A Few Words About A few words about... Gone with the Wind (1 Viewer)

[Bill Williams]

This is DEFINITELY on my Christmas wish list, along with ROTK: EE, Smallville: Season 3, Spider-Man 2, Shrek 2, and VeggieTales: The Complete Silly Song Collection. Between GWTW and ROTK: EE, it will be extremely difficult to pick a clear-cut winner for DVD of the year. It's that good.

 

[Andrew Budgell]

I know I am biased here in my love for GWTW, but I think GWTW should be a clear-cut winner for one reason: it's age. The amount of supplements availible on this DVD for a film this old is astounding. Not to say that they Lord of the Rings DVDs aren't well down - they all look like amazing sets!

Andy

 

[Daryl L]

Thanks all, Just ordered. Olivia de Havilland has always been my favorite movie actress follow closely by Ann Shirley and Carol Lombard.

 

[Mike Williams]

Ummm, excuse me, but wasn't it Mr. Harris, who upon hearing the rumors of an Ultra-Resolution release of Gone With the Wind, stated that the previous DVD release of GWTW was excellent and there was absolutely no reason for a restoration? If my memory has failed me, please feel free to correct me, but I believe that is true. I'm just wondering if Mr. Harris's feedback is always gold, is his feedback MORE gold now, or was the previous feedback merely pyrite?

 

[Roger Rollins]

What Mr. Harris said about GWTW was that there was nothing wrong with the FILM ELEMENTS, not with the old DVD...

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...28#post1423228

 

[Robert Harris]

I'm pleased that Mr. Williams referred back to the old discussion, as his point is well taken.

It is the film elements which have now been used to full advantage, returning to three-strip originals or protection masters for the first time since YCM Labs created the first modern interpositive to be made from the originals in 1988.

The work performed by YCM was, as always, superlative. I don't believe that any other facility has the background and knowledge that they do in the photo-optical re-combining of original Technicolor elements.

What Warner Brothers has now done, is well beyond that, and via totally different means, thereby providing a far superior product than was possible fifteen years ago.

I haven't always been a fan of the work done at Warners, although in a way I grew up there, in the New York offices.

It is doubtful that some at the studio have forgotten my appearance on The Today Show, speaking, in no uncertain terms. against their 1999 "restoration" of Gone with the Wind. That was something which I took no pleasure in doing, yet felt that the truth of the situation needed to be weighed against a mass of studio publicity heralding the new coming of film restoration in their work.

I vehemently did not agree.

I try very hard to be open and fair in examining classic films, not only when resurrected for theatrical screenings, but just as importantly for home video. I try to examine each situation based not only upon the look and feel of the final product, but what I know that product should, or could, look like. There are certain occasions, where friends are involved that I choose to simply remain mute.

I find it extremely important to remain honest in my reports. If I don't, and constantly report "brilliance," then how can one communciate extraordinary work when it appears...

as in the new Gone with the Wind.

There is a fine short documentary as a companion to the new DVD, with comments from the technical staff regarding the restoration and final visual and audio work toward the creation of the DVD.

While those involved sit somewhat comfortably and speak with the interviewer about their work, I cannot help but believe that very, very few viewers will really have any idea about the hellish months of long days and nights which went into creating this DVD set. There is a great deal of blood and angst in these restorations. The documentary can of necessity, only gloss over the work performed. The problem is that it makes it look all too easy, which is the furthest thing from reality. I truly hope that Mr. Cookson, Mr. Hummell and Mr. Price get deserved parking spaces closer to their offices as a small "thank you" for their work. They deserve it.

RAH

 

[Felix Martinez]

It's wonderful to be a HTF member.

Thank you, Mr. Harris. Looking forward to GWTW.

A sad sidenote...my wife and I went to see the theatrical re-release in the mid (late?) 1990s, and I was aghast at the misregistered print. It literally looked like the three strips were mis-aligned. It was a fiasco. I complained to the management, got our money back (after suffering with the image in the theater for about an hour), went to the local laserdisc rental store, and watched the LD and thought it was beautiful. What disturbed me the most was out of the FULL theater, we were the only ones that got up to complain. Unbelievable.

I can't wait to see the DVD.

Cheers,

 

[Rachael B]

I think I'll drop by Target tomorrow and snatch a copy and finally retire the LD set, there goes another one!

 

[Keith Paynter]

Damn, and I just wasted a day transferring my LD of the Turner documentary to DVD.

Curse you, RAH!!!

 

[frank manrique]

And to think that I almost forgo getting this one!
Mr. Harris' seal of approval has truly justified my feelings about having seconds thoughts regarding the new DVD release of GWTW, so am happy I ordered a copy.

While praises are indeed due to WB for what it has been doing lately with films such as GWTW, Singing In The Rain and others (like the recently released DVD of Around The World In 80 Days, which offers spectacular transferring results spite the problems WB had to contend with ), I still would like to see them avail of Mr. Harris' services to oversee a true restoration of the 1959 version of BEN-HUR, an epic film that although has never looked so good than it does in its current video iteration, still left a lot to be desired as far as I am concerned...

-THTS

 

[Patrick McCart]

I just picked up this at Wal-Mart (It was on sale).

I'd like to wait to see the whole thing in one sitting as a "roadshow" screening, but I looked a couple of scenes I remember looking bad on the old DVD... the opening credits lost the really excessive edge enhancement. The level of detail is fantastic.

The extras look great, too. I watched a few trailers and the restoration documentary... they really did a fine job with the film. The 5.1 track finally sounds right, too. The old track had this odd quality that made me switch to the original mono for better sound.

And I think it was really classy how Warner included the roadshow booklet with the film. I wish more roadshow films included these when possible (or at least as a DVD-ROM feature like on Around the World in 80 Days).



Beautiful.

 

[Jay Pennington]

Yup, great set.

The booklet is a marvelous touch. Curious: did the original have the "aged" look around the edges and brownish hue to the B&W pictures as originally printed? If not, I wish they hadn't "antiqued" the reprint, but that's an extremely minor nit, barely worth the bother typing it out (yet here I go ).

 

[Robert Harris]

The miniature "booklet" is a DVD size, but accurate representation of the original, without the aging spots...

which may or may not have been on the studio copy.

A link to an original: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...851919988&rd=1

 

[BarryR]

My mother still has the original souvenier booklet she got at New York's Astor Theater in 1939, and it ain't gonna be put on ebay!

 

[Jay Pennington]

Not to make a big deal out of this, but I think that ebay auction proves my point. It shows real, uneven natural aging that to my eye occurred over the last 70 years--not printed-on "simulated" aging like the DVD booklet. Thus the DVD booklet is a reproduction of what an original one in good condition looks like today, not what it looked like the day of the premire. No biggie.

 

[Haggai]

The portraits of a lot of the supporting cast, which appear to be the on the back of the original that RAH linked to, aren't in the DVD booklet. Darn you, WB! No exact replica of the original booklet, no sale!!

Just kidding--a sale has already been made with this customer, who is thrilled with how great the DVD is, and pleased to have the very nice souvenir booklet included.

 

[oscar_merkx]

Thanks RAH for the recommendation

off to order now

 

[Ravi K]

Bought this for my dad this weekend, but I have to wait until his birthday in December to give it to him.

 

[Peter Kline]

The "aging" of the booklet and the use of sepia rather then black and white is typical of the style of the time. It was a design choice. Remember even in 1939 the Civil War was a long time ago! (But I'll think about that tomorrow).

 

[Robert Harris]

Mr. Pennington is quite correct.

I've gone to the files and extricated my program.

Natural aging at the edges.

My earlier post will be corrected.