cafink
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 1999
- Messages
- 3,044
- Real Name
- Carl Fink
I have a couple of questions about the various audio tracks available on the 1999 and 2003 DVD releases of Ridley Scott's Alien. I recently picked up the 2003 disc, and am trying to decide whether or not to sell off the older release. I know that a few supplements were not retained, but that doesn't concern me; it's the film itself that I'm interested in. I seem to recall reading in a thread here on the HTF around the time of the "Quadrilogy" release that the sound mix on the 2003 release was vastly different than the mix on the 1999 release. However, I've scoured reviews of the disc and could find no mention of this. I tried looking through the HTF's "Quadrilogy" thread, but with over eighty pages to go through, I gave up in frustration after a while.
I'm beginning to think that I'm probably misremembering, and that the comment I'm thinking of was referring to the original DVD's alternate "production audio" track, which was not carried over to the 2003 release. I'd appreciate it if someone who is more familiar with Alien could tell me more about how the two DVDs compare to one another with regards to their sound mix.
Also, could anyone give me a detailed explanation of exactly what the two alternate audio tracks on the 1999 DVD are? The descriptions I've read of them are a little confusing. For example, the Digital Bits' review of the disc notes that it includes the "original Jerry Goldsmith score, and alternate music with production audio." Later, the reviewer explains that these tracks contain "Jerry Goldsmith's original score to the film, and the film's final, edited score with production audio." Is the "original score" different than the one that ended up in the film? Is it an entirely different score, or just an earlier version prior to final editing and tweaking? And what about the "production audio" track? Does that mean it contains the audio as recorded on the set, without ADR or foley effects or anything? And what is the "alternate music" that accompanies it?
I've tried just sitting down and listening to these tracks, but I'm not familiar enough with the film to make any sense of them. I know many of the HTF denizens are big Alien fans so I was hoping one of them could clear this up for me.
I'd greatly appreciate it.
I'm beginning to think that I'm probably misremembering, and that the comment I'm thinking of was referring to the original DVD's alternate "production audio" track, which was not carried over to the 2003 release. I'd appreciate it if someone who is more familiar with Alien could tell me more about how the two DVDs compare to one another with regards to their sound mix.
Also, could anyone give me a detailed explanation of exactly what the two alternate audio tracks on the 1999 DVD are? The descriptions I've read of them are a little confusing. For example, the Digital Bits' review of the disc notes that it includes the "original Jerry Goldsmith score, and alternate music with production audio." Later, the reviewer explains that these tracks contain "Jerry Goldsmith's original score to the film, and the film's final, edited score with production audio." Is the "original score" different than the one that ended up in the film? Is it an entirely different score, or just an earlier version prior to final editing and tweaking? And what about the "production audio" track? Does that mean it contains the audio as recorded on the set, without ADR or foley effects or anything? And what is the "alternate music" that accompanies it?
I've tried just sitting down and listening to these tracks, but I'm not familiar enough with the film to make any sense of them. I know many of the HTF denizens are big Alien fans so I was hoping one of them could clear this up for me.
I'd greatly appreciate it.