I don't know about that transfer. I believe that I read this release is just the previous release + soundtrack

It DOES have a new transfer, along with an improved 5.1. The AR has opened up from 1:85 to 1:66.

Wow, improved transfer, accurate aspect ratio, and the missing "Mønti Pythøn ik den Hølie Gräilen" subtitle? I wasn't expecting any of that. Jeez, I may just have to pick this up now.

In addition to the new transfer and CD, this is all that's new on this release:

"A Taste of Spamalot" (melody of songs from the Broadway show)
"The Holy Grail Challenge" (quiz)
"Secrets of the Holy Grail"

Alright I caved in -- It's only $13.99 at Amazon right now.

Link

I already double-dipped on this title from the first version to the Special Edition. No way am I triple-dipping...

That's a VERY good deal...Amazon has the SRP listed incorrectly. It should be listed at $29.95.

And the worst part is those bastards are forcing you to buy it against your will.

Personally, I think studios should release ONE and ONLY ONE version of a film per video format. Even if it includes errors, at least no one will be forced to buy a new edition.

I'm in. Only my second double-dip (Dr. Strangelove was my first).

Why has the aspect ratio been reduced?

Tell me about it.
Sony's sending in some National Guard troops tomorrow to escort me to a store (of my choice, at least) to buy it, and if I don't, they'll shoot me on the spot.

The image width will contain the same information, the top and bottom have been opened up a bit, which is how it was originally intended.

1.66:1 is the proper aspect ratio for the film. (And, how the movie was presented on Criterion laserdisc prior to the DVD releases.)

Here's a fast and dirty comparison. Note these are not meant for color or sharpness evaluation as I just pasted them into mspaint as jpegs. But they do show the difference in AR.

2001 SE



2006 Edition

Does anybody know how the soundtrack CD compares to the "Python Masters" version? I'd prefer that version, but if this one is just as good or better (quality-wise and in terms of artwork on the disc), it might suffice.

I guess what I'm asking is if someone could post a scan of the "Monty Python Masters" CD label art. Thanks!

I'm not sure if this release is going to be limited, but I traded for mine at Movie Stop this morning and the employee told me they only got one copy of it. Glad I got there early!

Hmm, you must live in a teeny little town, because most retailers have TONS of these things. It may not be as ubiquitous as the last SE was, but it certainly doesn't seem to be very limited.

So now that it's out...is everything ported over from the first Special Edition? Was the 5.1 track improved? And most important - Was the missing "Mønti Pythøn ik den Hølie Gräilen" subtitle fixed?

Having the correct aspect ratio is already nudging me towards a double-dip. But if that subtitle is fixed...i'm definately in.

Well gas up the car (or boot up your computer), because that subtitle IS fixed! I'm not in a position to know if the 5.1 soundtrack is improved, but it definitely seems like all the visual elements are there.

As far as disc contents go, Disc 1 seems unchanged except for the new transfer. Disc 2 has a new animated intro, plus a new section of "Extraordinarily Deluxe" bonus features. Also, there's a new trailer in the "Trailers" section for the "Personal Best" DVD series (no, not the Mariel Hemingway lesbo flick).

It's nice to see Sony listened and got the first subtitle corrected.

I do wish they would have changed the menu on Disc 1. It's a little unwieldly, especially on a PC.

So if someone has yet to pull the trigger on any version of this film on DVD, which version is "best" and why?
TIA

Thanks for the intel! Wow, I guess I'm heading out the door. Anyone know who has it the cheapest? This release fell under my radar because I thought it was just another Sony Triple-Dip. Any sales on it this week? Online, the cheapest I found was Amazon for $17.

Thanks again, Mike!

Definitely the "Extraordinarily Deluxe Edition". The "SE" is pretty much obsolete now, since it's not only the wrong aspect ratio, but it's also missing the opening subtitle. Both of those problems have been fixed in this new version, and it contains all of the bonus material from the SE, plus more. The 2001 SE was the version used in both the "black book" Deluxe Edition and the recent 3-pack (although that only used Disc 1), so really there have only been three different versions released on DVD.

The third version, which is the original, is really only useful for those who would prefer to watch the film without the "missing 24 seconds", or just feel weird seeing a 32-year-old film in crystal clarity. I'm not sure if that one had the correct aspect ratio or not, but it looked to be the same as the new transfer, just a lot fuzzier and probably not anamorphic. [EDIT: You can still get this version at some WAL-MARTs for $13.78]

I haven't really checked out the new DVD in depth, but it seems to include all the original features, like the "killer rabbit" interactive playback mode and all the commentaries, featurettes, etc. My advice would be to pick up the "EDE" regardless of whether you already own the film on DVD or not. You may want to hang on to your original box, because I wasn't impressed with the fold-out packaging.

...by the way, this wouldn't be Eben Ostby by any chance, would it?

You probably won't find it for much less than $19.99. I had read somewhere that the list price was $29.99, but everywhere I've seen it, it's been around $19.99, even at WAL-MART. There are plenty of retailers that we don't have around here (Suncoast, Sam Goody, Tower, etc.) so somebody might have a better price where you are, but so far the $17 Amazon price is the lowest I've seen.

Hmm, don't see how it would be that bad. I'm assuming you mean it's unwieldly when using a mouse to point and click, because it would operate the same as always if you use the "remote" within a DVD player app. Even so, it seemed pretty easy for me to find the "hot spots", since the stars are pretty much always to the left of each menu item.

Movie Stop is a lot different than most retailers. I think they're getting ready for an entire store overhaul soon. Not sure why they only got one of them. They had more copies of Munich CE, United 93 LE, and the Jarhead LE than they had of this. Weird.

BTW, I live five minutes outside of Richmond, VA, not that tiny...lol.