Norwegian DVDs

Discuss internationally-released DVDs and Blu-rays or other international DVD and Blu-ray-related topics.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
Erikht
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 5:31 am

Norwegian DVDs

#1 Post by Erikht » Fri Aug 14, 2009 5:45 am

Hi.

I just called Dvdhuset and asked if they do international deliveries, which they do. I have not found an english page, so if you have language problems but would like to order from them, I suggest you write them an e-mail at post@dvdhuset.no.

If you put DVD in the box that states "Søk i alt", the name of the film seems to be the best way of finding it (I tried directors name to no avail.). After you find your film, "Kjøp" means buy.

Next, "Antall" means "amount" (how many DVDs do you like). Change this from 2 to 1 unless you want two (yeah, sneaky bastards, eh?). For International deliveries, they only take VISA/MasterCard and International advance payment.

"Gå Videre" means "Continue".

E-postadresse = e-mail adress
Fornavn = Given name
Etternavn = Surname
Adresse = Adress
Postnummer = Zipcode
Sted = Place/Postal place/City
Telefon = Telephone number
Mobiltelefon = Cellular
Jeg ønsker bestillingen levert (I would like my goods delivered): samlet(Together) fortløpende/separert (As soon as possible/separate)

Ved fortløpende/separert leveranse kommer porto i tillegg pr. sending (This states that if you want your goods as soon as possible/separate, you will have to pay postage per deliverance).

Melding / Kommentar = Comments

I guess Comments would be the place to write country. Anyway, you can e-mail them and ask them. This looks like the cheapest way to get Norwegian DVDs. Also, they seem to have more stuff than the Norwegian Film Institute.

User avatar
L.A.
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#2 Post by L.A. » Sat Oct 24, 2009 2:34 pm

I placed an order for two Norske Klassikere DVDs To mistenkelige personer (1950) and Shetlandsgjengen (1954), a war film. Got these early this week, great thing that there's a Norwegian online store that also ships internationally! :D

Watched To mistenkelige personer and what an exciting escape film it is from one of Norway's best directors Tancred Ibsen. Based on an actual double murder case that occurred in the late 1920's, the film portrays two criminals (an adult male and a 17-year-old boy) on the run from authorities.

User avatar
HerrSchreck
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#3 Post by HerrSchreck » Sat Oct 24, 2009 2:37 pm

Calling little brudder Herr Knappen to thread....

User avatar
Erikht
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 5:31 am

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#4 Post by Erikht » Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:51 pm

I talked to somebody at the Norwegian Film Institute yesterday. According to him, they will have restored (or at least made a digital transfer) of all the Norwegian silents by next year. The only thing we lack now is somebody that would like to release them. Especially the Roald Amundsen films should be of some interest.

The old Tancred Ibsen films based on stories by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson is among these, and they might be released in 2011. A fun fact here is off course that Tancred Ibsen was the grandson of Bjørnson (as well as of Ibsen).

User avatar
Knappen
Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 2:14 am
Location: Oslo/Paris

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#5 Post by Knappen » Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:26 am

I too was at the Film Institute only yesterday (watching the rather average silent version of Pan).

Seems like a lot of work is being done as the legendary Jakten is also coming out. Supposedly in something close to HD. Didn't quite catch the technical subtleties involved.

User avatar
Knappen
Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 2:14 am
Location: Oslo/Paris

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#6 Post by Knappen » Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:46 am

Posted some info on the silent film Bergenstoget plyndret inatt AKA The Train to Bergen robbed tonight on the silent thread.

User avatar
L.A.
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#7 Post by L.A. » Tue Oct 05, 2010 3:54 am

Bjørnson på film

Does this set offer English subtitles for all three films?

User avatar
Forrest Taft
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:34 pm
Location: Stavanger, Norway

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#8 Post by Forrest Taft » Tue Oct 05, 2010 8:34 am

L.A. wrote:Bjørnson på film

Does this set offer English subtitles for all three films?
According to the link, Synnøve Solbakken has optional English intertitles, and En glad gut comes with optional English subtitles. For some reason, subitle specs are not listed for Et Farlig frieri, but I believe most dvds from NFI are English-friendly, and that they come with optional English subtitles on the special features as well as on the movies themselves.

User avatar
Knappen
Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 2:14 am
Location: Oslo/Paris

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#9 Post by Knappen » Wed Oct 06, 2010 4:48 am

I contacted the NFI. There are English subs on all three. The info on their site will be updated later today.

User avatar
L.A.
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#10 Post by L.A. » Wed Oct 06, 2010 5:23 am

Thank you both RobertAltman and Knappen!

