Dick
Senior HTF Member
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- Rick
I recall posts related to the 1958 classic fantasy THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD which speculated that we would never see a better transfer than the Sony Blu release, which was quite a substantial improvement over the prior DVD. No, the naysayers reported, unless someone could return to the original negative and produce a 4k scan, this film was being presented the best it was ever likely to be. The colors were admittedly better than the DVD, but still not awfully good, and the grain took on a life of its own in sequences such as that with the Roc attack, in which it looked like a swarm of mosquitoes.
Well, I have received the new box set from Indicator (PH) and, as one who considers 7th VOYAGE one his absolute most revered childhood fantasies, I am more than happy to report that this disc had me smiling from beginning to end. This transfer alone, taken from a 4k negative scan, makes the price of the box -- roughly $65.00 U.S. including shipping from the UK -- well worth it to me. In fact, I feel I now own the definitive edition of this film (at least, while I am alive). The color is saturated, the detail sharp as a tack, the grain consistent and amazingly film-like, never going crazy even during the Roc sequence. The dragon during its fight with the cyclops does not change colors a dozen times, as it did on the DVD. The transfer is somewhat darker than previous editions and loses shadow detail on my default setting, but a modest boost in brightness on my display fixed this readily.
There is little important for special features that has not been carried over from the SONY, including the commentary, a doc called "The Music of Bernard Hermann," etc., and there are tons of new ones. The 8mm digest cut-downs are fun, if oddly mixed between color/sound excerpts and B&W silent ones. There are new interviews with Phil Tippett and others. As with the other two titles in the box, THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD and SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER, there is an audio option offering a choice between the original mono and a 5.1 stereo soundtrack, both of them sounding crisp and dynamic. There is an isolated music score. The individual case reproduces the original movie poster rather than the crumby photoshop montage Sony's release included.
The other two films are at least the equal in quality to the now out-of-print Twilight Time releases, being based on fairly recent 2k scans from the original negatives, and they each add many new features. Both include isolated scores, and options for 5.1 stereo audio. Full-length interview with Harryhausen, shorter by informative ones with Jane Seymour, Caroline Munroe, Tom Baker, etc.
This set of three films, packaged in a sturdy cardboard box, serves beautifully as a loving homage to Mr. Harryhausen, and don't forget the 80-page, copiously-illustrated booklet included.
I received copy # 435 out of 6,000, so there are probably plenty out there for the moment. But that could quickly change once the news of the quality of this set gets out there. For fans of 7th VOYAGE alone, here is a can't-miss opportunity to obtain a beautiful transfer of a beloved childhood favorite. Who knows when, or if, this film will be released by Indicator as a stand-alone release in the future.
Go for it!
P.S. The header should have read "The New Indicator Sinbad Trilogy..." not "Indicated." Mods, could you correct this, please?
Well, I have received the new box set from Indicator (PH) and, as one who considers 7th VOYAGE one his absolute most revered childhood fantasies, I am more than happy to report that this disc had me smiling from beginning to end. This transfer alone, taken from a 4k negative scan, makes the price of the box -- roughly $65.00 U.S. including shipping from the UK -- well worth it to me. In fact, I feel I now own the definitive edition of this film (at least, while I am alive). The color is saturated, the detail sharp as a tack, the grain consistent and amazingly film-like, never going crazy even during the Roc sequence. The dragon during its fight with the cyclops does not change colors a dozen times, as it did on the DVD. The transfer is somewhat darker than previous editions and loses shadow detail on my default setting, but a modest boost in brightness on my display fixed this readily.
There is little important for special features that has not been carried over from the SONY, including the commentary, a doc called "The Music of Bernard Hermann," etc., and there are tons of new ones. The 8mm digest cut-downs are fun, if oddly mixed between color/sound excerpts and B&W silent ones. There are new interviews with Phil Tippett and others. As with the other two titles in the box, THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD and SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER, there is an audio option offering a choice between the original mono and a 5.1 stereo soundtrack, both of them sounding crisp and dynamic. There is an isolated music score. The individual case reproduces the original movie poster rather than the crumby photoshop montage Sony's release included.
The other two films are at least the equal in quality to the now out-of-print Twilight Time releases, being based on fairly recent 2k scans from the original negatives, and they each add many new features. Both include isolated scores, and options for 5.1 stereo audio. Full-length interview with Harryhausen, shorter by informative ones with Jane Seymour, Caroline Munroe, Tom Baker, etc.
This set of three films, packaged in a sturdy cardboard box, serves beautifully as a loving homage to Mr. Harryhausen, and don't forget the 80-page, copiously-illustrated booklet included.
I received copy # 435 out of 6,000, so there are probably plenty out there for the moment. But that could quickly change once the news of the quality of this set gets out there. For fans of 7th VOYAGE alone, here is a can't-miss opportunity to obtain a beautiful transfer of a beloved childhood favorite. Who knows when, or if, this film will be released by Indicator as a stand-alone release in the future.
Go for it!
P.S. The header should have read "The New Indicator Sinbad Trilogy..." not "Indicated." Mods, could you correct this, please?
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