Artificial Eye / Curzon Film World

[Duncan Hopper]

I was one of the few hundred of us from this place whose paid the 35 quid etc.

I paid less than that for the blu set.

[AidanKing]

I imagine the issue is that Artificial Eye probably asked for BluRay masters and got them with the stipulation that black bars were not to be removed: sensible if they were only releasing BluRay. They should obviously have asked for a separate set of masters for the DVD release in 4:3 without black bars at the side.

I imagine the only people drastically affected are those with old 4:3 CRT TVs, such as me.

Hopefully, although they're unfortunately not redoing the DVDs, they won't be making the same mistake again with future releases.

[peerpee]

I imagine the issue is that Artificial Eye probably asked for BluRay masters and got them with the stipulation that black bars were not to be removed: sensible if they were only releasing BluRay. They should obviously have asked for a separate set of masters for the DVD release in 4:3 without black bars at the side.

Not true. All 1.33:1 films in HD come pillarboxed as 1.33:1 within a 16:9 area. All HD masters are 16:9 shape.

Everyone who authors a 1.33:1 film from an HD master properly as a non-anamorphic 1.33:1 (4:3) DVD has to encode from a 16:9 HD master and effectively cut out the pillarboxing on the sides.

[MichaelB]

Everyone who authors a 1.33:1 film from an HD master properly as a non-anamorphic 1.33:1 (4:3) DVD has to encode from a 16:9 HD master and effectively cut out the pillarboxing on the sides.

Yes, you shouldn't need two separate masters - there's more than enough picture information on the HD master to source a perfectly viable non-anamorphic 1.33:1 SD version with no black bars anywhere (except those added by DVD players servicing 16:9 monitors).

Which I would have thought was standard practice.

[peerpee]

It has indeed been standard practice for Criterion, BFI, MoC, for many years.

[Calvin]

I was one of the few hundred of us from this place whose paid the 35 quid etc.

If you paid £35 for the DVD then you got ripped off!

The order included Accatone and was 45 quid

Sorry, I assumed you were referring to the DVD rather than the Blu-Ray as I thought the Blu-Ray was problem free?

[peerpee]

No, the BD set looks great! --- We're talking specifically about the DVD set, which is 1.33:1 OAR, but has been needlessly encoded as a pillarboxed 16:9 anamorphic DVD.

[peerpee]

(The AE sets are not Dual Format, they're separate DVD and separate BD sets.)

[knives]

You basically have nothing to worry about is the plot.

[Michael Kerpan]

No, the BD set looks great! --- We're talking specifically about the DVD set, which is 1.33:1 OAR, but has been needlessly encoded as a pillarboxed 16:9 anamorphic DVD.

Does this make any difference if one has a widescreen TV?

[knives]

No.

[MichaelB]

The answer's actually "yes" - on a 16:9 set, you'd only get the black bars at the sides. In fact, at least in terms of framing, you'd get the same picture that you would with the BDs.

You only get black bars all the way round the picture with a 4:3 set.

That said, the comparative loss of resolution compared with a non-anamorphic 4:3 encode is a given regardless of the shape of the screen.

[manicsounds]

I had to send an email to DVDBeaver as some of the posters he put up were for the wrong movies. I'm trying myself to find some good quality scans of the original posters of the Mizoguchi films but it's difficult to find any of the older titles....

[Tommaso]

The answer's actually "yes" - on a 16:9 set, you'd only get the black bars at the sides. In fact, at least in terms of framing, you'd get the same picture that you would with the BDs.

If you're lucky enough to have a TV set that does the 16:9-anamorphic resolution correctly. For instance, my set always stretches a 1.66 anamorphic film to 1.78. It's not very perceptible, but still isn't right. I've seen documentaries or dvd extras in 16:9 anamorphic format in which the embedded 4:3 film clips were also slightly stretched to a format of about 1.40. Of course, that's just my particular set, though I remember that this was discussed here a long time ago and others also had that problem. So I'm not fully sure about whether I would really end up with a correct 4:3 image with these films.

