Fritz Lang on Blu-ray

[Richard--W]

Originally Posted by stepeanut

It’s worth picking up all of MoC’s Lang releases, including the DVDs. The only one that isn’t considered the best available edition is M, where the German Universum edition is tops. However, the Universum looks to be OOP, and pricey on the secondary market.

The Indicator edition of The Big Heat is a beauty. Buy it now, before the limited edition disappears.

See, the problem with region 2 DVD's is that they play 3% faster on American players. Something to do with converting the frame rate. Motion is unnatural, dramatic timing spoiled, voices too high-pitched. This conversion problem does not exist in the bluray format. I pay no attention to region 2 DVD's in the bluray package. But I must agree, Masters of Cinema blurays are impeccable. They also have the best cover art.

10,000 EYES OF DR. MABUSE (1960) has not received the attention it deserves here in the USA. There was a DVD about twenty years ago, now long out of print. Whereas the hi-def transfer is only available on the other side of the pond.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

... actually, I believe Criterion's bluray is the same transfer only timed differently. It was upgraded from the old DVD. I have the Universum digibook.

I'm fairly sure the 2011 Universum disc is a newer transfer, totally different from the 2010 Criterion disc. The interview with the producer of the Universum disc here talks about it:
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/M-Blu-ray/18091/#Review

The Universum disc also has lots of digital cleanup and image stabilization the Criterion doesn't have, and it has a restored audio track the Criterion doesn't. They did an amazing job!

Originally Posted by Richard--W

... which is why I've kept it because one of these days I'm going to watch the extras. The English language alternate doesn't have the same gravitas but it's a Fritz Lang necessity.

I understand that M is a best-seller in every country the disc has been released. The Criterion bluray, like the old DVD transfer, has been through several reprintings. The film is immensely popular nearly 90 years after it was made.

I totally agree, it still feels fresh, it's amazing to think it's one of the first sound films, the use of sound is so daring and modern. When everyone else was just using sound to create static filmed stageplays, Lang was using it as a tool to convey psychological state and mood and geographical perspective - brilliant!

[Richard--W]

That's good to know about the Universum.
Perhaps it's the Masters of Cinema edition that shares the Criterion transfer but is graded differently.

By the way, I have three editions of Metropolis, and two editions of M, Mabuse the Gambler, Spione and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse. On the other films I keep only one edition.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

That's good to know about the Universum.
Perhaps it's the Masters of Cinema edition that shares the Criterion transfer but is graded differently.

In re-reading the interview, I had forgotten, they also found footage for a few brief chunks of the film that were missing in the Criterion transfer, a few frames here and there, but still causing noticeable jumps. They sourced the material from a French print of the film, so the Universum doesn't have those issues either.

Originally Posted by Richard--W

By the way, I have three editions of Metropolis, and two editions of M, Mabuse the Gambler, Spione and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse. On the other films I keep only one edition.

I need to improve my Lang collection, you've got me beat by far.
I held onto my Criterion M for the alternate version of the film, and my Criterion Third Man for the commentary, even though the newer UK 4K restoration is much better there.

[stepeanut]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

See, the problem with region 2 DVD's is that they play 3% faster on American players. Something to do with converting the frame rate. Motion is unnatural, dramatic timing spoiled, voices too high-pitched. This conversion problem does not exist in the bluray format. I pay no attention to region 2 DVD's in the bluray package. But I must agree, Masters of Cinema blurays are impeccable. They also have the best cover art.

10,000 EYES OF DR. MABUSE (1960) has not received the attention it deserves here in the USA. There was a DVD about twenty years ago, now long out of print. Whereas the hi-def transfer is only available on the other side of the pond.

The vast majority of MoC DVDs are in NTSC format, so PAL speed-up won’t be an issue on American systems.

Unfortunately, for some technical reason unknown to me, the Mabuse box set, including 1,000 Eyes, is one of their few releases presented in PAL. I don’t know of any BD edition available anywhere in the world, so, for now, this is the best we have.

MoC’s double-pack of Der Tiger von Eschnapur and Das Indische Grabmal is in NTSC. German BDs are available for both these films, but neither is English-friendly. So, again, the MoC is the best available to the English-speaking market.

[John_Drake]

Originally Posted by stepeanut

1,000 Eyes, I don’t know of any BD edition available anywhere in the world, so, for now, this is the best we have.

There is a French BD of 1,000 Eyes from a new HD remaster, although it is not English friendly.

[Richard--W]

Originally Posted by John_Drake

There is a French BD of 1,000 Eyes from a new HD remaster, although it is not English friendly.

... a typical selfishness of French discs. And the French are so civilized and gracious in other areas of their culture.

[Richard--W]

Would everyone agree that Masters of Cinema offers the best edition of Der Mude Tod ? I bought the Flicker Alley DVD-R when they rushed that out, and then surprise, Kino announces it, so I bought that. And then it comes out on a Eureka! If I had known the MoC was coming, I would not have started out with the other two.

[Dragon Ranger]

Hello; looking for recommendations to further my Fritz Lang viewings. I have Metropolis (UK steelbook) and Frau im Mond on Blu (Eureka) and wondering what fans would recommend next? I am looking at Die Nibelungen (Eureka).

