transfer looks to be either a 2k or 4k scan. The picture, for the most part, is very sharp, with a splendid greyscale pallet. A couple of scenes did, to me, look a bit soft, but it might have been done on purpose by the cinematographer for the scene. Blacks look nice and deep, and whites are not over-saturated and/or too bright.

HOWEVER, sprinkled throughout the entire transfer like popcorn or salt and little bits of white that very much distract from the viewing experience. I was thoroughly disappointed that so much dirt/dust/detritus was left and not cleaned up. In fact, no clean-up has been done whatsoever. These white spots average no more than a couple pixels, but there are, occasionally, some bigger spots.

For you film-grain lovers out there, the film is chock full of it. In my opinion, there is simply too much of it. A reduction in grain would be most welcome; no, not an entire removal of it, just a reduction.

Lastly, there is one instance of film flicker, but only slightly, near the end of the film.

There are no rips, tears, or scratches that I noticed.

The transfer used here is highly watchable, but, in the end, disappointing.

AUDIO 4.5/5

I am not technically savvy when it comes to 2.0 mono / 5.1 surround. I believe this film is presented in 2.0 mono, although I could very well be wrong. But, from what I hear, there is no hiss, hum, crackle, or other distortion present. Just a crisp, clear soundtrack presentation.

BONUS FEATURES 3.5/5

There is one critical negative, I must address, and this seems to be the right place: Every time you leave a video, be it the main feature (it ends), or a bonus feature ends, you are taken to a blank menu of only the background image that has no buttons, and you can't press play or anything else. You can not do anything but hit "stop" on your remote and restart the blu ray. Highly annoying.

There are four bonus features present on this disc:

- AUDIO COMMENTARY (Jason A. Ney) - I am not one for audio commentaries, but I sampled this one for the sake of this review. It is obvious Jason is reading from a prepared script, and not speaking off-the-cuff. From what I heard, he starts in on a topic and wanders off from there. For example, he mentions a building in the background of an opening scene, and digresses into how the building is tied to the owner of the Boston Red Sox, Babe Ruth, and the so-called "curse of the Bambino."

In another scene, he mentions this is a film about alcoholism, going on to mention a number of Hollywood's other productions about alcohol and alcoholism, naming title after title.

Not what I would call a "great" commentary, but still highly informative, if off-topic at times.

- BIOGRAPHY: GRACE KELLY: AN AMERICAN PRINCESS - although not done byA&E "Biography," This is still a highly informative life-story of the late, great princess. Narrated by Richard Keily (spared no expense!) and clocking in at just under 60 minutes, this feature reveals Kelly's upbringing in Philadelphia high society to her struggles gaining work on the big screen, her life after success and eventual marriage in 1956, finally culminating in the tragic car crash that took her life much too soon.

Intimate family home movies and photos are punctuated with clips from her films and reminisces from family, like her sister, to co-stars like James Stewart, Katy Jurado and Louis Jourdan, with other interviews by the likes of Stanley Kramer, Delbert Mann and her agent, Jay Kanter.

Although done in 1987, this biography is perfect. It tells her whole story in intimate detail without being boring or dry. Highly informative.

- THEATRICAL TRAILER - This is not the original trailer, but rather a re-release trailer. Decent.

- PHOTO GALLERY - This photo gallery holds 15-20 photos, played one after the other like a movie. Mostly shots of the two lead stars, Kelly and Crosby.

OVERALL 3.75/5

This is a region free release, from Australia. For the first-ever release of this classic Best Picture nominee on blu ray, this is a decent output. If the picture was cleaned up, and the major menu glitch was fixed, this would be a very good release. I HOPE KINO (or someone) has this film to release here in North America and can get it cleaned up.

Recommended.

 

[haineshisway]

THE COUNTRY GIRL (Blu Ray Review)

THE PRODUCTION 4/5

Frank Elgin (Bing Crosby), is a has-been theater actor addicted to the bottle ever since an accident claimed the life of his young son. Elgin blames himself for the accident, while his loving wife (Grace Kelly) suffers through his bouts of booze. Elgin's career all but dies a painful death.

Bernie Dodd (William Holden) is starting a new production and wants Frank Elgin in the lead role. Dodd is smitten with Elgin, in a platonic sense, having seen him years before as an A-list actor and now believes he can recapture those great times. Those around Dodd, however, dismiss the idea of this has-been in the lead role. They want someone more bankable.

