Mr. Hulot's Holiday

(aka "Monsieur Hulot's Holiday" or "Mr. Hulot's Holiday")

directed by Jacques Tati
France 1953

Pipe-smoking Monsieur Hulot, Jacques Tati’s endearing clown, takes a holiday at a seaside resort where his presence provokes one catastrophe after another. Tati’s wildly funny satire of vacationers determined to enjoy themselves includes a series of precisely choreographed sight gags involving dogs, boats, and firecrackers. The first entry in the Hulot series is a masterpiece of gentle slapstick.

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Theatrical Release: May 28th, 1953

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DVD Comparison:

Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Future Films - Region 2 - PAL

Big thanks to Per-Olof Strandberg for all the screen captures!

(Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Future Films - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Criterion Collection Spine # 110 Region 0 - NTSC	Future Film (Finland) Region 2 - PAL
(click titles for DVDBeaver reviews) Criterion (without any extras) also available in The Essential Art House - 50 Years of Janus Films - a 50-disc celebration of international films collected under the auspices of the groundbreaking theatrical distributor. It contains Alexander Nevsky (1938), Ashes And Diamonds (1958), L'avventura (1960), Ballad Of A Soldier (1959), Beauty And The Beast (1946), Black Orpheus (1959), Brief Encounter (1945), The Fallen Idol (1948), Fires On The Plain (1959), Fists In The Pocket (1965), Floating Weeds (1959), Forbidden Games (1952), The 400 Blows (1959), Grand Illusion (1937), Häxan (1922), Ikiru (1952), The Importance Of Being Earnest (1952), Ivan The Terrible, Part II (1958), Le Jour Se Lève (1939), Jules And Jim (1962), Kind Hearts And Coronets (1949), Knife In The Water (1962), The Lady Vanishes (1938), The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp (1943), Loves Of A Blonde (1965), M (1931), M. Hulot's Holiday (1953), Miss Julie (1951), Pandora's Box (1929), Pépé Le Moko (1937), Il Posto (1961), Pygmalion (1938), Rashomon (1950), Richard III (1955), The Rules Of The Game (1939), Seven Samurai (1954), The Seventh Seal (1957), The Spirit Of The Beehive (1973), La Strada (1954), Summertime (1955), The Third Man (1949), The 39 Steps (1935), Ugetsu (1953), Umberto D. (1952), The Virgin Spring (1960), Viridiana (1961), The Wages Of Fear (1953), The White Sheik (1952), Wild Strawberries (1957), Three Documentaries By Saul J. Turell plus the hardcover, full color 240-page book.
Runtime	1:26:58	1:23:11 (4% PAL speedup)
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
Audio	Available Audio Tracks: French (Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono), English (Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono)	French (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles	English, and none	Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish and None ( NO ENGLISH ! )
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion Collection Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 DVD5 - single layer Edition Details: • New Digital Transfer, with restored image and sound • Video introduction by filmmaker Terry Jones (Monty Python) • Rene Clement's 1963 short film, Soigne ton gauche, starring Jacques Tati • Optional English language soundtrack, created by Jacques Tati • New and improved English subtitle soundtrack DVD Re-Release Date: January 6, 2004 Keep Case Chapters 21	Release Information: Studio: Future Films (Finland) Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 DVD9 - dual layer Edition Details: • Jacques Tati short films: • Soigne Ton Gauche (1936) (11:53) • L'Ecole des Facteurs (1947) (14:25) • Cours du Soir (1967) (26:30) Also available in a box set including Playtime, Jour de Féte, Mon Oncle, Les Vacances de M. Huolot and Traffic. DVD Release Date: November, 2003 Keep Case Chapters 16

Comments:

Picture:

I have never seen this movie in a cinema with so sharp and clean picture like this both DVD's have. Fine job here!
It seems that they are made from the same material, they are almost identical. The Criterion seems to be slightly cropped compared to the Future Film DVD, but it's on the acceptable level.
There are some print damage and scratches, but they don't disturb at all.

DRAW

Sound:

Both DVD's have excellent, clean and dynamic sound. Criterion has 1.0 mono, when the Nordic has 2.0 mono. The Criterion disc contains also an optional English Dub.

Extras:

Even tough the Nordic disc has more short films than the Criterion version, these short films can be found separately in the other Jacques Tati Criterion DVD's. The Criterion also includes short film notes and a introduction by Terry Jones.

Per-Olof Strandberg

Recommended Reading in French Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


The Films in My Life by Francois Truffaut, Leonard Mayhew	French Cinema: A Student's Guide by Philip Powrie, Keith Reader	Agnes Varda by Alison Smith	Godard on Godard : Critical Writings by Jean-Luc Godard	Notes on the Cinematographer by Robert Bresson	Robert Bresson (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs, No. 2) by James Quandt	The Art of Cinema by Jean Cocteau	French New Wave by Jean Douchet, Robert Bonnono, Cedric Anger, Robert Bononno

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(Criterion - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Future Films - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)

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