Warner Archive: Horror of Dracula on Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Alan Tully]

Yup, there was a lot of heated debate about the look of the BFI Blu-ray. I hated it, other people thought it was spot on. I hope the Warner colour is more to my liking, not bothered about extras, I hardly ever look at them these days.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

After handling multiple 35mm dye-transfer prints on this title, I can assure you the BFI timing does not match any of them. It's a complete revisionist grading.

Hopefully, WB will go with the timing approved by the creative team in 1958...

 

[Robert Harris]

As to aspect ratios on home video, it matters little whether a title is run at 1.75, or opened slightly to 1.66, as what would have been seen theatrically, would have been a shape never considered during production. And with information heavily cropped.

We are seeing far more information, than has been seen theatrically, regardless of what we consider to be a “real world” ratio, as there was no such creature.

If a film was announced to be run at 1.85, that would be the approximate shape of the image on screen, but had very little to do with what was actually being seen within that box.

 

[John Hermes]

After handling multiple 35mm dye-transfer prints on this title, I can assure you the BFI timing does not match any of them. It's a complete revisionist grading.

Hopefully, WB will go with the timing approved by the creative team in 1958...

Dang, that UI logo looks great in IB Tech.

 

[Dick]

Dang, that UI logo looks great in IB Tech.

But not so much the following grabs. The title frame looks faded, and red looks dull orange, just as I am used to seeing it on video. The last frame...well...meh. Where's the rich green of the background foliage? I am still hoping for the rich color of the original, but I'm a bit skeptical.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Rich green foliage?

This is Dracula’s castle, not a state park!

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Truth be told, this is a 1958 35mm dye transfer print and my scans were taken just for reference on a light table.

Technicolor prints do have very deep blacks and the detail that is truly there on the original print would only come through on a top-of-the-line scanner.

 

[Reed Grele]

This landmark film really deserves the full Criterion treatment.

 

[haineshisway]

And hopefully color timed to the way it would have looked with a carbon arc projection - that is the key, always.

 

[Robert Harris]

And hopefully color timed to the way it would have looked with a carbon arc projection - that is the key, always.

As proper...

For the era

 

[Alan Tully]

Well I'm hoping for a colourful Dracula. The people who love the blue grade & think it's right can enjoy the BFI release, & those of us who'd like a bit of rich colour can enjoy the Warner release...& then everyone's happy

 

[lark144]

Well I'm hoping for a colourful Dracula. The people who love the blue grade & think it's right can enjoy the BFI release, & those of us who'd like a bit of rich colour can enjoy the Warner release...& then everyone's happy [/QUOT

Maybe the people doing the color timing at the BFI thought that the subject matter--the draining of blood--required an equally bloodless color scheme. But yes, I am very hopeful the new Blu-ray from Warners will look the way it did in a theater, with robust colors.

 

[Will Krupp]

Maybe the people doing the color timing at the BFI thought that the subject matter--the draining of blood--required an equally bloodless color scheme. But yes, I am very hopeful the new Blu-ray from Warners will look the way it did in a theater, with robust colors.

Well, yeah, they freely admit that it's revisionist. The guy on the restoration doc on the disc is even boastful that the color scheme doesn't represent either the color on the negative OR on the original prints. I think the guy was from Hammer rather than the BFI, though. I LIKE a little blue in my color scheme but even I was mildly off-put by the way it looked.

 

[JohnMor]

Well, yeah, they freely admit that it's revisionist. The guy on the restoration doc on the disc is even boastful that the color scheme doesn't represent either the color on the negative OR on the original prints. I think the guy was from Hammer rather than the BFI, though. I LIKE a little blue in my color scheme but even I was mildly off-put by the way it looked.

Sadly, nothing is as bad as John Badham’s bloodless/colorless revision of the 1979 Dracula. As the filmmaker, he has the right, but it sucked all the life and beauty out of that film. The color cinematography was so rich.

 

[Will Krupp]

Sadly, nothing is as bad as John Badham’s bloodless/colorless revision of the 1979 Dracula. As the filmmaker, he has the right, but it sucked all the life and beauty out of that film. The color cinematography was so rich.

While I'm on record as being NO fan of Badham's revision of the 1979 DRACULA, at LEAST he was the director. The 1958 has the shame of being revised by people who weren't even born when it was made.

 

[lark144]

Well, yeah, they freely admit that it's revisionist. The guy on the restoration doc on the disc is even boastful that the color scheme doesn't represent either the color on the negative OR on the original prints. I think the guy was from Hammer rather than the BFI, though. I LIKE a little blue in my color scheme but even I was mildly off-put by the way it looked.

I'd forgotten about that extra. I was thinking that perhaps I have inaccurately criticized the BFI , as back in 87 I saw a dye transfer print of Hammer's DRACULA from the BFI at MOMA as part of their British Cinema series that had very robust colors. So perhaps the actual BFI restoration had the original color scheme, and it was in the mastering of the disc by the people that now constitute Hammer Films that the revisionist colors were enacted.

 

[Dick]

Well I'm hoping for a colourful Dracula. The people who love the blue grade & think it's right can enjoy the BFI release, & those of us who'd like a bit of rich colour can enjoy the Warner release...& then everyone's happy

I would be. Maybe that would prompt John Badham to let Universal release his DRACULA with the original colors. Nah...won't happen.

 

[kinzoels]

Well, from what I'm gathering over on CHFB, and this includes people whom have seen it, and screen grabs, this release is going to be problematic in new ways...the crushing of the blacks, picture softness and no Japanese footage being the big ones.

 

[Alan Tully]

I would be. Maybe that would prompt John Badham to let Universal release his DRACULA with the original colors. Nah...won't happen.

I wouldn't think Universal needs John Badham's permission to release the original colour version, it's their film. It's just that it's pretty much a forgotten movie...but you never know what's going to happen.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Well, from what I'm gathering over on CHFB, and this includes people whom have seen it, and screen grabs, this release is going to be problematic in new ways...the crushing of the blacks, picture softness and no Japanese footage being the big ones.

Other than no Japanese footage which is no big deal that review has to be taken with a grain of salt. The review here and at DVD-Drive-in say those issues are minor but the color improvement is major. So this version while not perfect is still the best one to get for the best picture quality.