Just a warning to anyone planning on buying the new restored version from Xenon pictures. For some unfathomable reason, after doing extensive work to restore the actual film, they've put out a second-rate, non-anamorphic DVD of the results. Look for a used copy of one of the previous releases, instead, while we all continue to wait for a definitive home video of this classic.
Hey, I'm trying to eat my lunch!
Aside from that, how is the color, sound etc.?
shareColor, and the picture in general, looks to be an improvement over the Criterion version. Didn't notice any particular difference in the sound, but I only watched a few minutes of it.
Still, this is a very expensive "deluxe" edition, and I would strongly recommend saving your money until a proper anamorphic version is released. If you have a widescreen TV (and you probably will, eventually), you will not be able to watch this in widescreen mode with the subtitles on. If you have a standard TV, you're better off finding a used copy of one of the previous editions for cheap.
Just cut them up like regular chickens.
Very odd that Xenon didn't do an anamorphic transfer - I'll take a wild guess, according to their restoration info, that the "limited budget" couldn't cover this part.
But with that said, keep in mind that the film was originally shot "flat" in 16mm (& blown up to 35mm) with an aspect ratio of 1:66. So even if Xenon had gone said anamorphic route, 1:66 STILL WON'T fill a 1:78 widescreen tv (black bars would appear on the left & right sides of the picture).
As for this non-anamorphic version, if you have "Zoom" mode on your tv, you can manually "blow it up" to fill your screen, but then, you'd be losing picture information on the top & bottom.
A no-win situation, but what can ya do??
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I can't think of a reason why an anamorphic transfer would cost significantly more (or any more?) than a non-anamorphic transfer.
The problem with using the "zoom" mode is that it will cut off the subtitles.
'The Sound of Music' twice an hour, and 'Jaws' 1, 2 and 3.
Anamorphic is not a ratio, it's a lens type! The ratio is 5:3, which was common long ago.
Blu Ray 5 years ago. Shout factory a year ago: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Harder-They-Come-Blu-ray/82857/
RIP Toots: https://moviechat.org/nm0382515/Toots-Hibbert
Looks pretty good to me, pretty much fills my widescreen TV with subtitles still visible...A huge improvement over my old VHS copy, that's for sure!
shareAfter 16 years, maybe you have a better version than the OP?
sharePerhaps Xenon put out another edition(mine is dated 2010...)
shareIt might be the same as the OP's then. Maybe he was watching on a regular TV back then?
share"If you have a widescreen TV (and you probably will, eventually), you will not be able to watch this in widescreen mode with the subtitles on."
I would say perhaps widescreen technology has improved since then, but mine is from about the same era(2011 at the latest...)
I guess we'll never know, given the fact that the OP is an old IMDB one!