Island of Lost Souls(1932), Spanish release

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strangerinparadise · Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:54 am

#2 Post by **Finch** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:52 pm

If someone could post some screencaps, that'd be much appreciated. Given what Criterion have said on FB, it might be quite a while still before this surfaces in R1.

Jonathan S · #3 Post by **Jonathan S** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 2:23 pm

Is this an official Universal (or Universal-licensed) release? The apparent coupling with the PD title The Vampire Bat - assuming it's the 1933 film (but only 24 minutes of it?) - suggests not. There was a previous DVD and VHS release of Island of Lost Souls in the UK which was at best "unofficial" and now long deleted.

HarryLong · #4 Post by **HarryLong** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 2:30 pm

Jonathan S wrote: the PD title The Vampire Bat - assuming it's the 1933 film (but only 24 minutes of it?)

Wow, there are rumors on a once-existing longer cut of VAMPIRE BAT , but ...

Jonathan S · #5 Post by **Jonathan S** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 2:40 pm

HarryLong wrote:
Jonathan S wrote: the PD title The Vampire Bat - assuming it's the 1933 film (but only 24 minutes of it?)
Wow, there are rumors on a once-existing longer cut of VAMPIRE BAT , but ...

Well, since you mention it, I just noticed that imdb refers to a 2005 restoration of The Vampire Bat at 64 minutes, which is certainly longer than my copy. Is this available on DVD?

EDIT: Having checked, that seems to be about the normal length today. My UK copy is just under 60 minutes but that's with PAL speed-up. I was misled by the imdb "restoration" claim. Most of my older film guides claim a length of 71 minutes, Maltin even warning of "shorter prints". Has anyone seen a 71-minute print of The Vampire Bat?

strangerinparadise · Thu Jan 07, 2010 4:07 pm

Well, this reputable eBay seller lists Vampire Bat's running time at 63 minutes on this DVD...

perkizitore · #7 Post by **perkizitore** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 5:36 pm

Is this set worth the extra money?

Jonathan S · #8 Post by **Jonathan S** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 7:23 pm

perkizitore wrote:Is this set worth the extra money?

That set mixes films owned by Universal, Fox, Sony and Warner! Those from the latter three have been released in R1 of course.

HerrSchreck · #9 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 7:57 pm

I wouldn't waste my time with it, unless you simply can't control yourself and can't wait any longer (the film is fabulous).

We've waited so long for a 'proper' non-vhs release of the film, what's another few months tacked on to fourteen (minimum) years (post MCA-Universal VHS)?

strangerinparadise · Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:05 pm

HerrSchreck wrote:I wouldn't waste my time with it, unless you simply can't control yourself and can't wait any longer (the film is fabulous).

We've waited so long for a 'proper' non-vhs release of the film, what's another few months tacked on to fourteen (minimum) years (post MCA-Universal VHS)?

Amen. That proper DVD release of Island of Lost Souls continues to rest in peace, it seems. *kisses my laserdisc thrice.*

HarryLong · #11 Post by **HarryLong** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 9:28 pm

Jonathan S wrote:Most of my older film guides claim a length of 71 minutes, Maltin even warning of "shorter prints". Has anyone seen a 71-minute print of The Vampire Bat?

That's what I meant with my refernce to rumored longer prints. There was a long discussion of this on another site that I participated in. No one (and some of us are not exactly youngsters) has ever seen a 71 min. version of TVB. The consensus we reached was that this might have been a misprint, repeated over the years. After all, in 1932 (or '33?) it was unsual for an A film to run all that much over an hour. A lower-half of the bill item like TVD would be more likely to run about an hour, more or less. (THE OLD DARK HOUSE - on whose set VAMPIRE BAT was shot ran 72 minutes.)

strangerinparadise · Wed Feb 03, 2010 1:15 am

Hmmm, who could this zachhh be, supposing he's a valid source?

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