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VistaVision--film by film chat and vote - Page 8

post #211 of 327
2/19/12 at 2:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Furmanek View Post

Ben: I'm not quite sure what was done when the Hitchcock titles changed hands. I'm sure Mr. Harris would have some knowledge of this.
I would suspect the original YCM's on a majority of the 6 perf titles have not been touched in years. In fact, some may never have been checked at the time they came back from the lab. How often do we hear stories of someone going back to seps and discovering problems that were never detected because nobody ever looked at them!
Bob

Yeah, it's amazing isn't it. Perils of Pauline and Raiders of the Lost Ark have nothing on the tragedies and treasures of film preservation.

Take The Searchers, for example. I wonder if that's a case like you're talking about. It's possible that no one had cracked the cans of those separation masters since 1958 or so, but then they did about 5 years ago and produced a truly stunning blu-ray of this classic title. I think the color is maybe still perhaps very slightly off, but for the most part it's a wonder to behold--with clarity and depth of field so good it almost looks "3D without the glasses" as they used to say.

Did anyone ever make a VistaVision 3D movie?
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post #212 of 327
2/19/12 at 3:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by benbess View Post

Yeah, it's amazing isn't it. Perils of Pauline and Raiders of the Lost Ark have nothing on the tragedies and treasures of film preservation.
Take The Searchers, for example. I wonder if that's a case like you're talking about. It's possible that no one had cracked the cans of those separation masters since 1958 or so, but then they did about 5 years ago and produced a truly stunning blu-ray of this classic title. I think the color is maybe still perhaps very slightly off, but for the most part it's a wonder to behold--with clarity and depth of field so good it almost looks "3D without the glasses" as they used to say.
Did anyone ever make a VistaVision 3D movie?

Oh, let's not talk about The Searchers smile.gif You're being VERY kind when you say the color is slightly off. Mr. Ford and Mr. Hoch did not make a yellow film. But, yes, it's sharp as can be with great resolution. If only someone would just own up to the mistake (they have, actually, and then in an astonishing turnaround, unowned up) and fix the color - they have a beautiful IB Tech reference print - the only problem with the reference print is that no one involved in the transfer actually bothered to look at it. Had they, it could have been timed correctly and us color purists would be much, much happier.
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post #213 of 327
2/19/12 at 3:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by haineshisway View Post


Oh, let's not talk about The Searchers smile.gif You're being VERY kind when you say the color is slightly off. Mr. Ford and Mr. Hoch did not make a yellow film. But, yes, it's sharp as can be with great resolution. If only someone would just own up to the mistake (they have, actually, and then in an astonishing turnaround, unowned up) and fix the color - they have a beautiful IB Tech reference print - the only problem with the reference print is that no one involved in the transfer actually bothered to look at it. Had they, it could have been timed correctly and us color purists would be much, much happier.



Let's not go there again!.  biggrin.gif

 

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post #214 of 327
2/19/12 at 3:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by benbess View Post

Did anyone ever make a VistaVision 3D movie?

Sadly, 3-D was dead by time VV films went into production.

Bob
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post #215 of 327
2/19/12 at 4:25pm
Don't forget One Eyed Jacks, The Buccaneer and The Mountain!
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post #216 of 327
2/19/12 at 4:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by haineshisway View Post

Oh, let's not talk about The Searchers smile.gif You're being VERY kind when you say the color is slightly off. Mr. Ford and Mr. Hoch did not make a yellow film. But, yes, it's sharp as can be with great resolution. If only someone would just own up to the mistake (they have, actually, and then in an astonishing turnaround, unowned up) and fix the color - they have a beautiful IB Tech reference print - the only problem with the reference print is that no one involved in the transfer actually bothered to look at it. Had they, it could have been timed correctly and us color purists would be much, much happier.

This is not a simple fix.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/robertharris/harris082106.html
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post #217 of 327
2/19/12 at 7:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Furmanek View Post

Ben: I'm not quite sure what was done when the Hitchcock titles changed hands. I'm sure Mr. Harris would have some knowledge of this.
I would suspect the original YCM's on a majority of the 6 perf titles have not been touched in years. In fact, some may never have been checked at the time they came back from the lab. How often do we hear stories of someone going back to seps and discovering problems that were never detected because nobody ever looked at them!
Bob

Let me correct a small typo--VV was 8 perfs not 6.
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post #218 of 327
2/19/12 at 7:57pm
Oops, you're right. Sorry about that!

