Am 22. Juni 2010 wird in den USA der Musical-Klassiker “Ein neuer Stern am Himmel / A Star is Born” [USA 1954, George Cukor] mit Judy Garland zum ersten Mal auf Blu-ray veröffentlicht, außerdem erscheint ein neues DVD-Set. Erstmals wurde der Film in den Staaten im Jahr 2001 von Warner Bros. auf DVD veröffentlicht, in Deutschland folgte das 2-DVD-Set 2002. Schon die DVD bot die Rekonstruktion des Films aus dem Jahr 1983.

Bei einer Vorpremiere am 8. August 1954 soll der Film eine Länge von 196 Minuten gehabt haben, für die Weltpremiere am 29. September 1954 wurden zwei Sequenzen mit einer Laufzeit von 15 Minuten herausgeschnitten. Somit hatte der Film eine Länge von 181 Minuten. Die reguläre Kinofassung wurde auf eine Laufzeit von nur noch 154 Minuten heruntergeschnitten, um den Kinobetreibern mehr Vorstellungen am Tag zu ermöglichen. 1983 rekonstruierte Ron Haver anhand des vollständigen Soundtracks der 181-minütigen Premierenfassung den Film. Einige Szenen wurden wieder eingefügt, allerdings konnte nicht alles Bildmaterial wiedergefunden werden. Diese Szenen wurden nur mit Hilfe der Tonspur, der Dialoge und mit Fotos und Standbildern rekonstruiert. Diese Fassung besitzt eine Laufzeit von 176 Minuten. Mehr Infos zur Rekonstruktion bietet das Buch “A Star Is Born: The Making of the 1954 Movie and Its 1983 Restoration” von Ronald Haver.

Die 154-minütige Kinofassung ist weder auf DVD erhältlich, noch wird die Blu-ray die Kinofassung als Bonus oder per Seamless-Branching bieten. Laut eines Beitrags im Criterion-Forum sollen noch komplette Prints der ursprünglichen Langfassung existieren. Wieviel an dieser Geschichte dran ist, kann ich leider nicht sagen.

Die Pressemitteilung von Warner Bros.:

“[Garland, in A STAR IS BORN] gives just about the greatest one-woman show in modern movie history.”
– TIME

“One of the grandest heartbreak dramas that has drenched the screen in years.”
– Bosley Crowther, The New York Times

A STAR IS BORN (1954)

GLORIOUSLY RESTORED 2-DISC DELUXE SPECIAL EDITION ARRIVES ON BLU-RAY™ JUNE 22

Highly Anticipated Debut On Blu-ray Disc™ Featuring An Impressive Selection Of Bonus Content And Rare Extras

Burbank, Calif., March 2, 2010 – Honoring the gripping masterpiece that marked Judy Garland’s triumphant return to the screen, A Star is Born (1954) will reveal its stunning restoration by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging (MPI) when it debuts on Blu-ray Disc June 22, 2010 from Warner Home Video (SRP $34.99) in a dazzling 2-disc book format with 40 pages of gorgeous photography, film history and more.

Winner of two Golden Globes* (Best Actress, Judy Garland and Best Actor, James Mason) and nominated for six Academy Awards®**, this powerfully moving and glamorous story reawakens when it arrives on Blu-ray Disc for the very first time. Offering the best possible way to see the film at home, the Blu-ray release will also feature impressive bonus content including alternate takes, deleted scenes, excerpts from Garland’s audio recording sessions, a collectible book of rare photos, press materials and an illuminating essay by film historian John Fricke. The film will also be released as a Deluxe Special Edition 2-Disc DVD (SRP $20.97) and will be available day and date on Video on Demand from cable and satellite providers and for electronic download from online retailers including Amazon Video on Demand.

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

“Außer Atem / À bout de souffle” [F 1960, Jean-Luc Godard]

Label: Kinowelt / StudioCanal | BRD | StudioCanal Collection | Blu-ray
VÖ-Termin: 18. Januar 2010

Regionalcode
A / B

Laufzeit
89:45 Min. [24 fps]
Gemessen ohne “StudioCanal”-Logo (21 Sek.).

Codec
MPEG-4 AVC | High Profile 4.1

Picture-in-Picture
Nein

BD-Live
Ja

Bookmarks
Nein

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Am 7. März 2010 findet die diesjährige Oscar-Verleihung statt. Zwei Tage später, am 9. März 2010, erscheint mit “Up in the Air” [USA 2009, Jason Reitman] ein Film auf DVD und Blu-ray, der in sechs Kategorien eine der begehrten Statuen gewinnen kann.

