Tartan go Blu-ray - Oldboy & Seventh Seal Update
17-10-2007 16:42 | 18827 views | Dave Foster | Show Backlinks
Tartan Video will make the move into High Definition later this summer and have today announced their decision to go with the Blu-ray Disc format. Arriving on 24th September 2007 is Paul Verhoven’s war epic, Black Book followed a month later on 22nd October 2007 by Park Chan-Wook’s revenge thriller Oldboy. Then on 3rd December 2007 alongside the new DVD release Tartan brings you a special 50th Anniversary Edition of Ingmar Bergman’s classic, The Seventh Seal in high definition.
All titles are making their worldwide Blu-ray Disc debut and in an interesting move will come packaged with the DVD edition of each film to “allow consumers who have yet to invest in Blu-ray technology the opportunity to enjoy the films on existing players at no additional cost as they invest for the future. “
Retail is £29.99 each.
All discs will be encoded using the AVC video codec and on the newer titles you can expect DTS Master Audio. Extras from the DVD releases of Black Book and the 50th Anniversary Edition of The Seventh Seal should find their way onto the respective Blu-ray Disc editions, while Oldboy on Blu-ray Disc will have the commentary tracks along with the deleted scenes with optional commentary carried over. We can also confirm the discs will be coded for all regions (A, B and C).
More detailed specs follow...
Black Book
Oldboy
Oldboy will also be released in the USA by Tartan US on 23rd October 2007.
The Seventh Seal - Disc specs are TBC, but in terms of extras you can expect the following...
Rare behind-the-scenes footage, from the set of Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, will be presented for the first time. Shot on 8mm during the latter part of 1956, the silent footage offers a unique insight into the legendary director’s working methods, and includes on-set rehearsals featuring lead actors Max Von Sydow and Bibi Andersson, as well as evidence of the camaraderie of the remainder of his cast and crew. And, for this release, film historian and Bergman expert Ian Christie has recorded a commentary to accompany the footage, putting it in context and shedding light on Bergman’s cinematic craft.
Bergman’s little-seen short from 1984, Karin’s Face, is also presented for the first time. This beautiful and personal film is Bergman’s touching tribute to his mother, seen through the intimate photographic portraits from a family album. With its sumptuous black and white imagery and simple musical accompaniment, Karin’s Face is a film that reveals the director’s warmly instinctive love of humanity, and devotion to his mother. Tartan’s premiere presentation of this cinematic treasure has been mastered directly from a newly-restored print and is included on both released formats, presented in full High Definition resolution on Tartan’s Blu-ray Edition.
Further features on this 50th Anniversary Edition include newly-improved subtitles, an original trailer, an alternative English language feature audio option, and full HD resolution for the presentation of the film itself on Blu-ray Disc.
All titles are making their worldwide Blu-ray Disc debut and in an interesting move will come packaged with the DVD edition of each film to “allow consumers who have yet to invest in Blu-ray technology the opportunity to enjoy the films on existing players at no additional cost as they invest for the future. “
Retail is £29.99 each.
All discs will be encoded using the AVC video codec and on the newer titles you can expect DTS Master Audio. Extras from the DVD releases of Black Book and the 50th Anniversary Edition of The Seventh Seal should find their way onto the respective Blu-ray Disc editions, while Oldboy on Blu-ray Disc will have the commentary tracks along with the deleted scenes with optional commentary carried over. We can also confirm the discs will be coded for all regions (A, B and C).
More detailed specs follow...
Black Book
- 1080P 2.40:1 Widescreen
- Dutch 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
- Dutch DD2.0 and DD5.1 Surround
- English subtitles
- Paul Verhoeven Interview
- Carice Van Houten Interview
- Theatrical Trailer
Oldboy
- Korean 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
- Korean DD2.0 Stereo and DD5.1 EX Surround
- English DD2.0 Stereo and DD5.1 Surround
- English subtitles
- Director’s Commentary
- Director and Cinematographer Commentary
- Director and Cast Commentary
- Deleted Scenes with optional commentary
- Trailer
Oldboy will also be released in the USA by Tartan US on 23rd October 2007.
The Seventh Seal - Disc specs are TBC, but in terms of extras you can expect the following...
Rare behind-the-scenes footage, from the set of Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, will be presented for the first time. Shot on 8mm during the latter part of 1956, the silent footage offers a unique insight into the legendary director’s working methods, and includes on-set rehearsals featuring lead actors Max Von Sydow and Bibi Andersson, as well as evidence of the camaraderie of the remainder of his cast and crew. And, for this release, film historian and Bergman expert Ian Christie has recorded a commentary to accompany the footage, putting it in context and shedding light on Bergman’s cinematic craft.
