Topaz 4K UHD (1969) - Blu-ray Forum

MifuneFan · 06-20-2023, 08:36 PM

Universal will be releasing Topaz (1969) on 4K UHD on October 31st.

https://www.gruv.com/product/topaz_4...hd_blu_ray_uhd

Quote:

Considered one of the more experimental films from Alfred Hitchcock, Topaz is a riveting story of adventure and international intrigue. Responding to rumors of Russian missiles and a NATO spy called Topaz, an American CIA agent (John Forsythe) hires French operative Devereaux (Frederick Stafford) to investigate in Cuba. In Havana, Devereaux's investigation becomes dangerous, leaving behind a wake of shaken governments, murder, betrayal and suicide. This lavish production from the Master of Suspense exposes one of the most explosive spy scandals ever filmed.

Winslow Leach · 06-20-2023, 08:41 PM

Another underrated Hitchcock film that has a great opening and excellent murder set-piece in the middle. I'm a big fan of Topaz.

captveg · 06-20-2023, 08:43 PM

It's possibly my least liked Hitchcock film, but I'm glad it has its fans.

Monterey Jack · 06-21-2023, 01:08 AM

Movie kind of sucks, but I must complete my Hitch collection...

klauswhereareyou · 06-21-2023, 02:01 PM

Which cut of the film gets the 4K treatment?

koberulz · 06-21-2023, 02:17 PM

The same one that got the Blu-ray treatment, I would imagine.

BNex99 · 07-10-2023, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koberulz

The same one that got the Blu-ray treatment, I would imagine.

Both the original theatrical cut and the longer pre-release version are available on Blu-ray in different countries.

I've been hoping the UHD would include both. With just the ending being different, I think it would be pretty easy to seamlessly branch the two versions.

roccog94 · 09-05-2023, 01:20 PM

Pre-order for this and the other releases in this Hitchcock wave are up at Gruv.

James Luckard · 09-05-2023, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BNex99

Both the original theatrical cut and the longer pre-release version are available on Blu-ray in different countries.

I've been hoping the UHD would include both. With just the ending being different, I think it would be pretty easy to seamlessly branch the two versions.

I hope we get both cuts too. In addition to my American BD, I had to buy a German BD to get the original theatrical cut. I actually prefer it in a lot of ways.

EDIT: The US disc is just the extended cut.

Hopefully some overseas UHDs will have the theatrical cut.

I believe they had to release the theatrical cut in Germany and a few other markets because they don't have dubs in those languages for the scenes that were restored into the film.

DAT_JB · 09-06-2023, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Luckard

I hope we get both cuts too. In addition to my American BD, I had to buy a German BD to get the original theatrical cut. I actually prefer it in a lot of ways.

EDIT: The US disc is just the extended cut.

Hopefully some overseas UHDs will have the theatrical cut.

I believe they had to release the theatrical cut in Germany and a few other markets because they don't have dubs in those languages for the scenes that were restored into the film.

There's currently no plans to release the Vol. 3 or any of it's films on 4K in Germany..

James Luckard · 09-06-2023, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAT_JB

There's currently no plans to release the Vol. 3 or any of it's films on 4K in Germany..

Ah, that's too bad.

I think the Scandinavian countries also got the theatrical cut of Topaz on their BD.

Hopefully the theatrical cut turns up on a UHD somewhere.

Ruined · 09-06-2023, 07:51 PM

Seems also Universal considers the longer version a directors cut of sorts, which is another reason they probably are putting out that version when they can.

James Luckard · 10-27-2023, 06:47 AM

Do we have confirmation yet about which overseas UHDs contain the shorter theatrical cut?

I know most of them show 125 mins as the running time on the back cover, based on the images uploaded here, but I don't want to order one and find it's a typo.

I'd like to hear from someone who owns one of them that their UHD definitively contains the theatrical cut, so I know which country to order from.

Thanks!

jjhlh · 10-30-2023, 08:36 PM

My copy just arrived.

James Luckard · 10-30-2023, 10:38 PM

As expected the US BD is the longer "Director's Cut," while overseas territories get the original theatrical cut. Here's info on those editions that I posted in the main Hitchcock V3 thread:

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Luckard

At the moment, it appears there will be foreign UHDs of Topaz in:

- Scandinavia (one disc for all countries) - 11/13
- France - 11/1
- Spain - 10/24

It looks like they will all have the theatrical cut

I bought the German BD to get the theatrical cut, but it doesn't appear there will be a German UHD. Amazon.de lists the Spanish UHD for sale and says it has a German track. I don't think Germany is getting its own disc.

The Spanish UHD at least has the original title, even if it's backwards on the spine for us Americans. Spain has an Amazon, so that's easy to buy. US Amazon accounts work at all foreign Amazons.

The Scandinavian UHD has the original title, and it's the right way on the spine too, so I may buy that one. However, none of the Scandinavian countries have an Amazon, so that one will need to wait for a third-party seller at US Amazon or eBay.

I'm going to avoid the French UHD, unless there's no other choice, because it uses the French title on the packaging and also has it backwards on the spine.

oki_inu · 11-24-2023, 10:52 AM

I just received my Italian UHD-only set and was sorely disappointed to see that TOPAZ was the short theatrical version (the 'divertimento'). No running times given anywhere on the packaging, by the way. Would gladly swap it for the longer cut! I suppose the only way to get that is from the US. Bah!

