albert 29th May 2024 | | DVDThe Singing Ringing Tree - Network (2007) | Filmed in a widescreen eye-popping saturated colour palette.
During a trip to Berlin many years back, and while looking for rare DVDs, I discovered that this is just one of at least 2 dozen 'fairytale features' made by the same East German production company (DEFA Stiftung) in 1950s-1970s. I would have bought many of the available DVDs but unfortunately only 3 had an English language option, including The Golden Goose and The Devil's Three Golden Hairs.
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albert 29th May 2024 | | DVD Box SetLook At Life Volume 8 : People And Places - Network (2021) | Volume 8 is the largest in the Look At Life series and rounds up the remaining titles that were not pigeonholed onto the other 7 volumes, (and in that respect is the most varied and, dare I say, most interesting of the series). I do own volumes 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 & 8.
Note that since Network went bust last year all volumes are likely to become sought after collectors items.
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albert 1st Aug 2023 | | DVDEurotrash - Network (2022) | This is the one I know you have all been waiting for, (c'mon admit it!).
But you'd better be quick because, last time I looked, the publishers Network have gone bust and copies are now getting scarce.
Check ebay for inflated prices, £300+ anyone?.
...I have just noticed that they have edited some of the content for "contractual reasons", hopefully this is to cut out some of the tiresome minor celebrities who occasionally got interviewed, and not any of the hilarious stuff.
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albert 4th Jun 2023 | | VHSYellow Submarine - MGM / UA (1987) | If you click the link to the feature film details you can see a youtube clip which describes the differences.
It is likely that the Hey Bulldog segment is in all recent worldwide blu-rays, whereas the 'Beatles to battle' segment found on this VHS will be chopped.
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albert 26th Apr 2022 | | Blu-rayPhantom Lady - Arrow Academy (2019) | More ridiculous cover art from Arrow.
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albert 19th Aug 2021 | | Blu-ray Box SetYellow Submarine - Apple (2012) | Some fairly 'un-special features' are included as bonuses, (eg 30 second 'interviews'). They did not include finished scenes cut/deleted from the UK version of the film but originally seen in the USA theatrical version, which would have been nice to have.
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albert 19th Aug 2021 | | VHSYellow Submarine - MGM / UA (1987) | Unconfirmed, but this probably shows the original USA film, which does not have the 'Hey Bulldog' scenes, but does include some scenes that were excluded from the UK version.
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albert 12th Jul 2021 | | Multi-FormatThundercrack! - Synapse Films (2015) | Hyped and much delayed Blu-ray release of this cult 'arty porn film'. The original 150 minute camera negative was not found so they had to embark on an extensive restoration project. Only five prints were ever made, one was seized by Canadian officials and most others were trimmed or lost, the version we get on this Blu-ray is 120 minutes in length and includes a 10 minute intermission with music.
There have been bootleg DVDs of a very battered 90 minute print, which also cuts out most of the talky bits, so this Blu-ray renders all bootleg copies obsolete. The film is low budget and suffers from technical problems, the most obvious being with inaudible or missing dialogue, so you may want to switch on subtitles, or then again you may find the dialogue tiresome, which it can be.
When searching for additional content they did find good copies of outtakes, auditions and other elements and these have been included on the bonus DVD, which also contains interviews and a number of short films by Curt McDowell.
The special features on the Blu-ray include subtitles, an interview with Curt McDowell (which plays as a film commentary), and the documentary 'It Came From Kuchar' about the famous underground film makers.
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albert 12th Jul 2021 | | DVDRadiohead: The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth Of All Time - Radiohead Television (2004) | This was released by Radiohead for a limited time, I no longer own my copy so I cannot give full details.
As far as I remember it came in one of those DVD jewel cases and included a booklet with info, the image I have uploaded came from the booklet, it is not the actual cover of the DVD case.
Apparently Radiohead were approached to create a television show and so they made some promo videos and requested fans to submit their own work - which resulted in a deluge of clips. They put together a few completed episodes but ultimately they got rejected and the show got shelved. This DVD was instead created so as to at least have some record of the work done.
I did own a copy of this DVD but I have to say that the content was very much hit and miss and really not that entertaining - really miserable might be a better description but lets not try to upset anyone.
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albert 12th Jul 2021 | | DVDThe Child [1977] - Something Weird Video (2001) | 1 feature film and 2 short films are included in the special features, hopefully I have linked the correct ones:
I Eat Your Skin
The Outsider
The ABC Of Babysitting
(alas I could not find the last one)
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albert 12th Jul 2021 | | DVDAustralia After Dark / The ABC Of Love And Sex: Australia Style - Umbrella Entertainment (2016) | The picture quality of Australia After Dark is fairly rough, and is letterboxed into a 4:3 frame. The ABC Of Love And Sex has better picture quality and is in a proper widescreen format.
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albert 12th Jul 2021 | | DVDBlue Sunshine - Synapse Films | This special edition included a separate soundtrack CD and came housed in a shiny outer slipcase.
As far as I can remember, inside the slipcase was the regular edition of the DVD packaging, except that it had a double DVD case. I don't own this DVD anymore so cannot supply additional info.
