Luis Buñuel on DVD
- zedz
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
I can see there's a lot of headroom in most shots, but it looks to me more like a case of the film being shot with two ARs in mind, and in that case I'd much rather the transfer erred on the side of openness. The shot with the truck in it would certainly suffer from a wider AR. The caps look pretty great to me.
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- Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:49 pm
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
Actually, that is in the DVD Beaver review about the aspect ratio ... but you're right, I'm foolish to refer to it with that as my only source.
- Fiery Angel
- Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:59 pm
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
IMDB lists the aspect ratio as 1:37.1, FWIW.
- Michael Kerpan
- Spelling Bee Champeen
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Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
As I recall the DVDB review calls the ratio used the proper one -- or did that get edited at some point?Perkins Cobb wrote:Actually, that is in the DVD Beaver review about the aspect ratio ... but you're right, I'm foolish to refer to it with that as my only source.
Last edited by Michael Kerpan on Mon Oct 05, 2009 7:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- zedz
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
Yes, it's been edited to add that somebody claims 1.66 is the correct ratio. To me it looks like a good instance of cinematographic bet-hedging, but I'm skipping town before another no-win aspect ratio argument arises.Michael Kerpan wrote:As I recall the DVDB review calls the ration used the proper one -- or did that get edited at some point?Perkins Cobb wrote:Actually, that is in the DVD Beaver review about the aspect ratio ... but you're right, I'm foolish to refer to it with that as my only source.
- GringoTex
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:57 am
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
Wasn't VistaVision the only format using 1:66 in 1956?zedz wrote: Yes, it's been edited to add that somebody claims 1.66 is the correct ratio. To me it looks like a good instance of cinematographic bet-hedging, but I'm skipping town before another no-win aspect ratio argument arises.
- zedz
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
The ever-reliable David Hare!
My understanding is that 1.66 was always much more common in Europe than the US, particularly through the 60s and 70s, and I've seen a lot of European films from the period misframed at 1.85 because projectionists were unwilling or unable to mask to 1.66.
My understanding is that 1.66 was always much more common in Europe than the US, particularly through the 60s and 70s, and I've seen a lot of European films from the period misframed at 1.85 because projectionists were unwilling or unable to mask to 1.66.
- MichaelB
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Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
Barry Lyndon was famously/notoriously in 1.66 - and Kubrick made a point of ringing up cinemas in advance and sending them compatible 1.66 masks if they weren't already equipped to show it properly.zedz wrote:The ever-reliable David Hare!
My understanding is that 1.66 was always much more common in Europe than the US, particularly through the 60s and 70s, and I've seen a lot of European films from the period misframed at 1.85 because projectionists were unwilling or unable to mask to 1.66.
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- Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2009 9:58 pm
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
I'm amazed nobody has released a reputable copy of Él/This Strange Passion on DVD. For my money along with Exterminating Angel, it is among the greatest of Buñuel's Mexican period films, and yet it is one of his least known works. I saw it in 35mm in Mexico about 6 or 7 years ago, and the print was quite spectacular showcasing Gabriel Figueroa's crisp photography (it was a Figueroa festival); I think it was in even better shape than the Exterminating Angel dvd from Criterion.
- Ashirg
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:10 am
- Location: Atlanta
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
It was released in France and Spain (NTSC and region 0), but is out of print now. Here's DVD Beaver review from the olden days.
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- Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2009 9:58 pm
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
I bought a copy that was released in Mexico two years ago by "Z Films", saw about four minutes of it and threw it away. Probably the worst dvd transfer I have ever seen.
- der_Artur
- Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 6:22 pm
- Location: stuttgart
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
There's a good German DVD of Él, too. Alas, only subtitled in German.
- Documaniaque
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:06 pm
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
Can anyone here comment on the newish French release of l'Age d'Or that the Centre Pompidou put out last year? Better than the BFI or not? Any impressions would be welcome...
