Billion Dollar Brain (1967) - October 7, 2014

[Scottie]

Coming on October 7, 2014 from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Source

[Ray_Rogers]

Kino Lorber Classics > Twilight Time

[Member-222782]

I thought we were going to get some horror titles for October. So far Kino has announced...squat. A comedy and a drama

[duggie walker]

Good news! Just a pity we don't yet have FUNERAL IN BERLIN, which is the best of the sequels, IMO.

I thought we were going to get some horror titles for October. So far Kino has announced...squat. A comedy and a drama

Nobody from Kino has said any such thing, afaik. This is just an assumption people tend to make because it's Halloween then.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by duggie walker

Good news! Just a pity we don't yet have FUNERAL IN BERLIN, which is the best of the sequels, IMO.

Funeral in Berlin is still the best of the Harry Palmers--

Here, with BDB, it's hard to believe "Did Ken Russell really direct this?"
Until the scene where

[Show spoiler]good ol' God-and-the-flag American Ed Begley

reveals his big Bond-villain plan, and then....yyyyep, Ken Russell directed this. Dr. No meets Tommy.

[HotRats]

I really hope it'll be uncut this time. The DVDs had 32 seconds removed because of the cost of the Beatles' Hard Day's Night. It's not as good as Ipcress or Funeral but I like the way the end of the film goes in the opposite direction to the book, Karl Malden's good and there's the welcome return of Oskar Homolka

[Le Samourai]

Great news, where is Funeral in Berlin though?

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by HotRats

I really hope it'll be uncut this time. The DVDs had 32 seconds removed because of the cost of the Beatles' Hard Day's Night. It's not as good as Ipcress or Funeral but I like the way the end of the film goes in the opposite direction to the book, Karl Malden's good and there's the welcome return of Oskar Homolka

It would be nice for it to be uncut but honestly, I don't think their absence is all that noticeable.

[bigbadwoppet]

I'd replace my dvd copy in a heartbeat if this had the deleted scene reinserted, even without audio in order not to pay royalties. The Beatle reference is not gratuitous, it's a nod to the actual Deighton novel. BBD was the only Palmer movie released by United Artists and at the time the Beatles were still under contract to UA.
Regarding the series, poor old Saltzman didn't have Broccoli's discipline and killed it off after only three movies because he didn't pay enough attention to it. He negotiatedthe rights of each movie separately (Ipcress was Universal/Rank, Funeral was Paramount) so forget about a Harry Palmer collection ever happening. He got lucky hiring a "wild" director for Ipcress (Furye) but when he pulled the same stunt on Billion, it backfired and plans for the fourth movie fell. Saltzman bought the rights to Deighton's second novel, Horse Under Water, so I reckon we won't see that made by another team either.
This one should by no means be the first of the films to be released in region A. I have the region free UK release of Ipcress (OOP) but now there's another one coming from Network which will most likely be region-locked. Warner has buried the chances of Funeral in Berlin being released in HD by reissuing the Paramount dvd as MOD.

[Le Samourai]

OCD will run wild if I never get FiB on blu.

[bigbadwoppet]

From the Marty AR debacle alone, we can give up any hopes of the BD master being a new one and thus including the missing scene. I will only take the bait if it's something that hasn't been issued in anamorphic (What's New Pussycat?) or else is OOP.

[Mughi]

Definitely the third-best Harry Palmer movie!

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by Mughi

Definitely the third-best Harry Palmer movie!

You jest, but it's far superior to those crummy DTV sequels they made in the mid-90s.

[John_Drake]

Originally Posted by baheidstu

You jest, but it's far superior to those crummy DTV sequels they made in the mid-90s.

This is true!

[Millibar]

Is this likely to be locked region A?
If so
Do they always lock their releases?

Thanks

[penguin]

Any info anyone on whether subtitles for the hearing impaired will be included. Kino are a bit hit and miss here, sometimes they do and often they do not!

[PowellPressburger]

I got my copy and watched it last nite. I will check SUBs once I get home to see if any are included. Sorry Just saw the above post.

The image to me I'd say is decent some shots look bad others look a lot better but it is about on par with what I expected. I know that isn't the best example but if you own other Kino MGM titles then you know. Keep in mind I don't think a lot of this film ever looked great, still some shots look great others just average. The audio seems to be DTS HD 2.0 Mono. It sounds fine. I am glad I own it on BLU finally in HD. Hopefully Funeral in Berlin will follow.

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by penguin

Any info anyone on whether subtitles for the hearing impaired will be included. Kino are a bit hit and miss here, sometimes they do and often they do not!

Sorry no subtitles at all on this release or Topkapi

[JMK]

Billion Dollar Brain Blu-ray Review

[RiFiFi1955]

Ouuchhhhhhh!