Customer Reviews

House of the Long Shadows

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

This DVD-R freeze frames during playback. Currently, all MGM DVD-Rs are being investigated for defects by Amazon.com. Hopefully, they will resolve this problem soon.

What were they thinking? Dark,grainy,washed out and completely unwatchable. What a disappointment! There's even a flash frame of a white slate that says "MTI missing frame" or something like that. Clearly where this "film" had been repaired. It's like they found a Beta rental from 1980 and dubbed it to DVD. DO NOT BUY THIS!

This review focuses strictly on the quality of the video image, which is quite mediocre. The image is presented in what appears to be an open-matted 1:33 aspect ratio, so there is extra information at the top and bottom of the screen compared to what should be visible in a 1:85 widescreen presentation. If you have a widescreen TV, you can zoom in to correct the aspect ratio you see, but that makes the image less crisp. Not that the image is crisp if you don't zoom in. Another problem is use of what appears to be either a TV video master, or a 2nd or 3rd generation film master. The was definately not mastered from the camera negative. Finally, the image is somewhat dark and a bit orange looking. This is the only MGM DVD-R product I purchased, and all I can say is that it is a huge step down from the generally very good image quality of the Warner Archive and Universal DVD-R products. MGM really needs to step up their game if they want to compete in this space. Disappointing, and recommended only for fans of the movie who "need to own this" regardless of quality.

AWFUL !!
Anyone buying this doesnt need a review of the film itself, your going to know what your buying !
But the quality is abysmal , so dark in places you can see absolutely nothing !!
Terrible .
MGM hang your head in shame for this rip off !

THE worst quality I have ever seen from a product masquerading as a DVD. I have seen third generation bootlegs better quality than this!

First, lets get this out of the way: my rating is for the DVD release, not the film itself which would be an easy 4 star in my book.

As for this realse, MGM are either delusional or smoking something to think this is an acceptable release! The print is so muddy and dark that my VHS copy looks like a Blu-Ray in comparison! I'm not kidding, I put them both on and went from room to room comparing image quality. Where the DVD has faded colours and dingy shadows, the VHS was bright and crisp and vibrant. When John Carradine stalks out of the dark for the first time, on this DVD all you can see is a hand holding a candle and half of his face - on the VHS you can not only see him, but also the hall he's emerging from.

There's no menu screen for this one: it just starts right up just like a VHS and there is no scene selection (of course not, with no menu to make selections from). Worse, there are errors in the print itself. In the above mentioned sceen with John Carradine, there is a quick white blip - an editing frame! The quality of the DVD is even more suspect given that it played on only two of three machines in my apartment - the cheap player and the Xbox 360 both played it, but my expensive Sony DVD recorder never finished trying to load it whenever it was put in the tray.

I've been waiting eagerly for a DVD release of this movie and was quite thrilled when I saw MGM was releasing it, given their good quality in the past. Experience with the Warner Brothers archive collection, which have all been quite nice if no frills releases, also made me very eager for this release. What I got, instead, was a slap in the face and the sound of some mogul laughing his way to the bank. This would be an unacceptable DVD if it was bought from a shady character at a flea market, for a major studio to slop something like this onto the market is outrageous.

Pick this one up only if you need a coaster.

I was so happy to be able to order this film, I am a great fan of Price, Lee, Cushing, and Carradine. I give the movie 4 stars, which I have seen many years ago. The quality of the DVD however is 1 star.
The movie was so dark that I couldn't see a thing for almost the first half of the movie. The only time I actually saw anything is when they were in a room with candles all around, or when he put the candle right up to his face. I couldn't see Desi Arnez Jr. moving about at all, it's as if I had my eyes closed, nothing was visible to give you a idea of what was going on. I've seen this film many years ago and although the house was dark you could see the staircase and Desi moving around. I will never buy another MGM dvd-r product again. I am returning the DVD to Amazon. I have been buying movies from Amazon for years, and never returned a movie for a Refund, This is a First for me. Do not buy this DVD. The price for this Movie is outragous! It belongs in the $1 bin at the dollar store and that would be still overpaying. I have never been this upset with a movie I pruchased. Listen to all the other 1 star reviews, They are right on!!

The movie is great, and a nice nod/send off to the Masters of Silver Age Horror. However---THE "QUALITY" OF THIS TRANSFER IS AWFUL!!!!! I had a vhs that I transferred to dv-r so I wouldnt have to worry about my vhs rotting out. I swear my vhs transfer is better than this "professional" release. Scratches, dirt, etc. throughout the film. The color and contrast are way off. Its so dark in areas you do not even know what is happening. The stars of the film are all given orange complexions by the lack of proper color, and the film is modified/fullscreen. What a rip. Go to the gray market or copy your vhs to a dv-r and make your own case artwork. You'll be better off and save yourself $18.

It's hard to believe that MGM had the gall to release this as a DVD-R burn-on-demand release for $20; the quality of the transfer (which looks to be cropped 1:1.33) is truly appalling with many scenes so dark as to make it impossible to see what was going on. Also the copy I had froze now and again on some players. A shamefully poor release from a major studio, resembling a second generation video bootleg.

What can I say that hasn't been said here already? This print is so dark with colors over saturated, it resembles the $1 DVD's you find in the supermarket. It's that bad. I just can't believe they had the nerve not to remaster or at least get a better print of this movie. To make matters worse, the disc retails for 17 or 19.99. What a rip off! Night scenes totally oblitirate any moving images. Is Dezi Arnaz Jr. wearing a black cap througout the movie, or is that his hair? You make the call. T.C.