|
Post by sorkinfan on Sept 1, 2006 23:54:52 GMT
Hi - first-timer. Been a Cracker fan since the first ITV broadcast, and a Jimmy McG worshiper ever since. Sarah, I really love the site. Great job. So, to the point. The DVD releases of Cracker - which are about to come out again in time for the new story - have gone unnoticed as some of the worst I've ever seen. Not just because of picture quality, or the lack of decent extras, but to because of this little rant, which I also posted here: www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=62638What was wrong? Well, the entire final series and special - four full feature-length stories - were shown in the WRONG aspect ratio (cropped from, I think 14:9 to be 4:3, which ruined the framing). Plus the story Brotherly Love was edited down by ten minutes. The scenes cut were incredibly important to the tone - so much so that ITV ended up changing the timeslot for the first broadcast rather than make cuts. (Seriously, when *ITV* start having integrity, you know it's a big deal!) Subsequently this story has had satellite repeats only in truncated, re-framed form - and it's THAT master that's been used for DVD. It's appalling. ---- Also at that link I've posted the details of the cut scenes as best I remember them (I foolishly threw out my VHS recording before I watched the DVD and found out what was missing!). Maybe this is already covered on the site somewhere - if so, oops! I clearly missed it. If not...well, the DVD company deserve a complaint or two. Though when I contacted them last time they just said "We used the tape Granada gave us" and left it at that. Not usually this negative - especially on a first posting - but...well, I'm on a Cracker crusade this week!
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Sept 2, 2006 0:52:24 GMT
Hi there - thanks for the kind comments re my site I completely agree with everything you say. I am not very happy regarding this re-release to be honest. I was hoping that, given the new special this year, a completely revamped box-set with extras would be on it's way. No such luck. I know the new special apparently has a commentary by Jimmy McGovern and behind the scenes, but it is a huge let-down that the original series has been ignored. Maybe they can't track down or dig out any old deleted scenes etc, but some interviews with Coltrane and the original cast members (Lorcan Cranitch, Geraldine Somerville or Barbara Flynn) would have been nice! Anything! It's just a repeat of the box set from 2003 with the new episode tagged on the end. I won't be buying it again, but will probably buy the new special as an individual DVD. I would have quite happily forked out the money though were there any extras. To this day it still annoys me that the originally broadcast episode of Brotherly Love in 1995 has NEVER been released on VHS or DVD. It doesn't suprise me it's been done again, but I really don't know why. Definite scenes that I can remember off hand that have been lost from are: * Judith and Fitz lying on the floor discussing the birth, Penhaligon and his mother's death * Fitz telling Panhandle she isn't ready to deal with the case and her mentioning that she has met somebody else (this is a scene where they are walking down a corridor together) * An interview scene between Fitz and David Harvey. There are more scenes as well. I hope to update the site soon with various stuff, I'll have to add something about the box set. It's just such a missed opportunity....McGovern doing a commentary on 'To Be A Somebody' - how good would that be?!
|
|
|
Post by sorkinfan on Sept 4, 2006 12:01:14 GMT
* Judith and Fitz lying on the floor discussing the birth, Penhaligon and his mother's death * Fitz telling Panhandle she isn't ready to deal with the case and her mentioning that she has met somebody else (this is a scene where they are walking down a corridor together) * An interview scene between Fitz and David Harvey. There are more scenes as well. Wow - good memory! I feel lousy about my old VHS. I was utterly dedicated to recording the show live from TV, but when I bought the boxset I chucked the tapes out without thinking, just assuming the DVDs would be complete. VERY frustrating! Now, I don't actually no about these new DVDs. Maybe I'm dead wrong, and they're lovely new transfers, all scenes included, and the correct picture shape. But...well, you can't help but be pessimistic, can ya? So is there a 'fans of Cracker' get-together? Or am I creeping into sad territory...?
