Wake in Fright

[beadelf]

Originally Posted by atexp80

^ Must've changed their shipping options. They do have other sites (German, UK, NZ etc) but they don't have the item unfortunately. Ah well, sorry about that.

Best bet would be to wait for a JB Hi-Fi 20% off sale then. They come around reasonably regularly.

no worries, Ill have to track down a copy from somewhere else. Maybe it will get a UK release! fingers crossed.

[manicsounds]

Originally Posted by beadelf

wowHD says the item is undeliverable to the uk

bummer!

What happened here? I haven't used CDWow in a few years, but I remember them being able to ship anything anywhere, for free.

But I tried too and it says "undeliverable" to my country as well. Plus they now charge $6 for international? It's gotten even worse....!

[gettodamoofies]

Originally Posted by manicsounds

What happened here? I haven't used CDWow in a few years, but I remember them being able to ship anything anywhere, for free.

But I tried too and it says "undeliverable" to my country as well. Plus they now charge $6 for international? It's gotten even worse....!

Regarding the AU site, they never announced anything but they got busted here in Australia. They were selling UK/US etc releases through their web site but Australian law prohibits this so they got stung for it. When they changed over to WOW HD the Australian site and the rest of the sites now have different content. The AU site has AU titles whilst other sites have everything else.

Being an Australian title I guess you're out of luck with regards to them. Having said that, they are still a good source for other titles. I use their New Zealand site to buy international titles and it works out well. They don't charge anything for shipping from there for anywhere in the world. For instance yesterday I picked up the UK release of "The Spirit" for a grand total of AU$5.40 with free shipping. Definitely some good bargains from time to time...

[manicsounds]

But if the problem was that they, WowHD Australia were selling import titles and now they can't, then what is the problem with exporting them? I've sent them an email asking for which titles are allowed to be shipped and why.

I thought Australia was one of the places that outlawed region coding years ago. Yet they are outlawing other region imports? I don't get it...

[jah13]

Drafthouse Films has acquired the film for U.S. so you can probably count on an eventual Blu and DVD from them, which will likely be based on the Aussie restoration and, thus, look a lot like the Madman disc. I have that disc...it's certainly a lot brighter than the original negative (based on the restoration comparison on the disc), but it does not look very filmic. It has the green, pale tint over the whole film, which you can see in the caps on DVD Beaver's review. Skies that appear very blue on the original negative are pretty washed out and devoid of color in the restored version. In the booklet, one of the people who worked on the restoration remarks that they deliberately left the grain in the opening credits sequence...there is no mention about grain retention / removal for the rest of the feature, however.

The director, Ted Kotcheff, claims this is the best the film ever looked. As for me, I wasn't around to see the film in its original incarnation so I'm not exactly sure how it should really look, but I have mixed feelings on this restoration.

[Brett C]

Originally Posted by jah13

Drafthouse Films has acquired the film for U.S. so you can probably count on an eventual Blu and DVD from them, which will likely be based on the Aussie restoration and, thus, look a lot like the Madman disc. I have that disc...it's certainly a lot brighter than the original negative (based on the restoration comparison on the disc), but it does not look very filmic. It has the green, pale tint over the whole film, which you can see in the caps on DVD Beaver's review. Skies that appear very blue on the original negative are pretty washed out and devoid of color in the restored version. In the booklet, one of the people who worked on the restoration remarks that they deliberately left the grain in the opening credits sequence...there is no mention about grain retention / removal for the rest of the feature, however.

The director, Ted Kotcheff, claims this is the best the film ever looked. As for me, I wasn't around to see the film in its original incarnation so I'm not exactly sure how it should really look, but I have mixed feelings on this restoration.

I read that booklet before I watched it and expected the worst.
The comment about the grain being left for the credits is amusing, since its clearly been obliterated during the credits, just not to the degree of the rest of the film. Which looks nothing like film.

While I am happy to see this film get a release period, a little more restraint with the noise reduction would of made a world of difference.

I am curious if the DNR is baked into the actual restoration or was it added for the BD release.
Did anyone catch the theatrical showing in 2009?

[jah13]

Originally Posted by Brett C

I read that booklet before I watched it and expected the worst.
The comment about the grain being left for the credits is amusing, since its clearly been obliterated during the credits, just not to the degree of the rest of the film. Which looks nothing like film.

While I am happy to see this film get a release period, a little more restraint with the noise reduction would of made a world of difference.

I am curious if the DNR is baked into the actual restoration or was it added for the BD release.
Did anyone catch the theatrical showing in 2009?

I saw the restored film in 2010 at BAM Cinemafest, but I don't recall the state of grain / DNR in the print, unfortunately. May just be that my eyes have become much more educated and wary in the 2 years since. Was blown away by the film that night and I like to think that the print was presented as it should have been (i.e. with grain intact, etc.). I have seen many repertory films on 35mm, for years before then and continue to today (although the opportunities are becoming scarcer with the advent of "DCP restorations"). Since getting a Blu-ray player and researching / buying / viewing Blu-rays in the last couple years, I've become much more observant with regards to those uniquely "filmic" qualities when watching film and seeing how faithfully (or not) they've been transferred to Blu-ray.