James Luckard · 11-24-2023, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oki_inu

I just received my Italian UHD-only set and was sorely disappointed to see that TOPAZ was the short theatrical version (the 'divertimento'). No running times given anywhere on the packaging, by the way. Would gladly swap it for the longer cut! I suppose the only way to get that is from the US. Bah!

All overseas UHDs and BDs are the theatrical cut, to my knowledge.

Universal doesn't have foreign language dubs for the added scenes, they only have the original English audio, apparently.

oki_inu · 11-24-2023, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Luckard

All overseas UHDs and BDs are the theatrical cut, to my knowledge.

Universal doesn't have foreign language dubs for the added scenes, they only have the original English audio, apparently.

Would the UK UHD set then have the full cut? The previous UK BD of TOPAZ in the „Aquarium“ set (The Masterpiece Collection) has it.

James Luckard · 11-24-2023, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oki_inu

Would the UK UHD set then have the full cut? The previous UK BD of TOPAZ in the „Aquarium“ set (The Masterpiece Collection) has it.

The UK UHD for Topaz is only in the Volume 3 UHD set there. There's no standalone UK release. The running time is listed as 142 mins, so it should be the extended cut.

The only standalone UHDs of the theatrical cut seem to be:

France
Spain
Scandinavia (one disc for all countries)

There's also apparently an Italian UHD of the theatrical cut, but like the UK, it's only available in the Italian Vol 3 set, there's no standalone release.

Rocky Balboa · 11-15-2023, 06:49 AM

I only saw Topaz one time about 25 years ago. But from what I remember, I think that it was much better than Torn Curtain. I had high hopes for Torn Curtain, but was extremely disappointed in it the one time that I saw it.

I also had had high hopes for Notorious but was extremely disappointed in it too.

No Hitchcock spy film beats North By Northwest!

06-20-2023, 08:41 PM	#2
Winslow Leach Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Feb 2020 Location:Connecticut 4K collection:54 Blu-ray collection:254 DVD collection:312	Another underrated Hitchcock film that has a great opening and excellent murder set-piece in the middle. I'm a big fan of Topaz.

06-20-2023, 08:43 PM	#3
captveg Blu-ray Champion Top contributor Member since:Feb 2008 4K collection:470 Blu-ray collection:1707 DVD collection:317 Trading Score:1	It's possibly my least liked Hitchcock film, but I'm glad it has its fans.

06-21-2023, 01:08 AM	#4
Monterey Jack Blu-ray Grand Duke Member since:Oct 2011 Trading Score:709	Movie kind of sucks, but I must complete my Hitch collection...

06-21-2023, 02:01 PM	#5
klauswhereareyou Blu-ray Knight Member since:Mar 2012 4K collection:232 Blu-ray collection:2199 Digital collection:22 Prime collection:1	Which cut of the film gets the 4K treatment?

06-21-2023, 02:17 PM	#6
koberulz Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:May 2016 Location:Australia 4K collection:206 Blu-ray collection:2229 DVD collection:532 Trading Score:17	The same one that got the Blu-ray treatment, I would imagine.

09-05-2023, 01:20 PM	#8
roccog94 Active Member Member since:Apr 2010 4K collection:2550 Blu-ray collection:2661 MA collection:2139 Digital collection:1261 iTunes collection:2 Prime collection:3 Blu-ray reviews:5 Trading Score:47	Pre-order for this and the other releases in this Hitchcock wave are up at Gruv.

09-06-2023, 07:51 PM	#12
Ruined Blu-ray Baron Top contributor Member since:Sep 2009 Blu-ray collection:1 Trading Score:1	Seems also Universal considers the longer version a directors cut of sorts, which is another reason they probably are putting out that version when they can.

10-27-2023, 06:47 AM	#13
James Luckard Blu-ray Count Top contributor Member since:Jan 2011 Location:Los Angeles, CA 4K collection:397 Blu-ray collection:1805 Blu-ray reviews: 34	Do we have confirmation yet about which overseas UHDs contain the shorter theatrical cut? I know most of them show 125 mins as the running time on the back cover, based on the images uploaded here, but I don't want to order one and find it's a typo. I'd like to hear from someone who owns one of them that their UHD definitively contains the theatrical cut, so I know which country to order from. Thanks!

10-30-2023, 08:36 PM	#14
jjhlh Active Member Member since:Oct 2011	My copy just arrived.

11-24-2023, 10:52 AM	#16
oki_inu Junior Member Member since:Jan 2012 4K collection:230 Blu-ray collection:4295 DVD collection:233 iTunes collection:2 Blu-ray reviews:1	I just received my Italian UHD-only set and was sorely disappointed to see that TOPAZ was the short theatrical version (the 'divertimento'). No running times given anywhere on the packaging, by the way. Would gladly swap it for the longer cut! I suppose the only way to get that is from the US. Bah!

11-15-2023, 06:49 AM	#20
Rocky Balboa Member Member since:Nov 2012	I only saw Topaz one time about 25 years ago. But from what I remember, I think that it was much better than Torn Curtain. I had high hopes for Torn Curtain, but was extremely disappointed in it the one time that I saw it. I also had had high hopes for Notorious but was extremely disappointed in it too. No Hitchcock spy film beats North By Northwest!

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