Around The World in 80 Days (1 Viewer)

[CraigMAC]

Does anyone if there are any plans to bring the original (starring David Niven) to DVD? As far as I know, it's only been released on VHS.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Warner has it on their production schedule, and said in the recent chat that it should be out before the end of the year.

 

[Chris Beveridge]

While not the original, the Pierce Brosnin version has been picked up and is on the schedule for the folks at ADV Films. So at least one version is on its way.

 

[Ken New]

Good news about the Mike Todd version. I haven't seen it properly presented since I saw it on the big screen over 40 years ago.

 

[Patrick McCart]

It'll have the long-lost overture and intermission, too. Those have been missing since the original theatrical releases by United Artists.

Also, most of it should be presented in 30fps Todd-AO.

I'm hoping Warner decides to make this a 2-disc special edition, however. There is literally tons of film materials residing at the Library of Congress such as outtakes, deleted scenes, screen tests, behind-the-scenes footage, premire footage, trailers, etc. This is a mix of 16mm, 35mm, and even 65mm/70mm!

This film has been tarnished greatly by the lack of a widescreen and uncut version on video. The one laserdisc issue was P&S, as is the VHS. The DVD would actually be the first-ever widescreen video released of this film.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

Thanks for the excellent info, Patrick!

This film has been tarnished greatly by the lack of a widescreen and uncut version on video. The one laserdisc issue was P&S, as is the VHS. The DVD would actually be the first-ever widescreen video released of this film.

This was a big, big film of its day, and most people who have seen it on TV in truncated, pan and scan versions with commercials have for years, truly missed the stunning grandeur and excitment of this film. The DVD release will be nothing short of a revelation for most fans of the film.

Patrick, was it you who posted a few months ago about Pac-Title producing a 65mm print of some kind - an interpositive? If Warner/Lowry used this for the basis of the transfer, I sure will be interesting seeing the results.

I'll looking forward to a PR from Warner!


Gordy

 

[Patrick McCart]

I don't think LDI is involved...but who knows. They don't get credit for the work, so we'll have to wait and see.

Pacific Title did the restoration, Andy Pratt did work with Kodak on removing lacquer from one reel. CFI printed a new "restored" 65mm interpositive from the 30fps 65mm negative.

I don't know how detailed the restoration is (it is likely not perfect, but just enough to keep it from being gone) but we'll eventually find out.

If WB transfers the sound from the original magnetic sound masters, the DVD sound will be nothing short of reference quality. Todd-AO sound is highly directional and a delight for your ears.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

Yeah, Patrick, I'm actually just assuming that LDI are/will be involved in the DVD transfer at some stage! Force of habit with me, when it comes to vintage films on DVD from Warner! Dr Zhivago's elements were - and probably stil are, in bad shape, and LDI was utilised to the max. 80 Days is most likely in similar condition, so Iwould imagine that Warner would consider using LDI.

I'll re-check myself in a minute, but did 80 Days win a lot of Oscars? If it did, it may end up being a "2-DISC SPECIAL EDITION" - that seems to be part of the Warner's criterion for those 2-disc SE titles. And like you said; there is a veritable klondike of archive material for this film and a comprehensive, high-quality SE could, in theory be quite straightforward.

Great stuff!


Gordy

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

http://www.imdb.com/Tawards?0048960

D'oh! Of course! :b

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that this will be a 2-disc.


Gordy

 

[CraigMAC]

Thanks for all the info folks. I had totally forgotten about this movie until I caught the last 30 minutes on TV this morning. The picture quality and sound were atrocious so I hope it gets the treatment a great movie deserves.

 

[Patrick McCart]

The reason the old transfer is so crummy is that it's an analog transfer off of faded elements from the early 1980s. Except for TCM's rarely aired letterboxed (but truncated) print, you're only seeing analog. The LBX transfer is a digital transfer.

And you're right. The awards section on this DVD would take up roughly 20 pages.

I'm kind of divided on LDI working on this, though. If they made this one of their 4K resolution restorations and output it to 65mm, that would be fantastic. This is one film that needs FINAL restoration, not temporary.

 

[Robert Harris]

I'm kind of divided on LDI working on this, though. If they made this one of their 4K resolution restorations and output it to 65mm, that would be fantastic. This is one film that needs FINAL restoration, not temporary.


