Lionsgate

[cdnchris]

It does look to be severely boosted to me in some scenes and there's been some processing. It was a little annoying and I suspect an attempt to make it look more "HD" but I could live with that aspect. What I found distracting, though, was the constant strobing of quickly moving objects, which is something I'd expect from an interlaced transfer. Doing screen grabs you can see the trailing fairly distinctly. Jackie Brown's the same and everyone looks very orange in that one, something I don't recall when I saw it in the theater (though it was years ago.) I'm actually very disappointed with both of these discs, even if they are, yes, still the best way I've seen them on home video. Could still be a lot better.

[hearthesilence]

Yeah, I think you're right about that weird crap going on with anything that's moving. Goddammit Lionsgate, did you have to fuck this up too?

[hearthesilence]

FWIW, the Panorama Blu-Ray may have pitch issues. The soundtrack is at a higher pitch than the Lionsgate Blu-Ray.

[domino harvey]

Good news if you're a teenage girl: She's All That and Serendipity are getting Blu releases January 3

[manicsounds]

Coppola's "One From The Heart" seems to have gotten rereleased by Lionsgate earlier this year, but is this the same in content from the previous release?

Some etailers say 1-disc, some say 2-disc. Can't find any images of back covers either. Anyone know?

[captveg]

Looks like a wave of Miramax award winners are coming out January 31st:

Cold Mountain
The English Patient
Frida
The Piano
Shakespeare in Love

http://www.dvdaf.com/releases.html?week ... rm=med_0_B" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Brian C]

Hey now, that's great news. Been waiting for The Piano especially since forever. I don't think it ever even got a 16x9 release here in the US...?

[manicsounds]

Was hoping for The Piano Criterion... oh well.

[mfunk9786]

Jack White vomiting in HD!

[hearthesilence]

Hey now, that's great news. Been waiting for The Piano especially since forever. I don't think it ever even got a 16x9 release here in the US...?

No, it never did. I haven't seen Portrait of a Lady yet (which did draw its share of high praise), but otherwise, this was the last one she did that I really liked.

[dwk]

Screencaps from the new Evil Dead 2 Blu-ray.

[dadaistnun]

Lionsgate is starting their own MOD line. The press release mentions Brighton Rock, so does that mean Criterion doesn't have it, despite the Rialto re-release?

In the comments on the HTF thread, someone mentions a Lionsgate DVD-R listing at Amazon for Went the Day Well, another Rialto title.

[domino harvey]

I hate this world

[triodelover]

Lionsgate is starting their own MOD line. The press release mentions Brighton Rock, so does that mean Criterion doesn't have it, despite the Rialto re-release?

In the comments on the HTF thread, someone mentions a Lionsgate DVD-R listing at Amazon for Went the Day Well, another Rialto title.

Both of those films are available in excellent Blu-ray transfers from UK Studio Canal. Went the Day Well also includes Calvalcanti's short send-up/attack on Mussolini, Yellow Caesar. Both are Region B locked, however.

[jwd5275]

Lionsgate is starting their own MOD line. The press release mentions Brighton Rock, so does that mean Criterion doesn't have it, despite the Rialto re-release?

In the comments on the HTF thread, someone mentions a Lionsgate DVD-R listing at Amazon for Went the Day Well, another Rialto title.

A huge portion of the Rialto catalog including most of those that remain unreleased by Criterion are StudioCanal titles. I gave up my deep seated hope for Brighton Rock when I realized that (at least until something changes in that situation).

An absolute shame that these titles, in addition to receiving the typical Lionsgate treatment, they have to suffer the additional indignity of MOD...

[knives]

[swo17]

Breathable air is honestly the only thing keeping me here at this point.

[vsski]

So UK Studio Canal has both films in excellent Blu Ray transfers (Region locked, but still) and Lionsgate dumps them on MOD DVDs in the US.
Is there really less of a collector's market in the US for titles like these than there is in Europe or do US companies calculate profits differently - what am I missing?

Maybe I should just trade in my DVD and BR collection for a ticket on the next space ship to Mars - arghh!

