Sally Potter's ORLANDO - Blu-ray Forum

toddly6666 · 12-22-2010, 04:27 AM

Orlando Blu-ray

Orlando Blu-ray Review

I see that there is no thread for this great, bizarre art-house film that has had poor home video releases before this blu-ray. So, I guess we should start a thread to talk about the movie and/or blu-ray.

Here's my user blu-ray review: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Orlan...6/#UserReviews.

For the lazy:
Ever since its VHS release in 1995, I was always intrigued by the VHS cover with Swinton's hypnotizing looks as I always browsed past it in the video store for many years, but for some reason I never rented it. 15 years later, I'm glad I blind-bought this blu-ray - Orlando is one unforgettable, dreamlike film anchored by the bizarrely attractive Tilda Swinton. I've always thought of Swinton as an actress that seesaws between ugly looks to hot looks to ugly looks to hot. This movie certainly shows why she's a physical appearance seesawer. The first half of the movie, she plays a man (basically looking like her characters in her "ugly" movies) and then in the second half in the movie, she plays an attractive woman (her "hot" movies).

The movie takes about an hour to get used to. The first part of the movie is a bit jarring, disconnected and confusing at first, but once she transforms into a woman by the second half of the film, the movie becomes clearer, and by the climax, I feel it eventually emotionally connects to the audience.

The blu-ray video quality is overall excellent - the night scenes are solid, but it's those day scenes with pop out with clarity, colors, and three-dimensionality. For a non-Criterion title, it is such a treat to see art-house films get such respectful video quality. The DTS-HD 2.0 is perfectly mixed as well - the dialogue and music work very nicely together.

The extras are quite generous as well for such a film: there's an interesting interview with Sally Potter (a very smart woman), film festival clips, clips of Potter's days in Eastern Europe, an interesting audio commentary with Potter and Swinton, and a trailer for the film.

Sally Potter made a very unique, fast-flowing film - it's too bad she hasn't done anything so amazing after filming Orlando. This movie reminded me a cross between Mel Brooks' History of the World and The Fountain directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. I highly recommend this film and blu-ray!

Movie: 4
Video: 4
Audio: 4
Extras: 3.5
Overall: 4.5

Agent Bond · 12-22-2010, 10:06 AM

Back in the 90s, Orlando was another one of those films I never heard of before, but had an interesting cover (the one seen above) so it was another VHS rental and I fell completely in love with it. It remains to this day one of my favorite movies of all time (and why I became a Tilda Swinton fan. She's been great in other films like Narnia and Michael Clayton, but I consider Orlando to be her best.)

I can't really explain why I love it so much exactly, but every time I watch it, I get something new out of it. It works for me very much beneath the surface. I think that it touches on all the universal themes (sex, war, love, death, otherness, etc.) with such beauty and subtle humor, while managing to be both dreamlike and epic. I find it utterly compelling.

I haven't had much success convincing other people of all of this however *Sigh* due to the nonsensical things in the movie such as the immortality and transsexualism that take place without explaination since people would think that's bizarre, but like The Fountain, its one of those artsy, fantastical films you just have to go with. I'm so glad its finally getting a release because I thought it would be years before a studio would even consider releasing it on the format so I'm pleasantly surprised by this news that came out of the Blu!

dougotte · 12-22-2010, 02:00 PM

You should read the original novel by Virginia Woolf...

Doug

toddly6666 · 12-22-2010, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougotte

You should read the original novel by Virginia Woolf...

Doug

that book that came out after the movie?

dougotte · 12-23-2010, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddly6666

that book that came out after the movie?

No.

Doug

toddly6666 · 12-23-2010, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougotte

No.

Doug

I was kidding! hehe, gotcha?

jurples · 12-23-2010, 09:42 PM

one of my wife's all-time favorite movies. paid extra for shipping to get it from amazon in time for xmas.

dougotte · 12-26-2010, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddly6666

I was kidding! hehe, gotcha?

I can be pretty gullible, but I did notice your winkie. That's why I responded w/ other smilies. I got the joke...thanks.

Doug

shinseiRomeo · 01-14-2011, 06:55 AM

Review is now live:

Orlando Blu-ray review

Donnie_Darko · 03-12-2018, 06:39 AM

Does anyone know the if the Australian edition has better audio and the same extras as the US edition?

CelestialAgent · 09-13-2021, 09:50 PM

Is the commentary exclusive to this release? It’s absent from the UK release.

