FALL ROMAN EMPIRE / EL CID BLU-RAY (1 Viewer)

[Douglas R]

Hi Oliver, Shellarama is included in the 4 disc DVD set The Shadows of Progress from the BFI.I saw Shellarama in the 80,s at the Odeon Marble Arch in a format show it looked fab before they all faded also I saw it again inNFT 3 a few years ago and at Bradford on the Cinerama screen but that version was the later Push Button Go print.I know they keep a copy in NFT 1 for 70mm testing.

I have that DVD set as well, although with SHELLARAMA being in the wrong aspect ratio, it's a pale shadow of how it appeared on the Cinerama screen. I'm pretty sure I first saw it as a support to KHARTOUM which opened at the London Casino in summer 1966 and so fits the time frame with SHELLARAMA having been made the previous year. For a short film it had a strong impact and a few years later I was pleased to unexpectedly find it being shown when I was at another Cinerama screening although I can't remember what the main film was.

This remarkable movie car website shows all the vehicles in the film:

http://www.imcdb.org/movie_1855342-Shellarama.html

 

[DP 70]

Yes Douglas it is a great short film, it showed with The Hallelujah Trail at the Casino Cinerama Theatre in London in July 1965 as well as other Cinerama and 70mm screenings.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Somebody refresh my memory, what was the complaint(s) of the El Cid BD?

 

[OliverK]

El Cid on Blu-ray has a really low level of detail that is not doing justice to its large format origins and cinematography and strong noise and grain reduction. Seems like the Weinsteins really went the cheap route when they had the HD master done.

Depending on your setup and sensibilities and perception of these issues your mileage may differ but I think that everybody will be able to see that the difference to Circus World and 55 Days at Peking is substantial.

 

[Douglas R]

Yes Douglas it is a great short film, it showed with The Hallelujah Trail at the Casino Cinerama Theatre in London in July 1965 as well as other Cinerama and 70mm screenings.

Thank you DP 70 for the correction. I saw THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL at the Casino so that must have been when I first saw SHELLARAMA (Gosh! - 50 years ago now). As I definitely saw it twice, maybe it also played along with KHARTOUM the next year?

 

[john a hunter]

Thank you DP 70 for the correction. I saw THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL at the Casino so that must have been when I first saw SHELLARAMA (Gosh! - 50 years ago now). As I definitely saw it twice, maybe it also played along with KHARTOUM the next year?

I saw it several times at the Casino and like DP 70 says, first with Hallelujah Trail.
Isn't it about time that got a BD release too?

 

[dana martin]

so has anyone seen this Digitally remastered in HD by Harvey Weinstein version of El Cid, that is supposedly Direct TV exclusive?

 

[OliverK]

so has anyone seen this Digitally remastered in HD by Harvey Weinstein version of El Cid, that is supposedly Direct TV exclusive?

The airing by Direct TV is on the 28th of January so you will have to wait a little for that. The Blu-rays are out for years now and if they come from the same source indeed they will most probably look better than the Direct TV version.

There even was a theatrical screening when Weinstein launched the Miriam collection - to very lukewarm comments regarding its picture quality.

Members from Norway or from places close to a European airport that flies to Oslo can think about watching the real thing in about 4 weeks, there will be two 70mm screenings of El Cid at the 2015 Oslo 70mm festival:

http://www.in70mm.com/news/2015/oslo/index.htm

Beware of the vintage prints though they will look pinkish/reddish - no thanks to Eastman Kodak for that.

 

[OliverK]

Hi Oliver, Shellarama is included in the 4 disc DVD set The Shadows of Progress from the BFI.I saw Shellarama in the 80,s at the Odeon Marble Arch in a format show it looked fab before they all faded also I saw it again inNFT 3 a few years ago and at Bradford on the Cinerama screen but that version was the later Push Button Go print.I know they keep a copy in NFT 1 for 70mm testing.

Thanks, that is too bad about the DVD version. Seems like another worthwhile project for David Strohmaier!

 

[DP 70]

I am sure if Pinewood restored Shellarama from its original Technirama format and also did a 5.1 audio track and put on to BD in 2.20.1 and
used it for an extra on another Technirama release it would be a great package.

 

[Robert Crawford]

The airing by Direct TV is on the 28th of January so you will have to wait a little for that. The Blu-rays are out for years now and if they come from the same source indeed they will most probably look better than the Direct TV version.

There even was a theatrical screening when Weinstein launched the Miriam collection - to very lukewarm comments regarding its picture quality.

Members from Norway or from places close to a European airport that flies to Oslo can think about watching the real thing in about 4 weeks, there will be two 70mm screenings of El Cid at the 2015 Oslo 70mm festival:

http://www.in70mm.com/news/2015/oslo/index.htm

Beware of the vintage prints though they will look pinkish/reddish - no thanks to Eastman Kodak for that.

Not true, I can watch it today if I wanted to.

 

[Robert Crawford]

so has anyone seen this Digitally remastered in HD by Harvey Weinstein version of El Cid, that is supposedly Direct TV exclusive?

I'll be seeing it sometime this week.

 

[DP 70]

I saw a 70mm print of EL Cid in the mid 70s, at the NFT and it had already started to colour fade the first ofmany I have seen.

 

[OliverK]

Not true, I can watch it today if I wanted to.

Sorry, I misread your post where you wrote that you have to watch it BY the 28th. Looking forward to your impressions. You could even cue up the BD and switch between the two versions to see which one is superior. Obviously we would like to hear from you that the TV version looks much improved so that we can llok forward to a new and superior Blu-ray!

 

[mark brown]

Speaking of Technirama has anyone seen the German dvd Carthage in Flames and how does it look?

 

[ljgranberry]

I recorded EL CID from a pay-per-view channel this morning. Curious if anyone else had seen it, what they thought of the video/audio, and if this means a blu-ray is in the near future. If so, hoping they also release Anthony Mann's other widescreen epic THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

 

[Nhoj Rolyat]

German Carthage in Flames is very soft and color faded. Shame really as I believe the costume designs were done by Veniero Colasanti the year before El Cid, but they, and the sets, although elaborate, are impossible to evaluate due to the soft transfer. Two massive ships engage in a vigorous sea battle and Anne Heywood comes across well in her romantic anguish. The script is repetitive but in 70mm it might have been quite impressive in spite of that
.

 

[Robert Crawford]

El Cid on Blu-ray has a really low level of detail that is not doing justice to its large format origins and cinematography and strong noise and grain reduction. Seems like the Weinsteins really went the cheap route when they had the HD master done.

Depending on your setup and sensibilities and perception of these issues your mileage may differ but I think that everybody will be able to see that the difference to Circus World and 55 Days at Peking is substantial.

DirecTV is showing Circus World in 1080p on Demand too this month. However, 55 Days at Peking is a no show.

 

[OliverK]

DirecTV is showing Circus World in 1080p on Demand too this month. However, 55 Days at Peking is a no show.

If you would like to do a comparison of the respective picture quality on DirecTV having Circus World on there will be enough. The Blu-rays of Circus World and 55 Days are really good so I doubt it will make much sense to watch the DirecTV version for somebody who owns the Blu-ray of either movie.

 

[Robert Crawford]

If you would like to do a comparison of the respective picture quality on DirecTV having Circus World on there will be enough. The Blu-rays of Circus World and 55 Days are really good so I doubt it will make much sense to watch the DirecTV version for somebody who owns the Blu-ray of either movie.

El Cid on Demand is free to me courtesy of DirecTV. However, Circus World isn't available to me free of charge and since, I have the blu-rays for all three titles, I won't be doing such a comparison with Circus World.