Morvern Callar Blu-ray - Samantha Morton

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

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directed by Lynne Ramsay
UK 2002

Samantha Morton is mesmerizing and "gives the female performance of the year" (San Francisco Examiner) as the enigmatic Morvern Callar, in filmmaker Lynne Ramsay's (Ratcatcher and We Need to Talk About Kevin) highly acclaimed and remarkably assured second feature, based on Alan Warner's lauded debut novel.

When Morvern Callar wakes up one Christmas morning to discover her boyfriend dead by suicide, it's the start of an unpredictable and unconventional process of self-transformation. Morvern's form of grieving will be bewildering and shocking to most. She keeps her boyfriend's death a secret. She passes off his just-finished novel as her own to publishers. She goes on holiday to Spain. Equal parts road movie and character study, Morvern Callar is as gripping and beautiful as it is dark and inscrutable.

***

The following is an excerpt from a Salon.com review by Stephanie Zacharek:
I would have thought "Morvern Callar" an unfilmable book, or at least one that would be easy to botch. But Lynne Ramsay, director of "Ratcatcher"...has turned it into a work of astonishing delicacy and force, a tone poem about the Frankenstein jolts that all of us, at one time or another, have to live through. (Ramsay co-wrote the screenplay with Liana Dognini.) "Morvern Callar" is a small movie and not a particularly detailed one; it drifts by on mood and nuance and suggestion. But the picture grows richer and more mournful as it moves along -- its sense of rhythm always pushes forward, like the tide forcing its way up the shore inch by inch. It has no formal dramatic structure whatsoever, and yet what's there is so wholly felt that it seems almost classical -- a sustained fugue that catches us up gently and carries us to a place we never would have expected.

Posters

Theatrical Release: May, 2002 - Cannes Film Festival

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Comparison:

Palm Pictures - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Momentum Pictures - Region 2 - PAL vs. Fun City Editions - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Donald Brown for the DVD screen captures!

Box Cover			Re-issued on Blu-ray from Fun City in June 2023: Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Palm Pictures Region 0 - NTSC	Momentum Pictures Region 2 - PAL	Fun City Editions - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:37:24	1:33:27 (4% PAL Speeedup)	1:37:44.149
Video	1.82:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.42 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.83:1 Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.71 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.85:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 23,774,597,959 bytes Feature: 21,930,425,088 bytes Video Bitrate: 31.93 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Palm DVD:
Bitrate Momentum DVD:
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	English 5.1	English 5.1	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1509 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	None	English, None	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Palm Pictures Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.82:1 Edition Details: • Interviews with Lynne Ramsay, Samantha Morton, Kathleen McDermott • Trailer • Weblinks DVD Release Date: December 16th, 2003 Keepcase Chapters 19	Release Information: Studio: Momentum Pictures Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.82:1 Edition Details: • Trailer DVD Release Date: July 21st, 2003 Keepcase Chapters 18	Release Information: Studio: Fun City Editions 1.85:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 23,774,597,959 bytes Feature: 21,930,425,088 bytes Video Bitrate: 31.93 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Audio commentary with film historians Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson • "Somewhere Beautiful," a new video essay by Chris O'Neill (7:29) • Booklet with essays, stills and cast / crew information • Original U.K. (2:29) and U.S. theatrical trailers (2:01) Blu-ray Release Date: February 22nd, 2022 Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 7

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Fun City Editions Blu-ray (January 2022): Fun City Editions have transferred Lynne Ramsay's Morvern Callar to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Newly scanned & restored in 2k from 35mm interpositive". It looks like quite a significant bump beyond the DVDs. The 1080P is much brighter. We lose a sliver off the right and top edge but gain a small amount on the bottom of the frame. The visuals are clearer with richer, deeper colors and more detail - this is a very positive upgrade. A superb film selection to bring to Blu-ray by Fun City Editions. It's like seeing the film anew.

NOTE: We have added 38 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Fun City Editions use a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track (24-bit) in the original English language (heavy Scottish accents.) Morvern Callar has a few separations that may be notable and they come through fairly deftly - mostly bar, party scenes. The film's music includes selections from a mixtape made for Morvern by her boyfriend with songs by Velvet Underground, Japanese Cowboy performed by Ween, I Want More, Spoon and Fragrance performed by Can, Dedicated to the One I Love performed by The Mamas and the Papas and many others. It sounds clean with consistent dialogue in the lossless transfer. Fun City Editions offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray. Those unfamiliar with the heavy brogue may wish to utilize this option although, typical of Ramsay's films it has limited dialogue.

The Fun City Editions Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Australians Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (author of Rape-Revenge Films: A Critical Study) and Joshua Nelson academic and film critic based in New York. They discuss films with 'trauma' as a focus, plenty on Lynne Ramsay and her, masterful, Ratcatcher, her short Gasman, her relatively minute budgets - comparing it to 'Guerilla filmmaking'... and much more. It's excellent. "Somewhere Beautiful," is a new 7.5 minute video essay by Chris O'Neill where the emotionally detached character of Morvern Callar showing text through specific scenes of the film. It's a good analysis. Lastly are UK and US trailers and the package has reversible cover artwork plus a liner notes booklet with essays, stills and cast, crew information.

Lynne Ramsay's Morvern Callar is my favorite of her films along with Ratcatcher. Her cinema's themes deal with grief, guilt, death, and there eventual repercussions. It is very much pure filmmaking with limited dialogue and the use of well-established visuals and choice music to express the emotional complexities of the story. I was so happy that Fun City Editions have brought Morvern Callar to Blu-ray. Especially with the commentary and visual essay. Absolutely brilliant. Very strongly recommended!

Gary Tooze

Menus / Extras

Palm Pictures - Region 0 - NTSC

Momentum Pictures - Region 2 - PAL

Fun City Editions - Region FREE - Blu-ray

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1) Momentum Pictures - Region 2 - PAL TOP

2) Fun City Editions - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM