Preliminary Magnificent Ambersons DVD info on amazon.com

[edmoney]

Also, two or three times the bottom half of the frame shifts to the left for a split second which betrays a faulty video conversion.

God, seriously?? So in other words, no one at WHV even bothered doing a check after the video conversion - that just adds insult to injury. If better elements weren't available, then better elements weren't available. If the economics didn't justify spending more money for restoration, 4K scan, etc., ... well, there's the justification (albeit disappointing for us). But come on, this they could have controlled. It just shows utter disregard for this release. How bad are these frame shifts? Are they totally jarring and distracting when viewing?

Also, how would you rate the overall image quality on a scale of 1-10 (for an older film on standard def DVD)? For comparison, what would the 2001 Kane DVD and 2008 Touch of Evil DVDs rate?

[Roger Ryan]

I don't think the frame shifts are too distracting; it's quite possible you wouldn't even notice them (they only last for one frame)*. However, they are there and that kind of thing is not the fault of a less-than-perfect 35mm print. There is also some jitter in a number of scenes which can be traced to the source material used as are the dirt and scratches.

On a 1 - 10 scale? Well, I know folks don't like the overly-bright, digitally-scrubbed look of the KANE DVD, but I would still give that release a "9" (it would be a "10" if they had left a little grain in there and darkened the image). TOUCH OF EVIL probably rates a "9" as well (that would be the 50th Anniversary release - the first DVD release would be a "7"). So...

...Compared to those, the new AMBERSONS DVD gets a "5". Please note that the rating reflects the print damage as well as the transfer. However, this is one of the shoddier discs the archive division of WHV has issued. The Warner DVD of CAT PEOPLE, also from 1942, would rate a "9" from me; the Marx Brothers NIGHT AT THE OPERA and DAY AT THE RACES DVDs would rate slightly lower than AMBERSONS whereas the later Marx MGM films are no better than "2" or "3".


*If anyone is interested in spotting one, check out the shot of Joseph Cotten walking away from the mirror just prior to the shot of him exiting his home in the opening montage.

[FelixP]

to me, the giveaway that it was a video transfer was the fullscreen copyright warning that comes on immediately after the end of the film; the wording is just like the ones back in the 80s (when I grew up watching VHS). It's like they just left the player running for the length of the tape.

(first post for a longtime reader and admirer of many of the scholarly posts in this forum)

[Roger Ryan]

to me, the giveaway that it was a video transfer was the fullscreen copyright warning that comes on immediately after the end of the film; the wording is just like the ones back in the 80s (when I grew up watching VHS). It's like they just left the player running for the length of the tape.

(first post for a longtime reader and admirer of many of the scholarly posts in this forum)

That's a very interesting observation. It makes me think that this transfer could be a decade old (around the time that Warner was initially thinking about releasing AMBERSONS) which would explain the video conversion flaws as well as the fact that Warner has issued this with no fanfare whatsoever. In effect, it actually is a pretty decent DVD presentation...for 1999! Perhaps Warner really is still working on getting an acceptable HD version together, but decided to throw this version out there as a bonus since they already had an old transfer on hand collecting dust.

[LostOverThere]

If anyone's interested, DVD Beaver have updated their Magnificent Ambersons page to include comparison stills from the new release.

[edmoney]

Here's another review of the Ambersons DVD as part of the Citizen Kane review on blu-ray.com:

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Citizen-K ... 38/#Review

The Screenshots tab shows screenshots from both the Kane and Ambersons discs.

[brenbar]

Thanks to Roger Ryan for posting a most informative review of the Ambersons DVD on the Wellesnet homepage. The screen captures on DVD beaver are also most illuminating for someone (like myself) who own the region 2 release. The new DVD does certainly look like a better print but alas like so much else about the Ambersons saga it does seem like a lost opportunity. The lack of extras is also infuriating. Lets hope that we'll all get a pleasant surprise with the 70th anniversary of the release of Ambersons approaching next year.