[zedz]

I believe that a region-free BluRay player is still cheaper than a ticket to Mars, and the Blu of Went the Day Well? is an excellent excuse to take that plunge.

[vsski]

Zedz - fully agree and I actually own a region free Blu Ray Player and these days before buying any BR I always check both sides of the Atlantic for available versions not just in terms of quality but also extras, so even if Lionsgate would have published these movies on BR in the US, I would carefully read reviews first before buying, especially given their track record.

However, my main question that I really don't have a good answer for is why has MOD taken off for classical titles in the US, while in Europe some of these titles can be bought in regular pressed versions?
Is it that the studios think there aren't enough US consumers interested in buying these titles to make it worthwhile, is it that the US collectors market is less discerning, is it that profit thresholds are different for studios to put some money behind a pressed release or is it that enough collectors buy the MOD versions, which seem more profitable for the studios anyhow, that studios decide why go through the additional investment with pressed releases if the same money or more can be had with MOD titles?

[Brian C]

But you know what was really awesome? When StudioCanal took their licenses away from Criterion so that Lionsgate could MOD them.

Is it that the studios think there aren't enough US consumers interested in buying these titles to make it worthwhile, is it that the US collectors market is less discerning, is it that profit thresholds are different for studios to put some money behind a pressed release or is it that enough collectors buy the MOD versions, which seem more profitable for the studios anyhow, that studios decide why go through the additional investment with pressed releases if the same money or more can be had with MOD titles?

My uninformed sense of the situation is that many corporations these days, especially in the US, are not satisfied with "profit". Something is not worth doing unless it generates "massive profit". As a result, companies like Criterion - and even smaller entities like Kino or Oscilloscope or what have you - are able to stay afloat while putting out extravagant releases of titles the big studios would never even dream of considering, while the studios give the big "fuck you" to considerably more prominent titles that they control.

I guess it's possible that the economics of the situation work out for Criterion (and others) but not the studios. But I have a hard time imagining how that could be. To me, it looks like a massive market inefficiency, but what do I know.

[TMDaines]

However, my main question that I really don't have a good answer for is why has MOD taken off for classical titles in the US, while in Europe some of these titles can be bought in regular pressed versions?
Is it that the studios think there aren't enough US consumers interested in buying these titles to make it worthwhile, is it that the US collectors market is less discerning, is it that profit thresholds are different for studios to put some money behind a pressed release or is it that enough collectors buy the MOD versions, which seem more profitable for the studios anyhow, that studios decide why go through the additional investment with pressed releases if the same money or more can be had with MOD titles?

It's an interesting question, especially considering the US market is much bigger. I can't help but think sometimes that those in charge do see Americans as far less discerning. See pay-per-view: the number of PPVs in Britain is far, far less and the prices when the events on PPV are much, much lower. Sky are all but stopping PPV now. In most of Europe PPV doesn't exist at all. People over here simply aren't interested and won't buy it and the same goes for MOD titles. I'm literally flabbergasted at the prices Americans "have" to pay for UFC, Boxing and WWE PPVs. It's simply crazy.

[manicsounds]

I'm literally flabbergasted at the prices Americans "have" to pay for UFC, Boxing and WWE PPVs. It's simply crazy.

I'm flabbergasted that people actually want that stuff...

This just shows that Lionsgate aren't really aware of what they have, and don't think these 'old British movies' would make an American Buck.

[triodelover]

This just shows that Lionsgate aren't really aware of what they have, and don't think these 'old British movies' would make an American Buck.

Enough American bucks...Brian's correct.

But I think it's also true inn the US that the collector's market is an aging market. Whether its film or music, younger generations are simply not interested in owing the physical package. They are more interested in being able to load the product on one of a variety of mobile devices and "consuming" it in that fashion. Look at the success of the iTunes model. Consider the smart phone ads that tout the ability to watch movies on that tiny screen as a plus.

[matrixschmatrix]

Bah, that tells us only what marketers wish to sell to young people, not necessarily what young people want to buy. I think the degree to which those two things fail to overlap is sort of the whole point at issue here.