This movie knocked me on my ass multiple times. I was just plain astonished with how well it worked on me. The film is sooo ****ing amazing, I swear, and yet where's the big spanking dvd? How come it's so hard to find the 2-disc French version, at least? Can somebody help?

BTW, are there any Jane Campion fans that recommend any and all highly informative pieces on her, no matter what the region or medium? Help me get started on this amazing director!

What is this..... am I stuck on a forum full of LOTR fans only?? Anyway, I found and bought the French version. But still, can anyone recommend a great book on her, or by her??? (still doing my own research, though...)

There is a German Limited Edition.

Nice Digi with 2 Discs. Movie (with Supplements) + Soundtrack.

English 5.1 & DTS
German 2.0
Subtitles: German
Bonus: Interviews with Jane Campion & Jan Chapman (80 Minutes), Making of, Trailer, Soundtrack.

You can order it here

Donnie

are the subtitles forced?? (damn it!)

This is one of my favorite films. I had no idea there was a German limited edition. I would like to know also if there are forced subs on the German edition. That's what kept me from buying the new French 2-disc release.

I checked around and I found some sites that say the German subs are "nicht ausblendbar." What does "ausblendbar" mean?

"not fade outable" http://translate.google.com/translate_t

Moving to DVD Talk Forum.

- David Stein

Can people tell me where I can at least find good posters of this film?

Is it anamorphic also (German edition)?

The French disc has forced subs-
http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/dvd.php?id=7606
....though the quality is superb! My brother owns the disc and I find it hard (and sad) to believe that we dont have a decent release of it.

and here's what else is also available in France from the director Campion-
http://www.dvdfr.com/search/search.p...853&startype=1

(the US Holy Smoke DVD is pretty good)

and here's what the specisl edition of the French disc looks like
(scroll down)
http://www.dvdpascher.net/bestof/sea...p?dvd_ref=7095


I guess you could say that the film falls into the "Art films" category here in the US and Artisian are not interested in producing a SE as the French did.

I also love the film, but I'll wait for a better R1 version before I buy it. Someday hopefully it will happen.

I thought you were talking about The Pianist. Because if were are talking about the Piano then this movie totally [thread crapping] - Not Allowed

I would also highly recommend Campion's 1990 mini-series for Australian television, An Angel at My Table. It is available on a Region 2 (UK) DVD from Artificial Eye.

(An aside: Janet Frame, the beloved New Zealand author whose autobiographies this film is based on, just announced this week that she has terminal cancer).

OMG, that's terrible.

The German edition has English subtitles!! All the features in this 3-disc digipack, which are lacking from the US release, are great, including: an anamorphic picture, DD and DTS surround sound, 80+ minute interview with Jane Campion and her producer, and the 20+ minute making-of.

My only gripe is that the picture quality is off from the US release, which beautifully presents her deep-sea blues in the forest as they should be. This point is sorely missed in the German edition, but that's the only downfall!

if you want a book, try this one about Jane Campion's work and you will not be disappointed.

My Collection

I'll never forget an amusing incident that occurred during the initial video released for this film way back in '94. I was in a video store that catered to mostly art house film buffs, and was standing near the New Release section that featured "The Piano." All copies were out, and an older couple approached the area. The wife whined about once again not being able to rent the film because it's all gone. The husband then barks back to her, "You and that F***ing Piano!" It was so unexpected and inappropriate considering the store attracted much more civilized and (snooty) clientele than one would find in a Blockbuster.

Anyways, I thought "The Piano" was a haunting, mesmerizing film that really does deserve a Special Edition treatment. Beautiful score, also.

scroll...so you can disable the subtitles on the German one?

Yes, of course, as I have now discovered. I guess the it's only the French version, supposedly, where you can't turn off their subtitles, but with the German version, you turn everything off, or turn on the English subtitles, which is actually important when the local tribesman speak....