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El Cid - a classic title in HD digital (in theater) 01/28/08

#61
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6/27/08 at 6:27am
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Re: El Cid - a classic title in HD digital (in theater) 01/28/08

OK, I am terribly confused. Did not Martin Scorsese help with a restoration of this film back in the 90's? I still have the Criterion Laserdisc, which was taken from the restored version, which was shown in theaters.

Was that restoration subpar? What am I missing. I've read this thread and am lost.

Sorry.

Death to PG-13! And now death to DVNR too!!

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#62
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6/27/08 at 6:29am
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Re: El Cid - a classic title in HD digital (in theater) 01/28/08

I believe that work may have been derived from different elements.

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did."  T.E. Lawrence

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#63
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6/27/08 at 6:47am
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Re: El Cid - a classic title in HD digital (in theater) 01/28/08

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassy_w
OK, I am terribly confused. Did not Martin Scorsese help with a restoration of this film back in the 90's? I still have the Criterion Laserdisc, which was taken from the restored version, which was shown in theaters.

Was that restoration subpar? What am I missing. I've read this thread and am lost.

Sorry.

Not to make things too complicated and RAH will surely correct me if I am wrong: The proper procedure for doing justice to a large format film re-release like the one for El Cid would be to start by going back to the OCN (original camera negative) if possible and the end result would be new 70mm prints of that movie. This was not done for El Cid where only 35mm prints were struck.

As you might notice I am avoiding the word restoration as I do not know what kind of work would have to be done for the OCN and I doubt that it was used at all.

I might add that I do also own the Criterion LD and IMO with regard to PQ it is one of Criterion's weaker offerings. I still keep it for the extras though which together with the Weinstein offering makes two versions of the movie that I own for its extras - it is time we get a quality transfer of the movie itself, preferably on Blu-Ray
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#64
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6/27/08 at 8:22am
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Re: El Cid - a classic title in HD digital (in theater) 01/28/08

Didn't I read that the negatives were a combination of lost and in ruins and that was why they used 35mm? It's not the most well known of the epics, which is a shame because I love it so. Lord knows I would very much like to see it preserved forever.

Every time I watch the ending of that film and see Sophia Loren with her two children on the castle wall I choke up.

Death to PG-13! And now death to DVNR too!!

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#65
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6/27/08 at 8:28am
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Re: El Cid - a classic title in HD digital (in theater) 01/28/08

I am unaware of any problems with the original elements on El Cid.

The DVD looks as it does because no one cared to make it look better.

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did."  T.E. Lawrence

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#66
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6/27/08 at 11:46am
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Re: El Cid - a classic title in HD digital (in theater) 01/28/08

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Harris
McClintock is fine, and The Quiet Man was restored a number of years ago by Robert Gitt of UCLA Film & TV Archives.


Thank you for the update but do you know where/if the restored versions are available on DVD or Blu Ray? And when you refer to McClintock, is that the Paramount version on DVD - I think I stupidly bought another VERY POOR QUALITY version.

Thanks again!
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