My most wanted SW in region 1 / A

DVD, BluRay & VOD
1

USA fans deserve right & proper DVDs / BR’s of these respected spaghetti westerns:

1961 Le goût de la violence / The Taste of Violence

1962 La venganza del Zorro (Zorro the Avenger)

1963 Duello nel Texas / Gunfight at Red Sands
1963 Il segno di Zorro (The Sign of Zorro)

1965 Il ritorno di Ringo (Return of Ringo)
1965 Una Pistola per Ringo (A Pistol for Ringo)

1966 El precio de un hombre (The Price of a Man) / The Bounty Killer,
1966 La Resa dei conti (The Big Gundown)

1967 Bandidos
1967 I giorni dell’ira (Day of Anger)
1967 El Hombre que mató a Billy el Niño (The Man Who Killed Billy the Kid)
1967 Faccia a faccia (Face to Face)
1967 10.000 dollari per un massacro (10.000 Dollars for a Massacre) / $10,000 Blood Money

1968 Quanto costa morire (A Taste of Death)
1968 Quella sporca storia nel west (That Dirty Story of the West) / Johnny Hamlet
1968 Il Mercenario (The Mercenary)
1968 Tepepa
1968 Une corde, un colt (The Rope and the Colt) / Cimitero senza croci (Cemetery Without Crosses)

1969 Collina degli stivali () / Boot Hill
1969 Il prezzo del potere (Price of Power)
1969 Un esercito di cinque uomini (Five Man Army)
1969 Zorro marchese di Navarra (Zorro, the Navarra Marquis)

1970 La spina dorsale del diavolo (The Devil’s Backbone) / The Deserter / Ride to Glory

1971 Anda muchacho, spara! (At The End Of The Rainbow) / Dead Men Ride!

1972 La Banda J. & S. cronaca criminale del Far West / Sonny and Jed

1973 Valdez, il mezzosangue (Valdez the Halfbreed) / The Valdez Horses / Chino

So, what are your Most Wanted in region A / 1?

Richard

2

Why USA fans? I couldn’t care less where the films come out, as long as they come out and have English dub or sub on them.

3

First dvd player I purchased years ago which I still use is a region free player, so region code has never meant anything to me. Echo what Yodlaf says… aslong as the film has english audio and / or english subtitles that is fine with me.

4

I agree, i’ve got two dvd players, one region 1 and the other region free. :wink:

5

If you must make a point of it, I’ll tell you why.
PAL discs from region 2 are speeded up 4% when played in region 1 the USA.
That means voices are higher-pitched and motion is unnaturally abrupt.
This changes dramatic timing that actors and directors work so hard to get right.

For example, James Coburn had a baritone voice. In the NTSC edition of HARD TIMES (1974) he growls “What the hell do you want?” in a low tone that’s almost threatening. In the PAL edition with the 4% speed-up he whines “Whatthehelldoyouwant?” in a higher voice that sounds almost prissy. The boxers throw punches at each other in fights that are timed to be suspenseful. We see their faces as they watch for an opening in their opponent and calculate in their minds where to strike. At the 4% PAL speed-up the suspense is lost because the action is quickened to a degree that eliminates the sense of calculation. They’re just throwing punches.

Music is ruined by the 4% PAL speed-up. In the days of vinyl, everybody would complain if their turntable played a record too fast. So it is with PAL discs in region 1.

Some people say they don’t notice the PAL speed-up, and I’m sure they don’t, but I do. I started editing sound and image in 1977 and have invested many hundreds of hours of my life in the occupation, so I’m acutely aware of things like the duration of shot, the pace and timing and tone of a scene. There is a reason why a shot lasts 7 seconds as opposed to 3 seconds, and when a shot that is supposed to last 7 seconds is speeded up 4% to last 3 seconds, it is no longer the same shot that the filmmaker intended. But you don’t need my background to perceive that something is wrong with PAL discs when played in NTSC in the USA.

I own two bookcases filled with foreign films on DVD, and many of them are PAL. I have three multi-region DVD players and one multi-region Blu-ray player. I can stand the 4% speed-up, but I’d rather experience the films at the correct speed. That’s why I asked which spaghetti western would like to see released here that haven’t been. Now I’m asking myself why I bothered.

A lot of consumers in the USA who are equipped with multi-region players prefer to watch foreign films in NTSC whenever possible.

Richard

6

Of course you are right about the speed-up problems. I have seen my whole life this up-speeded films, maybe I got used to it, so I belong to the people who never noticed it. I even watch pal concert DVDs.

But here you are wrong:

A 7 sec shot lasts on a Pal DVD obviously not 3 sec, but 6,72 sec. And that’s a difference that most people won’t notice. But for those who notice it may be annoying.

7

[quote=“Richard–W, post:5, topic:2896”]That means voices are higher-pitched and motion is unnaturally abrupt.
(…)
Music is ruined by the 4% PAL speed-up. In the days of vinyl, everybody would complain if their turntable played a record too fast.
(…)
I can stand the 4% speed-up, but I’d rather experience the films at the correct speed.[/quote]

I agree with what Richard said.

I clearly notice the 4% PAL speed-up and that’s why I welcomed with great enthusiasm the advent of Blu-ray, bringing high definition accompanied with correct speed.

8

Never noticed speed up problems myself. But compared to the vhs prints I used to view for alot of these films, the dvd’s of whatever region are usually a big improvement.

9

Never noticed the PAL speed-up while watching a film either, didn’t even know it can be noticeable for some, for that matter.

10

Richard, several of the films on your list are already available in region 1.

Both Ringo films, Bandidos, 10000 for a massacre, and Cemetery without crosses are available on this boxset:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004L5GYFU?tag=spaghetti-western-20

Big Gundown is widely available Fandubs by Autophex and Franco Cleef.

Even if US companies do release your above mentioned titles, they would probably be just Pal to NTSC conversions which sorta defeats the purpose. Spaghetti Western dvd releases aren’t exactly a lucrative business. Spaghetti westerns are an obscure genre outside of Sergio Leone, so beggars can’t be choosers, we aren’t going to always get pristine anamorphic digitally enhanced picture with crystal clear sound in this genre, nor are we always gonna get interviews, commentaries and documentaries. Wildeast isn’t exactly criterion.

But I get your point. I know it sometimes sucks that alot of films aren’t available to North American fans in region 1. Especially since it is pricey to get Euro imports nowadays. I haven’t bought a koch disc in years for this reason.

Anyway, in response to your original question, I’ve said this before but I really want English dvd releases of Garringo, Two Pistols for a Coward and Stranger at Paso Bravo. I don’t care what regions these are I just want it.

Also Big Gundown, Day of Anger, The Stranger films are some I can think of that need official high quality releases (or re-releases) in the North America.

11

Will the moderator please delete this thread?

I wish I hadn’t started it.

Richard

12

Hmm…
If the speed-up problem is a given on all PAL releases, then why is it that my FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE German DVD (PAL region 2) and my US FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (NTSC region 1) disc play back at the same pitch?
The main theme song for this film is in the key of D-minor. I can play along with the main theme from each of these discs, on my guitar, without having to change the key, or tuning.
If it truly was sped up…then, I should have to alter my tuning by about a half step.

I have had only one DVD that I have been able to notice the speed-up issue with and that was a PAL disc for the Wim Wenders/Francis Ford Coppolla film HAMMETT. The speed up was definitely noticeable on that disc! The music was just under a full step higher and the voices were quite “reedy” and thin.
But, of all the PAL discs I own (roughly 250)…this is the only one that I have noticed a speed-up problem with.