International Via Vision Entertainment announces new premium Blu-ray label IMPRINT (3 Viewers)

[Dick]

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

Due to this backlash, Apocalypse Now and Reds use their original aspect ratios for Blu-ray release."

The original Blu-ray releases of both THE LAST EMPEROR and APOCALYPSE NOW were framed at 2.00:1. There was backlash. Subsequent Studio Canal releases were 2.35:1. I think that whole Univisium bullshit was an ego trip, a way to exert control. Glad it's over now.

 

[Konstantinos]

The original Blu-ray releases of both THE LAST EMPEROR and APOCALYPSE NOW were framed at 2.00:1. There was backlash. Subsequent Studio Canal releases were 2.35:1. I think that whole Univisium bullshit was an ego trip, a way to exert control. Glad it's over now.

What original blu-ray release of Apocalypse now?
I have this one:

Apocalypse Now Blu-ray (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Apocalypse Now Blu-ray Release Date October 19, 2010 (Two-Disc Special Edition). Blu-ray reviews, news, specs, ratings, screenshots. Cheap Blu-ray movies and deals.

www.blu-ray.com

It says 2.35:1.
There was an earlier blu-ray release? I can't find one..

Also, I don't think "it's over now" since Little Buddha is in 2.00:1 again.
I got confirmation from Imprint.

Please be advised that the Aspect Ratio for this SKU is 2.00:1

 

[Dick]

I had thought that the incorrect 2.00:1 had been used by Paramount right through its initial Blu-ray release, regardless of what the box said. Lionsgate's release was the one I had believed finally fixed this. But, I am apparently wrong, another example of what Bruce Kimmel says is a typical memory fallacy among us all (except, maybe, Bruce Kimmel )

what is the proper aspect ratio for Apocalypse Now?

My standard dvd of Apocalypse Now I was under the impression the AR was 2.00:1 but my BluRay states on the rear cover - 2.35:1 . which is correct for the home theater BD/DVD versions? I'm pretty sure the Theatrical prints from 1978 was 2.00:1 but with the 'branching' ( minutes)...

www.hometheaterforum.com

 

[battlebeast]

SAVE THE TIGER (Blu Ray Review)​

THE PRODUCTION 3.5/5
Harry Stoner is having a mid-life crisis. Stoner (Jack Lemmon), is a husband, businessman, and WW2 veteran who fought in Italy. His wife is out of town; His business (a respected clothing manufacturer in Los Angeles) is going to launch its best product line to date, but they are in serious debt, and he has recurring day-time nightmares about his experiences in the war.

Harry Stoner is just trying to survive another day. He'll do whatever it takes to keep his company - and himself - afloat.
Juggle the books, insurance fraud, have an affair... nothing is out of the question.

Save the Tiger isn't a comedy. It isn't edge of your seat thriller, either. Save the Tiger is a drama, but it isn't a typical drama. It's a drama about a man, his business, the people he meets, and how this tiger can be saved.

Save the Tiger plays out over 24 hours in urban Los Angeles and, like so many other 1970's films, has that dirty, messy, "lived-in" look that I recall from so many other pictures of the era. The French Connection, An Unmarried Woman, Kramer v. Kramer, Dog Day Afternoon, Atlantic City, All the President's Men, and even Rocky all exhibit this "real city" feeling. It's not some polished, glistening new set or some spruced up glitz and glamour city like Las Vegas or Hollywood. No, we see the real Los Angeles, the grit, the grime, the dirt. I love it.

This setting works with the type of business Harry Stoner is in. He works out of a large factory building that looks like so many other c. 1970's Los Angeles factory buildings. This setting adds to the mood of the picture, greatly enhancing the feelings we get about our characters. And Harry Stoner is a character.