Please post covers and which countries the best releases are from if you reply. Would love to hear why people think their favourites are an essential choice. I am region free.

[MifuneFan]

I love Die Nibelungen. It's a great fantasy epic that spans 2 films with very different tones in each. I have the Kino release, which is very nice in its own right.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by Dragon Ranger

Hello; looking for recommendations to further my Fritz Lang viewings. I have Metropolis (UK steelbook) and Frau im Mond on Blu (Eureka) and wondering what fans would recommend next? I am looking at Die Nibelungen (Eureka).

Please post covers and which countries the best releases are from if you reply. Would love to hear why people think their favourites are an essential choice. I am region free.

I've got the MoC releases of Die Nibelungen and Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler, and both films are excellent.

[filmlover22]

I always prefer MoC over Kino.. The challenge becomes if you already have the Kino - is it worth it to also get the MoC? I don't know. I got Der Mude Tod (from Kino) as a gift. Should I spend another $15 and get MoC's version? Not sure. too many other Lang films to get, and not enough $ to go around

[Richard--W]

Originally Posted by Dragon Ranger

Hello; looking for recommendations to further my Fritz Lang viewings. I have Metropolis (UK steelbook) and Frau im Mond on Blu (Eureka) and wondering what fans would recommend next? I am looking at Die Nibelungen (Eureka).

Please post covers and which countries the best releases are from if you reply. Would love to hear why people think their favourites are an essential choice. I am region free.

If you liked Metropolis and Der Mude Tod you'll love Spione and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse. I recommend them. Get the Masters of Cinema editions from the U.K.

For the sound era start with The Big Heat on Indicator. M is generally considered a defining film for all the reasons mentioned in this thread.

[Alfred E. Neumann]

Originally Posted by Dragon Ranger

Hello; looking for recommendations to further my Fritz Lang viewings. I have Metropolis (UK steelbook) and Frau im Mond on Blu (Eureka) and wondering what fans would recommend next? I am looking at Die Nibelungen (Eureka).

Please post covers and which countries the best releases are from if you reply. Would love to hear why people think their favourites are an essential choice. I am region free.

Eureka MoC has better compression.

[MifuneFan]

Picture quality differences for Nibelungen are going to be pretty negligible in motion. I actually think the Kino version looks a little bit richer in color, and deeper contrast:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film4/blu-r...en_blu-ray.htm

The Kino is darker with a richer orange/golden tint. This achieves two things - information, especially in the background can become more visible but also damage marks become more prominent. It's a trade-off and not having this seen this extensive restoration theatrically I can't know which is more accurate. I toggled back and forth between the two releases and there wasn't enough of a disparity to make me choose one over the other - but I do like the darker visuals in some scenes. It was as epic and overwhelming as the Masters of Cinema presentation - the UK disc having a slight technical superiority with a higher bitrate for both discs.

The translations don't appear to be identical either, not sure which is more accurate there.

[professorwho]

Originally Posted by Dragon Ranger

Please post covers and which countries the best releases are from if you reply. Would love to hear why people think their favourites are an essential choice. I am region free.

M the German release by Universum is the best in terms of PQ/AQ. It’s less than €10, so I’d say it’s a deal.

(Plus, it’s my favourite of Lang’s work)

[filmlover22]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Picture quality differences for Nibelungen are going to be pretty negligible in motion. I actually think the Kino version looks a little bit richer in color, and deeper contrast:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film4/blu-r...en_blu-ray.htm



The translations don't appear to be identical either, not sure which is more accurate there.

the MoC has a better encoded documentary and a 'lavish 56 page booklet.' Sounds like a winner to me.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

See, the problem with region 2 DVD's is that they play 3% faster on American players. Something to do with converting the frame rate. Motion is unnatural, dramatic timing spoiled, voices too high-pitched.

They're actually 4% faster, and it's not just on American players, all PAL videos are 4% faster no matter where you watch them. Most Europeans have grown up watching all movies like this, and tend not to notice it.

You can watch PAL DVDs on your computer with VLC player, a free download, and set the playback to 96% speed and fix that problem.

[Richard--W]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

They're actually 4% faster, and it's not just on American players, all PAL videos are 4% faster no matter where you watch them. Most Europeans have grown up watching all movies like this, and tend not to notice it.

I haven't heard that before. So all films play too fast in PAL even in PAL-oriented countries? and nobody minds? that's ... bizarre. So France, a nation of cineastes who immerse themselves in the nuances and subtleties and subtexts of a film, and who demand the highest quality projection in cinemas, will sit through a movie that is sped up at home when they would never tolerate it in a cinema? And the Italians, who demand that Opera be sung to absolute perfection, accept their favorite baritone sped up into a soprano or a tenor without stomping on the player and kicking a hole through their flatscreens? You're absolutely positively certain sure carved-in-stone about this? I'm non-plussed.

Originally Posted by James Luckard

You can watch PAL DVDs on your computer with VLC player, a free download, and set the playback to 96% speed and fix that problem.

Thanks for the tip. I'll try it in due course.

[Richard--W]

oops