This is my first post on Wellesnet and before I finish I'd just like to say thanks to everyone for such a goldmine of informative and interesting viewpoints and also greetings from Dublin !!

[Dan]

NY Post (09/27/2011) reports Ambersons wide release in 2012. Here we go again...........

"For those who have been asking about "The Magnificent Ambersons'' DVD, currently available only as a $10-add to the "Citizen Kane'' Blu-ray at Amazon, I'm told it will be receiving a proper wide release next year -- quite possibly in Blu-ray itself."

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/movies/dv ... sVZzmGfECI

[atcolomb]

Saw the following on The Digital Bits web site:
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942, Tim Holt) finally gets a wide DVD release on January 10th. That's the same day that Warners also releases Citizen Kane (1941, Orson Welles) in a standalone Blu-ray book edition (as opposed to September's UCE). The latter includes a DVD containing the Battle Over Citizen Kane documentary

[Jay]

That's great news! Do you have a link the part of the site that gives that info? I rummaged around over there, but I couldn't find it.

[RayKelly]

Here is the URL for the info atcolomb cited:
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/barriemaxwell/maxwell112211b.html

Sadly, there is nothing more than what he already posted here: "The Magnificent Ambersons (1942, Tim Holt) finally gets a wide DVD release on January 10th. That's the same day that Warners also releases Citizen Kane (1941, Orson Welles) in a standalone Blu-ray book edition (as opposed to September's UCE). The latter includes a DVD containing the Battle Over Citizen Kane documentary."

[LostOverThere]

Here we go again. Let's hope this actually amounts to something this time.

[Roger Ryan]

Here we go again. Let's hope this actually amounts to something this time.

Well, what it will amount to is the same disc/transfer that came out in September with the Amazon deluxe KANE set - feature only, no extras. But at least it will be available as a stand-alone; that's something to be thankful for.

[A Sled in Flames]

NY Post (09/27/2011) reports Ambersons wide release in 2012. Here we go again...........

"For those who have been asking about "The Magnificent Ambersons'' DVD, currently available only as a $10-add to the "Citizen Kane'' Blu-ray at Amazon, I'm told it will be receiving a proper wide release next year -- quite possibly in Blu-ray itself."

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/movies/dv ... sVZzmGfECI

Hello everyone. I'm a newbie. Please excuse me if I make any form of forum faux pas. I do hope that you're right Dan. Magnificent Ambersons is a wonderful film and it deserves a proper release, especially in HD.

[RayKelly]

My jaw dropped while reading this review, which appeared online today in the the Vancouver Sun. This a major goof by their DVD/film critic:

http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Orson+Welles+classics+restored/5968431/story.html


New on DVD: Orson Welles classics restored - The Magnificent Ambersons, Citizen Kane lovingly re-tooled

The Magnificent Ambersons: Four stars out of five —Long considered the cinematic equivalent of a live lobotomy, the hatchet edit on Magnificent Ambersons was considered a legendary crime against art. After the studio demanded huge revisions, and director Orson Welles left town for Brazil, the footage ended up in the hands of Robert Wise (The Sound of Music). Wise was forced to cut several minutes, and, eventually, huge swaths of the original version, without Welles' approval. The resulting film felt half-finished, and because the edited portions were permanently lost, most cineastes figured this sophomore feature from the man who made Citizen Kane would never be whole again. This new cut can't be considered a true restoration, because some elements are gone forever, but it does give any Welles fan a great feeling for the kind of movie he was trying to make. A stylish examination of old money, new money and the arrogance of entitlement, The Magnificent Ambersons features the best work you'll ever see from Agnes Moorehead — who would (famously) go on to be Endora from Bewitched. Moorehead plays the interloping aunt Fanny, a jealous woman who tries to sabotage everyone else's happiness so she can feel better about herself. The production design is spectacular, the dialogue is rich, and the acting top notch, allowing plenty of room for forgiveness in the face of history's errors. Special features are a disappointment. There is none, except for subtitles in English and Spanish.