Bernie Dodd is insistent that Elgin is the right man for the role, and his cohorts reluctantly agree. However, it's clear after the first few rehearsals that Elgin is but a shell of his former self. It is up to Dodd and Gracie, the long suffering wife, to help Frank regain his former glory, if at all possible.

Bing Crosby is terrific in this role, playing the drunkard tormented by his son's tragic death. He sings, yes, as he is known to do in many of his films, but it is his ability to bring out the roughness of the character; the sorrow, the heartbreak, the torment, and was rightly awarded an Oscar Nomination. William Holden plays his part well, frustrated that his idol isn't working out, but still holding on to hope that he will come around.

The star of the picture, though, is Grace Kelly, the soon-to-be princess of Monaco, whose passion radiates out in every scene she is present in. When confronted with her husband's problems, she ferociously defends him; when attacked personally, she ardently defends herself. Kelly's emotional passion exudes across all 104 minutes of the film. Grace Kelly was loaned out from MGM to play the part; She wanted it desperately, and agreed to do the film Green Fire, a picture she reportedly hated.

So grand in fact was Grace Kelly's performance that she won an upset Oscar over front-runner and everybody's expectation Judy Garland for A Star Is Born (1954). Groucho Marx called it "the biggest robbery since Brinks."

The film was nominated for seven Oscars: Picture, Director, Actress, Actor, Screenplay, B&W Cinematography and Art/Set Direction, winning two: Actress and Screenplay.

The Country Girl is, in my opinion, Grace Kelly's best work (and not just because she won the Oscar) in an oeuvre of only 11 films. Sadly, she left acting altogether, marrying Prince Ranier of Monaco, and becoming a princess for some 26 years before her tragic death in 1982. Who knows how great her career may have been…

VIDEO 3.75/5

This transfer looks to be either a 2k or 4k scan. The picture, for the most part, is very sharp, with a splendid greyscale pallet. A couple of scenes did, to me, look a bit soft, but it might have been done on purpose by the cinematographer for the scene. Blacks look nice and deep, and whites are not over-saturated and/or too bright.

HOWEVER, sprinkled throughout the entire transfer like popcorn or salt and little bits of white that very much distract from the viewing experience. I was thoroughly disappointed that so much dirt/dust/detritus was left and not cleaned up. In fact, no clean-up has been done whatsoever. These white spots average no more than a couple pixels, but there are, occasionally, some bigger spots.

For you film-grain lovers out there, the film is chock full of it. In my opinion, there is simply too much of it. A reduction in grain would be most welcome; no, not an entire removal of it, just a reduction.

Lastly, there is one instance of film flicker, but only slightly, near the end of the film.

There are no rips, tears, or scratches that I noticed.

The transfer used here is highly watchable, but, in the end, disappointing.

AUDIO 4.5/5

I am not technically savvy when it comes to 2.0 mono / 5.1 surround. I believe this film is presented in 2.0 mono, although I could very well be wrong. But, from what I hear, there is no hiss, hum, crackle, or other distortion present. Just a crisp, clear soundtrack presentation.

BONUS FEATURES 3.5/5

There is one critical negative, I must address, and this seems to be the right place: Every time you leave a video, be it the main feature (it ends), or a bonus feature ends, you are taken to a blank menu of only the background image that has no buttons, and you can't press play or anything else. You can not do anything but hit "stop" on your remote and restart the blu ray. Highly annoying.

There are four bonus features present on this disc:

- AUDIO COMMENTARY (Jason A. Ney) - I am not one for audio commentaries, but I sampled this one for the sake of this review. It is obvious Jason is reading from a prepared script, and not speaking off-the-cuff. From what I heard, he starts in on a topic and wanders off from there. For example, he mentions a building in the background of an opening scene, and digresses into how the building is tied to the owner of the Boston Red Sox, Babe Ruth, and the so-called "curse of the Bambino."

In another scene, he mentions this is a film about alcoholism, going on to mention a number of Hollywood's other productions about alcohol and alcoholism, naming title after title.

Not what I would call a "great" commentary, but still highly informative, if off-topic at times.

- BIOGRAPHY: GRACE KELLY: AN AMERICAN PRINCESS - although not done byA&E "Biography," This is still a highly informative life-story of the late, great princess. Narrated by Richard Keily (spared no expense!) and clocking in at just under 60 minutes, this feature reveals Kelly's upbringing in Philadelphia high society to her struggles gaining work on the big screen, her life after success and eventual marriage in 1956, finally culminating in the tragic car crash that took her life much too soon.