- Documaniaque
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 6:06 pm
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
I have the Film Sans Frontières DVD with Las Hurdes, and the copy used is definitely in pretty poor condition, so this sounds tempting...
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- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 9:35 am
Los Olvidados
Speaking of Los Olvidados, has anyone gotten reports on the R4 version recently issued by Shock? I like the film very much but am not aware of any English-friendly good transfer of the film and am hoping this might be it.
- manicsounds
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
- Location: Tokyo, Japan
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
Los Olvidados UK DVD September 13th
60th Anniversary edition
Special Features include a specially commissioned interview with internationally renowned film critic, Derek Malcolm
60th Anniversary edition
Special Features include a specially commissioned interview with internationally renowned film critic, Derek Malcolm
- Lemmy Caution
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:26 am
- Location: East of Shanghai
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
Would love to get a copy of Los Olvidados.
I saw a good quality restored print at the Shanghai Film Festival 3 or 4 years back.
The little seen La Fièvre Monte à El Pao (1959) just turned up here on dvd. Unfortunately, it's an Arthaus release and doesn't have English subs (German and Chinese only). It's originally part of a 10 film boxset of Bunuels which Arthaus released late last year. With the further exception of Gran Casino, the rest of the set consists of '60's and '70's Bunuels which are readily available from Criterion and elsewhere.
If anyone can manage German or Chinese subs, and wants a cheap copy of Fievre Monte a El Pao, let me know.
I saw a good quality restored print at the Shanghai Film Festival 3 or 4 years back.
The little seen La Fièvre Monte à El Pao (1959) just turned up here on dvd. Unfortunately, it's an Arthaus release and doesn't have English subs (German and Chinese only). It's originally part of a 10 film boxset of Bunuels which Arthaus released late last year. With the further exception of Gran Casino, the rest of the set consists of '60's and '70's Bunuels which are readily available from Criterion and elsewhere.
If anyone can manage German or Chinese subs, and wants a cheap copy of Fievre Monte a El Pao, let me know.
Last edited by Lemmy Caution on Thu Sep 16, 2010 5:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
- tojoed
- Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:47 am
- Location: Cambridge, England
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
I received the UK "Los Olvidados" today. It's DVD 9, Region 0.
Here are some caps.
Here are some caps.
Last edited by tojoed on Wed Sep 15, 2010 5:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- tojoed
- Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:47 am
- Location: Cambridge, England
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
David, I've edited the above post with some caps. Looks serviceable, but I'd like to hear what you think, especially if you have seen a decent DVD of it yourself.
- tojoed
- Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:47 am
- Location: Cambridge, England
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
Thanks David. I see what you mean.
- perkizitore
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- Location: OOP is the only answer
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
There was a French Films sans Frontieres release, does anyone own it?
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- Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:31 am
- Location: Somerset, England
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
Yes, I have the FSF release - the caps on Beaver show similar combing to the frame David posted. My main problem with it (at least when projected) is its softness, probably caused by the PAL-NTSC conversion Beaver mentions. Indeed, I have an off-air PAL VHS, apparently of the same transfer, which is sharper than the FSF DVD.
If anybody has the FSF and the new release I'd love to know how they compare, especially for definition. Also what is the running time of the new one? Some sources list 85 minutes but I think I've only seen an 80 minute print (shorter with PAL speed-up).
If anybody has the FSF and the new release I'd love to know how they compare, especially for definition. Also what is the running time of the new one? Some sources list 85 minutes but I think I've only seen an 80 minute print (shorter with PAL speed-up).
- tojoed
- Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:47 am
- Location: Cambridge, England
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
Jon, the new DVD running time is 77 minutes approx.
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- Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:31 am
- Location: Somerset, England
Re: Luis Buñuel on DVD
Thanks. Most of my books actually list it as 88 minutes (before PAL speed-up) - almost a whole reel longer but both the BBC broadcast of 1983 (in a tribute season after Bunuel died) and the FilmFour one about 20 years later were approximately 77 minutes.