Kory

The African Queen Blu-ray Announced for March

Paramount Paranount Home Entertainment has announced that it will release 'The African Queen' on Blu-ray on March 23. Meticulously restored using state-of-the-art 4K digital technology, 'The African Queen' will now be available for a new generation to appreciate and for long-time fans to see again, as if for the first time. Legendary director John Huston's treasured romantic adventure stars the incomparable Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart in a role that won him his only Academy Award.

A six-year journey filled with challenges nearly as difficult as those faced by Rose and Charlie, the restoration process began at the source: Romulus Films —one of the film's original production companies— provided access to the original three-strip negative at a London facility where the film was carefully scanned and digitized. The separate elements were then transferred to Los Angeles and painstakingly recombined and inspected frame by frame to ensure that every detail aligned and that any dirt and scratches were removed.

To ensure that the restored picture matched the filmmakers' original vision, Paramount arranged a screening of an MPAA archive print for the film's original cinematographer, Academy Award winner Jack Cardiff, whose comments were recorded live during the screening. That same archival print was later screened alongside the newly restored version so that the restoration team could ensure that all of Cardiff's notes had been addressed. The result is a vibrant, warm picture that reverentially recreates the film as it was originally meant to be seen.

'The African Queen' will be available as a single disc Blu-ray and also in a Commemorative Limited Edition Blu-ray box set.

Special features are as follows:

* Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen--This comprehensive documentary takes a look back at the production with commentary about the cast, the challenges of the filming locations and how the spectacular cinematography impacted the industry overall. Includes on-camera interviews with notable Hollywood icons, critics and crew members from the film including Martin Scorsese, Tony Huston, Richard Schickel and more, plus never-before-seen archival images and home movie footage provided by the estate of cinematographer Jack Cardiff.

The Commemorative, Limited-Edition Blu-ray box set includes the above along with:

* An audio disc with a recording of the Lux Radio Theater presents The African Queen radio broadcast
* A Senitype® film frame collectible reproduction
* Collectible postcards featuring reproductions of images related to the film
* A reproduction of Katharine Hepburn's out-of-print memoir The Making of The African Queen or How I Went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind



http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=4018

JackBurton

Sounds great. Glad to see that it looks like they are offering it sans trinkets right from the start.

TheDuke

Thank god this is over and done with. I've never seen it and don't particularly enjoy classic (pre-1960's) films but I might pick it up just to say that I have it.

biglou114

I might actually be interested into the box, because of the inclusion of Hepburn's book.

I also had a little laugh, nowhere within this press release does it mention a DVD release.

Trevor

Aren't almost all of your namesake's films made before 1960?

RockyMtnBri

Finally - I think this was the last AFI 100 film that had not been put out on DVD!
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/top100dvd.html

Kerborus

It's missing from about 25 lists that I collect from. Can't wait! Still won't believe it until I'm holding it though...

dvd_luver

There will be a single disc and limited edition DVD, look at this article:
http://www.digitalchumps.com/movie-n...-pictures.html

notkevinbacon

Ok, ok... I'm sick of getting excited about this one coming out and then having my hopes destroyed.

However....

..... I'm excited!

Looks legit enough.

LorenzoL

Finally we can put to rest the question of "When is the African Queen being released?".

The Cow

Again!

Supermallet

I've had an R2 DVD of it for years, but I'm very excited to see the restoration.

TheDuke

I haven't seen a single John Wayne film, my name comes from a music album :P

Trevor

I will speak to the admins about forcing you to change your username.




Just kidding, but you should rectify that problem someday.

slop101

No Jack Cardiff commentary? I guess I'm keeping my region-2 dvd as a supplement.

NoirFan

I'm also surprised at the lack of a commentary track, especially since one already exists. I'll probably spring for the box set, as it includes the Hepburn book. Hopefully it will be reasonably priced.

Nth Power

Woohoo! About time!

PopcornTreeCt

Wow. This one skipped a whole generation from VHS to Blu-ray.

Adam Tyner

It's coming out on DVD too, also as a regular edition and a collectors' set. This is mentioned in most of the press (complete with prices), such as http://www.homemediamagazine.com/jus...ase-date-18070

gryffinmaster

Hey, whoa, whoa, wait. There's actually coverart in those articles. Very exciting!

Joe Molotov

About freaking time!

darkside

Wow I can actually check one off my list from 1999.

zekeburger1979

I'll be getting this as a blind buy on Blu-ray.

Kory

There's hi-res cover art on www.DVDActive.com, of both the DVD and the Blu-ray. Damn shame they decided to scrap the Centennial Collection. I might be tempted to photoshop a Centennial Collection cover for this with spine #10 just to round out the collection to an even 10 flicks.

MTRodaba2468

About goddamn time!!