The Ice Storm Ang Lee Sigourney Weaver Christina Ricci Joan Allen

directed by Ang Lee
U.S. 1997

Suburban Connecticut, 1973. While the Watergate hearings blast from the TV, the wayward Hood and Carver families try to navigate a Thanksgiving break simmering with unspoken resentments, sexual experimentation, and cultural confusion. With crystalline clarity, characteristic subtlety, and even a dose of wicked humor, Academy Award–winning director Ang Lee adapts Rick Moody's acclaimed novel of American malaise into a trenchant, tragic portrait of lost souls. Featuring a tremendous cast of established actors (Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver) and up-and-coming stars (Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Katie Holmes), The Ice Storm is one of the finest films of the nineties.

Poster

Theatrical Release Date: September 27, 1997

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DVD Comparison:

Criterion (2-disc) - Region - 1 - NTSC vs. Twentieth Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Buena Vista (UK) / Sandrew Metronome Region 2 - PAL

Big thanks to Ole of DVDBasen for the R2 - PAL Screen Caps!

(Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT 20th Century Fox R1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Buena Vista (UK) / Sandrew Metronome R2 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Criterion Collection - Spine # 426 Region 1 - NTSC	Twentieth Century Fox Region 1 - NTSC	Buena Vista (UK) / Sandrew Metronome Region 2 - PAL
Runtime	1:53:12	1:54:36	1:47:57 (4% PAL speedup)
Video	1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 8.30 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.81 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.39 PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes
Bitrate: Criterion
Bitrate: 20th Century Fox- R1
Bitrate: 20th Century Fox
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)	English (Dolby Digital 5.0), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
Subtitles	English, and none	English, Spanish and none	English for the hearing impaired, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1 Edition Details: • Audio commentary featuring Lee and producer-screenwriter James Schamus • New documentary featuring interviews with actors Joan Allen, Kevin Kline, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Sigourney Weaver, and Elijah Wood • New video interview with novelist Rick Moody • Deleted scenes • Footage from an event honoring Lee and Schamus at New York's Museum of the Moving Image • Visual essays featuring interviews with the cinematographer, production designer, and costume designer • Theatrical trailer • PLUS: A new essay by film critic Bill Krohn DVD Release Date: March 18th, 2008 Transparent Keep Case Chapters 26	Release Information: Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1 Edition Details: • Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen • Widescreen anamorphic trailer - 2:30 • Plus widescreen/anamorphic trailers for : • Titus • Grand Canyon • Smilla's Sense of Snow • Inventing the Abbotts • Paradise Road • Featurette: 4:3 "Making Of", interviews, behind the scenes etc. - 6:39 DVD Release Date: December 17, 2002 Keep Case Chapters 24	Release Information: Studio: Buena Vista (UK) / Aspect Ratio: Widescreen - 1.85:1 Released: Danish version was released before the year 2000 (The exact same disc was re-released 2001 in UK with a different cover). Keep Case Chapters 14

Comments:

ADDITION: Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - March 08': With director, cinematographer approved transfers lately from Criterion it makes it that much harder to assuredly state that any DVD image looks 'incorrect'. In The Ice Storm it affirms on the Criterion box '"New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Ang Lee and director of photography Frederick Elmes". But I'll give you some of my impressions regardless. The Criterion is darker than the Fox disc (let's officially throw the Sandrew PAL edition out of contention) and has a decided greenish/yellow tinge (this can occasionally be the sign of a slowly failing telecine). The new two-disc looks a shade sharper and, most of the time, shows more information in the frame. I saw a couple of chapter ending combing incidents leading me to believe the 'alchemist' method of transfer was utilized. Bottom line is that it looks very good and I don't suspect its superiorities (or weaknesses) will in anyway detract from the essence of the film. It has clear and consistent 2.0 channel audio and optiional English subtitles.

There is a wonderfully light and entertaining audio commentary featuring Lee and producer-screenwriter James Schamus. Near the beginning Schamus asks Lee "You're Chinese - how can you make a movie about Americans?". His response is "Ohhhh... F*ck you". I enjoyed the banter very much. Also on disc one is a 4:3 trailer. On disc 2 there is a new documentary entitled "Weathering the Storm" featuring interviews with actors Joan Allen, Kevin Kline, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Sigourney Weaver, and Elijah Wood. It runs 36 minutes and has most of the actors reflecting back on the film and how it positively affected their careers. There is a new 21 minute video interview with novelist Rick Moody as he discusses his personal response to the film adaptation of his second novel. Next is 32 minutes of footage from a November 2007 event honoring Lee and Schamus and their 10 collaborations over 15 years (including The Wedding Banquet, Eat, Drink Man, Woman, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain) at New York's Museum of the Moving Image. The Look of The Ice Storm is a three-part visual essay featuring interviews with the cinematographer, production designer, and costume designer. It runs about 30 minutes in total. There are 4, fairly inconsequential, deleted scenes lasting about 7 minutes with optional commentary. Finally a 20-page liner notes booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Bill Krohn.

I waver at times but often lean to this being Ang Lee's best film. The strong ensemble cast and highly detailed art direction definitely make it one of the best of the late 90's and an essential viewing experience. Criterion bring us a wonderfully complete package that DVDBeaver strongly recommends. The commentary and cast interviews further define appreciation of this masterfully made film. I'm so glad that this particular film was chosen for the 'Criterion treatment'.

****

ON THE FOX VS. THE SANDREW: Well, what can you say at a little over half the bitrate the R2 version is very poor in comparison. This is a great film and the Region 1 Twentieth Century Fox release has done a good job. Clear, sharp image where the region 2's colors are washed out and the image is hazy. Add on to that the extras of the Region 1 and the choice is obvious. Region 1 and Twentieth Century Fox win this battle hands down.