Spartacus - World premiere restoration at TCM Festival 2015 (1 Viewer)

[rsmithjr]

I won't be able to go to the TCM Festival, just too expensive. I fly to places frequently to attend film festivals but the TCM is out of reach for normal folks. I am on no one's A-list.

As to Spartacus, one of my favorites and I will surely buy it, hopefully 4K Blu-ray. I have to admit that my interest has been lowered over the years. Great disappointments with the Hitchcock collection from Universal.

After the fiasco with Fox's Rodgers and Hammerstein collection this last spring, I have pretty much settled into a policy of waiting to get trusted reviews and see what the overall reaction is before I buy these big restorations.

 

[JoeDoakes]

I won't be able to go to the TCM Festival, just too expensive. I fly to places frequently to attend film festivals but the TCM is out of reach for normal folks. I am on no one's A-list.

As to Spartacus, one of my favorites and I will surely buy it, hopefully 4K Blu-ray. I have to admit that my interest has been lowered over the years. Great disappointments with the Hitchcock collection from Universal.

After the fiasco with Fox's Rodgers and Hammerstein collection this last spring, I have pretty much settled into a policy of waiting to get trusted reviews and see what the overall reaction is before I buy these big restorations.

$300 is not bad for all the films. If I were as close as you are, I would go.

 

[Vince Talmadge]

So maybe we will be able to get a non-DNR slathered Uni release before Kirk Douglas passes away.

 

[AlexNH]

Does anyone have any faith in Universal anymore? All you need to do is look at the complete misfire that is Family Plot on Blu-ray. Actually, all you have to do is look at their current Blu-ray of Spartacus, it's a complete shame how they have treated this gem of a film. Give us a complete restoration!

 

[rsmithjr]

Does anyone have any faith in Universal anymore? All you need to do is look at the complete misfire that is Family Plot on Blu-ray. Actually, all you have to do is look at their current Blu-ray of Spartacus, it's a complete shame how they have treated this gem of a film. Give us a complete restoration!

I will wait for trusted reviews before buying and will make the final judgment myself (for me). Universal has done some good work but don't bet on it.

 

[ScottGros117]

I will wait for trusted reviews before buying and will make the final judgment myself (for me). Universal has done some good work but don't bet on it.

Same here. For me, Mr. Robert A. Harris will have to sign off on a reissued Spartacus before I even consider buying it.

 

[OliverK]

Does anyone have any faith in Universal anymore? All you need to do is look at the complete misfire that is Family Plot on Blu-ray. Actually, all you have to do is look at their current Blu-ray of Spartacus, it's a complete shame how they have treated this gem of a film. Give us a complete restoration!

High Plains Drifter looks rather pristine although its colors look a bit off to me.

Of course they can get people and companies to do a proper job for them and in this case I am pretty sure that this is what they are doing.

With all their other misfires this will still not make them my favorite studio but I will certainly get a Blu-ray or the 4k version of Spartacus if they get it right.

 

[Didier R]

Does anyone have any faith in Universal anymore?

Yes. Double Indemnity and Touch of Evil looks spectacular. High Plains Drifter, Universal Monsters, most of the Hitchcock's, Schindler's List, Duel, Jaws, 1941 etc. they all look fantastic.

 

[rsmithjr]

Yes. Double Indemnity and Touch of Evil looks spectacular. High Plains Drifter, Universal Monsters, most of the Hitchcock's, Schindler's List, Duel, Jaws, 1941 etc. they all look fantastic.

Agree overall but disagree about "most" of the Hitchcock's. Enough were marginal to call the whole box into some question. Vertigo, Marnie, Frenzy, and Family Plot were unacceptable.

Universal certainly can do quality work but they are not to be trusted. Each title must be separately and independently reviewed. This cannot be said for Sony's work for example.

 

[Alan Tully]

Well give 'em a chance. Universal might come good. Lets not condemn it 'till we've seen it, at least something's happening.

 

[Yorkshire]

Agree overall but disagree about "most" of the Hitchcock's. Enough were marginal to call the whole box into some question. Vertigo, Marnie, Frenzy, and Family Plot were unacceptable. Universal certainly can do quality work but they are not to be trusted. Each title must be separately and independently reviewed. This cannot be said for Sony's work for example.

Whether you think the box as a whole is a cock up is obviously open to debate. But 'most' means more than half, and way over 50% of the films in it are great.I font 'have faith' in Universal, but then again I dont 'have faith' in any studio. I take every release on a case-by-case basis.But if you wanted me to guess, I suspect this will look superb.Stevd W

 

[Lord Dalek]

I think it's highly likely that this new restoration is going to get licensed out to Criterion anyway.