Die Pressemitteilung von Paramount:

“One of the year’s best movies”
–Richard Corliss, Time

Nominated for Six Academy Awards® Including Best Picture and Best Actor
ACADEMY AWARD WINNER* GEORGE CLOONEY STARS IN THE MOST CELEBRATED ROMANTIC COMEDY OF THE YEAR

UP IN THE AIR

Cited As One of the Top Ten Movies of the Year on Over 200 Critics’ Lists, Captivating and Entertaining Film Takes Off on DVD and Blu-ray March 9, 2010

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Academy Award® winner George Clooney “gives the performance of his career” (Lou Lumenick, New York Post) in the smart, funny and thought-provoking film UP IN THE AIR coming in for a landing on DVD and Blu-ray March 9, 2010 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Called “the movie of the year, the movie of the moment” (Tom Carson, GQ) and named by over 200 critics as one of the top 10 films of 2009, UP IN THE AIR tells the story of a man discovering that life is not simply about the journey alone, but about the personal connections made along the way.

Co-written and directed by Oscar® nominee Jason Reitman (Juno), UP IN THE AIR received six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor (Clooney), Best Supporting Actress (Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick), Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film has already won a Golden Globe® Award for Best Screenplay and dozens of critics’ association awards including being named Best Film by the National Board of Review, the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association, the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, the Florida Film Critics Circle and the Kansas City Film Critics Circle.

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Am 18. Mai 2010 veröffentlicht Criterion innerhalb der “Eclipse Series” wieder ein neues DVD-Set. #21 trägt den Titel “Oshima’s Outlaw Sixties” und bietet auf fünf DVDs fünf Filme des japanischen Regisseurs Nagisa Ôshima. Zwei der Filme sind innerhalb der deutsch untertitelten “Japanische Meisterregisseure“-DVD-Reihe von polyfilm erhältlich.

18. Mai 2010
Eclipse Series #21: “Oshima’s Outlaw Sixties”
5 Discs
$69.95

Often called the Godard of the East, Japanese director Nagisa Oshima was one of the most provocative film artists of the twentieth century, and his works challenged and shocked the cinematic world for decades. Following his rise to prominence at Shochiku, Oshima struck out to form his own production company, Sozosha, in 1961. That move ushered in the prolific period of his career that gave birth to the five films collected here. Unsurprisingly, this studio renegade was fascinated by stories of outsiders—serial killers, rabid hedonists, and stowaway misfits are just some of the social castoffs you’ll meet in these audacious, cerebral entries in the New Wave surge that made Japan a hub of truly daredevil moviemaking.

“Pleasures of the Flesh / Etsuraka” [J 1965, Nagisa Ôshima]
A corrupt businessman blackmails a lovelorn murderer, Atsushi, into watching over his suitcase full of embezzled cash while he serves a jail sentence. Rather than wait for the man to retrieve his money, however, Atsushi decides to spend it all in one libidinous rush—fully expecting to be tracked down and killed. Oshima’s dip into the waters of the popular soft-core, or “pink film,” genre is a compelling journey into excess.

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Erstmals überhaupt bietet Criterion alle Neuerscheinungen eines Monats auch in HD auf Blu-ray an. Dies liegt aber wohl vorallem daran, dass nur zwei neue Veröffentlichungen und zwei Neuauflagen erscheinen. Zu den neuen Titeln gehören John Fords Westernklassiker “Höllenfahrt nach Santa Fé [aka: Ringo] / Stagecoach” [USA 1939, John Ford] und ein zweites “by Brakhage: An Anthology“-Set. “Walkabaout” [GB 1971, Nicolas Roeg] und Fritz Langs “M (aka: M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder)” [D 1931, Fritz Lang] - der am 22. Februar 2010 auch bei Masters of Cinema auf Blu-ray erscheint - bilden die Neuauflagen.

18. Mai 2010
Blu-ray #10: “Walkabaout” [GB 1971, Nicolas Roeg]
1 Disc
1.78:1
English
$39.95

A young sister and brother are abandoned in the harsh Australian outback and must learn to exist in the natural world, without their usual comforts, in this hypnotic masterpiece from Nicolas Roeg. Along the way, they meet a young aborigine on his “walkabout,” a rite of passage in which adolescent boys are initiated into manhood by journeying into the wilderness alone. Walkabout is a thrilling adventure as well as a provocative rumination on time and civilization.

