German Edgar Wallace DVD Boxsets

Discuss internationally-released DVDs and Blu-rays or other international DVD and Blu-ray-related topics.
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Lino
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:18 am
Location: Sitting End
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#1 Post by Lino » Fri Dec 30, 2005 6:57 am

I've been reading only good things about these films and their DVD presentation on german discs and I was wondering if anyone could recommend one set (from the 10x4 discs available!) for the uninitiated. Here are some links:

http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/tg/sim ... 0002YLABM/
http://www.xploitedcinema.com/search.as ... ce+edition
http://www.latarnia.com/krimi.htm

unclehulot
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:09 pm
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#2 Post by unclehulot » Fri Dec 30, 2005 9:57 am

I suppose this doesn't help, but Tim Lucas posted this on his Video Watchblog best of the year list:
EDGAR WALLACE EDITION 1 - 8 (Tobis/UFA import R2): These eight box sets are a dream come true for the krimi collector, and I very nearly put them in the Number 1 position. The transfers (most of them anamorphic) are frequently astonishing to eyes familiar only with the 16mm English-dubbed TV prints put out by Sinister Cinema. To finally have the option of viewing these pictures in German with English subtitles, and to see the early black-and-white entries (like THE DEAD EYES OF LONDON) with their blood-red main titles for the first time, was a heady emotional and educational experience. In short, these sets helped me to understand the full glory and importance of this series, which influenced the James Bond films and even the shockers of Dario Argento. These box sets were actually my favorite DVD releases of the year, but I had to grit my teeth and take them down a notch on principle, because the disc producers opted to withhold English audio and subtitle options from at least one film (but never more than two films) in almost every set, including some titles (like DOUBLE FACE) that can easily be found in English. EDITION 4 (collecting THE BLACK ABBOT, THE INDIAN SCARF, ROOM 13 and THE MYSTERIOUS MAGICIAN) is the only set to offer English options for every feature. Available from Sazuma and Xploited Cinema.

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Lino
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#3 Post by Lino » Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:03 pm

:lol:

That's funny you post this because that very article by Tim was the responsible for peaking my interest in those sets (though I've heard of them for a long time).

Has anyone bought any of them and can give any recos?

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starmanof51
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 3:28 am
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#4 Post by starmanof51 » Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:08 pm

Lino wrote::lol:

That's funny you post this because that very article by Tim was the responsible for peaking my interest in those sets (though I've heard of them for a long time).

Has anyone bought any of them and can give any recos?
I see Kim Newman has done a long rundown of these in the latest Video Watchdog. I may have to dip a toe in, I haven't seen any of these. Our best local (Seattle) rental place carries quite a few of them.

petoluk
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:31 am
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#5 Post by petoluk » Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:47 am

Those boxes are B-U-T-ful! :D And I'd suggest starting with the 1st one...

Here are some screengrabs from the 1st two boxes:

Die Bande des Schreckens
Der Frosch mit der Maske
Der grüne Bogenschütze
Der rote Kreis

Der Fälscher von London
Das Geheimnis der gelben Narzissen
Die seltsame Gräfin
Die toten Augen von London

I fell in love with that juicy B & W cinematography! :wink:

Cheers!

Peto

P.S. My wife loves those krimis too. :wink: We went to Germany for our honeymoon - we were touring the famous Ludwig II's castles. One night, just out of curiosity, we turned on the telly in the gasthaus we were staying in, and - what a surprise - they were showing a Wallace double-bill, I think it was Das Gasthaus an der Themse & Der Hund von Blackwood Castle! We had a lot of fun that night... :lol:

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Yojimbo
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:06 am
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Re: German Edgar Wallace DVD Boxsets

#6 Post by Yojimbo » Wed Nov 28, 2012 11:31 pm

I've ordered two more of this set, this week; I already have the first in the series, and watched two of them.
I've also bought two of the British sets, - which are completely different animals, - and its interesting to compare and contrast.

The two Germans I've seen are deliciously flamboyant and over the top; the shorter British films are crisply written, feature many of the finest up and coming British stars and character actors, and in keeping with their national characteristics feature much 'correct' behaviour, and stiff upper lip.
But the two episodes I've watched to date of Series Three were very impressive: 'Candidate for Murder', which had a delirious shoot-out ending, more typical of a Seijun Suzuki film, or spaghetti Western, and 'Playback', with a particularly impressive lead by Barry 'Frenzy' Foster.

If I could be sure that I could be able to view the non-subtitled German films, I'd certainly buy all of the German sets
And I'll eventually get all of the British sets, also.

Wonderful stuff.

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