Vertigo and Psycho anamorphic DVD petition (1 Viewer)

[CameronS]

#20

 

[nousername]

Money spent by Universal to re-transfer Psycho and "Vertigo" at this time would be wasted.
The current "Vertigo" transfer was produced at a heavy six figure number via large format with multiple elements.
Both of these transfers are of high enough quality to more than suffice until a higher definition system comes along.
There are better uses for their transfer dollars.

But then why is Vertigo available in anamorphic widescreen in Region 2/4? Wouldn't it be relatively inexpensive to just use this existing anamorphic transfer for Region 1 as well? Or is there some licensing issues involved which would prevent this from happening? (It wouldn't surprise me at all if this was the case.)
I just think it's a shame to have spent millions of dollars to restore Vertigo only to have it not presented in its full glory and potential on DVD. This is one movie that definitely deserves a new, anamorphic reissue (ditto for Psycho). If either movie was re-released tomorrow in a special edition anamorphic version, I'd buy them both in a heartbeat.
If they can re-release such previously non-anamorphic movies as 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Speed in anamorphic format, I don't see why they can't do the same for Vertigo and Psycho.
And Mr. Harris, as someone who spent a lot of time and love restoring Vertigo, I thought you'd be in favor of a reissue. I must say I am disappointed in your response. Of all people, I thought you'd be the most interested in having movie-lovers see the hard work you've done in the best way currently possible on DVD. I agree that the current transfers are very good, but great movies like Vertigo and Psycho deserve the best possible treatment, in my opinion. That, plus I don't want to wait another 5-10 years when the next great home-video format becomes a reality, whatever that may be.
Does money have to dictate everything these days? I guess it does. Sigh... :frowning:

 

[Craig Beam]

I'm probably a touch biased, since VERTIGO is my all-time favorite film, but... I've gotta disagree too (sorry Robert!) . Granted, the existing non-enhanced transfer looks pretty good, but it could look SO much better (look at how our definition of "reference quality" has changed since the format's inception!). I'm sure an upgraded edition would generate decent sales....

 

[Patrick McCart]

Was the Vertigo transfer done at high-def resolution? If so, couldn't that master be made into a 16x9 version?

 

[ScottR]

The opening credits of Psycho, and in particular the Paramount logo, look terrible. The logo looks as if it were transfered via a kinescope from television!!!

 

[Douglas R]

I have the R1 and R2 issues of Vertigo and, believe me, the anamorphic R2 is MUCH sharper.

 

[nousername]

I have the R1 and R2 issues of Vertigo and, believe me, the anamorphic R2 is MUCH sharper.

Does anyone know the exact reason why we here in Region 1 cannot get this version? It just doesn't make any sense to me, and I'm sure not going to spend money on a region-free DVD player just to watch one movie. That is, unless someone can convince me that there are a whole lot of other worthy non-Region 1 DVDs like Vertigo available...

 

[Mark_vdH]

That is, unless someone can convince me that there are a whole lot of other worthy non-Region 1 DVDs like Vertigo available...

The African Queen
Babe (1 & 2)
L'Appartement
Rules Of The Game
Nosferatu - 1922 (BFI)
Andrei Rublev (16:9 Theatrical Cut)
Annie Hall
Bound
Natural Born Killers: DC
Eyes Wide Shut (uncensored)
The Shining (alt. cut)
The Magnificent Ambersons
Some Like It Hot
Throne Of Blood
The Truman Show
and more....
Sorry for going OT, will sign petition.. You should have also requested the better cover art BTW (which some European countries, like The Netherlands also have):

 

[nousername]

You should have also requested the better cover art BTW (which some European countries, like The Netherlands also have):
http://212.123.210.144/ProductImages/DVD/Vertigo.jpg

Actually, that's the cover I have. I bought my copy before they changed the cover. In fact, when they changed the cover, I thought they had re-released it in anamorphic. Boy, was I disappointed...

 

[Deepak Shenoy]

"Vertigo" and Psycho top my list of most-wanted anamorphic reissues. However I think that the best opportunity Universal had to reissue these titles was when they released the two big Hitchcock box sets (in March 2001) and they missed that opportunity. Since both discs are already packed to the gills with extras I really doubt that Universal will be revisiting them anytime soon.
I am signing the petition anyway. I fully agree with Allan Mack that movies as important as these deserve to get the best possible treatment on DVD (especially "Vertigo" since it was so beautifully restored by Robert Harris). If Universal does ever reissue these titles, I hope they include isolated scores.

 

[Voon Jiet]

#28

 

[oscar_merkx]

29

 

[nousername]

top my list of most-wanted anamorphic reissues. However I think that the best opportunity Universal had to reissue these titles was when they released the two big Hitchcock box sets (in March 2001) and they missed that opportunity. Since both discs are already packed to the gills with extras I really doubt that Universal will be revisiting them anytime soon.

Yes, it's too bad that they missed that opportunity, especially when an anamorphic version was already available in other regions. It's a shame that studios think it's a waste of money to reissue movies like Vertigo in anamorphic just because they're old. Sigh....

 

[DaViD Boulet]

I just think it's a shame to have spent millions of dollars to restore Vertigo only to have it not presented in its full glory and potential on DVD. This is one movie that definitely deserves a new, anamorphic reissue (ditto for Psycho). If either movie was re-released tomorrow in a special edition anamorphic version, I'd buy them both in a heartbeat.

