sonomatom1
Stunt Coordinator
Oops! So, aftering the screenshot, it appears that RAH had nothing to do with the LD restoration -- time to update my postings. Thanks.
The main purpose of separation masters was not one of asset protection. It triggered an end to production insurance. Most were never examined or went through any QC.Cold storage slows problems. The Alamo is a special case, as the film is not chemically inert, and is being destroyed from within.RAHJohn Hermes said:I remember reading RAH's The Alamo article when it came out and thought how cool it was going to be to see a restored version. Talk about a nightmare scenario regarding the elements. Just about everything that could go wrong did. I almost get sick thinking about what has transpired over these five years also. I have transferred home movie film for almost thirty years and have seen more than my share of vinegared film. Beautiful B&W 16mm film from the 1930s, and in later years, Kodachrome, which I've had to just throw away. Right now my garage is reeking of vinegar for a regular 8mm transfer which I will start Wednesday. While prepping it, I've already thrown away a couple hundred feet from the beginning of reels (where it is the worst). All those memories lost forever.Back the The Alamo, how could they not check to see if the seps were in focus?!! Geeze. Thinking about throwing away the trims (and seps) from the roadshow version makes me ill. I love film and have probably handled millions of feet. I've seen everything from pristine lab prints to vinegared film so bad it has petrified into a solid block which I have to chip off the reel with a screwdriver and hammer. How could these so-called professionals allow this to happen to The Alamo?RAH, are the existing elements at least being kept under cold storage? My experience with film is color fading and VS can be pretty much arrested by freezing the film or keeping it near freezing. Nothing will make it like it was, but at least this helps.
No idea. Totally up to MGM. Probably not likely, as budget gets worse every time film is examined, as it's degrading rapidly. Five or six years ago, the film could have reached an 80% quality. Now 65 tops, with no holds barred budget.atfree said:RAH,I read this thread and go from hopeful to hopeless in nanoseconds. Once and for all, put me (and others) out of our misery....on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being absolutely, positively no hope whatsoever, and 10 being, well, you know.....what are the realistic chances that we'll ever see this film saved (in whatever form that may be)?
Thank you.Robert Harris said:No idea. Totally up to MGM. Probably not likely, as budget gets worse every time film is examined, as it's degrading rapidly. Five or six years ago, the film could have reached an 80% quality. Now 65 tops, with no holds barred budget.RAH
What do you estimate a no-holds-barred budget would be? And the minimum budget that would make it just barely watchable?Robert Harris said:No idea. Totally up to MGM. Probably not likely, as budget gets worse every time film is examined, as it's degrading rapidly. Five or six years ago, the film could have reached an 80% quality. Now 65 tops, with no holds barred budget.
RAH
I wonder how William Clothier feels about his camera negative?Doug Bull said:Unfortunately I sold my Laserdisc before purchasing that butchered DVD.
The atrocious cut in the soundtrack at the DVD's missing intermission spot left me in a state of disbelief.
There's no way that a responsible professional carried out that ghastly amateurish edit.
Poor old Dimitri Tiomkin must be turning in his grave.
Doug.
Much the same I suspect.John Hermes said:I wonder how William Clothier feels about his camera negative?