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A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Grand Illusion -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

rsmithjr

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Having been in the software industry for 40 years, I have seen so many cases where digital data was somehow lost. There are multiple reasons, including: data corruption, no hardware to play it back, formats and specifications long forgotten.
There are many recorded cases where some digital data was preserved only because someone had printed it out onto paper. Then, the laborious process of scanning/inputting/correcting could bring it back to its digital existence if desired.
Personal example: my Stanford PhD thesis was written in a text-formatting system that I created myself since nothing suitable existed. I no longer have the files, the computer is long since gone, the formatting software is gone, the printer it was printed on no longer exists, and it would be infinite hassle to get it all working again even if I had the files. I do however have a bound copy. Thankfully for posterity, it is not worth restoring. I also have a copy of my mother's MA thesis from 1931, which she typed on an Underwood.
I certainly hope that the studios are preserving everything including all original elements in multiple formats. It seems inevitable that the OCN's of movies will in the future be called back into service for rescanning when the digital versions have somehow been lost or can no longer be read.
This reminds me of the films that were preserved because the copyright office required bound paper books with pictures of the frames. The film is gone, the books remain.
It is all very fragile.
I would appreciate RAH's thoughts on this.
 

JParker

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rsmithjr said:
Having been in the software industry for 40 years, I have seen so many cases where digital data was somehow lost. There are multiple reasons, including: data corruption, no hardware to play it back, formats and specifications long forgotten.
There are many recorded cases where some digital data was preserved only because someone had printed it out onto paper. Then, the laborious process of scanning/inputting/correcting could bring it back to its digital existence if desired.
Personal example: my Stanford PhD thesis was written in a text-formatting system that I created myself since nothing suitable existed. I no longer have the files, the computer is long since gone, the formatting software is gone, the printer it was printed on no longer exists, and it would be infinite hassle to get it all working again even if I had the files. I do however have a bound copy. Thankfully for posterity, it is not worth restoring. I also have a copy of my mother's MA thesis from 1931, which she typed on an Underwood.
I certainly hope that the studios are preserving everything including all original elements in multiple formats. It seems inevitable that the OCN's of movies will in the future be called back into service for rescanning when the digital versions have somehow been lost or can no longer be read.
This reminds me of the films that were preserved because the copyright office required bound paper books with pictures of the frames. The film is gone, the books remain.
It is all very fragile.
I would appreciate RAH's thoughts on this.
Until he posts his thoughts, Talkstr8t posted,
Many of you may find this article interesting. It's a recap of a Q&A the Blu-ray Disc Association did this week with Jeff Baker, EVP and GM of theatrical catalog for Warner Home Video, and Ned Price, VP of mastering for Warner Bros. Technical Operations, with lots of discussion of restoration from Warner's viewpoint.
http://www.homemediamagazine.com/warner/warner-goes-big-and-small-blu-ray-27928
Q: In a time when 35mm is slowly disappearing from exhibition, yet needs to be utilized to create these beautiful Blu-ray editions, is there any thought on future restoration work down the line when we have no primary sources to go by?

Price: The current preservation medium for the studio is still 35mm film. We do archive the original digital production files, but until there is a long-term, industry-accepted digital archive solution, we will continue with creation of film materials.
 

Filmgazer

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Bruce,
I'd forgotten that you'd created your own label with Kritzerland a few years ago. I just saw that you're about to release a newly-remastered CD of the OBC of "Follies", taken from the original 8-track masters. Sounds VERY interesting! I may have to pick that up. I was lucky enough to have seen the "Follies" Broadway revival last year and even though the cast was very good (as is the new recording), there's something very special about the OBC.
Also, I may just pick up the Blu-ray of "La Grande Illusion" from Studio Canal, especially after the "heavy grain vs. fine grain" discussion here at HTF.
Louis
 

Robert Crawford

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I would love to buy this BRD, but the current selling price is about $5 more than I'm willing to spend right now.