[beadelf]

I seriously want this film, although dont want to be paying an arm and a leg for a rubbish restoration as everyone is saying it is

[Dr Strangelove]

Last time I saw it was 37 years ago in Australia. I look forward to get one from U.S. distrbutor next year.
A DNR-free would be nice...if not, then I'll buy it anyway. This movie was almost lost forever

[Dr Strangelove]

I hope the transfer for U.S. release blu ray will be like this one.... (image from twitchfilm.com)



A DNR'ed image from DVD Beaver.....below

[jah13]

Originally Posted by Dr Strangelove

I hope the transfer for U.S. release blu ray will be like this one.... (image from twitchfilm.com)



A DNR'ed image from DVD Beaver.....below

I hope, but don't count on, seeing something closer to the Twitch image.

[beadelf]

Originally Posted by jah13

I hope, but don't count on, seeing something closer to the Twitch image.

wow the twitch screenshot looks fantastic!

[jah13]

Originally Posted by beadelf

wow the twitch screenshot looks fantastic!

Yes, I wonder what the source is.

[Dr Strangelove]

The new 2012 Drafthouse Films trailer....
it seems to be the same old DNR'ed transfer...

[HD] WAKE IN FRIGHT - Trailer (2012) - YouTube

[jah13]

BOO!

Originally Posted by Dr Strangelove

The new 2012 Drafthouse Films trailer....
it seems to be the same old DNR'ed transfer...

[HD] WAKE IN FRIGHT - Trailer (2012) - YouTube

[MichaelR]

Originally Posted by beadelf

wow the twitch screenshot looks fantastic!

Originally Posted by jah13

Yes, I wonder what the source is.

I originally thought "production still", and it still may be. But it could also be a frame grab from an unmatted transfer, in which case it would have to come from a much earlier, pre-restoration version, which would have other issues.

[SolidBlu]

saw this at a local store here in SG read somewhere there is a cut and uncut version of the film, is the AU the complete and uncut version? thanks

[Caustic]

Originally Posted by SolidBlu

saw this at a local store here in SG read somewhere there is a cut and uncut version of the film, is the AU the complete and uncut version? thanks

Not really sure why there would be a cut and uncut version of this. Especially given the back story about how the film print was found. The animal violence, while real, was taken from documentary footage or similar.

This is my pick for the best Australian film ever made. Actually it probably features in my top five films. It really makes you question our self image. It's about as artistic a film as I can stomach; I'm not a huge arthouse fan. I got the region B BR of this a coupla of years ago and rewatch it religiously 3 or 4 times a year. The outback really resonates through the screen in this one to the point where you feel the dirt and can smell the sweet. I always get a thirst watching it. I thought the PQ was fantastic to the point where I never wanted to look for another release of it.

[melmac]

Wake in Fright is getting a Eureka Master of cinema release

Eureka Entertainment
Eureka! Entertainment are delighted to announce the theatrical and home video releases of Ted Kotcheff's cult classic Wake in Fright (1971) as part of The Masters of Cinema Series, a fascinating rediscovery of a key work of the "Australian New Wave" and so-called "Ozploitation" movement, which was nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or at the 1971 Cannes film festival.

Neglected for decades, Wake in Fright was expertly restored in 2009 by Australia's National Film and Sound Archive and hand-selected by legendary film director Martin Scorsese to screen at Cannes once more. Wake in Fright's reputation as a brutally haunting, psychologically gripping one-off has been growing exponentially since, and we are proud to be able to bring this seminal shocker to audiences in the UK and Ireland.

Wake in Fright's theatrical run will be co-ordinated by Eureka! Entertainment with screenings in selected cinemas nationwide in early 2014, following a première at the Film4 FrightFest horror film festival in London, August 22–26, 2013.

Blu-ray/DVD releases will follow, in very special editions with a raft of special features to be announced nearer the release date, as part of Eureka! Entertainment's award-winning The Masters of Cinema Series.

Wake in Fright is based on the 1961 novel by Kenneth Cook and stars Gary Bond and Donald Pleasance. It was first released under the title Outback, describing the film's arid, sweltering, wasteland setting of Bundanyabba ("The Yabba"), an earthy mining town where schoolteacher John Grant (Gary Bond) descends into a living hell when he is stranded on his way to meet his girlfriend in Sydney. Struggling to escape a men-gone-wild nihilistic world of binge drinking, habitual gambling, and senseless violence, Grant plunges headlong towards his own destruction, joined for the ride by alcoholic doctor "Doc" Tydon (masterfully played by Donald Pleasance).

[lemonski]

Originally Posted by melmac

Wake in Fright is getting a Eureka Master of cinema release

Great news! I wonder if this means there will be a steelbook release as well?