Hungarian films on DVD

Discuss internationally-released DVDs and Blu-rays or other international DVD and Blu-ray-related topics.
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MichaelB
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#51 Post by MichaelB » Tue May 18, 2010 1:02 pm

To be clear, I didn't say it was "pretty bad", I said it was "almost self-parodic". If you're newer to Jancsó than I am (I've seen all the Hungarian features from 1963 to 1974 bar Winter Wind), I daresay it's very impressive indeed, but to me it looked as though he was treading water and revisiting decidedly familiar tropes prior to making the far more accomplished Red Psalm (which I think is one of his three or four major masterpieces).

And I saw it at the Era New Horizons festival in Wrocław last summer, along with a whole load of ultra-rare 1960s/70s Hungarian films, most of which aren't out on DVD anywhere.

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L.A.
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#52 Post by L.A. » Sat Oct 30, 2010 7:03 am

L.A. wrote:Az aranyember (1962)

Seems to be the first Hungarian film in scope format.
A two disc-set now available. Also included are versions from 1918 and 1936 and the back cover promises English subtitles.

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skuhn8
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#53 Post by skuhn8 » Mon Nov 15, 2010 6:12 am

I picked up the above-mentioned 2-disc Aranyember and can report the following:

Alexander Korda's 1918 version is based on a German print (with original intertitles) and includes removable English and Hungarian subtitles. Clocks in at 83 minutes, longer than the available version suggested in imdb, but significantly shorter than the original 3-part release. The source print was tinted and appears in quite clean condition.

The 1936 version is a composite of a 35-mm Jugoslavian sourced nitrate positive and a local 16-mm print that was quite heavily damaged (gleaning this from the 5 minute restoration demo feature) . Excellent grey-scale, some tramlines. The soundtrack is quite rough. Includes optional English subtitles.

The 1962 version is a beautiful color widescreen...but alas, though Hungary's first film shot in anamorphic widescreen, the dvd is not anamorphic. Optional English sub-titles.

Extras:
--English/Hungarian language menus (which usually provide enough context for the materials available)
--Hungarian language essay with marketing materials covering the three releases
--Scene comparison from all three versions (a la comparisons found in Confidential Report and Rules of the Game)
--Half minute excerpt from Korda's 1918 "Yamata"
--2 1/2 minute excerpt from 'Before Midnight' (1957) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051244/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - where we see Viktor Gertler directing a film

I hope we can see more of this coming out of the Budapest Film Archive. This is actually Hungary's first silent film to be released on dvd in Hungary, and except for Hyppolit, the only pre-WWII Hungarian films available with subtitles.

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skuhn8
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#54 Post by skuhn8 » Thu Nov 18, 2010 9:59 am

After digging around Magyar Nemzeti Filmarchívum news I've come up with some cool news:

The following have been released:
Szabó István Trilogy (English subs on features, not special features):
--Álmodozások kora (includes two dialogue-free student films shot in black/white 35mm from '59 and '61 respectively)
--az Apa
--a Szerelmesfilm

The following are to be released November 25th:
Gothár Péter:
--Ajándék ez a nap (w/English subtitles)
--Megáll az idő (w/English subtitles)
Gaál István: Sodrásban (w/English subtitles) shot by Sandor Sara!!!

The above appear to be quite stacked with short films and other special features--unlikely to have English subs

And indications that releases of the following are to follow in the near future:

Enyedi Ildikó (Az én XX. századom)
Gazdag Gyula (Bástyasétány 74)
Gyöngyössy Imre-Kabay Barna kettős (Jób lázadása),
Sára Sándor (Fel-feldobott kő)
Xantus János (Eszkimó asszony fázik)

The following projects have officially received funding (restoration) with a view to eventually making their way to DVD:

Feature Films:

