The Saragossa Manuscript & The Hourglass Sanatorium (Wojciech Has) - Mr. Bongo

[Akijama]

Release date: September 7

Amazon pre-orders:

The Hourglass Sanatorium

The Saragossa Manuscript

[nitin]

they will probably use the masters from the existing polish releases, in which case Saragossa Manuscript will look extremely underwhelming and Hourglass should look excellent.

[dumb_dutchman]

Originally Posted by nitin

they will probably use the masters from the existing polish releases, in which case Saragossa Manuscript will look extremely underwhelming and Hourglass should look excellent.

Let's think positive thoughts...

I can live with my Polish releases, but Saragossa Manuscript does need some work.

Who holds the Region 1 rights to Saragossa?

[Yami]

Fantastic news! Never expected Mr. Bongo to upgrade these, but very happy that they will.

[rapta]

Good news, glad Mr Bongo are unveiling more Blu-ray titles. I wonder if we'll see some more of their back catalogue upgraded over the coming year...I'd especially like to see I Am Cuba or some Rocha films hit Blu-ray too!

[ravenus]

Whoa, was wondering whether to bag the DVD's but this is better news. Hourglass Sanatorium will hopefully have some extras that explain the movie a bit. It looked great but I was lost through most of it.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Hourglass Sanatorium will hopefully have some extras that explain the movie a bit. It looked great but I was lost through most of it.

I always assume that a Mr Bongo disc will be completely barebones until proven otherwise.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by nitin

they will probably use the masters from the existing polish releases, in which case Saragossa Manuscript will look extremely underwhelming and Hourglass should look excellent.

Polish restorers are infuriatingly inconsistent on the subject of digital "improvements". At their best, the results can be absolutely stunning - but at their worst they're DNR soup.

I saw a particularly excruciating example on the big screen at last year's Gdynia Film Festival (Days of Matthew), and what made it even more painful were the brief glimpses in the dissolves of how good the picture could have looked if they hadn't futzed around with the grain.

Incidentally, on the subject of the aspect ratio of The Hourglass Sanatorium, I recently had a chance to talk directly to cinematographer Witold Sobociński about it, and he confirmed that 1.85:1 is definitely the intended aspect ratio, regardless of whether it was initially screened in 2.35:1 in cinemas. Unlike The Saragossa Manuscript, which was shot using conventional anamorphic lenses, with The Hourglass Sanatorium Sobociński used a modified camera to shoot a format that was effectively Super 35 avant la lettre, so you're getting more of the original image on the BD than you'd have seen in the cinema.

[nitin]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Polish restorers are infuriatingly inconsistent on the subject of digital "improvements". At their best, the results can be absolutely stunning - but at their worst they're DNR soup.

I saw a particularly excruciating example on the big screen at last year's Gdynia Film Festival (Days of Matthew), and what made it even more painful were the brief glimpses in the dissolves of how good the picture could have looked if they hadn't futzed around with the grain.

Incidentally, on the subject of the aspect ratio of The Hourglass Sanatorium, I recently had a chance to talk directly to cinematographer Witold Sobociński about it, and he confirmed that 1.85:1 is definitely the intended aspect ratio, regardless of whether it was initially screened in 2.35:1 in cinemas. Unlike The Saragossa Manuscript, which was shot using conventional anamorphic lenses, with The Hourglass Sanatorium Sobociński used a modified camera to shoot a format that was effectively Super 35 avant la lettre, so you're getting more of the original image on the BD than you'd have seen in the cinema.

I have only picked up Hourglass, Man of Iron, Promised Land and Man of Marble, but I did check reviews and posts beforehand because of what happened with Saragossa.

Also picked up Dom Zly based on one of your recommendations in a BFI article

[rapta]

Artwork up:

[IanSchultz23]

The Hourglass Sanatorium is brilliant, found it in my local charity shop for 50p. Still haven't seen Saragossa Manuscript but will wait till the blu-ray comes out though, I do have the dvd though.

[bluray_and_cds_fan]

The Hourglass Sanatorium and Saragossa blu-rays are now £5 each on the Mr Bongo site. But there is an additional £3.50 shipping fee.

https://www.mrbongo.com/collections/...ant=4609857281

https://www.mrbongo.com/collections/...ant=4610041473

[Eidolon]

Originally Posted by bluray_and_cds_fan

The Hourglass Sanatorium and Saragossa blu-rays are now £5 each on the Mr Bongo site. But there is an additional £3.50 shipping fee.

https://www.mrbongo.com/collections/...ant=4609857281

https://www.mrbongo.com/collections/...ant=4610041473

I had a look and thier website seems a bit odd for ordering. Using PayPal going through the order section, it wanted the cost of the disc only, and the shipping page hadn't even been reached. I left it at that point, assuming it wanted a separate transaction afterwards for the shipping costs? All in all it was a bit odd, and I wasn't sure of it all, so I decided against ordering from them.

[bluray_and_cds_fan]

Originally Posted by Eidolon

I had a look and thier website seems a bit odd for ordering. Using PayPal going through the order section, it wanted the cost of the disc only, and the shipping page hadn't even been reached. I left it at that point, assuming it wanted a separate transaction afterwards for the shipping costs? All in all it was a bit odd, and I wasn't sure of it all, so I decided against ordering from them.

They add the price together at the final checkout. The main problem about Mr Bongo is that they are often "out of stock" for months for their key releases. But they are a real company, in the sense that they are safe to order from (at least when ordering within the UK).

[Doomhunter]

Be interesting to see how the April release of Hourglass looks

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by Doomhunter

Be interesting to see how the April release of Hourglass looks

Not really. No word of a new master and there's only 1 known HD master out there.

[Doomhunter]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Not really. No word of a new master and there's only 1 known HD master out there.

Ah well, worth a try. I do have the Mr. Bongo release anyhow

[cirik]

Actually there is a new 4K restoration from the original camera negative, created by Fixafilm in 2020. But I'm not sure if April release will be from that new master.


https://www.fixafilm.pl/en/2020/08/1...the-58th-nyff/

[Lope de Aguirre]

Hope this is the 4k restauration!

[Mr. Thomsen]

So, am I understanding it right that The Saragossa Manuscript is bit of a DNR mess, and there are no better releases available (not even on DVD)?