UHD Review Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about…™ The Finest Film Restoration Effort of 2022 (1 Viewer)

[bujaki]

As was Ecstasy.

El fantasma del convento is Mexican; El vampiro negro is Argentinian; and Ecstasy belongs to the lucky ones who can achieve it.

 

[MUFC]

This is the first I heard that "All That Money Can Buy" has been restored.

Fun little factoid for you Gary…
In the before / after at 43 secs in of your video, the man looking at the coins with all that damage before the splice, we actually took a few frames before, spliced it back in, retimed it a little and reversed it (digitally).
Sometimes you just gotta get a little bit weird with things and see if you can get away with it. Plus, time constraints.

 

[roxy1927]

Not to dump on Mr. Hopper(when somebody says something like this you know that's exactly what they are going to) but an italian company I worked for the owner was so wealthy and such a big Hopper fan he hired him to make a short film, a kind of extended commercial for the brand. It was screened for us at the New York office and did not get a positive response. A young woman said something funny to me. 'I like everything and I didn't like this.' It must have been his final work as he died a short time after. I'd like to see it again as I remember more the reaction than the film itself. It might be sitting on some digital file in the main office.

you get a very odd psychological drama that hinges on a young girl’s panties (in 4k) and the older man who loved them.

How could this be dark? Sounds like a love story to me. Actually it could be fascinating as we all have obsessions we dare not speak to others about. Never heard of the film before but as someone who has repeatedly found the new Hollywood disappointing and independent filmmaking overrated I was not going to. With Mr. Harris's encomiums I might see it.

 

[sbjork]

I reviewed the Severin UHD when it first came out, but had no idea that there was quite that much work put into the restoration. Couldn't find a lot of specific details online. Wish that I had known, because I might have tried to incorporate more of that detail if I could have.

Helluva, helluva disc, though, and a gorgeous restoration.

 

[Robert Harris]

I reviewed the Severin UHD when it first came out, but had no idea that there was quite that much work put into the restoration. Couldn't find a lot of specific details online. Wish that I had known, because I might have tried to incorporate more of that detail if I could have.

Helluva, helluva disc, though, and a gorgeous restoration.

Roundabout did a beautiful job of harvesting every last drop of data in the negative.

 

[MarkantonyII]

I'm not sure everybody in this thread has caught on to your initial sarcasm!

M

 

[Robert Harris]

I'm not sure everybody in this thread has caught on to your initial sarcasm!

M

I noticed it at first read, with a dollop of satire.

 

[JoshZ]

[Never mind. I just hadn't been following this closely enough.]

 

[GerardoHP]

I've got a budget to buy either this or The Three Musketeers (1921) as my unseen film purchases this year.

Which would you recommend?

Musketeers is a much better film.

 

[OLDTIMER]

Thanks Dave. I was about to ask who on earth would have taken an ax to a negative.

It used to be common practice to put an ax through old excessive prints that had been written off in the books prior to their being sent to the city dump. I presume these OCNs may have been written off.
(When I collected 35mm films I had many odd reels with repairable ax cuts. Collectors used to follow the discarded film to the dump after being tipped off by an insider.)

 

[Dennis Gallagher]

I bought this based upon Mr. Harris' recommendation. The question now is will I ever watch it. (I've had a number of purchases made just to "support the cause") Apropos of maybe nothing but I've pretty much decided not to attend the Nitrate Picture Show at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester this year as I generally think the restorations on Blu-Ray and 4K often look better. Thankfully there's still the source material available for these restorations and I fully support all the various organizations and individuals doing them.

 

[Garysb]

The restored "All That Money Can Buy" will be screened at MOMA NYC on Saturday 1/14 at 1:30 PM and Wednesday January 18th at 6:30 PM as part of the Save and Project Film series.

To Save and Project: The 19th MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation | MoMA

Film series. Jan 12–Feb 2, 2023. MoMA’s annual festival dedicated to celebrating newly preserved and restored films from archives, studios, distributors, foundations, and independent filmmakers from around the world returns in its 19th edition. This year’s program will open and close with the...

www.moma.org

"Invaders From Mars" 1953 introduced by Scott Macqueen is also a part of this film series.

