Flash Gordon French 5.1 CE
05-27-03, 08:03 PM
#1
DVD Talk Gold Edition
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Flash Gordon French 5.1 CE
just got this in, and tho i haven't broken into the shrink wrap yet, it looks to be pretty sweet.
definitely some nice packaging.
it is supposed to have a remastered 5.1 track -that the UK R2 lacks, along with anamorphic OAR, a director interview and an extra Queen cd.
the case seems a little slim to fit two discs, but we'll see.
i'm going to try to see if i can defeat the forced subs on my Malata, and if anyone wants a mini review, just let me know.
the main reason for the post though is to express my pleasure with the retailer- dvdzone2 based out of Belgium.
this is my first French disc because so far i've had nothing but trouble ordering from the retailers listed in the comprhensive thread.
even the ones with English interfaces were a frustrating no-go.
these guys have a very streamlined English interface and ordering was a breeze- as simple as ordering from DDD.
also, i'm impressed with their packaging.
they doubled wrapped the disc in an extra piece fo cardboard and even some foam.
and the kicker, the order arrived today after i placed it over the last weekend.
that's basically as long as it took a DDD package to reach me.
i'm impressed so far.
definitely some nice packaging.
it is supposed to have a remastered 5.1 track -that the UK R2 lacks, along with anamorphic OAR, a director interview and an extra Queen cd.
the case seems a little slim to fit two discs, but we'll see.
i'm going to try to see if i can defeat the forced subs on my Malata, and if anyone wants a mini review, just let me know.
the main reason for the post though is to express my pleasure with the retailer- dvdzone2 based out of Belgium.
this is my first French disc because so far i've had nothing but trouble ordering from the retailers listed in the comprhensive thread.
even the ones with English interfaces were a frustrating no-go.
these guys have a very streamlined English interface and ordering was a breeze- as simple as ordering from DDD.
also, i'm impressed with their packaging.
they doubled wrapped the disc in an extra piece fo cardboard and even some foam.
and the kicker, the order arrived today after i placed it over the last weekend.
that's basically as long as it took a DDD package to reach me.
i'm impressed so far.
Last edited by ckolchak; 05-27-03 at 08:05 PM.
05-27-03, 08:10 PM
#2
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DVDZONE2.com......is the least to say..TOP NOTCH!!!
They service the Benelux+Holland region with quite a few domestic (Dutch) releases!! Awhile ago I got Sur Mes Levres from them.....I would also compare them to our DDD. VERY REASONABLE shipping as well...all in English. I only wish they had more Frenchie discs....but even what they do have at this point is enough!!
So, how about you scan the disc and show it to us?
They service the Benelux+Holland region with quite a few domestic (Dutch) releases!! Awhile ago I got Sur Mes Levres from them.....I would also compare them to our DDD. VERY REASONABLE shipping as well...all in English. I only wish they had more Frenchie discs....but even what they do have at this point is enough!!
So, how about you scan the disc and show it to us?
05-27-03, 09:33 PM
#3
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Thread Starter
i'll take some more detailed pics of the case tonight after i give it a spin.
the outer slip-cover you may be able to see is split down the middle and the Flash logo is embossed.
i'm relieved that dvdzone2 seems to be a good operation since i went ahead and ordered another disc i was wanting badly without waiting to see how this first order would turn out.
hopefully i'll get that disc tomorrow.
i was anticipating at least 2 and 1/2 weeks.
this really shocked me.
05-27-03, 09:53 PM
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Ckolchak......Looks great!!
By the way, you could look at the list of titles bellow...those are the top notch, voted outstanding by many in France deluxe packages of DVD's (in both France and the Benelux areas).
http://www.dvdpascher.net/bestof/pack_old.php
Click on the title to see a detailed picture.
By the way, you could look at the list of titles bellow...those are the top notch, voted outstanding by many in France deluxe packages of DVD's (in both France and the Benelux areas).
http://www.dvdpascher.net/bestof/pack_old.php
Click on the title to see a detailed picture.
Last edited by pro-bassoonist; 05-27-03 at 09:57 PM.
05-28-03, 02:21 AM
#6
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Thread Starter
here's the packaging.
it's top notch; simple, classy, the hubs hold the discs secure, yet you don't have to bend the discs to pry them out, they release easily- THAT i like a lot.
packaging gets an A+
05-28-03, 03:10 AM
#7
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Thread Starter
as for the disc(s) itself.
