Hotel du Nord (1938)

[Scottie]

https://www.criterion.com/films/27721-h-tel-du-nord

Release Date: August 23, 2022

[Jexes23]

Loved Port of Shadows, is this anything like it?

[filmlover22]

FYI - if you are region free, Rarewaves is selling the Arrow version for $11.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Jexes23

Loved Port of Shadows, is this anything like it?

Yes, in the sense that it is a romantic melodrama (but less of the noir-ish elements POS had). But there is also an ensemble element as it looks at the various colorful characters lodging in the titular hotel. It is also a slice of life comedy. If you like Port of Shadows, you should definitely like this.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by filmlover22

FYI - if you are region free, Rarewaves is selling the Arrow version for $11.

It's an excellent version, but since the press blurb for the Arrow release simply says "High-definition blu-ray presentation" and Criterion's blurb says "New 2k restoration", one might wonder if the Criterion will give better quality video.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by ravenus

It's an excellent version, but since the press blurb for the Arrow release simply says "High-definition blu-ray presentation" and Criterion's blurb says "New 2k restoration", one might wonder if the Criterion will give better quality video.

I wondered about that too. There was a French BD that preceded the Arrow one, and it was sourced from a 2K restoration, stemming from a 4K scan, so I assume Arrow, and now Criterion are also using the same restoration, but who knows. I couldn't find any screenshots of the Arrow disc in a brief search.

Info about the restoration from French BD thread in 2015:

Hotel du Nord was recently restored with the support of the CNC. 2K image restoration (from a 4K scan of the image nitrate negative) done by Digimage Classics. Earlier this summer, the restoration was introduced in the Classics section of the Cannes Film Festival.

[filmlover22]

To me it is all about price vs. performance. The criterion - on sale- is almost twice the cost of the Arrow on sale. Will it be two times the PQ improvement? Depends on how much you love the film and director.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by filmlover22

To me it is all about price vs. performance. The criterion - on sale- is almost twice the cost of the Arrow on sale. Will it be two times the PQ improvement? Depends on how much you love the film and director.

Can you provide a link to where it's $11, I couldn't find it.

edit: I found it. It's $11.70 at their site with code ARROW35. With shipping it comes to $16.69. A Criterion during a sale is $20 (let's say $22 tops with tax), so not really the huge difference you make it out to be.

[trobrianders]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I wondered about that too. There was a French BD that preceded the Arrow one, and it was sourced from a 2K restoration, stemming from a 4K scan, so I assume Arrow, and now Criterion are also using the same restoration, but who knows. I couldn't find any screenshots of the Arrow disc in a brief search.

Info about the restoration from French BD thread in 2015:

Arrow just aren't doing a song and dance about it. Must be a British thing.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by trobrianders

Arrow just aren't doing a song and dance about it. Must be a British thing.

Arrow's release didn't even come with a booklet, which was a little strange. I'm not sure if there's any write-up anywhere about their transfer, and other technical info about the disc (like who encoded it, etc..).

[filmlover22]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Can you provide a link to where it's $11, I couldn't find it.

edit: I found it. It's $11.70 at their site with code ARROW35. With shipping it comes to $16.69. A Criterion during a sale is $20 (let's say $22 tops with tax), so not really the huge difference you make it out to be.

Well, if you pay in pounds then it is closer to $11. But yes, if you are only getting this one film, then S&H definitely changes things. Rarewaves charges a flat $5 S&H no matter how many you order, so I always bulk up and that makes S&H negligible. But,yes, for just this film alone I agree with you.

[kishiro]

Excellente news!

Btw, the UK Arrow release is region-free. I own it and have verified it. It's a great alternative, especially if it turns out they used the same master. At $11 it's a steal.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Arrow's release didn't even come with a booklet, which was a little strange. I'm not sure if there's any write-up anywhere about their transfer, and other technical info about the disc (like who encoded it, etc..).

Arrow release had a booklet. About the transfer it says, the master was prepared in HD by MK2 and delivered to Arrow. Arrow disc was encoded by Engine House.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Arrow release had a booklet. About the transfer it says, the master was prepared in HD by MK2 and delivered to Arrow. Arrow disc was encoded by Engine House.

Oh strange, I read a review that stated it didn't include one, and Arrow didn't seem to list one with their set of extras, and never made one available in PDF (at least I didn't see it when I downloaded them). Thanks!

The BD in France was released by MK2, so they're all probably using the same restoration as the basis.

Edit: Here's the review. It's from someone who's also a member on here:

https://psychotroniccinema.com/2020/...hotel-du-nord/

Untypically, as far as I can tell there is no booklet for this release, not even in the first pressing.

[ravenus]

^I think he just didn't realize he was missing the booklet, or he should have written to Arrow. I ordered my copy in an Arrow sale almost a year after the original release and got the booklet. It's only around 16 pages and pictures-heavy but there's a nice essay from Ginette Vincendeau.

[Benoit Blanc]

Anyone have the new Criterion release yet?

[Benoit Blanc]

Guess that's a no then.

[Benoit Blanc]

Thought I might give it another shot.

[Gacivory]

I’m guessing most people are waiting for the Criterion half off sale.

[NeilZ]

Still no comparison?