Kino Lorber Studio Classics

[captveg]

More OOP based on previously being in the "While Supplies Last" sale and now no longer appearing on the website:

Bitter Moon (1992) (BD) (DVD still available)
Duel in the Sun (1946) (BD) (DVD previously OOP)
Trilogy of Terror (1975) (BD) (DVD previously OOP)

Also, though currently gone and presumed OOP, Cry of the City (1948) and Modesty Blaise (1966) BDs will be returning to the WSL sale (possibly due to canceled/returned orders or relocated stock).

[FrauBlucher]

I think the funniest part of that post is that there is someone who genuinely believes that domino is an employee who works for Criterion and has turned it into a "why Criterion is overrated" thread.

EDIT: Dom, can you please give me a free copy of the Three Colors 4K set since you're an employee? I would also like a full list of 2023 releases.

Every time I hear folks knock Criterion and raise up other labels, the first thing that jumps into my mind is how many filmmakers mention how excited and honored they are to have their films in the Criterion Collection. I can't ever recall seeing that for other labels

[Cash Flagg]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Criterion re-release “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka”.

One of the inspirations of my favorite post on this forum.

The 10th anniversary of my last positive contribution to this community is almost upon us!

[dwk]

More titles from their Sony deal have been dropped.

We dropped 6 titles from the Sony deal.

Previously announced The Mad Magician and Fragment of Fear and also 4 others, including the second 3-D film in our deal.

The three other dropped titles were from the 50s (x2) and one from the 60s.

[ryannichols7]

in other news, after openly "calling out" one of our forum members, and having a major studio deal be a failure, there's lots of controversy re: High Plains Drifter where the original mono audio was excluded and KLI is of course taking potshots at everyone noting its exclusion. some things never change...

I'll be nice and praise KLSC - the now OOP disc of Hell in the Pacific is one of their best ever efforts. solid transfer for the film, subtitles for all of the dialogue (both Marvin and Mifune), the alternate ending (which is significantly better), and what seems to be a higher than usual amount of extras I'll go through soon. if only this wasn't a Disney-held title and would've been able to stay in print, I'd heartily recommend it

[tenia]

But... I thought they were the best label in the business ?

[hearthesilence]

I talked to two different customer service reps and they couldn't be nicer or more polite. (Even late at night on a Sunday! I didn't think they'd be working, but there were no hours of operation that suggested they wouldn't be so I gave it a shot and was pleasantly surprised.) The disparity in behavior between them and whoever's posting is pretty stunning.

[ford]

in other news, after openly "calling out" one of our forum members, and having a major studio deal be a failure, there's lots of controversy re: High Plains Drifter where the original mono audio was excluded and KLI is of course taking potshots at everyone noting its exclusion. some things never change...

I gotta say, I consider myself a fairly finicky cinephile about most home video tech stuff like this. But this -- any of this "original audio mix" stuff to be honest -- doesn't really bother me.

Pretty damn happy with Kino's 4k discs. Hell, particularly considering their resources, they're making more of an effort when it comes to the format than Criterion.

[tenia]

As usual with such Kino cases : it probably would have been less of a hassle if their insider wouldn't have tried to spin this in a positive light with stupid arguments that of course came back to him like boomerangs.
I mean : plenty of releases are lacking OG sound, which is a shame but is fortunately getting less systematic than in the past, so it could just have been such a case. But nope, gotta to try and defend this like "this is Eastwood approved so we couldn't include the OG" and "3 soundtracks are redundant" because who wants to have the choice between a remix and OG amirite ?

[swo17]

Pardon my ignorance --I know what is meant by OG in this context, but what does it stand for? I can't not read it as original gangsta

[tenia]

Just Original.

[Finch]

I'll be honest: my hearing is not good anyhow so the down mix on HPD, while far from ideal, isn't likely to bother me whenever I get round to buying the film. It'd have been nice to get some clarification on what condition the mono is in though. If the mono is in really rough shape, I'd rather have a clean sounding down mix. Of course, Kino don't seem to have bothered to check in the first place. And how soon would a UK boutique get round to releasing High Plains Drifter (admittedly, they'd be likely to beat the Kino on the extras front with a booklet, the, uhm, OG mono, and possibly a video appreciation piece)? It'd really take a lot for me to buy the film for a fourth time.

If the first two Dollar films show up with HDR10 and Dolby Vision from a UK label in 2023 or 2024, then at least I can console myself having only paid $18 each for the Kino UHDs.

