Olive Films

[Frankinho007]

The Buccaneer (1958!) and Nijinsky (1980) will be released on both DVD and Blu-ray on February 28th.

Source: HTF with artwork

[triodelover]

The Buccaneer (1958!) and Nijinsky (1980) will be released on both DVD and Blu-ray on February 28th.

Source: HTF with artwork

I saw The Buccaneer in the theater when it first came out - I was 10 - and was mesmerized by Yul Brynner. I think that's the first time I saw Brynner in anything - The King and I would come later on one of the many [Fill in the blank} Night at the Movies that littered early '60s network TV - and I immediately decided I wanted to be Yul Brynner when I grew up. He was a pirate, and bald, and wore a bandana and earring (I had no idea how commonplace this would become) and had a mysterious accent, and he got women (I was just beginning to realize that might be an important skill set down the road).

Then I saw it on TCM a few years back and thought "What??". It was just one more piece of evidence that DeMille was one of the most over-hyped directors in Hollywood history, Sunset Boulevard aside. Still, I may spring for the Blu just out of nostalgia, although that cover is awful.

[SpiderBaby]

So they are going to keep me waiting for The Stationmaster's Wife I see. Though can't say Olive Films isn't releasing some interesting titles.

[dadaistnun]

Dave Kehr on Histoire(s) du Cinéma. He doesn't review the disc, per se, but as usual DK on JLG is very much worth reading.

[tojoed]

It was just one more piece of evidence that DeMille was one of the most over-hyped directors in Hollywood history, Sunset Boulevard aside.

De Mille had a small part in "Sunset", he didn't direct it.
So there's no need to give him any credit for that.

[knives]

It's a great cameo though.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Dave Kehr was asked about the subtitles on the Olive Histoire(s) du cinéma, and it sounds as if they might actually be worse than the Gaumont release -- he says "there isn't much of an attempt to translate simultaneously the various layers of speech and text" (although he doesn't specify if they're more or less comprehensive than the minimal subs Gaumont used), and "they don't seem to have been done by a native English speaker," which I don't think is the case with the Gaumont subs. (As I say on Kehr's site, the Gaumont subs are awkward, but I think this is more due to translation difficulties, not necessarily because the subtitler wasn't a native speaker.) He gives one example from Le contrôle de l'univers: Hitchcock is described as the 20th century's "greatest shape-maker," which is rendered on the Gaumont set as "greatest creator of forms." I don't know the original French, but Kehr's own translation is "form-giver." I would wait for more info before drawing any final conclusions, but it sounds like the UK and Australian releases maintain their edge.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

Dave Kehr was asked about the subtitles on the Olive Histoire(s) du cinéma, and it sounds as if they might actually be worse than the Gaumont release....I would wait for more info before drawing any final conclusions, but it sounds like the UK and Australian releases maintain their edge.

Has anyone heard any more news on the subtitles? The Slant review from a few days ago wasn't helpful on that end. I emailed Olive and asked if the subs were new or ports of the Gaumont, but I haven't heard back from them yet.

[swo17]

I'll be getting the Olive release from my local library this week and can report back after watching. Is there anything in particular I should be looking out for?

[zedz]

When you see the film, you'll probably understand right away. There are a number of simultaneous layers of text:
- voiceover narration
- onscreen texts
- soundtracks of excerpted films
The Gaumont left a lot of this untranslated, and you'll probably need a LOT of subtitling at some points to capture all the language that's bombarding you.

In addition to this, the original Japanese edition (I believe) actually provided subtitled footnotes identifying the source of every film extract. I haven't picked up the Australian release, but it was rumoured that they might be duplicating that scholarship.

So multiple subtitle options would be a very good sign.

[cinemartin]

The Madman release does duplicate that, although I'm not sure how the Japanese version played. With the Madman you can choose between a language subtitle track and a subtitle track that simply tells you the name of the film you're seeing. It also has a great visual essay by Adrian Martin. I haven't made it through the entire set, so I can't vouch completely for the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the subs, but it is certainly more thorough than the Gaumont set by a long shot.

[zedz]

As I recall, there was a section in the Gaumont edition (the Daney interview?) where the subtitling was really obviously inadequate - was only one of the speakers subtitled or something?

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

There's also the Artificial Eye edition which I've been told has a good translation.

[knives]

It's not as balls out of the Aussie, but the AE is very good all the same.

[cinemartin]

Zedz, I think I do remember the Daney conversation being half subbed (to maybe even stretches not subbed at all?). The truth is, even though it seems subtitled on a whim, the Gaumont set is very good considering the extras; I also see the merit in a "less is more" subtitle because much of Histoire is a poetic wash of sound and image. Of course, on the flip side is Artificial Eye which is very comprehensive - to the point of hitting you over the head with text! And even though the mood and feeling of the sound and image in important, the structure of meaning that is created by interplay of image, sound, and text is much more valuable for me personally. Which is why I would without hesitation recommend the Madman set, if only for the options of various ways to approach the videos. For a complete package for the English speaker, there really is no competition.

[zedz]

It seems open and shut that Madman is the way to go (but I still love the packaging on the Gaumont - how shallow is that?)

[swo17]

I haven't had a chance to do anything more than sample the Olive release, but can confirm it starts off with the Gaumont logo and that the only subtitle option isn't even an option--they're burned in.

[Ashirg]

The Mountain and Where Love has Gone will get a blu-ray treatment on February 28

[Perkins Cobb]

I haven't had a chance to do anything more than sample the Olive release, but can confirm it starts off with the Gaumont logo and that the only subtitle option isn't even an option--they're burned in.

Wait, burned in, really? They just used a theatrical print with English subs? Yikes.

I long ago decided that Histoire(s) will be the last movie I ever see, assuming I have any control over it, so at least I won't have to shell out for the Australian edition any time soon (uh, hopefully).

[Feego]

I don't think it's a theatrical print with burned in subs. Olive just (stupidly) uses non-removable subtitles on all of their non-English-language releases.

[TMDaines]

I don't think it's a theatrical print with burned in subs. Olive just (stupidly) uses non-removable subtitles on all of their non-English-language releases.

I'm not buying their releases because of it and am instead opting for other releases of their films which I want. Idiots.

[dustysomers]

Has anyone with a subscription received a shipment lately? My last shipment was in early October, and I was under the impression they went out every other month. Emails to their customer service address go unanswered.

[geoffcowgill]

Has anyone with a subscription received a shipment lately? My last shipment was in early October, and I was under the impression they went out every other month. Emails to their customer service address go unanswered.

I'm in the same boat. But I haven't been charged for awhile, either.

[dustysomers]

Strange. I've been charged every month. FWIW, I just talked to a rep on the phone and they said the next shipment will likely be going out this week.

[Jeff]

From ClassicFlix:

More Paramount titles via Olive Films have been announced with a March 27th release date. They are:

Frank Sinatra (DVD & Blu-Ray):

Come Blow Your Horn (1963)
Assault on a Queen (1966)

Jerry Lewis (DVD & Blu-Ray):

It's Only Money (1962)
Who's Minding the Store? (1963)

Some 1950's dramas on DVD:

No Man of Her Own (1950)
Something to Live For (1952)