The David Lean Collection (R2)
- lubitsch
- Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2005 4:20 pm
- Kinsayder
- Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:22 pm
- Location: UK
Some samples here.
All are acceptable, sub-Criterion transfers apart from The Passionate Friends, which has poor contrast, low detail and is the only one in the set with interlacing issues, as far as I can tell from a quick inspection.
Despite containing 9 discs, the box is pretty "lean" too. It's one of those flip-flop fold-out affairs that requires a diploma in origami to put it all back together. Optional English subs are available on each film.
All are acceptable, sub-Criterion transfers apart from The Passionate Friends, which has poor contrast, low detail and is the only one in the set with interlacing issues, as far as I can tell from a quick inspection.
Despite containing 9 discs, the box is pretty "lean" too. It's one of those flip-flop fold-out affairs that requires a diploma in origami to put it all back together. Optional English subs are available on each film.
- lubitsch
- Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2005 4:20 pm
Thanks very much for this information, greatly appreciated. The subs are the main selling point for me.Kinsayder wrote:Some samples here.
All are acceptable, sub-Criterion transfers apart from The Passionate Friends, which has poor contrast, low detail and is the only one in the set with interlacing issues, as far as I can tell from a quick inspection.
Despite containing 9 discs, the box is pretty "lean" too. It's one of those flip-flop fold-out affairs that requires a diploma in origami to put it all back together. Optional English subs are available on each film.
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- Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:24 pm
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
- Contact:
- Cash Flagg
- Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 11:15 pm
This is 64% off at Amazon.uk right now: £17.98 plus shipping.
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- Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:42 pm
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Apparently the DVDs have all been restored. Same discs as the earlier box set, but with the added bonus of The Sound Barrier.
I don't own it, but it's a tempting buy.
I don't own it, but it's a tempting buy.
- John Hodson
- Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:25 pm
- Location: Near dark satanic mills...
- Contact:
Re: [url=http://url]URL text[/url]
No, with the added bonus of 'In Which We Serve' 'The Sound Barrier' is in both sets. BTW, now in the boxset sale at HMV UK (the description says nine discs, it is 10)Tolmides wrote:Apparently the DVDs have all been restored. Same discs as the earlier box set, but with the added bonus of The Sound Barrier.
I don't own it, but it's a tempting buy.
- John Hodson
- Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:25 pm
- Location: Near dark satanic mills...
- Contact:
The David Lean Centenary Box Set is part of the current HMV box set sale at £25.99, and I received mine this morning.
I had not long bought the nine disc set when this new 10 film set was announced. Every film has undergone a spanking new restoration, in partnership with the David Lean Foundation, The BFI, Granada Ventures and Studio Canal, and boy, does it show. A brief run through shows these new transfers to be utterly gorgeous, from the totally unmarked BBFC certificates to the end credits. The Technicolor splendour of 'Blithe Spirit' is revealed at last, the gorgeous mono cinematography of 'Great Expectations', 'Oliver Twist', 'Hobson's Choice', 'The Sound Barrier' et al rendered eye-wateringly clear with hardly a mark to be seen anywhere.
It's packaged up much the same as the old collection, but with new fangled disc holders making them much easier to remove. There's also a booklet, something of a beginner's guide, but nice to have nonetheless.
I managed to unload my old set some weeks ago in preparation for this new box entering a sale; no doubt it will drop a few quid cheaper at some point, but I'm more than happy to have this now. Beautiful, beautiful work...
I had not long bought the nine disc set when this new 10 film set was announced. Every film has undergone a spanking new restoration, in partnership with the David Lean Foundation, The BFI, Granada Ventures and Studio Canal, and boy, does it show. A brief run through shows these new transfers to be utterly gorgeous, from the totally unmarked BBFC certificates to the end credits. The Technicolor splendour of 'Blithe Spirit' is revealed at last, the gorgeous mono cinematography of 'Great Expectations', 'Oliver Twist', 'Hobson's Choice', 'The Sound Barrier' et al rendered eye-wateringly clear with hardly a mark to be seen anywhere.
It's packaged up much the same as the old collection, but with new fangled disc holders making them much easier to remove. There's also a booklet, something of a beginner's guide, but nice to have nonetheless.
I managed to unload my old set some weeks ago in preparation for this new box entering a sale; no doubt it will drop a few quid cheaper at some point, but I'm more than happy to have this now. Beautiful, beautiful work...
