DVDBeaver

[Rich Malloy]

I'd already fessed up about getting fooled -- at least until arriving in Helga Stroheim's garage -- but after taking another look at those screengrabs from "DETOUR", can my soggy overripe pate of a brain really be to blame for its latest confounding?

If those are from any existing DVD, then I must know immediately where to acquire it. Or... and I here utilize techno mumbo-jumbo at everyone's peril ...have you managed to telecine some frames from the Savage reels?

(And April and I are doing well, Gary -- wishing you and yours the same!)

[Gary Tooze]

If those are from any existing DVD, then I must know immediately where to acquire it

Rich, I bought some 8X10 glossy stills from Ann's estate - and scanned them for the faux Blu-ray images... best DVD is still the single-layered, bare-bones Image Entertainment DVD.
Cheers,
Gary

[manicsounds]

DVDBeaver has a review up for the Momitsu Region Free Blu Ray Player

[Person]

Eric Cotenas needs to put down the crack pipe and have a second look at the Lion's Gate DVD of The Rainbow. He reckons it looks "pleasing". Yeah, if this was 1993 and on Laserdisc for $24, I'd agree, but this... what year is this again? Ken Russell fucked over once again on DVD.

[Michael Kerpan]

DVDBeaver has a review up for the Momitsu Region Free Blu Ray Player

I wonder how well it handles divx/xvid files?

Also I've seen some people complaining that certain PAL materials were not converted under certain playback conditions.

[Gary Tooze]

I haven't noticed any PAL playback issue yet, but I will keep testing.
Today I did have something troubling - I noticed unusual audio 'POPs' (about every 15-20 minutes) that I couldn't reproduce on the disc (making me think it is the bit-stream).
It's only one disc but - as I say - I will keep testing.
Best,
Gary
Michael - do you have an example of a PAL problem playback disc? I probably own it - and can try.

[Michael Kerpan]

Gary --

I don't have one.

I was just scanning lots of comments about the Momitsu online -- and I also found a line in the Momitsu manual that had me scratching my head.

Under Blu-Ray compatibility (page 5):

"Discs with PAL programs recorded on them cannot be played using this product".

See BDP-899-Manual-E-090219.pdf

[Gary Tooze]

Yes Michael, as I mention twice in the review:

I suggest to you that it may be modified as the included manual gives no mention of region-free ability or the code to unlock the regions. It also states that it won't play PAL discs (which it does) even though the website states that it can. The 'code' to unlock via the remote is included on a piece of paper from HKFlix.

I also link to the manual in the review - it is on my own Server.
Thinking now - could they mean PAL extras on a Blu-ray disc? I should test Black Narcissus tomorrow as that BR has extras in PAL. Will do.
Cheers,
Gary
P.S. If anyone comes across a PAL disc (or hears about) that the Momitsu has trouble with please email me and I will likewise test.

[Michael Kerpan]

> Thinking now - could they mean PAL extras on a Blu-ray disc?

I was wondering whether this might be what was meant.

I suspect the player isn't modified -- but only that HKFlix has managed to figure out the secret codes that allow this to be customized for any region it is sold in. ;~}

[Gary Tooze]

Michael, I can confirm the Momitsu does play PAL extras on Blu-ray discs (it did for Black Narcissus). I didn't notice the 'POP' on the last 2 Blu-rays I played.
***
NEW...

Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC "The Wages of Fear" vs. Criterion (2-disc Restored Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Best,

[Person]

Wages doesn't look like it's worth an upgrade. I didn't expect it to be. It's a great film, one I admire immensely, but it seems a strange choice for an 'early days' Blu-ray from Criterion. Had there not been the 2-disc remaster, this Blu-ray would have been great, but I can't see myself or many other folk forking out around $30 all over again for this. I think that in these Tough Economic Times™ Criterion ought to focus their Blu-ray output to previously unreleased titles or previously bare-bones SD titles upgraded to special editions.

[swo17]

Depending on the size of your TV, most of the non-rerelease Blu-rays are not going to present much reason to upgrade, as they come from the same source and the SD version is already of such high quality. However, I don't think this means Criterion should only focus on completely new Blu-ray releases. For one thing, I would imagine that the cost of putting out something like Wages on Blu is considerably less for them, so it's a good way to test the waters. And as many people as already have the 2-disc remaster, many still don't. I, for example, have had Wages sitting in my wishlist to buy for several years now, but with 2-300 other titles also vying for my hard-earned cash, I haven't ever gotten around to it. Now with the Blu-ray version out, and knowing that there is unlikely to be a superior version of the film out for quite some time, I'm much more likely to buy it sooner. As for Wages being a "strange choice," I dunno, I think it's a pretty bona fide classic. It even places fairly highly on the IMDb top 250*, which I would think is some kind of indicator of its potential to push some serious units.

*in between Kill Bill and The Sixth Sense!

[Gary Tooze]

New...

Fox / Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC "In the Realm of the Senses" vs. Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC "Woman on the Run" vs. Glass Key - Region 2 - PAL

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers,

[Gary Tooze]

New...

20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC "X2 - X-Men United" vs. 20th Century Fox - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Happy Easter!

[Cash Flagg]

Gary, any plans to review/compare the recent Bela Tarr Artificial Eye releases?

[Gary Tooze]

HI Cash Flagg,
It's possible, but they didn't send them to me to cover.
I'll see how the cash situation is and ordr if I can.
****
New...

BFI (2-disc) - Region 2 - PAL "Science is Fiction" vs. Criterion (3-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC

20th Century Fox (CE) - Region 1 - NTSC "X-Men 3 - The Last Stand" vs. 20th Century Fox - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Best,

[onedimension]

Gary,

Will you be doing comparisons for the Zeitgeist version of "Careful" or the Kino re-master of "Fallen Angels"?

[criterionsnob]

I have some screen captures of both Careful versions here.

I also have the new Kino Fallen Angels. First impression is that it is much cleaner than the previous Kino with not as many white speckles, but it is not as huge a difference as the Careful DVD. The new Kino Happy Together is on it's way to me as well and I'll report on that when received.

[Gary Tooze]

New...

Weinstein - Region 1 - NTSC "The Reader" vs. Weinstein - Region FREE - Blu-ray


http://www.dvdbeaver.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Best,

[Gary Tooze]

New...

MGM (Special Edition) - Region 2 - PAL "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" vs. MGM Home Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC vs. MGM Home Entertainment (Extended Version Collector's Set) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Fox Pathe Europa - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Sony - Region 1 - NTSC "Elegy" vs. Entertainment in Video - Region 'B' - Blu-ray


http://www.dvdbeaver.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers,

[manicsounds]

Gary, does the French BD of "The Good The Bad And The Ugly" NOT contain a second commentary by Christopher Frayling

[Gary Tooze]

Hi Manicsounds,
Yes, it does contain Frayling's commentary.... as well as Schickels.
Best,
Gary

[Gary Tooze]

New...

We've put 10 comparison captures (exapandable to full resolution) up from the forthcoming package beside the 2000 DVDs for Star Trek: The Original Series Season One Blu-ray
NOTE: It's 44% off Pre-order at Amazon.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers,

[manicsounds]

Hey Gary, I know you wrote on your review of "JCVD" that you WON'T be comparing any other versions, but the UK disc, review here has much more extras, better sound. I can't really comment on the TrueHD sound, as I only have the DVD version. But maybe it's worth a mention on the bottom of the review.

[Gary Tooze]

Thanks Manic! - I've done so...
***
New...

Sony - Region 1,4 - NTSC "The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada" vs. Optimum - Region 'B' - Blu-ray


http://www.dvdbeaver.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Best,