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"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" coming from MGM/UA to Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

OliverK

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I would not expect Cleopatra before the 50th anniversary - that is 2013!

 

Fotokem did a 4k scan from the 65mm elements but I have no idea if they will use that. If I had to guess I would think they redo Cleopatra in 8k, at least if they release as late as 2013.

 

BTW: I will have to edit my last post as work on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was not done by Fotokem - no idea who worked on it and what elements were used...
 

Originally Posted by trajan

OliverK- I read somewhere that Fotokem did 65mm scans of Cleopatra. Does this mean we might expect a bluray release from Fox sometime in the near future?
 

OliverK

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Doctor Dolittle was aired in HD here in Europe, same with Cleopatra and Sound of Music.

 

Doctor Dolittle and Sound of Music looked mediocre to bad and I am pretty sure that Fotokem did not work on either Dolittle or that bad version of Sound of Music.

 

If Fox wants to put out a 70mm movie that looks excellent (except for Patton that could have looked stunning but here we are) they should release either Cleopatra or The Agony and the Ecstasy - both have the kind of large format cinematography that also shines on Blu-Ray.
 

OliverK

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Hello Dolly is a nice and fun movie but imo the cinematography is not quite up there with the other two titles I mentioned.

Saw it in 70mm last year and I am happy about that as I am not sure when Fox will release it on Blu-Ray.
 

Originally Posted by trajan

Lets not forget Hello Dolly.
 

Matt Hough

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That's very strange about Doctor Dolittle since I think the DVD, especially for such an old transfer, upconverts spectacularly and is one of the reasons I'm so looking forward to a Blu-ray of it.
 

OliverK

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Doctor Dolittle certainly has the potential to look very good but the HD version that was aired in Europe is only so-so with visible sharpening halos. I will admit that it starts to look much better at more than 2 screen widths away but sitting closer the halos are really annoying - at least to me.
 

Originally Posted by MattH.

That's very strange about Doctor Dolittle since I think the DVD, especially for such an old transfer, upconverts spectacularly and is one of the reasons I'm so looking forward to a Blu-ray of it.


 
 

GMpasqua

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Originally Posted by OliverK


Doctor Dolittle certainly has the potential to look very good but the HD version that was aired in Europe is only so-so with visible sharpening halos. I will admit that it starts to look much better at more than 2 screen widths away but sitting closer the halos are really annoying - at least to me.
 



 


Dolittle looks great in 70MM (at least on screen) so does "Hello, Dolly" the Dolly DVD was good but could have been so much better, both should look great on blu-ray if the 70MM elements are used and since FOX recently made 70MM orints of these films (and Cleopatra, Those Maginificent Men in Their Flying Machines, and The Agony and the Esctasy) they will probably use the 70MM elements.

 

The do need to "Fix" "Patton" (which also looks great in 70MM on screen)
 

Sam Posten

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How many of you, like me, boycotted the butchered DVD of this? Can't wait!

 

For those asking about It's a mad mad mad mad world be sure to see this:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/275427/it-s-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world
 

cafink

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Well, I didn't buy the original pan & scan DVD release of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, though I don't think of that as a "boycott." It wasn't a product I was interested in, so I simply didn't purchase it. It wasn't an organized or conscious protest or anything. When it was released in widescreen, I bought it.
 

MatthewA

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I think South Pacific showed that Fox has learned its lesson with the Blu-Ray treatment of its 70mm library after Patton. Although MGM is in charge of the transfer and this is the first large-format film they own to make it to BD, I have high hopes for this and their other large format titles. I hope whoever ends up with MGM at least has the good sense to listen to knowledgeable people like Robert A. Harris and other film preservation gods.

 

And yes, I was horrified by the pan and scan DVD back in 1998, and the fact that years went by before a widescreen one was issued. I boycotted it.
 

OliverK

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The Blu-Ray of South Pacific was derived from a wetgate IP scanned at 8k and I would expect the same for The Sound of Music.

No facility will use a 70mm print if they don't have to.

 

Patton needs to be fixed - that's for sure.

 

Originally Posted by GMpasqua





Dolittle looks great in 70MM (at least on screen) so does "Hello, Dolly" the Dolly DVD was good but could have been so much better, both should look great on blu-ray if the 70MM elements are used and since FOX recently made 70MM orints of these films (and Cleopatra, Those Maginificent Men in Their Flying Machines, and The Agony and the Esctasy) they will probably use the 70MM elements.

 

The do need to "Fix" "Patton" (which also looks great in 70MM on screen)
 

OliverK

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MGM has already released The Pink Panther which is a Technirama title, so this is their second large format release.

The Pink Panther looked good although I would have expected a higer level of detail from a movie shot in Technirama.
 

Originally Posted by MatthewA

Although MGM is in charge of the transfer and this is the first large-format film they own to make it to BD, I have high hopes for this and their other large format titles.
 

Matt Hough

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Originally Posted by Rob_Ray

Yes, please put Star! on BluRay and put the intermission and entr'acte back where they belong.


And get the color timing right. Star! was not bathed in a brown wash for its original roadshow theatrical engagements. The laserdisc is much closer to the look of the original film than the DVD release.
 

MatthewA

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OliverK,

 

Thanks for reminding me about The Pink Panther.



Originally Posted by MattH.





And get the color timing right. Star! was not bathed in a brown wash for its original roadshow theatrical engagements. The laserdisc is much closer to the look of the original film than the DVD release.

That's why I keep the laserdisc of that one.
 

OliverK

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You're welcome :) As I have the disc myself it immediately came to mind.

Originally Posted by MatthewA

 

OliverK,

 

Thanks for reminding me about The Pink Panther.
 

Marco S

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Saw STAR! at The Egyptian I'd say around two years ago--Advertised as a new 70mm print, I couldn't resist. I was blown away by the richness of the image. The sound was also great. The Orchestra playing the Overture almost sounded real. All the sound was concentrated on the orchestra.--- Yes, the "movie in the movie" is black and white and looked the way Robert Wise intended. The Donald Brooks customs in the Jenny number are breathtaking. All that glitter!!!! The PQ & AQ should be 5 if transferred correctly.
 

OliverK

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If you liked Star! you will probably like South Pacific and Hello, Dolly! even more.

They both look better imo than Star! and both are also available as new 70mm prints.

 



 

Originally Posted by Marco S

Saw STAR! at The Egyptian I'd say around two years ago--Advertised as a new 70mm print, I couldn't resist. I was blown away by the richness of the image. The sound was also great. The Orchestra playing the Overture almost sounded real. All the sound was concentrated on the orchestra.--- Yes, the "movie in the movie" is black and white and looked the way Robert Wise intended. The Donald Brooks customs in the Jenny number are breathtaking. All that glitter!!!! The PQ & AQ should be 5 if transferred correctly.
 

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