Jack Lemmon wanted so badly to do this part that he worked for scale instead of his usual salary. It was an important part, he said, that he wanted people to see. Although it didn't do so well at the box office, It was a critical darling, garnering several major award nominations including Academy Award nominations for Best Actor (Jack Lemmon), Supporting Actor (Jack Gilford, Harry Stoner's business partner) and best screenplay. It also earned three Golden Globe nominations: Lemmon and Gilford again, as well as Best Picture (Drama).

This was a passion piece for Jack Lemmon, and he really took the role to heart. He stands out in every scene, pouring his heart and soul into the role. His best scene, perhaps, is one where he is on a stage in a hotel conference room, trying to talk to buyers about his clothing line for the new season. Instead, he has a breakdown, and all he can see are soldiers who probably served with him in Italy and were killed. It's a wild scene; one of Jack's very best and just one of many scenes that show why Jack Lemmon was one of the all-time great actors.

In a small but important role. young Laurie Heineman plays Myra, your typical next-generation counter-culture youth who likes to smoke weed and generally have a good time. She spends her days hitching rides from strangers up and down "The strip," a road in Los Angeles. Harry, feeling lost, invites her into his car one morning. This chance meeting initiates a friendship that will not only help Harry, but teach him a few things as well. One of those things would be how to deal with his business partner, Phil Green (Jack Gilford), who also gives a great performance. He plays off Lemmon in a way that, as Roger Ebert put it, "makes you think they've been having the same argument for 20 years."

Director John G. Avildsen, before he made "Rocky" a household name, made a name for himself, directing Jack Lemmon to Oscar Gold. Although limited to what he could do by the shoe-string budget of $1,000,000, Avildsen capably tells the story in sequence. He uses the terrific cast to their fullest, bringing out the great performances and even a beautiful smile or two.

For me though, the film is a mixed bag. Does it have a message? Yes. Is it a great movie? Well, no, but it does have terrific performances. And that's the key. Jack Lemmon plays what he plays best: the everyman. From The Apartment to Glengarry Glen Ross, that was Lemmon's bread and butter. And he does it remarkably well. For that, he was awarded his second Oscar, and first for lead actor.


VIDEO 3.75/5

The transfer used here seems to be not scanned in 2k or 4k. It could very well be the same DVD transfer, but only upscaled. I am not sure. It is presented in 1080p HD. I do know, however, that the picture quality for The Country Girl is much sharper than it is here for Save the Tiger.

Typical for many 1970's films, including the ones I listed above, the color palette contains dull, muted, almost faded colors that capture the gritty, dull, "lived-in" look of the 1970s. To me, it doesn't look as though the transfer is faded; it's more than likely a conscious choice by the cinematographer.

Unlike The Country Girl, this transfer has very few instances of white specks. There are some here and there, but certainly not as distracting as in The Country Girl. There was only one, I noticed, that was any kind of big, and even then, it was thin and about 2 cm long.

I did not find this film to be overly grainy. It seemed adequate to me.

However, in night scenes and dark scenes, blacks look almost brown, and that's when noise really pops up. In one darker scene early in the picture, blacks seem to almost have a purple tinge to them.

As a whole, the film is entirely watchable. Some clean up and a new scan would make the film pop.

AUDIO 4.5/5
The IMDB says this picture was filmed with mono sound, and to me, that's about right. There was nothing special about the soundtrack; music was decent and vocals were always coherent and understandable. There were no instances of hiss, crackle, hum, or other distortions to ruin the soundtrack.

BONUS FEATURES 4/5

There are seven bonus features present on this disc:

- AUDIO COMMENTARY (Director John G. Avildsen and screenwriter Steve Shagan)

- AUDIO COMMENTARY (Film Historian/filmmaker Daniel Kremer)

- JOHN G. AVILDSEN BEFORE ROCKY (17 min) - A video essay by Daniel Kremer, who goes in depth on Avildsen's career before his most important work, Rocky, talking about the four films he made prior.

- INTERVIEW WITH LLOYD KAUFMAN - This interview, recorded from a webcam, it looks like, has film director Kaufman, a friend of Avildsen for 50 years, talk in depth about his relationship to his friend and Avildsen's career.

- INTERVIEW WITH LAURIE HEINEMAN (22 min) - Also recorded from a webcam, Heineman talks at length about her casting in the small but important roll of Myra, and working with Lemmon and Avildsen, while offering behind the scenes information and trivia about the film.

- VINTAGE INTERVIEW WITH JACK LEMMON (7.5 min) - Lemmon talks for a couple minutes about the 1972 Oscars, but then segues into his work on Save the Tiger.

- TRAILER

OVERALL 4/5
This is a region free release from Australia. For the first-ever release of this Oscar Winner on blu ray, this is a decent disc. The video quality is solid (but could be better), audio is great, and the bonus features were surprisingly informative.

Recommended.

 

[commander richardson]

Good review...........keep them coming

 

[Angelo Colombus]

I have the Imprint Blu-ray of Save The Tiger and did a a/b comparison to my dvd and both use the same transfer. Good film and some nice performances.

 

[battlebeast]

Good review...........keep them coming

Thanks! I appreciate that! I have a few more to come!

 

[battlebeast]

I have the Imprint Blu-ray of Save The Tiger and did a a/b comparison to my dvd and both use the same transfer. Good film and some nice performances.

I never got the DVD, so I couldn’t compare. Thanks!!

 

[battlebeast]

I watched “the Killing Fields” tonight and hope to have my review up tomorrow.

I’m only doing several Australian releases (Deanna Durbin set, Save the Tiger, The Country Girl, Alfie, The Killing Fields, The Mission) because no one else is, and surely some people want to know the quality of these releases. I wouldn’t presume to usurp other reviewers hard work here.

Thanks for the likes.

BTW, if anyone wants a copy of Alfie or The Country Girl, shoot me a message. Imprint sent me an extra copy of each!

 

[B....]

I never got the DVD, so I couldn’t compare. Thanks!!

I have both & the BD is certainly a better image. That said, I was a bit disappointed in this disc. It's held my #1 favourite movie spot forever & I've been dreaming of a Criterion edition. (but not likely to happen). I saw it when it opened in the theatre and there's a certain impact that this film has on me that is seemingly timeless. I truly place the essence of the impact on Jack's "performance". I don't see any acting there which is a stunning accomplishment. William Hansen also absolutely nailed his character as the cutter. Great actor.

 

[battlebeast]

The Killing Fields (Blu Ray Review)
​

*NOTE* This disc set comes in the Roland Joffe four movie set.

THE PRODUCTION 5.5/5

Cambodia. To many westerners it seemed a paradise. Another world, a secret world. But the war in neighboring Vietnam burst its borders, and the fighting soon spread to neutral Cambodia. In 1973, I went to cover this side-show struggle as foreign correspondent for the New York Times. It was there in the war-torn countryside amidst the fighting between government troops and the khmer rouge guerillas that I met my guide and interpreter, Dith Pran, a man who was to change my life in a country that I grew to love... and pity.

- Sydney Schanberg

During the waning months of the Vietnam war, a monster not unlike adolf hitler took control of the small, south-east Asian country of Cambodia. The monster, pol pot, came to power after winning the Cambodian civil war, fought between khmer rouge guerillas and the armed forces of the Khmer Republic. In the Cambodian genocide, from 1975 to 1979, it is estimated that between 1.5 and 2.3 million Cambodians were murdered and dumped into mass graves known as the Killing Fields. Many were forced to work as agricultural slave labor, dying from disease, starvation, and shootings. Pre-teen children were brainwashed, forced to help commit these atrocities.

In 1973, Sydney Schanberg (Sam Waterston), a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, is sent to Cambodia to cover the events of the civil war. With his interpreter and fellow journalist, and ultimately friend, Dith Pran (Dr. Haing S. Ngor), Sydney relays his horror stories he witnesses to the outside world: the secret bombing of Cambodia by the United States, kidnappings of journalists, terrorist bombings and mutilated victims.

