Tommaso wrote:Basically, yes, but a complete second film ("Das fidele Gefängnis") is more than just an extra. Just imagine anyone would release an improved version of "Lonesome" (unlikely, anyhow) but without the two complete extra films on the CC edition. So the MoC "Trouble in Paradise" will never make the CC superfluous, however much the image quality is improved.
I quite agree. The Kent Jones interview is an extra, which may or may not appeal to those who love the main feature. Das fidele Gefängnis turns the CC into a double feature.
Tommaso wrote:'Course not, but in times where funds are limited, the previous edition must be able to go to ebay. I already sold my Milestone "Chess Player" in anticipation of the new Bernard box-set from France, for instance. But this is not possible for me in this case here. "Das fidele Gefängnis" is a very fine film, and it's unavailable elsewhere, so it must stay.
Another issue (which is a cumulative one) is space, particularly for those of us past retirement and looking to downsize our living space at a future point in time.
Saw this yesterday for the first time. What a riot, and what a brilliant film-making achievement as well. The way the camera moves, the timing of the comedy and of course the script itself... I immediately pre-ordered the MoC afterwards (saw the Criterion), and can't wait to see it again.
Beaver refers to the MoC as "not a massive upgrade" but if the screen grabs are truly representative, I'd say that's something of an understatement. Consider the grab of Charlie Ruggles and Edward Everett Horton or the one below that of the factory entrance. Better resolution and detail and it's not particularly close. Looking forward to this one.
Not sure if anyone else was fortunate enough to watch, but TCM in the U.S. broadcast Trouble in Paradise tonight as part of its month-long Lubitsch festival, and the print shown seemed to be a significant improvement over both the Criterion DVD, and to a lesser extent the MoC DVD. Not sure if I should chalk it up to HD vs SD, but it looked superior in every respect (sharpness, black levels, contrast, etc).
I have a DVD-R of an earlier TCM broadcast of the film, and tonight's showing looked markedly better than the previous print used by TCM. It just seems strange that there is source material out there that looks better than what MoC used on its own edition issued just last month. I've owned various incarnations of this film ("Lubitsch Touch" boxset on laserdisc, Criterion DVD, TCM DVD-R of earlier print, Masters of Cinema DVD), but none were as clean as the presentation in HD on TCM this evening. And if it is just a matter of HD vs. SD, and the print used by MoC is the same source material as the TCM print used tonight, why for heaven's sake was a dual format blu-ray/dvd edition not made available if it was, in fact, "remastered in HD" according to the liner notes?
Hopefully others out there also viewed the program tonight and can share their own observations.
Wittsdream wrote:Not sure if I should chalk it up to HD vs SD, but it looked superior in every respect (sharpness, black levels, contrast, etc).
TCM HD isn't really HD, it's just an upscaled version of the channel. It mostly benefits from the increased bandwidth but they also use heavy filtering (it's very smoothed over.) From my experience with other movies on TCM HD and on my own DVDs, both from the same source, the DVD always comes out on top.
I saw a little bit - it looked like it came from the same source as both DVDs. I don't have the MOC but from screencaps I'd say it looks much better than the TCM HD showing.
Altair wrote: Sun Jun 15, 2025 10:35 pm
Reading the MoC booklet, I note from the copyright notice that it expires in 2027, so we might potentially see a few different BDs after that.
The fact of the matter is that Universal still hold the best (and possibly only) film elements for a new master. The major boutiques (Eureka, Criterion, etc) would still want to license the film proper from Universal.
Yes, and that's pretty much the case for all public domain films. You could release your own Blu-ray of Lubitsch's The Love Parade today, it's in the public domain. But where are you going to get the film elements to scan? Without the best elements available from the studio, you're at best going to be scanning a worn, decades-old 35mm release print.
A festive rewatch and the first time seeing it on MoC's surprisingly strong DVD (it seems like the best we will get for the foreseeable future). Wow: I loved this already, but I think I might enter my personsl top 10 now. Herbert Marshall is glorious, just as the rest of the cast is; the chemistry off the charts and the art direction is a beautiful art Deco confection. A lot to dig into below the surface on wealth and class (it feels very much a film of the Depression, despite the glamour), as well as gender roles too, but it's just there. Lubitsch has never been more graceful or assured. It's a glass of the finest champagne.
