Hungarian films on DVD

Discuss internationally-released DVDs and Blu-rays or other international DVD and Blu-ray-related topics.
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Morandi
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 2:24 pm

Hungarian films on DVD

#1 Post by Morandi » Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:12 pm

Went to Hungary today and found a series of hungarian classics, aside from in the west well known directors like Tarr, Jancsó, Makk or Szabó .
The Series is called Magyar Filmek Gyűjteménye, they have 30 movies on DVD (not all with english subtitles), the price is 1990 Forint thats sthg like 8,- €.

I bought the following titles directed by Sándor Pál: Régi idők focija aka Football of the good old Days and Szabadíts meg a gonosztól! aka Deliver us from the Evil

The quality is excellent, so are the subtitles.

I have heard good things about "Szamárköhögés" from Péter Gárdos or "Idő van" from Péter Gothár (writing credits the great Péter Esterházy) and "Édes Anna" from Zoltán Fábri.
Anyone who is familiar with some of the other movies ....

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MichaelB
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#2 Post by MichaelB » Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:57 pm

I've got loads of these (most purchased in a single bout of extravagance in Budapest last October), but have only watched three to date.

But I can certainly recommend Zoltán Fábri's Anna (Edes Anna, 1958), a story of an appallingly mistreated servant who wreaks an entirely unsurprising revenge, and Márton Keleti's The Corporal and the Others (A tizedes meg a többiek, 1965), a decidedly Švejkian black comedy about a gang of misfits during World War II.

I was less taken with István Szabó's Budapest Tales (Budapesti mesék, 1976), though that's the kind of vaguely post-apocalyptic allegory that I find you have to be in the right mood for - so I might feel differently next time round.

Presentational standards are barebones but quite acceptable - decent if unrestored prints, white, accurately-timed and idiomatic subtitles. I suspect that's true of the rest of them.

Oh, a warning - apparently Pacsirta doesn't actually have English subtitles, even though the packaging claims otherwise.

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jsteffe
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:00 am
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#3 Post by jsteffe » Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:08 pm

I want to buy some of these Hungarian DVDs for our library. Is there reliable online shop that accepts credit cards *and* has a reliable English-friendly interface? I could even use a website that's Hungarian only, since I have a native speaker who can help me out, though it's difficult to coordinate our schedules.

BTW: Zoltan Huszarik's SZINDBAD is one of the most beautiful color films ever made. Any possibility of seeing it on DVD in the UK or the US? I understand there's a Hungarian DVD, so I may just go with that for now.

Thanks much!

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vogler
Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 8:42 am
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#4 Post by vogler » Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:38 pm

jsteffe wrote:Is there reliable online shop that accepts credit cards *and* has a reliable English-friendly interface?
There's a very reliable skuhn8 on this forum. He takes paypal if that's any good to you.

By the way, anyone interested in classic Hungarian cinema, absolutely do not miss Körhinta by Zoltán Fábri. A stunning masterpiece in my opinion.
jsteffe wrote:BTW: Zoltan Huszarik's SZINDBAD is one of the most beautiful color films ever made. Any possibility of seeing it on DVD in the UK or the US? I understand there's a Hungarian DVD, so I may just go with that for now.
Yes, you simply must get the Hungarian DVD. The quality is great, it has English subs and it also features Huszárik's disturbing but excellent short film Elegia. Szindbád is one of the most beautiful and poetic films to ever come from Hungary, and for a nation that produced Jancsó, Fábri and Makk, that's saying a lot.
Last edited by vogler on Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:22 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Morandi
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 2:24 pm

#5 Post by Morandi » Thu Mar 13, 2008 4:39 am

@michaelB
thanks for the warning!
about the quality assessment, i think i have to upgrade my equipment. i re-checked the dvds yesterdays, i still think the quality is very good, at least much better than all my facets or secondruns.

about online ordering; this is the only online service i have found so far http://www.divido.hu/.
the interface is not english-friendly and i dont know if they accept credit cards, but i will check that out (with the help of a friend).
edit 16.03.08:
divido.hu do not offer international shipping. very likely skuhn8 is the best option.
Last edited by Morandi on Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:57 am, edited 1 time in total.

