Around The World In 80 Days (1956) (1 Viewer)

[Peter Apruzzese]

It was never with MGM at any time, so they certainly wouldn't have released a Blu-ray of it.

 

[ahollis]

United Artists lost control of 80 Days in 1976 and the rights went under the control of Elizabeth Taylor, as Michael Todd's widow. In 1983 The Todd Estate made a licensing deal with Warner Brothers that is still in effect. The last reconstruction was the 2004 DVD and it supposedly used 30fps/70mm elements.

 

[OliverK]

It was never with MGM at any time, so they certainly wouldn't have released a Blu-ray of it.

You mean even MGM could not release a crappy Blu-ray of a movie they do not have the rights to?
I have to say that I did not know that this one left United Artists before MGM could get their hands on it, I wonder how the original 65mm elements were stored and looked after all these days. From what RAH says not very well?

 

[PMF]

[...] I think the problem is this - it's going to cost more to restore than a rerelease could ever hope to recoup. The HD streaming version looks decent enough to me and would look better on a disc, but Warner won't release something on Blu-ray that's not perfect. [...]
I wish they'd just give us the best of whatever they've got currently.

Let's create the first-ever Double-Dipping Pre-Order Fund Raiser.
Here's my plan.
A) Warner's should release "AtWi80D" on BD with a "best of whatever they've got" transfer.
B) All proceeds from the sales of that first BD shall then, in Fund-Raising efforts, be earmarked towards the 70mm restoration.
C) Warner's then releases a second BD created by the new restoration.
The only catch is that all who purchase must do so in a Pre-Order which includes the advance Double-Dipping prices for both BD incarnations; this way Warner's will know of our advanced commitment. A half-baked potato that others can further formulate, no doubt.
Nonetheless, that's the rough-draft idea; helping Warner's recoup in advance in order to get both the BD and the restoration off the ground.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Let's create the first-ever Double-Dipping Pre-Order Fund Raiser.
Here's my plan.
A) Warner's should release "AtWi80D" on BD with a "best of whatever they've got" transfer.
B) All proceeds from the sales of that first BD shall then, in Fund-Raising efforts, be earmarked towards the 70mm restoration.
C) Warner's then releases a second BD created by the new restoration.
The only catch is that all who purchase must do so in a Pre-Order which includes the advance Double-Dipping prices for both BD incarnations; this way Warner's will know of our advanced commitment. A half-baked potato that others can further formulate, no doubt.
Nonetheless, that's the rough-draft idea; helping Warner's recoup in advance in order to get both the BD and the restoration off the ground.

Respectfully, I'm not sure that this is feasible. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the cost of restoring Around The World In 80 Days is significantly higher than what the film could reasonably be expected to recoup in disc sales. Everyone interested in the title being restored could preorder, or do a double dip on preorders, or even order three copies each, but the amount of copies sold, and money they bring in, would barely be a drop in the bucket for what the expense would be.

 

[PMF]

Respectfully, I'm not sure that this is feasible. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the cost of restoring Around The World In 80 Days is significantly higher than what the film could reasonably be expected to recoup in disc sales. Everyone interested in the title being restored could preorder, or do a double dip on preorders, or even order three copies each, but the amount of copies sold, and money they bring in, would barely be a drop in the bucket for what the expense would be.

 

[B-ROLL]

At least your heart was in the right place ...

 

[PMF]

Respectfully, I'm not sure that this is feasible. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the cost of restoring Around The World In 80 Days is significantly higher than what the film could reasonably be expected to recoup in disc sales. Everyone interested in the title being restored could preorder, or do a double dip on preorders, or even order three copies each, but the amount of copies sold, and money they bring in, would barely be a drop in the bucket for what the expense would be.

I wonder what the price-tag would demand on a BD Pre-Oder, in order for Warner's to recoup?
Would the asking price be $100; $200; or more?
What would we be willing to commit to, in order to see the job done?
Our value systems would certainly come to the fore.
If such a pricing practice were done in the rarest of cases; and it was highly justified; such as the proposal for "AtWi80D"; I would pay top dollar for such causes.
After all, the Pre-Order idea is rooted in raising the needed monies for restoration purposes; and not just simply for the ownership of a disc.
How's this for a name: "The BD-Pre-Orders-to-Save-a-Film Foundation"

 

[Dr Griffin]

I'm gonna say $10,000.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I think RAH has said that it would cost about $2 million to do the work. I don't know how many copies of the disc they'd need to sell to generate a $2 million profit - If the discs sold for $20 each, they'd need to sell 100,000 copies just to hit $2 million in grosses, but chances are their share of each disc sale would be far less, so they'd have to sell more. I think the Twilight Time model of selling 3000 copies of a title, and looking at which titles have sold out and which haven't, suggests that this movie would struggle to sell 100,000 copies.

