The Captive DVD is not good

[kuronen]

The Captive, directed by Chantal Akerman, is available from Artificial Eye. According to the cover text the DVD is promised to be enhanced for widescreen TV's. It is NOT. In addition the subtitles are burnt in and the video is occasionally in a rather bad condition. This is odd because the film was shot in 2000.

Any other opinions? Refutations?

[Noel M]

I can confirm this from a brief look at the DVD last night. The case states that it is 1:85:1 "enhanced for widescreen TVs". The actual ratio looks closer to 1:66:1. It cannot be zoomed to widescreen either because the subtitles are fixed on the print and would not be completely visible. The print, as you say, is not the best. I think we have come to expect better than this from Artificial Eye.

[SimonI]

I can't believe distributors are still producing non-anamorphic DVDs with burnt in subs , especially of non-mainstream films. Do they not realise that this is a more discerning audience - or do they hope that buyers will be so desperate for any copy of a hard-to-get film that they can put out any old rubbish?

This is another DVD that would have bought but now won't...

[Hendrik]

"...I can't believe distributors are still producing non-anamorphic DVDs with burnt in subs , especially of non-mainstream films." --- HAH!!! (See also DVDs released in R1 by, e.g., F*x L*rber, K*no, Cr*teri*n...)

"Do they not realise that this is a more discerning audience..." --- Of course they realise that!

"...or do they hope that buyers will be so desperate for any copy of a hard-to-get film that they can put out any old rubbish?" --- Yup! (See also DVDs released in R1 by...etcetera...)

(signed) A Passing Cynic

[SimonI]

You colourful old cynic, Hendrik! But why single out R1 - at least their City of lost children has English subs, and removable.

[Noel M]

I contacted Steve Lewis at Artificial Eye and he explained that they had been misinformed of the aspect ratio of the print. It should still have been 16:9 anamorphic, but there was an error at the authoring and encoding stage, which, for this particular title, would have been un-economic for them to re-press.

The sleeve information was amended and re-printed, but the initial shipment to stores had already happened.

Regarding subtitles, again this was down to the master that they had been supplied with. However the print for The Captive is not a theatrical print with the subtitles burnt in - so the text should at least still be readable.