Crawdaddy
 

Doctorossi

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Robert Crawford said:
I would love to buy this BRD, but the current selling price is about $5 more than I'm willing to spend right now.
Sounds like you need to improve your taste until you can recognize the bargain that the current pricing represents. ;)
 

PaulDA

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JoshZ said:
As a Studio Canal Collection disc, I presume that the music over the menu is 20 dB louder than the movie, and will blare at deafening volumes.
Always mute your volume before loading a Studio Canal Collection disc. You may cause yourself some hearing damage if you forget.
I've programmed my AVR to turn on at a very low volume and always adjust after I've pressed "Play" for most things--learned that lesson some time ago (woke up a sleeping infant with a menu from a DVD--forget which one--that was outrageously loud and my wife never let me forget it).
 

Filmgazer

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You can purchase the Blu-ray at www.deepdiscount.com for only $21.51 (and that includes Free Shipping, as the minimum order is $15.00 or over). Be sure to use "La Grande Illusion" in the search field, as the site doesn't recognize "Grand Illusion". I buy from Deep Discount all the time and rarely have a problem.
 

Filmgazer

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Thanks for the tip! I'm about to purchase "La Grande Illusion" on Blu-ray and have never bought a Studio Canal disc before. Don't want to blow my speakers out!
 

Charles Smith

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Filmgazer said:
Some friendly advice: You had better pick it up TODAY. If it isn't sold out yet, it could be, within hours. No joke.
 

Steve Tannehill

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Chas in CT said:
Some friendly advice:  You had better pick it up TODAY.  If it isn't sold out yet, it could be, within hours.  No joke.
I got my Follies OBC Saturday. There are only 1500 copies of this one...your advice is true.
 

Filmgazer

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Robert,
Thanks VERY much for your detailed, informative explanation about the varying levels of film grain on camera stocks over the decades. As someone new to HTF, I feel as if I'm getting a real education about film restoration from the members here -- and especially from you, with your extensive first-hand experience in the field. So looking forward to your review of "Lawrence of Arabia" on Blu-ray later this year, as its 1988 restoration stands as one of your impressive achievements.
 

haineshisway

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Steve Tannehill said:
I got my Follies OBC Saturday. There are only 1500 copies of this one...your advice is true.
The Grand Illusion of Follies will indeed be gone in a day or two - it actually would have been gone Friday but for some dealer who asked me to hold a certain number of CDs for him, who then never communicated again - I put them back in stock so we're fine at least until Monday or Tuesday - maybe, because people have received theirs and it's getting incredible reaction.
 

Steve Tannehill

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haineshisway said:
The Grand Illusion of Follies will indeed be gone in a day or two - it actually would have been gone Friday but for some dealer who asked me to hold a certain number of CDs for him, who then never communicated again - I put them back in stock so we're fine at least until Monday or Tuesday - maybe, because people have received theirs and it's getting incredible reaction.
Thanks for all your work on this. It's truly spectacular.
 

Robert Crawford

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Originally Posted by Doctorossi /t/322601/a-few-words-about-the-grand-illusion-in-blu-ray/30#post_3955421
Sounds like you need to improve your taste until you can recognize the bargain that the current pricing represents.

Or you can just give me $5.





Crawdaddy
 

DavidJ

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I opened this thread with trepidation, but I am now ecstatic. I LOVE this film. It is one of my all-time favorites.
 

Doctorossi

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Robert Crawford said:
Or you can just give me $5.
Why give $5 to one who doesn't understand the value of this movie, well-presented, when I could, instead, give it to someone who knows that $26 is a steal for this Blu-ray, but only has $21? :D
 

Robert Crawford

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Originally Posted by Doctorossi /t/322601/a-few-words-about-the-grand-illusion-in-blu-ray/30#post_3955576
Why give $5 to one who doesn't understand the value of this movie, well-presented, when I could, instead, give it to someone who knows that $26 is a steal for this Blu-ray, but only has $21?
That must be it then.
 

Kurosawa

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DavidJ said:
I opened this thread with trepidation, but I am now ecstatic. I LOVE this film. It is one of my all-time favorites.
You're in great company: it was Orson Welles' favorite film. Welles said (and I mildly paraphrase): "If only one film is to survive, please, let it be Grand Illusion."
 

DavidJ

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:) Thanks for reminding me of that David.
When I've been sharing about the film recently, I have included that as well. Maybe it'll help convince a few people to watch it.
 

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