User avatar
L.A.
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#11 Post by L.A. » Wed Aug 07, 2013 8:25 am

It seems Norwegian Film Institute has restored Arne Skouen's Ni liv / Nine Lives (1957) and a box set of Skouen's films will be released this fall.
Last edited by L.A. on Wed Aug 07, 2013 2:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
repeat
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:04 am
Location: high in the Custerdome

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#12 Post by repeat » Wed Aug 07, 2013 8:59 am

Will I finally get to see Det brenner i natt!? :shock: Should we hold a joint prayer session that they'll include English subs? Or maybe just bombard them with enthusiastic e-mails?

User avatar
hamsterburger
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 11:12 am
Location: Norway
Contact:

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#13 Post by hamsterburger » Wed Aug 07, 2013 9:54 am

I recently spoke to a friend who works at the Norwegian National Archives (NB). He told me that the box set will contain all of Arne Skouens feature films, and that it, like all other NB/NFI releases, will contain English subs both for the features and the extras.

Nine Lives (Ni liv) has also had a new 2K restoration that was screened in Bologna this year and this will be the basis for the new DVD.

User avatar
repeat
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:04 am
Location: high in the Custerdome

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#14 Post by repeat » Wed Aug 07, 2013 10:09 am

Wonderful, thanks for the info! This is how it should be done - NFI's Erik Løchen set is one of my favourite discs in terms of presentation (and I don't even particularly care for the films). Fellow Scandinavians could learn a thing or two from them!

Someone in Sweden should do this same for Hasse Ekman's films in particular; I just got the chance to see Girl with Hyacinths and The Banquet back to back, and both of them are out-and-out masterpieces. No English subs even on the "special edition" of Girl, and none at all on Banquet.

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

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#15 Post by Calvin » Wed Aug 07, 2013 10:23 am

Will Ni liv get a Blu-Ray release? I think it was the NFI that released Fante-Anne on Blu

User avatar
hamsterburger
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 11:12 am
Location: Norway
Contact:

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#16 Post by hamsterburger » Wed Aug 07, 2013 10:30 am

repeat wrote: Fellow Scandinavians could learn a thing or two from them!
Well the Danes are pretty good with their DFI releases. Not only have they released a lot of Dreyer on DVD and Blu-ray, but also a lot of other silent classics like the Asta Nielsen and A. W. Sandberg collection, also several films by August Blom and Benjamin Christensen.

As far as I know the Swedes have only issued 6 silent films on DVD, all of which are already out in the US, on Kino or Criterion DVDs.

By the way, I noticed that several Norwegian silent NFI releases are quite cheap (by Norwegian standards) at the high street. I could have a look through some of the e-tailers to see if the same discounts are to be found there and post some links. If anyone here are interested.

I have most of the classic Norwegian films that have been released on DVD/blu-ray already, so I haven’t been paying that close attention to any sales.

Zot!
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:09 am

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#17 Post by Zot! » Wed Aug 07, 2013 10:42 am

hamsterburger wrote:Well the Danes are pretty good with their DFI releases. Not only have they released a lot of Dreyer on DVD and Blu-ray.
The DVD collection is great, but the BD output is currently only a 1-disc double feature. Still a welcome development, but not sure if there is anything else planned.

User avatar
repeat
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:04 am
Location: high in the Custerdome

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#18 Post by repeat » Wed Aug 07, 2013 10:56 am

hamsterburger wrote:
repeat wrote: Fellow Scandinavians could learn a thing or two from them!
Well the Danes are pretty good with their DFI releases
Oh yeah, for sure - I was thinking of the Swedes and (especially) the Finns. Somehow I always fail to count Denmark as a Scandinavian country, for better or worse!

Honestly I think the lack of subtitles on Swedish and Finnish releases is largely a matter of poor confidence in international interest, and it's particularly frustrating with world-class stuff like the Ekman films. Norwegians seem to be more optimistically oriented towards exporting culture - a dismaying exception being the lack of English subs on the Norwegian Blu-ray of Oslo 31 August (did they hope that Soda would put it out on Blu?)

User avatar
hamsterburger
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 11:12 am
Location: Norway
Contact:

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#19 Post by hamsterburger » Wed Aug 07, 2013 1:18 pm

repeat wrote:
hamsterburger wrote:
repeat wrote:
Honestly I think the lack of subtitles on Swedish and Finnish releases is largely a matter of poor confidence in international interest, and it's particularly frustrating with world-class stuff like the Ekman films.
Although what you say may be true in some cases, I actually I don’t think what you have stated is the main reason behind which films are released locally with foreign subtitles and which are not.

