"The Producers" MGM (Special Edition (16x9)) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Momentum Pictures (Special Edition) - Region 2 - PAL vs. MGM (Special Edition (Fullscreen)) - Region 1

(aka "Forår for Hitler" or "Springtime for Hitler (working title)")

directed by Mel Brooks
USA 1968

Winner of the 1969 Academy Award and WGA for best screenplay, Mel Brook’s “The Producers” is one of the most insanely funny films ever made. Anarchic, rebellious and hysterically in any way possible, it tells the story of perhaps the most greedy and self-centred producer ever, Max Bialystock, who has no morals and who will sell out on everything, and his grey sidekick, Leo Bloom, and how one of the most stupid schemes for making a quick buck turned into the biggest failure (read: success) in history.

Inspired by a real life producer Brooks knew, Bialystock, is a has-been, who now makes a living making naïve old women give him checks for plays who flop. By accident the accountant Bloom realises a scheme, by which one can make, potentially, a million by producing a flop. Thus Bialystock makes the plan of producing the worst play ever and then to go to Rio.

First they find the worst play ever written, which happens to be “Springtime for Hitler”, a musical written by a paranoid Nazi, then in order to raise a million dollars, he first of all sells 40,000% of the play, after which they hire the worst director ever (“his plays usually close on the first day of rehearsal”) to direct and finally hires a washed-out hippie with no talent what-so-ever to play Hitler.

It is a masterpiece in so many aspects, that one can go on and on. First there is the story, which has no equal, then there is the dialogue, where basically each line spoken in the film now is a classic, the most classic, in my opinion, the most exuberant declaration of greed and desire ever: “I WANT EVERYTHING I’VE EVER SEEN IN THE MOVIES.”

Then there are the in-jokes, then there is the powerhouse performance by Zero Mostel, then there is the characters, who perhaps are the most outrageous characters ever to hit the screen: The dumb oversexed Swedish blond secretary, the paranoid Nazi playwright, the horny old ladies, the transvestite director, his ohh-so-gay assistant and of course L.S.D. As I said, one can go on and on.

Leonard Maltin notes, that this is one of the few movies, that becomes funnier the more times you watch it. So true. As one of the few films I’ve seen more than fifty times, this is a film that just never ceases to make one break out in laughter. A triumph of comedy. A masterpiece.

Henrik Sylow

Posters

Theatrical Release: March 18, 1968 (New York)

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DVD Comparison:

MGM (Special Edition (16x9)) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Momentum Pictures (Special Edition) - Region 2 - PAL vs. MGM (Special Edition (Fullscreen)) - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Henrik Sylow and Mathias Nielsen for the Screen Caps!

(MGM (Special Edition (16x9)) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Momentum Pictures (Special Edition) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. MGM (Special Edition (Fullscreen)) - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
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Distribution	MGM Region 1 - NTSC	Momentum Pictures Region 2 - PAL	MGM Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:29:32	1:25:45 (4% PAL speedup)	1:29:40
Video	1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.79 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1:85:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.25 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.70 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: MGM (Special Edition (16x9))
Bitrate: Momentum Pictures (Special Edition)
Bitrate: MGM (Special Edition (Fullscreen)
Audio	2.0 Dolby Digital Mono English, 5.1 Dolby Digital English	5.1 Dolby Digital English	2.0 Dolby Digital Mono English, 5.1 Dolby Digital English
Subtitles	English, French, Spanish, None	English for the hearing impaired	English, French, Spanish, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1 Edition Details: • The Making of 'The Producers' (1:03:49) • Sketchgallery - slideshow (2:14) • Playhouse outtakes (3:41) • Photogallery • Paul Mazursky reads Peter Sellers statement (00:54) • Trailers • Soundtrack spoofs • Easter Eggs • ... • Extras on side B DVD Release Date: August 8, 2003 Keep case Chapters 28	Release Information: Studio: Momentum Pictures Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1:85:1 Edition Details: • The Making of 'The Producers' (Divided into 'Opening', 'Act I', 'Intermission', 'Act II' & 'Closing' • Sketch Gallery - slideshow • Trailer • Playhouse Outtake • Peter Sellers' Statement Read By Paul Mazursky • ... • Animated 3D Menus • ... • All Extras on Disc 2 DVD Release Date: October 25, 2004 Digipak Drawer Chapters 28	Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • The Making of 'The Producers' (1:03:49) • Sketchgallery - slideshow (2:14) • Playhouse outtakes (3:41) • Photogallery • Paul Mazursky reads Peter Sellers statement (00:54) • Trailers • Soundtrack spoofs • Easter Eggs • ... • Extras on side B • ... • Including 8 seconds intro about fullscreen DVD Release Date: August 8, 2003 Keep Case Chapters 28

Comments

It doesn't look like the sources are the same. The R2 image is in some scenes slightly cropped vs. the R1 image (approx 2,5% top and 2% right), and in other scenes display more image right and bottom. I can only assume, that its two different sources and two different widescreen scans.

The R2 image also has received a more than healthy dose of light, colour and contrast, very visible in captures #3 and 6.

In addition to the OAR of 1.85:1, the R1 has a open matte version.

Where the R2 is a 2-disc, the R1 is something as a DVD-18, a flipper, with the two versions of the film (open matte and theatrical widescreen) on side A and additional material on side B.

- Henrik Sylow

DVD Menus

(MGM (Special Edition (16x9)) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Momentum Pictures (Special Edition) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. MGM (Special Edition (Fullscreen)) - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

Screen Captures

(MGM (Special Edition (16x9)) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Momentum Pictures (Special Edition) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. MGM (Special Edition (Fullscreen)) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
Subtitle sample (English subtitles only) - Native resolution 720px

16x9 resized from 960px

(MGM (Special Edition (16x9)) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Momentum Pictures (Special Edition) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. MGM (Special Edition (Fullscreen)) - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)