When Phnom Penh finally falls, there is a mad rush to evacuate the country. Sydney and Dith Pran stay behind to cover the story, forced to seek safety inside the French embassy and hope for evacuation to neighboring Thailand. The only problem is, Dith Pran is not able to evacuate.

I first saw The Killing Fields in 2010 when I was watching all 494 (at the time) best picture nominees in 365 days. When I saw it then, I felt it was one of the best films I'd ever seen. Having watched it again for the first time since, I can honestly say still feel the same way. The Killing Fields was just as powerful a film the second time I saw it as it was the first. While most war films of the were heavily sanitized (All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) was one of the best for decades), few have shown the true horrors of war like they do here. Director Roland Joffe doesn't sugar coat what actually went on in Cambodia. To do so would be an insult to Dith Pran and Dr. Haing S. Ngor, both of whom survived the genocide. Joffe not only shows us the horrific mass graves of bones, prisoners being shot point-blank, the mass terror and fear the Khmer Rouge attack people with, but also refugees with missing limbs, bloodied bodies everywhere, hospitals overrun with pain and suffering.

But The Killing Fields is, at heart, not a war picture, but a story of friendship.

My favorite film of all time, The Shawshank Redemption, is, in several ways, similar to The Killing Fields. Both films deal with themes of imprisonment, hope, and most importantly, friendship. Both films have a person unjustly imprisoned, a friendship that has stood insurmountable odds, and and a ton of hope. This is accomplished by the powerful performances of the two main actors.

Sam Waterston and Dr. Ngor play two journalists, friends Sydney Schanberg and Dith Pran, respectively, who are not unlike Andy Dufresne and Ellis Redding from Shawshank. Waterston shines as the intrepid journalist, determined to expose the horrific brutality to the outside world. His portrayal is spot on, believable. The chemistry between the two is incredible, like they had always been friends.

Dr. Ngor is the standout of the film; he is, for the most part, is hardly acting. In the first half of the film, yes, he is somewhat acting to a degree, but in the second half of the film, where we see what he really went through in surviving the genocide, he is not acting. he is reliving. Dr. Ngor is not an actor. He is a doctor who overcame horrific hardship and is now telling the world not only Dith Pran's story, but his own as well. When you watch Dr. Ngor in the scenes of his imprisonment, you really view acting at it's finest. Subtle movements, gestures with the eyes... this is acting.

These are scenes where Dr. Ngor doesn't speak; he uses his eyes and subtle movements to convey his raw emotions. Several times I wondered to myself, "What is he thinking? Is he remembering the horrors he faced himself? Is he remembering the mass graves? The dead he saw around him on a daily basis?" Not since Harold Russell's moving double-Oscar winning performance in The Best Years of Our Lives in 1944 has a non-professional actor won the golden man. the best of all cappers on an historic performance.

John Malkovich and Julian Sands play minor supporting characters while a young Craig T. Nelson and Spalding Grey make cameo appearances.

The first time I watched this film, I was glued to the picture; this time was no different. The haunting score, the beautiful cinematography, exceptional direction and stand-out performances make this a film that MUST be seen.

VIDEO 3.5/5

The transfer used here is obviously the same as the original DVD. Although there is no dirt, dust, white specks or other detritus, the picture looks rather dull. Colors are faded; it's like a faint haze is covering the picture.

Comparing the picture quality to the 30th Anniversary Blu Ray from Warners, I immediately noticed how much more the colors seemed to pop. Perhaps ViaVision wasn't able to use the same transfer. However, the Warners transfer could also used a new scan, and if this comes to 4k, I will gladly upgrade. They say the Warners Blu Ray is 2k; the ViaVision disc is most certainly not.

Is it a terrible transfer? No, but it is entirely watchable. However, this is NOT the way to watch the Oscar-winning cinematography of this over-looked masterpiece.

AUDIO 4/5
The audio on this Blu Ray comes in DTS 5.1 surround, as well as DTS-HD 2.0. There were no instances of hiss, hum, crackle, or other background noise affecting. However, I did find the vocals to be rather quiet, and I had to turn up the volume louder than I normally would.