*************

I do love the way that legends somehow appear and are perpetuated.

1. LDI does not work in film restoration. There will be those who disagree with me on this point, but if one uses the correct meaning of terms, they do not restore film.

2. I don't believe that LDI has anything to do with 4k.

3. LDI has no secret elixer to save films.

4. While LDI does do certain things well in the digital domain and in low rez, (North by Northwest by a nice piece of work) they have done more in the past year to damage the look of film as film, in the name of "someone told me to do it" than any other entity in the past century, short of the folks who talked Fox into junking their original nitrate negatives.

I'll say it again. LDI is capable of doing certain things very well, but doesn't seem to want to do them steadily, with a delicate hand and with proper research and reference.

 

[SteveP]

EIGHTY DAYS needs to be restored ON FILM from the 30 fps negative if at all possible.

THAT is the film that so impressed people in 1956 to the point where it won the Best Picture Oscar.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

I agreed with you, Robert; it would great if the films that Warner and LDI worked on were restored on film and digital video, and it's a shame that does not happen.

At first, I was impressed with Warner's/LDI's transfer of Citizen Kane, but were subsequent viewings, I have really began to see its failings. A British region 2 edition from Universal and Laureate is out in July. The print used was an interpositive (supplied by the British Film Institute) made from a duplicate negative and has been "restored and remastered", and is a totally different transfer to Warner's. I can't wait to see the results.

Anyway, getting back to 80 Days; how difficult/expensive would it be to fully and truly restore the 65mm Todd version on film?

Would it require LDI great effort to made a 4k 65mm print?

I think that LDI's work has pros and cons, and I would really like to see a lot of the cons disappear over time.


Gordy

 

[oscar_merkx]

Absolutely fantastic performance by DaviD Niven, what would the possibility be of a 3 disc SE as there is so much in supplemental features lying about.

Just curious

 

[Robert Harris]

Without doing a complete budget ( which takes weeks), nor a proper inspection of the elements...

If we were to assume that the greatest problem is yellow layer fading, with some fade on the other two...

and that there are not a myriad of audio problems.

A very close guesstimate at full restoration of 80 Days in 70mm to a point at which it could be run theatrically, would be in the area of 1.5 to 1.8 million dollars, inclusive of all expenses.

This based upon approximately 290,000 frames. I would prefer not to get into a discussion of the specific methodology. However, if WB wished to do a 30 second test toward properly saving this film, I would probably return phone calls.

RAH

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

$1.5-1.8m - that was the budget for Vertigo, wasn't it? Phew!

Don't get me wrong - I'd love to see this, and many other classic film properly restored, but if Warner were to go ahead with a restoration on this film, it kinda puts them in a position where they might be expected to restore many of their other films in a similar way, and I can't see them doing that.

As far as I know, there are many films desperately in need of urgent restoration, and it just doesn't seem to be happening.

If I was a billionare...

Thanks again, Bob.


Gordy

 

[Patrick McCart]

I think we DO use the term "restoration" too freely. If a PAL-res "restoration" of Citizen Kane is to be called such, then what is the film-based restoration of Notorious?

 

[Robert Harris]

Gordon...

Please keep in mind that this is a 70mm feature at 30fps. The cost is many times that of standard 35mm.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

I think we DO use the term "restoration" too freely. If a PAL-res "restoration" of Citizen Kane is to be called such, then what is the film-based restoration of Notorious?

It is over-used. It's also used as a sneaky, shameful marketing ploy. To me LDI is most definately nothing more than a 'video restoration'.

The work that Robert Harris, Scott McQueen, and many other saviors of lost films do is 'film restoration'. In an ideal world, those guys should restore all films in need of restoration. But, unfortunately, we live in the World Of Time And Money, and Cinema has always been at odds with that world.

Not to be a scaremonger, but I'm sure there will will come a day when a truly great classic film that is loved by all will be lost forever; look at Vertigo and Rear Window, a few more years down the line, and what state would the elements have been in?

There's a great book called THE DEATH OF CINEMA by Paolo Cherchi Usai. A must for those interested in the history in the treatment of films over the years and Devil's advocate look to the future.


Gordy