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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

directed by Bill Forsyth
UK 1981

 

This enchanting comedy, made in Scotland and only the second feature to be written and directed by Mr. Forsyth, who is 33 years old, is one of the cheeriest unsentimental reports on the human condition since Francois Truffaut's ''Small Change,'' which it recalls because it, too, is almost entirely concerned with teen-agers and their juniors.

Further, like Mr. Truffaut, Mr. Forsyth accepts nothing at face value. No character, emotion, gesture or response is too commonplace not to be re-examined and, in the process, miraculously seen anew. In this fashion, what might have been an ordinary comedy about the perils and pressures of growing up is transformed into something as exotic as a visit to another planet, a place that looks and sounds familiar but whose gravitational pull is about one-tenth of Earth's
.

Excerpt from the New York Times review located here

Posters

Theatrical Release: November 29th, 1980

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Cinema Club - Region 2 - PAL vs. MGM - Region 1 - NTSC  vs. Film Movement - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Box Cover

 

  

A Blu-ray came out in the UK from Second Sight in 2014:

Coming to 4K UHD from BFI in August 2023:

Distribution

Cinema Club

Region 2 - PAL

MGM
Region 1 - NTSC
Film Movement - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:27:15 (4% PAL speedup)         1:31:10  1:31:10.506
Video 4:3 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.85:1 Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 44,071,482,792 bytes

Feature: 27,823,153,152 bytes

Video Bitrate: 36.93 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio English (Dolby Digital mono) English (Mono)

Dolby Digital Audio English 448 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 448 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio French 448 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 448 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps

Subtitles None English, French, Spanish, none English (SDH), None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Cinema Club

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 4:3

Edition Details:
• Single layer

DVD Release Date: June 7th 2004
Keep Case

Chapters 18

 

Release Information:
Studio: MGM

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1

Edition Details:
• Trailer (2:29)
• Choice of soundtrack
• Single layer
• Region coding enhancement (RCE)

 

DVD Release Date: November 6th 2001
Keep Case

Chapters 16

Release Information:
Studio:
Film Movement

 

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 44,071,482,792 bytes

Feature: 27,823,153,152 bytes

Video Bitrate: 36.93 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

Audio Commentary with director Bill Forsyth and film critic Mark Kermode
Bill Forsyth on Gregory's Girl interview (20:43)
Bill Forsyth - The Early Years interview (20:01)
Gregory's Girl Memories with Clare Grogan interview (10:59)
Trailer (1:37)
New essay by film scholar Jonathan Murray


Blu-ray Release Date:
January 21st, 2020
Transparent Blu-ray Case

Chapters 12

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Film Movement Blu-ray (January 2020): Film Movement have transferred Bill Forsyth's Gregory's Girl to Blu-ray. It is cited as being "a new 2K restoration". It is in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio but shows significantly more in the frame on the right and left edges than both DVDs and composition in regards to space over people's heads seems far more normal. Detail ratchets up, the image is a bit fainter but I think this makes colors more realistic. There are frequent examples of depth. Overall, the image is a notable upgrade.

On their Blu-ray, Film Movement have lossy Dolby tracks for the original language, an Americanized version (milder Scottish accents) and a French DUB. It's a shame that uncompressed tracks were not utilized and dialogue/accents remains pronounced for the original track, so many will appreciate the alternate audio although DUB'ing is not stellar. The score is credited to Colin Tully - Gregory's Girl being only one of two of his music composition credits. Film Movement offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Film Movement Blu-ray offers similar supplements to the Second Sight edition with an audio commentary with director Bill Forsyth hosted by film critic Mark Kermode where the origins of the film are discussed, Forsyth's attitude against ad-libbing and sticking faithfully to the script, plus many production details that helped evolve the film. For those keen on Gregory's Girl, this has value. There are also some interview with director/writer Forsyth - for 20-minutes on Gregory's Girl and another 20-minutes on 'The Early Years' where he admitted to having little to no interest in film growing up but at 17 applied for a job available in the industry. He grew to love European and less commercial cinema. There is also an 11-minute interview with Clare Grogan (Susan) entitled Gregory's Girl Memories where she relates working as a waitress in a restaurant where Bill Forsyth was a regular - and this is how she got the role and becoming good friends with John Gordon Sinclair while promoting the film in the United States. There is also a trailer for the film, trailers for others films and the package has liner notes with a new essay by film scholar Jonathan Murray.

Gregory's Girl is a joyful and touching romantic comedy in Bill Forsyth's unique style. One day I may compare to the Second Sight Blu-ray, but this has a commentary and extras as well as the extensive improved image. A shame about lack of lossless audio but people will appreciate this package with the supplements.

