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DVD + Blu-ray coming from Olive Films: rescheduled yet again (4/8/14)!

posted 11 years ago by hobnob53
8 replies | jump to latest

Fresh from issuing Fire Maidens of Outer Space, Olive Films has announced the release of The Bamboo Saucer on DVD (SRP $24.99) and Blu-ray ($29.99). No extras, as usual from Olive, but the print should be excellent.

Unfortunately, this release (along with Olive's releases of the noir Cry Danger and a redo of Young at Heart), has been pushed back for yet a second time.

Originally scheduled for release on October 15, 2013, the date was re-set for January 21, 2014. Now it's been delayed again, to April 8, 2014. No explanation that I've seen, but presumably there's a lot of restoration work still needed.

We'll keep it updated.

An odd but neat little film. Unique, anyway, and Dan Duryea's swan song.

[–] jetlag31 10 years ago

The DVD version of "The bamboo Saucer" is now available and the quality of the print is pretty impressive, especially the exterior shots of mountain vistas. There are a few problems with some of the special effects shots though. Whether these come from the original print or arise from any restoration work I don't know

No extras or subtitles but the disk is multi-region so it should work without difficulty on any player.

[–] hobnob53 10 years ago

Yes, the print is good. I think the effects issues you mentioned are from the film itself. They were always a bit problematic.

But the disc isn't multi-region, at least not according to the details on the DVD cover. It specifically states it's Region 1, playable on an R1 player only, like all Olive DVDs. (Obviously it would also play on a multi-region player.)

[–] jetlag31 10 years ago

Despite what the packaging may SAY, the disk itself is DEFINITELY multi-region. It works fine on my own region 4 player. I also verified its status for myself using my computer's DVD player software, which has option to show what region's players a particular disk will play on. The Bamboo Saucer's disk has been configuted to play in regions 1 thru 8. (Note: it isn't a region 0 disk! The configuration bits for each of regions 1-8 have been set.)

Check it out for yourself.

[–] hobnob53 10 years ago

Since I'm in Region 1 I don't actually care whether the disc plays elsewhere, so have no need or desire to check it out myself. I take your word for your computer's findings.

I have friends in Australia (R4) who in the past have said that they can play R1 discs on their R4 players, so the fact that TBS plays on yours isn't really surprising. R4 countries use the PAL system, and broadly speaking it's often possible for a PAL player to read and play an NTSC disc (used in the US among other places), at least in certain regions. (In my experience it doesn't seem to work in the UK [R2, PAL].) But if this disc is encoded for all regions (including 7 and 8, which are not "regional" codes as such nor much if at all in use at this time) then it should be playable pretty much everywhere.

Still, I wonder why Olive would state their discs are Region 1 if they're in fact multi-regional. You'd think that would be a selling point.

Oh, true, "Region 0" (an informal term) and "multi-region" are not precisely the same concept. But in practice they amount to the same thing.

When you play the Bamboo Saucer disc, what's the film's running time?

[–] jetlag31 10 years ago

Since I'm in Region 1 I don't actually care whether the disc plays elsewhere, so have no need or desire to check it out myself.

Unless, of course, you buy (or someone sends you) (say) a Region 2 DVD. Then you MAY care!

I have friends in Australia (R4) who in the past have said that they can play R1 discs on their R4 players

That's because those players are configurable (with a "secret" code) which turns them into multi-region players. I once had one like that myself. They are never sold as multi-region. The owners have to enter the "secret" code themselves after purchase.

Note in my experience only DVD players you connect to your TV set can be configured as multi-region. The DVD players which are used with laptops and other computers are not so flexible. AFAIK they canNOT be turned into multi-region ones. They will only play DVDs for the region they are set for (plus region 0). They CAN be set to a different region but only a designated number of times. After you've used all those up you have to out and buy a new player!

R4 countries use the PAL system, and broadly speaking it's often possible for a PAL player to read and play an NTSC disc.

It's not really the DVD player which is PAL or NTSC but the TV set. Most (if not all) DVD players--at least those I've encountered--will play a DVD irrespective of whether it is carrying NTSC or PAL signals, but if your TV set can't display NTSC signals it won't work. Once upon a time Australian TV sets could not display NTSC signals and American ones would only display NTSC ones. In Australia at least that is no longer the case.

Oh, true, "Region 0" (an informal term) and "multi-region" are not precisely the same concept. But in practice they amount to the same thing.

First of all "Region 0" is not an "informal term". Perhaps you're thinking of "worldwide" and "region free", which are informal terms for Region 0. It is possible to buy Region 0 DVDs just as it is possible to buy Region 1 DVDs and Region 4 ones. (The Region 0 ones I've encountered are mainly documentaries and special interest films.)