Norway has, because of several historical and political reason never had any strong production companies. There’s no Norwegian equivalent of Nordisk or SF. Even Finland has small independent producers who own the international rights to their own films. This means they make films that they sell to private cinemas, or more often own their own cinemas in a vertical integrated system ensuring that all films produced are sold and screened and that the profit is returned to the companies.

Norway on the other hand has, because of a peculiar law dating from 1913, mandated that all cinemas are to be owned by the municipalities that in practice have siphoned all profits in to the local government. This has made local production wholly dependent on state subsidies. Historically producers were dependent on state funding and production companies rarely made more than one film before they went bankrupt. Basically, with very few exceptions almost all films before the 1980s, and many made later are owned by the state. And the national film institute of Norway has a remit of promoting Norwegian culture abroad. Therefore these films are released with English subtitles on DVD.

Private distributors and right holders have a vested interest in not subtitling local releases so as not to compete with international sales.

For example Flicka och hyacinter, by Hasse Ekman, was produced in 1950 by a private company called Terrafilm AB. The DVD was released a couple of years ago by a very small private company called Studio S Entertainment, who most likely either only has rights for Scandinavia because the original production company sold rights to a foreign company years ago, or because Studio S have recently sold home video rights to foreign companies, or plan to do so.

Anyway, this is one reason that the situation is different in Norway. And although some changes have been made since 1913, the current situation is still quite an anomaly compared to the rest of Scandinavia.

User avatar
repeat
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:04 am
Location: high in the Custerdome

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#20 Post by repeat » Thu Aug 08, 2013 1:59 am

Thanks, I did not know that - fascinating, and a very exceptional state of things indeed...

Re: Finland, I don't know which independent films you mean (contemporary ones I guess), but as far as I understand, the vast majority of notable "old" films have long been controlled by a single privately owned company (with no obligations towards anyone but stockholders), whose distribution rights were only very recently acquired by the state-run National Audiovisual Archive - who do have a mandate to preserve and promote film culture within Finland, but no NFI-style legal obligations towards cultural export as far as I know. But ever since the acquisition the Archive has been in the process of restoring many important films, and I'd be surprised if they weren't planning high quality home video releases as well. I'm quite certain that if they do, they will be English-friendly, like the excellent Teuvo Tulio edition they put together years ago.

I do realize that subtitling often depends on rightsholder stipulation (like I suspected with the Trier Blu-ray), but I still reckon that a good amount of DVD releases in small Northern and Eastern European countries are simply considered of domestic interest only (by whoever owns them) and thus not worth the investment of subtitling costs. Of course there's probably a separate set of reasons for each release, but I suspect it's more often this than the unrealistic prospect of being able to separately license them abroad. God knows what the situation is with the Ekmans, but either way it's a tragedy that they're not available in the English-speaking world.

Back to Skouen, this article in Rushprint lists the 16 films included; apparently Skouen himself wished Barn av solen to be left out. Possibilities of future DVD releases from Anja Breien and Pål Løkkeberg from NFI are also hinted at, so it's certainly looking very good for Norwegian cinema on DVD in the years to come!

User avatar
L.A.
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#21 Post by L.A. » Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:11 am

Hopefully Pathfinder (Nils Gaup, 1987) gets an English-friendly release as well someday.

User avatar
MichaelB
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
Location: Worthing
Contact:

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#22 Post by MichaelB » Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:15 am

L.A. wrote:Hopefully Pathfinder (Nils Gaup, 1987) gets an English-friendly release as well someday.
I'd buy that in a heartbeat - I saw it in 70mm when it first played in London and have never forgotten it.

User avatar
L.A.
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#23 Post by L.A. » Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:43 am

MichaelB wrote:
L.A. wrote:Hopefully Pathfinder (Nils Gaup, 1987) gets an English-friendly release as well someday.
I'd buy that in a heartbeat - I saw it in 70mm when it first played in London and have never forgotten it.
There's a 25th Anniversary Blu-ray available and the site promises English subtitles.

User avatar
repeat
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:04 am
Location: high in the Custerdome

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#24 Post by repeat » Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:55 am

Apparently there's even a sticker on the cover confirming English subs. It's dirt cheap at Platekompaniet, but unlike Discshop they don't ship abroad :(

User avatar
hamsterburger
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 11:12 am
Location: Norway
Contact:

Re: Norwegian DVDs

#25 Post by hamsterburger » Thu Aug 08, 2013 10:13 am

Calvin wrote:Will Ni liv get a Blu-Ray release? I think it was the NFI that released Fante-Anne on Blu
I asked a friend at NB about this today and the reply was "DVD only".

Post Reply