Lawrence of Arabia (1 Viewer)

[SergeiShadow]

Mr. Harris I already burned to a Blu-ray disc a 1080p broadcast of this film. Will this movie be on Blu-ray any time soon from Sony Columbia Tri-Star? I would very like to buy it especially if it is on a quadruple layer Blu-ray.

 

[FoxyMulder]

Originally Posted by SergeiShadow
Mr. Harris I already burned to a Blu-ray disc a 1080p broadcast of this film. Will this movie be on Blu-ray any time soon from Sony Columbia Tri-Star? I would very like to buy it especially if it is on a quadruple layer Blu-ray.

Quadruple layer blu ray won't happen for films, it is intended for computer storage.

You can have my personal guarantee that Lawrence Of Arabia will hit blu ray before the end of 2012.

 

[Brianruns10]

An interview with Grover Crisp of Sony about the restoration of "Taxi Driver" reveals the following tidbit about LoA:

"Regarding future catalog releases from Sony, the VP informed while the negative of Lawrence of Arabia has already been scanned (at 8K), restoration is not completed yet and "will certainly take a year to complete."

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=6003

Yay they're doing it right in 8K, but bummer we gotta wait another year (at least).

 

[Paul Rossen]

I'm sure that the blu-ray of LOA will be stunning. Perhaps Columbia is waiting for 2012 50th Anniversary. The question I have is will the terrace scene be restored to the film?

 

[montrealfilmguy]

Wait a whole year ?

to paraphrase the colonel(major ?) near the end ..OUTRAGEOUS!

i remember bits of it as a kid,but at the end of the 80's and the whole Reagan era of Rambo films,i was heading into classics and saw the most magnificient restoration of this
masterpiece.

I saw it 9 times in a theater in Montreal,and dozens of times on dvd so far.

I,for one can never thank Mr.Harris and Mr.Painten enough

And the Robert Bolt script which to me has always had a certain musical quality to it,is what motivated me to become a screenwriter.

And as much as this being one of the most quotable scripts ever produced,my favorite line doesn't come from Peter O'Toole,Omar Sharif or Alec Guiness,but from Anthony Quinn as Auda Abu Tayi

Auda abu Tayi: [to Lawrence] I carry twenty-three great wounds, all got in battle. Seventy-five men have I killed with my own hands in battle. I scatter, I burn my enemies' tents. I take away their flocks and herds. The Turks pay me a golden treasure, yet I am poor! Because *I* am a river to my people!

Wow.Just chilling.

Not much can top that last part about being a river to his people.

Blade runner almost lost that tie and pushed down to second place.

 

[Michel_Hafner]

Originally Posted by Brianruns10

Yay they're doing it right in 8K, but bummer we gotta wait another year (at least).

The scan is in 8K. Actual processing is in 4K.

 

[owen35]

For those who live in the Bay Area, The Castro theatre will be screening a 70mm print next month for their 70mm festival. The dates will be June 11th and 12th. Great theatre, HUGE screen, and always an attentive audience. Can't wait to see it again in that format.

 

[montrealfilmguy]

man,i gotta convince someone,ANYONE to get a 70mm festival going here in Montreal.

I remember getting a cab to get to a showing of Top gun,at a cinema called the Imperial which was a kind of throwback to the old movie palaces.

As i got out,the driver said "hey i remember this place,i came to see 2001 here.
Me: I don't know you but i officially hate you now.

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by montrealfilmguy
man,i gotta convince someone,ANYONE to get a 70mm festival going here in Montreal.

I remember getting a cab to get to a showing of Top gun,at a cinema called the Imperial which was a kind of throwback to the old movie palaces.

As i got out,the driver said "hey i remember this place,i came to see 2001 here.
Me: I don't know you but i officially hate you now.

Believe there will be another group of films later this year at the Museum of Civilization.

RAH

 

[montrealfilmguy]

Would you care to elaborate on that hint please ?

Because now i have the face of someone who's just been explained the rules of Fizzbin and Calvinball.All at once.

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by montrealfilmguy
Would you care to elaborate on that hint please ?

Because now i have the face of someone who's just been explained the rules of Fizzbin and Calvinball.All at once.

Late last year a superb 70mm fest was put on at the MoC in Gattineau, and last I heard, there is a second in planning for the same time period.

RAH

 

[montrealfilmguy]

Thanks for the great news !

I will now go from atheist into a temporary praying position ( although i can pray to any cinematic legend right ? )
and hope this becomes a reality.

We have quite a few Museums of civilisations here in Quebec.Now i know it's the one in Gatineau.

just checked before pushing submit and now i remember bookmarking this from last year,but too late after.

Unbelievable that this would exist as Gatineau isn't the biggest of places and rather quiet.

http://www.in70mm.com/news/2010/canada/index.htm

(drool-we need a drooling smiley )

Baraka,Lawrence,Chitty Chitty bang bang,Spartacus AND Vertigo
I might just never leave that place.

 

[Gordo]

Yep the 2nd Annual 70mm film festival in Gatineau is in the works. Check in70mm.com in late June for the full schedule.

Gatineau may be sleepy but it's also the fourth biggest city in Quebec an next to Ottawa which has a population of nearly a million! The festival is planned for October 14-16th 2011. Should be a fun time.