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Sept 4, 2006 12:14:04 GMT
In fairness I am only going by what websites like Play and Amazon etc are listing for the box sets - no mention of any extras etc, so i'm assuming there aren't any. As for the full version of Brotherly Love, i'd be suprised if after 10 years they suddenly decide to release it! I could be wrong though and they might suprise us! I have the original VHS copy of BL somewhere and haven't dug it out in a while, but would love it on DVD properly. Thing is, the scenes they deleted were quite key to the series, I don't see why Granada felt they needed to edit them for repeats. Particulary the Fitz/Panhandle one as the thing about her meeting somebody else comes up again in 'True Romance' (and is very prominent in the novelisations). The Judith/Fitz scene was also a really good one! LOL at the idea of a 'fans of Cracker get together'....
|
|
|
Post by sorkinfan on Sept 4, 2006 12:55:25 GMT
Thing is, the scenes they deleted were quite key to the series, I don't see why Granada felt they needed to edit them for repeats. Particulary the Fitz/Panhandle one as the thing about her meeting somebody else comes up again in 'True Romance' (and is very prominent in the novelisations). The Judith/Fitz scene was also a really good one! LOL at the idea of a 'fans of Cracker get together'.... I get the need for edits, at least in terms of repeat broadcasts. I work in telly, and yu can't fight the schedulers. They want hour-long slots filled, and if you don't fit, you don't sell to the channel. Simple as that. But there's no such excuse for DVD. Obviously. Hey, all the episodes do, I'm quite sure, have deleted scenes. Things cut for time rather than quality. (Was it To Say I Love You where they filmed Fitz walking into Panhandle's home with his eyes closed and guessing the flat's entire contents...except, ah-ha!, for a drum kit?) We're used to the shows without these and it's fine. Though again, it'd be nice to see 'em... But with BL, they were shown as part of the original. They were deemed too important to lose. They changed the series launch date to accomodate - they're THAT important to the story. Hey, check me out - I'm ranting about something just so you can reply and violently agree! As for Cracker get togethers...okay, what would we do? Probably wander around a back alley, looking for hair and fibres, before breaking down exactly what happened there the night before... I see your point. P.S. Excellent choice of sig!
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Sept 4, 2006 17:10:29 GMT
Yeah, I suppose for the TV repeats the edits make sense - but you are right, no excuse for the DVD release of BL! Don't know about you, but it seems to me like the original has just been forgotten about, and the edited version just keeps getting used as the master for the DVD's etc.
I am sure I have read somewhere as well an interview either with McGovern or somebody else involved in the series,where they mentioned the amount of filmed footage that was left on the cutting room floor. The novelisations give you an indication of what extra scenes there probaby was, and it would just be so good to see them one day!
BTW, a few other scenes I remember being edited from BL are the night before Beck returning to work:- Beck practising what to say ("It's good to be home" or something) and Penhaligon looking in the mirror deciding what to wear.
|
|
|
Post by sorkinfan on Sept 4, 2006 21:08:52 GMT
BTW, a few other scenes I remember being edited from BL are the night before Beck returning to work:- Beck practising what to say ("It's good to be home" or something) and Penhaligon looking in the mirror deciding what to wear. Impresive memory - yes, Beck rehearsed how he was going to shrug off the 'nerves' thing, then it kinda got rolled over in the room. When you think about it it's LOADS, isn't it! It's worth getting the VHS and putting the scenes online, frankly. There's going to be some interest come Nine Eleven's broadcast... Haven't read the novelisations. No, I lie, I think I skimmed one during the first series and just never took to it. But given that they're taken from the shooting scripts...hmm, again, worthy of some work for an online guide. (Am I just coming up with ideas for jobs for you? Sorry. I'll volunteer to help!) As you say, they've just forgotten. I feel sick about it, because I did kick up some fuss with the previous release. They kept replying until I asked where I could get a copy of the uncut show... Anyway, onto more happy things. Not long to go before the new special (can't believe Australia got it first!). It will be followed, inevitably, by a review on my wee blog. don't be afraid to visit! beforemyeyes.blogspot.com
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Sept 5, 2006 7:00:45 GMT
Yes - I would definitely, eventually, like to get those missing scenes up on-line although to be honest I have no idea at the moment how to do that with a VHS copy! I think the novelisations are good. A few, Men Should Weep & Brotherly Love (and I think Mad Woman) are quite extended, and some of the stuff in there I really would have liked to have seen filmed. I think the books are based on the 'original scripts' - so basically what got written before it got chopped and changed for TV. The ending of the BL novel for example is different with Fitz trying to talk Beck down before jumping off the building etc. Yes, not long till the new special airs in the UK (15th October seems the likely date at the moment), and i'll definitely have a read of your review on your blog! Not just Australia who got it first, I think it's aired in Israel and airs in Germany this coming Sunday (10th).