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skuhn8
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#6 Post by skuhn8 » Thu Mar 13, 2008 5:51 am

From the same series you mention I would also recommend Zoltan Fabri's Két félidö a pokolban (Two Half Times in Hell ) which was remade by John Huston as Victory. Excellent image quality with some good performances. Unfortunately the conclusion plays out as if it was penned by an adolescent--Peter Bacso of A Tanu (The Witness) fame no less. I would recommend just about anything by Fabri, very reliable filmmaker. Sadly his Professor Hannibul does not include subs.

And yes, I'd say Szindbad is essential cinema. Mokep actually did a good job putting that DVD together.

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MichaelB
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#7 Post by MichaelB » Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:03 am

skuhn8 wrote:From the same series you mention I would also recommend Zoltan Fabri's Két félidö a pokolban (Two Half Times in Hell ) which was remade by John Huston as Victory. Excellent image quality with some good performances.
Does the DVD have English subtitles? I remember passing on it because I couldn't spot the magic word 'Angol'!

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skuhn8
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#8 Post by skuhn8 » Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:07 am

MichaelB wrote:
skuhn8 wrote:From the same series you mention I would also recommend Zoltan Fabri's Két félidö a pokolban (Two Half Times in Hell ) which was remade by John Huston as Victory. Excellent image quality with some good performances.
Does the DVD have English subtitles? I remember passing on it because I couldn't spot the magic word 'Angol'!
Yes, it does. But I thought I saw it on your list of Hungarian films--you probably have it.

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MichaelB
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#9 Post by MichaelB » Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:10 am

You're absolutely right - I mixed it up with Two Half Times In Hell.

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Lemmy Caution
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:26 am
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#10 Post by Lemmy Caution » Wed May 28, 2008 12:59 pm

Has anyone seen Lúdas Matyi (1950)?
Spotted the Dvd and thought about picking up the Dvd blindly. All I learned from IMDb is that it's a comedy based on a novel.

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Barmy
Joined: Mon May 16, 2005 3:59 pm

#11 Post by Barmy » Wed May 28, 2008 1:18 pm

We need some István Gaál on DVD. That is all.

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jsteffe
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#12 Post by jsteffe » Wed May 28, 2008 10:57 pm

Barmy wrote:We need some István Gaál on DVD. That is all.
A Hungarian professor and I obtained an unsubtitled DVD of Gaál's The Falcons/Magasiskola from the Hungarian Film Institute for teaching purposes. Their digital transfer looks surprisingly good; I can easily see it used for a commercial DVD with only minor tweaking. That film is one of the masterpieces of Hungarian cinema, so I hope someone picks it up for distribution eventually. It wouldn't be out of place in Second Run's catalog either artistically or transfer-wise, hint hint...

My other great discovery from this project was Ferenc Kósa's Ten Thousand Suns/Tízezer nap (1967), which is sadly neglected. Sometimes this title is translated as "Ten Thousand Days," which is also correct, but if you see the film it's clear that "suns" is more fitting. The black and white 'scope photography by Sándor Sára alone makes the film worth seeing, and it has a striking musical score.

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Barmy
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#13 Post by Barmy » Wed May 28, 2008 11:29 pm

Yes, The Falcons is awesome, and a brilliant subtitled 35mm print exists.

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Barmy
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#14 Post by Barmy » Wed May 28, 2008 11:30 pm

Yes, The Falcons is awesome, and a brilliant subtitled 35mm print exists.

