Virginia Leith in Violent Saturday, Richard Fleischer, 1955.
I got so terribly excited by the new Eureka! blu-ray disc of this ineffable thriller that I just had to post a screen cap of it, and I’ve always loved this particular shot from the POV of peeper Tommy Noonan. I got so excited that I forgot that I wrote at length about Noonan and this film a couple of years back. Which musings may provide some consonance for the above image.
For a long time the only home video versions of this movie have been non-optimized for 16:9 displays, meaning they put a 2.55 image in a 4:3 box, which is obviously less than optimum. The Eureka! disc is the first second true widescreen version [as a commenter below points out, Carlotta in France issued a prior such rendition, I apologize for the error] and hence cause for celebration. It’s beautiful in pretty much every other respect too. If you don’t have a region-free player you’re out of luck at the moment, as the disc if Region‑B locked, but I’m reasonably confident a domestic-player-friendly version will surface.
“For a long time the only home video versions of this movie have been non-optimized for 16:9 displays, meaning they put a 2.55 image in a 4:3 box.”
True, this was the case for a long time, until this film was released in France on Blu by Carlotta a year ago. Eureka are not the first. Most are too lazy to search these things out.
“but I’m reasonably confident a domestic-player-friendly version will surface. ”
Ask & ye shall receive. It’s coming domestically on July 8th from Twilight Time.
I was aware of the Carlotta disc. Not too lazy to search it out…too poor at the time to really justify the exchange rate. I was fortunate to receive the Eureka! disc as a promotional consideration item.
Also the vast bulk of people don’t have multi-region players, so even if one isn’t “lazy” there’s still a barrier to purchase.
Perhaps I should have simply commented on Glenn’s statement that the Eureka! disc is the first true widescreen version for home video. This is not true. Obviously this is the case in the US for those who are region locked, but Glenn isn’t and it’s worth reflecting then upon how the experiences for those who aren’t region locked differ in terms of access to films.
The “laziness” comment followed at the time of writing as the post prompted me to think again about the spread of information about various editions from around the world, despite Glenn’s fine Blu-ray columns and those of Jonathan Rosenbaum every quarter, and regardless of whether or not people yet have the means and technology to buy them – can’t film fans just be interested to know that these things are available and what other regions have access to by researching further afield?
I don’t expect Glenn to know about every release out there in various countries, but I still find there is a lack of English language film websites that seem to regularly address the wealth of material out there either; often relying on the latest slew of Masters of Cinema and Criterion releases to dictate the content/discussions. Maybe some will think it of little importance, but regular reminders of different approaches to DVD/Blu production (supplementary materials/presentations e.g. on the Hyperkino editions) and curatorial trends far and wide can help to enrich film culture by way of comparison to the sorts of releases we see in our own countries of residence.
Almost no one has draw attention to the fact that Monte Hellman’s Cockfighter is on Blu in Japan, in a superior version to the DVD copies in print at the minute – though, not a stellar Blu-ray in and of itself. But sharing the information on a site like this might encourage fans of Hellman’s work who are fortunate enough at present to be able to purchase and play the disc to seek it out. Not everyone buys lots of Blu-rays, owing to the popularity of rentals/stream on demand, and so they might be willing to spend a little more than usual for a fine edition on import.
I’m not sure what the connection is between the fact that many people do not currently have multi-region players, and sharing information about overseas releases where pertinent, i.e. on a specialist film blog where those who do have multi-region players are most likely to lurk. I could just as easily speculate that a great many of Glenn’s readers have multi-region players.
Sorry Glenn, I won’t comment again…
PS: I’m not sure another, Twilight Time edition of Violent Saturday is necessary.
Occasional mention of overseas Blu-rays wouldn’t hurt. Neither would acknowledgment that there are still some worthy releases which happen to be DVD only.
The previous Twilight Time version of VIOLENT SATURDAY was a pan and scan version based on what they said was the only available source print, so a new widescreen version might be considered necessary.
Peter N – I do not believe the Twilight Time disc was pan and scan – it was letterboxed (per DVD beaver screenshots). It was not, however, 16 x 9 anamorphically enhanced which was the source of the complaints.
As Regis Philbin likes to say, I’m only one man. And I’m one man who can no longer afford to buy a whole lot of Japanese Blu-rays, for evaluation or not. And I barely have time for this blog anymore. Sorry to disappoint anyone but that’s just the way it is.
Twilight Time has announced it will release Violent Saturday on Blu-ray on July 8.