The Merchant Ivory Collection: The Europeans | Quartet | The Bostonians | Howards End

[James78]

[raphph]

Excited about this. Hope price comes down.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by James78

Wonder if this will be the new restoration done correctly (AR and color). I recall there were issues with both the 1st and 2nd pressings of the Cohen release.

[James78]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Wonder if this will be the new restoration done correctly (AR and color). I recall there were issues with both the 1st and 2nd pressings of the Cohen release.

I emailed homeentertainment@curzon.com to ask about the aspect ratio yesterday. I saw the restoration at the BFI a couple of years ago and I particularly noticed that the blacks were not dark or inky at all. The overall colour scheme was a coppery grey.

Edit: Here's my post from the UK Howards End thread in 2017: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...8&postcount=13

[36crazyfists]

Maybe i will pick it up when the price goes down cause i already have Howards End on Cohen Media .

[thuata]

I'm guessing those are licensed from Cohen, does anybody know if more are coming ?

[36crazyfists]

Originally Posted by thuata

I'm guessing those are licensed from Cohen, does anybody know if more are coming ?

The Remains of the Day --» Sony
Maurice --» Bfi
A Room With a View --» Spirit Entertainment
Head and Dust --» Bfi
Shakespeare Wallah --» Bfi

[James78]

I haven't had a reply about Howards End's aspect ratio from homeentertainment@curzon.com, despite emailing twice. I don't use Twitter, but perhaps that is the best way to find out for those interested. Sorry to not be of more help!

[CelestialAgent]

Don’t take this as gospel as I’m only reading off the back cover and haven’t bought or watched the discs, but.

The Europeans

The Making of The Europeans with James Ivory
Conversations from the Quad Featurette
Trailer

This is missing Conversations with the Filmmakers (15 minutes) and Restoration Trailer - Sweet Sounds (1976) also appears on the Home Vision release - which was released in the UK on Autobiography of a Princess - however that film is already on the BFI of Heat and Dust.

Quartet

Viva Cinema Interview with James Ivory
James Ivory and Pierre Lhomme Discuss Making of Quartet
The Making of Quartet - A Conversation with James Ivory
Trailer

So this is mostly intact, only leaving off Conversations with the Filmmakers (11 minutes) and Restoration Trailer.

Odyssey’s DVD also included this

An interview with Merchant Ivory Productions, a recent interview with James Ivory, Ismail Merchant, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and Richard Robbins

The Bostonians

James Ivory on The Bostonians

On the Cohen disc, this runs 17:23, but Cohen also includes, taken from the Home Vision Entertainment DVD:

"The Making of The Bostonians" featurette (11:10)
"Conversations with the Filmmakers: The Bostonians" featurette (15:08)

DVDCompare makes the assumption Home Vision and Odyssey’s extras were the same but considering the divergences on their releases, I don’t think that’s the case.

Howards End

Cannes Interview
James Ivory Interview
Lincoln Center Q&A
Audio Commentary
Trailer

So, it drops a few things from eOne’s release.

2016 Conversation Between Director James Ivory and MOMA Senior Curator Laurence Kardish (26:43)
1992 Behind-the-Scenes featurette (4:32)
2016 Re-Release Trailer (2:26)

Of course, the UK release was already missing a few things from Cohen’s release (the Criterion produced extras).

"Building Howards End" documentary (42:37)
"The Design of Howards End" featurette (8:58)
"James Ivory Remembers Ismail Merchant" interview with director James Ivory (12:11)

Ultimately, the best UK option is the eOne, the best video presentation is likely the German 4K UHD, the best for extras is Cohen or ViaVision (Australia).

But then, Howards End, like most Merchant Ivorys, was already fractured with its extras. Here’s the exclusives to the Film4 DVD:

Interview with Samuel West, Emma Thompson, James Wilby, Helena Bonham Carter, Anthony Hopkins, James Ivory and Ismail Merchant (6:54)
"Production Design" featurette (7:57)

And the Odyssey Video DVD:

Interview with James Ivory and Ismail Merchant (20:02)
Interview with Helena Bonham Carter (19:10)
"The Look of Howards End" featurette (20:19)
"Production Design" featurette (7:57)

It’s also worth noting the BFI Blu-rays had some extras differences to the US releases too.

So, my personal feeling is Quartet is the only one that can be bought with confidence, unless you’re really desperate for that 11 minute featurette, and The Europeans could sit on the shelf quite well next to the Home Vision DVD. Otherwise, just buy the Cohens.

[sjt]

Howard's End in any edition post-Criterion has its own specific problem concerning the aspect ratio. The original Ivory-supervised Cohen US 2016 release was effectively transferred at 1: 2.50, which became a bitter bone of contention immediately, and led to a rapid reissue in a reportedly corrected A/R, but still with gamma level issues. The new AE claims to be (the theatrically correct) 1: 2.39, though whether it is, and which master it was taken from, and whether we finally get the corrected gamma level, who knows?

[jfearnside]

Originally Posted by sjt

Howard's End in any edition post-Criterion has its own specific problem concerning the aspect ratio. The original Ivory-supervised Cohen US 2016 release was effectively transferred at 1: 2.50, which became a bitter bone of contention immediately, and led to a rapid reissue in a reportedly corrected A/R, but still with gamma level issues. The new AE claims to be (the theatrically correct) 1: 2.39, though whether it is, and which master it was taken from, and whether we finally get the corrected gamma level, who knows?

So, this Artificial Eye edition has been out for some time now. Can anyone who's given it a look report on the AV quality? Are the aspect ratio AND gamma levels both corrected, or does this edition have issues like the others?

[kishiro]

Originally Posted by jfearnside

So, this Artificial Eye edition has been out for some time now. Can anyone who's given it a look report on the AV quality? Are the aspect ratio AND gamma levels both corrected, or does this edition have issues like the others?

I just bought the UK disc and can confirm that both the the AR (2.39:1) and the gamma has been corrected!
It's safe to buy.


Notes I made about other releases I tested :

Media company :         Year: Product-Code:       Measured AR: Notes :

Criterion US BD         2009 (UPC 715515051019)   2.35:1       (Has the least ammount of croppig on all four sides. However old scan with scanner-noise)
Australian BD           2018 (UPC 9337369013848)  2.50:1       (Wrong AR. Correct Gamma.)
Cohen US BD             2016 (UPC 741952834090)   2.50:1       (Wrong AR. Correct Gamma.)
Cohen US Replacement BD 2017 (UPC 741952834090)   2.39:1       (Correct AR. Wrong Gamma.)
German UHD              2018 (UPC 4010324011091)  2.39:1       (2160p release. Contrast too high/boosted. Highlights too blown-out)
German BD               2018 (UPC 4010324042088)  2.40:1       (Correct AR. Correct Gamma. Note: on-screen text in german)
Curzon UK BD            2020 (UPC 5021866270401)  2:39:1       (Correct AR. Correct Gamma.) <- Best release