A Matter of Life and Death (Blu-ray SteelBook) [UK]

Noodles

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Feb 28, 2011
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UK
Release date: October 8, 2018
Purchase links: HMV - Amazon - Zavvi
Price: £17.99

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Wow, thanks to the "latest posts" at the bottom of the page just seen this . . . can't say I was expecting this film (I don't follow Criterion releases) in an Amaray let alone in a steelbook.

I suppose makes sense that ITV Studios is releasing it . . . continuing their Powell & Pressburger steelbook releases after they released my favourite P & P film in a steelbook THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP back in October, 2012 . . . and are now bringing THE RED SHOES with AMoLaD as a P&P triple :thumbs::)

Would be cool for fans of P & P and of Brit flics of the classic era in general (where the diction was good and you could understand every word spoken without the need of subtitles) to see steelbook releases forTHE THIEF OF BAGDAD, despite only the one "P" involvement and A CANTERBURY TALE.
 
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Brilliant film but pity it won't have the excellent extras that's on the USA Criterion release

I like a lot of others like having new extras as that is was adds to a back catalog films releases making them more better than previous releases

Some extras can be very good and make a release very special and add enjoyment to a release

I have purchased a lot of releases just because it has new extras or better extras than other previous releases
More better? Come, Paul - you can do better than that! Or should I say, more better (er, no, I shouldn't). lol :LOL:
 
I hope ITV studio give us the new Sony 4k restoration and not the old tired HD scan which has been doing the rounds in Europe. Would be seriously pissed off having to pay a premium price for a steelbook with an old scan.
 
This could prove to be a very very interesting situation. Sony did the total restoration for this one and paid for it. ITV paid nothing or had nothing to do with this restoration so I'm assuming they'll have to pay Sony to use that restoration. Will they or won't they use it?. Be a very interesting waiting game on this one.....
 
hmm intrested but think will hold off on this till is confirmed 4k resto.

not goona pay that money when resto was done 8 months ago, otherwise they just flogging off old discs and price will really fall if that is the case.

basil :thumbs:

oh and for those that havent seen 4k resto trailer below

 
As I said early on its a waiting game but I would be astonished if ITV studio didn't use the new Sony restoration. They would get serious flack if they didn't. You could justify the cost of the steelbook by including the new restoration but you couldn't if you used the old master.
 
TBH for the back maybe better in colour with the scene where the judge and main witnesses descend to the hospital just before the emotional finale with Peter and June . . .
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. . . but from the slither of cloud and sky colour on the spine looks like we're going to have something in the same style as the front:-
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Totally agree that the iconic celestial moving staircase should be somewhere on the steelbook . . . also taking into account the U.S. title is STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN (asks son to play riff) . . .
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. . . and to be found on the posters (original and 1960s re-release):-
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Inside artwork has got to be the equally iconic and awe-inspiring B/W heavenly court . . . or the heavenly archives:-
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The celestial staircase inspired Ray Harryhausen's own staircase design for THE FIRST MEN IN THE MOON (1964) (1946 aMoLaD):--
“I had always intended the meeting with the Grand Lunar to be a spectacular scene and decided that a
huge, almost never-ending staircase would give the scene a grandeur that would only be rivaled by
A Matter of Life and Death (1946) in the history of film.”
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