- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,424
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
With a screenplay by Dalton Trumbo and Daniel Taradash, George Roy Hill's Hawaii, may find interest from multiple arenas.
Based upon the monumental novel by James A. Michener, Hawaii was a roadshow production, blown up to 70mm for some venues.
The film used to have scenes of beauty, especially once it reaches the islands, but unfortunately, it was never a great film.
Twilight Time, as a licensee of MGM, must use what they're given, or not. In this case, what they've been allowed to release essentially removes many of the attributes that the film once held.
The major one would be the cinematography by Russell Harlan (To Kill a Mockingbird, Red River).
What I'm seeing on the Blu-ray appears to be typical MGM fodder. While the Roadshow version, which appears on the disc as an extra, albeit in standard definition as a 2.35 image inside of a 1.33 box, that longer cut also appears to be derived from original Eastman Color elements.
Something that it seems the HD version, or at least a number of it's parts is not.
Going to black & white separation masters is a normal affair if an original negative is lost or damaged, but since the resultant dupe is a composite of three black & white records, the idea is to get them in registration. This has seemingly eluded whatever lab created the new element. If adjustments need to be made, even shot to shot, they need to be made. It ain't brain surgery.
Unfortunately, the film is simply dupey looking, with requisite MGM dirt and instability of image.
Hawaii is a film worth viewing, and this is the only way to do so, at least for the foreseeable future.
No fingers being pointed at Twilight Time. All of the problems stem with MGM, and their eternal penchant for quality, as that lion continues to roar.
Image - 3
Audio - 4
4k Up-rez - 2.5
Pass / Fail - Pass (barely)
RAH
Based upon the monumental novel by James A. Michener, Hawaii was a roadshow production, blown up to 70mm for some venues.
The film used to have scenes of beauty, especially once it reaches the islands, but unfortunately, it was never a great film.
Twilight Time, as a licensee of MGM, must use what they're given, or not. In this case, what they've been allowed to release essentially removes many of the attributes that the film once held.
The major one would be the cinematography by Russell Harlan (To Kill a Mockingbird, Red River).
What I'm seeing on the Blu-ray appears to be typical MGM fodder. While the Roadshow version, which appears on the disc as an extra, albeit in standard definition as a 2.35 image inside of a 1.33 box, that longer cut also appears to be derived from original Eastman Color elements.
Something that it seems the HD version, or at least a number of it's parts is not.
Going to black & white separation masters is a normal affair if an original negative is lost or damaged, but since the resultant dupe is a composite of three black & white records, the idea is to get them in registration. This has seemingly eluded whatever lab created the new element. If adjustments need to be made, even shot to shot, they need to be made. It ain't brain surgery.
Unfortunately, the film is simply dupey looking, with requisite MGM dirt and instability of image.
Hawaii is a film worth viewing, and this is the only way to do so, at least for the foreseeable future.
No fingers being pointed at Twilight Time. All of the problems stem with MGM, and their eternal penchant for quality, as that lion continues to roar.
Image - 3
Audio - 4
4k Up-rez - 2.5
Pass / Fail - Pass (barely)
RAH