DVD : "Fall of the Roman Empire" plus lost footage

[Theodosius the Great]

Avete,

I just heard this wonderful news from a fellow Legion VI member.

"Fall of the Roman Empire" is to be released this Spring and 30 minutes of lost footage has been rediscovered in London !

http://dvdspindoctor.typepad.com/dvd_sp ... of-ro.html

This gives me hope that one day they will also recover the lost footage to "Cleopatra" (about 2 hours worth) and release it to DVD as well.

(BTW, "El Cid" was finally released a few weeks ago to DVD)

~Theo

[Chuck Russell]

sweet, i just bought the re released el cid

[Graham Sumner]

Hi Jaime

That certainly is good news lets hope the new material makes the DVD, or is that too much wishful thinking! I have a couple of films which have been released recently and they are by no means the complete versions that I have seen. For some reason they tend to be the US cinema versions we get over here on some of our DVD's and they are usually shorter then the European cinema releases. Do American audiences have shorter attention spans?

My DVD copy is not only a very washed out print but only has a trailer for 'Gladiator', so it would be nice to get some proper FOTRE extras like the James Mason narrated documentary you showed earlier.

Both that and some of the publicity material I have show scenes which were not in the final version such as Roman soldiers throwing boulders at the Persian cataphracts and ***Spoiler ahead** Eric Porter (Julianus) stabbing Finlay Currie (Caecina) in the back, presumably after Livius's second speach in the Senate.

Graham.

[Theodosius the Great]

That certainly is good news lets hope the new material makes the DVD, or is that too much wishful thinking!

Maybe, but I'm wishing anyway .

Actually, I think the timing may be too late. Just finding it is probably only the first step. I'm sure the footage has to be restored and reintegrated into the original, final (US ?) cut. Maybe they'll just release the footage as a "deleted scenes" extra feature like the first release of Gladiator (I hope not !). Or, they can release two versions of the film, like Ridley Scott did. A project like that would appeal to Martin Scorsese who worked on the VHS restoration of "El Cid" back in the 80s.

I forget who worked on restoring the deleted scenes for 'Spartacus'.

For some reason they tend to be the US cinema versions we get over here on some of our DVD's and they are usually shorter then the European cinema releases. Do American audiences have shorter attention spans?

Wow, I feel so cheated! I suspect the answer to your question is yes. US attention spans are certainly shorter today compared to four or five decades ago. I'm unsatified with 90 minute films - assuming it's a good one, of course. Maybe people take more bathroom breaks now :?

final version such as Roman soldiers throwing boulders at the Persian cataphracts and ***Spoiler ahead**

*(salivating)*

sweet, i just bought the re released el cid

Great film, huh ? I've never seen it so clear :o

~Theo

[Theodosius the Great]

Another of my fellow legionaires sent me the link to pre-order a copy of the new FOTRE DVD.

http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Two-Disc-D ... 501&sr=8-1

• 179 minutes.
  
  
• Nice cover.
  
  
• 2 discs - not surprising, given the length but there's no mention of any special features. Not that that means anything one way or the other. But it does sound like the lost scenes will not be reintegrated into the original cut .

It seems you were right about the runtimes, Graham. The following is from IMDB.COM :

188 min / Sweden:172 min (1970 re-release) / Sweden:176 min / Argentina:184 min

So, if the lost scenes are ever reintegrated the film would be over 200 minutes long, if I'm right.

BTW, 'Kings of the Sun' with Yul Brynner comes out on March 25th. I haven't seen it but my dad says it's worth getting.

~Theo

[Niedel]

Too bad, only 179 minutes. The (German release) DVD version I have already is 172 minutes, so I don't think the new material made it on this DVD version. I sure would love to see 30 additional minutes.

[Narukami]

A little background info on the company releasing Fall of the Roman Empire.

[size=150:egir6qrv]Weinsteins start new DVD label[/size]
By Thomas K. Arnold

Feb 28, 2008

Bob and Harvey Weinstein have already made their mark on Hollywood. Now they are bent on leaving their imprint on the DVD business as well, with a premium label they hope will be put in the same category by movie buffs as the prestigious Criterion Collection or Warner Home Video's extravagant collector's editions of such marquee films as "Gone With the Wind," "The Wizard of Oz" and "Ben-Hur."

The Miriam Collection, named after the brothers' mother, launched in late January with the release of one of the last great epics not previously available on DVD, Anthony Mann's "El Cid."

The second release is another Mann film, "The Fall of the Roman Empire," a lavish 1961 production starring Alec Guinness, Sophia Loren and Omar Sharif. The film earned its place in the record books for the largest outdoor set in Hollywood history: more than 55 acres, with a reconstructed Roman Forum that measured in at 1,312 feet by 754 feet.

The film comes to DVD on April 29 from Genius Products, the independent DVD distribution company majority owned by the Weinsteins.

"The Miriam Collection is a very personal selection of films," Harvey Weinstein said. "The brand is not only about remastering films for the best picture and sound but also to showcase the backstory of each film and develop compelling features that complement the title."


