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MY FAIR LADY 4K restoration completed! Dec. 9th release announced (Post #299) (1 Viewer)

WilliamMcK

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Mike Boone said:
Guess those folks who believe in reincarnation would say there's something better than 60 is the new 40.


They might say that ancient old age is the step that leads to the new childhood.


But, one major problem, if reincarnation is true, in my next life I'll have to start a Blu-ray collection ALL OVER AGAIN!!


This reminds me: Where the Hell is a blu-ray of ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER ? :D
 

GlennF

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See, everyone has their own tastes. I would buy a Blu of ON A CLEAR DAY. It is not great, but the "past" sequences are well done and let's face it, there are six - and only six - musicals with Barbra and there ain't going to be anymore so, being a fan, I need to live with what there is, and make the most of it. Sort of like the Julie Andrews movies that were on last Friday on TCM She only made 6 musicals too, so you have to take your pleasures from what there is, as there will never be anymore. That's the joy of video, you can skip the dross and go to the parts you like...whenever they are singing.
 

Jim*Tod

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I would guess ON A CLEAR DAY would need to be some kind of limited run like Twilight Time would do. There may already be an HD master out there... I know I found it on streaming on Amazon about a year ago and it was vastly superior in image and sound to the dvd. What would really make it worthwhile would be finding the footage that was cut, but based on other threads here, it seems this no longer exists.


Is it a great movie---no. Streisand is pretty good, but the script is poor and sadly Montand, a truly talented actor and singer in other cases, is terribly miscast. It is also the last musical directed by Vincente Minnelli and it does have a fine score. As GlennF stated, the great thing about blu ray is the ability (assuming the chapter stops are correctly set up) to skip to the musical numbers. For the Barbra fans, this would be a must have. I guess the question is how many would buy this? I wonder how well YENTL, FUNNY GIRL, and HELLO DOLLY! sold?
 

WilliamMcK

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I have a weakness for ON A CLEAR DAY... but I'd be the first to agree it's far from a good movie... and frankly, I like Barbara Harris on the Original Cast Album more than Streisand in the film (and I'm a Streisand fan) ... but I find the whole thing such a mind-f--- that it somehow holds my interest. But I really only brought it up because of the serendipity of mentioning reincarnation in a thread for a musical by Alan Jay Lerner... :D
 
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Just read My fair lady is coming out in may 2021 on4kuhd but on Paramount not Warner or Sony tell me this is a misprint. I will wait for the reviews on the disk before I purchase
 

Robert Harris

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It was on Paramount.
Produced by CBS. Released by Paramount.

The 4k, based upon precisely the same data files, will presumably br released with the same heavy-handed coating of Dolby Vision added to the streaming version.

The proper way to release MFL in 4k would be a two-disc set.

One slathered in Dolby Vision, for those who revel in high contrast, and improper reproduction of blacks, and another as the filmmakers intended. A great deel of work went into properly restoring MFL, much of which was dealing with the differentials of whites, off-whites, and blacks, especially tuxedoes, and how different blacks - wool, satin, etc - are photographed, reproduced on film, and can then be massaged to properly reproduce digitally - with just the correct amount of air between black and absolute black as it reflects illumination.

Dolby Vision destroys this.

Their are times that Dolby Vision (which is a wonderful process) and HDR can help a film digitally, and times when it does not.

The trick is recognizing that fact. And that is sometimes not an easy task.

MFL, in the digital world, beautifully replicates the appearance of 70mm film. And without any “help” from HDR or Dolby Vision.

This is a situation for which simpler is better. 4k DCPs, especially at 500mb/s, and 4k UHD Blu-rays (yes, I have several reels of 4k UHD material) perfectly reproduce the film. No need for anything else.
 

Robert Crawford

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All of this criticism is going to make me want to watch the iTunes 4K digital on my OLED display so I can make up my own mind whether it's pleasing to my eyes.
 

titch

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Produced by CBS. Released by Paramount.

The 4k, based upon precisely the same data files, will presumably br released with the same heavy-handed coating of Dolby Vision added to the streaming version.

The proper way to release MFL in 4k would be a two-disc set.