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer, from a newly manufactured restoration element
• Uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• Audio commentary featuring director Nicolas Roeg and actress Jenny Agutter
• Video interviews with Agutter and actor Luc Roeg
• Gulpilil—One Red Blood (2002), an hour-long documentary on the life and career of actor David Gulpilil
• Theatrical trailer
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by author Paul Ryan

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

“Der mit dem Wolf tanzt / Dances with Wolves” [USA 1990, Kevin Costner]

Label: Kinowelt | BRD | Limitierte 2-Disc “Jubiläumsedition” | Kinofassung 1990 + Langfassung 1991 | Blu-ray
VÖ-Termin: 4. Februar 2010

Regionalcode
B

Laufzeit
Disc 1 (Langfassung 1991): 236:04 Min. [23,976 fps]
Laufzeit gemessen ohne “MGM”- und “Orion”-Logos. Mit animiertem “Tig Productions”-Logo.
Disc 2 (Kinofassung 1990): 180:25 Min. [23,976 fps]
Laufzeit gemessen ohne “MGM”- und “Orion”-Logos. Mit statischem “Tig Productions”-Logo.

Codec
Disc 1 (Langfassung 1991): MPEG-4 AVC | High Profile 4.1
Disc 2 (Kinofassung 1990): MPEG-4 AVC | High Profile 4.1

Picture-in-Picture
Nein

BD-Live
Disc 1 (Langfassung 1991): Nein
Disc 2 (Kinofassung 1990): Ja

Bookmarks
Nein

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Wie Criterion in einem Newsletter mitgeteilt hat, wird das New Yorker Label Ende März 2010 die Lizenzrechte an etlichen StudioCanal-Titeln verlieren. Diese Lizenzen werden an Lionsgate übergehen.

Dear Criterion collectors,

Our three least favorite initials: OOP. Since we launched the Criterion Collection more than twenty-five years ago, we’ve endeavored to keep everything we’ve published in print. But despite our efforts to renew rights, we are losing a large group of titles from StudioCanal at the end of March, and we wanted to give you advance notice that our editions will be going out of print. Until we’re out of stock, we will be offering these titles at an additional $5 off on our website. The titles are going to Lionsgate, and we don’t know when they may be rereleased. As ever, we will continue to try to relicense the films so that they can rejoin the collection sometime in the future.

Here are the titles that will soon be out of print:

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Neuzugänge im DVD/Blu-ray-Kalender:

2. Februar 2010
- “Mystic River” [USA 2003, Clint Eastwood] Blu-ray Warner Bros. USA | Deutsche Tonspur
- “Music Man / The Music Man” [USA 1962, Morton DaCosta] Blu-ray Warner Bros. USA | Deutsche Tonspur
- “Der Wolfsmensch / The Wolf Man” [USA 1941, George Waggner] DVD Universal USA “2-DVD Legacy Series”

4. Februar 2010
- “Der mit dem Wolf tanzt / Dances with Wolves” [USA 1990, Kevin Costner] Blu-ray Kinowelt BRD “Limitierte Jubiläumsedition | Kinofassung + Langfassung”
- “Die Milchstraße / La voie lactée” [F / BRD / I 1969, Luis Bunuel] DVD Kinowelt BRD
- “Das Gespenst der Freiheit / Le fantôme de la liberté” [F / I 1974, Luis Bunuel] DVD Kinowelt BRD
- “King Kong Collection” [USA 1933 - 1949] DVD Kinowelt BRD
- “1941 - Wo, bitte, geht’s nach Hollywood / 1941” [USA 1978, Steven Spielberg] DVD Universal BRD “2-DVD Special Edition”
- “Raumschiff Enterprise - Staffel 3 / Star Trek - The Original Series - Season 3” [USA 1968] Blu-ray Paramount BRD

5. Februar 2010
- “Coco Chanel: Der Beginn einer Leidenschaft / Coco avant Chanel / Coco Before Chanel” [F 2009, Anne Fontaine] Blu-ray Warner Bros.
- “Coco Chanel: Der Beginn einer Leidenschaft / Coco avant Chanel / Coco Before Chanel” [F 2009, Anne Fontaine] DVD Warner Bros.