Bonus Features
bonus features include a audio commentary by the director; a video interview with the director (didn't really pursue either so i don't know how much overlap there is)- also when you select the audio commentary in the menu, you get a 3 or 4 minute video introduction by the director before the movie starts discussing the genesis of his involvment with the project-where we find out the original director for the project was Nicholas Roeg!?. only listened to a few minutes, but it sounded like a good commentary; there is also the trailer (also with forced subs); a filmography; and a gallery of production photos and concept drawings that is backed with music and goes by pretty fast -probably about 30 difft pics each lasting about 3 seconds. would have loved to have seen more, but this was nice.
the second disc is in fact the full Queen soundtrack (18 tracks). sound quality is excellant.
all in all, a nice selection of bonus material.
and much more than we will ever be seeing from Universal if they ever choose to revisit this disc in R1.
i think i can safely say they won't be using the commentary.
it seems that all the director-centric features have been commisioned exclusively for this French edition, as in the video introduction the director greets the viewer and attempts to pronounce the French title of the film.
within the first few minutes of the commentary he also takes a jab at US foreign policy (he says it was difficult to cast the title character who is basically pretty dumb in the film "much like US foreign policy".
didn't bother me, but some people in R1 might get their panties in a bunch hearing comments like this.
c'est la vie.
Video and Audio
the picture seems to be a perfect 2.35 and is anamorphically enhanced.
as it is, it is a little light. i ended up boosting some of the picture settings on my pj and was able to get a fairly rich looking picture.
it's not entirely slick, sharp and glossy- keep in mind this is a film made in the late 70's and released in 1980. close-ups though do seem fairly sharp and offer some detail, whereas long shots seem a bit softer. i believe these qualities are inherent in the source material though and the way the movie was filmed, so i wouldn't fault the transfer.
i was also viewing this on a 80+" wide screen with the lens defocused slightly, so given a smaller display, i would expect this disc has the potential to look really grand.
if i had to grade it, i would probably give it a solid B+.
short of a very expensive restoration( which will NEVER happen, given Universals corporate uncertanties now), i believe this is the best this film will ever look for a long time to come.
there is really nothing wrong with the pic at all. i think the R1 disc it reminds me the most of is Barbarella. if you are familliar with that disc, you should know what to expect as far as the image will look.
it has been reported that the UK disc and this French CE share the same looking video transfer.
they diverge when it comes to the audio.
the UK disc only has the 2.0 mix, where the French has a spiffy new 5.1 remix, and it sounds wonderful.
don't expect a whole lot flashy rear channel effects, there are some, but the rears are mostly used for ambient sound including some aspects of the score.
the fidelity on the whole is excellant and the mix provides for just enough ambient sound and a subtle but appropriate use of the LFE to really enhance the presentation.
it's not a fancy remix on the order of Superman, but it does add quite a bit to the experience over the standard 2.0 track.
unfortunately i'm unable to disable the forced French subs on my Malata.
the good news is they stay below the picture most of the time, except when a line of dialouge runs too long and is rendered in two lines.
oncve you get into the movie it isn't too bad, but for me, this is the only aspect of the entire package that keeps it from being a Home Run.
you could easily avoid the subs by picking up the (slightly) cheaper bare bones UK disc, but you would be missing out on the wonderful 5.1 track, not to mention all the other extras.
as much as i hate the very idea that the subs are forced upon us, i have to say the 5.1 track makes up for that failing and adds a couple extra points in the win column.
you might even be able to disable the subs on a different player.
i may consider getting a spare JVC deck soon so i'll be keeping this set around till at least then.
as far as waiting for Universal to release the movie in R1.
i'm 100% certain they will eventually.
i don't know if they will be able to use the 5.1 track, and i'm pretty damned certain they will never use any of the French produced supplemental material.
they may toss in a fewodds and ends for for the movie, but i'm not expecting anything on the order of what has been done with this set.
i hadn't seen this movie in quite a while (probably about 10 years now) and i had forgotten what a hoot it is.
it actually seems to be getting better with age. this was a movie i sneered at when i was a kid, and now i find it to be one of the most fun late 70's/early 80's Star Wars/comic book rip offs ever.
the supporting cast across the board is a pleasure to watch and clearly seemed to be having fun with the material and that feeling is infectious.
it's great to have the film in my collection in a package that looks and sounds as good as it does.
shame about those subs though...
Bonus Features
bonus features include a audio commentary by the director; a video interview with the director (didn't really pursue either so i don't know how much overlap there is)- also when you select the audio commentary in the menu, you get a 3 or 4 minute video introduction by the director before the movie starts discussing the genesis of his involvment with the project-where we find out the original director for the project was Nicholas Roeg!?. only listened to a few minutes, but it sounded like a good commentary; there is also the trailer (also with forced subs); a filmography; and a gallery of production photos and concept drawings that is backed with music and goes by pretty fast -probably about 30 difft pics each lasting about 3 seconds. would have loved to have seen more, but this was nice.
the second disc is in fact the full Queen soundtrack (18 tracks). sound quality is excellant.
all in all, a nice selection of bonus material.
and much more than we will ever be seeing from Universal if they ever choose to revisit this disc in R1.
i think i can safely say they won't be using the commentary.
it seems that all the director-centric features have been commisioned exclusively for this French edition, as in the video introduction the director greets the viewer and attempts to pronounce the French title of the film.
within the first few minutes of the commentary he also takes a jab at US foreign policy (he says it was difficult to cast the title character who is basically pretty dumb in the film "much like US foreign policy".
didn't bother me, but some people in R1 might get their panties in a bunch hearing comments like this.
c'est la vie.
