Mr. Bongo Films

Vinegar Syndrome, Deaf Crocodile, Imprint, Cinema Guild, and more.
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MichaelB
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#326 Post by MichaelB » Wed Feb 08, 2012 3:13 am

No. There weren't any on the Polish discs either (aside from possibly a back-slapping restoration demo), so I suspect there was nothing to license.

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GaryC
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:56 pm
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#327 Post by GaryC » Wed Feb 08, 2012 4:51 am

MichaelB wrote:So my question is this: given that the film really does look absolutely fine in 1.85:1 (the camera barely stops moving, so any detail that might not be visible in one frame will swiftly appear in the next), might it not be the case that instead of being cropped at the sides, the restoration was actually opened up at the top and bottom? It can't be a Super 35 situation, as the format didn't exist back then - but might Has and Sobocinski have shot the film in matted 1.85:1, and then, for reasons unknown, reformatted it to Scope for cinema screenings? (Possibly because cinemas at the time were more likely to be equipped for Scope than 1.85:1, not a widely used ratio in eastern Europe at the time).
Super 35 did not exist back then, but a very similar process called SuperScope 235 had been around since 1954. I don't know how widely it was used in Poland, if at all.

I watched the original Mr Bongo DVD just over three years ago for my review, and I don't remember any of the usual anamorphic-lens artefacts, e.g. squeezed out of focus backgrounds. That was why I was so uncertain as to whether the film was actually in Scope or not.

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MichaelB
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#328 Post by MichaelB » Wed Feb 08, 2012 5:12 am

The original Mr Bongo DVD felt a lot more claustrophobic than the new one: opening up the image even slightly has made a surprising difference.

Anyway, here's a clip from the restored version, and hopefully you'll see what I mean: this really doesn't look like Scope cropped to standard widescreen at all.

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colinr0380
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#329 Post by colinr0380 » Sun Mar 04, 2012 8:36 am

Digital Fix on Chung Kuo China. The comments in the review makes me wish for a release of those Phil Agland documentaries at some point! (While not dealing directly with China, I'd also love to see an official release for the Channel 4 series Riding The Tiger tackling Hong Kong between 1994-97 in the run up to the handover, as well as one year after, in two series from 1997 and 1998. There are a couple of episodes up on YouTube)

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antnield
Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:59 pm
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#330 Post by antnield » Mon Mar 05, 2012 6:52 pm

April 23rd:

Image

May 21st:

Image

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knives
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#331 Post by knives » Mon Mar 05, 2012 9:28 pm

Be still my heart. I really hope these aren't hatchet jobs.

Calvin
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am

Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#332 Post by Calvin » Tue Mar 06, 2012 3:29 am

Hopefully Mr. Bongo prove me wrong but judging from the screening I saw a few months back, The presentation of Chimes at Midnight will be underwhelming.

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JPJ
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#333 Post by JPJ » Tue Mar 06, 2012 5:53 am

Mr.Bongo+Chimes at midnight means that I'm not expecting miracles either but let's hope they at least provide english subtitles,with this particular film I would really need those subs!

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MichaelB
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#334 Post by MichaelB » Tue Mar 06, 2012 7:48 am

Based on precedent, I'd assume no subtitles unless otherwise stated.

peerpee
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#335 Post by peerpee » Tue Mar 06, 2012 10:44 am

Based on precedent, I'd assume a reverse-engineered Cornerstone Media disc.

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NABOB OF NOWHERE
Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2005 12:30 pm
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#336 Post by NABOB OF NOWHERE » Tue Mar 06, 2012 11:29 am

I've had three hits at this. The Cornerstone which I frisbeed out the window of a moving car on the motorway. The Brazilian re-issue of a spanish edition which I sold on and have now the Italian Sinister film version which is the best me-thinks it will get until someone gets back to basics, which I very much doubt will be the case for the Bongos.
Anyone else got a take on what may be the best version? I never managed to snag the version in the french box set from, I think, Studio Canal.

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MichaelB
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#337 Post by MichaelB » Tue Mar 06, 2012 11:32 am

Mr Bongo's stuff tends to be completely random - when they get it right (Earth, the revised The Saragossa Manuscript), the results are spectacular, but they've also released some appalling transfers, such as the non-anamorphic Kozintsev films with non-16:9-friendly subtitles. I suspect - or rather I know for certain - that it depends entirely on what's available off the shelf.

peerpee
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#338 Post by peerpee » Tue Mar 06, 2012 6:20 pm

Yes, when you reverse engineer someone else's disc of a new restoration, the results will be identically spectacular! :-& So it seems they just have to get a little better at picking which foreign discs to use and then all their discs will be great.

The current S&S, in a competition giveaway blurb, proclaims that both Has films "have been painstakingly restored by Mr Bongo Films." -- This is completely untrue.

I've held my tongue for a long time, but let's rock the bad ship Pongo. I think it now needs to be said openly that the way Mr Pongo operates appears to be less than commendable. Word gets around a global industry - they have a reputation for not being true to their word, and there are a number of licensors unhappy with them. They take massive liberties with the authoring and sale of their discs (their titles being offered for sale at Amazon.com (supplied directly by Amazon.com to the USA), is illegal and something that no other UK label does).

Mr Pongo seemingly believe they can continue behaving irresponsibly but they're just pretending at being in this business / a respectable label. They currently have a veneer of support which would collapse if people knew how they operated.

