Video Asylum

Posted by Audiophilander (A) on February 24, 2009 at 16:10:26

In Reply to: RE: I love foreign films, but I buy from Kino and others who have--you know--LEGAL DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS posted by Jazz Inmate on February 24, 2009 at 11:49:35

If you want to stick up for second rate performance then more power to you (the irony of your criticizing those who supported HD-DVD won't be lost on most of the folks who post here).

While I won't knock KINO's efforts to bring out quality fare, they too often do a half-assed job of it, ignoring progressive scan in favor of interlaced even after Eureka has released the same films properly and provided 'kewler' extras and better packaging.

But even that isn't the key issue with demanding region-free access. Here is a smattering of the Region 2 releases I am able to enjoy:

Spooks (released in edited form over here as MI-5, the series is more intense and makes a lot more sense in it's original form)

Sharpe's Rifles (entire series of films; apparently the transfer was screwed up when converted to NTSC; stick with the PAL)

Sherlock Holmes (entire series with Jeremy Brett; remastered; region 2 PAL looks great with really nice packaging)

Life On Mars (1st series; unedited PAL; WS)

Torchwood (unedited; WS, with all of the adult situations and humor intact)

The Sweeney (entire series; clever 70's police drama that was more sophisticated than any genre cop shows we were doing over here at the time)

Primeval (recent SF drama with special effects created by the Walking With Dinosaurs crew; great show)

Jekyll (awesome mini-series updating of Jeckyll/Hyde story; unedited PAL version is gripping)

Sapphire and Steele (quirky late 70's British SF/Fantasy/Horror series starring David McCallum that owes a lot to the Brothers Grimm)

Cracker (complete, UNEDITED, and non-PC British series featuring Robbie Coltrane; gritty and unflinching)

Blake's 7 (cheesy card-board FX wrapped around some of the best writing ever done in a character driven science fiction drama)

Movies:

L'Argent (Eureka release of French silent; is there an NTSC one?)

Faust (Murnau silent; latest Eureka release vastly superior to KINO; with better packaging & extras)

The Phantom Carriage (Sweedish classic silent; Tartan release; is there a U.S. release?)

This barely scratches the surface of my international collection; I could go on, but why should I waste my time trying to educate you when you obviously lack the interest to appreciate it?

If you expect me to feel some guilt over buying PAL region 2 cinema and television series that either aren't available here or have been released in badly edited/poorly transferred form then you're pretty darn clueless, not to mention more of a whiner than a film fan.

AuPh