Weinstein said he and his brother plan on picking 12-15 films for branded release each year, ranging from such big productions such as "El Cid," "Roman Empire," "Circus World" and "55 Days at Peking" to such critically acclaimed niche films as the documentary "Joy Division," the award-winning punk band biopic "Control" and the Oscar-nominated "The Deal," Stephen Frears' follow-up to "The Queen."

Weinstein clearly relishes being able to play kingmaker and give deserving films the true DVD VIP treatment a la the fabled Criterion Collection.

" 'The Fall of the Roman Empire,' for example, is fully loaded," Weinstein said. "It looks and sounds astonishing, and the bonus materials fully explore the sheer magnitude and grandeur of making a film of this scale in a time long before the advent of CGI."

Indeed, the Weinsteins' DVD version of "Roman Empire" will come in an elegantly packaged three-disc limited collector's edition that features a host of extras, both on the discs and in the package. The picture and sound have been digitally remastered. Extras include a commentary by Bill Bronston, son of producer Samuel Bronston, and film expert Mel Martin; a reproduction of the original 1964 souvenir program; a behind-the-scenes look at the fall of the real Roman Empire; a detailed "making of" docu; five Encyclopedia Britannica featurettes on the Roman Empire; and a set of six color production stills.

"Roman Empire" was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for best original music score.

The film was written by then-blacklisted writer Ben Barzman, who also wrote "El Cid."


:wink:

Narukami

[Narukami]

Here now:


[size=150:3amnhb42]"The Fall of the Roman Empire"[/size]

Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott's Roman adventure "Gladiator" borrowed liberally from the story-line of this 1964 epic with an all-star cast including Alec Guinness, Sophia Loren, James Mason, Christopher Plummer and Omar Sharif. Director Anthony Mann's tale traces the power struggle and political decline that emerges after Rome's emperor, Marcus Aurelius, picks his adopted son to succeed him rather than his unstable biological son. Available in a two-disc DVD package or a three-disc "Collector's Edition" boxed set, the movie is accompanied by five making-of segments and commentary with producer Samuel Bronston's son. The three-disc set also has five historical films about ancient Rome, six production stills and a reproduction of the souvenir booklet from the film's premiere. Two-disc set, $24.95; "Collector's Edition" set, $39.92. (Genius)

What -- No Blu Ray release...? hock: :? evil:

:wink:

Narukami

[derek forrest]

Well its now the end of April. Have you taken the plunge Graham and bought the new edition of your favourite film and does it have the lost footage?

[Theodosius the Great]

Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, the 3-disc DVD release doesn't appear to have the lost scenes. At least, it isn't mentioned by any reviewers so far. It's still a good idea to wait for Graham Sumner to review the release to be sure though.

Here is a review of the movie itself and the 3-disc DVD release (from Newsbot) : http://blog.arlt.co.uk/blog/_archives/2 ... 62489.html

Skipping the movie review, here's the part about the DVD itself :
[i]Equally extraordinary is this new DVD edition. Named after the Weinstein’s mother Miriam, the sheer wealth of added content here should make even the most amateur film historian weep with delight. The movie itself contains a commentary by Bronstein’s son Bill and his biographer Mel Martin. While a tad too self-congratulatory (after all, they aren’t really going to criticize the man), it’s still a remarkable discussion. Disc Two trots out the Making-Ofs and the Behind the Scenes featurettes. One of the best highlights the “fact vs. fictionâ€

[Graham Sumner]

Well its now the end of April. Have you taken the plunge Graham and bought the new edition of your favourite film and does it have the lost footage?

Hi Derek

Not heard from you for a while, welcome back. I still miss the Bits and Bats!

As far as I know the Region 1 version has just been released on Amazon (UK). A good excuse to get a Region 1 DVD player!!! Otherwise it could be a long wait for the Region 2. In which case I am sure someone else will see it first. However the running time suggests the lost footage is not incorporated into the main feature.

Interesting to see what extras there will be.
Graham.

[john m roberts]

I saw FOTRE when it opened in Dallas in '65. A few months later I watched it again and noticed that several scenes I had seen on first viewing had been excised. The one that sticks in my mind was Commodus's drunken, rambling diatribe early in the film about his "trilemma" concerning the nature of the gods.

[Niedel]

Anybody got this yet? I'm trying to justify buying it, but would like the actual length confirmed. My German Region 2 version is 173 minutes, if I'm not wrong. I don't care about any additional documentaries etc.

[Alan Huffines]

I just watched FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE along with all the extras and the feature commentary. This three disk edition does NOT contain the missing footage either edited into the film or as an extra . According to the commentary by the producer's son and a film historian, the footage is still at large. Pity, but the three disk set is worth having. The restoration is excellent and the extras are interesting. The weakest is the commentary, where numerous comparisons are made between Commodus and President Bush. Pity.

[Niedel]

Alan, do you know how long the actual movie is on the 3 disk edition? I'm not really interested in the extras too much...