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- Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:31 am
- Location: Somerset, England
Thanks, John. Some of these Lean films (e.g. Oliver Twist) had already been upgraded once from their original (UK) DVD releases, and until your post I wouldn't have believed further improvement possible in SD. (A few of course - e.g. The Passionate Friends - badly needed new transfers.)
Are the extras carried over to the new set - particularly the 25-minute docs for films such as Oliver Twist and Brief Encounter?
Are the extras carried over to the new set - particularly the 25-minute docs for films such as Oliver Twist and Brief Encounter?
- John Hodson
- Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:25 pm
- Location: Near dark satanic mills...
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Yes, everything seems to be there. I've just watched 'This Happy Breed' and 'In Which We Serve' all the way through and I'll swear there was not a mark of any significance - not one - on either. The latter is right up there with the very best monochrome transfers and the former boasts a quite gorgeous new Technicolor transfer (Network are bringing it out as a 2-disc SE soon BTW; same transfer new extras).
- starmanof51
- Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 3:28 am
- Location: Seattleish
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Me too, to no small amount of disappointment when viewing the previous set. There's a couple decent transfers there, but most were on the heartbreaking side. I'll probably wait until the probable Amazon price drops really kick in, but I'm quite looking forward to the Centenary set. Thanks for the information John, and please post anything else about the set you think worthy of passing on.John Hodson wrote:I had not long bought the nine disc set when this new 10 film set was announced.
- Lino
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:18 am
- Location: Sitting End
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- Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:31 am
- Location: Somerset, England
Thanks again, John. Yes, I notice Network will be releasing This Happy Breed as a two-discer with (apparently) the 1985 South Bank Show special (A Life in Film) as the main extra. I wonder if copyright issues will force them to remove clips and music from the later films, as Network has done before (e.g. their Hitchcock set).John Hodson wrote:Yes, everything seems to be there. I've just watched 'This Happy Breed' and 'In Which We Serve' all the way through and I'll swear there was not a mark of any significance - not one - on either. The latter is right up there with the very best monochrome transfers and the former boasts a quite gorgeous new Technicolor transfer (Network are bringing it out as a 2-disc SE soon BTW; same transfer new extras).
This Happy Breed seems to me a strange pairing as - while an important film for Lean (his first sole directorial credit) - I've never felt there is much of his later style or themes in it. The first three films are all more Coward than Lean, although the plot of Blithe Spirit (great fun) does at least lend itself to Lean's obsession with subjective viewpoint, which I've always felt is the key to understanding his work. When I programmed a theatrical Lean retrospective in 1982, I called it "The Eye of the Beholder".
- John Hodson
- Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:25 pm
- Location: Near dark satanic mills...
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- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
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They have two choices: cut all the footage they don't own, or pay for the right to use it, since the clips were only originally cleared for one-off broadcast.John Hodson wrote:Jonathan, I'm sure the documentary will be cut for the usual 'contractual reasons', but still well worth owning.
Since we're talking people like Sony (which owns Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia), I suspect option (2) is probably too expensive to consider. But I'd love to be proved wrong.
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- Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:31 am
- Location: Somerset, England
- John Hodson
- Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:25 pm
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Finally got round to 'The Passionate Friends' (fast becoming a Lean favourite) and you'll be pleased to read that it's now quite beautiful throughout.Jonathan S wrote: (A few of course - e.g. The Passionate Friends - badly needed new transfers.)
The only blemish so far is the fact that the single 'floater' in the set - 'Madeleine' - had a minor but deep scratch on it and stuttered badly, so back it has gone to be replaced.
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- Joined: Thu Jun 22, 2006 9:47 am
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- Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:31 am
- Location: Somerset, England
Glad to hear about the big improvement on The Passionate Friends. For sheer technical skill, I think it's one of his most dazzling films, though I always find Ann Todd a chilly performer (perhaps appropriately so in Madeleine) and I always sympathise more with the Claude Rains character than the passionate friends!John Hodson wrote:Finally got round to 'The Passionate Friends' (fast becoming a Lean favourite) and you'll be pleased to read that it's now quite beautiful throughout.Jonathan S wrote: (A few of course - e.g. The Passionate Friends - badly needed new transfers.)
The only blemish so far is the fact that the single 'floater' in the set - 'Madeleine' - had a minor but deep scratch on it and stuttered badly, so back it has gone to be replaced.
Will HMV replace individual discs? I bought the previous Lean Collection from them and had to keep sending the whole set back because each time one or two discs were badly scratched. I eventually gave up trying to get a pristine set as there was obviously something wrong at the manufacturing (or packaging) end - none were floaters in my case.