The Grey Fox (Richard Farnsworth)

[Akijama]

Release date: November 16, 2015

Courtesy of Panamint

REGION FREE

Collector's Limited Edition. To be released November 16 2015. The Grey Fox (1983, colour), starring Richard Farnsworth. Blu-ray Region Free. Produced from Panamint Cinema's new 2K HD transfer of 35 mm fine grain master material with LPCM lossless audio.

Based on the true story of stagecoach robber, Bill Miner. After serving many years in San Quentin, he is released in 1903 to a new world, which he finds hard to adjust to. Then a visit to a picture house to see "The Great Train Robbery", the first Western, inspires him to start holding up trains. Filmed in the spectacular scenery of British Columbia, this poignant classic is a must for Western lovers.
Special features:

Subtitles in English for the deaf and hard of hearing
Reversible inlay with alternative designs by Russell Cowe
16 page illustrated booklet
Theatrical trailers

http://www.panamint.co.uk/the-grey-f...ree-5378-p.asp

[Aunt Peg]

This film is much sought after by some. I might be prepared to give it a second chance myself.

[BarnDoor]

Incredible news! I know a DVD had been announced in Germany but this is wonderful to hear.

[Aclea]

Great news - terrific movie.

[Gerby]

Brilliant film! Definitely getting this

[Drifter]

Ready for pre-order!

http://panamint.co.uk/the-grey-fox-blu-ray-5378-p.asp

[Simon Lewis]

Originally Posted by Drifter

Ready for pre-order!

http://panamint.co.uk/the-grey-fox-blu-ray-5378-p.asp

I would be interested in ordering this at £15.99. But the Panamint site states aspect ratio is 1.37:1 which has got to be wrong for an eighties title. Hopefully its just a typo.

[duggie walker]

Originally Posted by Panamint Cinema

Not a typo - film was shot at 1.37:1. Some footage from "The Great Train Robbery" is used, and there is short sequence shot to look like b/w footage of that period.

Russell Cowe, Panamint Cinema

Can you assure us/me that you're not going to bring out an upgraded version of this within six months of its release? Still feeling a bit burned by the last time.

[John Hodson]

Originally Posted by Panamint Cinema

Not a typo - film was shot at 1.37:1. Some footage from "The Great Train Robbery" is used, and there is short sequence shot to look like b/w footage of that period.

So; you aren't basing that on any documentation, just on how you feel it looks? With respect, I'm struggling with the concept of a film with commercial aspirations being projected in Academy in the 1980s? I'm also aware of the exceptions, but again I struggle to see this as one.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by John Hodson

So; you aren't basing that on any documentation, just on how you feel it looks? With respect, I'm struggling with the concept of a film with commercial aspirations being projected in Academy in the 1980s? I'm also aware of the exceptions, but again I struggle to see this as one.

I'm pretty sure that was the aspect ratio it was presented in when I saw it when it played at the London Film Festival: around that time it was a real rarity for films to be in that ratio and both that and One from the Heart had memorably tight screen matting on the left and right (it was unusual enough to be noticeable). The Grey Fox later played for one day at a cinema I worked in and it was shown at a wider ratio then, but I think that was because the screen (like most cinemas since the 70s) couldn't show 1.37:1.

[John Hodson]

Originally Posted by Aclea

I'm pretty sure that was the aspect ratio it was presented in when I saw it when it played at the London Film Festival: around that time it was a real rarity for films to be in that ratio and both that and One from the Heart had memorably tight screen matting on the left and right (it was unusual enough to be noticeable). The Grey Fox later played for one day at a cinema I worked in and it was shown at a wider ratio then, but I think that was because the screen (like most cinemas since the 70s) couldn't show 1.37:1.

One From The Heart was the film I was thinking of when I mentioned exceptions; and while I'm aware it was screened in Academy in Art Houses, I saw it wide. If The Grey Fox was shot principally with Academy in mind, I bow to Panamint and move on. As good as the film is, it simply didn't strike me as a film that would play the Art House circuit.

