234 The Tin Drum

[colinr0380]

Yes, I'll definitely be hanging onto both for the original cut and the extras. It is a shame that they couldn't produce a definitive edition with both cuts and all the previous features but I guess the old DVD and new Blu together fit the bill.

Is the old DVD getting superceded by the new cut on DVD with the new extras, or will it still remain available? It would be a shame if the older version became unavailable when it seems like such a great (and necessary) companion to the new one.

[MichaelB]

Arrow released the film on Blu with both versions if you want the shorter version in high-def and the commentary still. Of course, it's region B locked, so... there's that.

...and the Criterion announcement explains why it's Region B-locked! (Arrow, like Moc and the BFI, prefers to go region-free unless contractually forced to lock their discs).

Are Criterion doing a fresh transfer, or is their disc sourced from the same HD telecine that Arrow used? If I remember rightly, the latter is pretty good (Beev), with my only complaint being that the picture was sometimes a little contrasty, swallowing up shadow detail.

(And on re-reading that review, I wonder whether the "flickering contrast" that Gary complains about is in connection with the shots that Schlöndorff deliberately shot on an old hand-cranked camera to give a jerky, old-fashioned feel? I wondered about that myself until he explained everything in the commentary.)

[RossyG]

I'd say losing the Banned in Oklahoma documentary was a bonus. The bloke in it's an annoying twat and it just takes the focus off the film itself. It also suggests that it's borderline kiddie porn, which it isn't.

It's a bit like when Kubrick withdrew A Clockwork Orange in the UK for three decades; that act and his refusal to justify it became more important than the film itself, which shouldn't be the case.

[Minkin]

bluray.com
Looks like the new Volker Schlondorff interview is 68 minutes long!

[Drucker]

DVD Beaver.

Noticeably different than the Arrow Release.

[TMDaines]

I would still rather have the Arrow. The decision to drop the original film is a little shortsighted. It's not like the original film was an incomplete, censored print and everyone was someday hoping that the full print could be used. The new cut, after all, was only made because Schloendorff was informed the footage was there to be used if he so wished.

[cdnchris]

Looking at grabs the differences in terms of brightness are noticeable but on television and in motion the two look very similar. The Criterion of course still comes off a little bit brighter and presents a few more details in darker scenes in comparison but otherwise I'd say the transfers are very, very close. So if you want the original cut I don't think you can go wrong with the Arrow.

Also, after going through the supplements here it becomes clear Schlondorff is the one that wanted the original cut to stay off of the disc.

[zedz]

I checked out the new extras on the rerelease, and they're solid. The very long Schlondorff interview is pretty exhaustive, and pretty much renders a commentary redundant. I actually quite like the fact that the two releases are complementary (different versions of the film, different sets of extras) and I can justify holding onto the old DVD.

Schlondorff also clarifies the situation regarding the new cut. His original director's cut was much longer and had to be cut down, in haste, at the insistence of some of the producers. He always intended to restore it to its full length for European release, but after it won at Cannes the producers didn't want to 'mess with success' and wouldn't allow it. When he found that the original materials were about to be dumped (because the lab was going out of business) he decided to reconstitute his original cut. The soundtrack was missing, however, so that needed to be rerecorded.

[ando]

The very long Schlondorff interview is pretty exhaustive, and pretty much renders a commentary redundant.

Indeed. It's one of the best interviews of a director I've ever watched and makes a purchase of the newer edition essential for me. The film, itself, made an indelible impression on me as a child - more of one than I realized. When segments of the restored material were featured during the course of the director interview it felt a bit like I'd been betrayed - like my memory had somehow been violated; that someone was seriously messing with my head: Wait, what the hell is Oskar doing in THAT room? or with that girl? It's rather like seeing your mom at 27 in a green sequin dress flirting with some dude who isn't your father at a party. The dress isn't red and she doesn't appear to be turning tricks but WTF?!! I guess The Tin Drum is my personal Wizard of Oz film. The restored footage will probably just deepen my appreciation (and, hopefully, love of the film) but like Oskar, with regard to old movie favorites, anyway, I like prolonging my state of ignorant bliss.

[djproject]

Good time as any to revisit the film if one hasn't for a while.

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