Bob
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post #219 of 327
2/19/12 at 9:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Hermes View Post

This is not a simple fix.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/robertharris/harris082106.html

I understand the spin in the article, but it is, in fact, a VERY simple fix.
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post #220 of 327
2/19/12 at 10:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by haineshisway View Post

I understand the spin in the article, but it is, in fact, a VERY simple fix.

Perhaps Mr. Harris will weigh in with his thoughts since he did the interview.
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post #221 of 327
2/20/12 at 12:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Hermes View Post


Quote:
Originally Posted by haineshisway View Post


Oh, let's not talk about The Searchers smile.gif You're being VERY kind when you say the color is slightly off. Mr. Ford and Mr. Hoch did not make a yellow film. But, yes, it's sharp as can be with great resolution. If only someone would just own up to the mistake (they have, actually, and then in an astonishing turnaround, unowned up) and fix the color - they have a beautiful IB Tech reference print - the only problem with the reference print is that no one involved in the transfer actually bothered to look at it. Had they, it could have been timed correctly and us color purists would be much, much happier.

This is not a simple fix.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/robertharris/harris082106.html

Quote:
Originally Posted by John Hermes View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by haineshisway View Post

I understand the spin in the article, but it is, in fact, a VERY simple fix.

Perhaps Mr. Harris will weigh in with his thoughts since he did the interview.

Bruce Kimmel states the facts of the matter.

Ned Price's explanation in that interview does not account for the color-timing nor for his personal history of over-saturating films with yellow.

The Searchers is oversaturated with yellow because he put it in there after the fact of restoration, not because of yellow layer failure.
This oversaturation of yellow is not a little thing.
It is a major thing that subverts the intent of the filmmakers, and that impacts how the story is told and how audiences perceive the film.
It is totally unnecessary.
He could just as easily have timed the film differently by turning the dials in the other direction.
It's that simple.

A different pair of eyes in charge would have resulted in the correct color and the same sharp restoration.
That's simple, too.

Warner Brothers knows better, they're just not admitting to it.
They should recall the disc and issue a correctly color timed disc.
Ned Price should be excused from that process.
Edited by Richard--W - 2/20/12 at 2:35am
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post #222 of 327
2/20/12 at 7:38am
Apologies: I was looking for the Home Theater Forum of 2012, but appear to have stumbled into a fault into the space/time continuum which has transported me back six years. You guys have some surprises coming up; Warner Archive, Twilight Time, and I can't tell you how many releases for The Wizard of Oz. One thing - spoiler alert - by 2012 The Searchers on Blu 2012 will *still* look like the, well, The Searchers on Blu 2006. Possibly something to do with the world financial meltdown - damn, you guys don't know about that yet do you..?
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post #223 of 327
2/20/12 at 12:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Hodson View Post

Apologies: I was looking for the Home Theater Forum of 2012, but appear to have stumbled into a fault into the space/time continuum which has transported me back six years. You guys have some surprises coming up; Warner Archive, Twilight Time, and I can't tell you how many releases for The Wizard of Oz. One thing - spoiler alert - by 2012 The Searchers on Blu 2012 will *still* look like the, well, The Searchers on Blu 2006. Possibly something to do with the world financial meltdown - damn, you guys don't know about that yet do you..?


rock.gif

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post #224 of 327
2/20/12 at 4:50pm
Some people don't care what a film looks like so long as they have it on Blu-ray.

Quote:
Originally Posted by John Hodson View Post

Apologies: I was looking for the Home Theater Forum of 2012, but appear to have stumbled into a fault into the space/time continuum which has transported me back six years. You guys have some surprises coming up; Warner Archive, Twilight Time, and I can't tell you how many releases for The Wizard of Oz.

Think, John, think.

Quote:
Originally Posted by John Hodson View Post

...One thing - spoiler alert - by 2012 The Searchers on Blu 2012 will *still* look like the, well, The Searchers on Blu 2006. ...

That's the whole point.
After six years, the mistake has not been corrected.
The artistic crime has not been rectified.

To pretend it doesn't matter is to care nothing about film.