[John Hodson]

I chuck this in after a friend pointed me at it; the Canadian Feature Film Database lists The Grey Fox as 1.85:1.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by John Hodson

I chuck this in after a friend pointed me at it; the Canadian Feature Film Database lists The Grey Fox as 1.85:1.

It certainly wouldn't have been the only time the National Film Theatre showed a film in the wrong ratio if it was, though it may be one of those occasions where its limited release was in 1.85:1 because that's the only way many smaller screens could show it (when cinemas were converted into three screen venues, the smaller screens simply weren't equipped to show 1.37:1, and The Grey Fox was the kind of picture that only played small screens outside arthouses).

The film's distribution outside Canada was very limited. Warner Bros. wanted to pick it up for the UK at the time, but had to pass because they just couldn't see it getting any bookings or making much money if it did. Great as it is, a Western with a pensioner for a hero was always going to be a tough sell in Peoria.

Maybe someone should drop cinematographer Frank Tidy a line for a definitive answer.

[GaryCouzens]

It did get a UK release and we showed it at the time at Southampton University in 35mm 1.85:1. That is the ratio you would have expected for a then-new Canadian commercial feature and I don't remember it looking unduly cropped. It's entirely feasible it was shot open-matte. The fact that it contains footage from the (1.33:1) Great Train Robbery doesn't necessarily mean it should be shown in Academy Ratio.

We could have shown the film in 1.37:1 if we had thought that was correct.

And yes, Frank Tidy would be the one to ask for a definitive, as director Phillip Borsos is no longer with us.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by GaryCouzens

It did get a UK release and we showed it at the time at Southampton University in 35mm 1.85:1. That is the ratio you would have expected for a then-new Canadian commercial feature and I don't remember it looking unduly cropped. It's entirely feasible it was shot open-matte. The fact that it contains footage from the (1.33:1) Great Train Robbery doesn't necessarily mean it should be shown in Academy Ratio.

We could have shown the film in 1.37:1 if we had thought that was correct.

And yes, Frank Tidy would be the one to ask for a definitive, as director Phillip Borsos is no longer with us.

I know it had a release (the cinema I worked at played it for a one day show and I managed to keep the poster because we were pretty much the last stop on its run), just not through any of the majors, who were going through a really rough patch in the UK at the time - some of them didn't even have a single release make £1m in the UK that year. If you recall attendance was so low at the time the big studios clubbed together for national newspaper campaigns to promote cinemagoing and Odeon even broke the habit of a lifetime to introduce a series of discount tickets (not to mention cheap seats Monday) to try to reverse the trend. Whereas now they keep on finding new and imaginative ways to massively increase them until you need to take out a bank loan to see a film at weekend prices.

Originally Posted by Panamint Cinema

Not a typo - film was shot at 1.37:1. Some footage from "The Great Train Robbery" is used, and there is short sequence shot to look like b/w footage of that period.

Russell Cowe, Panamint Cinema

It's the Hammer BDs farce all over again: "We think it's 1.37:1 so that's how it's gonna be." With no supporting evidence whatsoever, but much evidence to the contrary.
Of course it was shot at 1.37:1 – the majority of flat, 35mm widescreen films are, with the expectation (of the director and cinematographer) that they'll be matted to widescreen during theatrical projection.
The inclusion of non WS, pre-1953 footage is neither here nor there: countless 100% WS film include such stock footage. Try The Aviator (2004) and War Horse (2011) for starters. Ditto for the recreated vintage sequence.


I've been wanting to see this film for years and was genuinely pleased it was being released on BD but think I'll pass, in the hope it eventually gets a corrected release.


Getting this stuff right is really important, so I hope they'll think again.

[John Hodson]

Excellent. I love a film with a happy ending...

[Aclea]

There really is a Father Christmas....

[IronWaffle]

.

[oildude]

Looks like this has been removed from Panamint's site. The links above go to a dead page.

Maybe delayed due to more work?

The Grey Fox is my most wanted film on Blu-ray....and DVD before that. Years and years of waiting to see this film on a better format than VHS, which is the only way I have ever seen it. Even on VHS, the cinematography was stunning. I have been posting about it in the forum since I joined at the end of 2009.

Fingers crossed it is finally going to happen.....