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kinjitsu wrote:That greenish tint might be caused by the color settings on your monitor.

Could be, but I only remember noting the greenish-ness at certain points on my Criterion DVD -- the most notable being the climax inside the cursed castle. Again, I'm trying to be as careful as possible because it's been so long since I watched the DVD. At any rate, I can say with confidence that the 45 minutes or so of the print I watched off and on on TCM last night looked cleaner and less battered than our Criterion's print.

Dvdtimes has this to say about the new Institut Lumiere disc of IKWIG:

"Thankfully, the transfer is fully up to representing the film with a print that scarcely contains a mark or scratch. It has clearly been well-restored, as one or two frames show evidence of problems, but the restoration work renders then all but invisible. The transfer is stable and there is no light flicker. The monochrome tones are strong, with pleasing blacks, allowing a reasonable level of detail, texture and shadow information to be seen. It's slightly on the soft side, the range of tones is not the finest, but it's a lovely transfer nonetheless."

Sounds as if it is superior to the old Criterion disc. Though the extras on the CC make it indispensable.

Looking at the castle ruin, it seems that the Criterion's brightness/contrast has been boosted, obscuring some detail, which appears have been retained in the Institut Lumière transfer. Bloody hell, I still haven't got the Narcissus disc and now this comes down the pike! And there's that new SE of Peeping Tom, too!

Slightly off the present topic, but I was reading David Mamet's new book Bambi Vs. Godzilla, in which he waxes about the Archers for a few pages, and then notes that I Know Where I'm Going is his favorite film (and uses 49th Parallel as an example of why he hates Olivier's film acting). I don't know why it was a surprise to see that of all films this is Mamet's favorite, but there it is. Throughout the book he talks about Powell and Pressburger quite a bit, and I'd love to see Criterion use him for an essay or interview at some point.

That's cool that David Mamet loves the Archers! I would never have guessed that IKWIG was his all-time favourite. I have even more respect for him now!

I read somewhere on this very forum that Mamet's favorite film was Col. Blimp and that I Know Where I'm Going was his wife, Rebecca Pidgon's favorite film.

A couple of years ago, Mamet had an occasional column in the Guardian, and stated there that his favourite film was Wyler's DODSWORTH. The tart! Great taste, though.

You know, I just checked, and Domino, you're right. I'd love to hear what Mamet's commenatry track for Col. Blimp would sound like: "You know what's fucking great?" "What?" "Livesey. So fuck you."

I just saw this film today.

This disc is officially in my TO BUY list along with all the other Powell/Pressburger films I've seen.

malcolm1980 wrote:I just saw this film today.

This disc is officially in my TO BUY list along with all the other Powell/Pressburger films I've seen.

funny, you should have been in Madison, WI with me on Sunday: I found it used in a music store for $6.99

It truly is an amazing film...and although I already own it, it was too good to pass up as trade bait. pm me if you are interested in a trade (it's impeccable, but i'll gladly send you the one I bought new)

HistoryProf wrote:

malcolm1980 wrote:I just saw this film today.

This disc is officially in my TO BUY list along with all the other Powell/Pressburger films I've seen.

funny, you should have been in Madison, WI with me on Sunday: I found it used in a music store for $6.99

It truly is an amazing film...and although I already own it, it was too good to pass up as trade bait. pm me if you are interested in a trade (it's impeccable, but i'll gladly send you the one I bought new)

I don't live in the U.S. and shipping/mailing costs in my country is expensive and unreliable. Thanks anyway.

Something I've wanted to say about this otherwise sublime release: it's definitely not up to their usual standards for back then. I see that greenish haze hanging over much of the transfer as seen by some here, the sound is by far the worst of all their P&P releases (I have em all except HOFFMAN & PARALLEL)... part of the image problems seem to stem from the excessive boosting of the contrast, and the fact that the transfer is interlaced. I always assumed this was one of their old transfers from the LD days... a clue to an old LD transfer, used or unused in the commercial venue, is the fact that CC doesn't specificy that it is new in the advetising bullets, i e "Gorgeous new transfer" or "Beautiful new high definition transfer, supervised by..". This disc simply says "Beautiful (or "stunning", or "gorgeous") digital transfer, supervised by..." The clue to my mind that this is a transfer which predated the dvd release is the fact that its interlaced. And the lack of any digital cleanup viz MTI whatsoever. Besides the occasional silent release, by the time of this release (with the CC "line" logo) they were going just about all-progressive.

Nonetheless, the release was executed with so much gigantic affection for the film that none of that matters. I love the cinema far more than I love dvd technology, and will take what I can get with an old release like this. It definitely would be an ideal revisitation for them though. If THIRD MAN got a facelift in the catalog, surely this most hypnotic and mysteriously inspiring of P&P should rate one...

The Criterion Contraption on the film.

That's the John Laurie I remember!

Because it's the first film I saw him in I always remember Laurie for THE REPTILE.
Yes, I know I'm a Philistine.

What a fun film! I usually love the Archers anyway, so nothing new there. IKWIG is yet another film (alongside A Canterbury Tale and Edge of the World) that showcases Powell's love for Britain's staggering beauty. Wendy Hiller wasn't as good, imho, as some of Powell's other leading ladies, but Brown does make up for it.

Not to harp on the "I wish this were on blu" discussions that pop up from time to time 'round these parts, but I really do wish some more of Powell's films showcasing Britain's gorgeous topography would get the blu treatment. I know, I know... unlikely.

Of course, I Know Where I"m Going is a wonderful film, and I think it deserves a passionate defense for being on Blu, because the current (and aging) Criterion transfer is abysmal. As more recently-released films are now getting upgrades that at times represents relatively minor improvements, this film absolutely needs and warrants a major restoration.

I've always had a special place in my heart for this film, since my first viewing via Criterion. It's continued to grow on me with each subsequent viewing, like no other P & P film has. The black and white imagery perfectly capture the feel of the Outer Hebrides, with exacting beauty. For me, watching this film is like re-living my ancestral trip to Scotland, back in 2003. Every time I watch this, it brings me there! Every, time. Pint by pint, and dram by dram. This should be a sure candidate for a Blu-ray upgrade. It's my favorite Powell & Pressburger. And one of the finest films ever made.

Lovely piece on IKWIG in the Guardian. I believe Peter Bradshaw has also done the commentary for the upcoming blu-ray of KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS.

I'm having trouble with the search function, so can someone tell me if the film has been restored, released on Blu anywhere, and/or if a Criterion upgrade is planned? Thanks.

EDIT: So, I DO know how to use google, and it looks like there's a French Blu-ray. Looks nice at DVDBeaver. Any hints from Criterion on this title? It's a favorite.

david hare wrote: Tue Mar 05, 2019 3:50 am Does not look to be on any slate for new restoration. The Elephant French Blu is from an unrestored source. It has to do for the time being.

This Observer article about Thelma Schoonmaker from last month indicates that a restoration of IKWIG is indeed forthcoming, sooner rather than later. Scroll down to the last but one paragraph.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/f ... wship-2019
One of my favourites. I can't wait for this one.

That’s great news. Hopefully also A Canterbury Tale sooner rather than later

Ah I wasn’t aware of that, hopefully gets a disc release soon then

I can double-check, but iirc Amazon has digital versions of Going and Canterbury that are both in HD..

IKWIG is a masterpiece and probably my favorite Powell & Pressburger, too

I’m currently on holiday on Mull, and thought there might be some interest in a few pictures I’ve taken of locations from the film. It seemed right to post them in black and white.

Those pics are great. What camera are you using?