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Spartacus - March 25th (1 Viewer)

Greg_M

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Universal to release "Spartacus" on March 25th (now listed as May 25) according to Bluray.com

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced that, on May 25th, it will release Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus (1960

Now that's an anouncement - 1 month away

unlike FOX's laughable "Big" anouncement that Aliens & Sound of Music are coming in TEN months
Moved to May 25th
 

Vincent_P

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I cringe with the thought that this will just recycle the same old HD transfer that was used for the HD-DVD. This really needs a new scan from the 65mm InterPostive that Robert Harris created for the restoration, and given how quickly this is coming I doubt it happened (although I hope I'm wrong).

Vincent
 

JoeBond

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Originally Posted by Greg_M

Universal to release "Spartacus" on March 25th according to Bluray.com

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has announced that, on May 25th, it will release Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus (1960

Now that's an anouncement - 1 month away

unlike FOX's laughable "Big" anouncement that Aliens & Sound of Music are coming in TEN months
May 25 not March 25.
 

Worth

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I'd like to see a new transfer for this, as well, though I'm in the minority in thinking that the HD-DVD didn't look that bad. It looked quite a bit better than the Criterion DVD to my eyes.
 

Steve Christou

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I'm Spartacus!

I'll be happy if the picture quality is better than my two DVDs, R1 Criterion and R2 special edition (which btw was slightly better than the R1). And I hope most of the extras will make it to the Blu-ray.
 

ReggieW

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I believe the color timing was wrong on the HD-DVD.

I agree that it wasn't as bad as its reputation suggests. It most certainly looked better than the Criterion dvd.

This Universal Blu-ray appears to port over some of the Criterion supplements sans the commentary, Hollywood ten doc, restoration demo and Alex North music cues. This is disappointing supplement wise, as the commentary was excellent. The fact that there appear to be no new supplements for this release already has me worried (in regards to this possibly being a new transfer).
 

dana martin

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OK just read more of the press release, is this coming with a DVD copy? because both BD and DVD are listed, i swear it better not be one of those damn flip things, not to this movie, and not to Kubrick
 

Scott Merryfield

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Originally Posted by dana martin

OK just read more of the press release, is this coming with a DVD copy? because both BD and DVD are listed, i swear it better not be one of those damn flip things, not to this movie, and not to Kubrick
Reading the press release that Ron posted, it looks like two separate single-sided discs sold separately. The DVD version has a different UPC.
 

TonyD

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Originally Posted by ReggieW

I believe the color timing was wrong on the HD-DVD.

I agree that it wasn't as bad as its reputation suggests. It most certainly looked better than the Criterion dvd.

This Universal Blu-ray appears to port over some of the Criterion supplements sans the commentary, Hollywood ten doc, restoration demo and Alex North music cues. This is disappointing supplement wise, as the commentary was excellent. The fact that there appear to be no new supplements for this release already has me worried (in regards to this possibly being a new transfer).
It was worse.

Might be a good idea to wait for reviews on this one.
 

Worth

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I guess it depends on what your expectations of the disc were. I held off buying the HD-DVD after hearing how bad it was and I already had the Criterion disc. Then after HD-DVD went belly-up, I found a copy on sale for $4 and picked it up, fully expecting it to look pretty poor. But it was better than I thought it would be, and after comparing it to the Criterion DVD, I'd give the edge to the HD disc.

That's not to say that the HD-DVD was a great looking disc or that it couldn't be substantially improved. I certainly won't be buying the blu unless it's a new transfer.
 

OliverK

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The problem with a so-so transfer on HD media is that we all know how good Spartacus can and should look due to the large format it was shot in, Super Technirama 70. So far we mostly got a lot of compromised transfers especially from movies in the Super Technirama (70) format that originally was created to make movies look better than average. There are already problematic HD releases of Spartacus, Zulu, El Cid and possibly Il Gattopardo that make these movies look worse than many 35mm releases from the same time.

Originally Posted by Worth
That's not to say that the HD-DVD was a great looking disc or that it couldn't be substantially improved. I certainly won't be buying the blu unless it's a new transfer.
 

Johnny Angell

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Originally Posted by ReggieW
This Universal Blu-ray appears to port over some of the Criterion supplements sans the commentary, Hollywood ten doc, restoration demo and Alex North music cues. This is disappointing supplement wise, as the commentary was excellent. The fact that there appear to be no new supplements for this release already has me worried (in regards to this possibly being a new transfer).
I to would be disappointed if the commentary was omitted. Was there more than one? It's been a while, but didn't the writer do one? I remember him trashing Kirk Douglas as an actor.
 

David_B_K

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Originally Posted by Johnny Angell




I to would be disappointed if the commentary was omitted. Was there more than one? It's been a while, but didn't the writer do one? I remember him trashing Kirk Douglas as an actor.
It has been a long time since I listened, but there were several. The novel's author, Howard Fast, did not care much for the film and constantly refers to Douglas adding things to make the film more "macho".

Douglas also had a commentary, as did his co-producer Edward Lewis. I think RAH did, too. I can't remember if some of the commentaries were separate or shared. I particularly liked Peter Ustinov's commentary, which is hilarious. His accounts of the clashes of egos on the film among the English actors are priceless. The commentaries were IMO the best part of the supplements.
 

MatthewA

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I, too, will be waiting for reviews, and wonder if RAH will chime in on the release when it comes.
 

Johnny Angell

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I don't have time right now to play the disc but the back of the Criterion case has the following:
  • Audio commentary by producer-actor Kirk Dougles, actor Peter Ustinov, novelist Howard Fast, producer Edward Lewis, restoraton expert Robert A. Harris, and designer Saul Bass.
  • Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo's scene-by-scene analysis.
The way it reads, there are two commentary tracks. One is a group track and the other is Trumbo only. I think it's the Trumbo commentary that frequently is critical of Douglas's acting skills. The bullets are on the case back.
I'll have a wait and see attitude on this release and it looks like I won't be getting rid of the DVD if I want all the extra goodies.
 

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