Poor image quality on DVD


I picked this up recently for $5, and it's a truly great film, but unfortunately, the DVD is atrocious.

I'm surprised at what poor condiiton the film is in...the film is from 1965, not even that old...the image is rife with dirt, debris and scratches and several scenes have a vertical line through the image...ugh. The film definitely could have benefitted from some remastering and digital repair.

On top of that, it took Paramount until 2004 to get this film out on DVD, and after all that wait, the DVD is totally bare bones - not even the theatrical trailer is included. I can almost understand it when some minor film gets such a release, but I can't believe that Paramount put so little effort into a release of such a great film. It's great that Paramount DVDs are so cheap generally ($9.99 list price or less), but honestly, I'd rather pay more for a quality release than end up with this.

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The one http://tinyurl.com/3apwqk I got from Amazon.co.uk the other day is excellent. And a bargain too.

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Thanks, but that's the same one I have already. A bargain? Yes, definitely. Excellent? Definitely not, for the reasons stated above.

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Sounds like a have a different DVD because I cannot understand your criticism

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Agreed. The picture quality on my DVD is excellent.

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Mine is excellent too. Could Paramount have released different versions in different regions? Mine is a region 2 bought on amazon.co.uk. It has a very clear image with hardly any scratches.

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There is word from a reliable source that Criterion have licensed this film from Paramount and that we'll see a special edition with a brand-new, cleaned-up transfer in 2008. I'll post more info as it comes to me.

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[deleted]

I, too, like this movie well enough that I will buy the Criterion edition DVD when it comes out (even though I already have the 'regular' version). Criterion editions are good enough that they're almost always worth buying.

Fortunately, there are some stores that will buy used DVDs. They usually don't give very much but it's better than nothing, plus you don't end up with two DVDs of the same movie.

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I just got an e-mail from Criterion saying that they will release THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD, but a street date has not been announced yet.

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Region 2 is beautiful.

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Region 2 is beautiful.
It's what I said.

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I just watched the PAL region 2 version and it was spectacular even on a 56inch screen all blown up. it filled the wide screen,no bars and was fantastic in glorious black and white. what a great film

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The website got updates recently. It said that this film will be released in November

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I just saw it on big screen, and the print looked great in general, but there were quite a few brief gaps that were annoying at times.

If I were in charge of doing a restoration for DVD, I'd consider scanning the print I saw, then digging up some other print to fill in the gaps. That would be a great starting point for a restoration.

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Turner Classic Movies will be showing this film on Monday, August 31 2009 at 8:00 PM Eastern; their prints are usually quite good.

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Like everyone else who has chimed in, I'm really impressed with the image quality of my (Paramount) DVD, so much that I don't see any need to buy the Criterion release.

Is it possible that you got a dud DVD? Did you buy it from a guy named Vinnie the Mooch in the back of a van? Or perhaps your tv is infected with poltergeist? Might you have some corneal abrasions? Must be some logical explanation...

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I watched the Criterion Edition last night and the quality was beautiful. Also: interviews with the director, John Le Carre, and Richard Burton!

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Now I find myself pining for a Criterion blu-ray. I fall into the re-buy trap every time.

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I watched the Criterion DVD last night too (obviously a different 'last night') and was impressed by the picture. Excellent film. Loved all the fantastic camera work and the twist at the end was outstanding :)

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The Criterion blu ray is just great. Oustanding picture quality. One of the best I have seen for a black and white film.

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When I had the Paramount DVD, it was faulty and would always freeze at a certain point. So when watching it, I had to be alert and remember to skip ahead before I got to that time index.

The Criterion blu-ray is glorious.

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