Review of the DVD "The Dead"
Added 2/8/2010
The is an excellent movie an does credit to its director, John Huston. It was the last movie he directed and stars his daughter, Anjelica, in one of her better performances. The film focuses one a holiday celebration in Dublin at the turn of the last century and features a great cast of Irish actors (only some of whom I had seen in previous pictures). It's focus on a lost first love and its different responses in a long time married coupled is a highlight. An Irish song at the end of the holiday party triggers this reaction and process of awareness on the part of the husband. The interaction between the family and its friends is explored in a subtle fashion.
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Be sure to get the correct full length version
Added 1/29/2010
The following information applies to DVD's sold in the US. There are two versions of "The Dead" floating around. The correct "full length" version is catalogue number 27301 which appears on the actual disc and also above the bar code on the back cover of the DVD. The correct time (83 minutes) is also at the bottom of the DVD back cover. The "edited" version (73 minutes and missing important footage) is catalogue number 26399 which also appears on the disc and above the bar code. It is impossible to tell the two versions apart based on the DVD front covers. Although Amazon's product description states the film is 83 minutes in length, they are no longer a direct seller for this item. Instead, you must buy from an independent seller and hope they are selling the correct full length version. I purchased my first version of this DVD from one of the sellers listed by Amazon and got the shortened version. I was finally able to find the full length version at a Fry's Electronics superstore in Las Vegas. I wish I could give better info to potential buyers. By the way, the full length DVD has a good widescreen picture and Dolby Digital audio. There are, however, no special features. Lionsgate really screwed up this DVD release.
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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Problem fixed?
Added 1/28/2010
Please could anyone update me whether the problem with the butchered DVD has been rectified and whether AMAZON is selling the corrected version???? Thanks.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Warning: This Is a Butchered Version
Added 1/5/2010
WARNING: DO NOT BUY THIS DVD. This is NOT the same version as the U.S. theatrical release. Worse, there is NO warning on the package that this DVD version is different than the one released to theaters. The morons at LionsGate have inexplicably cut about 10 minutes from the film. Those missing 10 minutes help develop the character of protagonist Gabriel Conroy, and show small details about his relationship with his wife -- which is the whole damn point of the story! Those 10 missing minutes also reveal the drinking problem of Freddy Malin, over which the hostesses of the party are fretting in the opening scenes. Without those 10 minutes, the fretting of the hostesses over Freddy's drinking make no sense. This was a masterpiece of moviemaking, but the jackasses at LionsGate are so stupid, they have no idea how they have ruined this movie by releasing a butchered DVD. DO NOT BUY THIS DVD!!
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Disappointed about deleted scenes
Added 1/2/2010
Having had the VHS version of The Dead for many years, I was happy to see the DVD version finally being released after all these years- so I pre-ordered it. I just sat down to watch it again and was very disappointed to see that the film had been cut, with several scenes deleted. In particular, they must have decided they wanted to practically cut Donal Donnelly's Freddie Malins character out of the movie, as they cut two scenes early in the movie that provided great (drunken) comic relief- his entrance and bathroom scene ("anything under a mile and he'd miss the finish") the racing discussion and story Freddie tells of 'old man gallaher' and the girl practicing with a piglet story.
As the film is a slice of life story centered on a dinner party in 1904 Dublin, it is a pity these scenes and other bits were cut. I don't see any reason for the cuts- it's not like this was a long film to begin with, or that they needed to cut it to fit it on a single DVD.
A great film has been cheapened by Lionsgate. They, or someone else more capable, should provide a full-length version of this movie to do justice to John Huston as his last film. They should also offer a free exchange for those unfortunate enough to buy this version thinking it was a full-length version of the film.
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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Review of the DVD "The Dead"
Added 2/8/2010
The is an excellent movie an does credit to its director, John Huston. It was the last movie he directed and stars his daughter, Anjelica, in one of her better performances. The film focuses one a holiday celebration in Dublin at the turn of the last century and features a great cast of Irish actors (only some of whom I had seen in previous pictures). It's focus on a lost first love and its different responses in a long time married coupled is a highlight. An Irish song at the end of the holiday party triggers this reaction and process of awareness on the part of the husband. The interaction between the family and its friends is explored in a subtle fashion.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Be sure to get the correct full length version
Added 1/29/2010
The following information applies to DVD's sold in the US. There are two versions of "The Dead" floating around. The correct "full length" version is catalogue number 27301 which appears on the actual disc and also above the bar code on the back cover of the DVD. The correct time (83 minutes) is also at the bottom of the DVD back cover. The "edited" version (73 minutes and missing important footage) is catalogue number 26399 which also appears on the disc and above the bar code. It is impossible to tell the two versions apart based on the DVD front covers. Although Amazon's product description states the film is 83 minutes in length, they are no longer a direct seller for this item. Instead, you must buy from an independent seller and hope they are selling the correct full length version. I purchased my first version of this DVD from one of the sellers listed by Amazon and got the shortened version. I was finally able to find the full length version at a Fry's Electronics superstore in Las Vegas. I wish I could give better info to potential buyers. By the way, the full length DVD has a good widescreen picture and Dolby Digital audio. There are, however, no special features. Lionsgate really screwed up this DVD release.
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
|
Problem fixed?
Added 1/28/2010
Please could anyone update me whether the problem with the butchered DVD has been rectified and whether AMAZON is selling the corrected version???? Thanks.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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