Intimate family home movies and photos are punctuated with clips from her films and reminisces from family, like her sister, to co-stars like James Stewart, Katy Jurado and Louis Jourdan, with other interviews by the likes of Stanley Kramer, Delbert Mann and her agent, Jay Kanter.

Although done in 1987, this biography is perfect. It tells her whole story in intimate detail without being boring or dry. Highly informative.

- THEATRICAL TRAILER - This is not the original trailer, but rather a re-release trailer. Decent.

- PHOTO GALLERY - This photo gallery holds 15-20 photos, played one after the other like a movie. Mostly shots of the two lead stars, Kelly and Crosby.

OVERALL 3.75/5

This is a region free release, from Australia. For the first-ever release of this classic Best Picture nominee on blu ray, this is a decent output. If the picture was cleaned up, and the major menu glitch was fixed, this would be a very good release. I HOPE KINO (or someone) has this film to release here in North America and can get it cleaned up.

Recommended.

What are you, a reviewer all of a sudden? They have reviewers here - if you're going to give your thoughts, maybe don't use their template? Given your description of the transfer, why on earth would you assume that this was 2K or 4K and not some old transfer used for DVD, like many of Imprint's Paramount titles?

 

[Robert Crawford]

What are you, a reviewer all of a sudden? They have reviewers here - if you're going to give your thoughts, maybe don't use their template? Given your description of the transfer, why on earth would you assume that this was 2K or 4K and not some old transfer used for DVD, like many of Imprint's Paramount titles?

I don’t think your comments were necessary and are kind of mean-spirited.

 

[commander richardson]

I agree and the Review was good and I will now buy the BD.

 

[Keith Cobby]

THE COUNTRY GIRL (Blu Ray Review)

THE PRODUCTION 4/5

Frank Elgin (Bing Crosby), is a has-been theater actor addicted to the bottle ever since an accident claimed the life of his young son. Elgin blames himself for the accident, while his loving wife (Grace Kelly) suffers through his bouts of booze. Elgin's career all but dies a painful death.

Bernie Dodd (William Holden) is starting a new production and wants Frank Elgin in the lead role. Dodd is smitten with Elgin, in a platonic sense, having seen him years before as an A-list actor and now believes he can recapture those great times. Those around Dodd, however, dismiss the idea of this has-been in the lead role. They want someone more bankable.

Bernie Dodd is insistent that Elgin is the right man for the role, and his cohorts reluctantly agree. However, it's clear after the first few rehearsals that Elgin is but a shell of his former self. It is up to Dodd and Gracie, the long suffering wife, to help Frank regain his former glory, if at all possible.

Bing Crosby is terrific in this role, playing the drunkard tormented by his son's tragic death. He sings, yes, as he is known to do in many of his films, but it is his ability to bring out the roughness of the character; the sorrow, the heartbreak, the torment, and was rightly awarded an Oscar Nomination. William Holden plays his part well, frustrated that his idol isn't working out, but still holding on to hope that he will come around.

The star of the picture, though, is Grace Kelly, the soon-to-be princess of Monaco, whose passion radiates out in every scene she is present in. When confronted with her husband's problems, she ferociously defends him; when attacked personally, she ardently defends herself. Kelly's emotional passion exudes across all 104 minutes of the film. Grace Kelly was loaned out from MGM to play the part; She wanted it desperately, and agreed to do the film Green Fire, a picture she reportedly hated.

So grand in fact was Grace Kelly's performance that she won an upset Oscar over front-runner and everybody's expectation Judy Garland for A Star Is Born (1954). Groucho Marx called it "the biggest robbery since Brinks."

The film was nominated for seven Oscars: Picture, Director, Actress, Actor, Screenplay, B&W Cinematography and Art/Set Direction, winning two: Actress and Screenplay.

The Country Girl is, in my opinion, Grace Kelly's best work (and not just because she won the Oscar) in an oeuvre of only 11 films. Sadly, she left acting altogether, marrying Prince Ranier of Monaco, and becoming a princess for some 26 years before her tragic death in 1982. Who knows how great her career may have been…

VIDEO 3.75/5

This transfer looks to be either a 2k or 4k scan. The picture, for the most part, is very sharp, with a splendid greyscale pallet. A couple of scenes did, to me, look a bit soft, but it might have been done on purpose by the cinematographer for the scene. Blacks look nice and deep, and whites are not over-saturated and/or too bright.