I have gifted a NY Times article about this film series so everyone should be able to read it.

Why Do Some Films Get Restored and Others Languish? A MoMA Series Holds Clues. (Published 2023)

History, finances and practical concerns all played a role in preserving the movies being shown at To Save and Project.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Edwin-S]

But based upon the degree of perfection desired for the project expenses went further. There were unsubstantiated reports that someone had taken an axe or hatchet to the OCN several years ago, doing a huge amount of damage to the element.

One source, who requested not to be identified, made note of tens of thousands of cuts - some jagged, some going through the center of frames - had been made.

If this is true then someone really hated this film or something in it to take an are to it.

 

[Robert Harris]

The restored "All That Money Can Buy" will be screened at MOMA NYC on Saturday 1/14 at 1:30 PM and Wednesday January 18th at 6:30 PM as part of the Save and Project Film series.

To Save and Project: The 19th MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation | MoMA

Film series. Jan 12–Feb 2, 2023. MoMA’s annual festival dedicated to celebrating newly preserved and restored films from archives, studios, distributors, foundations, and independent filmmakers from around the world returns in its 19th edition. This year’s program will open and close with the...

www.moma.org

"Invaders From Mars" 1953 introduced by Scott Macqueen is also a part of this film series.

I have gifted a NY Times article about this film series so everyone should be able to read it.

Why Do Some Films Get Restored and Others Languish? A MoMA Series Holds Clues. (Published 2023)

History, finances and practical concerns all played a role in preserving the movies being shown at To Save and Project.

www.nytimes.com

Invaders is also running the following day, Sunday at 11AM at the Bedford Playhouse in Westchester, along with Mr. MacQueen’s dog & pony show.

 

[stevenalejandro]

I have picked up all these titles so far except Paths of Glory and Invaders from Mars (just ordered from Ignite now, tho) Is there a release date for All That Money Can Buy yet?

 

[Robert Harris]

I have picked up all these titles so far except Paths of Glory and Invaders from Mars (just ordered from Ignite now, tho) Is there a release date for All That Money Can Buy yet?

there is not

 

[Robert Harris]

I meant to make it look as good as it would from that period without using DNR and possibly losing information (and in fact bringing out anything still lacking). Also, is there any realistic software you would find useful that you wish might be developed to aid in restoration ?

Software is a slippery slope, along with AI.

 

[Robert Harris]

More incredible information has arrived on this project.

Two major Silicon Valley firms partnered to create special AI software to make myriad of cuts transparent, inclusive of irreparable frames. Rumor has it that they gifted over 300k in programming labor as the two execs were huge fans of the film.

Inclusive of fundraising and quiet gifts, this appears to be the second most expensive film restoration project in history.

 

[uncledougie]

I finally got around to ordering Out of the Blue, because I’m hoping continued sales of titles like this lead to further interest in restorations, even if the potential returns aren’t huge. It’s just a worthy endeavor to preserve our film heritage. I have the Region 2 Blu-ray of The Last Movie, which I’ve not watched yet. The only time I’ve seen it is when Hopper brought it to the USA Film Festival at SMU in Dallas in 1972. I’m not sure it ever even played theatrically locally subsequent to that. I remember thinking it was an interesting mess of a movie, and am looking forward to what my reaction will be more than fifty years later. Maybe I’ll watch that and Out of the Blue back to back. Anyway I’m glad it occurred to me to finally order this. I loved Linda Manz in Days of Heaven, and no doubt she’ll impress yet again here.

 

[JoeDoakes]

This is the first I heard that "All That Money Can Buy" has been restored. Will there be a new Criterion release?

The Devil and Daniel Webster is one of the first Criterion laserdiscs i purchased and still have it. I also hope Criterion will release the Blu-ray soon.

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Yes. I've been waiting for this for years. I hope so and would also like an updated Thief of Bagdad (1939).