- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 16,742
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
Update 12/23
The more I consider what CBS has purposefully done to destroy one of our greatest films, the more I find that my recommendations at the end of this thread are incorrect.
For those who like to hum along with the tunes, I would not waste a single coin on this release, thereby aiding the CBS/Viacom bottom line, and making those who are behind the release of the disaster look good by increasing sales.
My suggestion would be to borrow a CD of the score, as well as that of one of the fine Broadway Cast productions, copy them to your computer, and enjoy via iTunes or whatever -- all perfectly legal.
Without a doubt, and based upon what it could and should have looked and sounded like, CBS/Paramount's release of Mr. Cukor and Mr. Warner's My Fair Lady on Blu-ray...
is the worst Blu-ray of 2011.
For those who follow such things, this is the third time that My Fair Lady has been placed in such a prestigious position.
"It was written, then."
RAH
Update 11/27
I finally realized that a single line from the film sums up this Blu-ray perfectly.
"What a disagreeable surprise!"
Update 11/12
A friend who worked on the MFL restoration stopped by to take a peek at the Blu-ray, and was aghast at the faded looking sides of the image, which on third viewing, not only fade out to about 40% density, but turn toward a reddish amber.
Rather gives the film a bit of that old-timish look. Now if we added some scratches...
The thought in play during the viewing was "They've made a sow's ear out of a silk purse."
Update 11/9
Re-checking this Blu-ray, the amount of movement on the screen, as the image does its best to imitate a football player making his way downfield, bobbing and weaving, can only have been accomplished before modern equipment allowed a new digital image harvest, which would be rock steady.
This tells us that the base transfer is at least six or seven years old, and possibly older.
The more that I look at this, the more I feel that Mr. Kimmel spent far more bringing The First Nudie Musical (which is a superb image harvest) to Blu-ray than did CBS on My Fair Lady.
Update 11/7
Another interesting side note is that a number of the special features contain visible time code, ie. transferred from a back-up editorial sub-master tape.
I have no idea why someone involved in the project would have not done a search for the non-time-coded master.
Strangely, this is precisely what occurred on the second WB DVD release, c. 1998.
NOTE: This post has been updated as of 11/6.
Readers of this offering should be aware that I view My Fair Lady quite differently than most everyone else on the planet. And the negatives below are a fair and honest record of what I'm seeing in this latest incarnation, and the first in high definition.
When film elements and video masters were prepared for CBS in 1994, it was with the knowledge that at that time, there were some problems which could not easily be overcome, and any immediate use in the home would be at 480i toward laserdisc and VHS.
Seventeen years ago, abilities both visually and aurally were far more limited than they are today. Since that time, digital has added a huge array of assets to our toolbox. For that reason the 35mm element used for those early video masters is no longer the prime element that might be used in 2011. As far as audio, we now have the ability to mix and match different masters, taking advantage of what each has to offer with reasonable transparency. In 1994 the only complete extant element was a 6-track print master used for sounding 70mm prints, and which had been run over 120 times. It lacked in both detail as well as high-end frequencies. Some wonderful people worked extremely hard to get every bit of audio out of it, and at the same time hiding its faults.
That noted, none of the upgrades that should have and could have been made to My Fair Lady seem to have occurred. And the cost to deal with the various problems would have been a virtual drop in the bucket, especially when one takes the prospective income of the film into account.
One of the more obvious problems on larger screens is the fall-off of density on left and right (more on the left). This is a flaw in the optical field that was partially corrected on the laserdisc, and was almost obscured on DVD by the low resolution. It now becomes glaringly real on Blu-ray, as there has been no correction.
The use of a different element, and a bit of digital magic, would have alleviated the problem. Something shot specific comes into play in the single shot of Ms. Hepburn making her entrance down the stairs in her ball gown, just before the intermission. The use of an alternate element would have eliminated the this dupe, which turns a bit soft and occasionally twitches, as the masters had shrunken. A easy, and inexpensive fix.
Color and densities are generally pleasing, if occasionally off. I note one shot which goes quite green, matching an early DVD, which was in error. Cutaways do not always match in color and density, which creates some awkward cuts.
Shots originally derived from 65mm separation masters will look softer on large screens because of not only the generational loss, but the low resolution at which they were processed. Abilities were further restricted in the recording and optical world. Dupe shots also exhibit optical translucent "holes," which need not exist, as they are also correctible.
The audio, which for the most part is very good, could have been even better, but again, would have required investment.
Aspect ratio is 2.35:1, which is fine, as a bit of image, normally cropped in 70mm projection is visible. Nothing is missing or cropped vertically. Going with 2.2 would have allowed for a higher resolution image, while losing the far sides of the field problem.
My Fair Lady is one of our greatest pieces of cinematic art. The Academy Award winning Best Picture of 1964. And, as the jewel in the CBS crown, could have been shown just a bit more respect.
All of the above noted, it must be understood that what I seek in My Fair Lady is attainable perfection.
The average viewer will be blissfully unaware of these problems, and should therefore be thrilled with the new CBS/Paramount Blu-ray.
Having received both private messages as well as discussion on line regarding my recommendation of a Blu-ray that I find problematic...
Let us make things easier at HTF.
The new Blu-ray, especially with its field problems, is not representative of the film.
It is therefore NOT recommended for anyone who cares about the cinema.
It is recommended for those who simply like to hum along with a good musical, and have a image not much larger than 60".
Please let this satisfy everyone.
As a final note, I believe that I've now figured out the overriding problem with the Blu-ray of My Fair Lady, and why it doesn't look nearly as good as releases like The Sound of Music or West Side Story. Just for fun, I'm going to keep this one to myself for the time being to see who else will figure out the great My Fair Lady mystery.
