The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

[pro-bassoonist]

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Blu-ray REVIEW



The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Blu-ray PRE-ORDER

British distributors ITV DVD have revealed that they are planning to release on Blu-ray Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), starring Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr and Anton Walbrook. The preliminary release date set by the distributors is July 2.

The film has been fully restored by the Academy Film Archive in association with the British Film Institute, ITV Studios Global Entertainment Ltd., and The Film Foundation.

According to the Film Foundation official site, during the restoration a 4K wet-gate scan of the original 3-strip Technicolor was performed and Reliance MediaWorks performed the digital restoration, while Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging did the digital color correction. The audio restoration was carried out at Audio Mechanics with sources provided by the British Film Institute. The restoration was overseen by director Martin Scorsese and Michael Powell's widow, Thelma Schoonmaker.

Yesterday, the new restoration opened up in selected theaters across the United Kingdom.

In this Powell/Pressburger production set in World War Two Britain, stuffy ex-soldier Clive Candy (Livesey) recalls his career which began as a dashing officer in the Boer War. As a young man he lost the woman he loved (Kerr, who plays three roles) to a Prussian officer (Walbrook), whom he fought in a duel only to become lifelong friends with. Candy cannot help but feel that his notions of honour and chivalry are out of place in modern warfare. The film's title comes from 'Evening Standard' cartoonist David Low's satirical comic creation, Colonel Blimp.

Pro-B

[Rixx]

I've just had an email from Amazon saying the release date for this has changed to the 10th September but HMV and Play still have 2nd July release date.

Has anyone else heard anything about this?

[Filmbloke]

The cover art is up on Play for the steelbook (MetalPack)...

http://p.playserver1.com/ProductImag..._500x500_3.jpg

Really hope that Double Play banner is removable, but it sure don't look like it!!!!!

[nametag]

Eh, not keen on that cover - I remember that was used for the DVD as well. The floating busts underneath the main picture look amateurish.

[Mavrick]

Originally Posted by Filmbloke

The cover art is up on Play for the steelbook (MetalPack)...

http://p.playserver1.com/ProductImag..._500x500_3.jpg

Really hope that Double Play banner is removable, but it sure don't look like it!!!!!

The steelpack

[Arkadin]

so excited for this release!!
steelie looks very sweet minus horrific stripe at top.
at least they could have made it go straight across--the curving action is just too much.

[ricster]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

The steelpack

Very nice. As someone else said, pity the double play wasnt on an outer J slip. This looks painted on unfortunately.

[BigNickUK]

Now pushed back again to the 22nd October

[Yami]

I don't know why they couldn't have just used the artwork that was used for the recent cinema re-release, that cover is rather ugly.

[nightcrawler]

Got mine today from Play. It's the first time I've ordered a steelbook from Play since they started using their new SB packaging and have to say it's good and does the job. I haven't taken the cellophane off yet but noticed on the back of the box the run times on both BD and DVD are exactly the same (156 mins) - is this simply an error or is the film not 24fps?

[Mavrick]

Any pictures of this steelpack yet?

[FaceInTheLeaves]

There's no artwork inside the steelbook.

[Mavrick]

So it is a proper steelbook after all. Word was it was going to be a steelpack/metalpack but looks like a proper steelbook to me. Thanks

[FaceInTheLeaves]

You're welcome.

[nightcrawler]

I like this steelbook - definitely worth the extra few quid. Also if you take off the card bit there's no age ratings on the front Had a quick look at the disc and PQ looks very good, though will give a more informed opinion once I've watched the film all the way through. As for the running times I mentioned in an earlier post - the BD time is about 164 mins. If they're gonna list separate dvd/bd running times at least get them right

[Tom Monahan]

I imagine Criterion will release this on blu eventually?

[nightcrawler]

Watched this tonight (first time) and thought it was great. Roger Livesy is superb playing all the different ages of man - by the end of the film I had convinced myself that another actor was playing the old Clive Candy!

[Arkadin]

can't wait to receive my copy from amazon.uk
thankfully I noticed a "regular" version was also being released because I really didn't want the steelie for this title.

[nitin]

Tom,

Criterion have unofficially confirmed it for a Q1 release next year.

[Tom Monahan]

Thanks!

Tom