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albert 12th Jul 2021 | | DVDCarry On Cabby - Optimum (2008) | Four individual DVD discs, but I think there are no special features, and yet Studio Canal demand relatively high prices (as usual).
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albert 12th Jul 2021 | | DVDThe Longshot • They Went That-A-Way And That-A-Way - MGM (2002) | This is a 2-sided 'flipper' disc.
These are slightly thicker than normal DVDs and are prone to faults, or difficulty making them work in some players.
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albert 12th Jul 2021 | | DVDThe Haunted Palace [1963] - MGM (2003) | This is a 2-sided 'flipper' disc.
These are slightly thicker than normal DVDs and are prone to faults, or difficulty making them work in some players.
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albert 11th Jul 2021 | | DVDMGM Midnight Movies Double Feature - MGM (2002) | This is a 2-sided 'flipper' disc.
These are slightly thicker than normal DVDs and are prone to faults, or difficulty making them work in some players.
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albert 11th Jul 2021 | | DVD Box SetStill Game The Complete Series 1-6 - 2 Entertain (2008) | I think that the publisher is 2 Entertain, licenced from BBC Scotland.
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albert 21st Apr 2021 | | Blu-rayStreet Mobster - Arrow (2018) | Some include a 24 page booklet.
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albert 21st Apr 2021 | | Multi-FormatAn Actor's Revenge - BFI (2018) | The bonus shorts are fragments of footage taken from early newsreels:
Oriental Splendour, 1927
Japan Pays Homage, 1928
Japan. To Rid Their Souls Of Evil, 1929
In Old Japan, 1930
In the days before budget travel, these were the only glimpses of Japanese life that most of the Western world would likely have ever seen.
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albert 18th Apr 2021 | | Blu-rayThe Wizard Of Oz - Warner Bros. (2014) | In 2014 there was this 2 Blu-ray set and a special edition 2 Blu-ray & bonus 3D Blu-ray set to choose from. The 3D disc was the only difference between the two sets, they both included a download code.
This 2 Blu-ray set was repackaged in 2019 using a new card slipcase, the 2 discs and case slip are from 2014, but note that the download code expired 3/11/2017.
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There are so many special features on this set that they spread over onto a second disc, they are not fully listed on the original cover nor the repackage cover slip. The bundle includes several early versions of The Wizard of Oz including short silent versions, many featurettes and documentaries, cast and crew profiles, interviews, appreciations, special effects, history, background info... the list goes on and on.
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albert 18th Apr 2021 | | Multi-FormatWake Up And Die - Arrow (2015) | UK title is "Wake Up And Kill", which is what it says in the cover, but typical of the 1960s there are several alternative titles.
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albert 18th Apr 2021 | | Blu-rayThe Wolf Of Wall Street - Universal (2014) | Repackaged 2018 with same disc, same cat number and barcode, but does not include the download.
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albert 18th Apr 2021 | | DVDVideodrome - Universal (2002) | The disc itself is probably the same one found in most of Region 2, with only the text on the cover slip changing.
Sorry, I just noticed it states Region 2 & 5, which explains the additional subtitle options.
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albert 18th Apr 2021 | | Blu-rayVideodrome - Arrow (2015) | There are so many extras on this disc that I gave up on writing the notes.
It is the 'unrated' version running time 89 minutes (Blu-ray) it states.
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albert 18th Apr 2021 | | DVDThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Complete Collection - Fabulous Films (2015) | Also available as separate sets:
Season One: FHED3315, barcode 5030697031136
Season Two: FHED3316, barcode 5030697031143
Season Three: FHED3317, barcode 5030697031150
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albert 18th Apr 2021 | | Multi-FormatSacha Guitry Four Films - Arrow (2018) | Titles of the films are:
Le Nouveau Testament [The New Testament], (1936) 100 mins
Mon Père Avait Raison [My Father Was Right], (1936) 98 mins
Faisons Un Rêve... [Let's Make A Dream], (1936) 80 mins
Remontons Les Champs-Élysées [Let's Go Up The Champs-Élysées], (1938) 103 mins
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albert 18th Apr 2021 | | Multi-FormatSacha Guitry Four Films - Arrow (2018) | They commissioned someone to come up with new artwork? Well it doesn't look like much of an effort was involved by using publicity stills with attached 'spot'...
Badly thought out too, since the covers are printed both sides, (one for each film per Blu-ray case), hence you need to open the case to see the details of one of the films.
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albert 17th Apr 2021 | | Multi-FormatLunch Hour - BFI (2011) | Includes a booklet and special features are bonus short films by James Hill:
Skyhook, (1958) 17 mins
Guiseppina, (1959) 32 mins
The Home-made Car, (1963) 28 mins
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albert 17th Apr 2021 | | Blu-rayTwo Thousand Maniacs! - Arrow (2018) | Alternative artwork scrapes into an OK pass, though the artist shows trouble with facial expressions.
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albert 17th Apr 2021 | | DVDThe Roger Corman Collection - MGM (2007) | The pairings on the discs are:
Bloody Mama / A Bucket Of Blood
Premature Burial / X: The Man With The X-Ray Eyes
Gas-s-s-s / The Trip
The Young Racers / The Wild Angels.
There was a UK set with the same title and very similar artwork, but it only contained 3 films!
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