The Heiress.- dvd

En la web Dvdbeaver, hay un apartado sobre el lanzamiento de The Heiress (La heredera, 1949) en Dvd bastante completo.

(English text)

USA 1949

A soberly dramatic and polished version of Henry James's novel Washington Square, this shows some of its theatrical origins in situation and dialogue, having arrived via the Broadway adaptation by Ruth and Augustus Goetz. However, there are pleasures in the designs, score by Copland (winning an Academy Award) and performances. Oscar-winning de Havilland's portrayal of a plain-jane spinster who comes to the painful realization that her suitor's intentions are more mercenary than romantic is spine-chilling. As the dashing fortune-hunter, Clift brings a subtle ambiguity to one of his least interesting roles, and Richardson is also excellent.

Excerpt from Channel 4 located HERE

Theatrical Release: October 6th, 1949

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DVD Comparison:

Universal - Region 2,4 - PAL vs. Universal - Region 1- NTSC

(Universal - Region 2,4 - PAL LEFT vs. Universal - Region 1- NTSC RIGHT)

DVD Box Cover
Distribution	Universal Home Video - Region 2,4 - PAL	Universal Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:50:16 (4% PAL speedup)	1:55:16
Video	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.77 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 8.77 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: PAL
Bitrate: NTSC
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0), DUB: German (Dolby Digital 2.0)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles	English, German, None	English, French, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Universal Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • none DVD Release Date: February 20th, 2006 Transparent Keep Case Chapters: 10	Release Information: Studio: Universal Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Robert Osborne intro • Trailer DVD Release Date: February 6th, 2007 Keep Case Chapters: 17

ADDITION: NTSC - January 07': The new dual-layered NTSC edition has a superior image (especially in contrast), with far less artifacts - but it is slightly cropped on the top and side edges. It boils down to a personal choice I suppose - whether you wish to give up image quality or information in the frame. For the most part, Wyler's framing was not especially tight and I didn't notice the image being compromised by the cropping (composition seemed fine). I also prefer the NTSC subs and although I could live without the Osborne introduction - it is better than nothing. The NTSC trailer is in rough shape.

This is a great film - one deserved of an audience in the digital age. We recommend purchasing regardless of your choice of editions. They are both very reasonable considering the film's value.

NOTE: (Thanks Dee) The music is by Aaron Copland, for which he won an Oscar. It's really extraordinary music, though there isn't very much of it overall, because he didn't like "illustrating" scenes with music. There's only about 15 minutes of real music, in total. But Wyler had a bit of a tin ear, and famously didn't not care for the magnificent score to The Best Years of Our Lives. He had asked Copland to work in the theme of "Plaisir d'amour" to the score off The Heiress -- it's the song Montgomery Clift plays and sings in the movie. Copland did work it into the score. Copland sent the notated score to Hollywood, where it was orchestrated to his wishes, and recorded. But Wyler had some of the title sequence removed and replaced by gushing versions of "Plaisir d'amour"! Even if one was unhappy with the music, this doesn't seem to be the way to treat our great composers. Copland expressed a huge amount of dismay, but won the Oscar anyway. What I've done (completely illegally) is make an edit of the music over the credits. I've used the end of what's there now, but added to it some of the original score as recorded by Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony, to give just a sense of what the original might have been. The Slatkin recording is much slower, so I've had to start the music before the actual credits begin. SEE HERE It's very rough, and if I wanted to, I could make it better, but I thought it might be fun for you to hear. The movie itself is some kind masterpiece, and I'm really surprised that it took this long for it to find its way to DVD. There is only a trailer as an extra, even though Olivia is still alive to do a commentary. (DeeF at HTF)

RE: The PAL edition: Another bare-bones single-layered DVD from Universal (Europe) set to sell in English language Region 2, Germany and Australia (Region 4- PAL). The image quality is rather uninspired with some visible dirt (that resembles grain) and a few artefacts. I don't see excessive manipulations which is a positive and the subtitles appear to be well-done. Overall it is clear and detailed enough for a fine viewing experience. Another of my favorite Wyler films that I feel deserves so much more - but I suppose the trends these days are towards more modern films - how unfortunate. The price is acceptable for this release and we encourage purchasing on the strength of the film.

Gary W. Tooze

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DVD Menus

(Universal - Region 2,4 - PAL LEFT vs. Universal - Region 1- NTSC RIGHT)

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(Universal - Region 2,4 - PAL TOP vs. Universal - Region 1- NTSC BOTTOM)

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De aquí a la eternidad.- Dvd

En la web Imaginariums destaca el lanzamiento de esta película en Dvd. E incluye un interesante collage:

De aquí a la eternidad [DVDRip][Español][Drama][1953]

Título original: From here to eternity

Duración: 118 min

Director: Fred Zinneman

Intérpretes: Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed

Género: Drama/Bélica

Producción: Buddy Adler

Guión: Daniel Taradash

Música: George Duning

Fotografía: Burnett Guffrey

Año: 1953

Robert Prewit (Montgomery Clift), un corneta del ejército llega a su nuevo puesto en Pearl Harbor, islas Hawaii, una base militar dirigida por un comandante amante del boxeo.Prewit, antiguo púgil que ha dejado ciego a un amigo en un combate, hecho que provocaría su retirada del ring es requerido por su superior para que combata en los campeonatos militares, hecho que podría originar el ascenso jerárquico del comadante; pero el nuevo soldado rechaza la propuesta.

