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Vertigo - additional restoration coming?

post #1 of 12
7/17/08 at 7:08pm
Thread Starter 
Mr. Harris,

In one of your earlier postings this year you indicated something to the effect that with the tools/technology available today that a improved restoration of Vertigo could be done. Are there any plans to revisit the restoration of this title? Secondarily, would improvements from an additional restoration be of a subtle nature primarily benefiting a potential Blu-Ray release or would it be noticable even in a standard definition release?

Please understand this is not meant to be critical of the current Vertigo restoration which looks wonderful to my eyes. I have great respect for the work you and Mr. Katz did with both Vertigo and Rear Window.

Along the same lines, in your opinion, is the Stewart/Day version of "MAN WHO KNEW...." a viable candidate for a full restoration or are the elements too far gone to show much improvement?

Thank you for your time in reading this question as well as your contributions to preserving film history and your participation on HTF.

Steve
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post #2 of 12
7/21/08 at 1:42pm

Re: Vertigo - additional restoration coming?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve...O
In one of your earlier postings this year you indicated something to the effect that with the tools/technology available today that a improved restoration of Vertigo could be done. Are there any plans to revisit the restoration of this title? Secondarily, would improvements from an additional restoration be of a subtle nature primarily benefiting a potential Blu-Ray release or would it be noticable even in a standard definition release?

Up to Universal, and yes, BD.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve...O
Along the same lines, in your opinion, is the Stewart/Day version of "MAN WHO KNEW...." a viable candidate for a full restoration or are the elements too far gone to effet much improvement?

A properly restored MWKTM could look precisely as it did in 1956.
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post #3 of 12
7/22/08 at 4:02am
Thread Starter 

Re: Vertigo - additional restoration coming?

Thank you for the response.

That's great news that the potential exists for a properly restored MWKTM.

Hopefully Universal finds the economics of a Vertigo upgrade and a full MWKTM upgrade to be appealing enough to undertake such an endeavor.

Steve
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post #4 of 12
8/15/08 at 2:45am

Re: Vertigo - additional restoration coming?

Hello Mr. Harris.

In the documentary “Obsessed with Vertigo” narrated by (Roddy McDowall) mentioned the films new soundtrack process was “recorded in six channel dts” now the first edition region 2 DVD doesn’t appear to have an LFE.1 track?

Could this have been lost somewhere in the transfer process or was there LFE.1 track produced for the film as it seems a bit odd? The Dolby digital indicator says its 5.1 and I’ve gone though with a fine toothcomb.

Now if a newer version is to come about, give me a good reason why I should buy another DVD baring the same film, unless there’s a guarantee they’ll be an LFE.1.

The rest if the mix is perfect I like the mild dialogue panning and (stereo surrounds) on the opening sets the tone up perfectly as swells around my heard into dizziness.

Cheers for taking the time, to read and stay healthy.
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post #5 of 12
8/24/08 at 4:41am

Re: Vertigo - additional restoration coming?

5.1 is a format. It doesn't necessarily mean that all channels are being used for the particular programming.

I don't recall any LF in "Vertigo."
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post #6 of 12
8/24/08 at 8:28am

Re: Vertigo - additional restoration coming?

The old U.S. dvd was 5.0. They just mislabled it as 5.1.
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post #7 of 12
10/1/08 at 1:23pm

Re: Vertigo - additional restoration coming?

i guess this comes out next week?

i saw it in my stores box of retail items that we recieved yesterday.
it's the universal legacy series format.

Jimmy Stewart's big head shot on the cover didn't thrill me but the movie will.
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post #8 of 12
10/2/08 at 1:17pm

Re: Vertigo - additional restoration coming?

DVDBeaver has a review already. They note a slight increase in quality over the Masterpiece edition, but there's a much greater increase for the new Rear Window over the Masterpiece edition.

The screenshots for Rear Window tempt me to buy it again, but I'm guessing these new masters will be used for Blu-Rays soon, so I'll wait.

Doug
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post #9 of 12
5/22/09 at 4:15pm

Re: Vertigo - additional restoration coming?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert Harris
5.1 is a format. It doesn't necessarily mean that all channels are being used for the particular programming.

I don't recall any LF in "Vertigo."

The original mix from that era wouldn't have a sub bass track also the trem might have been unheard of at the time the film came out?

So I’m still puzzled as to the quote by (Roddy McDowall) or maybe someone scripted the text wrong thinking "dts" is full all out six-track format, I know it can go anyway depending on the mix and encoding.

Cheers for the response and I’m sorry I was a bit late at replaying.

Stay healthy


Quote:
Originally Posted by Lord Dalek
The old U.S. dvd was 5.0. They just mislabled it as 5.1.

Well that is plausible and I rest my case.

Cheers
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post #10 of 12
10/8/10 at 9:26am

I don't think this warrants its own thread, so apologies if I'm wrong.  I have question(s) for the Vertigo experts among us ...

 

Did the Universal logo (in any form) precede the Paramount logo that opens the film - when originally released?

 

If not, when did the Universal logo first appear on Vertigo prints?  

 

Robert,

 

Any idea why Universal went with the MCA Universal logo when MCA did not purchase Universal until 1962?  

 

Cheers

 

Rich

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post #11 of 12
10/8/10 at 11:54am

I'm not the experts you're looking for, but the Universal logo appeared in 1984 on this and the four (?) other films Universal re-released that year.  When the restoration was done, they restored the Paramount logo and ran the Universal logo before it -- a perfect example, in my humble opinion, of how to handle studio logos; i.e., do whatever you have to do to satisfy present-day requirements, THEN start the film as it originally existed.  (Same has been done for Psycho.)

 

Actually, the worst thing about those 1984 Universal logos (for anyone who cared about the scores) is that they messed with the opening moments of the soundtrack.  I don't know why that would have had to be the case, and I forget the details now, but the impact of at least a couple of the films' opening moments was greatly compromised.  Oh, I do remember the volume "sneaking in" gradually -- that was one of the things wrong.

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post #12 of 12
10/10/10 at 12:50pm

I seem to recall the editing of the Universal logo on the 1984 Rear Window vhs to be incredibly hit and miss.

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