The Manchurian Candidate (1962) - Arrow

[Oscar Rothman]

Release Date: 16th February 2015

The Manchurian Candidate Blu-ray REVIEW



High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the main feature, transferred from original elements by MGM
Uncompressed 1.0 PCM soundtrack
Optional English SDH subtitles
Audio commentary by director John Frankenheimer
The Directors: John Frankenheimer, an hour-long portrait from 2000, including interviews with Frankenheimer, Kirk Douglas, Samuel L. Jackson, Roy Scheider, Rod Steiger and many others
Interview with John Frankenheimer, Frank Sinatra and screenwriter George Axelrod from the film’s 1988 revival
Queen of Diamonds: an interview with Angela Lansbury
A Little Solitaire: an appreciation of the film by director William Friedkin (The Exorcist)
Stills gallery
Theatrical trailer
More to be announced!

[Pecker]

I have the import of this, though haven't watched it. What's the quality like, and is this likely to be better?

Steve W

[samdvd1]

Cracking news. Some very nice announcements, and some old confirmations today.

[the blob]

Originally Posted by Pecker

I have the import of this, though haven't watched it. What's the quality like, and is this likely to be better?

Steve W

I had it.. it was okay. Not a massive upgrade to the R1 Special Ed DVD but enough of an improvement. That's a good 4 - 5 years old now so you never know. This does have the original audio though by the looks of it whereas the MGM only has a 5.1 mix.

[the blob]

Also, the only new extra on that list so far is The Directors. The rest were all on the S.E DVD and consequently on the MGM BD.

[Bruce Morrison]

I have the US MGM Blu, but I seem to remember that the remixed 5.1 soundtrack (the only one available) was really disconcerting and annoying, as voices changed direction in mid-sentence to reflect cuts to a different shot angle. If this Arrow edition has the original mono soundtrack, I'll buy it just for that reason.

[James Luckard]

"The Directors" is an educational series put together by the AFI. I've had the DVD of the Frankenheimer episode for years:

http://www.amazon.com/Directors-John...dp/B00002SSKF/

This release will be worth it for the original mono though, I couldn't BELIEVE the MGM release in the US left it off for just the modern 5.1 remix. A shame Criterion didn't get this title.

[hustlermane]

One of the best movies of the 60s, incredible stuff. Huge news.

[the blob]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

"The Directors" is an educational series put together by the AFI. I've had the DVD of the Frankenheimer episode for years:

http://www.amazon.com/Directors-John...dp/B00002SSKF/

This release will be worth it for the original mono though, I couldn't BELIEVE the MGM release in the US left it off for just the modern 5.1 remix. A shame Criterion didn't get this title.

I've seen a couple before like the Wes Craven and Gilliam ones. Can't remember if I've seen any others. They crop up as extras from time to time, a bit like Charlie Rose interviews.

[CinemaScope]

A great movie (but best not to think about the plot too much). Everyone's good in it, but Frank Sinatra particularly good, & the brain washing scenes are quite chilling.

[ilovenola2]

Originally Posted by CinemaScope

A great movie (but best not to think about the plot too much). Everyone's good in it, but Frank Sinatra particularly good, & the brain washing scenes are quite chilling.

Let's not forget Mama-- the brilliant (and Oscar-nominated) Angela Lansbury!

[CinemaScope]

Originally Posted by ilovenola2

Let's not forget Mama-- the brilliant (and Oscar-nominated) Angela Lansbury!

Oh yes, she's a force. And in real life, she was only three years older than her son in the film, Laurence Harvey.

[rapta]

Originally Posted by ilovenola2

Let's not forget Mama-- the brilliant (and Oscar-nominated) Angela Lansbury!

I remember reading Wes Anderson was trying to cast her for The Grand Budapest Hotel...would've been great!

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by rapta

I remember reading Wes Anderson was trying to cast her for The Grand Budapest Hotel...would've been great!

Yep, she was supposed to play the character that Tilda Swinton ended up playing.

[#Darren]

Originally Posted by the blob

Also, the only new extra on that list so far is The Directors. The rest were all on the S.E DVD and consequently on the MGM BD.

I think a one hour doc is pretty significant.

[the blob]

Originally Posted by #Darren

I think a one hour doc is pretty significant.

As such it's not something specific to the film or commissioned for the release. Worthless, no. Significant, I don't particularly think so. What is more significant is the original audio.

[grim_tales]

I was surprised I thought this was a really good movie (havent seen the 2004 remake though). I may be wrong but was this one of the first Hollywood movies to use martial arts?

[Akijama]

***THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE RELEASE DATE UPDATE & FINAL SPECS***.
Due to a slight materials delay we have decided to move the release date of this title to 23rd of February to ensure we are able to meet our revised manufacturing deadlines. We hope you won’t be too disappointed by this news and as a small consolation we are very pleased to be able to reveal the brand new commissioned art by Jay Shaw and the final specs which are as follows:

Synopsis: WHY DON’T YOU PASS THE TIME BY PLAYING A LITTLE SOLITAIRE?

After saving the lives of his platoon during the Korean War, Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey) is hailed as a bona fide American hero. This couldn’t have come at a better time for his mother (Angela Lansbury) who is hell-bent on boosting the career of his stepfather, a senator straight from the McCarthyite wing of the US political spectrum with designs on the Presidency.

So far so familiar – but why does Shaw’s former captain (Frank Sinatra) have recurring nightmares that suggest that his distinguished comrade-in-arms might not be all that he seems?

Based on the memorably paranoid bestseller by Richard Condon (Prizzi’s Honor), this is one of the greatest of all Cold War suspense thrillers, not least for its alarmingly original take on the notion of “the enemy within”. Angela Lansbury won multiple awards and an Oscar nomination for her performance as one of the most monstrous mothers in screen history, but perhaps the most unnerving thing about the film is the way that its political satire remains so perfectly on target more than half a century later.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the main feature, transferred from original elements by MGM
- Uncompressed 1.0 mono PCM soundtrack
- Optional English SDH subtitles
- Audio commentary by director John Frankenheimer
- The Directors: John Frankenheimer, an hour-long portrait from 2003, including interviews with Frankenheimer, Kirk Douglas, Samuel L. Jackson, Roy Scheider, Rod Steiger and many others
- Interview with John Frankenheimer, Frank Sinatra and screenwriter George Axelrod from the film’s 1988 revival
- Queen of Diamonds: an interview with Angela Lansbury
- A Little Solitaire: an appreciation of the film by director William Friedkin (The Exorcist)
- Theatrical trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jay Shaw
- Collector’s booklet containing new writing by Peter Knight (Conspiracy Culture) and Neil Sanders (Your Thoughts Are Not Your Own), illustrated with original production stills.

DETAILS:
Region: B/2
Rating: 15
Cat No: FCD1047
Duration: 126 mins
Language: English
Subtitles: English SDH
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio: 1.0 mono
B&W

[lilboyblu]

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the main feature, transferred from original elements by MGM
- Uncompressed 1.0 mono PCM soundtrack

Does anyone take this to mean new transfer? MGM's US Blu-ray wasn't terrible, but there was room for improvement. I do like the fact that there is an option for the original audio though; was not impressed with the 5.1 remix.

[tenia]

Originally Posted by lilboyblu

Does anyone take this to mean new transfer? MGM's US Blu-ray wasn't terrible, but there was room for improvement. I do like the fact that there is an option for the original audio though; was not impressed with the 5.1 remix.

It means some work has been done by MGM, and MGM have given the result to Arrow to exploit.
In short : it's going to be sourced from the same source than the US BD.