Esta decisión negativa supondrá un contínuo trato vejatorio a Prewit que pronto contará con la amistad y ayuda de otro compañero de origen italiano, Angelo Maggio (Frank Sinatra) y con la velada comprensión de su jefe inmediato, el sargento Milton Warden (Burt Lancaster).

La vida entre los diferentes habitantes de un campamento militar durante los días previos al histórico ataque japonés de Pearl Harbor es el fundamento de un magnífico film basado en una novela de James Jones adaptada por Daniel Taradash, quien modificó algunas partes del extenso libro.

Las pasiones son el lugar central en que se mueven los personajes, pasión por el ejército y pasión por el amor: un hombre humillado pero disciplinado que buscará una huida en el cariñoso afecto de una prostituta; un suboficial leal, veterano y contradictorio, que encontrará una aventura efusiva sin punto de destino; un temperamental y simpático soldado amante de las juergas y el alcohol; y una mujer insatisfecha que vive en un paraíso lleno de hombres libidinosos son algunos de los personajes que encontramos en una película narrada con pulso firme por el maestro Fred Zinneman, quien construye el sorprendente ataque nipón de una manera más que efectiva, contado con suma tensión física y psicológica.

La vehemencia amorosa queda perfectamente ejemplificada en la popular secuencia que muestra a Burt Lancaster y a Deborah Kerr besándose efusivamente tumbados en la playa mientras la marea los recoge simulando un abrazo orgásmico.

El elenco interpretativo es extenso y sobresaliente. Tanto Montgomery Clift como Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra (que conseguiría un Oscar por su papel), Deborah Kerr, Donna Redd (Oscar también como actriz secundaria) o Ernest Borgnine están estupendos en una película con personajes marcados por una dirección incierta y trágica que critica algunos aspectos del sistema instructivo militar estadounidense.

Colección Dvd

Los grandes almacenes El Corte Inglés ha sacado una colección de películas llamada "Los Imprescindibles": son títulos clásicos y actuales ganadores de Oscar o muy conocidos.

Hasta la fecha ha editado las siguientes películas de Montgomery Clift:

Las cintas traen el material complementario habitual, lo mejor de la colección es el librito que trae cada una con detalles de la película, rodaje, trama y por supuesto los actores.

En sucesivos post iré transcribiendo los textos.

I Confess.- dvd

En la web Dvdbeaver, hay un apartado sobre el lanzamiento de I Confess (Yo confieso, 1953) en Dvd bastante completo:

(English text)

USA 1953

Otto Kellar (O.E. Hasse) and his wife Alma (Dolly Hass) work as caretaker/gardner and housekeeper at a Catholic church in Canada. In the act of robbing a house where he occasionally gardens, Otto is surprised and inadvertently murders the owner. Torn with feelings of guilt and shame, he confesses to Father Michael William Logan (Montgomery Clift) back at the church. Police investigators don't look to Otto, instead begin to suspect Father Logan as he devoutly refuses to reveal what he has been told in the confessional.

Gary W. Tooze

Posters

Theatrical Release: March 22nd, 1953 - USA

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DVD Review: Warner Home Video - Region 1- NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
	Also comes in The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection which includes - Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Distribution	Warner Home Video - Region 1- NTSC
Runtime	1:34:27
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.54 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby)
Subtitles	English, French, Spanish, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Featurette: "Hitchcock's Confession; A Look at 'I Confess'" (20:39) • Gala Canadian Premiere for 'I Confess' (:56) • Theatrical Trailer (2:47) DVD Release Date: September 7th, 2004 Keep Case Chapters: 25
Comments:	Again, we have virtual Criterion quality with these Warner Hitchcock releases. Stunning. Great contrast, perfect image quality etc. etc. This DVD is simply brilliant. out of Gary W. Tooze

Otto Kellar (O.E. Hasse) and his wife Alma (aaDolly Hass) work as caretaker/gardner and housekeeper at a Catholic church in Canada. In the act of robbing a house where he occasionally gardens, Otto is surprised and inadvertently murders the owner. Torn with feelings of guilt and shame, he confesses to Father Michael William Logan (Montgomery Clift) back at the church. Police investigators don't look to Otto, instead begin to suspect Father Logan as he devoutly refuses to reveal what he has been told in the confessional.

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Sitiados, gratis con ABC

La promoción del periódico ABC "Joyas del cine" que consistía en regalar películas en un mismo dvd cada domingo, finaliza hoy.

No podía tener mejor final, pues reúne bajo el epígrafe de Cine Bélico, una verdadera joya cinéfila como es El Acorazado Potemkin, una cinta muy conocida como es Adiós a las armas, en su primera versión y el interesante film documental como es Sitiados.

Sitiados (también conocida como "El puente aéreo", The big lift, 1950) es ciertamente un film menor, pretendidamente propagandístico de las fuerzas aéreas americanas pero no deja de ser interesante por rodarse cuando aún se esbozaba la Guerra Fría.

Aunque, sin duda, su importancia e interés radican en que se trata de una película protagonizada por Montgomery Clift.