COPPOLA'S THE RAIN PEOPLE DEMANDS CRITERION RELEASE

COPPOLA’S THE RAIN PEOPLE DEMANDS CRITERION RELEASE. Am I right? I saw a VHS a while back and it was fantastic. Never-before-on-DVD. A perfect Criterion Collection release. Am I right?

I’d rather see them release Finian’s Rainbow, despite being the inferior film of the two choices.

Historically, it’s an immensely important and interesting artifact, being quite literally the last film made by the original Hollywood structure, before the younger generation took over (who were then taken over by corporations).

Load it with extras focusing on it’s place in history, and Coppola’s experiences of being a young kid making a movie in “old” Hollywood, and you have a winning package.

Never seen Finian’s Rainbow. It is apparently on DVD so I will have to check it out. Maybe we need an early Coppola Eclipse release collection. But at least THE RAIN PEOPLE. It’s the film Coppola made before THE GODFATHER and it’s never been on DVD. You’d think there’d be interest in having it on the Criterion Collection in a pristine DVD transfer. Am I right?

I agree on the Rain People. I believe it won a special prize at Cannes.

Rain People is now available from Warner on DVD as part of the first wave of their “on demand” archive:

http://www.wbshop.com/Rain-People,-The-%20EST-MOD/1000088093,default,pd.html

Mr. Parks. Thank you. Good to know. I was unaware of the WB Archive. This looks like the full frame VHS transfer but I might buy it anyway.

David,

Right, they basically are just burning the old VHS source to DVD for you, but it’s (arguably) better than nothing.

David, I am interested in seeing this film. If you watch the WB Archive version could you let me know the quality and if it is worth getting?

I have been trying to find this movie on video for years and have had no luck. It certainly deserves the full Criterion treatment and then we will have another reason to praise the The Criterion Collection.

The WB Archive DVD transfer is 1.76, ostensibly the correct aspect ratio, but the frame rate is inexplicably 29.97 fps.

Finian’s Rainbow? Really? I was so underwhelmed by that film. But I do see the significance in it…I have yet to find a copy of Rain People.

AWFUL MOVIE.

The correct aspect ratio for Rain People would actually be 1.85:1. According to this review the DVD-R is “a good-looking enhanced 1:85 transfer with excellent color.”