Picnic At Hanging Rock: The Director's Cut

[malcy30]

Originally Posted by nuttyhotspurs

was yours in a slimmer case aswell?

Yes it was

[rock, stone]

Originally Posted by beadelf

Ive never seen this film and interested in it.

what do people think of it? is it worth purchasing as a blind buy?

I also see it removes 8 mins from the theatrical cut. is that a good or a bad thing

Well, it is one of my very favorite movies, so I'm a little biased. But yeah, at the current price, the UK disc should be an easy blind buy for anyone who loves atmosphere and tension.

The cut scenes are still on the disc in the deleted scenes and the the extras are plentiful and quite good to boot. The transfer is also top notch for a film of this age and pedigree.

As far as the DC goes, I do agree that it tightens up the second half of the film considerably. I usually tend to prefer longer cuts, but in this case I think less is more.

A unique and beautiful film.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by rock, stone

Well, it is one of my very favorite movies, so I'm a little biased. But yeah, at the current price, the UK disc should be an easy blind buy for anyone who loves atmosphere and tension.

The cut scenes are still on the disc in the deleted scenes and the the extras are plentiful and quite good to boot. The transfer is also top notch for a film of this age and pedigree.

As far as the DC goes, I do agree that it tightens up the second half of the film considerably. I usually tend to prefer longer cuts, but in this case I think less is more.

A unique and beautiful film.

8 GBP !!! sold!

[mattyl149]

The DVD set contains the longer version of the film, whereas the blu-ray doesn't. This doesn't bother me as I already have the longer cut on the Fox DVD, so I will just keep that. They're both on DVD so there's hardly any difference

I said I was going to spend no more money, but for £7.99, it was pretty much a no brainer

[nuttyhotspurs]

Originally Posted by rock, stone

The cut scenes are still on the disc in the deleted scenes and the the extras are plentiful and quite good to boot

so every scene that was removed for the directors cut is included in the deleted scenes?

[drewdahle]

Anyone have both the Second Sight UK release and the US Criterion release?

I'm in the states and a local store has the region-B release used for $9. I'll be getting a region free player in the next month or two and am wondering if I should take the cheaper price on the UK release or just pick up the Criterion release at some point. Anyone have a recommendation between the two?

I love this film, and I've only ever seen it on the old non-anamorphic Criterion DVD. Quite eager to see it on blu-ray. Thanks!

[kuro_sawa]

Originally Posted by drewdahle

Anyone have both the Second Sight UK release and the US Criterion release?

I'm in the states and a local store has the region-B release used for $9. I'll be getting a region free player in the next month or two and am wondering if I should take the cheaper price on the UK release or just pick up the Criterion release at some point. Anyone have a recommendation between the two?

I love this film, and I've only ever seen it on the old non-anamorphic Criterion DVD. Quite eager to see it on blu-ray. Thanks!

In my opinion the only reason to get the CC is that the novel comes with it. Other than that, the SS release bests it. I'd still take the SS release over it as the book is now readily available to purchase separately. It all comes down to special features really. The CC has the novel while SS has everything else.

[Spiderwalk]

Originally Posted by drewdahle

Anyone have both the Second Sight UK release and the US Criterion release?

I'm in the states and a local store has the region-B release used for $9. I'll be getting a region free player in the next month or two and am wondering if I should take the cheaper price on the UK release or just pick up the Criterion release at some point. Anyone have a recommendation between the two?

I love this film, and I've only ever seen it on the old non-anamorphic Criterion DVD. Quite eager to see it on blu-ray. Thanks!

You might want to take into consideration that although CC use the same master as SS, CC performed additional clean-up work on the transfer. I own the SS release and the white specks and dirt can be distracting at times. If you can get the UK release for 9 bucks, I would recommend buying it for the extras, and maybe get the Criterion in the B&N sale.

[drewdahle]

Kuro_Sawa and Spiderwalk, thank you for your responses! I went ahead and picked up the Second Sight release. My region free player should be coming in the next week so I'm looking forward to checking this out along with the BFI release of Tess which I got for 6 dollars. (Have a few Masters of Cinema silents coming in from Amazon UK too) Excited to finally go region free!

I'm thinking I'll probably take your suggestion, Spiderwalk, and wait for a bargain on the CC to reveal itself at some point. Wouldn't mind having the book and the CC-only special features (and the potentially minor transfer upgrade) in addition the Second Sight disc, but now I'm in no rush.

Thanks to you both for your help!

[mizo69]

Originally Posted by drewdahle

Kuro_Sawa and Spiderwalk, thank you for your responses! I went ahead and picked up the Second Sight release. My region free player should be coming in the next week so I'm looking forward to checking this out along with the BFI release of Tess which I got for 6 dollars. (Have a few Masters of Cinema silents coming in from Amazon UK too) Excited to finally go region free!