- Pesti mese (1937) - Gaál Béla
- Háromszázezer pengő az utcán (1937) - Balogh Béla
- Varieté csillagai (1938) - Baky József
- Hazajáró lélek (1940) - Zilahy Lajos
- Cserebere (1940) - Cserépy László
- Zárt tárgyalás (1940) - Radványi Géza
- Egy tál lencse (1941) - Farkas Zoltán
- Kerek Ferkó (1943) - Martonffy Emil
- Tilos a szerelem (1943) - Kalmár László
- Makkhetes (1944) - Bánky Viktor
- A nagyrozsdási eset (1957) - Kalmár László
- Butaságom története (1965) - Keleti Márton
- Utazás a koponyám körül (1971) - Révész György
- A Pendragon legenda (1974) - Révész György
- Az ötödik pecsét (1976) - Fábri Zoltán
- Az égigérő fű (1979) - Palásthy György
- Pogány Madonna (1980) - Mészáros Gyula
- Vámmentes házasság (1980) - Zsombolyai János
- Cha-cha-cha (1981) - Kovácsi János
- István a király (1983) - Koltay Gábor
- Uramisten (1983) - Gárdos Péter
- A bűvös vadász (1994) - Enyedi Ildikó
- A részleg (1994) - Gothár Péter

Short films/documentaries

- Egyedül (1963) - Sára Sándor
- Kilencedik emelet (1977) - Gyarmathy Lívia
- Háromkirályok (1980) - Szomjas György
Last edited by skuhn8 on Fri Dec 03, 2010 12:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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MichaelB
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#55 Post by MichaelB » Thu Nov 18, 2010 11:17 am

Wow! This is wonderful news, as I saw Sodrásban (Current) and Fel-feldobott kő (The Upthrown Stone) on the big screen at Era New Horizons in Wroclaw last year, and assumed that my chances of seeing them again would be basically zero. And any more Zoltán Fábri is hugely welcome.

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L.A.
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#56 Post by L.A. » Thu Nov 18, 2010 1:51 pm

Hopefully Talpalatnyi föld (1948) gets the DVD treatment too someday.

Also I noticed that Zoltán Várkonyi's Egri csillagok (1968) is available in the same series as the newly released Az aranyember (1962), which used to be available in a single and two-disc editions. Skuhn8, do you have more info regarding this new release?

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skuhn8
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#57 Post by skuhn8 » Fri Nov 19, 2010 6:07 am

L.A. wrote:Also I noticed that Zoltán Várkonyi's Egri csillagok (1968) is available in the same series as the newly released Az aranyember (1962), which used to be available in a single and two-disc editions. Skuhn8, do you have more info regarding this new release?
My understanding is that the Egri re-release is the same as the prior 1-disc but with new packaging.

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L.A.
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#58 Post by L.A. » Fri Nov 19, 2010 3:34 pm

skuhn8 wrote:My understanding is that the Egri re-release is the same as the prior 1-disc but with new packaging.
Thanks for the info!

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skuhn8
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#59 Post by skuhn8 » Fri Dec 03, 2010 12:51 pm

L.A. wrote:
skuhn8 wrote:My understanding is that the Egri re-release is the same as the prior 1-disc but with new packaging.
Thanks for the info!
Picked up Egri the other day for a forum member and noticed that the special features differ between the old and new releases (this shop had both) so I will state that I don't really know whether they revisited the transfer.

In other news: Last night I dove into the first of the Istvan Trilogy, Age of Illusions (1964) aka Age of Daydreaming. Gorgeous transfer on what were either very nicely preserved elements or a good restoration. The special features include two of his student films: On the Seventh Day (1959) clocking in at 5 minutes and looking flawless. It's a dialogue-free comedy sketch dealing with the playful temptation of a cleric. Concert (1961) is a dialogue-free playful meditation clocking in at 16 minutes, and again appears to be a tight transfer from a clean 35mm print or negative source. The included 3 1/2 minute excerpt from a 1998 interview with Szabo is not subtitled; nor the 2 1/2 minute video essay (calling out 'sound' sources during the key scene with Halasz Judit) but the latter is still worth a view.

I've got Apa and LoveStory on the shelf for the weekend. Had hoped that the Istvan Gaal film would be in stock...but alas, shops here are slow on the uptake. So far so good: Very impressive work coming out of the archive.

