criterionforum.org

Oh, man, flashback to the past. I remember buying the original laserdisc box for around $215-235 back in 1996. That's fifteen yeas ago. I had just moved to the capital city to start on the university and I had no money whatsoever. But I had promised myself that when Criterion finally released the much delayed box I would buy it without any hesitation. Of course they released only a few months after I moved. I believe I pretty much lived on oatmeal for the rest of that month. But it was well worth it.

Schwartzman wrote:I really loved the design of the partly see through plastic slipcase. Hopefully they will stick with that. I wonder how the final packaging for the Fear And Loathing Blu will look like. Maybe that will be an indication for this release as well?

I have the original DVD box, it is still one of my favourite packaging designs on my shelf.

The Fear and Loathing Blu has lost the clear slipcase so it doesn't bode well for Brazil.

From Chris' review:

One thing to note is that for this Blu-ray the packaging has been changed. The DVD presented a standard double-width Armaray with Steadman’s artwork and then a clear plastic sleeve that went over it presenting the text (images can be seen here.) The Blu-ray has abandoned that design.

It is a pity they are abandoning some of the nice packaging from the DVD releases.

I have to say I was never really a fan of that slipcase, as it was hard to get the DVD out of the freaking thing sometimes.

I consider myself a greenie & hail reducing plastic, but also found the slipcase packaging to be annoying, as it is so difficult to get back in to the case with a book (Marienbad is particularly bad). I'm surprised that Criterion didn't adopt the blu-ray book that Warner's has been using for some of their releases, which are much better.

If Criterion does release Brazil, I do hope they'll add the original UK trailer which is much better than the US trailer.

For ones looking at the Fox UK Blu-ray, it comes with a few vintage extras ("What is Brazil" featurette), and the 142 minute version (The hybrid Criterion cut, it seems), but it comes with a paltry Dolby 2.0 track....

Okay, let's say, purely hypothetically, Criterion does the Blu-ray.

How many discs?

I am predicting only one. Yes, the film gets 1080p, but everything else (supplements, interviews, TV version) probably only exists in 480i.

Maybe that's what the delay is. Maybe the amount of material they have JUST goes over the one-disc limit, and they're figuring out either what to eliminate so it all fits or how to justify a second disc.

Definitely 2 discs.

Disc 1 for the director's cut, Disc 2 for the supplements, combining the 2 dvds materials. I think it makes better sense that way, and they are going to upconvert the SD material as they always do.

Is the transfer on the French digibook collector bluray with the director's cut decent?

Apparently Fox used a slightly different transfer. See here.

Norbie wrote:Is the transfer on the French digibook collector bluray with the director's cut decent?

Yes. I just picked it up with a bunch of other French blu rays (Heads up: Amazon.fr has been having some good sales lately, including 50 Euros off 100 euro or greater Blu Ray purchase right now). I like the bright pink/blue on the digibook image, but the booklet inside is both slight & odd. Its the 142 min. cut & looks great, I doubt Criterion can improve on the image much without some major restoration project. Audio is only DTS 2.0 (with other languages besides English), which is fine by me. It only includes one documentary (What is Brazil) & one trailer (The Fox EU trailer...which is much better than the US trailer on the Criterion). I doubt that I will have any interest in picking up the Criterion if/when it comes out (I don't have any great desire to see the criterion extras again, but if i do my local library has the dvd).

SamLowry wrote:

Norbie wrote:Is the transfer on the French digibook collector bluray with the director's cut decent?

Yes. I just picked it up with a bunch of other French blu rays (Heads up: Amazon.fr has been having some good sales lately, including 50 Euros off 100 euro or greater Blu Ray purchase right now).

Has this sale ended already? I can't see it.

Edit: It's only certain titles. Click

Film Forum in NYC is showing Brazil in 35mm, beginning Wed., Sep. 19 through Tue., Sep. 25. It gives a run time of 143 minutes, but I don't know which cut that would be.

I'd be amazed if it was anything other than the cut on the Criterion disc; I believe that all of the other versions are out of circulation.

143 minutes would be the European cut of the film—or, as Gilliam himself refers to it, the final cut of the film. It is indeed the longer version that appears on the present Criterion release.

It's not true though that all other versions are out of circulation. The Universal Blu-ray is the shorter theatrical cut.

med wrote:143 minutes would be the European cut of the film—or, as Gilliam himself refers to it, the final cut of the film. It is indeed the longer version that appears on the present Criterion release.

The European cut is different from the final cut -- the running time is roughly the same, but the final cut has clouds under the opening captions (which were in the U.S. version, but not the European one) and makes some very minor adjustments to a couple of other scenes.

swo17 wrote:It's not true though that all other versions are out of circulation. The Universal Blu-ray is the shorter theatrical cut.

I meant with the 35mm prints that Universal loans to repertory houses (although they tend to be OK with collectors' prints being used, so I'm sure it's possible to screen the original American cut of it).

So excited to free up all that shelf space from the old DVD set.

I'm glad to see that the full 3 disc set was the candidate for the Blu upgrade, rather than the watered down edition.

Also nice to see that Universal is still willing to play on these dueling separate editions (their own release not being that long ago). Perhaps Criterion can just do a Hitchcock set of their own then.

"Love Conquers All Version" in 1080p? Should be interesting.

This was my first Criterion, along with Nights of Cabiria, back in 1998 or so. Good memories of getting the set from amazon for 40% off (pre-ordered) and getting the 3-disk set and being totally astounded by the whole shebang.

Well, I seriously doubt the "Love Conquers All" version will be native 1080p. It'll be the same SD source upscaled to 1080i or 1080p. Or at least that's what I'm willing to bet.

Right, I imagine everything apart from the "director's cut" will remain standard def. As "swo17" says, the main advantage of the set is freeing up the extra shelf space taken by the DVD issue...and the film itself being in 1080p, of course!

hearthesilence wrote:Film Forum in NYC is showing Brazil in 35mm, beginning Wed., Sep. 19 through Tue., Sep. 25. It gives a run time of 143 minutes, but I don't know which cut that would be.

According to their site, it's the European theatrical version. Screens through Tuesday!

If you are in LA, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is screening this tonight in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. It is open to the public; tickets $5. Special guests just announced: Katherine Helmond and Arnon Milchan
http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibition ... -film.html