bobsterkent

I'm glad its not just me who was VERY disappointed with my dvd. I thought it was just my copy that froze at points in the film. To be honest if i had known that it was going to be this bad i'd have not bothered.

Yes the add lib scene where he talks to his aunt is missing (I'm told that was to make up the few minutes they were short on the film). Film quality is scratchy, my advice is don't bother buying it unless you really want it.

siriami

If ever there was a candidate for "the worst transfer of a film to DVD", this MUST be it!
As previous listers have said, scratches, tears, missing frames, dreadful quality image, freezing of the picture, and - at one point, 4 seconds of lead-in film during a change-over!
It does say something for the film itself that I stuck with it. Val Guest does a good job of updating the "old dark house" format: and there are more than creditable performances too. Petula Clark makes the most of her part, and, as always, Margaret Rutherford steals the picture!
Any other nominations for the above category?

Alistair

Brief Encounter

That's the sad thing. It probably won't be issued again, so no chance to improve it.

Steve Crook

There was a Carlton / VCI release for MCV stores of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp that was very poor quality. Lots of digital breakdown into blocks on the screen, freezing and one scene breaking through into another.

Luckily there are lots of DVDs of this film that have been released by other organisations and these others are all very good. But I do sometimes see this MCV version offered for sale on eBay.

Watch out if you ever see this cover

Steve

JamesM

Does anyone have any evidence that this was not a bootleg?

MrDrakesDuck

Talking of early Frankie Howerd films I didn't know this had been released.

"I thought I had to shoot Germans, not chew 'em"

Ady

I have some software for repairing old footage.
If someone wants to send me both their vhs and dvds of "The Runaway Bus" , I could re-digitise it , clean it up, repair the freezes, and stitch the phone booth scene in . The repaired job can then be put back to a fixed, continuous DVD-R.
It's a shame when a company releases such a gem without "trying their best" - - and now Pickwick have released it, no other company is even going to look at it.

pm me if interested in a repair.

Is there anyone from PICKWICK reading this thread ? - If so; why is it such a mess ?

dicky2006

Hi there. I too bought this and was disappointed as I could not belive my eyes when the film run out on the spool and then restarted. It does look like a transfer from old VHS.The picture quality is poor. All I can say is for £3.99 you cannot complain but "buyer beware" in future.

foha80

Hello Ady
Would you mind telling what software you use.


Terry

Brief Encounter

Ady - could you do that with my DVD-R of an old TV broadcast version? I'm pretty sure when Channel 4 broadcast it the phonebox scene was in there.

James, a bootleg is illegal surely... are you suggesting this may be? I know they worked with Val Guest's estate to get the film's print (waste of time that was) but I guess he doesn't own the rights. Who does actually own the rights to this film?

DB7

I assume Pickwick are legit and have licenced the release, but it is a dreadful transfer and worse than my off-air copy.

Has anybody seen the original VHS release? I was just wondering if that was poor also and a possible source.

There's a similar thread running on Roobarb

Harbottle

I can confirm that the "Phoning Granny" scene was included in the C4 broadcast.

Brief Encounter

I'd recommend we all send Pickwick an email complaining about this. It probably won't make any difference, but they ought to know this isn't acceptable.

info@pickwickgroup.com

siriami

done and dusted - although as you say, it probably won't make a whit of difference!
Alistair

JamesM

I have known uninformed companies to release films they believe are in the public domain, that is all.