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Szabo

#60 Post by gandskid » Fri Jan 28, 2011 8:17 pm

Anyone know the status of Szabo's German trilogy? - Great films that deserve a definitive release (i.e. Criterion BD). Nothing available in R1 right now (MEPHISTO and REDL oop and HANUSSEN was only ever here on VHS!) SUNSHINE also needs a new issue.

Also -though off topic-- longing to see BD releases of ISADORA (complete version) and Ken Russell films especially, THE DEVILS, THE BOYFRIEND, WOMEN IN LOVE, MUSIC LOVERS and SAVAGE MESSIAH.

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L.A.
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#61 Post by L.A. » Fri Aug 19, 2011 2:12 pm

skuhn8 wrote:Sára Sándor (Fel-feldobott kő)
Any news when this might be released?

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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#62 Post by alfons416 » Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:06 pm

I'm going to Budapest on Tuesday. Are there any good dvd-stores to check out? Would also like to get info about cinemas showing arthouse movies.

Thanks in advance.

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skuhn8
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#63 Post by skuhn8 » Mon Aug 22, 2011 6:23 am

alfons416 wrote:I'm going to Budapest on Tuesday. Are there any good dvd-stores to check out? Would also like to get info about cinemas showing arthouse movies.

Thanks in advance.
For 'old films' go to Orokmozgo; they source their prints straight out of the Hungarian Film Archive (would love to dig through that). If you see 'mb' in a film listing it means that the film is dubbed in Hungarian.

For DVDs your best bet is hitting Alexandra book stores (good one across from Nyugati train station, which is itself worth visiting for historic/architecture reasons, briefly glimpsed at the start of 'Before Sunrise'). Also the electronics stores at any of the malls--Media Markt or Saturn--will offer most of the Hungarian films currently available on DVD. Note that 'Angol' is Hungarian for English and 'felirat' means subtitles.

Enjoy!

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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#64 Post by MichaelB » Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:05 am

To add to that, the Műcsarnok exhibition hall sells copies of the Béla Balázs Studio DVD compilations.

One word of warning: despite the text on the cover being bilingual in Hungarian and English, the disc 'Beginnings' is only in Hungarian (annoyingly and bafflingly, as that's the most internationally appealing, with early shorts from people like István Szabó). But I can confirm from first-hand experience that the other three discs are English-friendly.

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skuhn8
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#65 Post by skuhn8 » Fri Sep 16, 2011 7:48 am

Ildiko Enyedi's Az én XX. századom (My 20th Century) has finally been released on DVD in Hungary with English subtitles.

Another addition to the MNFA archive collection--

Surprisingly English-friendly Bástyasétány hetvennégy (Singing on the Treadmill) Made by Gyula Gazdag in 1974, only released in 1984.

The edition contains Deleted scenes with English-subtitled commentary by the director explaining how it came to be banned. Also a 15 minute short film from the camera operator, New Years. Bi-lingual magazine review by J. Hoberman providing analysis and context.

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L.A.
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#66 Post by L.A. » Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:15 pm

Miklós Jancsó's Csillagosok, katonák available on DVD in Hungary. Looks nice!

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otis
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#67 Post by otis » Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:16 am

Looks like it has English subtitles. Is the image quality better than the Second Run disc?

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skuhn8
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#68 Post by skuhn8 » Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:36 am

L.A. wrote:Miklós Jancsó's Csillagosok, katonák available on DVD in Hungary. Looks nice!
Was surprised to spy this in a bookstore yesterday. 2-disc edition, but I'd be surprised if the supplements are subtitled. Not enough of a fan of this film to double-dip to find out, but the 52 minute supplement concerning the history of the film from 2011 looks intriguing. Anyone know anything about the 67 minute Soviet cut of the film is about?

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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#69 Post by MichaelB » Fri Nov 04, 2011 8:48 am

L.A. wrote:Miklós Jancsó's Csillagosok, katonák available on DVD in Hungary. Looks nice!
The back cover claims that it's anamorphic, which is an advance on the Second Run edition to begin with. And since Red Psalm and Szindbád have recently undergone stellar digital restorations, here's hoping that this is in the same category.