Bergman’s little-seen short from 1984, Karin’s Face, is also presented for the first time. This beautiful and personal film is Bergman’s touching tribute to his mother, seen through the intimate photographic portraits from a family album. With its sumptuous black and white imagery and simple musical accompaniment, Karin’s Face is a film that reveals the director’s warmly instinctive love of humanity, and devotion to his mother. Tartan’s premiere presentation of this cinematic treasure has been mastered directly from a newly-restored print and is included on both released formats, presented in full High Definition resolution on Tartan’s Blu-ray Edition.
Further features on this 50th Anniversary Edition include newly-improved subtitles, an original trailer, an alternative English language feature audio option, and full HD resolution for the presentation of the film itself on Blu-ray Disc.
Comments
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Assuming it wasn't 100% Tartan's own decision, that is.
Where are the British filmmakers?
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Originally Posted by David Mackenzie:
Assuming it wasn't 100% Tartan's own decision, that is.
Why wouldn't it be their own decision? It makes sense for them to go with the format that has the best chance of winning and a significantly larger share of the market. It's not like you need to convince someone in the face of that evidence.
While I won't be buying these titles, this announcement along with Anchor bay's announcement of the Evil Dead series and Halloween this October has been a boon to Blu-ray along with the Blockbuster (USA) announcement and the PS3 price drop.
If some killer titles (no pun) are released this winter, it could be very big for BD
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Originally Posted by gasteropod:
Tut, more stupid dual things with the DVD versions. £30!!! I wonder if Tartan's BDs will be as shitty as their DVDs.
I suggest you check your facts before you start posting...shit! Tartan are currently one of the few UK distribs, alongside AE, who have remarkably improved their quality department.
This is a great announcement and the right move for Tartan as far as I am concerned. Hopefully they will now look ingo releasing some catalog titles as well (the red-cover European series would be great).
Once again great news for Blu and hopefully more independent distribs join in.
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Originally Posted by camaj:
Originally Posted by David Mackenzie:
Assuming it wasn't 100% Tartan's own decision, that is.
Why wouldn't it be their own decision? It makes sense for them to go with the format that has the best chance of winning and a significantly larger share of the market. It's not like you need to convince someone in the face of that evidence.
While I won't be buying these titles, this announcement along with Anchor bay's announcement of the Evil Dead series and Halloween this October has been a boon to Blu-ray along with the Blockbuster (USA) announcement and the PS3 price drop.
If some killer titles (no pun) are released this winter, it could be very big for BD
By "own decision", I meant that it was their decision alone. I imagine the Blu-ray camp have been aggressively pursuing studios and distributors and offering incentives to get behind the format (as they should be).
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Tartan are supporting Blu-ray exclusively because of two very simple factors:
1) There are more Blu-ray players available in every territory of the world.
2) Blu-ray disc is outselling HD-DVD in every part of the world!
Simple and doesn't take many "incentives" for a studio to support Blu-ray.
HD-DVD on the other hand, especially with Universal is a real deal with many incentives though! :D
Originally Posted by Michael Mackenzie:
I Microsoft and Amazon are doing something similar for HD DVD, offering free encoding and distribution for independent filmmakers.
What studio is this then?? What movies?? Is it exclusive?? Sounds like desprate crap from MS and Amazon (both of whom prefer online distribution anyway).
1,000 titles of crap quailty for the HD-DVD format, can't wait!!
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Originally Posted by RisingSun:
Tartan are supporting Blu-ray exclusively because of two very simple factors:
1) There are more Blu-ray players available in every territory of the world.
2) Blu-ray disc is outselling HD-DVD in every part of the world!
Simple and doesn't take many "incentives" for a studio to support Blu-ray.
HD-DVD on the other hand, especially with Universal is a real deal with many incentives though! :D
Originally Posted by Michael Mackenzie:
I Microsoft and Amazon are doing something similar for HD DVD, offering free encoding and distribution for independent filmmakers.
What studio is this then?? What movies?? Is it exclusive?? Sounds like desprate crap from MS and Amazon (both of whom prefer online distribution anyway).
1,000 titles of crap quailty for the HD-DVD format, can't wait!!
RisingSun, would you kindly do us all a favour and not turn every single thread in which you post into a Blu-ray vs. HD DVD affair? The issue here is not that Tartan are supporting Blu-ray exclusively, but rather that they are supporting a high definition format at all.
