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NEW BEN HUR - original sound? - Page 6

post #151 of 161
9/7/05 at 3:39pm
Quote:
I don't think the '25 is as much of a supplement, but rather part of a double-feature.


Think of it how you like. The cover says "William Wyler's Presentation of Ben-Hur". That makes the silent version a supplement.

Regardless of this silly and pointless argument, I'm thrilled they're giving us both versions and I can't wait to watch both of them. It's too bad other studios can't be copy-cats and release packages this nice.
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post #152 of 161
9/8/05 at 9:17am
Were I reviewing it (David Krauss is doing it for dOc) I'd call it a supplement too. It's not billed as a double feature like the Jekyll & Hydes; it's billed as Charlton Heston IS William Wyler's Ben-Hur. So it's a supplement, even though it's a substantially better film than the remake, which is why it was suppressed for many years.
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post #153 of 161
9/27/05 at 9:42pm
There may have already been a discussion about this on some other threat -- if so, my apologies. I looked but I couldn't find it.

I have been watching the new BEN-HUR with the French track on and it seems to me that it's much more directional (and the sound editing far more interesting) than the new English 5.1 track.

Is it possible that, other than the French voices, this is the Oscar-winning original mix?
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post #154 of 161
9/28/05 at 12:17am
"Just as long as we don't get *additional* cropping (to "fake" the 70mm presentation), I'd be happy with a 35mm print source. Just leave it at the proper 35mm AR..."

Original 35mm reduction prints (IB Tech and otherwise) had the correct AR...and the image is "letterboxed" within the anamorphic frame (yep...black bars above and below the active image...and no cropping. He, he, he)...

-THTS
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post #155 of 161
9/28/05 at 12:31am
"I think Criterion's SPARTACUS (which was taken from a 65mm source) is stunning, and easily one of the best looking DVDs I have."

Spartacus was shot with spherical 70mm (65mm) lenses, which yielded an AR of 2:21:1. Transferring it to NTSC video yields higher VERTICAL resolution, which is essential for this low rez format. That's why the Criterion version, which was framed a bit off center, by the way, looks quite good...much preferable to the non-enhanced Universal version (and colorimetry is vastly superior too, thanks to Mr. Harris' restoration supervision).
That's not the case with the recent Ben-Hur video transfer on account of its anamorphic Ultra-Panavision roots; the NTSC image's vertical resolution losses are significant...

-THTS
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post #156 of 161
9/28/05 at 12:42am
"If Warner did Ben-Hur's new transfer at 2.55:1 extracted from the max. 2.76:1 width using Ultra Panavision, it would be just right. The amount sliced off using 2.55:1 width instead of 2.76:1 makes almost no difference... it's much more important to get the full height of the image."

Aha! That's precisely what I proposed in my "review" (at the AVS Forum) shortly after the first DVD was released!! At 2:55:1 the gain in VERTICAL resolution would be of great help to the overall imaging, me thinks.

Too bad that the super-wide Ultra-Panavision aspect ratio doesn't lend itself too well for NTSC video transferring...
THTS
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post #157 of 161
9/28/05 at 12:49am
"The best DVD transfer in my collection is King of Kings, a Technirama production (if I'm not mistaken)."

Indeed! I said it so here in this Forum and at AVS Forum.
If only the Ben-Hur DVD versions would look this good...

-THTS
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post #158 of 161
1/14/09 at 8:26am

Re: NEW BEN HUR - original sound?

I am surprised there has been no word on a release of Ben Hur in SD and Blu ray.
I would have thought it would be released in time for Easter 2009.
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post #159 of 161
1/14/09 at 8:43am

Re: NEW BEN HUR - original sound?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Garysb
I am surprised there has been no word on a release of Ben Hur in SD and Blu ray.
I would have thought it would be released in time for Easter 2009.

There's mocked up artwork for a UK BD release in one of the 'pre-release' sections of the HMV website...



...so presumably it is on the cards.
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post #160 of 161
1/14/09 at 10:24am

Re: NEW BEN HUR - original sound?

I heard a rumor that Ben-Hur (Blu-ray) will be released in the fall of 2009.
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post #161 of 161
1/14/09 at 12:20pm

Re: NEW BEN HUR - original sound?

I doubt this guy is still arround but...
Quote:
Originally Posted by frank manrique
Spartacus was shot with spherical 70mm (65mm) lenses, which yielded an AR of 2:21:1.
No, Spartacus was shot with 35mm anamorphic lenses using the 8-perf Technirama system. A 65mm internegative was later created from the 8perf. original
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