HOWEVER, sprinkled throughout the entire transfer like popcorn or salt and little bits of white that very much distract from the viewing experience. I was thoroughly disappointed that so much dirt/dust/detritus was left and not cleaned up. In fact, no clean-up has been done whatsoever. These white spots average no more than a couple pixels, but there are, occasionally, some bigger spots.

For you film-grain lovers out there, the film is chock full of it. In my opinion, there is simply too much of it. A reduction in grain would be most welcome; no, not an entire removal of it, just a reduction.

Lastly, there is one instance of film flicker, but only slightly, near the end of the film.

There are no rips, tears, or scratches that I noticed.

The transfer used here is highly watchable, but, in the end, disappointing.

AUDIO 4.5/5

I am not technically savvy when it comes to 2.0 mono / 5.1 surround. I believe this film is presented in 2.0 mono, although I could very well be wrong. But, from what I hear, there is no hiss, hum, crackle, or other distortion present. Just a crisp, clear soundtrack presentation.

BONUS FEATURES 3.5/5

There is one critical negative, I must address, and this seems to be the right place: Every time you leave a video, be it the main feature (it ends), or a bonus feature ends, you are taken to a blank menu of only the background image that has no buttons, and you can't press play or anything else. You can not do anything but hit "stop" on your remote and restart the blu ray. Highly annoying.

There are four bonus features present on this disc:

- AUDIO COMMENTARY (Jason A. Ney) - I am not one for audio commentaries, but I sampled this one for the sake of this review. It is obvious Jason is reading from a prepared script, and not speaking off-the-cuff. From what I heard, he starts in on a topic and wanders off from there. For example, he mentions a building in the background of an opening scene, and digresses into how the building is tied to the owner of the Boston Red Sox, Babe Ruth, and the so-called "curse of the Bambino."

In another scene, he mentions this is a film about alcoholism, going on to mention a number of Hollywood's other productions about alcohol and alcoholism, naming title after title.

Not what I would call a "great" commentary, but still highly informative, if off-topic at times.

- BIOGRAPHY: GRACE KELLY: AN AMERICAN PRINCESS - although not done byA&E "Biography," This is still a highly informative life-story of the late, great princess. Narrated by Richard Keily (spared no expense!) and clocking in at just under 60 minutes, this feature reveals Kelly's upbringing in Philadelphia high society to her struggles gaining work on the big screen, her life after success and eventual marriage in 1956, finally culminating in the tragic car crash that took her life much too soon.

Intimate family home movies and photos are punctuated with clips from her films and reminisces from family, like her sister, to co-stars like James Stewart, Katy Jurado and Louis Jourdan, with other interviews by the likes of Stanley Kramer, Delbert Mann and her agent, Jay Kanter.

Although done in 1987, this biography is perfect. It tells her whole story in intimate detail without being boring or dry. Highly informative.

- THEATRICAL TRAILER - This is not the original trailer, but rather a re-release trailer. Decent.

- PHOTO GALLERY - This photo gallery holds 15-20 photos, played one after the other like a movie. Mostly shots of the two lead stars, Kelly and Crosby.

OVERALL 3.75/5

This is a region free release, from Australia. For the first-ever release of this classic Best Picture nominee on blu ray, this is a decent output. If the picture was cleaned up, and the major menu glitch was fixed, this would be a very good release. I HOPE KINO (or someone) has this film to release here in North America and can get it cleaned up.

Recommended.

Thanks for the review of this great film. I think Grace deserved the AA, she may have only made 11 films but left an indelible mark on cinema.

 

[JPCinema]

Grace was excellent. Judy Garland's performance in A STAR IS BORN is one for the ages

 

[battlebeast]

I agree and the Review was good and I will now buy the BD.

I’m glad I could help!

 

[haineshisway]

I don’t think your comments were necessary and are kind of mean-spirited.

Oh, see - I forgot the damn smiley face. Insert one if you like, since few here don't have a sense of humor I enjoyed his review - I found it odd that he used the HTF template - it made me laugh because - I have this thing called a sense of humor. I do think, given his description of the transfer, that it's not 2K or 4K - I think we all know that Imprint will trumpet that if it's true.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Oh, see - I forgot the damn smiley face. Insert one if you like, since few here don't have a sense of humor I enjoyed his review - I found it odd that he used the HTF template - it made me laugh because - I have this thing called a sense of humor. I do think, given his description of the transfer, that it's not 2K or 4K - I think we all know that Imprint will trumpet that if it's true.

We all have a sense of humor, but yours in that particular post missed the mark for several of us.