|
|
|
Post by sorkinfan on Sept 6, 2006 11:53:41 GMT
Yes - I would definitely, eventually, like to get those missing scenes up on-line although to be honest I have no idea at the moment how to do that with a VHS copy! The trick is to transfer it to mini-DV, a camcorder tape, which makes it easy to get it onto your PC/Mac. Then you need a suitable bit of software (I use Final Cut Express 2) to tidy up the clip and re-size it for web use. Which, of course, makes it SOUND easy... It's a neat idea, actually, to even have the transcript of those scenes - and, indeed, the novelisation ones - available. I run a TV show website as part of my day job and it's always tough (but very worthwhile) to find things that people haven't seen. I will now STOP telling you what to do. Yes, not long till the new special airs in the UK (15th October seems the likely date at the moment), and i'll definitely have a read of your review on your blog! Not just Australia who got it first, I think it's aired in Israel and airs in Germany this coming Sunday (10th). Well now I feel even more cheated!
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Sept 6, 2006 17:06:50 GMT
Which TV website do you run?
|
|
|
Post by sorkinfan on Sept 6, 2006 19:51:55 GMT
I'm afraid I can't say. Like the blog says - secret identity!
|
|
|
Post by Lars on Sept 7, 2006 18:18:11 GMT
Hi!
Well, I do not own the British DVD release of Series 3, but today I got the German DVD release of Series 3 (official release date is tomorrow) and the aspect ratio is 1.66:1 (non-anamorphic), which means that there are (small) black bars at the top and bottom of the picture, which I believe is the correct aspect ratio.
Series 1 and 2 of the German DVD release had the aspect ratio 4:3 (Fullscreen) without black bars.
All German DVDs do have the original English soundtrack in addtion to the German dubbed version, but no English subtitles and no bonus material (no deleted scenes!) whatsoever.
Unfortunately, "Brotherly Love" is the cut version also (because this is the only version that had been broadcast in German television), and the German DVD release of Series 3 DOES NOT include "Lucky White Ghost", which hasn't been even announced for a German DVD release, yet!
Regards, Lars!
|
|
|
Post by sorkinfan on Sept 7, 2006 22:56:44 GMT
Well, I do not own the British DVD release of Series 3, but today I got the German DVD release of Series 3 (official release date is tomorrow) and the aspect ratio is 1.66:1 (non-anamorphic), which means that there are (small) black bars at the top and bottom of the picture, which I believe is the correct aspect ratio. Series 1 and 2 of the German DVD release had the aspect ratio 4:3 (Fullscreen) without black bars. Inteeresting - thanks! So If I import the German versions of Series 3 they are, at least, in the right ratio? (Even if the frist two series aren't.) That's worth knowing... My next quest: to get The Big Crunch and Men Should Weep with the original music. The latter I can live with (Floyd in the shower - big deal), but the former put the substitute tracks in there WAY too loud.
|
|
|
Post by Lars on Sept 8, 2006 18:43:32 GMT
My next quest: to get The Big Crunch and Men Should Weep with the original music. The latter I can live with (Floyd in the shower - big deal), but the former put the substitute tracks in there WAY too loud. This is something I've never heard before. They used other music tracks in the repeats? Could you please explain this a little more? What are the original music tracks in which scenes of which episodes, and what tracks have been used in the repeats? If I know that, I could check it with the German DVD release. Many thanks in advance! Greetings, Lars!
|
|
|
Post by Admin on Sept 9, 2006 8:55:15 GMT
I'm not sure if the standard music made specifically for each story was changed, I don't think it was. But certain tracks in the originally screened episodes were changed for the repeats. I think these were mainstream songs, a couple of examples Mark listening to an Oasis track in 'Men Should Weep' and they used the song 'Try A Little Tenderness' in 'The Big Crunch' which I don't think ever got put on the repeats. And as sorkinfan says, the song Floyd sings in the shower changes everytime you see it, lol. He might able to shed more light on other tracks though, I can't think of many more specifically (it all comes down to a copyright issue, I imagine).
|
|