TotalTelly.co.uk
Devoted to Popular, Cult and Retro TV
Raise The Titanic [1980]
![Raise The Titanic [1980]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RHNS5MMYL._SL160_.jpg)
RRP: £9.99
Our Price: £34.97 (subject to change)
It Deserves A Wide Screen Release
Review date: 2007-08-03 Rating: 8 out of 10
RAISE THE TITANIC is a great film but it's ruined as a full frame release everywhere. All the distributors should know these days wide screen is a well-known and well-wanted way to watch movies and they ruined RAISE THE TITANIC on DVD by doing this stupid thing. All the time it's not wide screen I'm not buying it on DVD. I'd rather save money and watch the VHS copy that I have. Even though I bought my VHS copy years ago and VHS isn't as good as DVD, my VHS copy of RAISE THE TITANIC is still in mint condition as if I bought it today under the distributors of Channel 5.
It's bad enough MGM/UA keep releasing old titles in the full frame under Region 1. Those MGM/UA titles are wide screen under Region 2. From what I found out, RAISE THE TITANIC (even though it's not an MGM/UA movie), it's not wide screen everywhere.
Similar Products
- A Night To Remember / The Making Of A Night To Remember [1958]
- "Titanic" (Eyewitness)
- The Poseidon Adventure [1972]
- Operation Pacific [1951]
- Raise The Titanic [1980]
Reviews
Not bad, just rather dull
Review date: 2006-11-04 Rating: 6 out of 10
A one-time Stanley Kramer project before he jumped ship after a couple of weeks' filming, Raise the Titanic is one of those films that isn't really that bad, it just isn't much good. It handles the exposition and setup briskly and efficiently and the raising of the wreck genuinely spectacularly, but everything inbetween is just tedious and undramatic. A huge problem is the decision to drop the parallel narrative from the book: where the film only concentrates on the modern-day story, which means lots of looking at sonar screens while mini-subs float around in the darkest depths of the ocean for almost as long as it took the ship to sink, the book livened things up with the ship's maiden voyage and sinking as well. The end result is by the rules storytelling that keeps everything under two hours, but which keeps everything pretty flat as well. Still, it has its moments - Alec Guinness' cameo, Richard Jordan wandering through the ghostly skeleton of the Titanic's ballroom, the sequence of the raised Titanic sailing into New York past the Twin Towers inadvertently linking the first great civilian tragedy of the 20th century with the first great civilian tragedy of the 21st - and has a very nice score by John Barry.
Sadly, while the film looks good in its original Scope ratio, Carlton's UK DVD is cropped to 1.85:1 - for the full 2.35:1 widescreen version you need to track down either the Australian or Swedish PAL DVDs.
Grand film, lousy DVD
Review date: 2005-03-03 Rating: 2 out of 10
I too love this film despite the way it fractured Clive Cussler's novel. His story was tight, this one is not. But for the great and wonderful joy of watching the grand ship rise from her grave and complete her journey west, I will always love this film.
However, this is one of the shoddiest DVD releases ever. First, it's pan and scan. The box SAYS the aspect ratio is 16:9. It is NOT. It's good old 1.33:1
This is a movie made for widescreen and there's no reason to release it in any but its original aspect ratio. The sound's okay, but the picture is not. The only special feature is a 3-minute trailer which, unlike the film, is widescreen and only shows how much you missed in the movie. If you don't have the trailer and love ocean liner movies, maybe it's worth buying for that, but I wouldn't recommend it.
Okay it's not the novel but I love it
Review date: 2004-11-21 Rating: 10 out of 10
This may take liberties with the Clive Cussler novel and the plot may be implausible but I still love this movie. This movie was released in 1980 and the real Titanic was not discovered for another four or five years so there was at that point a fascination as to why nobody seemed able to find the ocean liner.
I love the music by John Barry - it really is one of his best works and I enjoyed the whole drama of the production.
if only it were true!
Review date: 2004-05-04 Rating: 10 out of 10
Yes, its now common knowledge that the "Titanic" could not be raised, but going on the knowledge that existed at the time the film was made, its a good romp.
Nobody knew at the time that the ship was really in pieces, which makes the film in my opinion a case of "if only!" it's pretty good viewing if you are into the whole Titanic thing, but if you are then you probably already have this film.
I don't think the guy who played Dirk pitt portrayed the character as being "likeable" enough for the hero he was presented as in the book, but then how many films faithfully follow the book they were based on?
the film bombed spectacularly when it was released, which I think was a great shame if only for the reason there has not been a Clive cussler film adaption since, and he has written some great stories.
In summary, it isnt a great film, but interesting as a "might have been" in our imaginations.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Anne Archer
David Selby
Richard Jordan
Jason Robards
Alec Guinness
Creators:
Jason Robards (Primary Contributor)
Richard Jordan (Primary Contributor)
Matthew F. Leonetti (Cinematographer)
Lew Grade (Producer)
Martin Starger (Producer)
William Frye (Producer)
Adam Kennedy (Writer)
Clive Cussler (Writer)
Eric Hughes (Writer)
Director(s):
Recording label: ITV DVD
Manufacturer: ITV DVD
EAN: 5037115050533
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2003-08-11
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 109 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1980-08-01
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)