Carlotta Releases

[Drucker]

FWIW, the print I saw in late 2019 definitely looked closest to the Criterion. Couldn't tell you if it was particularly well-preserved but it definitely lacked the light blue look of the BFI and had those grey/reddish walls.

[jsteffe]

The basic problem is that everyone directly involved is now dead and there’s no rock-solid 100% definitive colour reference. So it really does come down to personal preference.

Wouldn't it be possible to use a well-preserved 35mm copy for reference, at the very least? There must be a lot of copies of this not very underground film sitting at archives around the world?

From what I understand, both the Criterion and BFI used early release prints as references for their grading of The Red Desert, but the prints looked different. This is not uncommon. And unless a print was made with dye imbibition printing (i.e., Technicolor), the colors are not stable and are often faded to varying degrees. MichaelB or someone else can probably say more about this.

[jegharfangetmigenmyg]

The basic problem is that everyone directly involved is now dead and there’s no rock-solid 100% definitive colour reference. So it really does come down to personal preference.

Wouldn't it be possible to use a well-preserved 35mm copy for reference, at the very least? There must be a lot of copies of this not very underground film sitting at archives around the world?

From what I understand, both the Criterion and BFI used early release prints as references for their grading of The Red Desert, but the prints looked different. This is not uncommon. And unless a print was made with dye imbibition printing (i.e., Technicolor), the colors are not stable and are often faded to varying degrees. MichaelB or someone else can probably say more about this.

Makes sense. I've seen a 35mm copy of this too which again didn't quite look like any of these blu-rays. My question was more whether one would find a well-preserved copy of this that hasn't been projected countless times, if any, but probably that was what BFI and Criterion tried. The new restoration clearly has the strongest most technicolor'ish grading, but at the same time it feels like Tovoli has just been having a go at things at times, because it's so all over the place. I find it hard to believe that a copy of the film was used for reference.

[ellipsis7]

Another possible colour grading reference, production stills...

[Roger Ryan]

... Another possible colour grading reference, production stills...

Worth considering, but production stills will only show you what the natural colors looked like on set or on location, not what the director or cinematographer wanted the final image to look like.

[ellipsis7]

Antonioni's personal copy is held at the Cineteca di Bologna, but I don't know what state the print is now in...

Deserto rosso. Edizione cinematografica. Copia [1964]
ARCHIVIO
6 rulli
annotazioni: Positivo colore (3195 metri) su supporto safety/acetato
mascherino: 1 : 1,66
velocità di proiezione: 24 fotogrammi al secondo
Cineteca di Bologna WB.02.01.c.ANT
Sonoro (116 minuti)

[rrenault]

^^Is this the OCN?

[ellipsis7]

^^Is this the OCN?

Colour positive it says... So not the OCN...

[rrenault]

By the way, Carlotta are now selling Le Cercle Rouge posters on their site. Could this indicate a 4K release may be coming from them? It would be a welcome improvement over Studio Canal's disc for the European market I'm sure.

[tenia]

Canal have the French home video rights and have just released a UHD here. Carlotta have the theatrical rights. They're selling ONE vintage poster as part of their almost weekly Sunday secondhand sale (they're also selling stuff from Dune, Dark Crystal and Keoma for instance).

[rrenault]

Antoine Doinel UHD standalone releases have received street dates.

[M_A]

Blah-ray Audio Analysis. Says the Carlotta sounds terrible. I wonder if they applied noise reduction to remove hiss themselves, but IVC did not on their blu, which could be why ellipsis7 is detecting a difference.

[hearthesilence]

I wish there was more of audiophile push in the film world. What's crazy is when Peter Jackson's Get Back came out, a lot of audiophiles who normally get outraged over NR went to the mat for Jackson's wax-figure de-graining. It's bizarre.

[tenia]

Blah-ray Audio Analysis. Says the Carlotta sounds terrible. I wonder if they applied noise reduction to remove hiss themselves, but IVC did not on their blu, which could be why ellipsis7 is detecting a difference.

I can try and check but I don't think Carlotta usually tinker with the sound tracks for their own releases, but yes, that could be an explanation.

[andyli]

Carlotta announced their Pasolini box. Curiously, though, only Accattone and Mamma Roma are from the recent 4K restorations in the Pasolini 100 project. The other titles presumably use existing HD masters, even when some of them, such as The Hawks and the Sparrows and Love Meetings clearly have 4k restorations done.

[Stefan Andersson]

Director Mike de Leon says Carlotta will release his films in France, on blu, dvd and some theatrical re-releases:
https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/m ... -premiere/

From the Cannes Classics PR for Leon´s Itim (Cannes Classics 2022):
This presentation is a preview of the French release of Mike de Leon’s entire restored body of work, slated 2022-2023.”

[furbicide]

Carlotta announced their Pasolini box. Curiously, though, only Accattone and Mamma Roma are from the recent 4K restorations in the Pasolini 100 project. The other titles presumably use existing HD masters, even when some of them, such as The Hawks and the Sparrows and Love Meetings clearly have 4k restorations done.

Anyone know if we're likely to get an English-friendly version of this set (either via Carlotta or another distributor)?

[ryannichols7]

Carlotta announced their Pasolini box. Curiously, though, only Accattone and Mamma Roma are from the recent 4K restorations in the Pasolini 100 project. The other titles presumably use existing HD masters, even when some of them, such as The Hawks and the Sparrows and Love Meetings clearly have 4k restorations done.

Anyone know if we're likely to get an English-friendly version of this set (either via Carlotta or another distributor)?

the only option would be Criterion, who seem to own all the rights (or can easily license them) of Pasolini's films in North America. UK rights are divided between MOC (earlier films) and BFI (later films) and neither seem interested in a bigger set at all. I'm going to guess Criterion will do the smart thing and fully wait for new restorations before taking on this box, if they ever even do. it's really disappointing Carlotta isn't using all of the 4K restorations, assuming of course they had access to them

[Aunt Peg]

Monte Hellman's Cockfigher (1974) has recently been released on Blu Ray in France.

Has anybody got a copy? I want to know if the French subtitles are removal.

[tenia]

They're optional. It's the same master than Shout, though.

[Aunt Peg]

They're optional. It's the same master than Shout, though.

Thanks so much Tenia

That is a shame it's the same master. I'll stick with my DVD.

[dwk]

I had assumed that Carlotta's US wing was done (the last thing they released was Out 1 seven years ago), but they are going to release Jeanne Moreau, Filmmaker: Lumiere / The Adolescent / Lillian Gish on Blu-ray in January

[domino harvey]

Via Kino Lorber, btw

[furbicide]

That's really cool news – I've only ever seen L'adolescente but quite liked it, and the only copies of that and Lumiere floating around have always been pretty rough quality. The Gish documentary sounds intriguing too!

What with this and the Eustache set, looks like 2024 is already shaping up to be a big year for Carlotta

[dwk]

Via Kino Lorber, btw

Yes. I think that has been the case with all four of the previous Carlotta US releases.