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skuhn8
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#15 Post by skuhn8 » Thu May 29, 2008 4:09 am

Lemmy Caution wrote:Has anyone seen Lúdas Matyi (1950)?
Spotted the Dvd and thought about picking up the Dvd blindly. All I learned from IMDb is that it's a comedy based on a novel.
Ludas Matyi is based on a very famous Hungarian folk tale, usually translated as The Goose Boy--it's been reincarnated in animated form more than once and a brisk version frequently performed at children's theatre events (I saw it on the Lake Balaton with the kids a couple weeks ago). The film is quite good at capturing some of the former agrarian glory of Hungary, straddles the fence on being adult- and child-friendly and has the honor of being Hungary's first color film (Agfacolor if I recall). Sadly the color disintegrated pretty much down to the reds as is often the case with Agfa. A complete restoration--read: recoloring--was conducted a few years ago for a special edition dvd here in the land of the Magyar(also includes the first color documentary film of the May 1 1949 military parade by Hero's Square and a restoration demonstration.)

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rohmerin
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:36 am
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#16 Post by rohmerin » Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:26 pm

I'm going seven days to Budapest in July. I'd like you to tell me where to buy DVDs in stores in the city. I'm interested not in Hungarian films, Italians are my passion. In Prague I could find a lot of Italian films for only 3 euros.

I'll visit Vienna for a whole week, so if you know the Austrain city, they'll be wellcome

so, addresses, please.

thank you

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rohmerin
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Re: Hungarian films (1950s-90s) on DVD

#17 Post by rohmerin » Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:27 am

I'm in love with Hungary since I was one week there.
I bought the Szabo's German trilogy when I came back home and the 3 are terrific. But a bigger surprise was Budapest tales, number 14 of the collection of classics that you can click in the 1st post. It's a beautiul poetic and metaphor film about the History of Hungary. It's very criptic like Saura or Kieslovski. I found it a hidden masterpiece, Szabo's best (and I've loved and enjoyed all his films). Budapest tales and McCarey's Make way for tomorrow are the best films I've seen this year.

Talking about another surprise, number 1 of the collection The caporal and theothers/ A Tizedes meg a többiek http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059812/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is BLACK COMEDY masterpiece about IIWW and how they change from nazi's team to allied. The cast is terrific, the cinematography is wonderful. They speak fast, the scrit is perfect, is very funny, and all reminds to me to COMMEDIA ALL'ITALIANA like The great war (Monicelli), Tutti a casa (Comencini), The federal (Luciano Salce).

I've another to wacth, The Last Goal. I'll edit this post after having seen it.

Be careful with the R1 release of beautiful little moral tale Dear Emma, Sweet Böbe. It's 1:33, the image quality is horrible, the subtitles are burned, and it costed 22 bucks. What a robbery!

By the way: in Budapest, I found Media Markt in the mall close to the rail statyion (the nearest one to the river, in Pest), and Saturn in another mall, but this time in Buda. All was cheap.

VERY IMPORTANT:
Is there here any Hungarian??? I bought by mistake Szerencsés Dániel and it's not got English subtitles, so, I give it as present this unuseful dvd for me to whoevers speak Hungarian and or want it. ¿¿¿Alguien lo quiere???

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lazier than a toad
Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2006 1:30 pm

Hungarian DVDs

#18 Post by lazier than a toad » Thu Jan 01, 2009 9:20 pm

I am going to be in Hungary later this month and was wondering if there are any good Hungarian DVDs with English subtitles worth picking up in any shops there, or is the internet much cheaper?

I really like the Makk and Jancso films released by Secondrun, and all the Tarr I've seen, any other recomendations?

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tavernier
Joined: Sat Apr 02, 2005 7:18 pm

Re: Hungarian DVDs

#19 Post by tavernier » Thu Jan 01, 2009 9:42 pm

Skuhn8 will have all the info you need...you might want to check out his list of DVDs for trade in that section of the forum. (I've picked up several Jancso discs that are out only in Hungary, among others, from him.)

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Skritek
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:59 am
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Re: Hungarian DVDs

#20 Post by Skritek » Fri Jan 02, 2009 4:19 am

I strongly recommend picking up Szindbad. Very very wonderful. (Also got it thanks to Skuhn8.) A Tanu and Dealer are also of highest interest.

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skuhn8
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Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#21 Post by skuhn8 » Fri Jan 02, 2009 5:05 pm

Touched base with lazier via pm but can post some thoughts here as well:

Two requirements are of course Szindbad and Tanu. No question.

