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I ought to add that I didn't much like the new soundtracks on the Pathé edition. There's a choice of 2.0 or 5.1 and they both sound overprocessed and metallic compared to the Criterion.

Kinsayder wrote:I ought to add that I didn't much like the new soundtracks on the Pathé edition. There's a choice of 2.0 or 5.1 and they both sound overprocessed and metallic compared to the Criterion.

There had to be a catch. This new DVD must be a testament to the improvements made in telecine technology and technique over the past five years--Criterion's transfer was done in hi-def from a fine-grain master from the Pathé restoration. Criterion surely won't revisit this one until an HD release since the current package is so good and an anamorphic transfer is not an option as it was with most of the other recent reissues.

Couldn't resist posting this. Here's ol' Joan and Fred in "the Bavarian number" from Dancing Lady (R1 Warner Bros.) "Here in Bavaria / They take good care of ya!"

davidhare wrote:Only from MGM!

Yes, and please do note that the rug they are standing on is a flying carpet. I mean, that's how they got to Bavaria, after all.

...and people wonder what Kitsch is?

Muriel, ou le temps d'un Retour (French R2 by Arte). Anamorphic, no subs of any kind.

I think these caps illustrate what Gary Tooze refers to as a "thick" look. Ugh...

I finally bought the dutch High Noon DVD from Paramount

DVD Compare
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/comparisons/co ... efault.htm

Paramount DVD Screenshots




DVDBeaver
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/dvdcompare/highnoon.htm

Paramount DVD Screenshots






A few High-Res Screens

Steven H wrote:...and people wonder what Kitsch is?

Is that the name of the flying carpet manufacturer?

Zazie dans le Metro (Malle 1960) : R4 Aztec International Entertainment DVD (English subs [yellow])

The Emigrants (Jan Troell, 1972) R2 SF

I really feel for all of you non-Scandinavians out there becasue of SF's decision not to include English subs on this truly remarkable and touching film, especially since this is definitely one of the most breathtaking DVD presentations that I've ever seen. To experience Troell's flowing poetry in such a beautiful edition like this is an overwhelming experience. I haven't watched The New Land yet, so I don't know how it looks, but I'll be sure to post some caps off from that one too as soon as that's done.

Ornette wrote:The Emigrants (Jan Troell, 1972) R2 SF

I really feel for all of you non-Scandinavians out there becasue of SF's decision not to include English subs on this truly remarkable and touching film...

They probably don't have English subs to prevent the DVD being sold overseas, especially to the bigger English-speaking territories.

La Règle du jeu (Rules of the Game)
Montparnasse French R2 vs Criterion
Note that this is the 2-disc 2005 reissue of the Montparnasse, not the 1999 edition reviewed in the DVD Beaver comparison.
Optional French subs only on the Montparnasse.

Criterion (top) vs Montparnasse (bottom):



Criterion (top) vs Montparnasse (bottom):



Criterion (top) vs Montparnasse (bottom):



Criterion (top) vs Montparnasse (bottom):

Dr. Mabuse compare

US DVDs

German DVDs

The Adventures of Barry McKenzie: Chunderama Edition (Umbrella, Aust, R0)
Obvious image/minor transfer problems, but I doubt this historically important first feature from Bruce Beresford will look any better.

Linda Linda Linda (Yamashita, 2005)

The Luis Bunuel Collection - Optimum Box Set

The Young One (La Joven)





The Diary of a Chambermaid





The Milky Way





Tristana





The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie





The Phantom of Liberty





That Obscure Object of Desire

Boudu sauvé des eaux (Pathé R2)
Optional French subs. 5.1 or stereo. No original mono. No English subs.
The Beaver comparison between the Criterion and the Optimum (UK) is here.

Is it me or is that BOUDU edge-enhanced off the map??

I don't mind grain if it's inherent in the materials. I just don't like seeing an overly manipulated image, and particularly in the narrow shadow borders on the clothing fabric and automobile edges in the first & second caps, it looks a bit excessively manipulated-- it doesn't even look like film anymore to me. It looks like they took the same fine grain in the Janus and edge-enhanced & contrast-hyped the thing into total plasticity.

That's just me, though, and was curious if others saw the same thing.

To be honest, it didn't bother me while I was watching it, and I was using a projector and I'm normally quite picky about these things (the edge enhancement in the Masterpiece Collection Vertigo was a major distraction for me). In terms of grain, the image on the new "restored" Pathé is not much different from the old interlaced René Chateau edition ("Image et son d'origine")...



..though Pathé have removed a lot of scratches and made the new transfer progressive.

My main complaint about the new edition, as with all the recent Pathé Classique editions I've sampled including "Les Enfants du paradis", is the rejiggered soundtrack: digital dogs, birds and traffic barking, tweeting and tooting in the rear speakers, and an ugly metallic timbre in the voices. And no original mono.

Sous le ciel de Paris (Julien Duvivier 1951).

Another good release from René Chateau that is not an easy to obtain. Clumsy Alapage.fr didn't make things any easier. Dvd9 with no bonus or subs of any sort. The tranfer is quite good and the print fine with an occational scratch.

This is one of the best films from the director's post war period, which is saying quite a lot.


This scene takes place at the front of the Cité Universitaire where I lived for a couple of years right up till late june 2006.

Novyy Vavilon / The New Babylon
French R2 (75')
Russian intertitles / French subtitles
Piano score (uncredited)


Love the way Kozintsev backlights his subjects:

Lots of compression artifacting:

The screen shots of New Babylon look about 1000 times better than the rubbishy video released by Facets.

Gwoemul / The Host (BONG Joon-ho, 2006)