Carlotta Releases

[Roger Ryan]

According to Wellesnet, Carlotta plans on re-releasing the 1992 restoration of Welles' OTHELLO in theaters this coming April in both France and the U.S. However, they only have rights to release a new Blu-ray and DVD of the restoration in France (which is scheduled for November). Extras for the home video release are being looked into.

[domino harvey]

DVDBeaver on Violent Saturday-- doesn't it look like the Blu-ray's image has been squished to fit the 2.55?

[Cold Bishop]

Well, obviously in some frames, but it also seems in comparison that not every frame has been cropped the same: the Carlotta frames at the top show slightly more right, less left than its predecessors, while some below show less on both sides. I wonder if this was simply done for scenes showing print damage or something of the like.

[tenia]

It's varying from frame to frame, indeed, but it seems to me that some caps clearly show squeezed faces. Having seen the BD without having the DVD, though, it didn't shocked me at all.

[JabbaTheSlut]

Fat faces: scroll down to The Problem and the Fix..." to read about the Cinemascope "mumps":
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/wingup1.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Drucker]

Othello is scheduled to play at Film Forum April 25-May 8.

[FrauBlucher]

Trailer for the restored Othello

[Drucker]

They played it at Film Forum the other night before Lady From Shanghai. The trailer looked splendid, especially the scene where Orson pops up from the blackness next to his lady's bed. Can't wait.

[Roger Ryan]

They played it at Film Forum the other night before Lady From Shanghai. The trailer looked splendid, especially the scene where Orson pops up from the blackness next to his lady's bed. Can't wait.

Was the trailer shown in "widescreen" as in the embedded video or was it the original 1.37:1 aspect ratio? I agree that the picture quality of the trailer looks very good even though I fear a little too much DNR may have been applied.

[Jack Phillips]

They played it at Film Forum the other night before Lady From Shanghai. The trailer looked splendid, especially the scene where Orson pops up from the blackness next to his lady's bed. Can't wait.

Was the trailer shown in "widescreen" as in the embedded video or was it the original 1.37:1 aspect ratio? I agree that the picture quality of the trailer looks very good even though I fear a little too much DNR may have been applied.

"You will believe that the tops of heads can be cut off." Really weird framing. Which cut of the film is this, btw?

[Drucker]

I'm 99% sure it filled the whole screen, and was 1.37. You can see the uneven-ness of the film quality (which should be there given it's production history, as I'm sure you know). Some really grainy looking shots, and some regular. Overall, it looked great and very promising.

[Roger Ryan]

Thanks...and I should know better than to judge the image based on an embedded video (which does look pretty darn good at any rate).

To "Jack Phillips": This newly restored version of OTHELLO is a spiffed up re-release of the 1992 restoration. In other words, it's based on Welles' 1955 U.S. edit, but the sound mix was redone to provide more accurate voice synchronization and the score was completely re-recorded in stereo. Sure wish it was Welles' superior 1952 European edit getting a restoration/re-release, but...

[Drucker]

Roger, what are the differences of the two? I know about the sound issues with Macbeth, but didn't realize (or remember?) that Othello has a Welles version and a restoration version?

[captveg]

Would this be Carlotta's first US release (seeing as how the trailer says Carlotta USA), or do they only have theatrical US rights and the eventual Blu-ray/DVD will get a US release via another distributor?

[Drucker]

I think they said they only have the US theatrical rights.

[Calvin]

It's assumed that they have the US home video rights to Sidewalk Stories, Mauvais Sang and Boy Meets Girl, which they have already distributed theatrically, but they haven't released any concrete information on that front yet.

[Roger Ryan]

Roger, what are the differences of the two? I know about the sound issues with Macbeth, but didn't realize (or remember?) that Othello has a Welles version and a restoration version?

Welles did an initial edit of OTHELLO to play at Cannes in 1952 and I believe this version then played throughout Europe. He then re-edited the film, primarily to shorten it, and (I think) did considerable re-dubbing of the dialogue for the film's U.S. release in 1955. The "Venice" sequence in the initial European cut is longer and has better pacing in my opinion. Also, Welles included a harrowing close-up of the dead Desdemona that he later replaced with an awkward medium shot freeze-frame in the U.S. version. The European cut is also notable for having Welles "speak" the opening credits over various shots of city life in Venice. Most importantly, the sound mix/dialogue synchronization in that initial European edit is considerably better than what ended up in the "restored" version re-released in 1992. I think Welles may be partly to blame if he did, indeed, re-do the dialogue for his U.S. version since these later tracks are what the restoration team struggled with to get a decent picture/audio synch. Being familiar with the audio drawbacks of the '92 restoration, I was surprised at how good the untouched European soundtrack was.

And, yes, Carlotta only has theatrical rights to this re-release of the 1992 restoration in the U.S., not home video.

[Roger Ryan]

Isn't the problem getting the 1952 version Beatrice again?

Right, the negative and existing elements for the 1955 U.S. version is what daughter Beatrice owns. Since she can only make money on that version, the earlier edit has been suppressed as much as the courts will allow. The irony is that the restoration team had to struggle to get the faulty 1955 audio elements to sound half-way decent when the Welles-controlled 1952 sound mix exists in superior quality!

On the other hand, at least the U.S. cut of OTHELLO is being given a proper release in theaters and an upgrade to Blu-ray, which is more than can be said for CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT.

[Drucker]

Someone just posted to the Wellesnet Facebook page that Macbeth has been restored by Carlotta. Hitting theaters September 10th and a future blu-ray. Looks like a double-dip for me.

Oh sweet heavens what would it take for Chimes at Midnight to get the same treatment?

[pointless]

Announced on blu-ray.com:

The Killers (Robert Siodmak, 1948) - OCTOBER 8TH.


Man of the West (Anthony Mann, 1958) - OCTOBER 8TH


Ugly, Dirty and Bad (Ettore Scola, 1976) - OCTOBER 8TH


Sidewalk Stories (Charles Lane, 1989) - Newly restored in 2K - OCTOBER 8TH


Double Indemnity/The Killers Box Set - OCTOBER 1


Brian De Palma Box Set - OCTOBER 1

• The Fury
  Dressed to Kill
  Blow Out

Dreamscape (Joseph Ruben, 1984) - AUGUST 20TH

[domino harvey]

Wonder if Dreamscape will be uncut unlike the US Blu-ray?

[pointless]

Wonder if Dreamscape will be uncut unlike the US Blu-ray?

The back cover shows a run time of 99 minutes. The US release was a BD-25 where the Carlotta is BD-50 so potentially a better picture.

[domino harvey]

Since the cuts are all brief nudity/violence cuts, it could potentially have the same listed running time. We'll see!

[Drucker]

Could the Criterion Killers double-feature get a BD upgrade? I'll probably pick up this copy, but glad I'll be able to see both versions in HD, considering how great the Arrow release was.

[tenia]

I'll probably watch Dreamscape within the next days to review Carlotta's BD and will feedback if it's the cut or uncut version (it's most likely cut but one never knows).

I've understood there's only 21 sec of difference.