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Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

#61
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1/23/08 at 11:10pm
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

Because people still remember BLADE RUNNER (or at least have a desire to own such a thing), and there's also enough of a major difference between the versions to warrant a 5-disc set.

Frankly, this is apples and oranges. There's no way Universal is ever going to put out a four disc set of essentially the same film with slight variation in quality (particularly when they've issued it... what.. three, four times now?).

Honestly, I know the film pretty well. Unless this story is true (which I really tend to doubt at this point), what you see is what you get. The film has looked like garbage for decades (having seen a 1951 print, I can attest to that), and will continue to, unfortunately, unless better material shows up. A marginal quality difference would mean going back to the earliest element for transferring, rather than the preservation element that was used as the transfer material, but the problem then is one of handling a rare element and the disasters that may impose themselves on such a situation.

Universal should focus their efforts towards films that HAVEN'T been released yet, in my opinion, or at the very least, work on titles that can benefit from new masterings at this point (like THE INVISIBLE MAN, for example). I think the DRACULA well is dry, for now.

-J. Theakston

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#62
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1/23/08 at 11:11pm
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Theakston
The Home Video department and the film archive at Universal are two separate entities. The left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing.
Yeah, that's certainly what it seems like.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Theakston
Economically, Universal is putting out a fairly steady flow of vintage titles on DVD, and many I'm sure lose money (which is later balanced out by your blockbuster hits). To ask them to simply put everything out haphazardly is, from a business perspective, irrational.
Put the title on iTunes, if it sells well there, release it on DVD.

That would be cheaper than pressing a whole lot of discs that end up sitting in warehouses.
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#63
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1/24/08 at 6:18am
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

I'm told that the element has positive date codes which relate to either 1930 or 1950, and 1950 would be doubtful for a lavender as Kodak changed to nitrate 1365 duplicating in 1937.

RAH

"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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#64
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1/24/08 at 8:58am
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

Compare the original 1999 DVD to the editions that came later. It looks and sounds the best of all the editions, but that's not saying much. I wish I had the laser disc to compare it to. I'm not criticizing Universal in saying this; I have no doubt they make the best home-video they can from the best source available.

As Jack Theakston says, the film has looked liked garbage for a long time. The first time I saw Dracula projected in 35mm, about 38 years ago, it looked significantly better than it does now.

Something really must be done to upgrade Dracula. There must be better elements out there somewhere. Some kind of hands-on search and double-check of elements throughout the world. No film this important and influential and popular should be accepted looking like garbage.
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#65
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1/24/08 at 12:11pm
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

Perhaps I'm nuts or going blind but I thought the recent DVD looked great. Universal's THE INVISIBLE MAN is what they need to re do as it looks the worst of all the titles they've released from the genre. The print shown on TCM is a lot better.

However, I'd still rather have THE LAST WARNING, ISLAND OF LOST SOULS or various other titles still in the vaults.
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#66
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1/24/08 at 12:23pm
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

Amen to ISLAND OF LOST SOULS. Why the hell hasn't this been released????
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#67
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1/24/08 at 1:01pm
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Elliott
Perhaps I'm nuts or going blind but I thought the recent DVD looked great. Universal's THE INVISIBLE MAN is what they need to re do as it looks the worst of all the titles they've released from the genre. The print shown on TCM is a lot better.

However, I'd still rather have THE LAST WARNING, ISLAND OF LOST SOULS or various other titles still in the vaults.
I agree these other titles need attention from Universal, but I reject the notion that it has to be a one or the other proposition. Where did you get the idea that you give up one to get the other.

Dracula has never looked worse.
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"... little by little the look of the country changes because of the people we admire."
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#68
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1/24/08 at 1:34pm
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

Yes, we need an upgrade for THE INVISIBLE MAN too (ditto ISLAND OF LOST SOULS), but I found that, after all is said and done, for the time being I'm settling with the 1999 disc of DRACULA. I did a comparison of all three DVDs and found I preferred the first one, especially the sound. This is all a matter of opinion, of course, and neither the 1999 nor the LEGACY versions are "complete", as one is missing a music cue and another mutes Renfield's screams.
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#69
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1/24/08 at 2:06pm
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

We need both LOST SOULS and the upgraded Dracula. Hell, put em together as Bela Lugosi Collection vol. 2 if Universal needs to justify it somehow.

"This movie has warped my fragile little mind."

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#70
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1/24/08 at 3:06pm
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

The Invisible Man was remastered for the Legacy set and looks fantastic.

By the way, I never heard whether or not the Legacy Series 2-disc of Frankenstein had a better transfer or not. Dracula has a DVD Beaver comparison (showing that it's a much better transfer than the 1-disc or Monster Legacy versions), but never one for Frankenstein.