Blu-ray sales may be higher than HD DVD sales, but they're still a pittance compared with standard definition DVD sales. The big guns are, I'm told, making a significant loss on their high definition products, so for a small, independent distributor like Tartan to get on the bandwagon, I'd imagine they'd have to have been offered something more than the proceeds of their sales.
The Microsoft/Amazon HD DVD thing doesn't sound particularly promising to me either, but I'd rather wait and see what happens before assuming it'll be "1,000 titles of crap quailty". The only reason I mentioned it was to provide an example of a format backer providing incentives for independents to get involved. Although, given that you pounce on everything HD DVD-related like a vulture and filter it through your own warped viewpoint, I should have known not to even bother.
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Originally Posted by Michael Mackenzie:
Originally Posted by RisingSun:
Blu-ray sales may be higher than HD DVD sales, but they're still a pittance compared with standard definition DVD sales. The big guns are, I'm told, making a significant loss on their high definition products, so for a small, independent distributor like Tartan to get on the bandwagon, I'd imagine they'd have to have been offered something more than the proceeds of their sales.
I wasn't turning it into a Blu-ray vs HD-DVD thread, although maybe it can't be helped. But simply stating that it takes more "incentives" for a studio to produce or publish in HD-DVD than Blu-ray, because Blu-ray is simply winning this war.
Paramount and Warner Bros have non exclusive deals with HD-DVD ( a deal which I am told Paramount wants to get out of btw), while Universal has a exclusive deal with HD-DVD. Fox and Disney the same with Blu-ray.
However it seems the HD-DVD camp is struggling greatly if they can't seem to offer their incentives to actual proper smaller studios. That and Blockbuster video just DUMPED them last week! It's just getting too much for them! They need to buy up more exclusives, Star Trek just won't cut it!
But of course HD-DVD is offering free encoding to complete independents! They need a lot more than this!
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Originally Posted by Michael Mackenzie:
That's fair enough, and I suppose it's inevitable that it will come down to a "format" question whenever a company goes HD. For what it's worth, I'm extremely pleased that Tartan have decided to start releasing on Blu-ray, ditto with Anchor Bay. Obviously, because of how I feel about the whole situation, I would probably have been happier if they had announced support for HD DVD or indeed both formats, but I'm not going to cut off my nose to spite my face, and if they release good content on Blu-ray, I'll be the first to buy it.
It's enough of a gamble for an independent to back one HD format, and given the wafer-thin profit margins in this market, expecting them to back both was probably unrealistic.
It will be interesting to see who follows suit - as a mere freelancer, I have no idea if the BFI has any plans in that department, though they've been mastering stuff in HD for some time now (many of their masters have been shown on Sky Arts), and of the two DVD projects I've done for them, the Quay Brothers release could be reissued in HD with little difficulty, as there are HD masters of all but one of the titles on the main disc (The Phantom Museum is the exception, as it was partly shot and edited on SD video). But I'm not aware of any definite plans on that score.
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Simple and doesn't take many "incentives" for a studio to support Blu-ray.
The reality is that both sides court studios into releasing titles on their format, which makes complete sense to me. I can tell you that for a fact.
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Originally Posted by David Mackenzie:
Simple and doesn't take many "incentives" for a studio to support Blu-ray.
The reality is that both sides court studios into releasing titles on their format, which makes complete sense to me. I can tell you that for a fact.
I can certainly tell you for a fact that it takes less "convincing" for studios to release on the Blu-ray disc format than the HD-DVD format, certainly in this moment of time anyway. The reasons are obvious.
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I mean FFS these asshats have barely managed to release a DVD that hasn't been a crap NTSC to PAL conversion. Why are they even bothering.
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Originally Posted by David Mackenzie:
Nobody was talking about HD DVD.
That wasn't clear. The implication seemed to be "The BDA must have done something since no one would choose BD with free will"
At £30 a go, I'm sure they'll make some profit given that it probably costs them >£10 per copy to make.
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Originally Posted by napalm68:
I must say, I'm looking forward to their NTSC to 1080p conversions .
I mean FFS these asshats have barely managed to release a DVD that hasn't been a crap NTSC to PAL conversion. Why are they even bothering.
Thank you.
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The sooner more studios jump on the wagon, the lower costs will get and the more sudious will follow.
£30, yes that is a high price, but I remember buying my first DVD back in 1998, James Bond - Goldeneye, 24.99 in HMV, you can pick up all brosnan's bonds (if you are so inclined) for a third of that price.
Thank you for joining in Tartan, I wont e buying you discs but its good news nonetheless.
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