I think there was a time, maybe 15 years ago, when DVD sales of a title could be enough to reasonably expect certain catalog titles to generate a couple million in revenue, but I'm not sure that it's a reasonable expectation today. Which is not to say that I don't think the film deserves to be restored (I do). I just think whether or not it happens at this point will be a decision made independent of disc sale potential.

 

[PMF]

But that's just it.
By doing some fund-raising type of deal through Pre-Orders; before a restoration even began; would serve as a form of litmus test. If enough monies weren't raised, then the Pre-Order/Fund Raising idea gets cancelled with a full refund. Nobody looses.
Just wanted to harness that idea in a bit.
Nonetheless, I'll add no more; as I fully understand where your better information derives.
Thanks for indulging.

 

[PMF]

I'm gonna say $10,000.

Well, I've been broke most of my life; therefore, my ration equivalent would be $200.00

 

[Dr Griffin]

Honestly, I think this title would struggle to sell 10,000 copies, not to mention 100,000 on physical media. It may be better suited to 3,000 copies. That means a spruce up of the 35mm version only.

 

[PMF]

Any action or start would lay the foundation down for a hopeful better next step.
After all, how many times have they fixed and tweaked "The Sound of Music"?
Each "SoM" incarnation obviously must have sold;
which must have allowed the needed monies and encouragements towards each better edition.
Would I be right?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

But that's just it.
By doing some fund-raising type of deal through Pre-Orders; before a restoration even began; would serve as a form of litmus test. If enough monies weren't raised, then the Pre-Order/Fund Raising idea gets cancelled with a full refund. Nobody looses.

I didn't quite understand that that's what you were saying, thank you for clarifying. I agree that that sort of pro-active fund-raising can be a good thing, but I think the unfortunate result is that it would just confirm that there isn't a huge market for the title. If anything, it might do harm because it would just prove that it wasn't worth it - plus it would cost money to administer preorders and do refunds, so they'd potentially lose money just asking the question. I think Warner probably has a pretty good idea of what they expect individual titles to sell. I'm sure they're surprised from time to time, but I would be willing to bet that after years in the business, that they've also got a pretty good sense of what the expect most of the time.

Again, please understand that I'm not trying to say this title shouldn't be restored; simply, that if it is restored, Warner will have to make that decision on some other basis besides immediate profit. There may be other film societies or museums or private donors that wish to partner in sharing the expense. An entity like TCM might be willing to get involved. Some money probably can be raised, but I don't think it will necessarily be from a consumer end of things.

 

[PMF]

"Please, Sir, I want some more"
- Lionel Bart's "Oliver!"
​

Always, we press on for more titles and more restorations. And that's certainly within our nature to want that very next thing, upon accomplishing a prior task, or simply checking off another item from our list(s). Like all of us, I hope for more titles and personal favorites to become available on BD. And I always hope for solutions and/or miracles to arise for such films as "Around the World in 80 Days", "The Alamo", "Raintree County"; the discovery of more "Cleopatra" (1963) footage; or for the French to collaborate with Kevin Brownlow in regards to "Napoleon".

God Almighty, how we love our films.

Nonetheless, let us never forget the leaps and bounds that restoration, technology and home theater libraries have made and enjoyed.

On the other hand...what's the delay, here? And where's the rest of our 70mm Roadshows?

Happy 4th of July, HTF !!!
- PMF

"You're right, Henry. It's not enough. But its close."
- David S. Ward, "The Sting"​

 

[B-ROLL]

"You're right, Henry. It's not enough. But its close." - David S. Ward, "The Sting"

Striker, listen, and you listen close: flying a plane is no different than riding a bicycle, just a lot harder to put baseball cards in the spokes.

 

[Robert Harris]

Keep in mind that 35mm prints were derived from matrices.

I'm unaware of any quality 35mm preprint elements, and the 65mm are unprintable without a full restoration.

It's an all or nothing situation.

1.5 to 2MM, or worse, once the door to color correction is opened after normal restorative efforts.

 

[battlebeast]

Respectfully, I'm not sure that this is feasible. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the cost of restoring Around The World In 80 Days is significantly higher than what the film could reasonably be expected to recoup in disc sales. Everyone interested in the title being restored could preorder, or do a double dip on preorders, or even order three copies each, but the amount of copies sold, and money they bring in, would barely be a drop in the bucket for what the expense would be.

So then charge a little higher price. I know this isn't the best option, but those who want will buy it. And I'm not talking a huge jump in price. Say $10 over average.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

So then charge a little higher price. I know this isn't the best option, but those who want will buy it. And I'm not talking a huge jump in price. Say $10 over average.

Warren, respectfully - if they wanted the per unit cost to pay for the entire restoration, we're talking significantly more than $10 more per unit. Based on what this title could reasonably be expected to sell, they'd have to sell each copy for a minimum of thousands of dollars each, if not tens of thousands of dollars each.