HTF DVD Review: The Jungle Book - 40th Anniversary Platinum Edition - Page 2

Chris S · 10-02-2007, 04:45 PM

Great screenshots Chuck! Thanks!

I really do like the look of the new DVD release. Can't wait to pick it up later this afternoon.

Chuck Pennington · 10-02-2007, 04:48 PM

Aside from some colors still looking a bit pale, I think it is definately one of the better DVD "restorations" - I thought CINDERELLA was probably the worst, followed by PETER PAN.

captainjoe · 10-02-2007, 09:27 PM

I was worried this was going to be another Peter Pan travesty but this looks quite excellent and to see how truly cinematic it looks it has to be seen on a widescreen TV in all its glory!

MattH. · 10-02-2007, 10:34 PM

Robert,

I was very pressed for time this evening, but I did put the DVD back in the player to listen to the 5.1 track as you requested.

I didn't spend long with it, but I heard no distinct separation of instruments in the front and rear speakers. The voices were in the center, and it sounded to me as if the accompaniment was the same coming out of the fronts and from the rears.

Again, I listened only to "Colonel Hati's March," but I could not discern any instrumental separations in my brief encounter with it tonight.

RobertSiegel · 10-02-2007, 10:54 PM

Thanks for the great screen shots Chuck. I am glad to see that the 5.1 mix does have the music still in stereo, so now I will indulge in the purchase :-).

RobertSiegel · 10-02-2007, 11:02 PM

Chuck, Matts post says he heard no stereo at all in the 5.1 mix, and your last post says it it "purely stereo." Since Matt seemed busy (thanks for checking that Matt), could you elaborate on that comment? Is the music, in your opinion, true separated stereo?

Stephen PI · 10-02-2007, 11:34 PM

The original 1967 release was mono. The original underscore, recorded on Disney's orchestra stage - now a dubbing theater - was recorded onto 35mm 3-track fullcoat. These multi-track music masters were utilised for the first (Dolby) Stereo release in the early nineties. I know this because I transferred them myself. As far as I know the same stereo masters were used for the 5.1 mix on this new dvd. I listened to it tonight and the music is very clean and has plenty of seperation.
I thought the picture was great also with no framing issues.
I projected a 35mm IB Technicolor widescreen print in England in 1967 at the Odeon, Elephant and Castle, with a mono optical soundtrack. As the theater was new, we might have projected it in 1.85:1 as this was slowly becoming the standard in England. I think the majority of Rank theatres in England were projecting this film in 1.75:1.

RobertSiegel · 10-02-2007, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen PI

The original 1967 release was mono. The original underscore, recorded on Disney's orchestra stage - now a dubbing theater - was recorded onto 35mm 3-track fullcoat. These multi-track music masters were utilised for the first (Dolby) Stereo release in the early nineties. I know this because I transferred them myself. As far as I know the same stereo masters were used for the 5.1 mix on this new dvd. I listened to it tonight and the music is very clean and has plenty of seperation.
I thought the picture was great also with no framing issues.
I projected a 35mm IB Technicolor widescreen print in England in 1967 at the Odeon, Elephant and Castle, with a mono optical soundtrack. As the theater was new, we might have projected it in 1.85:1 as this was slowly becoming the standard in England. I think the majority of Rank theatres in England were projecting this film in 1.75:1.

I am surprised then that they included an ad supplement with the original release pressbook that has ads touting stereophonic sound (I have that pressbook and looked at it today). The copyright date on the ads says 1967, and the top it says "to be used in theaters equipped for stereophonic sound." So maybe they planned on this when the pressbook came out and didn't do the stereo?

Mark-P · 10-02-2007, 11:45 PM

Chuck's screencaps swayed me into getting this one. I'm so sick of multiple dips on these Disney animated titles. This will make dip #5 for me - 1 VHS, 2-Laserdisc, and 2 DVD. Even though I generally prefer the open mattes for the animated features because I just don't buy that the camera aperature "accidentally" captured too much of the artwork, I will get this for the digitally cleaned and scrubbed PQ, and, surprize, surprize, a bit more side information is revealed, especially on the right side!

Stephen PI · 10-02-2007, 11:59 PM

That's interesting Robert. I have checked the records in the past and I am quite sure there was no stereo version until the early nineties. Unless there was a rough stereo dub for previews prepared, like MGM did with "The Time Machine" but it was also released in mono only.