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otis
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#70 Post by otis » Fri Nov 04, 2011 10:32 am

The Second Run is anamorphic - I've just checked! But it could certainly be improved in terms of sharpness. The Clavis Silence and Cry is non-anamorphic - maybe that's what you were thinking of, Michael.

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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#71 Post by isakborg » Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:01 am

I don't think it's been established yet whether this Red and the White is English-friendly, correct?

And is there ANY way of getting it from a website that is in English?

Jancso seems underserved in terms of good transfers, though Red Psalm is really splendid, and my understanding is that the Second Run My Way Home is good - but the other Second Ruins are wanting.

Thanks

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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#72 Post by MichaelB » Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:17 am

The back of the box makes it clear that it's an anamorphic transfer with English subtitles. The words "16:9 anamorf 2.35:1" confirm the former, and the word "Angol" in the box marked 'Felirat" (i.e. subtitles) confirms the latter.

Based on precedent, the extras almost certainly won't be English-friendly, but the feature will be.
Jancso seems underserved in terms of good transfers, though Red Psalm is really splendid, and my understanding is that the Second Run My Way Home is good - but the other Second Ruins are wanting.
The Round-Up isn't bad (it's a marked advance on the Clavis), though not up to the same stellar level as those two. And Clavis' Cantata is one of the best Jancsó transfers out there, though their other titles are either identical or inferior to the Second Runs.

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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#73 Post by skuhn8 » Sat Nov 05, 2011 7:58 am

Well, I caved and picked this up on my lunch break. Glad I did...

Extras:

Disc 1

Camera in Costromo (1967, 13 min) is a beautifully shot/edited on-location film documenting the creation of the film at the time. Interesting to see a tanned Miklos Jancso directing, negotiating with Soviet colleagues, landing in a Sikorsky helicopter...all the while dressed in nothing but a speedo. Picture quality is amazing.

A Soviet-Hungarian Co-Production, How The Red and the White was Born (2011, 52 min) Just scanned through very briefly. Lots of talking heads from those who were involved, including recent interviews with Russian participants, appears very comprehensive, as well as some curious filmed pieces featuring characters from the recent Jancso films providing curious input. Also, what appears to be an analysis of the censorship involved in making this viewable in USSR, including clips from many contemporary films that were unable to be screened due to unsavory portrayal of the same subject matter (including a piece from Shepitko).

Disc 2

The Red And the White, Soviet Cut (1967, 67 minutes) I compared Chapter 3: Picture quality here is only slightly less sharp than the main version (which is sharp as a tack). This version is NOT anamorphic, whereas the Hungarian (main) version is.

Subtitles--
Feature and all extras have English subtitles as an option!

Stellar. Like Singing on a Treadmill I mentioned earlier, it looks like they are starting to move more into English-language friendly territory. This is great news.


For those interested I saw that they also have the following with English subtitles as part of the same series (I can't comment on whether special features are subbed):
Dreams of Love - Liszt (Marton Keleti, 1970) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066430/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; 2-discs, film just under 3 hours. Available here: http://www.lira.hu/hu/film/magyar-film/ ... -liszt-dvd" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Micky Magnate (Marton Keleti, 1949) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041676/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; musical comedy available here: http://www.lira.hu/hu/film/magyar-film/magnas-miska-dvd" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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MichaelB
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#74 Post by MichaelB » Sat Nov 05, 2011 8:37 am

That sounds absolutely superb - and going from the picture quality of Second Run's Szindbád, Red Psalm and Apa, it looks as though the Hungarian National Film Archive is really starting to take classic restorations seriously.

When I caught a load of 35mm prints of major 1960s/70s Hungarian masterpieces a couple of years ago, it was painfully clear that many of them needed restoration - and the Jancsós were among the worst (Agnus Dei was in especially poor shape, as I recall). And since he's still with us, albeit now in his nineties, proper restoration of his back catalogue must be an urgent priority.

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zedz
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#75 Post by zedz » Sun Nov 06, 2011 6:05 pm

Great news. Thanks a bunch, skuhn!

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