What's new

*** Official Thread - Robert Harris - Home Theater: Part Two - An Archaeology (1 Viewer)

David Lambert

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2001
Messages
11,377
Perhaps a mod can move appropriate discussion from the old thread into this one.

Also, Mr. Harris has started another thread with corrections to the column; perhpas it should be merged here as well?

Just some suggestions. I loved part 2, and cannot wait for more!
 

Patrick McCart

Premium
Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 16, 2001
Messages
8,196
Location
Georgia (the state)
Real Name
Patrick McCart
There is NOTHING like seeing a film in the full Technicolor glory.

If Mr. Harris is reading this, what are your opinions on the 1943 Phantom of the Opera DVD? The DVD looks like a good Technicolor process print transfer, but I really don't have a good idea of what Technicolor should look like (I'm not going to use Gone With The Wind as a point of referance...)
 

Jianping

Grip
Joined
Jun 14, 2002
Messages
20
Mr Harris, what's your opinions on the digital restoration. The 2001 restoration of Metropolis used digital technique at a resolution of 2K, which sounds very similar to the resolution SONY's 24P provides. I also notice that ALPHA-OMEGA have made new film copies of all available materials before scaning them into digital format. Do you think that this is an approriate way to treat the endangered old films?
 

Robert Harris

Archivist
Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 8, 1999
Messages
18,315
Real Name
Robert Harris
While 2k scanning may be a high enough resolution for some older or highly-generationed picture elemets, it is not usually considered high enough for film restoration.

That said, I have not seen the elements on Metropolis and really cannot make any sort comment on them. There may well not be enough infomation to warrant the expense of higher rez scanning and recording. 2k is certainly high enough for a video output.

RAH
 

Todd_Brown

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 7, 2000
Messages
389
Mr. Harris,
I 've enjoyed this article of yours, and appreciate your contributions both to film preservation and this forum. You mentioned The Wizard of Oz, which release can you recommend as the closest in its presentation, WB or MGM (not to mention the laser disc versions)?
Todd
 

oscar_merkx

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2002
Messages
7,626
Just received the German R2 DVD of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon upon the recommendation of Danny Nugteren (bedankt) a fellow member of HTF. Why might you ask ? For the very simple reason that this release from www.kinowelt.de is extraordinary because of an hour long interview that is taken from 1968 done by the BBC. John Ford is engaging and witty and makes fun of the interview by turning the questions around. Thanks also to mr Harris for the endorsement.
Oscar Merkx
;)
 

Martin Hart

Auditioning
Joined
Dec 22, 2002
Messages
3
:emoji_thumbsup: Excellent and helpful article on the history of home video and our beloved Technicolor dye transfer process. It hits the high spots so that the unitiated can have a firm grasp of the subject from which to further their studies.
One minor note on two-component cemented Technicolor prints. Ironically, the two film elements that were dyed and cemented together were the same matrix stock that was later used as a "printing plate" for IB printing.
In addition to the blessed permanence of Technicolor's dyes, other old systems were equally rugged. While the Cinecolor films that we see in television transfers have that almost "colorized" look, in truth two-component Cinecolor achieved a color fidelity that far exceeded two-component Technicolor, probably because they worked the process for twenty years longer then Tech. Let's hope that some day we may see DVD transfers of Cinecolor films that look as good as they did on theatre screens.
I've just hooked up with this site and your thread and I intend to make this a regular stop in my browsings.
Marty Hart
The American WideScreen Museum
 

Robert Harris

Archivist
Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 8, 1999
Messages
18,315
Real Name
Robert Harris
For the uninitiated, Mr. Hart's Wide Screen Museum is THE website for information on wide screen cinema.

I would suggest that those who have not visited do so. Please have your tickets torn at the door and be kind to the usherettes.

RAH
 

Gordon McMurphy

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2002
Messages
3,530
Great to have you on board, Marty! You're valued expertise is most appreciated. Great site you have too. :emoji_thumbsup: Will you ever have a section explaning 3-D formats?
Merry Christmas! :)
Gordy
 

Martin Hart

Auditioning
Joined
Dec 22, 2002
Messages
3
Thanks for the welcome, guys. I don't do much of this sort of stuff so I'm a bit clumsy at it. Hell, I wouldn't even be able to find my way here if I hadn't put a link to this location on the WideScreen Museum website.

To answer Gordon's question, there are plans to add some coverage of 3-D to the site. It's a lot harder topic to deal with than something as well defined as the history of Cinerama or Todd-AO, though it's unbelievable how murky even their history can get. One problem I have is that there isn't nearly as much source material for me to work from. The great widescreen systems developed in the fifties were widely covered in hundreds if not thousands of publications and I read much of it as a kid during that wonderful era. On the other hand, most of the 3-D stuff originated in small companies that never got much bigger since the 3-D revolution was nearly stillborn. The window of popular 3-D films was barely over a year, though "deepies" have been made on and off for nearly 80 years.

Marty
AWSM
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top