Will EL CID, THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, and 55 DAYS AT PEKING ever get a proper restoration and h (1 Viewer)

[DP 70]

I watched 55 days last night and it looks and sounds fantastic one of the best BD I have. Also good to see itin 2.20:1 the cover says 2.35:1.Its a good as King of Kings which is 2.35:1 as is Music Man, so I think 55 days is the only BD from Techniramato have a 2.20:1 presentation.I would also love to see a 2.76:1 AR of TFOTRE on BD.

 

[DP 70]

re the above I forgot about that terrible transfer of Spartacus is 2.20:1.

 

[OliverK]

There are at least two more in that aspect ratio: Circus World and The Leopard from Criterion, both are at least close to 2.2:1.

 

[OliverK]

Can someone tell me .........WHY................El CID and FALL OF THR R .EMPIRE have not been released on BD in USA ........?????????????????????..........[....]...............perhaps nobody in the relative film companies are



bothered and full of young blokes who have not heard of these movies...........there must be a reason...........

Ported this part over from another thread.

Apparently the now defunct Miriam collection was a bit of a misfire and did not really produce the sales that Weinstein expected.
So Fall and El Cid did not even make decent sales on DVD which usually is not a good indicator of success for the release of a bad Blu-ray. I think hat due to this Weinstein initially did not follow through with a Blu-ray for these or the two other Bronston titles that they also held the rights to - luckily they did not create very bad HD masters either for Circus world and 55 Days so we can be happy about the relative misfire that the other two ttles have been as at least for Circus World and 55 Days we now got very watchable Blu-rays from masters that have been produced to a much higher standard.

As of today I would say that all of this has been so long ago that it is possible that they do not even have the rights to the Bronston movies anymore.

So yes, with both titles having releases in Japan, the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain not having these in the US does indeed seem very strange but in my opinion both Blu-rays are of such low quality in all their various incarnations that not having them releaased in the US is not a great loss and imports from Europe are very cheap.

 

[RolandL]

It would be cool to see the full Ultra Panavision 2.76 AR of FOTRE on Blu-ray as it was only released 70mm flat 2.2 in 1964.

 

[john a hunter]

I watched 55 days last night and it looks and sounds fantastic one of the best BD I have. Also good to see itin 2.20:1 the cover says 2.35:1.Its a good as King of Kings which is 2.35:1 as is Music Man, so I think 55 days is the only BD from Techniramato have a 2.20:1 presentation.I would also love to see a 2.76:1 AR of TFOTRE on BD.

The correct AR is really 2.35 not 2.20 as the sides were trimmed down for the 70 release. Height remained the same.
Not much to worry about though given the difference is minute.

 

[RolandL]

2.21 from The Wide Screen Museum

 

[Robert Harris]

2.21 from The Wide Screen Museum

View attachment 35840 View attachment 35840 View attachment 35840 View attachment 35841

This is incorrect.

Basic concept works, but not the way films were actually cropped.

RAH

 

[john a hunter]

Those more adept than me will find on the Leopard thread a schematic provided by Technicolor confirming my above post.

I also recently posted some Technirama bits and bobs at "in 70mm.com" including the special issue of the Kine Weekly"The curtain raises on Techinrama".
Some will find it interesting I hope.

 

[OliverK]

It would be cool to see the full Ultra Panavision 2.76 AR of FOTRE on Blu-ray as it was only released 70mm flat 2.2 in 1964.

Seeing this one and Raintree County in their full 2.76:1 aspect ratio would be two dreams coming true.

Both are magnificent looking movies that I enjoyed a lot and especially the outdoor forum scenes in FOTRE offer some of the most magnificent vistas ever committed to film - with real buildings and real people.

 

[Paul Rossen]

Seeing this one and Raintree County in their full 2.76:1 aspect ratio would be two dreams coming true.

Both are magnificent looking movies that I enjoyed a lot and especially the outdoor forum scenes in FOTRE offer some of the most magnificent vistas ever committed to film - with real buildings and real people.

Yes, real buildings and people but as the camera moves and follows Christopher Plummer up to the Temple one can see we are not in Rome but in the flatlands of Spain. I guess one can't have everything. Me, I want a proper good looking and sounding El CID.

 

[Stephen PI]

The last time I spoke to somebody at Pinewood, the people responsible for the stunning blu rays of "Peking" and "Circus", they said there presently was no financing in place to mount a restoration for "El-Cid".
I wrote a letter to Steven Spielberg explaining the situation, but, of course, had no response and don't expect one.

 

[Paul Rossen]

The last time I spoke to somebody at Pinewood, the people responsible for the stunning blu rays of "Peking" and "Circus", they said there presently was no financing in place to mount a restoration for "El-Cid".
I wrote a letter to Steven Spielberg explaining the situation, but, of course, had no response and don't expect one.

I find it strange that financing would be placed on the weaker and less popular Bronston epics.
Granted John Wayne is still very popular but Circus World? Also, 55 Days at Peking, while at times is
noisy, is just not a good film. El CID was and I believe still is the most popular of these Bronston films. As far as FOTRE is concerned it appears that it does have a following.

I hope that one day soon these films are presented properly for the fans that remember how they should look and sound.

 

[Stephen PI]

I find it strange that financing would be placed on the weaker and less popular Bronson epics.

I agree with you but that's what I was told. That was about a year ago, hopefully circumstances have changed.

 

[Bernard McNair]

I really enjoy FOTRE and would love to have a quality, restored Blu. The main Bronson canon may not all be great films but I have enjoyed them all many times over the years.

 

[OliverK]

The last time I spoke to somebody at Pinewood, the people responsible for the stunning blu rays of "Peking" and "Circus", they said there presently was no financing in place to mount a restoration for "El-Cid".

I heard the same from them shortly after the had finished 55 Days and that was years ago.

 

[OliverK]

I find it strange that financing would be placed on the weaker and less popular Bronston epics.
Granted John Wayne is still very popular but Circus World?

Apparently that was the reason there was funding available for Circus World. While it may not have been exactly one crazy John Wayne fan who made the difference it was indeed the Duke who made it possible from what I was told.

Also, 55 Days at Peking, while at times is
noisy, is just not a good film. El CID was and I believe still is the most popular of these Bronston films. As far as FOTRE is concerned it appears that it does have a following.

You have to look at it from the point of view of the company who would have to pay for the work at Pinewood (or elsewhere).
The rights to El Cid and Fall have already been sold and Blu-rays have been released almost everywhere. That they look very bad does not make much of a difference to the companies that did not have a problem releasing them in the first place so they would pay nothing or very little for another master,the same would go for rights for TV or streaming. So it is very hard to recoup the money that would have to be spent on El Cid and even more so on Fall that would be more costly as it has a 65 mm negative.

 

[RolandL]

Apparently that was the reason there was funding available for Circus World. While it may not have been exactly one crazy John Wayne fan who made the difference it was indeed the Duke who made it possible from what I was told.

And maybe a few 70mm Cinerama fans.

 

[OliverK]

And maybe a few 70mm Cinerama fans.

Oh well me may want to think that this was the case and hope for a release of The Last Valley!

 

[RolandL]

Oh well me may want to think that this was the case and hope for a release of The Last Valley!

The Last Valley was never promoted as being in Cinerama.

Other 70mm Cinerama titles never released on Blu-ray (The Black Tulip Blu-ray is not in English)
Mediterranean Holiday, Custer of the West, Krakatoa East of Java, Song on Norway, The Golden Head, The Black Tulip, La Fayette, Flaming Years, The Hallelujah Trail, The Great Waltz and Run, Run, Joe!