BONUS FEATURES 5/5

If you have the Warners disc, keep it for the transfer. Bonus features, however, are where this release shines. This is a 2-disc set, jam packed with a plethora of incredible materials that give insight into the Cambodian genocide, as well as the making of this classic film.

DISC 1

- AUDIO COMMENTARY (Director Roland Joffe)

- JULIAN SANDS REMEMBERS THE KILLING FIELDS (19 min) An interview with the supporting actor.

- CHRIS MENGES REMEMBERS THE KILLING FIELDS - An interview with the 2x Oscar winner, for this and Roland Joffe's OTHER Best Picture nominee, The Mission.

- REQUIEM FOR A RAVAGED LAND: SCORING THE KILLING FIELDS - A retrospective on composer Mike Oldfield's haunting score.

- TRAILER

DISC 2

- THE KILLING FIELDS OF DR. HAING S. NGOR (1h 27m) - This is feature-length documentary on the life of the survivor and activist who was murdered in 1996, but spent the last years of his life bringing awareness to the Cambodian Genocide.

- THE KILLING FIELDS OF DR. HAING S. NGOR TRAILER

- LIKE A ROSE MUSIC VIDEO - A song from the documentary.

- THE MAKING OF THE KILLING FIELDS (57 min)- This is an episode of the British TV series Omnibus from November 18, 1984, which talks about the making of the film featuring behind the scenes footage and interviews with David Putnam, Roland Joffe, Dith Pran, Sydney Schanberg, and others.

- INTERVIEW WITH PRODUCER DAVID PUTNAM

- INTERVIEW WITH BRUCE ROBINSON (SCREENWRITER)

- INTERVIEW WITH ROLAND JOFFE (40m)

- VINTAGE INTERVIEW WITH SYDNEY SCHANBERG AND DITH PRAN (8m)

- VINTAGE INTERVIEW WITH SAM WATERSTON AND DR. HAING S. NGOR (8m)

OVERALL 4/5
This is a region free release from Australia. If you have the Warners disc, keep it for the transfer. Bonus features, however, are where this release shines. This is a 2-disc set, jam packed with a plethora of incredible materials that give insight into the real Cambodian genocide, as well as the making of this classic film. If Bonus materials aren't your thing, skip this box set.

One of the most powerful films you'll ever see.

Highly Recommended for the bonus features alone.

 

[battlebeast]

ALFIE (Blu Ray Review)​

1h 52m
Dir.: Lewis Gilbert
1966

THE PRODUCTION 4/5
London in the swinging 60's. Sex, drugs and Rock 'n' Roll. And then there's Alfie Elkins. Alfie (Michael Caine, in his break-out role), a swinging bachelor whose only commitment is to being non-committal, is a self-centered narcissist who loves loving women. It doesn't matter if they are married or not; eventually, they are all seduced by Alfie.

As one relationship ends, another begins. Sometimes, he's in the middle of several at a time. Alfie doesn't care. His girlfriend, Gilda (Julia Foster), alerts him that she's late. When the "worst" is confirmed, Alfie demands she have it taken care of. Gilda timidly agrees, at first, but soon changes her mind to going full term. Alfie is against it, but reluctantly agrees.

After Alfie's offspring is born, he starts to take a real shine to the boy. But he still refuses to settle down and marry Gilda. He starts another relationship with an older American woman, Ruby (Shelly Winters), and one with a young woman he "steals" at a truckstop, Annie ( Jane Asher). Annie becomes his domestic, cleaning his small flat and cooking his meals.

After a check-up, it is discovered that Alfie has a Tuberculosis-like ailment, and must recuperate in a sanitorium for several months. While this is happening he makes friends with another patient, Harry. Alfie ends up seducing Harry's wife, Lily (Vivien Merchant). which results in another pregnancy.

