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Chimes at Midnight

#1
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2/18/09 at 8:30am
  • Joined: January 2003
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Is there any information on the status of the restoration of Orson Welles' "Chimes at Midnight"? A restoration is supposedly near completion, and I have even heard that the DVD may be released in April 2009. But no one seems to be giving out any reliable information. Should people spend $30-$40 to buy the problematic DVD from Brazil or should they just wait a little bit longer for the restored version? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks.
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#2
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2/18/09 at 12:17pm
  • Joined: September 2007
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Re: Chimes at Midnight

There is a $20 DVD available at the TCM website. I bought it several months ago, and it appears to be a release by a small DVD distributor in Oregon. I believe it is "Nostalgia Video"

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?s...tTitleId=70831

There are no subtitles available, but the print quality was quite good. It's probably as good or better than the Brazilian print.
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#3
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2/19/09 at 7:57am
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Re: Chimes at Midnight

Thanks, guys! I was just going to post this question in the BD thread when I stumbled on this thread. Yesterday, I emailed Criterion asking if this and other Welles titles might show up on BD. Weird that Torgny and I are on the same wavelength! Anyway, I'm intrigued by the restoration Torgny writes about since his is the first I've heard of it. What more do we know about it?
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#4
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2/19/09 at 11:04am
  • Joined: January 2003
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Re: Chimes at Midnight

I have seen that version for sale, but I have not heard anyone compare it to other versions. As far as I know, the Brazilian version is the best version on the market right now. Roger Ebert said in June 2006 that the "Brazilian disc [by Continental I think] is clear enough and a thing of beauty". He also said that a restoration is said to be in progress and due to be released in 2007 or 2008 (obviously did not happen).

There is also a Suevia Films version (from Spain) but, according to DVDBeaver, it is "Another great film with lackluster print transfer to DVD. Picture quality falls somewhere between mediocre to bad, often hazy, sound is up and down." He goes on to say that "Robert Harris has assured me that there is a fine print available (not in need of restoration)"

I have also read that "In August 2004 restoration work began on the film by the same team that restored Welles\'s The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice (1952)."

And I have heard that Peter Bogdanovich is involved in the restoration and that the DVD may be released in April 2009, but I doubt this date as I have not seen any confirmation of this rumor.

It would be nice to hear something with certainty about the restoration of this film.
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#5
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2/19/09 at 2:27pm
  • Joined: February 1999
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Re: Chimes at Midnight

This film may be in need of a clean-up for dirt, but there is no reason to spend money on a restoration.

Fine quality elements survive. Next we'll hear that Air Bud is being "restored."

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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#6
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2/19/09 at 6:16pm
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Re: Chimes at Midnight

Ack! Somebody, git 'er done!
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#7
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2/23/09 at 2:50pm
  • Joined: January 2003
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Re: Chimes at Midnight

Thanks for the info Robert. I am glad that good quality elements survive and that the movie does not need a full restoration. But I suppose my question is then really whether this movie is already out in a version worth buying (if so, which one) or whether some new cleaned-up version is in the works and worth waiting for? Does anyone know?
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