Forbidden Planet (1 Viewer)

[Eric Huffstutler]

Re: Forbidden Planet

OK... seems like years ago I heard of a SE being slated for this Sci-Fi classic. What happened?

Eric

 

[Kevin M]

There are NUMEROUS threads on this already, try the search function:

Forbidden Planet S.E?
Is Forbidden Planet SE still on August 2004 from WB?
Forbidden Planet - Is A Special Ed. In The Works?
Forbidden Planet - SE

I'll just cut&paste what I said in the latest thread:


...basically AFAIK it was never anything but a fan rumor, nothing was ever officially verified from WB that I have ever read.

 

[Eric Huffstutler]

Sorry Kevin.

I do seem to recall something on the WB web site saying it was in the works then just dropped out of site. People were asking what happened at that point and just haven't seen recent talk about it. Maybe an archived chat script will turn up something?

Eric

 

[Ocean Phoenix]

It was on digitalbits.com in the "Upcoming DVD Cover Art" section under "To Be Announced". No Amazon.com link, though.

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articl...mingart10.html

 

[Jeff_HR]

Maybe one of our WB "insiders" can shed some light on this for us.

 

[Kevin M]

Yes, if you'll look at my pasted comments from last year you will see that I mention this.....and that was never a confirmed cover either, like I said, nothing has been verified regarding this for four or five years now except vague rumors at fan sites and a photo-shopped "cover".....nothing else, certainly no word from WB.

 

[Christopher McG]

People who should know over at the Classic Horror Film Boards posted that it's due out in 2006, as a "50th Anniversary Edition."

 

[Kevin M]

Again, more fan rumors, but nothing solid.....aside from the fact that releasing it on it's 50th Anniversary should be a no-brainer from most standpoints and was speculated at in the 2003 & 2004 threads anyway.

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be a party pooper or anything remotely like that but after all these years of hearing fanboy cheerleaders chanting "it's coming out any day now!!" I have gotten more than a bit jaded. No one would be happier to see this come out than me.....but it ain't happened yet & I see no true sign of it anytime soon. 2006 seems likely just from the anniversary angle, here's hoping.

 

[Christopher McG]

Kevin M.,

Calm down, friend--it's a *DVD*.

If memory serves, the info was posted by noted scifi author/interviewer/DVD audio commentator Tom Weaver--who should definitely know. If all I had was "fanboy" information, I wouldn't have wasted everyone's time by posting it here.

(I would've name dropped Mr Weaver from the start, but EZboard was hacked recently, and I didn't feel the need--or desire--to sort through 3 years of old posts for one that probably wasn't there anyway. I also didn't want to misattribute the quote, since I have nothing but the highest regard for Mr Weaver and his works).

I want the FP SE to come out, too, but there's no reason to jump all over my post screaming "fanboy." It's the Internet--people might take it wrong, and not so well, you know?;-)

I'm just trying to pass along what I consider to be much-better-than-rumor info. If that's not helpful to you, then I apologize for wasting your valuable time. Please don't waste mine throwing the "fanboy" label at me.

Back to lurking for me.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Guys, come on: no arguing in threads.

 

[Kevin M]

Chris, the "fanboy" comment was aimed at the "people" on the horror board you mentioned (and all of the other "sites" that have had the very same chanting going on & on over the years), not towards you.....calm down.

BTW I searched the site you mentioned last night and found nothing, a link would be nice but to be frank I doubt it will provide anything official, Mr.Weaver not withstanding....which has been the complaint by many regarding this five year rumored DVD, no official word at all and ,more importantly, no DVD.
Sorry that you took offence to my post but it really wasn't aimed at you personally.

 

[Kevin M]

Say, here's a reasonable question, has anyone mentioned this at one of the WB chats here at HTF over the years, and if not then...why?

 

[Daryl L]

Just FYI. Forbidden Planet will air for the first time in HD on HDNet Movies on July 8th.

 

[Kevin M]

Well there you go, a new(?) HD transfer is always a good sign. I wonder if it was made with that new process that WB has been using as of late, Ultra-Resolution.....was FP 3-strip Technicolor or was it Eastmancolor?

Ah, looks like it was Eastmancolor so I guess "Ultra-Resolution" is out.

 

[John Whittle]

It was early Eastmancolor (the kind that fades badly). For What It's Worth, there were NO 3-strip Cinemascope films. Many Techicolor prints, but all from monopak negatives (Eastman/Ansco/etc). The 3-strip camera with it's unique back focus for the prisms didn't accommadate the anamorphic lens. AND Cinemascope happened just at the time that Eastman color took over. It's also worth a note, that Technicolor had been working with Eastman Kodak for many years to perfect a way to rid themselves of the monster 3-strip camera which included reversal monopack and a stripping film that allowed the emulsion to be removed from the original support and put on three seperate films (hard to belive, but true).

JOhn

 

[Jeff_HR]

Inquiring minds need to know.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

Ah-ha! So, a HD master exists. I reckon that this film may have been a Lowry Digital Images project.

Being an extremely famous and popular film that was shot on Eastmancolor circa 1955/56, it probably isn't in the best of shape. It most likely needed restoration/refurbishment before a HD master could be created. Lowry need not have been involved, but they specialise in 'trouble titles' from this period.

The current MGM-created DVD transfer is awful. Granted, it is anamorphic, but that makes little difference: the element used was faded, very scratched and poorly cropped from 2.55:1 to around 2.30:1, lacked the original 4-track mag-stereo and so on. The Criterion Laserdisc had better framing, better color and illumating extras.

Culturally speaking, the film is a colossus of the genre. And being a connoisseur of matte shots, I am in awe of Henri Hillinck and Howard Fisher work on the film.

 

[GregK]

I wonder if the HDNet version will restore the original directional audio? Or be discrete 4.0/5.1?

 

[Daryl L]

GregK,

Unfortunately no details other than being in HD along with date and time were posted by the HDnet employee at avsforum. My DVD has the directional audio and the broadcast on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) about two weeks ago also had directional audio so it's possible. Although I believe HDNet Movies passing everything over a DD5.1 signal and they can easily send the Stereo (surround?) over all 5.1 tracks. It should sound basicly the same as if received as a DD2.0 (or analog stereo) signal and decoded with DPL2(x).

 

[Rachael B]

I will be watching it on HD Net!