GIANT RESTORATION (1 Viewer)

[FHM]

Greeting Mr. Harris,

Thank you for the wonderful work you do and inspire in others. It is a great service to a business that can, at times, be rather short sighted.

I have two questions regarding screenings I saw a couple of years ago at the AMPAS Goldwyn Theater.

"Giant" was supposedly a new print, but turned out to be quite disappointing with the various reels being remarkably inconsistent in color and sharpness. Would you happen to know if this was just a bad print, or are the source elements just that heavily deteriorated.

I also saw the restoration of "Black Narcissus" that Granda Television did a few years ago. The image they presented looked like it was an HD resolution image rather than one done at 2 or 4K. Do you know if a better image exists?

Obviously every film's look and current condition is unique unto its-self. Am I expecting too much from a 50 to 65 year old 35mm original or have I just sited unfortunate examples? I have to admit your work may have spoiled my expectations!

 

[Robert Harris]

Giant is, and has been, a problematic film based upon negative processing and conformation decisions made during production and in post by the studio. What you saw most likely represented something derived from protection elements.
In regard to Black Narcissus, as long as the original elements exist and are handled properly, and I presume that they do exist, "restoration," as the term is currently understood by many of those who do the actual work, should not be necessary. A quality digital combine of the elements, a bit of clean-up and proper color are basically lab work. There should be no problems with BN. Better elements do exist, and the venue may have been running the UK Blur-ray.
Your expectations of a 60, or 70 year old film are not out of line.
RAH

Greeting Mr. Harris,
Thank you for the wonderful work you do and inspire in others. It is a great service to a business that can, at times, be rather short sighted.
I have two questions regarding screenings I saw a couple of years ago at the AMPAS Goldwyn Theater.
"Giant" was supposedly a new print, but turned out to be quite disappointing with the various reels being remarkably inconsistent in color and sharpness. Would you happen to know if this was just a bad print, or are the source elements just that heavily deteriorated.
I also saw the restoration of "Black Narcissus" that Granda Television did a few years ago. The image they presented looked like it was an HD resolution image rather than one done at 2 or 4K. Do you know if a better image exists?
Obviously every film's look and current condition is unique unto its-self. Am I expecting too much from a 50 to 65 year old 35mm original or have I just sited unfortunate examples? I have to admit your work may have spoiled my expectations!

 

[Nick*Z]

I have never seen a print of GIANT that I would consider stellar - either in a theater or on home video. I should point out that I never saw the film during its initial theatrical engagement, only at the revival from a few years back. Then, it was advertised as the 'restored version' of an American classic. But I found the print grainy - not film grainy, but somehow artificially gritty - with muddy colors and some very softly focused sequences that made me squint and rub my eyes. Warner Color was an awful derivative as far as I am concerned. Band of Angels and House of Wax looked just as bad too.
Giant is worthy of a complete - and costly - restoration and brand new 1080p image harvest. Will we get it? Debatable. Is the film deserving of it? Definitely!

 

[Rob W]

TCM are promoting a restored GIANT as part of April's TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood.

 

[Dr Griffin]

Isn't Warner working on The James Dean Collection for release on Blu-ray in 2013?

 

[Dubstar]

The TCM Classic Film Festival screening is the 4K restoration as a 4K DCP - this should look amazing.

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Dubstar
The TCM Classic Film Festival screening is the 4K restoration as a 4K DCP - this should look amazing.

Giant will never look amazing. Sorry.
RAH