66 / BD 61 Tabu

[TMDaines]

I wouldn't bet against it being one of the titles in the next batch of announcements.

[neilist]

I wouldn't bet against it being one of the titles in the next batch of announcements.

Nick had previously said here that Tabu wouldn't be released this year, so I wouldn't expect it anytime soon unless their plans have changed.

[swo17]

Our third and last release for June: a Blu-ray edition of F. W. Murnau's astonishing final film TABU: A STORY OF THE SOUTH SEAS -- presented for the first time in its original aspect ratio of 1.19:1. The TABU release will be available in both new Blu-ray and DVD editions.

[andyli]

According to MovieMail, the extras are:

-New transfer of the Murnau-Stiftung / Luciano Berriatúa 75th anniversary restoration of the pre-Paramount, longer Murnau-approved version of the film, with uncensored scenes and titlecards, appearing in its original 1.19:1 aspect ratio for the first time
-Full-length commentary track by R. Dixon Smith and Brad Stevens
-15-minute German documentary about Tabu by Luciano Berriatúa
-Newly presented outtakes from the original shoot of the film
-Treibjagd in der Südsee (1940) - an archival short film
-56-page Booklet with articles by Scott Eyman, Richard Griffiths, and David Flaherty
-an interview with the film’s cinematographer Floyd Crosby
-and the original story treatments written by Murnau and Flaherty for Tabu and its aborted predecessor Turia.

[Drucker]

The original book, according to the MoC site is 80 pages, so I wonder what we are losing.

The other thing I'm interested in is the "full-length, pre-censored" version. This is the same one that was on the DVD right? My copy of the Milestone release also lists a running time of 81 minutes, and is billed as "un-censored".

[neilist]

The original book, according to the MoC site is 80 pages, so I wonder what we are losing.

Off the top of my head, the only thing not mentioned in the new booklet contents is a very small article by Lotte Eisner, but that's only a few pages. I presume there's just less photos in the new booklet and smaller type?

The other thing I'm interested in is the "full-length, pre-censored" version. This is the same one that was on the DVD right? My copy of the Milestone release also lists a running time of 81 minutes, and is billed as "un-censored".

It's the same version that was on the original MoC DVD, which is Murnau's version. The Milestone DVD features the version originally released by Paramount, to which there were a few very slight cuts. The R. Dixon Smith and Brad Stevens commentary goes into these and points out the bits in the Murnau version that aren't present in the Paramount cut.

Milestone billed their DVD as 'un-censored' because for decades the circulating version of the film was a more heavily censored version from the 1940s, from which all shots involving nudity had been removed. The Milestone DVD was the first time the 1931 Paramount release cut had been available since that time, but it's still lacking a few shots from the Murnau version restored by FWMS and released by MoC.

[tenia]

Wasn't the old MoC release without any on disc extras ?

The original book, according to the MoC site is 80 pages, so I wonder what we are losing.

Probably more a question on font size, I'd guess.

[neilist]

Wasn't the old MoC release without any on disc extras ?

No, it had the R. Dixon Smith and Brad Stevens commentary and the short Luciano Berriatúa documentary about 'Tabu'.

[andyli]

The old MoC DVD doesn't have the 1.19:1 AR, does it? I think this is the main reason they also upgrade the DVD.

[neilist]

The old MoC DVD doesn't have the 1.19:1 AR, does it? I think this is the main reason they also upgrade the DVD.

The original release was in 1.37:1 only, so this plus the newly presented outtakes and 'Treibjagd in der Südsee' are definite reasons to upgrade. The only question is whether to keep the original DVD or not, if it has more in the booklet?

[swo17]

New bonus feature:

Treibjagd in der Südsee (short subject from 1940 depicting a South Seas fishing hunt, created from unused material from the filming of Tabu)

[manicsounds]

AVForums review

[swo17]

Yeah, if you view the image info on any given cap, they're all roughly 400 pixels by 300, or 1.33:1. Presumably the unaltered screencaps would be 16:9, including the black bars on the sides. Perhaps while the AV reviewer was cropping those out, he also cropped off some of the image just to confuse everyone?

[David M.]

Those pictures are from the old DVD version.

BTW, the BD is Region B, not region free as said on that page.

[MichaelB]

I'm playing the BD checkdisc now, and it's definitely very noticeably narrower than Academy. I can't do BD framegrabs to do precise pixel measurements, but I have no problem believing that it's true 1.19:1.

Anyway, here's a shot of my monitor, courtesy of my iPhone (with all that that implies, but hopefully you'll get the general idea):

[Ozu Teapot]

It does say on the AVF page that "Screen captures are for illustration purposes and may not originate from the item reviewed" - although it's kind of tucked away at the side and not immediately obvious!

[MichaelB]

Silent London:

Masters of Cinema has released Tabu previously on DVD – this is a beautiful Blu-Ray revamp of that pristine transfer. The sea spray sparkles and the chiaroscuro effects of those ominous shadows that are cast across paradise are given their full weight. It’s a seductively beautiful film; almost gratuitously, exotically gorgeous. In fact, I’d say the stills you see here don’t do it justice.

[MichaelB]

Beaver.

[andyli]

They look amazing! Then again M. Tooze in his review fails to point out the biggest improvement: the correct 1.19:1 aspect ratio, hence more space at the top and bottom of a frame. In fact, he didn't even acknowledge the wrong AR on the DVD.

[Gregory]

Interesting that the blu-ray shows more on the left edge of the frame as well.

[lubitsch]

They look amazing! Then again M. Tooze in his review fails to point out the biggest improvement: the correct 1.19:1 aspect ratio, hence more space at the top and bottom of a frame. In fact, he didn't even acknowledge the wrong AR on the DVD.

Indeed. I had a German TV recording with an annoying avantgardistic music, but it was in the correct aspect ratio. On the old Tabu MoC cover you can see the man standing on the rock and in the corresponding shot in the film the rock was clearly visible on the tape but to my horror on the US DVD and then the old MoC the rock was gone. Thanks for finally getting it right even if I now have to buy the third disc of the film (which I'm not even that fond of).

[neilist]

Beaver.

The Beaver review says for the reissued version 'I *think* the liner notes booklet is the same (but more compact)', comparing it to the 80-page book original release, but they're not quite the same.

The reissue version booklet misses out the following...

'Flaherty and Tabu' (by Richard Griffiths)
'Turia, an Original Story' (by F. W. Murnau and Robert Flaherty)
'Tabu (Taboo), a Story of the South Seas' (by F. W. Murnau and Robert Flaherty)
'Tabu, a Story of the South Seas' (by Lotte Eisner)

EDIT: Beaver's now been updated with the above.

[Michael Kerpan]

Looks pretty good -- but the nearly square format is a bit disconcerting... (even if authentic). ;~}