Paramount’s latest 4k restoration, from the original three-strip Technicolor elements, by Andrea Kalas, her team at Paramount, and tech gurus Ben Burtt and Craig Barron, beautifully fills that void.
Great color and densities. Just a wonderful looking Blu-ray. As to grain structure, didn’t have a great deal of time to compare, but it may be a quart low. Best to check before hitting the desert. That, and just of bit of a “magneto-digital” thing going on. Not bad. Very minor, and most viewers won’t notice it.
Watch the film from a nominal seating distance and any minor problems become transparent.
Extras from Criterion include two superb featurettes. One of special effects, and the other on the history of the original production and the newly produced 5.1 stereo track.
Could be my gear, but selecting tracks was confusing, but workable. Apparently, the audio defaults to mono, which is grayed out, allowing one to alternatively select 5.1 or commentary. Just a different way of doing things, I presume.
The new 5.1 is a very interesting addition.
Image – 4.75
Audio – 5 (5.1 Stereo & Monaural)
Pass / Fail – Pass
Upgrade from DVD – You’ve got to be kidding!?
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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