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Das Label Shout! Factory hat sich die US-Home-Entertainment-Vertriebsrechte an über 50 Filmen der Produzenten- und Regie-Legende Roger Corman gesichert. Mehr dazu in der Pressemitteilung:

Shout! Factory and New Horizons Picture Corporation Announce Home Entertainment Deal

SHOUT! FACTORY SECURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT RIGHTS TO EXTENSIVE ROGER CORMAN LIBRARY

Iconic Film Properties Include Piranha, Death Race 2000, Rock ’N’ Roll High School, Galaxy Of Terror, Starcrash, Humanoids From The Deep, Grand Theft Auto, Battle Beyond The Stars and more

Los Angeles, CA, January 13, 2010 — Shout! Factory and New Horizons Picture Corporation have entered into an extensive multiyear alliance to release a vast library of classic and new films from legendary producer-director Roger Corman, recipient of a 2009 Honorary Academy Award®, to the home entertainment marketplace. Under the terms of the agreement, Shout! Factory has secured the exclusive North American home entertainment rights to over 50 highly sought-after Roger Corman film properties. This announcement was made today by Shout! Factory founding partners Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos, and filmmaker Roger Corman.

“Roger holds an incredibly rich legacy in Hollywood. His cinematic works, spanning decades, continue to influence filmmakers worldwide. Many of his iconic films have been unavailable or long out-of-print in the home entertainment marketplace. There’s a lot of consumer interest in these films,” state Shout! Factory’s founding partners. “We’re thrilled and honored with this opportunity to work with Roger and New Horizons to bring his cinematic treasures back to their original luster and share them with movie fans.”

“We’re delighted to collaborate with Shout! Factory to make New Horizons’ historic library of films available for home entertainment,” said Corman. “We look forward to working closely with the entire Shout team for great DVD and Blu-ray releases ahead.”

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Nach mehreren Ankündigungen oder Gerüchten, die sich nicht bewahrheitet haben, erscheint John Hustons Klassiker “African Queen / The African Queen” [USA / GB 1951, John Huston] mit Humphrey Bogart und Katharine Hepburn endlich auf DVD und Blu-ray. Zwar ist der Film in Europa (Deutschland, Frankreich, Großbritannien usw.) und Australien zwar bereits auf DVD veröffentlicht worden, allerdings konnte die Bildqualität bei keiner der Discs in irgendeiner Form überzeugen. So hatte man lange auf eine restaurierte Fassung aus den USA gehofft, da dort vor etlichen Jahren bereits Gerüchte aufkamen, dass Paramount die Rechte an den besten verfügbaren Materialien halte und diese auch restauriere. Ab dem 23. März 2010 wird sich zeigen, was bei der 4k-Restaurierung herausgekommen ist.

Der Film wird auf DVD und Blu-ray als Einzel-Disc-Ausgabe und jeweils auch als limitiertes “Commemorative Box Set” erscheinen. Als Bonus ist eine Dokumentation vorgesehen. Leider liegt der Audiokommentar von DoP Jack Cardiff, der z.B. auf der britischen Carlton-DVD enthalten ist, hier nicht vor.

Die Pressemitteilung:

FULLY RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL GLORY, DIRECTOR JOHN HUSTON’S MONUMENTAL CLASSIC DEBUTS ON DVD AND BLU-RAY FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER

THE AFRICAN QUEEN

The Final Film from AFI’s 100 Greatest Movies to Arrive on DVD Makes its Long-Awaited Premiere March 23, 2010 Including Nearly an Hour of All-New Bonus Material

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (January 11, 2010) – Filled with adventure, drama, humor and romance, the epic and enduring cinematic classic THE AFRICAN QUEEN will finally make its way home when it debuts on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time ever on March 23, 2010 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Meticulously restored using state-of-the-art 4K digital technology, THE AFRICAN QUEEN will now be available for a new generation to appreciate and for long-time fans to see again, as if for the first time. Legendary director John Huston’s treasured romantic adventure stars the incomparable Humphrey Bogart as hard-drinking boat captain Charlie Allnut—a role that won him his only Academy Award® (Best Actor, 1951)—and renowned actress Katharine Hepburn as missionary Rose Sayer in a tale of two disparate people thrown together by fate and drawn together by love.

A six-year journey filled with challenges nearly as difficult as those faced by Rose and Charlie, the restoration process began at the source: Romulus Films—one of the film’s original production companies—provided access to the original three-strip negative at a London facility where the film was carefully scanned and digitized. The separate elements were then transferred to Los Angeles and painstakingly recombined and inspected frame by frame to ensure that every detail aligned and that any dirt and scratches were removed.