You accept Ned Price's excuses on the digitalbits.
I don't, because I know better.

Warner Home Video perpetrated a fraud. They bluffed the gullible and got away with it. Instead of owning up, they compounded the fraud a dozen times over with repackages. The latest offense comes out 13 March, 2012:

http://www.amazon.com/Searchers-Rio-Bravo-John-Wayne/dp/B006X08EN6/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1329771710&sr=1-2

Quote:
Originally Posted by John Hodson View Post

.. Possibly something to do with the world financial meltdown - damn, you guys don't know about that yet do you..?

Women and children first, John!

John Ford made films about America. Australia never had an artist like John Ford. So how would you know what his work means to us?
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post #225 of 327
2/20/12 at 5:06pm
I'm confident Hitichcock's VistaVision films will be out soon on Blu-ray.

I know they're out on DVD or MOD, but I'd like to see the westerns filmed in VistaVision on Blu-ray most of all:

473

700

473

700

700

590

700

A film I'm curious about is The Search For Bridey Murphy. The book about hypnotic regression and reincarnation gave birth to a whole subgenre and a popular, widely discussed film starring no less a talent than the great Theresa Wright:

700474

Hard to believe it's completely forgotten today.

I vaguely remember seeing Williamsburg: the Story of a Patriot when I was a kid in the 1960s. It's been running for over twenty-five years to get the tourists oriented. I see it's on DVD. Starring Jack Lord, written by Emmet Lavery, directed by George Seaton, music score by Bernard Hermann, Technicolor, shot 35mm horizontal with an aspect ratio of 1.96 : 1, printed on 70mm for special venue screenings -- what a Blu-ray it would make.

500
Edited by Richard--W - 2/20/12 at 5:25pm
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post #226 of 327
2/20/12 at 5:59pm
THE JAYHAWKERS is out April 24 on Blu via Olive Films. Jerry Lewis' Olive VistaVision films have gotten decent reviews, so hopefully THE JAYHAWKERS will be nice.
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post #227 of 327
2/20/12 at 6:27pm
Thread Starter 
Nice posters! Sure would like to see some of these on blu...
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post #228 of 327
2/20/12 at 6:54pm
Just found this image on-line. Dailies from YOU'RE NEVER TOO YOUNG.

134
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post #229 of 327
2/20/12 at 7:03pm

I gnash my teeth every time I think about that awful One-Eyed Jacks that got released some months ago.

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post #230 of 327
2/20/12 at 7:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Furmanek View Post

Just found this image on-line. Dailies from YOU'RE NEVER TOO YOUNG.
134

Bring it on when it's done. Money From Home at the 3-D Expo gave me a new perspective on Martin and Lewis. No 3-D Blu-ray in sight, but I'm wanting to see more of their films. Artists and Models sounds particularly interesting. I vaguely remember watching Jerry Lewis films on television when I was little. I saw a couple in theaters. But I also want Olive's Blu-ray's to be about $7-8 cheaper before I start buying them (not a renter).
Edited by Richard--W - 2/20/12 at 8:17pm
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post #231 of 327
2/20/12 at 8:56pm
The Martin and Lewis films ARE very entertaining. They're well produced with good production values. There's a reason why they were a top box office attraction in the first half of the 1950's.

MONEY FROM HOME went over like gangbusters with a sold-out crowd of 700 at the 3-D Expo's. ARTISTS AND MODELS was a big hit with a crowd of 400 at the Loew's Jersey when I ran a 35mm IB Technicolor print in 2002. SAILOR BEWARE got many laughs at the Capitol in Rome, NY when shown as a charity benefit last year. Even the weaker THREE RING CIRCUS was well received when they screened it at the Radford in Detroit.

Of course, watching films at home is not the same experience, especially with a comedy. But when seen with a large and receptive audience, their films are a lot of fun!

Bob
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post #232 of 327
2/21/12 at 12:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard--W View Post

John Ford made films about America. Australia never had an artist like John Ford. So how would you know what his work means to us?

Australia..?

Not intending to derail the thread (which was the point of my light-hearted post in the first instance), but with the deepest respect if we are going to carve up film makers along nationalistic lines, then I shall have to bid the HTF hail and farewell. And can I have my David Lean back? Please?