RAH
The more I consider what CBS has purposefully done to destroy one of our greatest films, the more I find that my recommendations at the end of this thread are incorrect.
For those who like to hum along with the tunes, I would not waste a single coin on this release, thereby aiding the CBS/Viacom bottom line, and making those who are behind the release of the disaster look good by increasing sales.
My suggestion would be to borrow a CD of the score, as well as that of one of the fine Broadway Cast productions, copy them to your computer, and enjoy via iTunes or whatever -- all perfectly legal.
Without a doubt, and based upon what it could and should have looked and sounded like, CBS/Paramount's release of Mr. Cukor and Mr. Warner's My Fair Lady on Blu-ray...
is the worst Blu-ray of 2011.
For those who follow such things, this is the third time that My Fair Lady has been placed in such a prestigious position.
"It was written, then."
RAH
Update 11/27
I finally realized that a single line from the film sums up this Blu-ray perfectly.
"What a disagreeable surprise!"
Update 11/12
A friend who worked on the MFL restoration stopped by to take a peek at the Blu-ray, and was aghast at the faded looking sides of the image, which on third viewing, not only fade out to about 40% density, but turn toward a reddish amber.
Rather gives the film a bit of that old-timish look. Now if we added some scratches...
The thought in play during the viewing was "They've made a sow's ear out of a silk purse."
Update 11/9
Re-checking this Blu-ray, the amount of movement on the screen, as the image does its best to imitate a football player making his way downfield, bobbing and weaving, can only have been accomplished before modern equipment allowed a new digital image harvest, which would be rock steady.
This tells us that the base transfer is at least six or seven years old, and possibly older.
The more that I look at this, the more I feel that Mr. Kimmel spent far more bringing The First Nudie Musical (which is a superb image harvest) to Blu-ray than did CBS on My Fair Lady.
Update 11/7
Another interesting side note is that a number of the special features contain visible time code, ie. transferred from a back-up editorial sub-master tape.
I have no idea why someone involved in the project would have not done a search for the non-time-coded master.
Strangely, this is precisely what occurred on the second WB DVD release, c. 1998.
NOTE: This post has been updated as of 11/6.
Readers of this offering should be aware that I view My Fair Lady quite differently than most everyone else on the planet. And the negatives below are a fair and honest record of what I'm seeing in this latest incarnation, and the first in high definition.
When film elements and video masters were prepared for CBS in 1994, it was with the knowledge that at that time, there were some problems which could not easily be overcome, and any immediate use in the home would be at 480i toward laserdisc and VHS.
Seventeen years ago, abilities both visually and aurally were far more limited than they are today. Since that time, digital has added a huge array of assets to our toolbox. For that reason the 35mm element used for those early video masters is no longer the prime element that might be used in 2011. As far as audio, we now have the ability to mix and match different masters, taking advantage of what each has to offer with reasonable transparency. In 1994 the only complete extant element was a 6-track print master used for sounding 70mm prints, and which had been run over 120 times. It lacked in both detail as well as high-end frequencies. Some wonderful people worked extremely hard to get every bit of audio out of it, and at the same time hiding its faults.
That noted, none of the upgrades that should have and could have been made to My Fair Lady seem to have occurred. And the cost to deal with the various problems would have been a virtual drop in the bucket, especially when one takes the prospective income of the film into account.
One of the more obvious problems on larger screens is the fall-off of density on left and right (more on the left). This is a flaw in the optical field that was partially corrected on the laserdisc, and was almost obscured on DVD by the low resolution. It now becomes glaringly real on Blu-ray, as there has been no correction.
The use of a different element, and a bit of digital magic, would have alleviated the problem. Something shot specific comes into play in the single shot of Ms. Hepburn making her entrance down the stairs in her ball gown, just before the intermission. The use of an alternate element would have eliminated the this dupe, which turns a bit soft and occasionally twitches, as the masters had shrunken. A easy, and inexpensive fix.
Color and densities are generally pleasing, if occasionally off. I note one shot which goes quite green, matching an early DVD, which was in error. Cutaways do not always match in color and density, which creates some awkward cuts.
Shots originally derived from 65mm separation masters will look softer on large screens because of not only the generational loss, but the low resolution at which they were processed. Abilities were further restricted in the recording and optical world. Dupe shots also exhibit optical translucent "holes," which need not exist, as they are also correctible.
The audio, which for the most part is very good, could have been even better, but again, would have required investment.
Aspect ratio is 2.35:1, which is fine, as a bit of image, normally cropped in 70mm projection is visible. Nothing is missing or cropped vertically. Going with 2.2 would have allowed for a higher resolution image, while losing the far sides of the field problem.
My Fair Lady is one of our greatest pieces of cinematic art. The Academy Award winning Best Picture of 1964. And, as the jewel in the CBS crown, could have been shown just a bit more respect.
All of the above noted, it must be understood that what I seek in My Fair Lady is attainable perfection.
The average viewer will be blissfully unaware of these problems, and should therefore be thrilled with the new CBS/Paramount Blu-ray.
Having received both private messages as well as discussion on line regarding my recommendation of a Blu-ray that I find problematic...
Let us make things easier at HTF.
The new Blu-ray, especially with its field problems, is not representative of the film.
It is therefore NOT recommended for anyone who cares about the cinema.
It is recommended for those who simply like to hum along with a good musical, and have a image not much larger than 60".
Please let this satisfy everyone.
As a final note, I believe that I've now figured out the overriding problem with the Blu-ray of My Fair Lady, and why it doesn't look nearly as good as releases like The Sound of Music or West Side Story. Just for fun, I'm going to keep this one to myself for the time being to see who else will figure out the great My Fair Lady mystery.
RAH
