"A Hard Day's Night" 50th Anniversary restoration Criterion blu-ray confirmed... (1 Viewer)

[AnthonyClarke]

Here's the announcement on the UK release. Personally, I much prefer this cover. Just wish this version were Region Free. Extras look the same, with the Criterion having a couple more smaller pieces.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=13872

So it looks as if I'll have to stick with the Criterion even if the UK release is cheaper as the UK version doesn't include the fabulous Running Jumping and Standing Still movie extra.

 

[Vahan_Nisanain]

Bumping this thread to let you all know that the blu-ray will feature all new cover artwork.

Also, something I should have shared before. Even though this is a Japanese dub, this is how If I Fell and Can't Buy Me Love originally sounded like in the film. They sounded great originally, especially Can't Buy Me Love! Listen to how awesome George's guitar playing sounds!

 

[AnthonyClarke]

Thanks for the video clip.
I'm thinking now that although the UK release won't have the Richard Lester short 'Running Jumping and Standing Still Film' it may still be the preferred choice because of its additional audio track.
The Criterion specs list two audio tracks .. mono and Surround.
The UK disc lists three tracks. mono, 'newly created' stereo and Surround.
Maybe the stereo will be gutsier than the Surround ..... that's guesswork, but may as well have the choice of all three!

 

[Dee Zee]

Thanks for the video clip.I'm thinking now that although the UK release won't have the Richard Lester short 'Running Jumping and Standing Still Film' it may still be the preferred choice because of its additional audio track.The Criterion specs list two audio tracks .. mono and Surround.The UK disc lists three tracks. mono, 'newly created' stereo and Surround.Maybe the stereo will be gutsier than the Surround ..... that's guesswork, but may as well have the choice of all three!

I believe Criterion also lists 3 audio tracks same as the UK version. Mono, stereo and surround.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

That's great news ... so it's back to Criterion! Unless the UK gets listed at a really competitive price ......

 

[Vahan_Nisanain]

And here is the Blu-Ray artwork. Ugh! Looks awful!

What's wrong with this? (The original British quad)

 

[John Maher_289910]

I saw A HARD DAY'S NIGHT on a double bill with GIANT on the Saturday evening before Thanksgiving, 1964, at The Belgrade Theater in Philadelphia. We were walking out of the theater around 12:30 am!

 

[davidmatychuk]

I saw A HARD DAY'S NIGHT on a double bill with GIANT on the Saturday evening before Thanksgiving, 1964, at The Belgrade Theater in Philadelphia. We were walking out of the theater around 12:30 am!

"A Hard Day's Night" and "Giant" on a double bill, or as we call it at my place, Tuesday.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Just added to the iTunes Store. The "trailer" is actually the entire opening titles sequence. It's 2.0 stereo with the screams and a cleaner fade-out of the title song. Seems to be the new remix since it doesn't match the 2.0 stereo track on MPI's ancient DVD, nor the Miramax 5.1 track.

Looks like we'll have to wait for the actual disc about the mono mix since the iTunes download is 5.1-only.

 

[Vahan_Nisanain]

Just added to the iTunes Store. The "trailer" is actually the entire opening titles sequence. It's 2.0 stereo with the screams and a cleaner fade-out of the title song. Seems to be the new remix since it doesn't match the 2.0 stereo track on MPI's ancient DVD, nor the Miramax 5.1 track.

Looks like we'll have to wait for the actual disc about the mono mix since the iTunes download is 5.1-only.

As Bob Furmanek stated earlier in this thread, the song originally played complete with NO screaming heard until the fade out.

 

[Paul Rutan Jr.]

Ron Furmanek is responsible for restoring this logo to the film in place of Walter Shenson's replacement. Paul Rutan located the original 35mm negative.

Actually, I had the logo in safe keeping. I just cut poor Walter out and put the UA logo back in. TRon's suggestion.

 

[Vahan_Nisanain]

Actually, I had the logo in safe keeping. I just cut poor Walter out and put the UA logo back in. TRon's suggestion.

I gotta say that I was overall really impressed with Criterion's job on the film, and the attempt to preserve the original mono soundtrack as much as possible.

However, I do wish they had kept the original B&W UA Hexagon. They restored it on The Man With the Golden Arm, as well as on an obscure British film from 1957 called Three Sundays to Live. So I do not know why Criterion could not do the same thing here.

On the subject of the UA Hexagon: I heard that the next Beatles film, Help!, also originally began with such logo as well.

 

[Filmdoctor]

The UA logo thing is very strange. I made a point of reinserting it back into the Fine Grain. Also, the aspect ratio is 1:66. If you screen it at 1:37 you'll see empty seats at the top in the R 10.

 

[Filmdoctor]

Interesting. I just screened the MPI, Miramax and Criterion DVDs. Since there was no Blu Ray comparason. For all the work, scanning the original at 4K, etc. I liked the picture on both the MPI and Miramax versions better. I found that in the Criterion version, the blacks were crushed and it was overall too lite. Call me old fashioned, but the other telecined versions had a warmer and more inviting feeling to them. If anyone else has the different versions, take a look. I'd like your opinions on what I see.

 

[Filmdoctor]

Oh, I have a 32 inch Sony CRT.

 

[bigshot]

The reason they do 4k scans instead of 2k is mostly so they can do theatrical screenings and put a bigger number in the publicity. It doesn't make that much difference to the image quality once it's bounced down to 1080p.

Resolution only matters if you have a screen big enough to resolve it. A DVD is going to look pretty much like a blu-ray on a 32 inch CRT. But a blu-ray is going to look significantly better on a 120 inch screen projected.

 

[Filmdoctor]

I would agree. But, that wasn't my point.

 

[FoxyMulder]

A DVD is going to look pretty much like a blu-ray on a 32 inch CRT. But a blu-ray is going to look significantly better on a 120 inch screen projected.

Very true unless i take my glasses off in which case the question i then ask is not which one looks better but where's the screen.

 

[smithbrad]

Watched this for the first time last night after watching the Anthology about 6 months ago. I was too young to experience the Beatles when they first burst on the scene and only became a fan in the early 70's. I have most of their CDs and break them out every couple of years for a listen. I thoroughly enjoyed both the Anthology and A Hard Day's Night. Excellent quality and just a lot of fun to watch.

 

[Vahan_Nisanain]

The reason they do 4k scans instead of 2k is mostly so they can do theatrical screenings and put a bigger number in the publicity. It doesn't make that much difference to the image quality once it's bounced down to 1080p.

Resolution only matters if you have a screen big enough to resolve it. A DVD is going to look pretty much like a blu-ray on a 32 inch CRT. But a blu-ray is going to look significantly better on a 120 inch screen projected.

Have you noticed that when you watch a Blu-Ray on a more recent TV set, the movement looks like videotape at times?

I hope I am not the only one who notices this.