I'm thinking I'll probably take your suggestion, Spiderwalk, and wait for a bargain on the CC to reveal itself at some point. Wouldn't mind having the book and the CC-only special features (and the potentially minor transfer upgrade) in addition the Second Sight disc, but now I'm in no rush.

Thanks to you both for your help!

Does anyone know if the Blu-Ray of the Second Sight contains the theatrical version like the SS DVD does and if so is the theatrical version SS in HD?

[benkell]

Originally Posted by mizo69

Does anyone know if the Blu-Ray of the Second Sight contains the theatrical version like the SS DVD does and if so is the theatrical version SS in HD?

No, only the Director's Cut.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by mizo69

Does anyone know if the Blu-Ray of the Second Sight contains the theatrical version like the SS DVD does and if so is the theatrical version SS in HD?

Nope, no theatrical cut on the BD at all. I retained the 3-DVD set for that reason (and for that lovely packaging). Of course, I agree with Weir's thinking and prefer the Director's Cut, but like to have the option handy for the theatrical.

[Jado3Dhead]

So why are scenes cut for the directors cut release? Did the director not like them included in the film?

[The Hornets]

Originally Posted by Jado3Dhead

So why are scenes cut for the directors cut release? Did the director not like them included in the film?

One of the few films the DC is significantly shorter than the TC.
Weir wanted to retain the mystery in the film. What happened to the girls, is it real or not.
Hence he decided on reflection he wanted a shorter tighter film.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Jado3Dhead

So why are scenes cut for the directors cut release? Did the director not like them included in the film?

IIRC the scenes of the theatrical cut mainly focused on a budding romance between one of the found girls and the guy that rescues her. I'm thinking Weir thought that this was more conventional and taking away from the mysterious ethereal atmosphere of the rest of the film. I agree with his preferences, although it would have been ideal to allow for both versions to be present.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by ravenus

IIRC the scenes of the theatrical cut mainly focused on a budding romance between one of the found girls and the guy that rescues her.

Oh it's much more than that. The additions are minor - a redundant scene of a reporter photographing the school and a very brief but much better introduction to the scene where Albert (Wolf Creek's John Jarrett) tells Michael (Dominic Guard) his dream about his sister - but the deletions in the last third are fairly substantial and surprisingly damaging - most notably the entire section of Irma thanking Albert for finding her on the Rock, Michael's growing relationship with Irma, the church service, Albert and Michael talking at night, and Mrs Appleyard removing Sarah's belongings.

I'm thinking Weir thought that this was more conventional and taking away from the mysterious ethereal atmosphere of the rest of the film.

Sadly, while it may make the film even more elliptical as is Weir's wont, it diminishes the film's resonance and your involvement with the already rather sketchy characters. It shows a determination to remove the human element from the equation that many find alienating where the original cut drew them in. In the 113-min documentary on some of the releases various cast and crew round on Weir for spoiling the film for the audience with the re-edit and even Weir himself admits that directors shouldn't second-guess their work before basically just saying that's what he did anyway.

it would have been ideal to allow for both versions to be present.

Unfortunately he's apparently gone full George Lucas on that, preventing the restoration of the original cut and actively suppressing it where he has the ability to do so (he prevented the Criterion and Australian sets including it). Which is why I stuck with my three-DVD set from Second Sight, the only disc release with the unrestored original cut which otherwise only seems to survive in a poor print struck back in the mid-90s before the Australian film industry took film preservation seriously.

[Aunt Peg]

I love that Peter Weir HATES that some people interpret his film as part lesbian love story which he STRESSES was not his intention.

I think it it one of the greatest lesbian themed films ever made.

[Shingster]

I kinda feel that filmmakers like Peter Weir, Wong Kar Wai, and Michael Mann should be forced to watch that scene in Father Ted where Ted's trying to fix the dent in his car over & over again for 500hrs straight under the full conditions of the Ludovico Technique!

[JoePo]

Originally Posted by Aunt Peg

I love that Peter Weir HATES that some people interpret his film as part lesbian love story which he STRESSES was not his intention.

I think it it one of the greatest lesbian themed films ever made.

Agreed . Who cares what his intentions were? In my experience films makers rarely understand what their films are about.

[edmonddantes]

I gotta admit, I didnt see the lesbian theme. I was so enthralled by the atmosphere, looks and setting that I never picked on that (if that really existed which im not sure, particularly if the director itself didnt mean it to be there)

was a prominent part of the original novel this supposed lesbian component?