Aflie procures an abortion for Lily, which results in major trauma for both parties. Shut-out from seeing his son, and the recent trauma finally cause Alfie to take a very hard look look at his life.

An amusing, fun film with a terrific breakout performance from Michael Caine, Alfie was a film I didn't know anything about going in, but I was pleasantly surprised the first time I viewed this in 2010, and after this viewing, I rather like the film. Not a film one can watch over and over, but for the Caine / Oscar lovers, a must.

VIDEO 4/5
I read some people's comments about this transfer, and I was dreading the worst. However, from what I see, the transfer isn't all that bad. In fact, I found it much better than The Killing Fields. It doesn't look like a port of the DVD transfer. It looks better. Blacks actually look black, and not all noisy as some ports of DVD transfers. There are some specks of white here and there, but nothing that really distracts from the enjoyment of the film. I doubt this is a new scan, but to my eyes it was highly watchable. Grain seems natural, but again, I would take a bit of it off. The only thing I found that really bugged me about this transfer, and it really is minor, was that the pictures looked a bit dark.

AUDIO 4.5/5

The audio, to my ears, was very pleasant. 5.1 DTS is selected, but you can also listen in original 2.0 mono. There is no hiss, hum, crackle, pops, or other foreign noises to ruin the overall sound experience.

BONUS FEATURES 4/5
First of all, This two disc set comes in a lovely white and orange box that holds two single-disc cases, one for Alfie and one for My Generation (2017).

Alfie

The first disc contains the movie, as well as

- AUDIO COMMENTARY (Melanie Williams and Jo Botting, film historians)

- VIDEO ESSAY (20m) Kat Ellinger discusses British films that paved the way for Aflie, such as Room at the Top (1959). Although informative, she doesn't talk much about Alfie until late in the run-time.

- AN APPRECIATION Journalist and broadcaster Matthew Sweet speak at length about the film.

- INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR LEWIS GILBERT (1h 25m) this lengthy interview with the director from 1995 covers much of his career, as well as Alfie.

- TRAILER

My Generation (1h 25m)

The second disc contains My Generation, a fascinating, feature-length documentary look at life in Britain during the 1960s, specifically the cultural revolution in London. Narrated by Michael Caine, this documentary is told through his point of view, describing his life, in contrast to the era, with some film clips thrown in.

- INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR DAVID BATTY

- MICHAEL CAINE: BREAKING THE MOLD A documentary on the life of Michael Caine up to 1994, it is an in-depth look at his early films and struggles to become a great actor. This probably should have been on the Alfie disc, but space may have been an issue. Nevertheless, a great addition, even if a little outdated.

- MY GENERATION TRAILER

OVERALL 4/5

This is a region-free release from Australia. For the first-ever release of this Best Picture nominee on blu ray, this is a decent disc. The video quality is solid and audio is great, and the bonus features, especially My Generation, were very supportive.

Recommended.

 

[Dick]

Due to this backlash, Apocalypse Now and Reds use their original aspect ratios for Blu-ray release."

And THE LAST EMPEROR is also 2.39:1 now.

 

[battlebeast]

And THE LAST EMPEROR is also 2.39:1 now.

Which release? Not the one from Criterion…?

 

[jayembee]

Which release? Not the one from Criterion…?

From Arrow, to be released in the UK next month.

 

[Dick]

Which release? Not the one from Criterion…?

No. The Criterion used the Storarro Universum ratio, as they also did with APOCALYPSE NOW. Mine is a 2D, 3D-conversion edition from an Italian company called Videa/Eni. It is the correct ratio for both formats, and the 3D conversion is actually pretty cool. Now that I check back on it, it appears to be out of print.

See on Amazon

 

[Ronald Epstein]

 

[borisfw]

I wish they would put the Ladd Gatsby out on Blu ray.

 

[battlebeast]

I wish they would put the Ladd Gatsby out on Blu ray

I wonder why these two releases aren’t on Blu ray…

 

[Ronald Epstein]