John Ford means much to me, and to film fans the world over. Honest injun.

Carry on...
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post #233 of 327
2/21/12 at 1:31am
Did I say Australia?
Oops.
I know you live in merrie olde England.

Warner Brothers didn't turn the snow yellow when they timed Doctor Zhivago, so you never lost David Lean to begin with.

Don't leave us, John.
We'd miss you.
Edited by Richard--W - 2/21/12 at 2:05am
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post #234 of 327
2/21/12 at 7:22am
Of course the Hitchcock and Martin & Lewis VistaVision films are the really famous ones, but some others I like are The Tin Star (which is B&W, but has astonishing depth of field), Last Train to Gun Hill (which I think is a better film that Sturges more hearalded VV film The Gunfight at the OK Coral), The Lonely Man, Three Violent People.

I'm looking forward to Olive Films' release of Nicholas Ray's Run for Cover, which I've never seen. I really wish Paramount would release Strategic Air Command, which is one of the few Anthony Mann films I haven't seen.
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post #235 of 327
2/21/12 at 7:47am

And, of course, I want Funny Face and Li'l Abner on Blu. Their VistaVision visual quality should be stunning.

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post #236 of 327
2/21/12 at 7:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShowsOn View Post

I'm looking forward to Olive Films' release of Nicholas Ray's Run for Cover, which I've never seen. I really wish Paramount would release Strategic Air Command, which is one of the few Anthony Mann films I haven't seen.

II saw Strategic Air Command a number of times on American Movie Classics when that station still observed no commercials and original aspect ratios. I understand the film served as the inspiration for Dr. Strangelove.
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post #237 of 327
2/21/12 at 9:10am
TCM showed The Seven Little Foys over the weekend. As they advertised it as "letterbox" on their schedule, I recorded it in hopes that I would see more of the picture. Unfortunately, it was just the same pan and scan version. I didn't know about The Searchers/Rio Bravo repackage. Rio Bravo went oop. I don't expect a recall, but it would be nice if Warner would revisit both those titles.
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post #238 of 327
2/21/12 at 9:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Hermes View Post

THE JAYHAWKERS is out April 24 on Blu via Olive Films. Jerry Lewis' Olive VistaVision films have gotten decent reviews, so hopefully THE JAYHAWKERS will be nice.

Paramount is not going to be licensing any VistaVision films to Olive that have actually come from VistaVision negatives - when they go to THAT expense you can bet they'll be releasing those discs themselves. What Olive gets are VistaVision films mastered from 35mm internegatives or whatever they have, but not the original negatives.
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post #239 of 327
2/27/12 at 9:57pm
I watched the Olive Films release of Paramount's THE GEISHA BOY tonight. I used an Optoma 1080p projector and 106" 16x9 screen. I thought the film looked very good. It is quite sharp, fine grained, and has nice color. There are some sections of obvious stock footage of Japan. There is also one segment of apparent dupe footage in a scene near the end with Jerry and Suzanne Pleshette on a plane. It is the master two-shot with the close-ups being excellent. The fades and dissolves were obviously A/B rolled as they are seemless with the regular footage. All in all, it looks quite good. No complaints here.
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post #240 of 327
2/27/12 at 10:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MattH. View Post

And, of course, I want Funny Face and Li'l Abner on Blu. Their VistaVision visual quality should be stunning.



"Funny Face" is scheduled to run during the TCM Film Festival in LA this year. Also scheduled from Paramount Pictures: "Chinatown" (coming to Blu-ray) and "Love Story" (released on Blu-ray this month) (Also "All's Quiet on the Western Front" "Casablanca - 70th ann restoration" "Wings" "Singing in the Rain" (all coming to blu-ray) 

 

"Funny Face" is a likely candidate: Audrey Hepburn, Vista Vision, beautiful Color etc

 

Many of the  films shown in the TCM festival have arrived on blu-ray within the year after the festival. Last year the festival screened digial prints of "Breakfast at Tiffanys" "The Ten Commandments" (and Universal's "To Kill a Mockingbird") all of which made it to blu-ray

 

 

Other Paramount Films screening:
Sabrina

Marathon Man

Black Sunday

 

also a 40th restoration of  "Cabaret" which opens the festival. A Blu-ray is most likely to follow

 

 

 

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