The Amazing Mr. Blunden (1972) Second Sight 9th Dec 2019

[David M]

Originally Posted by Long Tom

I'm guessing there will be a few complaints after next weeks general release about the DNR.
It does seem to have been used to some degree but for me the detail is good enough and anything else would be too grainy.

There's no grain reduction, so you might want to double check your display settings.

[alan1981]

Didn’t notice any DNR personally either

[Long Tom]

Originally Posted by David M

There's no grain reduction, so you might want to double check your display settings.

That's good to know.
The image appeared a bit softer than I was expecting so I assumed DNR was in evidence.
That's based on a comparison with my other 2000+ Blurays all viewed on the same settings.
The image is just how I like it so

[Aclea]

That's the 70s vogue for cinematography: diffused lighting and softer focus were in, along with earth tones.

[Long Tom]

Originally Posted by Aclea

That's the 70s vogue for cinematography: diffused lighting and softer focus were in, along with earth tones.

I think you're right even though I do have a lot of 70's Blurays where the image is annoyingly grainy in places but I'm guessing it depends very much on the film stock used.

I'm going to email Second Sight and ask if they would possibly get some corrected posters printed that we could buy. I'm assuming the blank side was to be the original theatrical poster which would have been lovely to have. I would suggest anyone else interested might email them too as I suspect they will (perhaps correctly) assume few will want to pay for something originally intended for a freebie but that original poster looks great.
I must admit I don't really have interest in the reprint of the book but it does make for a fabulous overall package.
MY love for this movie spans decades so I feel duty bound to support the release so I'm getting a second copy from Amazon. I wonder if it will sell so well that I'll make a profit selling it a few months down the line.

[johnpaul2]

Originally Posted by Long Tom

I'm assuming the blank side was to be the original theatrical poster which would have been lovely to have.

Their website's product page states "Poster featuring new artwork". There's no mention of the poster being double-sided nor including the original theatrical poster.
Except if I missed something and that their page is outdated, I suppose it's thus no mistake.

[Aclea]

They've updated the page: Because of an error somewhere down the production line the reverse side with the original poster art was not printed, so they changed the specs.

[alan1981]

The reverse of the box states a double sided poster so they didn’t have time to correct the text.

[Si Parallel Universe]

Mine just arrived in a huge box

Signature altered

[The Star of Astaroth]

Originally Posted by Si Parallel Universe

Mine just arrived in a huge box

Signature altered

"At last... at last..."

Watched some of the special features last night. Noticeable hiss on the footage from Blunden intercut with the interviews (which are good). Frame rate issue with the Gatiss interview (it twitches a lot).

I was thinking, it's somewhat ironic that Blunden, due to to its existing in the shadow of Jeffries' more acclaimed and successful 'Railway Children', would only ever get a decent release by an Independent company like Second Sight, and because of that we get this deluxe limited edition set. Whereas Children - because it's a classic - will only ever get a standard studio release.

Such a shame Jeffries died before being able to record the commentary for Children. Would have been nice to hear his reminiscences before he passed.

[Aclea]

Jeffries never would have done a commentary - he was notoriously difficult to pin down even for an interview, though curiously he'd often say more about his films in phone calls explaining why he didn't like doing interviews about them than he did in his few actual interviews about them.

[Si Parallel Universe]

Originally Posted by Aclea

Jeffries never would have done a commentary - he was notoriously difficult to pin down even for an interview, though curiously he'd often say more about his films in phone calls explaining why he didn't like doing interviews about them than he did in his few actual interviews about them.

On the DVD there's a Parkinson interview with Jeffries which doesn't relate to TAMB at all. That's missing from the Blu Ray.

[Aclea]

I have that disc. Parkinson was such a big deal in his day that he regularly got people who never did interviews on TV chatshows like Alec Guinness. He even got Jimmy Cagney, though that one has never been repeated - a shame, because it was great (Cagney even recited one of his poems about Bogart's compulsive nose picking).

[The Star of Astaroth]

Jeffries never would have done a commentary - he was notoriously difficult to pin down even for an interview, though curiously he'd often say more about his films in phone calls explaining why he didn't like doing interviews about them than he did in his few actual interviews about them.

While Wiki isn't exactly a reliable source, it does state that Jeffries was supposed to record a commentary for the 40th anniversary release of Children but he passed away a couple of months before.

[Si Parallel Universe]

Originally Posted by Aclea

I have that disc. Parkinson was such a big deal in his day that he regularly got people who never did interviews on TV chatshows like Alec Guinness. He even got Jimmy Cagney, though that one has never been repeated - a shame, because it was great (Cagney even recited one of his poems about Bogart's compulsive nose picking).

Is that why they call him Bogie ?

Originally Posted by The Star of Astaroth

While Wiki isn't exactly a reliable source, it does state that Jeffries was supposed to record a commentary for the 40th anniversary release of Children but he passed away a couple of months before.

I think they mention somewhere on the commentary about LJ having planned things for that but the commentary is very busy.

On the film itself ; I hadn't connected that Rosalind Landor was the child actress in The Devil Rides Out maybe that's why my mind connects those two films as being favourites of my childhood (I saw both films in my youth).

So many Hammer connections in this. I hadn't realised that I'd missed teh chance to see it on the big screen as part of the BFIs 2014 Gothic Season which somewhere I have the programme for but saw other things around it. Damn.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by Si Parallel Universe

Is that why they call him Bogie ?

Yes (Warner Bros. studio lore had it that it was coined by British actors who worked with him - Lionel Atwill and Leslie Howard are among the suspects -and he was oblivious to what they really meant), among other things. Not the most popular chap on the lot with the film crews.

[Si Parallel Universe]

Originally Posted by Aclea

Yes (Warner Bros. studio lore had it that it was coined by British actors who worked with him - Lionel Atwill and Leslie Howard are among the suspects -and he was oblivious to what they really meant), among other things. Not the most popular chap on the lot with the film crews.

Wow and that was a pure guess from me.

[bladelia]

My amz order still hasn’t moved.

[alan1981]

Amazon seem to have sold out!

[gaz2810i]

Originally Posted by bladelia

My amz order still hasn’t moved.

Same here