Macbeth (2015) (Blu-ray SteelBook) [UK]

snooloui

The 'Negative' Ninja
Premium Supporter
Feb 12, 2012
12,034
UK
Release date: February 1st, 2016
Purchase links:
Amazon.co.uk - £19.99
Zavvi.com - £19.99

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I saw this today at my local cinema. An impressive effort from the little known director, Justin Kurzel. It's certainly a very cinematic adaptation for the present day, with first class performances from the two leads, Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard.

Shakespeare's play is, of course, rather long so it has been condensed somewhat for the cinema, not only here but in all other adaptations as well. The most significant change in the new film is that the role Lady Macbeth is somewhat diminished.

There is also some tinkering with the original text which won't please the purists.

The biggest problem for me were the broad Scottish accents used, with varying success, by most of the cast and which rendered some of the dialogue incomprehensible. I speak as a person whose mother tongue is English, and who studied "Macbeth" in depth as a set play for my English Literature GCE exam many years ago, which will provide some idea of what I'm getting at. Ironically, the person whom I could understand perfectly was Marion Cotillard, who hails from France!

In spite of these drawbacks, it's still well worth seeing and I'll certainly be treating myself to this Steelbook. Hopefully, the disc will come with English subtitles.

For aficionados of Shakespeare on film, this latest version of "Macbeth" doesn't supersede the classic adaptations of Orson Welles (1948/1952) or Roman Polanski (1971). Rather, it complements them. I wouldn't want to be without any of these films in my collection.

PS @C.C. 95 You need to go and see this.
:thumbs: Thanks for the tag @augustus!
$30 from Zavvi. But $45 from Amazon UK?!! Madness!!!
Tough one. The zavvi is a 'limited edition', but is there the chance this will get an eventual price drop from the fact that many don't dig Shakespeare?
 
'Othello', 'Coriolanus', 'King Lear' and 'Macbeth' are four that I remember from way back when for Eng. Lit. 'O' and 'A' levels and I remember quoting passages from each while revising, though whether I want to be reminded of any of those plays now is a good question. . .
A decent cast certainly (and despite what anyone says to the contrary I though MF was very good in 'Fish Tank' and 'Eden Lake') but the steelbook artwork should have been the same as that used on the Amaray edition Imo and the 'live' price is ALL WRONG (n)
 
:thumbs: Thanks for the tag @augustus!
$30 from Zavvi. But $45 from Amazon UK?!! Madness!!!
Tough one. The zavvi is a 'limited edition', but is there the chance this will get an eventual price drop from the fact that many don't dig Shakespeare?

@C.C. 95 I think it fairly safe to say that being a Shakespeare film, the Steelbook won't sell particularly well and will, if you're prepared to be patient, be available at a substantially reduced price at some time in the future.

I was actually surprised at the news that this would be getting a Steelbook release, since I can think of only two other Shakespeare films that have been released as Steelbooks. The first being the forthcoming Blufans release of Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet" (1996), and the second being the German release of Ralph Fiennes' "Coriolanus" (2011), which is still available from amazon.de for EUR 9.99.
 
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Artwork looks good and the trailer looks quite interesting to probably purchase it when price reduces a bit will keep updated on this thread for future updates.
 
@C.C. 95 I think it fairly safe to say that being a Shakespeare film, the Steelbook won't sell particularly well and will, if you're prepared to be patient, be available at a substantially reduced price at some time in the future.

I was actually surprised at the news that this would be getting a Steelbook release, since I can think of only two other Shakespeare films that have been released as Steelbooks. The first being the forthcoming Blufans release of Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet" (1996), and the second being the German release of Ralph Fiennes' "Coriolanus" (2011), which is still available from amazon.de for EUR 9.99.
I would think that a no-brainer would be Steelbooks of Branagh's Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing (Hey! They have commercial appeal! Henry V has The Dark Knight in it! And Much Ado About Nothing has the other Batman/Birdman , Selene from Underworld, John Wick/Neo and Denzel!:LOL:)
 
Marion Cotillard's mole on the forehead should be surgically removed...:wow:

I know, it can be a bit distracting. Whenever I see it I feel like Austin Powers in that mole scene :D

The BIG HEAD cover just will not do.:grumpy:

I hear what you're saying, but maybe artwork opportunities are limited with a film like this? Also, at least it's big head that looks related to the film unlike, say, Matt Damon's head on The Adjustment Bureau that is mostly just a massive portrait of him that could have been taken from pretty much any film he's ever done.
 
Now down to £22.99 on Amazon.

Seems to be price- tracking 'Sicario' on both Amazon and Zavvi.
Wake me up when they both get to GBP 11.99 and even then . . .
- Not a one retailer exclusive
- Not limited to under 3 - 4,000.
- Shakespeare . . . puhleese . . . had enough of that at school to last me a lifetime, and why Shakespeare and not some other school stuff ?
Maybe something based on Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales"* (although this has already been done in fine style by Pasolini in the 1970s and again for TV in the late 1990s in animation) or even Milton's "Paradise Lost" an epic to end all epics?
*Powell and Pressburger's "A Canterbury Tale" (1944) only spiritually related to the Chaucer but what a little gem !

Apologies for going OT as got a bit carried away :)
 
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It's odd that only Amazon and Zavvi have this listed, and not HMV, but its not an exclusive from what I can make out - at least I hope it doesn't become one
 
Still says at the top of the page Zavvi £19.99 and Amazon £29.99 - should that not read £22.99 for Amazon and also include HMV or are we being pro Zavvi? Fair competition???

You do know you can report the OP to have a mod look into it, right?
 
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