The Swimmer (1968) Blu-rays UPDATED

[Darrel_Griffin]

The Swimmer (1968)


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Blu-ray ALL America - Grindhouse Releasing - 3 disc Limited Edition [2020 release]
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Blu-ray ALL America - Grindhouse Releasing - 3 disc Deluxe Edition [2021 release]

These releases include the same Blu-ray and DVD discs as the 2014 release already listed, but also include a soundtrack CD and a slipcase.

On Blu-ray.com, there are 3 similar releases listed, dated 2020-2021, but I am not sure exactly what differences there are between them. The first one is stated to be a Limited Edition of 2000, and the third one does not mention a slipcase:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Swim ... ay/272699/
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Swim ... ay/279129/
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Swim ... ay/283262/

On the Grindhouse Releasing site, it lists the following product:

https://shop.grindhousereleasing.com/pr ... s=e&_v=1.0

Judging by the photos, it has a slipcase, but with different artwork to the 279129 item, and describes it as the "Deluxe Edition", suggesting it is the third one (283262). But then that begs the question of what the difference is between the 272699 and 283262 items. It's all quite confusing!

Based on checking various sites, including the Blu-ray.com forum, and Amazon, it seems likely that the products listed on Blu.ray.com are a bit mixed up. I cannot tell which each of the above entries is meant to be, but anyway, altogether there are at least 3 Grindhouse releases, and maybe 4. These are:

1. the original 2014 2 disc release (ASIN: B00HRISNPM)
2. the 2020 3 disc Limited Edition of 2000 with unique slipcase (ASIN: B08KFS2WDY)
3. the 2021 3 disc Deluxe Edition with alternate slipcase (ASIN: B08Q6NGRT2)
4. possibly another 3 disc edition, with no slipcase.

Apart from the different slipcases, the 3 disc Limited Edition and 3 disc Deluxe Edition appear to be identical.


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The notes below should be used to correct the existing entries for the 2014 release, on both the DVD and Blu-ray pages, as well as for creating any new entries for the 2020 and 2021 releases.


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1. "Allison Anders interviews Marge Champion" 2013 April 26th interview (17:55)

(It was recorded 26th April 2013, as listed in the menu, and the date can also be seen on screen at the start of the item.)


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2. "The Swimmer Read by the Author John Cheever" - was not recorded in 2004, just copyright 2004. I have not been able to determine the year of recording, but it must have been between 1964 (when the story was published) and 1982 (when he died).


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3. Title Sequence Outtakes (4:04) - these are on the Blu-ray only, not the DVD.


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4. Grindhouse Releasing Trailers (14:44) - these are on the Blu-ray only, not the DVD.


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5. There appears to be no BD-ROM content. The screenplay PDF file is DVD-ROM only.
(In the Blu-ray menus, it instructs to insert the DVD into a DVD-ROM drive.)


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6. For the 3 disc releases (2020-2021):

DISC THREE: soundtrack CD with music by Marvin Hamlisch:

01 Theme From The Swimmer / Big Splash (3:01)
02 Easy Four (2:59)
03 The Dive / Don't Come Back / Slow Walk / The Horse (3:44)
04 Lucinda River / Two People (3:43)
05 Hurdles (3:01)
06 Carnival (2:24)
07 Lovely Hair (2:34)
08 Down The Steps / On The Road (2:03)
09 My Kids Love Me / Traveling Home / Closer To Home / Home / Marcia Funebre (4:38)
10 Theme From The Swimmer (Reprise) (1:17)


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7. Updated notes sections:

For the 2014 2 disc release:

Notes: Comes with:
- A 12-page liner notes booklet containing "The Haunting of Ned Merrill" by Stuart Gordon (2 pages), and "Downstream Swimmer" by Chris Innis (8 pages).

(N.B. I don't think this edition has a reversible cover.)


For the 2020 3 disc Limited Edition release:

Notes: Limited edition of 2,000 copies.
Comes with:
- A 12-page liner notes booklet containing "The Haunting of Ned Merrill" by Stuart Gordon (2 pages), and "Downstream Swimmer" by Chris Innis (8 pages).
- A reversible cover with choice of 2 artworks.
- A limited edition embossed slipcase.
- A soundtrack CD in its own thin card case which fits inside the slipcase.


For the 2021 3 disc Deluxe Edition release:

Notes: Comes with:
- A 12-page liner notes booklet containing "The Haunting of Ned Merrill" by Stuart Gordon (2 pages), and "Downstream Swimmer" by Chris Innis (8 pages).
- A reversible cover with choice of 2 artworks.
- An embossed slipcase (with different artwork to the Limited Edition).
- A soundtrack CD in its own thin card case which fits inside the slipcase.

(N.B. I think this edition includes the reversible cover, but I have not been able to determine for certain.)


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8. Easter Eggs:

All easter eggs are on the Blu-ray only, not the DVD.