Tell The Weinstein Company to release Richard Williams' animated masterpiece The Thief and the Cobbler on DVD in Panavision widescreen and uncut! See and hear what you're missing from their Bitsy Award winner of Worst Standard Edition DVD of 2006 on YouTube!
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#71
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1/24/08 at 5:51pm
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick McCart
The Invisible Man was remastered for the Legacy set and looks fantastic.

By the way, I never heard whether or not the Legacy Series 2-disc of Frankenstein had a better transfer or not. Dracula has a DVD Beaver comparison (showing that it's a much better transfer than the 1-disc or Monster Legacy versions), but never one for Frankenstein.

Patrick, yes the 2-disc Legacy 75th Anniversary Edition of Frankenstein is a huge improvement over the previous ones. Much bigger than the (visual) difference in Dracula. I was VERY happily surprised that the triple dip WAS worth it in that case. Maybe, if time permits this weekend, I can post some comparisons. (We all now screen caps aren't the be-all and end-all, but you can get some idea of the improvement that way.) Can't guarantee I'll find the time though.
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#72
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1/27/08 at 8:58am
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnMor
Patrick, yes the 2-disc Legacy 75th Anniversary Edition of Frankenstein is a huge improvement over the previous ones. Much bigger than the (visual) difference in Dracula. I was VERY happily surprised that the triple dip WAS worth it in that case. Maybe, if time permits this weekend, I can post some comparisons.
I'd like to see screen caps from each, too. As with Patrick, I never heard anything about the 75th anniv. Frankenstein release (though I'm pretty happy with the Legacy collection one).

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#73
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2/9/08 at 9:14am
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

Been reading this tread with much interest, though too am rather sceptical if this is genuine.

However with regards to the 75th Anniversay Edition of Dracula I also thought the picture was an improvement over previous editions - although it did reveal much more noise and dirt than before, and yes the sound was terrible.

Anyway if this proves to be the real deal and not just some jerk messing us all around then I for one shall be re-dipping into the very dry inkwell of Universal's beloved Drac.
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#74
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7/8/08 at 6:07am
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

well with the lates finds of Metropolis, and the possibility of an uncut ANATO (Marx Bros) was this ever found out to be a true statement
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#75
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7/8/08 at 9:08am
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

Quote:
Originally Posted by dana martin
well with the lates finds of Metropolis, and the possibility of an uncut ANATO (Marx Bros) was this ever found out to be a true statement
Nope.
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#76
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7/8/08 at 3:25pm
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

I have never seen a good print of Island of Lost Souls. Does anyone know if the original negative still exists? or will they have to work from later material?

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#77
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7/8/08 at 4:23pm
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

The camera neg of ISLAND no longer exists.

-J. Theakston

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#78
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7/9/08 at 8:57am
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Theakston
The camera neg of ISLAND no longer exists.

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#79
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7/9/08 at 9:06am
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

There has to be some reason Island hasnt made it to DVD. I know the VHS apparently didnt sell that well, but we have so many horrible films on DVD that have never sold well. Lost Souls has a big following. It features Bela Lugosi and Charles Laughton. It was banned in several countries in 1933. All these things seem to say it could sell today. It could at least make it into a pack of horror films maybe with Murders in the Zoo or Murder by the Clock or even Supernatural.

Most Wanted on DVD: The Trial of Mary Dugan (1929), Strangers May Kiss (1931), Paid (1930), Letty Lynton (1932), The Trespasser (1929), The Letter (1929), Dangerous Curves (1929), Her Wedding Night (1931), Kick In (1931), Romance (1930), Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise (1931), Dishonored (1931),...

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#80
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7/9/08 at 9:36am
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

Reading thru this thread I got to thinking which I know can be a bad thing when it comes to what the different studios should be doing at any given time. But scheduled this Halloween timeframe

Sony – Icons of Horror Hammer films
Sony (Classic Media) Rodan / War of the Gargantuans

Fox - Fox Horror Classics Volume 2

MGM - Childs Play
MGM - Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection

Universal – Vertigo and Psycho Legacy sets

WB – The Picture of Dorian Gray

That is not really a bad haul for the classic horror film buff, I would like to see UNI take and do another Ultimate Classic Sci-Fi set and Horror Archive, still plenty in that vault to work with.

But some of the other studios could do the same
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Quote:Wells, Kubrick, Hitchcock, Spielberg, Jackson, Wood ?? a true Auteur should be one who follows his artistic vision
support classic animation, call WB and complain about T&J vol 3 till it is fixed
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#81
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7/9/08 at 12:26pm
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

I wasn't around when this thread was created. Reading through it, it would seem that this was just another hoax, to be filed next to the complete Magnificent Ambersons.
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#82
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7/10/08 at 8:26am
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Re: Exciting Discovery of DRACULA Film Element!

Yeah, check the Metropolis thread for what it looks like when you have a genuine rediscovery.

"This movie has warped my fragile little mind."

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