[EddieLarkin]

It's really nothing to do with sound quality. Remixes of any sort, but especially mono tracks being remixed to stereo/5.1/Atmos, more often than not feature new sound effects along with a general changing of the mix as a whole, retiming elements, different mixing decisions etc. Even a film like The Sting which I watched recently, I was repulsed by how terrible all the new sound effects are in an effort to make the film sound modern.

And to opt for a 5.1 and the stereo mixdown of the 5.1 (which is essentially just including the same soundtrack twice), instead of having the 5.1 and the original mono, is completely and utterly braindead, and really shows up quite how thick some of the decision makers at Kino really are.

[FrauBlucher]

Oh that KL Insider is at it again.... Critizing those who don't think 3 Days of the Condor is a great film... I have to say, he is entertaining

[domino harvey]

It's better than all of these, not sure in what world I COMME ICARE and ILLUSTRIOUS CORPSES compares to Condor, but okay.

Fuck, if it turns out that this joker is the one telling his bosses not to license the incredible I comme Icare..., I don't know who to hope for releasing it now (and it is a far, far, far, far better film than Condor)

[beamish14]

Oh that KL Insider is at it again.... Critizing those who don't think 3 Days of the Condor is a great film... I have to say, he is entertaining

It’s a one-time rental at best, like many of Pollack’s films. I just now remember that it takes place over Christmas, but it hasn’t become a holiday cult film a la The Silent Partner

[cdnchris]

I first watched it way back in the day when I was going through various 70's paranoia films and I like it a lot, especially von Sydow's assassin. But admittedly I don't know if I would be bothered to replace the MoC edition even if it is an older master. It's not one I find myself coming back to often, having revisited stuff like Parallax View more.

I do have to agree with that user the Dunaway stuff isn't particularly engaging.

Also, I watched this originally through my dad's movie RCA CED collection. My dad owned this film by accident, my mother having bought it for him confusing it for Day of the Jackal, a film he loves. He had never seen 3 Days of the Condor prior to that.

[therewillbeblus]

It’s a fun movie, but I can probably thank nostalgia for maintaining a fondness for it. The movie engaged child-me on a brisk level I was ready for, which isn’t a dis - I had the same experience with the infinitely better North by Northwest when I was young. But if that’s the bar for perfection, what is NbN?

[Maltic]

Both Day of the Jackal and Condor are in a group of films which have a weirdly high reputation in Denmark, possible because they were shown once every few years on state TV when there was just the one channel, DR. I guess the programmers considered them wholesome entertainment, aesthetically and ideologically. Other examples The Boys from Brazil, The China Syndrome, maybe Papillon...

Edit: Hmm, I guess Papillon was a big hit everywhere, so doesn't really fit

[brundlefly]

Oh that KL Insider is at it again.... Critizing those who don't think 3 Days of the Condor is a great film... I have to say, he is entertaining

It’s a one-time rental at best, like many of Pollack’s films. I just now remember that it takes place over Christmas, but it hasn’t become a holiday cult film a la The Silent Partner

Silly hill for them to die on this time of year when they have that and The Ice Harvest in their back pocket.

[beamish14]

Oh that KL Insider is at it again.... Critizing those who don't think 3 Days of the Condor is a great film... I have to say, he is entertaining

It’s a one-time rental at best, like many of Pollack’s films. I just now remember that it takes place over Christmas, but it hasn’t become a holiday cult film a la The Silent Partner

Silly hill for them to die on this time of year when they have that and The Ice Harvest in their back pocket.

That’s true! I didn’t even realize that they have both out on Blu now. The Ice Harvest is phenomenal. It’s even more cynical than the novel it’s based on

[captveg]

More OOP based on previously being in the "While Supplies Last" sale and now no longer appearing on the website:

Mr. Destiny (1990) (DVD) (BD still available)
The Siege of Firebase Gloria (1989) (BD)

EDIT: Per KL Insider, Trouble Man (1972) (BD) will be back in stock soon, and is not quite OOP yet.

[Calvin]

It's better than all of these, not sure in what world I COMME ICARE and ILLUSTRIOUS CORPSES compares to Condor, but okay.

Fuck, if it turns out that this joker is the one telling his bosses not to license the incredible I comme Icare..., I don't know who to hope for releasing it now (and it is a far, far, far, far better film than Condor)

Thankfully, the bosses have licensed it anyway

[domino harvey]

Yesssssss! Been talking this up on here for a while. Very of a piece with the more well-known conspiracy thrillers of the era, can’t believe it took this long to get an English friendly release, but it does explain how the Insider had inexplicably seen it to offer that hot take

[FrauBlucher]

The KL Insider's comments are even more ridiculous than first stated on the heels of I comme Icare getting announced. Nice way to dismiss a film you're releasing.