Flash Gordon 1936 serial really has been restored (1 Viewer)

[Paul Penna]

“Restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive from 35mm nitrate original picture negatives, original track negatives and comp dupe negatives. Laboratory services by The PHI Stoa Film Lab, Roundabout Entertainment, Inc., Fotokem, Audio Mechanics and Simon Daniel Sound.”

See this from UCLA

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

I don't know if I could sit through all 425 minutes of that in one go, but it might be worth it to watch a few chapters.

 

[Capt D McMars]

Great news, I wonder if someone will pony up for a BD set of Flash. Sice it sounds like all the heavy lifting was done under the umbrella of UCLA & Lucas, I know that I would get a box set in a New York second!!

 

[BobO'Link]

If I were close enough I'd absolutely line up for that presentation.

Bring on a Blue Ray!!!

 

[ScottHM]

I don't know if I could sit through all 425 minutes of that in one go, but it might be worth it to watch a few chapters.

It's only 245 minutes, but that seems plenty long to me.
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[Neil S. Bulk]

It's only 245 minutes, but that seems plenty long to me.
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Heh heh, good call. 4 hours plus on a Sunday night without food (no food in that theater) is not my idea of a good time. And I'll be masked as well.

 

[B-ROLL]

These serials were the Weekly TV shows of their day with a new "chapter" being released just about every week. Add a newsreel, cartoon, a short and the Major Motion Picture (film/movie) and you would have a night or afternoon's entertainment.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Wasn't VCI supposedly going to release this when completed?

 

[Hollowbrook Drive-In]

I couldn't care less about the goofy "Flash Gordon," but if they ever get round to restoring the less fanciful "Buck Rogers" for Blu-ray, I'll be first in line to buy it.

 

[RichMurphy]

I couldn't care less about the goofy "Flash Gordon," but if they ever get round to restoring the less fanciful "Buck Rogers" for Blu-ray, I'll be first in line to buy it.

I would love a restored PHANTOM EMPIRE with Gene Autry, my favorite science fiction musical western!

 

[aPhil]

This (the link to the screening) says

"from 35mm nitrate original picture negatives, original track negatives and comp dupe negatives."

I thought the original camera negatives burned long ago. Maybe not.

But everyone banters terms around.

So, what does one mean by "Original Picture Negatives" as opposed to (or the same as?) "Original Camera Negatives" ?

 

[aPhil]

I couldn't care less about the goofy "Flash Gordon," but if they ever get round to restoring the less fanciful "Buck Rogers" for Blu-ray, I'll be first in line to buy it.

I agree (as the Buck Rogers serial is pretty good), but likely I would buy a restored "Flash Gordon" on Blu-ray just for a 20 minute diversion every week.

 

[RobertMG]

Wasn't VCI supposedly going to release this when completed?

they are still talking with lionsgate

 

[Capt D McMars]

they are still talking with lionsgate

And in the meantime, Lucus' foundation and UCLA film archives have a restored version, that would be a big plus for VCI. I'm not sure if this would clear the way for Lionsgate to fast track the release or hinder it?

 

[jayembee]

I would love a restored PHANTOM EMPIRE with Gene Autry, my favorite science fiction musical western!

"Take that surface man Autry to the Lighting Room!"

 

[Garysb]

Doesn't King Features, the owners of the "Flash Gordon" comic strip, still own the serial ? I assume they would have to give permission and be compensated for any blu ray release. King Features, who also own "Popeye" was the reason for the long delay in getting the Warner Bros owned "Popeye" cartoons released on media.

 

[RobertMG]

Doesn't King Features, the owners of the "Flash Gordon" comic strip, still own the serial ? I assume they would have to give permission and be compensated for any blu ray release. King Features, who also own "Popeye" was the reason for the long delay in getting the Warner Bros owned "Popeye" cartoons released on media.

King Features stills owns them but gave the vid rights to Lionsgate as their agent VCI has been in talks for two years with them Lionsgate has undergone VP changes and seems to be in a mess

 

[Alan Tully]

I don't know if I could sit through all 425 minutes of that in one go, but it might be worth it to watch a few chapters.

Yup, I have several serials on DVD & they really don’t work if you watch them in one go. I’d say no more than two a day, maybe before a big feature. Flash Gordon is the very first thing I can remember seeing at a cinema, aged 5 I think (every Saturday morning, so it was a week between episodes - & I didn’t notice the cheats on the cliffhangers). The serial I remember with most fondness is The Phantom Empire, I’ve had it on DVD for years, but still haven’t got around to watching it yet & maybe never will, just keep the fading memories.

 

[Garysb]

There is a colorized version of all 12 chapters on YouTube.
I wonder where that came from. I don't think there was a colorized DVD released.

 

[Capt D McMars]

There is a colorized version of all 12 chapters on YouTube.
I wonder where that came from. I don't think there was a colorized DVD released.

There's allot of amature bad colorization on Youtube. You can't realy get great results when you don''t start with a decent copy of the film. You see the results of people just grabbing fuzzy PD copies and just dropping color from a low budget AI app, and it looks like it too, LOL!!!