Dean Spanley - 2008

Dean Spanley - 2008 Atlantic Film(GB) & General Film(NZ) - 96 min. DVD UPC # 5051429101705; 9324915077300; 065935838678; 65935838678 7046686505685(Blu-ray); 7046687505684(Blu-ray) Cast: Jeremy Northam, Sam Neill, Bryan Brown, Peter O'Toole, Judy Parfitt, Art Malik. Screenplay: Alan Sharp, based upon book by Lord Dunsany; Director of Photography: Leon Narbey; Original Music: Don McGlashan; Editing: Chris Plummer; Production Designer: Andrew McAlpine; Costume Design: Odilie Dicks-Mireaux; Art Direction: Ben Smith, Steve Summersgill; Set Decoration: Barbara Herman-Skelding; Producers: Alan Harris, Matthew Metcalfe; Director: Toa Fraser A funny, intelligent and delighfully adult fairytale set in Edwardian England, Dean Spanley will be unlike anything else that you've seen lately. Peter O'Toole delivers a mesmerising performance as a misanthropic curmudgeon who cannot come to terms with his elder son's death, and has little time or affection for his younger son, Jeremy Northam. But when the pair visit an eccentric mystic, they start a strange journey that eventually allow the old man to find his heart. My respect for Toa Fraser has soared. Do not miss this one. Highly Recommended. Censor Rating: PG - Review rating: B+

AVAILABILITY OF VHS OR DVD COPIES

It is available R2 PAL from United Kingdom retailers for 10# or less. It is also available R4 PAL from various Australian sources for about $20au and from New Zealand sources selling for about $40nz. It is presented 1.80:1, enhanced for 16x9, with 5.1 surround or 2.0 stereo options. There are only English subtitles. Extras include: optional audio track for the blind that describes locations, textures, patterns and other non-verbal aspects of the film; a 14:22 minute "Making of"; and five interviews: Peter O'Toole - 5:22 min., Sam Neill - 8:20 min., Jeremy Northam - 6:40 min., Bryan Brown - 2:47 min., Toa Fraser - 12:11 min. It is available ntsc R1 from Canadian, and some U.S. sources, selling for $15-20. The R1 version does contain subtitles in English, Spanish and French.
There is a PAL all regions Blu-ray available, presented 1.85:1 at 1080p with English dolby digital 5.1 or DTS-HD Master audio. It also has subtitle options of Danish, Finnish, Norwegian or Swedish. There are no extras on the Blu-ray. It sells for about $24us or 20#.