For info on the film collective (Lost Dominion Screening Collective) that hosts the festival and their other film series go here www.lostdominion.ca

 

[owen35]

Saw the film last night in San Francisco. Print was in very good shape and it looked terrific on the big screen. Audience was enthralled throughout with a noticeable gasp when Gasim is visually exposed as the "revenge" murderer. Also, BIG applause at the beginning when Peter O'Toole and David Lean's names appeared in the credits. The guy in front of us was from Mexico and said that he had never seen the film. During the Intermission he turned around and told me that he couldn't believe how great it was!! Even 49 years later--it still holds up and is totally engaging!

I was curious though, seeing the film in 70mm, if there will be any "fixing" of the image for its eventual BR release. For a few of the wide desert shots you could see white "stripes" vertically weaving in the shot. I believe this is the residue of the location being so inhumanly hot (I have a vague memory of reading this somewhere) and causing these stripes on the negative. With the current digital technology, it would appear those shots could be perfected so we no longer see them.

It's all speculation at this point as to what, if anything, is going to be worked on for this release. I'm sure Sony is going all-out on this release, just as they did with Taxi Driver. So I am expecting exemplary production work and to see "Lawrence" better than it has ever looked.

 

[Robert Harris]

Quote:

Originally Posted by owen35
Saw the film last night in San Francisco. Print was in very good shape and it looked terrific on the big screen. Audience was enthralled throughout with a noticeable gasp when Gasim is visually exposed as the "revenge" murderer. Also, BIG applause at the beginning when Peter O'Toole and David Lean's names appeared in the credits. The guy in front of us was from Mexico and said that he had never seen the film. During the Intermission he turned around and told me that he couldn't believe how great it was!! Even 49 years later--it still holds up and is totally engaging!

I was curious though, seeing the film in 70mm, if there will be any "fixing" of the image for its eventual BR release. For a few of the wide desert shots you could see white "stripes" vertically weaving in the shot. I believe this is the residue of the location being so inhumanly hot (I have a vague memory of reading this somewhere) and causing these stripes on the negative. With the current digital technology, it would appear those shots could be perfected so we no longer see them.

It's all speculation at this point as to what, if anything, is going to be worked on for this release. I'm sure Sony is going all-out on this release, just as they did with Taxi Driver. So I am expecting exemplary production work and to see "Lawrence" better than it has ever looked.

Those "stripes" are caused by film damaged first by heat and then by cupping in printing. For certain shots, we're finally able to return to original negative damaged in printing.

Pleased that you enjoyed. I presume this was at The Castro.

RAH

 

[owen35]

Originally Posted by Robert Harris
Quote:
Those "stripes" are caused by film damaged first by heat and then by cupping in printing. For certain shots, we're finally able to return to original negative damaged in printing.

Pleased that you enjoyed. I presume this was at The Castro.

RAH

Yes, it was at The Castro as part of their 70mm festival. (Oddly enough, I had just returned from London the previous night where I made sure to stand at St. Paul's Cathedral before coming home.) The festival was also supposed to have It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World as well as Tron, but both films got replaced; "Tron" due to audio incompatibility and "World" with no explicit reason why. Too bad, I was so looking forward to seeing "World" since I hadn't seen it on the big screen since I was a child.

But to your comment above about finally being able to "return to original" negative, are you suggesting that those "errors" will be corrected for the BR release? I don't think it would be sacrilege to try and fix those blemishes.

 

[Gordo]

Yes, it was at The Castro as part of their 70mm festival. (Oddly enough, I had just returned from London the previous night where I made sure to stand at St. Paul's Cathedral before coming home.) The festival was also supposed to have It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World as well as Tron, but both films got replaced; "Tron" due to audio incompatibility and "World" with no explicit reason why. Too bad, I was so looking forward to seeing "World" since I hadn't seen it on the big screen since I was a child.

The Castro can no longer run 6-track mag, therefore no Tron. Not sure about Mad, Mad, Mad World though as I think new DTS prints were made.

 

[Vincent_P]

When you say, "We're able to return to the negative", I presume this means you're working directly with Sony on the 8K digital restoration which will be the basis for the Blu-ray?

Vincent

Originally Posted by Robert Harris
Quote:
Those "stripes" are caused by film damaged first by heat and then by cupping in printing. For certain shots, we're finally able to return to original negative damaged in printing.

Pleased that you enjoyed. I presume this was at The Castro.

RAH

 

[montrealfilmguy]

Someone decided to mention Lawrence on Metafilter.
Here is the page with comments.
http://www.metafilter.com/107143/David-Leans-Lawrence-of-Arabia
I have to get in touch with this fella Capt.Renault who says he saw it At the Imperial here in Montreal and it was the very best film experience he ever had.
Since it wasnt presented there in 1989(it only played at Place du Canada at the Bonaventure hotel ),i can only guess he means way before.First release ? re-release ?
I'll find out more.
I thought i was happy with my 7 times in 1989,but someone beat me.

 

[montrealfilmguy]

Hope Mr.Harris wont mind me posting this wonderful video of Peter O'Toole in 1995 on David Letterman.
Best entrance ever (on a camel !!! ) with stories about Lawrence.
Part 1.

Part 2.

It makes the waiting for the Blu a lot easier.