Gary Tooze

ON THE DVDs (2005): ED. NOTE: It is my suspicion that the Cinema Club is the Open Matte version of the film - there appears to be a lot of wasted space at the top of the frame. The Cinema Club also looks to have had the colors manipulated in my opinion. Being single-layered it definitely shows more artifacts. I'd prefer the MGM I think.

Gary Tooze

Michael Brooke says (in email): 'Firstly, regardless of what his memory tells him, the film categorically would not have been shown in 4:3 in British cinemas, as most were simply incapable of screening the format by 1981 (in this, there's no essential difference between British and American cinemas). So while it was undoubtedly shot open-matte, the correct aspect ratio would be 1.66:1 as a minimum. Secondly, while it's a good idea to distinguish between the MGM's 'English' and 'Scottish' tracks, I think the terminology is actively misleading. First of all, the sole soundtrack on the Cinema Club disc is equivalent to the 'Scottish' track (as it's the original), whereas the overview implies that it's the 'English' one (i.e. the replacement). Secondly, neither of the tracks are in Gaelic, which is a different language altogether - it's just a very strong regional accent. Thirdly, BOTH soundtracks are in Scottish accents - it's just that the dubbed version is in milder accents than the original, to make it easier on non-Scottish ears. (I'm also not at all sure that the dubbing was done by the original actors, as claimed - it certainly didn't sound that way to my ears, which is one of the reasons I found this version so tooth-grinding to listen to when I caught it on US TV a few years ago).' and

'(Incidentally, I'm with you on the subject of the picture - the MGM looks better composed. That said, I think it would probably have been shown in 1.66:1 originally, opening up the frame a bit more.)'

Michael St Aubyn responds: 'I suspect that both tracks were post-synced, the "strong Scottish" track at least partially (the UK disc, without the "weak Scottish" track, mentions that the "sound was re-recorded at Cine-Lingual Studios, London"). As to whether the same actors were used for the two tracks, that was the impression I got but I may be wrong. Incidentally, both discs are single layer. I think the Cinema Club compression artifacting that Gary comments upon is grain on the print itself. The MGM appears to have been smoothed and colour-adjusted to make it look more cinematic and to perk up those pallid Scottish complexions.'

***

The big difference between these two editions is the aspect ratio. I am sure that when I first saw this film in the UK it was in 4:3, which is how it is presented on the Cinema Club disc. The film was presumably cropped to widescreen for international distribution, and it is this version (1.85:1, letterboxed to anamorphic 16:9) which appears on the MGM. Clearly a lot (more than a quarter) of the image has been sacrificed on the way, resulting in some tight framing. The MGM does, however, have a little more information along the right edge, where the Cinema Club has also been slightly cropped.

Both editions appear to have come from old prints with a fair smattering of dirt speckles. The level of detail is about the same, though the MGM image looks sleeker with less grain and a better color balance in most shots. One other difference is that faces look slightly narrower in the Cinema Club edition. The images of the clock face in the final captures below suggest that it may be the MGM that is correct.

The Cinema Club has no extras or subtitles. The MGM has a trailer, English, French and Spanish subtitles, and an extra soundtrack, spoken by the original actors, but with the broad Scottish accents turned down a notch. It is this track which is selected by default, so you need to change the settings in order to listen to the original "Scots Gaelic" soundtrack (which I would recommend).

Neither disc is ideal. I prefer the overall look of the MGM, and the bonus audio track or subtitles may be essential if you are unused to the Scottish dialect. However, the cropping is a significant drawback, and tips the balance for me in favour of the Cinema Club.

 - Michael St Aubyn

 


Cinema Club - Region 2 - PAL

MGM Region 1 - NTSC

Film Movement - Region FREE - Blu-ray


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

1) Cinema Club - Region 2 - PAL TOP

2) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC MIDDLE

3) Film Movement - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Cinema Club - Region 2 - PAL TOP

2) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC MIDDLE

3) Film Movement - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Cinema Club - Region 2 - PAL TOP

2) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC MIDDLE

3) Film Movement - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Cinema Club - Region 2 - PAL TOP

2) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC MIDDLE

3) Film Movement - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Cinema Club - Region 2 - PAL TOP

2) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC MIDDLE

3) Film Movement - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Cinema Club - Region 2 - PAL TOP

2) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC MIDDLE

3) Film Movement - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


More Blu-ray Captures
 

 


 

 


 

 


 

 

 

 


 

  

 

Box Cover

 

  

A Blu-ray came out in the UK from Second Sight in 2014:

Coming to 4K UHD from BFI in August 2023:

Distribution

Cinema Club

Region 2 - PAL

MGM
Region 1 - NTSC
Film Movement - Region FREE - Blu-ray


 


 

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Gary Tooze

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