A few words about…™ In the Heat of the Night re-dux (Criterion) – in Blu-ray

4 Stars The new Blu-ray is an absolutely majestic upgrade.

Possibly because of the film’s importance, I was shocked by the earlier c. 2014 Blu-ray release of Norman Jewison’s In the Heat of the Night, from MGM.

I re-read my earlier few words, and find that I was being overly kind, allowing the release a 3.

Finally, the 1967 Best Picture, has been rescued, and released by Criterion, and the news is terrific.

The new Blu-ray is an absolutely majestic upgrade.

For those who don’t understand disc quality, I suggest a comparison might be in order. Improper x/y axis, heavily electronic, smooth as a baby’s butt, and no original track vs….

Perfection.

Image – 5

Audio – 5

Pass / Fail – Pass

Upgrade from DVD – Absolutely!

Very Highly Recommended

RAH

Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.

His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.

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Eastmancolor

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atcolomb said:
Did read somewhere that the original negative was lost or degraded beyond usability?
Click to expand...

There was apparently some issues with color fade in the OCN, if memory serves, which is why the Academy of Motion Pictures did a photochemical restoration a decade or so ago.

But the negative was never "lost."
 
Robert Harris

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Eastmancolor said:
There was apparently some issues with color fade in the OCN, if memory serves, which is why the Academy of Motion Pictures did a photochemical restoration a decade or so ago.

But the negative was never "lost."
Click to expand...

Unless the owner kept the OCN in a sauna, there should not be problems with a 1967 element
 
Eastmancolor

Eastmancolor

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Robert Harris said:
Unless the owner kept the OCN in a sauna, there should not be problems with a 1967 element
Click to expand...

Robert, I remember being at an Academy event years ago and they were saying how the color on the OCN had shifted and they had to call in the YCM's to assist with their restoration at the time.

I was surprised too. I can't imagine what may have happened that a 1967 Eastman negative was having color fade issues in the early 2000's.
 
Ken_McAlinden

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Avoided purchasing this title in past because of video quality issues. Sounds like this was the release for which I have been waiting.
 
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Stephen PI

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Watched the film tonight. I thought I would never ever see it looking like this. Great transfer and sound.
The first scene in the cafe took my breath away!
 
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Paul.S

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Nice. Have been considering the MGM BD for a while. Will rent one of the prior releases just for what appears to be the only supplement that didn't get ported over ("The Slap Heard 'Round the World") and move on with buy this Crit.

Given the number of A-list titles MGM-via-Fox has licensed for 1080 BD in the past year, it sure seems like a good portion of the jig is up regarding UHD BDs from MGM (at least for the next six or eight months?). I'd love to be surprised but I don't see Disney suddenly developing a passion for direct release of deep catalog on the format.
 
Brian Husar

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I noticed Grover Crisp’s name as transfer or telecine supervisor in the booklet. I thought he only did Columbia. Great transfer, the best I have seen. I only wish they included the original UA logo. Why can’t they have the new one followed by the original?
 
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