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The Ealing studios made a wide range of films but its comedy
output remains its most cherished legacy so a DVD release
of some of its best remembered titles must surly be a 'must
have' addition for movie lovers. Or so you'd think.
The
first Ealing box set was a well-packaged collection so hopes
were riding high that the second selection would be of a similar
standard. But how wrong can you be? Very wrong is the answer.
Set
2 includes the wonderful Passport to Pimlico, the rather
uneven Titfield Thunderbolt and the offbeat children's
adventure Hue and Cry, along with a Channel 4 documentary,
Forever Ealing, about the history of the studio. Perhaps
not the best mix but certainly not without interest. However,
aside from the excellent documentary the picture and sound
quality is nothing short of shocking.
The
only two frames in Passport to Pimlico that aren't
covered in dirt and scratches are the two missing ones and
the sound is dreadful - muffled and often incomprehensible.
The Titfield Thunderbolt fares little better [and much
of it seems to be double exposed!] and the Hue and Cry
print is also very tired. Why? For a small investment these
three films could have looked and sounded great - it's not
as if restoration is hard or expensive these days.
So
do you buy this set? The documentary is very good and Passport
to Pimlico remains a classic of the British cinema but
it is hard to justify this release purely on those grounds.
However, if you do add the second Ealing box set to your collection
don't forget to complain about the quality of the transfers
in the hope that this sort of shoddy treatment isn't repeated.
Anthony
Clark
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£27.99
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£30.99
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£28.99
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All prices correct at time of going to press.
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