Class316

I asked the seller if it was a VHS transfer he said no. I sent another email asking if it was an LD transfer or a copy of the German version. Awaiting a reply.

So what do you guys think it is?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=6307627716

digitalfreaknyc

Considering EVERYTHING he has up is "not a DVD-R" and "out of print," and at the same time "all region"...

you decide.

solpo

Perhaps it's a DVD+R?

Class316

He doesn't have "out of print". Just "very rare".

Since the material is public domain (isn't it?) maybe it's a new transfer of some sort? kinda like Sieg des Glaubens: http://www.sieg-des-glaubens.com/

cultshock

Hmmm, he has 100% positive feedback and no one complained about the DVDs they purchased, but something still looks fishy. He seems to be selling quite a few multiple copies of particular DVDs that no one else is selling. And they sell pretty well too, and I recognized a few titles that I wasn't aware of having R0 releases. So where is he getting them? And if they are popular sellers, why is no one else selling them? Something just doesn't seem quite legit about it.

FuzzyBallz

They have DVDs back in 1936? Well, does it have a swastika water mark on the back?

Sunday Morning

might be a brazilian import. Which a lot of the time is the next closest thing to a bootleg.

68ShelbyGT500KR

the ad states:
"Brand new SEALED DVD"

Could be legit
http://www.riefenstahl.org/director/1938/

Edit:
http://www.riefenstahl.org/resources/video.html

Londo

"all region" does NOT equal bootleg...

alessandro

I can almost guarantee that it's a dvdr as the seller is selling many copies of the same films and most of the films are rare. No one has that many originals of these.

digitalfreaknyc

no shit.

but all region coupled with the guys other "not a DVD-R" discs that are all OOP.

You decide.

Class316

The better question is, the quality of the contents!

cultshock

Fair question. As an absolute last resort, I would be willing to purchase a DVD of questionable origin if it at least looked good.

I'm assuming his discs are NTSC, which adds suspicion to some of the films he is selling. To give one example, one film he is selling, PREMIERE DESIRS: as far as I know, the only NTSC disc of that is the R2 Japanese disc that he mentions in his listing (French language with no English subs). If there are any legit discs of this title available with English subs (and I'm not sure that there are), they would most likely be PAL.

unclehulot

gawd! just go ahead and buy it, thus insuring that Criterion issues it in six months...

Mark_vdH

I doubt if Criterion will release this anytime soon. They are already too late for the upcoming Olympics, the perfect moment for a tie-in.

Premiers Desirs has been released by Warner in France, BTW:
http://www.dvdfr.com/dvd/dvd.php?id=11545

Class316

UPDATE: Here's what he told me

regarding language/subs:

regarding the source:

Class316

So it couldn’t be the German DVD cause it has no English subs.

And it’s not the LD cause that has English language.

Right?

cultshock

OK, thanks for the info. So, like I said, this would indeed be PAL, while I'm assuming that the one on ebay is not. (also the French DVD, like the Japanese one, has no English subs). So that's two official DVD releases that the one on ebay can't be. Still suspicious.

Anyway, I'm thinking that these are "grey market" releases. Maybe someone got ahold of film prints, had them transferred to video (probably not too professionally or carefully) and had some DVDs pressed somewhere? (without getting permission from actual rights holders). Complete conjecture on my part, but such releases have been done before.

RevKarl

Does anyone know if Olympia is indeed a public domain title? If it is...and because of the stigma surrounding it, the usual PD companies (Alpha, Delta, etc...) might not be interested in releasing it...then this could be a perfectly legal pressing.

Then, the main question becomes: Is the transfer any good? Unfortunately, until someone buys it on eBay (or elsewhere) and post a feedback, all we can do is speculate.

unclehulot

No, it's not PD. There are certainly different rights holders in different countries though, and it's been frequently pirated over the years; once the rights were even "bought" (that's what HE said) by the infamous Raymond Rohauer (who screwed up the availability of Buster Keaton's work for decades)-- Even without the stigma, it's not the kind of thing Alpha or Delta would "issue" (or botch for suckers to buy for a small fee).

Personally, since it is (unless something's changed recently) a Janus title available to Criterion, I'd sooner wait 6 months, a year or three years than pay for something that won't be top quality. But then, I have my VHS from the last time IFC aired the Janus print...

Class316

Update. I asked if the Nazi imagery was uncensored and how many discs it came in. Here's what I got:

one disc for BOTH parts? That sounds bad :/

Mark_vdH

Could be a dvd-18.

Class316

damn. Thinking if I should get it :/

cultshock

Yeah, take one for the team. Get it and let us know how it looks.

The auction you linked is over, but oddly enough, the seller has 4 more auctions for the same title now (wow, thats lucky! ). They all have bids except one.