 

[Ryan Talbot]

Well there is one person who may or may not know about a restoration, and if he is involved with it in one way or another, then I think it's bound to be a winner!

Now we just need news of a Criterion Blu-Ray release, and all will be well in the world.

 

[haineshisway]

I would not say Vertigo is unacceptable - how silly. Much of it look spectacular. Mr. Harris has pointed out its problems and some just take that to such extremes - much more than Mr. Harris meant. Yes, it would be nice if it were all perfect, especially the final ten minutes of the film, but much of it looks just wonderful. Unlike Marnie, which is a four-star travesty, and Torn Curtain and Topaz could look amazing and don't. There is enough to seriously criticize in this box without ragging on Vertigo - and one must mention the stellar work on The Birds.

 

[rsmithjr]

I would not say Vertigo is unacceptable - how silly. Much of it look spectacular. Mr. Harris has pointed out its problems and some just take that to such extremes - much more than Mr. Harris meant. Yes, it would be nice if it were all perfect, especially the final ten minutes of the film, but much of it looks just wonderful. Unlike Marnie, which is a four-star travesty, and Torn Curtain and Topaz could look amazing and don't. There is enough to seriously criticize in this box without ragging on Vertigo - and one must mention the stellar work on The Birds.

Vertigo is my favorite film. I saw it in original release and many times since, including a week of projecting it in 1964 when I was a union projectionist. I have been fortunate to see the 1996 70mm prints annually at the Castro in San Francisco, and they are also very nice, if a bit different from the original dye-transfer prints.

Yes, much of the Blu-ray does look spectacular. This does not excuse the serious problems in some of the scenes, which Mr. Harris has agreed are present and correctable.

When I say "unacceptable", this is of course my own judgment. Calling it the best film ever made is also my own judgment. Others agree, many do not I am sure.

I cannot agree that my opinion should be characterized as "silly". The film is by any standard important, and the problems are real and could have been fixed. I would not call the opinion of a serious and committed film lover on this forum "silly" even if I fully disagreed with that opinion.

Yes, The Birds looks fine (considering what it looked like in the first place), but that hardly explains or offsets the problems with Vertigo and the other films I called out.

 

[haineshisway]

It is my opinion that to call the Blu-ray of Vertigo "unacceptable" is silly. I feel it is. I, too, saw it on its original release and many times since. I owned what was then the best 35mm IB print of it in existence. I, too, love the film. I, too, wish it were perfect all the way through. But unlike you, I would not call the transfer unacceptable. I would say that much of it looks amazing and it's sad they couldn't go all the way and get it perfect.

 

[ahollis]

Just read on the TCM Festival site that the showing of Spartacus has been cancelled. Not sure if this is good news or not concerning a new transfer.

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Well, it's either dead on arrival as a decent BD release or the new "film" restoration for the TCM festival had some problems. Many of us saw the last restoration at theaters years ago and it looked wonderful. It's a new 4K transfer that's needed and I'm not giving up hope that we will see it...someday, and from Criterion.

 

[Eastmancolor]

I'm amused at the price tag for the A version - 1700 bucks - kind of insane and an awful lot of chutzpah.

They spend a fortune on this festival, bringing in the stars, renting the theaters, all the decor and swag, etc. That's one of the reasons for the high cost of the passes. Another reason they're so high is they know that people (mainly from out of state) will pay it. It's the out of towners that will spend this amount of money because they don't get the opportunity to see these films on the big screen.


Being a local who constantly goes to screenings and someone who works in restoration, I've seen most of these films projected on a large screen in a theater before, so naturally I'm not willing to buy one of the bigger passes. All of the locals I know either get in free because they worked on the restoration or work at one of the studios providing films, or they buy admission into specific films. Most of the folks who buy the $750 and $1650 passes are from out of town.


As far as announced programs this year, THE GRIM GAME with Houdini and THE DAWN OF TECHNICOLOR are draws for me. Carl Davis conducting his new score for STEAMBOAT BILL, JR would be nice to attend, but I must admit that having seen this film theatrically many times, as well as owning a print, I'm a bit burned out on it. A wonderful film though for those who haven't seen it.


Regarding SPARTACUS, I'm sure everyone involved just want to get it right and it will see the light of day when it's ready. Patience!

 

[Randy Korstick]

Two Mules for Sister Sarah, Joe Kidd and The War Wagon all look very good too, although the sound was slightly out of synch on Two Mules.

High Plains Drifter looks rather pristine although its colors look a bit off to me.


Of course they can get people and companies to do a proper job for them and in this case I am pretty sure that this is what they are doing.


With all their other misfires this will still not make them my favorite studio but I will certainly get a Blu-ray or the 4k version of Spartacus if they get it right.