Karoly Makk is now well-represented on DVD here after a spat of some 3 or four releases to add to Liliomfi. However like the latter they lack subs of any kind. Szerelem (Love) is out of print. So currently Second Run is the place to go for Makk...and Jancso unless:

You are interested in the recent six in the series of profanity-laced offerings from MJ:
# Ede megevé ebédem (2006)
# A Mohácsi vész (2004)
# Kelj fel, komám, ne aludjál (2002)
... aka Wake Up, Mate, Don't You Sleep (International: English title)
# Utolsó vacsora az Arabs Szürkénél (2001)
... aka Last Supper at the Arabian Gray Horse (International: English title)
# Anyád! A szúnyogok (2000)
# Nekem lámpást adott kezembe az Úr, Pesten (1999)
... aka Lord's Lantern in Budapest (UK)

Dealer is out of print as is Forest. But Milky Way and a recent documentary from from Fliegauf are available.

I'd recommend the deluxe Taxidermia if you can find it. Getting harder to locate but still in print. If you go to Saturn or Media Markt be sure to ask behind the CD/DVD counter from the rude shithead that may or may not be manning his post.

Stefan

andras

Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#22 Post by andras » Fri Jan 23, 2009 2:58 pm

Hello guys,I'm from Hungary.I once offered KONTROLL Spec.Ed. on DVDTalk Forum,that's when I started trading with a few guys overseas(I'm not selling).More and more dvds of local films that are released here get subtitled in English.

Re Fliegauf:

DEALER and RENGETEG is still in print,though these bigger electronic stores do not carry them.MILKY WAY is out and it's subbed,here is the menu for the extras:

Image

For some reason,the dvd is not anamorphic.

FRISS LEVEGŐ("Fresh Air")is one of their(Mokép)best discs and is fully subbed(even the commentary).
I will try to drop by sometimes to provide info. Btw,KONTROLL SE is oop!

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lazier than a toad
Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2006 1:30 pm

Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#23 Post by lazier than a toad » Tue Jan 27, 2009 7:38 am

Thanks all. Back from Budapest, had a nice time and picked up some nice films. The six Jancso above, Dealer (2 disks, is that the SE?), Milky Way, A Tanu, Szinbad, and the deluxe Taxidermia (meat in a tray edition). I almost got Hukkle and Edes Anna as well, but had already spent a little too much. Nekem Lampast... was a real chore to locate though, found it in a random bookshop on the way to the train station before flying home.

Already watched Szinbad and Anjad! A Szunyogok whilst I was there. Szinbad is great, the first few minutes alone blew me away, and I really enjoyed the Jancso. Yes, a bit different from the Red and the White, etc. but very very funny. Looking forward into delving into the rest of the Kapa es Pepe films soon.

Thanks again for the shop and disk recommendations.

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Person
Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 3:00 pm

Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#24 Post by Person » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:21 am

I was in Budapest back in October. Great, great city; surprisingly warm for October, too, Mr Gore. I was almost reduced to tears at the beauty of the women there. Phenomenal. Didn't see too many DVD shop, though I was shit-faced most of the time.

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TheDoug
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 8:14 pm

Re: Hungarian films on DVD

#25 Post by TheDoug » Sun Feb 01, 2009 3:06 pm

Park Chan-wook - Bosszú-trilógia (6 DVD) - XPRESS XKLUZÍV KIADVÁNY! Which to my non-Hungarian decifering eyes translates to: This dvd set is an Xpress.hu exclusive correct? Damn!!! Also lost in translation are the following specs:

Feliratok
magyar, angol
Gyártó stúdió
Corner Film
Extrák
Interaktív menük
Közvetlen jelenetválasztás
A film előzetese
Werkfilm (így készült...)
Audiokommentár(ok)
Interjúk

Does magyar, angol mean English subtitles? I'm unclear as to whether the 2-Disc individual discs, Mr. Vengeance, Lady Vengeance, and Old Boy have all the same specifications.

Bottom line: English or No English subtitles?

Link here.

If one wanted to obtain this set could either Andras or Skuhn8 get this?

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