12-22-2010, 04:27 AM	#1
toddly6666 Blu-ray Baron Top contributor Member since:Nov 2009 Location:Hong Kong Home Theater Gallery:20 4K collection:1 Blu-ray collection:1441 DVD collection:31 Blu-ray reviews: 290 Trading Score:61	Sally Potter's ORLANDO Orlando Blu-ray Orlando Blu-ray Review I see that there is no thread for this great, bizarre art-house film that has had poor home video releases before this blu-ray. So, I guess we should start a thread to talk about the movie and/or blu-ray. Here's my user blu-ray review: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Orlan...6/#UserReviews. For the lazy: Ever since its VHS release in 1995, I was always intrigued by the VHS cover with Swinton's hypnotizing looks as I always browsed past it in the video store for many years, but for some reason I never rented it. 15 years later, I'm glad I blind-bought this blu-ray - Orlando is one unforgettable, dreamlike film anchored by the bizarrely attractive Tilda Swinton. I've always thought of Swinton as an actress that seesaws between ugly looks to hot looks to ugly looks to hot. This movie certainly shows why she's a physical appearance seesawer. The first half of the movie, she plays a man (basically looking like her characters in her "ugly" movies) and then in the second half in the movie, she plays an attractive woman (her "hot" movies). The movie takes about an hour to get used to. The first part of the movie is a bit jarring, disconnected and confusing at first, but once she transforms into a woman by the second half of the film, the movie becomes clearer, and by the climax, I feel it eventually emotionally connects to the audience. The blu-ray video quality is overall excellent - the night scenes are solid, but it's those day scenes with pop out with clarity, colors, and three-dimensionality. For a non-Criterion title, it is such a treat to see art-house films get such respectful video quality. The DTS-HD 2.0 is perfectly mixed as well - the dialogue and music work very nicely together. The extras are quite generous as well for such a film: there's an interesting interview with Sally Potter (a very smart woman), film festival clips, clips of Potter's days in Eastern Europe, an interesting audio commentary with Potter and Swinton, and a trailer for the film. Sally Potter made a very unique, fast-flowing film - it's too bad she hasn't done anything so amazing after filming Orlando. This movie reminded me a cross between Mel Brooks' History of the World and The Fountain directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. I highly recommend this film and blu-ray! Movie: 4 Video: 4 Audio: 4 Extras: 3.5 Overall: 4.5 Last edited by Deciazulado; 01-14-2011 at 05:09 PM.

12-22-2010, 10:06 AM	#2
Agent Bond Blu-ray Champion Member since:Dec 2008 Location:Las Vegas, Nevada Blu-ray collection:227 DVD collection:33 Trading Score:3	Back in the 90s, Orlando was another one of those films I never heard of before, but had an interesting cover (the one seen above) so it was another VHS rental and I fell completely in love with it. It remains to this day one of my favorite movies of all time (and why I became a Tilda Swinton fan. She's been great in other films like Narnia and Michael Clayton, but I consider Orlando to be her best.) I can't really explain why I love it so much exactly, but every time I watch it, I get something new out of it. It works for me very much beneath the surface. I think that it touches on all the universal themes (sex, war, love, death, otherness, etc.) with such beauty and subtle humor, while managing to be both dreamlike and epic. I find it utterly compelling. I haven't had much success convincing other people of all of this however Sigh due to the nonsensical things in the movie such as the immortality and transsexualism that take place without explaination since people would think that's bizarre, but like The Fountain, its one of those artsy, fantastical films you just have to go with. I'm so glad its finally getting a release because I thought it would be years before a studio would even consider releasing it on the format so I'm pleasantly surprised by this news that came out of the Blu! Last edited by Agent Bond; 12-22-2010 at 10:17 AM.

12-22-2010, 02:00 PM	#3
dougotte Expert Member Member since:Jul 2009 Blu-ray collection:181	You should read the original novel by Virginia Woolf... Doug

12-23-2010, 09:42 PM	#7
jurples Member Member since:Dec 2009 Blu-ray collection:9	one of my wife's all-time favorite movies. paid extra for shipping to get it from amazon in time for xmas.

01-14-2011, 06:55 AM	#9
shinseiRomeo Blu-ray Duke Top contributor Member since:Jun 2010 Location:US Blu-ray collection:1179 DVD collection:1 Blu-ray reviews: 15 Trading Score:30	Review is now live: Orlando Blu-ray review

03-12-2018, 06:39 AM	#10
Donnie_Darko Active Member Member since:May 2011 Location:United Kingsom Blu-ray collection:325 DVD collection:6 Blu-ray reviews:2	Does anyone know the if the Australian edition has better audio and the same extras as the US edition?

09-13-2021, 09:50 PM	#11
CelestialAgent Blu-ray Baron Top contributor Member since:Aug 2015 Location:Norwich 4K collection:133 Blu-ray collection:2170 DVD collection:659 Blu-ray reviews:5 Trading Score:1	Is the commentary exclusive to this release? It’s absent from the UK release.

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