Video and Audio
the picture seems to be a perfect 2.35 and is anamorphically enhanced.
as it is, it is a little light. i ended up boosting some of the picture settings on my pj and was able to get a fairly rich looking picture.
it's not entirely slick, sharp and glossy- keep in mind this is a film made in the late 70's and released in 1980. close-ups though do seem fairly sharp and offer some detail, whereas long shots seem a bit softer. i believe these qualities are inherent in the source material though and the way the movie was filmed, so i wouldn't fault the transfer.
i was also viewing this on a 80+" wide screen with the lens defocused slightly, so given a smaller display, i would expect this disc has the potential to look really grand.
if i had to grade it, i would probably give it a solid B+.
short of a very expensive restoration( which will NEVER happen, given Universals corporate uncertanties now), i believe this is the best this film will ever look for a long time to come.
there is really nothing wrong with the pic at all. i think the R1 disc it reminds me the most of is Barbarella. if you are familliar with that disc, you should know what to expect as far as the image will look.
it has been reported that the UK disc and this French CE share the same looking video transfer.
they diverge when it comes to the audio.
the UK disc only has the 2.0 mix, where the French has a spiffy new 5.1 remix, and it sounds wonderful.
don't expect a whole lot flashy rear channel effects, there are some, but the rears are mostly used for ambient sound including some aspects of the score.
the fidelity on the whole is excellant and the mix provides for just enough ambient sound and a subtle but appropriate use of the LFE to really enhance the presentation.
it's not a fancy remix on the order of Superman, but it does add quite a bit to the experience over the standard 2.0 track.
unfortunately i'm unable to disable the forced French subs on my Malata.
the good news is they stay below the picture most of the time, except when a line of dialouge runs too long and is rendered in two lines.
oncve you get into the movie it isn't too bad, but for me, this is the only aspect of the entire package that keeps it from being a Home Run.
you could easily avoid the subs by picking up the (slightly) cheaper bare bones UK disc, but you would be missing out on the wonderful 5.1 track, not to mention all the other extras.
as much as i hate the very idea that the subs are forced upon us, i have to say the 5.1 track makes up for that failing and adds a couple extra points in the win column.
you might even be able to disable the subs on a different player.
i may consider getting a spare JVC deck soon so i'll be keeping this set around till at least then.
as far as waiting for Universal to release the movie in R1.
i'm 100% certain they will eventually.
i don't know if they will be able to use the 5.1 track, and i'm pretty damned certain they will never use any of the French produced supplemental material.
they may toss in a fewodds and ends for for the movie, but i'm not expecting anything on the order of what has been done with this set.
i hadn't seen this movie in quite a while (probably about 10 years now) and i had forgotten what a hoot it is.
it actually seems to be getting better with age. this was a movie i sneered at when i was a kid, and now i find it to be one of the most fun late 70's/early 80's Star Wars/comic book rip offs ever.
the supporting cast across the board is a pleasure to watch and clearly seemed to be having fun with the material and that feeling is infectious.
it's great to have the film in my collection in a package that looks and sounds as good as it does.
shame about those subs though...
Last edited by ckolchak; 05-28-03 at 03:47 AM.
05-31-03, 11:48 PM
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Thanks for posting this ckolchak; I might have to break down and get this. Too bad about the subs, but that doesn't bug me. I haven't seen this in a long time either (caught it twice in its first theatrical run). I really enjoyed the supporting cast too.
06-01-03, 12:14 AM
#9
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Forced subtitles...I knew this was too good to be true. 
Still, I may have to get this yet. I seriously doubt we ever see a better version of it anywhere and I have been itching to pick this movie up.
Still, I may have to get this yet. I seriously doubt we ever see a better version of it anywhere and I have been itching to pick this movie up.