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Bei Classicflix wurden die Bonusmaterialien der beiden hier bereits vorgestellten “Bad Girls of Film Noir“-DVD-Sets von Sony, die am 9. Februar 2010 erscheinen werden, bekannt gegeben. Der Inhalt der Sets sieht also folgendermaßen aus:

“Bad Girls of Film Noir - Vol. 1”

• “The Killer That Stalked New York” [USA 1950, Earl McEvoy]
• “Zwei von einer Sorte / Two of a Kind” [USA 1951, Henry Levin]
• “Bad for Each Other” [USA 1953, Irving Rapper]
• “Die gläserne Mauer / The Glass Wall” [USA 1953, Maxwell Shane]

Extras:

• Terry Moore on Two of a Kind
• The Payoff-All Star Theatre Episode

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Wie Frankie bereits in den Kommentaren zu den “Bad Girls of Film Noir“-DVDs geschrieben hat, sind zu den Vol. 1 und Vol. 2-Sets von Sony die ersten Details bei Movies Unlimited aufgetaucht. Die Filme erscheinen am 9. Februar 2010.

Bad Girls of Film Noir - Vol. 1
Sheila (Evelyn Keyes) was clever enough to smuggle diamonds into Manhattan from Cuba, but she’s also “The Killer That Stalked New York” (1950) because she’s carrying smallpox! Noir thriller co-stars Barry Kelley, Dorothy Malone. Two con artists plot to scam a couple by producing a double of their missing son, in “Two of a Kind” (1951). With Edmond O’Brien, Lizabeth Scott. Returning home to Pennsylvania from service in the Korean War, a doctor (Charlton Heston) falls under the spell of a lovely gal (Lizabeth Scott), but they’re “Bad for Each Other” (1953). Co-stars Dianne Foster, Mildred Dunnock. Unless a “displaced person” from World War II can locate the soldier whose testimony can break down “The Glass Wall” (1953) keeping him from entering America, the man faces branding as a criminal fugitive. Vittorio Gassman, Gloria Grahame star. Soundtrack: English. Two-disc set.

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

“Der Leopard / Il gattopardo” [I / F 1963, Luchino Visconti]

Label: British Film Institute (BFI) | GB | Blu-ray
VÖ-Termin: 2. November 2009 (HMV-exklusiv) | 15. Februar 2010 (regulärer Handel)

Regionalcode
B

Laufzeit
185:23 Min. [23,976 fps]

Codec
MPEG-4 AVC | High Profile 4.1

Picture-in-Picture
Nein

BD-Live
Nein

Bookmarks
Nein

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Warner Bros. wird am 9. März 2010 die Dokumentation “The Brothers Warner” [USA 2008, Cass Warner] über die Filmpioniere aus Hollywood auf DVD veröffentlichen. Die Pressemitteilung:

THE BROTHERS WARNER
New Documentary Looks at Hollywood Family Dynasty;
Debuts on DVD March 9 from Warner Home Video

Feature Film From Producer Alain Goldman & Nick Pileggi Also Due

Burbank, Calif. November 19, 2009 — The award-winning documentary, The Brothers Warner, an intimate family portrait of four legendary Hollywood film pioneers who founded and ran Warner Bros. for more than 50 years, makes its DVD debut March 9th from Warner Home Video. Written and directed by Cass Warner Sperling, Harry Warner’s granddaughter, and produced by Warner Sisters, Ms. Sperling’s independent film production company, the documentary has been honored as an Official Selection at 33 film festivals around the world and has won 8 awards. In addition to the United States (multi-cities), the film has been shown in countries such as Canada, England, France, Ireland, Israel and Italy.

Ms. Sperling has assembled a top production team for The Brothers Warner: Oscar® -winning editor Kate Amend (Into the Arms of Strangers/ Stories of the Kindertransport); Director of Photography Arlene Donnelly Nelson (A Mighty Wind/For Your Consideration) and multi-Grammy award-winning composer David Campbell (Brokeback Mountain).

(Hier geht’s weiter …)

Sony scheint zwei “Bad Girls of Film Noir“-Box-Sets zu planen. Laut VideoETA sollen Vol. 1 und Vol. 2 am 9. Februar 2010 in den USA auf DVD erscheinen. Weitere Infos liegen leider noch nicht vor.