This is why I refused to buy either of these titles new. I won't pay Universal for making the decision to forgo 16x9 on these titles at a time when even other studios were already doing 16x9 transfers in expectation for DVD and SDTV (Criterion's Brazil transfer suffered the same "we're all a bunch of experts so don't question our 4x3 lbxed decisions" fate at a time when studios like Warner and Columbia were already mastering in 16x9).

I bought them used so Universal wouldn't directly receive a contribution through my purchase.

Of course I'll sign. If this studio has time to waste with umpteen DVD versions of the Mummy, the could waste some more time with a new transfer of this and yet-to-be-released titles.

 

[Dan Hitchman]

I signed!

They've just gotta fully restore the negatives of Psycho (paging Mr. Harris!) and put a full bitrate DTS track from the restored archival 5.1 master on the Vertigo disc.

Anyone hear the DTS LD of Vertigo? It was really, really good. In fact, I believe DTS helped with some of the funding for its restoration if my mind isn't foggy.

Dan

 

[Jon Robertson]

The R2/4 transfer is inferior. Colours are off (looking slightly washed out and nowhere near as vibrant as the R1), grain and print dirt are upped and simply does not have the velvety look of the R1.

Yes, the R2 is anamorphic (for those who seem to think that is the be-all, end-all of a good transfer), but the look of the film is wrong, wrong, wrong. I had both and sold my R2 (PAL speedup isn't an issue with me, if that's what you might be thinking).

I have no doubt Robert Harris was neither consulted nor supervised the new PAL transfer.

 

[Lyle_JP]

Getting just a little off the subject, I just bought a player which automatically scales 4:3 material to 16:9. Based on some sort of flag on the disc, it will either windowbox with black bars or expand the picture to fill the screen and crop the top and bottom. Obviously, for true 4:3 material, you'd want it to do the former, and for something letterboxed in a 4:3 frame you'd want it to do the latter.
Why bring this up in this thread? Well, I've been quite suprised at how the same studios will use and misuse this flag with seemingly no logic involved. Vertigo is flagged properly, and scales beautifully. In fact, I have a hard time telling it from a real 16:9 source. However, Psycho is improperly flagged, and shows up with black bars on all four sides. Unfortunately my player (JVC 502SL) does not give an option for overiding the scaling mode on an improperly flagged disc, so I have to shut off scaling completely and use my television's less-than-stellar Expand mode. I was suprised taht one would be right and one wrong, being that they're from the same studio and released at the same time.
I would love an anamorphic Psycho if for no other reason than not having to reset all the settings on my player and television. But also, despite what Robert Harris says (and for the record, I deeply respect the man and the work he does), a true 16:9 presentation of both Vertigo and Psycho on DVD would be a significant improvement over what's currently available, and would definitely not be a waste of Universal's time.
-Lyle J.P.

 

[Jay Blair]

"The R2/4 transfer is inferior. Colours are off (looking slightly washed out and nowhere near as vibrant as the R1), grain and print dirt are upped and simply does not have the velvety look of the R1.

Yes, the R2 is anamorphic (for those who seem to think that is the be-all, end-all of a good transfer), but the look of the film is wrong, wrong, wrong. I had both and sold my R2 (PAL speedup isn't an issue with me, if that's what you might be thinking)."


I have the PAL4 (or maybe PAL2 (I can never remember if I bought something from England or Australia) anamorphic versions of both Psycho and Vertigo and greatly prefer the anamorphic editions over the US versions. I thought Vertigo looked fine in the US release until I got the anamorphic version, now there's no going back. Vertigo only truly comes to life when seen with the anamorphic transfer. The image is very vibrant on my system and the colors rich. The anamorphic transfers compared to the US transfers are like the difference between watching a film at a second run theater against watching in a state of the art theater.

 

[Robert Harris]

Okay ladies and gents...

I have no idea where an "anamorphic" transfer of "Vertigo" may have come from as it has not been transferred as such. Any "foreign" regional dvd with an anamorphic transfer would be based upon the spherical US digital transfer which we did in 1997-8 for the laserdisc release.

I must assume that territories have taken a clone, anamorphosized it, which adds nothing as no additional information is encoded...

and then allow the public to decompress it via their dvd players, yielding an uncompressed image from an anamorphic dvd, based upon a spherical transfer.

Technically this all works, but it is ultimately masturbatory anamorphosism - rather like putting wings on a turtle and then waiting and watching for it to fly.

With the 200 or so hours that it would take to create a new "Vertigo" transfer, I still feel that the studio's efforts are better placed elsewhere. Universal is and has always been concerned with meeting the highest quality standards. Their Compression Center sets standards in the industry.

The time will come. I'm simply stating that we're not there yet. In answer to those queries relating to why we did not offer the old mono mix on the DVD, or an isolated score in stereo, the feeling at the time was, that with dvd in its infancy, that the studio did not wish to give the public more in a dvd release than on laser. There was a decision to keep releaes on par. These elements were brought up and discussed at that time.

I'm told that for $3 - 5,000 one can purchase a 35mm print of the restored film on 35mm. This would provide a far superior image, albeit probably with a few splices. Unless I really need to see the film on a 50 foot screen, I'm quite happy with the dvd.

The line forms to the left.

RAH

 

[nousername]

I'm told that for $3 - 5,000 one can purchase a 35mm print of the restored film on 35mm. This would provide a far superior image, albeit probably with a few splices. Unless I really need to see the film on a 50 foot screen, I'm quite happy with the dvd.

It's clear from reading the statements here that not everyone is happy with the DVD, especially when they know that the image quality could be a lot better with an anamorphic transfer, and especially if they own a front projection system which can cast a very large image...