07-01-03, 10:02 AM
#11
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Thread Starter
i know it was under $30 total...maybe around $28, but i can't recall exactly.
look for a currency converter on google and use that to convert the Euro price listed on the website to US $.
the rate changes daily.
then add about $5 shipping ( maybe more, probably not much less).
one note of caution about dvdzone2-
i was mighty impressed with the shipping, packaging, and service in regards to my order with the Flash disc.
but the next order i placed, the disc was mearly thrown into a cheap bubble envelope, no cardboard at all, and arrrived with the disc loose & the case cracked and the jacket art gouged/ripped.
thankfully the disc plays ok, but the case needs to be replaced wich really ticks me off.
very disappointed, as i was hoping i'd found a consistent euro retailer to do business with.
like i said the Flash shipping/packaging was exemplary...but proceed with caution.
look for a currency converter on google and use that to convert the Euro price listed on the website to US $.
the rate changes daily.
then add about $5 shipping ( maybe more, probably not much less).
one note of caution about dvdzone2-
i was mighty impressed with the shipping, packaging, and service in regards to my order with the Flash disc.
but the next order i placed, the disc was mearly thrown into a cheap bubble envelope, no cardboard at all, and arrrived with the disc loose & the case cracked and the jacket art gouged/ripped.
thankfully the disc plays ok, but the case needs to be replaced wich really ticks me off.
very disappointed, as i was hoping i'd found a consistent euro retailer to do business with.
like i said the Flash shipping/packaging was exemplary...but proceed with caution.
07-01-03, 10:36 AM
#12
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Originally posted by ckolchak
i know it was under $30 total...maybe around $28, but i can't recall exactly.
look for a currency converter on google and use that to convert the Euro price listed on the website to US $.
the rate changes daily.
then add about $5 shipping ( maybe more, probably not much less).
one note of caution about dvdzone2-
i was mighty impressed with the shipping, packaging, and service in regards to my order with the Flash disc.
but the next order i placed, the disc was mearly thrown into a cheap bubble envelope, no cardboard at all, and arrrived with the disc loose & the case cracked and the jacket art gouged/ripped.
thankfully the disc plays ok, but the case needs to be replaced wich really ticks me off.
very disappointed, as i was hoping i'd found a consistent euro retailer to do business with.
like i said the Flash shipping/packaging was exemplary...but proceed with caution.
i know it was under $30 total...maybe around $28, but i can't recall exactly.
look for a currency converter on google and use that to convert the Euro price listed on the website to US $.
the rate changes daily.
then add about $5 shipping ( maybe more, probably not much less).
one note of caution about dvdzone2-
i was mighty impressed with the shipping, packaging, and service in regards to my order with the Flash disc.
but the next order i placed, the disc was mearly thrown into a cheap bubble envelope, no cardboard at all, and arrrived with the disc loose & the case cracked and the jacket art gouged/ripped.
thankfully the disc plays ok, but the case needs to be replaced wich really ticks me off.
very disappointed, as i was hoping i'd found a consistent euro retailer to do business with.
like i said the Flash shipping/packaging was exemplary...but proceed with caution.
05-06-04, 09:31 PM
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Hi Everybody
Can anyone please help me. I own a pioneer dvd player its about 2/3 years old. Can anyone please advise me whether the French subtitles can be taken off with this player?
I love flash gordon and this film rocks.
I appreciate if anyone could help me.
Can anyone please help me. I own a pioneer dvd player its about 2/3 years old. Can anyone please advise me whether the French subtitles can be taken off with this player?
I love flash gordon and this film rocks.
I appreciate if anyone could help me.
05-08-04, 07:53 AM
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Originally posted by shadowpuppet
The subs are forced on this release.
The subs are forced on this release.
05-08-04, 06:35 PM
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Here is how I get rid of the subs on my Tosh 3900:
Press play...while the movie is playing press Set Up button (this takes you to the DVD player set up menu...scroll down to the Disc Subtitle option and click on Original...press Play...movie resumes but with french subtitles still on...now press set up button again...choose Disc Subtitle...now click OFF...press PLAY...subtitles should be gone...
I have used this every time I have viewed this disc and it works. I posted this on another site and I know that people tried on their JVC and Pioneer players with little success.
A
Press play...while the movie is playing press Set Up button (this takes you to the DVD player set up menu...scroll down to the Disc Subtitle option and click on Original...press Play...movie resumes but with french subtitles still on...now press set up button again...choose Disc Subtitle...now click OFF...press PLAY...subtitles should be gone...
I have used this every time I have viewed this disc and it works. I posted this on another site and I know that people tried on their JVC and Pioneer players with little success.
A
05-10-04, 12:02 AM
#17
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Guys
Thanks for your help!
I am going to check my dvd player the second i get home from work.
Thought you should know I emailed dvdsone2 and received a very quick response. their reply was that the subtitles were permenant.
take care from Aus!
pete
Thanks for your help!
I am going to check my dvd player the second i get home from work.
Thought you should know I emailed dvdsone2 and received a very quick response. their reply was that the subtitles were permenant.
take care from Aus!
pete
