Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

[Groggy]

Someone on Facebook posted artwork/etc. for the Blu-Ray but I don't know if it remote links. Looked pretty swanky.

[dave jenkins]

French edition: http://www.amazon.fr/Lawrence-dArabie-double-Blu-ray/dp/B0083SDP7G/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1342259771&sr=1-1

Sony will officially announce the U.S. edition with street date this coming week.

[Groggy]

 

[dave jenkins]

Oh, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

Not a big box-o-crap edition! I sure hope we're also going to be offered a smaller package with just the discs.

[dave jenkins]

Robert Harris at HTF is regaling everyone there with his account of, first, the 1989 Restoration of the film, and second, the path that Sony's Mr. Crisp went down to produce the Blu-ray. His final summation goes like this:

Working from one of our original 1989 prints, the entire film would be re-graded at Sony's Colorworks facility. 

There would be no grain reduction.

 
No sharpening.

 
He agreed that the image would appear on Blu-ray as it would have not only on a 70mm screen, but as it survived on the original negative elements.

 
He was led on an odyssey of digital damage correction that took well over a year to get right.

 
In the end, he would create not only newly produced -- perfect -- asset protection data, but also something that could be down-rezzed to create, what to my eye, appears to be the finest, most highly resolved Blu-ray, ever created for a classic film.

 
Bar none.

Posters on that board are reporting that UK retailers are showing a September 10 release date for the BD.

[dave jenkins]

11/13: http://www.amazon.com/Lawrence-Arabia-Blu-ray-Peter-OToole/dp/B0017O1MIM

Theatrical re-release in October.

Press release: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/322381/sphe-press-release-lawrence-of-arabia-50th-anniversary-blu-ray

[Groggy]

 

[dave jenkins]

As boxes-o-crap go, that's one great looking box-o-crap. I may have to rethink this issue . . . .

[Groggy]

Found this piece this morning:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-lawrence-20120718,0,715203.story

[Groggy]

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/07/19/lawrence-of-arabia-comes-to-blu-ray-and-theaters

A $96 asking price for the Blu-Ray set!?! Dear God.

[Novecento]

Not a big box-o-crap edition! I sure hope we're also going to be offered a smaller package with just the discs.

   I couldn't agree more.

[dave jenkins]

A $96 asking price for the Blu-Ray set!?! Dear God.

Actually $67.19 @ amazon, but I take your point. Still, haven't you heard of something called Christmas?

[dave jenkins]

Here's a report with 2 pieces of good news: http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2012/07/radiant_spotles.php

piece #1: the restoration looks fabulous

piece #2: the balcony scene will be on the Blu-ray as an extra (the 1989 Lean-approved Director's Cut is "locked" and cannot be tampered with as stipulated by contract).

[Groggy]

Actually $67.19 @ amazon, but I take your point. Still, haven't you heard of something called Christmas?

With my dad retiring this year? I doubt it.

I am very keen on seeing the extended scene though. I also approve of keeping it as an extra rather than reinstating it into the film.

Just as a trivial note, I add that the restored version seems to ignore the short scene between Claude Rains and Arthur Kennedy by reinstating the scene where they have. Maybe we should wait for the release.

[Groggy]

Comparatively minor self-promotion, I provide a brief analysis of this scene here:

http://nothingiswrittenfilm.blogspot.com/2012/07/common-humanity-is-one-thing-you-cant.html