Prospero's Books

[ando]

Does anyone here know of or own this title on DVD? Apparently, it's been released on DVD in Europe. If anyone has links or any further info, please provide!

ando

[tavernier]

Does anyone here know of or own this title on DVD? Apparently, it's been released on DVD in Europe. If anyone has links or any further info, please provide!

According to the UK Greenaway site, it is the only one of Greenaway's pre-TULSE LUPER features not on DVD somewhere.

[Oedipax]

I'm pretty sure this will be one of those titles that is unfortunately caught in the middle of the Disney/Miramax/Weinsteins fiasco...

For the record, I think there is a Propsero's Book DVD in either Spain or Mexico but it's nothing to go looking for - someone ordered it and reported back that it's a VHS-port.

I wonder what's going on with the rest of the TLS releases? I've had part one for what seems like a couple years now, I figued the rest would've followed suit way before now.

[ando]

Thanks, guys. Might be nice if Criterion picked up this title - a Greenway commentary would definitely be interesting...

[tavernier]

Thanks, guys. Might be nice if Criterion picked up this title - a Greenway commentary would definitely be interesting...

Greenaway has commentaries on both BFI discs of DRAUGHTSMAN and ZED.....endlessly fascinating and literate.

[YKdvd]

There is a Dutch site which seems to include "Prospero's Books" as part of box set of film festival winners. Does anyone have any further info on this? I can't seem to track down any separate Dutch or EU release that they might be including, and it seems hard to believe the people making the box set would do all the work themselves to create a DVD even if they could get some sort of rights?

[AK]

I'm pretty sure this will be one of those titles that is unfortunately caught in the middle of the Disney/Miramax/Weinsteins fiasco...

I wonder what's going on with the rest of the TLS releases? I've had part one for what seems like a couple years now, I figued the rest would've followed suit way before now.

Indeed, Miramax has the North American rights, or had them, who has them now, I don't think many people can tell. At least it seems that the Weinsteins weren't that interested in releasing it.

As for the The Tulse Luper Suitcases, this situation is indeed baffling. And add to the two unreleased films a shorter version called A Life In Suitcases, which apparently was released in the festival circuit last year. Hasn't it been already two years since The Moab Story DVD?

Would make a nice boxset to include all of the four films.

Might be nice if Criterion picked up this title - a Greenway commentary would definitely be interesting...

As someone mentioned earlier, the region 2 BFI releases for Draughtsman's Contract and A Zed & Two Noughts have commentaries by him, and the BFI Early Films has introductions, so if someday Criterion would be able to secure the rights and make a release of the film, I'm optimistic that Greenaway would be involved.

There is a Dutch site which seems to include "Prospero's Books" as part of box set of film festival winners. Does anyone have any further info on this? I can't seem to track down any separate Dutch or EU release that they might be including, and it seems hard to believe the people making the box set would do all the work themselves to create a DVD even if they could get some sort of rights?

I haven't heard much else of this release other than having seen a few pictures of the boxset, and it does seem unbelievable; this would mean that there is possibly a DVD transfer somewhere (possibly owned by Kasander Films?). But it could be a horrible transfer. On IMDb there was a person who had contacted Kasander Films and asked about the release (this was already a year or two back) and they said that a DVD release would be possible in the near future. The poster cleverly asked about A Walk Through Prospero's Library, and got a vague answer that it might be included. That is, time has passed and no DVD in sight, not even a whisper of it. Strange, really, considering that there can't be any legal obstacles in Europe to release it, can there.

[Barmy]

Image quality on the Dutch DVD is reportedly good, but not great. This is from the message board on Greenaway's site (there are a few others):

[godardslave]

anywhere online selling the dutch dvd?

[Barmy]

Only as part of the box setfor 175 euros.

[Barmy]

I finally ordered this thing. Naturally, the only disc that got dislodged in shipping was poor Prospero. All of the DVDs are subtitled in English.

[tavernier]

I finally ordered this thing. Naturally, the only disc that got dislodged in shipping was poor Prospero.

So how does poor Prospero look?

[Barmy]

It looks good, not great. But this is not a film that will ever work well on video. It was fun to see after all these years.

[Tommaso]

Please tell me this isn't true:

To be released on February 10, there will be an Italian DVD of "Prospero's Books". But it seems it will only have Italian audio!

I really really hope this information is wrong, but I saw it confirmed on other sites as well. What a f'cking bloody shame.

[Barmy]

I've found Italian pre-release specs to occasionally be inaccurate. So there may be hope. =P~

This youtube extract from the Italian version proves that this will be unwatchable if it's Italian only.

[Giles]

It looks good, not great. But this is not a film that will ever work well on video. It was fun to see after all these years.

which seems odd, considering that it was shot with early prototype HiDef cameras.

[Barmy]

It will never work well on video because of all the little boxes and such floating in the screen. As much as people want to believe otherwise, a 60 inch screen is not the same as a 20 foot one, or whatever.

[tavernier]

That's why the Tulse Luper films are also a mess on DVD.

[Giles]

I know Tulse Luper I is on DVD, but 2 and 3 ?? where?

[Tommaso]

In Australia. I put a link to it in the Tulse thread.

Oh, and the Italian pre-release specs for "Prospero" seem to have been correct

[Barmy]

Tulse will be even worse. At least in Prospero the boxing is used semi-sparingly and it's generally not tiny boxes but just large boxes framed by the full screen. All this boxing talk makes me want to Netflix Boxing Helena.