“The Immortal Story” on DVD

[mmrabin]

blunted and R. Kadin,

thanks for the posts. I get it now: what we're talking about is really the equivalent of push-processing negative film, boosting contrast and potentially blowing out highlights.

[Joshua]

To anyone who is interested, I managed to track down a DVD copy of the Immortal Story at the website below. It is simply a copy of the TCM broadcast, but there are no subtitles as I understand many of the other bootleg DVDs have. The picture is nice as well as the sound in most places, although there is the occasional hissing sound. They also offer an Ambersons DVD, but I didn't buy that hoping that soon an official release will come about. But, I'm pretty happy with TIS, so I might give that one a try as well.

http://www.cinemacom.com/classic-movie-dvds.html

[The Night Man]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet, but the Australian company Madman has recently released a DVD of The Immortal Story:

http://www.madman.com.au/catalogue/view/13166

It's the 58-min. cut and features both English language and French language versions of the film. I haven't acquired it yet myself (I'm still hoping Criterion will step up to the plate since Janus holds US distribution rights), but a friend reports that the transfer is good and the package as a whole is up to Madman's usual standards.

[Roger Ryan]

Actually, I believe it was mentioned on the Wellesnet page over at Facebook a few months back, but it deserves to be mentioned here as well - thanks.

[Joshua]

Hadn't seen this yet, thanks for the information. A bit pricey, but it's going on my wish list.

[tonyw]

Madman DVD has a good reputation. I've just finished watching the 2 disk version of THE MAN FROM HONG KONG directed by Brian Trenchard Smith and the reproduction is superb. Let us hope they have done an equally good job on THE IMMORTAL STORY which I saw on first release in 35 mm. The audio-commentary by Adrian Martin should also be very professional/

[Le Chiffre]

Thanks to Cinescot for the reminder on this. The commentary sounds intriguing (Has anyone heard it?), but Americans will probably need a region-free player to play it.



According to the Madman website, it includes:

- Both English language and French language cuts of the film
- Audio Commentary by Dr Adrian Martin, Associate Professor and Head of Film and Television Studies, Monash University, and Co-editor of ROUGE magazine
- The Immortal Story: Like the Sound of the Sea Deep Within a Shell, an essay by Dr Adrian Danks, Head of Cinema Studies in the School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, an editor of Senses of Cinema, and co-curator of The Melbourne Cinémathèque.

Here is Adrian Danks' fine essay, reprinted at Senses of Cinema:

http://sensesofcinema.com/2001/cteq/immortal/