1 / BD 1 Sunrise

[HerrSchreck]

It's already in the Murnau Borzage box, will no doubt be a port of the digibeta from Fox.

Nothing majorly different, though there are some differences in shot angles and editing.

[peerpee]

we're not "porting a digibeta" on the Blu-ray. Both versions will be in HD.

[HerrSchreck]

You're not using Fox' master?

[peerpee]

We are - but we're not using Digibeta (which is SD).

[HerrSchreck]

Gotcha-- apologies on the mis-appellation.

[Will Barks]

I cannot thank you too much for bringing us silent films on Blu-ray, peerpee!
I can't wait for september. =P~

[denti alligator]

I will gladly quadruple-dip!

It's too bad that Czech print is so cropped ... the clarity of the image is so stunning!

[HerrSchreck]

What makes you say that it's cropped, Dent? It's a completely different cut of the film, with much of the footage (if not all) shot from a different camera in a position different from the "classic" Movietone cut's camera(s) that we're so used to seeing. The scene with George O'B and Margie Livingston in the swamp, for example, are framed much tighter in the Czech print. It's not cropping, it's completely different shots.

Unless of course you've seen the film projected, and can compare the DVD against the reels, I defer to you on this....

[denti alligator]

Nope, haven't seen it projected. You're most certainly right--my bad. It appears like cropping when some of the shots are compared to the Movietone print, whose framing I prefer. I never understood why the second camera used for export prints usually does such different work -- why not try for the best possible shot? Why even have a second camera? Was it purely for pragmatic purposes -- who did the editing of these other reels? (I'm thinking especially of Der letzte Mann, where the docu on MoC's edition details the differences, showing clearly that the export print had inferior shots.)

[HerrSchreck]

They had to make multiple negs-- film stock was so insensitive and optical printing so primitive that exhibition prints couldnt be struck from materials very far away from the camera neg-- even print from a neg from a primary interpos I believe was barely up to snuff in much of the orthochromatic realm-- therefore, without multiple negs from dif sources, the original camera-neg assembly neg would get worn into the ground generating a full global markets worth of exhibition prints. So multiple cameras had to be used to create negs that would be used for seperate markets, there was no alternative... otherwise the single camera/single neg would disintegrate into dust after a couple of weeks.

I'm sure if they could have they would have had a single, perfect take on one durable, everlasting neg. They didn't enjoy having to send out second best/awkward camera angle-neg'd prints out, but they had no choice. A decent sized film had at least three cameras running side by side.

[zedz]

I'm sure if they could have they would have had a single, perfect take on one durable, everlasting neg. They didn't enjoy having to send out second best/awkward camera angle-neg'd prints out, but they had no choice. A decent sized film had at least three cameras running side by side.

Something that's just occurred to me in the context of Sunrise is that this whole multiple-camera business must have been much more complicated with Murnau's moving camera. I haven't compared, but I'm guessing that most of the mobile shots would have been different passes / takes rather than second camera set-ups. (Reminds me that I must watch the Czech version!)

[eerik]

The long-awaited 3rd MoC Series Catalogue will debut inside our new edition of SUNRISE in Sept (a futureproof DVD+Blu-ray combo pack w/book)

[cdnchris]

That's nice about the Blu/DVD combo. I'm actually looking more and more forward to this one with every bit of news. I missed the Fox release and can't currently justify (to my wife) the big Murnau set so I'm happy it will make its debut into my collection in high-def.

[AtlantaFella]

I'm in for this, but please, enough with the "future proof" thing.

[peerpee]

Haven't you heard? Blu-ray will be the last format.

[ouatitw]

please tell me this is going to be region free.

[Bleddyn Williams]

please tell me this is going to be region free.

Well, from peerpee...

We're about to start authoring it. We only ever intend to release non-crippled, region-free Blu-rays -- like Artificial Eye are doing...

[MichaelB]

please tell me this is going to be region free.

Well, from peerpee...

We're about to start authoring it. We only ever intend to release non-crippled, region-free Blu-rays -- like Artificial Eye are doing...

Yes, but saying you "we only ever intend to" isn't quite the same as saying "we will only"!

It's a bit like the classic politician's circumlocution "I cannot foresee the circumstances in which I might challenge my leader", as opposed to "I will never challenge my leader" - it looks reasonably definite from a distance, but allows a fair amount of wiggle room.

If this is indeed region-free, it raises all sorts of interesting questions, considering the title is owned outright by a Hollywood major, and one that's generally pretty keen on region-coding its own Blu-ray releases. On the other hand, it might assume that a silent feature is so old as to be essentially worthless, and so is happy not to press the point.

[HerrSchreck]

I always had the old Fox release of this, then the Murnau box, but-- is this going to be the third time MoC released this title?

I agree it'd be an achievement if they got Fox to allow them to bleed into the American market-- the one thing in their favor is I'm not sure Fox has any plans for Blu in R1 for this or any silents (given they passed over the Murnau and flagship Borzages, as well as the Ford's).. but lord knows I wouldnt be surprised if they reserved the right... just to be a pain in the ass about it.

[cdnchris]

Ugh, I didn't even think of Fox being a problem. Oh please please please be a region free disc. I doubt this will ever see the light of day on Blu-ray here.

[eerik]

Packaging pretty much locked down for our forthcoming Blu-ray/DVD combo edition of SUNRISE (out in September) -- see twitbackground!

[Will Barks]

120-page book sounds fabulous!

[Foam]

Oh my god yay that looks delicious.

[Richard]

please tell me this is going to be region free.

Well, from peerpee...

We're about to start authoring it. We only ever intend to release non-crippled, region-free Blu-rays -- like Artificial Eye are doing...

Criterion should learn from this.

[The Masked Marvel]

I'm really gobsmacked by how well MoC handles their releases.

LOVE the dual DVD/Blu-ray idea. The packaging is stellar, too.

A must-buy, if ever there was one!