[swest]

Can someone shed some light on something for me?


A while back (1-2 months), I was in Costco and discovered 'The Merchant Ivory Collection' dvds (produced in association with The Criterion Collection). I only remember them having a couple, or maybe three, titles. Anyway, I picked up "Howards End". It's a single disk, and, oddly enough, the single disk is labelled 'disc 1' (actually, I didn't notice that until this very moment.)


Anyway, yesterday I was informed that one of the releases for 2/15/05 was "Howards End". A 2-disc edition. I went in to BB today to see if they might have it on the shelves, but they didn't. I was hoping to discover whether this was yet release. Since BB didn't have it, I came home and starting looking for information on the web. Amazon has the 2-disc set that was released yesterday. Its front cover looks exactly like the single disc edition that I have. I can find no mention, anywhere, of a single-disc edition with this new cover.


Can anyone enlighten me on this little mystery?

 

[Penman]

Hi Swest,


I believe Criterion is releasing a new 2-disc set of Howards End (no apostrophe, btw). Check their website to be sure.


And I'd be willing to bet that the Criterion set will be the one to own.


Good luck, and remember....only connect...


- Tom

 

[swest]

Quote:

Originally posted by Penman Hi Swest, I believe Criterion is releasing a new 2-disc set of Howards End (no apostrophe, btw). Check their website to be sure. And I'd be willing to bet that the Criterion set will be the one to own. Good luck, and remember....only connect... - Tom

This isn't the first time I've screwed up the no-apostrophe on Howards End. You'd think I'd learn't b'now!


Anyway, I see no mention on Criterion's web site about this.


p.s. I guess I'm a little dense, 'only connect'?


p.p.s. Got it... So sorry, it's been a while since I actually Howards End, so I missed your reference.

 

[Penman]

Hi Swest,


I just checked the Criterion website, and there's a special Merchant/Ivory Collection link on the lower right-hand side of the home page. Click there, and it opens up the window to the collection. I'm not clear now if this new HE is a Criterion release, because other websites list Home Vision as the company. In any case, that 2-disc set is definitely the new one, and definitely the one to own.


"Only connect..." is the epigraph from the novel, and the complete passage from which it comes lays out the central theme of the novel...


- Tom

 

[swest]

Quote:

Originally posted by Penman Hi Swest, "Only connect..." is the epigram from the novel, and the complete passage from which it comes lays out the central theme of the novel... - Tom

Yes. See above. I'm a little slow.


And, yes, I see the Criterion page link, and Yes, that is the release I'm talking about. The description there is for a 2-disc version. What I'm saying is that I have a 1-disc versions with the same cover. They don't mention, nor does anyone else for that matter, a 1-disc release. That's the mystery.

 

[Penman]

Sorry, my turn to be dense. I didn't realize it was the exact same cover.


But is it the exact same cover? The cover on the earlier release is quite similar...


Anyhoo, I'll leave this to others to answer...I can't help you on whether the M/E collection features a 1-disc version of this HE new transfer.


Good luck!


- Tom

 

[swest]

Quote:

Originally posted by Penman But is it the exact same cover? The cover on the earlier release is quite similar... . . Good luck! - Tom

Yes. I pulled up the enlargement offered on Amazon and compared: The very same. Also interesting is that on the copy I have the Criterion catalog number (HOW050) and ISBN (0-78002-935-6) are included, and they are at odds with the catalog number (HOW040) and ISBN (0-78002-913-5) listed on Criterion's site.


Ah, well. It's a mystery.


Thanks.

 

[Workindood]

The movie "Howards End" was another movie that I would never had seen if not for my wife. I am glad to see they came out with an updated DVD. Since we do not own the original DVD now we can get this one. This summer when we rent our little cottage on the beach of Lake Huron I think I will read the book. I also did not know that E.M. Forrester wrote "Passage to India".

 

[HTCrazy]

Those EM Forrester, Merchant Ivory films are nice to watch when you've got the big screen HT setup. I've been renting various MI films from Netflix lately, some with excellent video and others pretty bad. The Criterion collection hopefully manages to keep PQ good across the board..?

 

[Paulidan]

that's quite odd about the single disc.

maybe it was a 'special' release for Costco or another retailer and to give it a cheap msrp they left out the second disc.


i have both Room With a View and Quartet and both look great to me.

i am aware of the probable use of a PAL source for ARWAV, but still in every respect the transfer is miles ahead of the old Image version (which was suffused with artifacts and compression shimmering/blocking). just a gorgeous film to look at (as most of theirs are).

same goes for Quartet which may be even more solid a presentation interms of a/v.