Additional easter egg:

EASTER EGG #4:
Go to Set-up page, highlight "Isolated Stereo Music Track", click left or right and a small keyboard icon appears, enter.
Additional interview segments with score composer Marvin Hamlisch (5:52)



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Blu-ray B United Kingdom - Powerhouse Films [2022 Release]


1. "Allison Anders interviews Marge Champion" 2013 April 26th interview (17:55)

(It was recorded 26th April 2013. The date can be seen on screen at the start of the item.)


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2. "The Swimmer Read by the Author John Cheever" - was not recorded in 2004, just copyright 2004. I have not been able to determine the year of recording, but it must have been between 1964 (when the story was published) and 1982 (when he died).


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3. Updated notes section:

Notes:
Numbered limited edition of 5,000 copies.
Comes with:
- A reversible cover with a choice of 2 artworks.
- An 80-page liner notes book with a new essay by Sophie Monks Kaufman, a profile of writer John Cheever, extracts from interviews with Frank Perry and Eleanor Perry on the making of the film, an overview of contemporary critical responses and film credits.
- A double sided poster.
- A wide hard card slipcase, housing the keep case, the book and the poster.


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source:

I own the American Grindhouse Releasing 3 disc Limited Edition of 2000.
I own the UK Powerhouse Films Limited Edition of 5000.

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

Updated, with some additional fixes.

As for the 3-disc, I can only find one slipcase edition and no alternate slipcase version. Seems the slipcase was for the first 2000 and then issued in a standard 3-disc without it.

[Darrel_Griffin]

Thanks James.

A few points:

1. I did read quite a lot of the Blu-ray.com forum entries, and based on those it does appear that the Grindhouse "Deluxe Edition" has a slipcase, but a different one to the "Limited Edition", using the alternate artwork of the blue stylised image on black background. The page on the Grindhouse website has a picture of it, and also mentions the slip, except it calls it a "slipcover", but I think this is just a misuse of the word (I generally take a slipcover to be an O-ring type with gaps top and bottom, rather than a slipcase which has one gap at the side):

https://shop.grindhousereleasing.com/pr ... s=e&_v=1.0

2. The Amazon link for the Limited Edition is wrong (please see ASIN numbers I posted previously, where I also included an ASIN for the 3 disc "Deluxe Edition").

3. The isolated score on the Grindhouse releases is Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo, not mono. This is the case on both the Blu-ray and the DVD. This may seem strange, given that the main audio track is mono, but it's definitely true - I listened to bits with earphones, and the stereo is very obvious, with some parts pretty much hard panned.

Note also that the Grindhouse releases have just the isolated score, in lossy stereo, whereas the Powerhouse release has both music and effects, in lossless mono.

The Powerhouse entry is already correct in this regard: Isolated Music & Effects Track in LPCM 1.0 (48kHz).

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

Fixed the Amazon link and changed to "Stereo".
Yes, the blue slipcase is what I saw on the Grindhouse website, and that's what I've noted which came with the first pressing.

[Darrel_Griffin]

My computer has packed up, so I am having to use a library computer. It is not showing me the Amazon links, so I cannot check them, but anyway, the blue on black artwork is for the Grindhouse Deluxe Edition. The Limited Edition of 2000 has a slipcase with the same artwork as the original 2014 cover i.e. a full colour picture of Burt Lancaster, as per Amazon products with the ASIN numbers I gave before. As far as I can tell, these are two different releases with different slipcases, but the same discs and contents. A lot of people on the Blu-ray.com forum were unhappy about Grindhouse releasing a supposed Limited Edition of 2000, causing people rush to buy it quickly, then releasing an almost identical non-limited Deluxe Edition just a few months later, with only the slipcase being different (and some people prefer the artwork of the later Deluxe Edition too, so feel ripped off).

You missed out fixing one of the mono -> stereo : on the Blu-ray page, under DISC TWO (DVD)

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

I see now. I've just never seen any of the slipcases with the identical artwork.
Now fixed.

[Darrel_Griffin]

Thanks again. I still can't check the Amazon links, but hopefully you've got them right now.

Yes, like I said before, I think Blu-ray.com have mixed up their entries.

This one says it's the Limited Edition of 2000, but I think it's incorrect:
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Swim ... ay/272699/

This one also says it's a Limited Edition, and appears to be the one with the full colour slipcase. The one which I own has the full colour slipcase, so I can confirm that the full colour slipcase DOES exist:
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Swim ... ay/279129/

Then this one says it's the Deluxe Edition, presumably with the black and blue slipcase:
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Swim ... ay/283262/

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

You might need to turn your adblocker off as the amazon links sometimes gets affected by that filter.

[Darrel_Griffin]

It's just because I am using a computer at the library. They control such things, so I cannot override them. Normally when I'm using my computer at home, I can see the links ok.