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Michael B reviewed the Studio Canal disc for November's Sight and Sound - but no comparison (I too would interested in such a head to head)...

Just got the The Third Man on Blu-Ray and it does indeed look fantastic! Honestly, the only thing I'd miss about the Criterion set is the commentaries, which aren't hard to find on the web in mp3 form - if you need to see it with picture, just play it on your iPod or phone as you watch the new StudioCanal disc. The commentary on the Studio Canal BD (also on the previous, crappy looking BD - avoid that one) is quite good too, moreso if you want something from people who were actually involved in the production - lots of anecdotes on how they shot the film (the logistics of multiple camera units, scheduling at night, comical anecdotes, etc.) Unless you're a collector, don't bother paying ridiculous prices for the Criterion set.

hearthesilence wrote:Just got the The Third Man on Blu-Ray and it does indeed look fantastic! Honestly, the only thing I'd miss about the Criterion set is the commentaries, which aren't hard to find on the web in mp3 form - if you need to see it with picture, just play it on your iPod or phone as you watch the new StudioCanal disc. The commentary on the Studio Canal BD (also on the previous, crappy looking BD - avoid that one) is quite good too, moreso if you want something from people who were actually involved in the production - lots of anecdotes on how they shot the film (the logistics of multiple camera units, scheduling at night, comical anecdotes, etc.) Unless you're a collector, don't bother paying ridiculous prices for the Criterion set.

Agreed. Only £11 on Amazon UK at the moment, but I paid almost double that for the collector's edition - soundtrack CD, booklet, poster, postcards, DVD copy, and lovely packaging. Why? Because it's one of the best British films ever made, and the reports about the quality of the disc were ecstatic. It's worth getting that if you're already a fan of the film.

I won a copy of StudioCanal's recently restored edition of Reed's The Fallen Idol last week and it arrived the other day, but I haven't watched it yet. Will check it out soon and report back.

The Lion in Winter.....I am very skepical on how this will look based on source material being very questionalbe. [-o<

FrauBlucher wrote:The Lion in Winter.....I am very skepical on how this will look based on source material being very questionalbe. [-o<

TCM showed this in HD a month or two back. Having heard the existing elements were in bad shape (probably on this forum), I watched a few minutes specifically to assess the picture-quality: what I saw looked pretty good.

I think that was Twilight Time's claim, no doubt repeated here though

That's exactly right. Redman said that during a QandA session several years back. Not sure about ownership and rights on this side of the pond but hopefully Studio Canal puts out a quality blu ray. I would pick it up in a second.

I did ask Criterion about this title two years ago, they said "they will look into it." Not sure if that means anything more than thanks for the suggestion.

Does anybody have any experience with the French/German editions of Studio Canal Collection discs? Are their extras (and essays) still in English/subbed in English? I'm in Vienna for the next couple months and debating whether or not I should pick up some of the German editions.

My experience with the German editions (e.g. of Bunuel titles) is that the disc content appears to be identical, with English subtitle options, but there are no booklets. And I much prefer the standard case to the book-format UK editions that sometimes seem to require a crowbar to prise out the disc. That was actually the main reason I started buying the continental editions.

FrauBlucher wrote:The Fallen Idol.....Another mastering/encode issue strikes again

Studio Canal is running a trade in your disc program for this issue.

Have they said how the new discs can be identified once they go out to retailers? Something similar to the Second Pressing notification at the back of re-issued Criterion Blu-Rays? I haven't bought the original disc.

Finch, perhaps they can answer that here..."Folks who wish to exchange their discs must send full details to [email protected]. Replacement discs will be send out as soon as they are made available." From Bluray.com

thanks, FB.

From Studiocanal:

Dear XXXX,

Thank you for your email and apologies for the delay in getting back to you.

We have added your details to our distribution list.
We are currently re-producing the masters, and we will make sure to send you a replacement disc as soon as this process is complete.

We thank you for your patience and apologize for the inconvenience caused.

All the best,

Man, to be fair the detail is great, but I'm not thrilled about the color timing, it looks a bit wrong. I've seen it on the big screen several times, but I don't recall it ever having that same look.

I've also seen the film several times on the big screen. I'd say that the old Lionsgate/Studio Canal Blu-ray, for all its faults, looks much more like what I recall. Maybe somewhere between the old Blu-ray and the Criterion DVD. Those bluish images just don't seem right.

Interesting note, the theatrical trailer seemed to use footage that wasn't from the 4k restoration.

This business of so many new BDs of older films having a pronouncedly weird teal/green/gray (or other) cast is ridiculous and upsetting, because it is objectively happening and it is inaccurate by any standard. Ran, Playtime, Je t'aime, je t'aime, Last Detail, Good, Bad, Ugly, all suffer from it. The detail and texture generally look fantastic on these discs, which is excellent because we cannot alter resolution at home -- while we can, somewhat, fuss with the color temperatures. Imagine how thrilled we'll all be in a couple years when 2001 is remastered to feature a baby blue spaceship.

It's as if all these new remasters are produced by Len Wiseman, or someone (or many people!) who are literally color blind. I don't understand it.

Maybe someone else can confirm this, but are the blue tinted prints from the 1960s and 1970s the result of many projection lamps having an orange-yellow color? My understanding is that film labs would time the blues and purples to compensate for this projection flaw -- particularly in European theaters.

If this is true then it would explain why many British, French, and German releases seem to be a bit bluer.

Or perhaps this is too simplistic. I'd love to hear if someone could confirm this.

Written by Svet Thingy, though, so fairly worthless.

FrauBlucher wrote:

FrauBlucher wrote:The Fallen Idol.....Another mastering/encode issue strikes again

Studio Canal is running a trade in your disc program for this issue.

Updated The Fallon Idol