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lubitsch
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#339 Post by lubitsch » Sun Mar 11, 2012 4:55 pm

otis wrote:Any word on how Arsenal compares to the R1 Image disc? Worth doubledipping?
Since this question was never answered properly, I'd say it's debatable. The Image disc has the original intertitles and I assume the Bomngo has, too, because I'm using the screenshots Jonathan Rosenbaum has done on his page for comparison. The Image disc has an audio commentary by Vance Kepley.
A very common problem with Russian silents is the framing and that's unfortunately also the case here. The Image disc has a chunk more information on the left and the Mr. Bongo disc has roughly the same chunk at the right, so that's pretty much a draw. I'd say the Bongo disc is however superior regarding the picture, not by miles, but a tad sharper, more filmic grey and less like a tape.

Calvin
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#340 Post by Calvin » Sat Apr 28, 2012 9:38 am

Mr. Bongo have uploaded some clips of Chimes at Midnight to their YouTube channel. It doesn't look too bad actually, perhaps the reason it was so bad when I saw it on the big screen is that they were projecting from DVD?

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perkizitore
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#341 Post by perkizitore » Sat Apr 28, 2012 9:51 am

Apparently they are releasing Dovzhenko's War Trilogy AND Don Quixote in September!

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RossyG
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#342 Post by RossyG » Sat Apr 28, 2012 10:33 am

peerpee wrote:Mr Pongo seemingly believe they can continue behaving irresponsibly but they're just pretending at being in this business / a respectable label. They currently have a veneer of support which would collapse if people knew how they operated.
Yes. This is the crowd, after all, who used to make up their own classifications rather than submit them to the BBFC as required by law.

Calvin
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am

Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#343 Post by Calvin » Sat Apr 28, 2012 10:44 am

They occasionally still do - try looking for Kozintsev's King Lear at the BBFC. I'm in two minds about e-mailing the BBFC - on one hand, they've released many films that no one else would but on the other, L'Avventura etc. deserve better.

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RossyG
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#344 Post by RossyG » Sat Apr 28, 2012 10:50 am

Yes, King Lear's definitely not on there; I just checked.

It's worth emailing the BBFC. Mr Bongo are breaking the 1984 Video Recordings Act, which other companies have to comply with. By skipping the classification process they are pocketing the fee (hundreds of pounds, maybe even a grand) which gives them an unfair advantage over respectable companies like MoC and Second Run.

Jack Phillips
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#345 Post by Jack Phillips » Sat Apr 28, 2012 12:31 pm

peerpee wrote: They take massive liberties with the authoring and sale of their discs (their titles being offered for sale at Amazon.com (supplied directly by Amazon.com to the USA), is illegal and something that no other UK label does).
This doesn't even seem like a sane business model. Without the VAT, the amazon.co.uk price of either the Saragossa or the Chimes disc is half what it's going for on amazon.com. Apparently, Bongo is trying to appeal to a niche North American market that wants PAL transfers but is too stupid to do comparison pricing.

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TMDaines
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:01 pm
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#346 Post by TMDaines » Sat Apr 28, 2012 12:35 pm

Have you not got anything better to do than cross-referencing the latest DVD releases with the BBFC's database? :D

It's absurd that DVD labels have to submit everything to the BBFC in the first place, and the whole practice is directly responsible extras being left out UK releases that can't justify the submission cost.

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Drucker
Your Future our Drucker
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#347 Post by Drucker » Sat Apr 28, 2012 12:41 pm

Hey, I know it doesn't seem like Mr. Bongo has a great reputation, but I picked up a CD copy of Tom Ze's first album Grande Liquidacao yesterday on CD, and it was also released by Mr. Bongo. From the one song I've played so far, it sounds pretty good quality wise, actually (not that I've ever owned anything but an MP3 of the album.) How long have they also been a record label? Is it a separate branch?

Calvin
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am

Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#348 Post by Calvin » Sat Apr 28, 2012 1:03 pm

The record company has been around since '89, way before the film division came in '04.
TMDaines wrote:It's absurd that DVD labels have to submit everything to the BBFC in the first place, and the whole practice is directly responsible extras being left out UK releases that can't justify the submission cost.
I don't think it's that absurd though I do think there should be a cap on the price rather than them charging for each and every item on the disc. That being said, it's not really fair that Mr. Bongo (illegally) bypass the BBFC either, when labels such as Second Run (and even the dreaded Cornerstone) diligently submit their films.

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NABOB OF NOWHERE
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#349 Post by NABOB OF NOWHERE » Sat Apr 28, 2012 1:05 pm

Drucker wrote:Hey, I know it doesn't seem like Mr. Bongo has a great reputation, but I picked up a CD copy of Tom Ze's first album Grande Liquidacao yesterday on CD, and it was also released by Mr. Bongo. From the one song I've played so far, it sounds pretty good quality wise, actually (not that I've ever owned anything but an MP3 of the album.) How long have they also been a record label? Is it a separate branch?
Mr Bongo is a record store of long standing in Soho. They specialise in Latin music but I don't know if their DVD arm is a different set of people.

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MichaelB
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Re: Mr. Bongo Films

#350 Post by MichaelB » Sat Apr 28, 2012 2:45 pm

As far as I'm aware, it's the same people - after distributing Latin music for years, they moved sideways into Cuban and Brazilian cinema, and from thence into world cinema in general.

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