Secondly, a multi-region DVD does NOT have to play in EVERY region. For example, I've struck multi-region DVDs that are configured to only work with Region 2 and 4 players.

In contrast, a true Region 0 DVD will work irrespective of the region your DVD player is set for.

what's the film's running time?

One hour 43.5 minutes

[–] hobnob53 10 years ago

Unless, of course, you buy (or someone sends you) (say) a Region 2 DVD. Then you MAY care!

Since we were speaking specifically about Olive Films's DVD of The Bamboo Saucer, no, I don't care or need to check it out. It plays in Region 1 and that's all that matters to me in this case.

I have many R2 discs and a multi-region player to play them in. Therefore region encoding has not been an issue for me. But this has nothing to do with this particular film.

That's because those players are configurable (with a "secret" code) which turns them into multi-region players. I once had one like that myself. They are never sold as multi-region. The owners have to enter the "secret" code themselves after purchase.

Yes, we have the same situation. I know owners who have manually changed their player's codes to become multi-regional. With the prices of DVD players so low, I couldn't be bothered messing with an R1 to turn it into a multi-region or R0 deck. I'll just buy an R0 player in the first place.

It's not really the DVD player which is PAL or NTSC but the TV set. Most (if not all) DVD players--at least those I've encountered--will play a DVD irrespective of whether it is carrying NTSC or PAL signals, but if your TV set can't display NTSC signals it won't work.

What I was referring to were discs labeled for NTSC or PAL systems. My understanding has been that PAL systems will more often play discs manufactured for the NTSC system than vice-versa. I have not yet personally encountered a disc meant for one region that plays in a player for another, but I know such things exist.

First of all "Region 0" is not an "informal term". Perhaps you're thinking of "worldwide" and "region free", which are informal terms for Region 0. It is possible to buy Region 0 DVDs just as it is possible to buy Region 1 DVDs and Region 4 ones. (The Region 0 ones I've encountered are mainly documentaries and special interest films.) Secondly, a multi-region DVD does NOT have to play in EVERY region. For example, I've struck multi-region DVDs that are configured to only work with Region 2 and 4 players. In contrast, a true Region 0 DVD will work irrespective of the region your DVD player is set for.

Again, my understanding is that "Region 0" is an informal term, even though it's used freely and is imprinted on DVDs playable in all regions. Either way it's not too important. I have many R0 discs, and in my case they're mostly movies -- mainly public domain stuff, but also some imports, from places like South Korea. But it's correct that "multi-region" is not necessarily the same as Region 0 or region-free. Personally I use the term R0 to describe a disc that plays anywhere.

One hour 43.5 minutes

Thanks. I asked because the film's standard run time (at a theatrical speed of 24 frames per second) is about 103 minutes. That's also the DVD's running time in the NTSC system. But in Britain, for example, where under the PAL system films are broadcast (or R2 discs played on DVD players) at a rate of 25 frames per second, a 103-minute film would run in about 94 minutes or so. I was wondering whether in your case the actual viewing time would be the correct running time or the abbreviated time under the PAL system.

[–] jetlag31 10 years ago

at a rate of 25 frames per second, a 103-minute film would run in about 94 minutes or so.

I just checked out my DVD of John Wayne's "The Shootist", which had been coded in PAL, and found it had a running time of about 95 minutes (versus 100 minutes of original running time according to IMDB).

I was wondering whether in your case the actual viewing time would be the correct running time or the abbreviated time under the PAL system.

103 minutes (which equates to 1 hour 43 minutes) is the runtime given by IMDB. The coding used for the DVD was NTSC.

[–] hobnob53 10 years ago

Yes, that's exactly my point. I'm an American and live in the US, but my wife is English and we spend some time over there. When I watch an R2 DVD in the UK, out of interest I always look at the specs on the label, and the running time is always shorter than the film's actual -- theatrical -- running time (as well as that of the US DVD) because of the one extra frame per second. (It makes no difference what the nationality of the original film was, since the theatrical running time anywhere is always based on 24 frames per second.)

For example, I once watched the 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still with my wife's nephew in England, and the R2 DVD ran 88 minutes. But the film's actual run time is 92 minutes, as is the R1 DVD. So any R4 DVD you have, designed to be played on the PAL system, would have a shorter running time, just like an R2.

This is why I wondered whether your R4 player, playing an R1 disc designed for NTSC, would play it at its correct running time or would it too be shown at 25 frames per second. Frankly, I myself have never noted whether an R2 DVD of mine plays at a different speed (24 frames per second vs. its intended 25) when I play it here. But I'm using an R0 player.

Nothing important, just interesting.