[MichaelB]

If you're lucky enough to have a TV set that does the 16:9-anamorphic resolution correctly. For instance, my set always stretches a 1.66 anamorphic film to 1.78. It's not very perceptible, but still isn't right. I've seen documentaries or dvd extras in 16:9 anamorphic format in which the embedded 4:3 film clips were also slightly stretched to a format of about 1.40. Of course, that's just my particular set, though I remember that this was discussed here a long time ago and others also had that problem. So I'm not fully sure about whether I would really end up with a correct 4:3 image with these films.

I assume you'd actually be more likely to end up with a correct 4:3 image, because the DVD image consists of an anamorphically-squeezed 4:3 image within a 16:9 frame.

So as far as it's concerned, the TV will be displaying a 16:9 image, and therefore shouldn't feel the need to adjust anything, assuming you've set it up so that the TV doesn't interfere with what the DVD player serves up. Assuming this is possible, but that's how I've always set up my own 16:9 displays - in my experience, the less that the TV is given to do, the better!

[peerpee]

All this crap is all the more reason to dropkick DVDs and concentrate full-bore on Blu-rays.

[MichaelB]

All this crap is all the more reason to dropkick DVDs and concentrate full-bore on Blu-rays.

I don't think Tommaso would thank you for that - isn't he still DVD-only? Certainly, it doesn't sound as though he has an HDTV, which should easily be capable of displaying a proper 16:9 image without fiddling with it.

[Tommaso]

You're right; I'm on an old 16:9 tube which, if I may so, has a really nice picture. Not HD capable, of course.

[AidanKing]

Thanks to everyone for the information on the process involved in transferring the masters for the Mizoguchi sets to DVD and BluRay: it's interesting to know that it would be exactly the same set of masters.

I was inclined to feel charitable towards Artificial Eye regarding the issue with the DVDs but am not so sure now. It looks as if there's some level of quality control that's gone amiss at the company: it's impossible to imagine MoC making the same mistake, for example.

I'm still keeping the DVDs though as the alternative is not being able to see these films. I imagine in the future it's best to be careful with Artificial Eye DVDs of 4:3 films which are also being released on BluRay.

[Oedipax]

Just noticed something strange on the case artwork for Osaka Elegy - one of the two blurbs is credited to DVD Beaver ("A critical and popular triumph"), but this is actually from Criterion's synopsis which DVD Beaver in turn quoted for its review page. Oops.

[MichaelB]

Just noticed something strange on the case artwork for Osaka Elegy - one of the two blurbs is credited to DVD Beaver ("A critical and popular triumph"), but this is actually from Criterion's synopsis which DVD Beaver in turn quoted for its review page. Oops.

Given how quickly these quotes are often hoovered up (I've done it myself, so I know whereof I speak), I'm surprised that this doesn't happen more often.

[Calvin]

I got round to watching my set yesterday and was really blown away. The lack of extras aside, it's a stellar package that should ride high on the end of year polls - print limitations aside, all four films have impeccable transfers. It would be heartbreaking if it didn't sell well because it deserves to and I'd love to see a Vol. 2.

[Needless to say I've also stuck a pre-order in for both of the upcoming MoC releases. By my reckoning, they'll make Mizoguchi the second-most represented Japanese director in (English-friendly) HD - in the space of two months! Ozu: 9, Mizoguchi: 8, Kurosawa: 6 ... Naruse: 0 !]

[ShellOilJunior]

Le Havre coming July 9th.

[MichaelB]

A few weeks ago, more to confirm my suspicions than anything else, I asked Aki Kaurismäki what the chances were of him recording a commentary to one of his films.

Let's just say you'd probably have more success getting his idols Ozu or Bresson to do one, and leave it discreetly at that...

[JPJ]

Le Havre coming July 9th.

Amazon lists it as PAL,hopefully they don't release Future film's(Finnish distributor) 1080i/25fps transfer.