One slathered in Dolby Vision, for those who revel in high contrast, and improper reproduction of blacks, and another as the filmmakers intended. A great deel of work went into properly restoring MFL, much of which was dealing with the differentials of whites, off-whites, and blacks, especially tuxedoes, and how different blacks - wool, satin, etc - are photographed, reproduced on film, and can then be massaged to properly reproduce digitally - with just the correct amount of air between black and absolute black as it reflects illumination.

Dolby Vision destroys this.

Their are times that Dolby Vision (which is a wonderful process) and HDR can help a film digitally, and times when it does not.

The trick is recognizing that fact. And that is sometimes not an easy task.

MFL, in the digital world, beautifully replicates the appearance of 70mm film. And without any “help” from HDR or Dolby Vision.

This is a situation for which simpler is better. 4k DCPs, especially at 500mb/s, and 4k UHD Blu-rays (yes, I have several reels of 4k UHD material) perfectly reproduce the film. No need for anything else.
Making My Fair Lady look like some CGI-infested Marvel Universe product.
 

titch

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No. Simply not fit for projection, and problematic for many panels, when it cold be perfect for both.

SDR would yield a perfect 4k. I don‘t anticipate that route.
I don't understand why the people responsible for mastering at the particular company involved don't aim to make it look like film. In this case, there is no director or director of photography standing behind the technician twiddling the knobs, telling him to skew the contrast wildly. If they needed expert guidance, they should be consulting you. It's not obligatory to pump up the HDR, just because the film is being released in 4K resolution. A few, very vocal, individuals complain on forums that SDR is detrimental. They need educating. It's similar to all the kerfuffle at the start of high definition, when film grain became an issue.

My Fair Lady is a film made for adults. People who love classic films, especially large format productions. Paramount are not trying to sell this to teenagers. They don't need to make the picture "pop" - or whatever their rationale behind slathering it with Dolby Vision is - to sell it.
 

David Weicker

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I don't understand why the people responsible for mastering at the particular company involved don't aim to make it look like film. In this case, there is no director or director of photography standing behind the technician twiddling the knobs, telling him to skew the contrast wildly. If they needed expert guidance, they should be consulting you. It's not obligatory to pump up the HDR, just because the film is being released in 4K resolution. A few, very vocal, individuals complain on forums that SDR is detrimental. They need educating. It's similar to all the kerfuffle at the start of high definition, when film grain became an issue.

My Fair Lady is a film made for adults. People who love classic films, especially large format productions. Paramount are not trying to sell this to teenagers. They don't need to make the picture "pop" - or whatever their rationale behind slathering it with Dolby Vision is - to sell it.

The 4k, based upon precisely the same data files, will presumably br released with the same heavy-handed coating of Dolby Vision added to the streaming version.
We don't know that it will be messed up. This jumping to the worst scenario is just speculation at this time.
 

dpippel

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We don't know that it will be messed up. This jumping to the worst scenario is just speculation at this time.
The 4k, based upon precisely the same data files, will presumably br released with the same heavy-handed coating of Dolby Vision added to the streaming version.

Chances are high that, outside of less compression, the 4K UHD disc will not look much different than the 4K streaming version currently available. The DV work has already been done, and I seriously doubt they'll revisit it for the disc (and spend the money to do so) just because some people on HTF aren't happy with the stream. In addition, Mr. Harris *knows* MFL backwards and forwards. I think I'll defer to his assessment here. :)
 

Robert Harris

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Chances are high that, outside of less compression, the 4K UHD disc will not look much different than the 4K streaming version currently available. The DV work has already been done, and I seriously doubt they'll revisit it for the disc (and spend the money to do so) just because some people on HTF aren't happy with the stream. In addition, Mr. Harris *knows* MFL backwards and forwards. I think I'll defer to his assessment here. :)
What I’m suggesting is that they do NOTHING. Simply take the original 4k files and port them to UHD disc.
 

PMF

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No idea. Huge difference between those at CBS and Paramount, their perceptions of propriety, and desire to hear and listen to opinions.
And whom exactly do they listen to - and why - if not Robert A. Harris?
 
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ManW_TheUncool

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What I’m suggesting is that they do NOTHING. Simply take the original 4k files and port them to UHD disc.

In that case, maybe we should start a petition or something to push them to do the right thing for a 4K disc release.

Do we know that there is actually a 4K disc being planned?

I'd definitely buy it if done right, and not otherwise.

_Man_

PS: Just noticed the recent thread announcing its release...
 
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