I noticed that the Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray have a shadow missing, compared to the 35mm. In the opening shot during Arabian Nights, when the camel is walking through the desert, there’s a big long shadow in the 35mm that is missing from the Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray.
Here’s a Resilio Key for the project: BWWONUH3CRLYCEPXEOU7FEBXVOSCRYLLP
You’ll need Resilio Sync to use it.
So what is the difference between THIS one and the other 4k ones?
This project is a preservation of a 35mm theatrical print of the movie. As such, it’s sort of a “Grindhouse” presentation.
aren the 4k ones the same tho just with bluray audio or am i confusing myself cause I have seen this preservation being done and I was like yeah I like this one but then itunes and amazon have one and im confused
I’m having trouble understanding your question.
So what is the difference between THIS one and the other 4k ones?
This project is a preservation of a 35mm theatrical print of the movie. As such, it’s sort of a “Grindhouse” presentation.
Thank you for the response to my PM about the file size. That makes sense!
I will watch it on my OLED for a good color reference, but the one thing I noticed right away doing a quick look on my PC is that the pre-credits sequence in the facility seems to be skewed green quite a bit compared to the rest of the film. The first reel change is around 13 minutes which is just after the credits sequence is over.
The Cinema DTS sounds great!
One other request: could the final version be made available with a Blu-ray file structure so I can burn it onto a disc? If not, is it difficult to strip out the video and audio from the MKV and author it myself into a BD?
I really appreciate all the hard work that went into this project.
Thanks for all the feedback and the close inspection - that’s exactly what this release was for. I’ll get back in a bit if the encoder has a reply re: the color.
I don’t imagine we’ll create a dedicated BD structure release, because it is indeed very easy to do yourself. Just grab TSMuxer, a free program, and go to town. You can also use TSMuxer to include any other audio tracks you might have/wish to include.
Hi everyone, great news. A “release candidate” version, so to speak, is ready. It’s BD-synced and, unless a major problem is found, it will be the final release. Since it’s BD-synced, you’ll be able to mux in any audio tracks that are BD-synced. Already included in the file are the English Cinema DTS, the German Cinema DTS, and the optical 35mm Russian audio (since the print is Russian). I’ll send this version out to all donors and, if it’s all good, it will be made available on the usual places.
Only in that it will be delayed - the final product will have the same goals and features, and will probably be of a higher quality, as I am a total novice.
Is the 4K version on iTunes the same as the one on Amazon Prime?
Yes.
Quick update for everyone - another user is taking over this project. I won’t share his details here, as he has not cleared me to do so (I haven’t asked yet). Basically, the project proved to be a bit over my head, so this user has graciously offered to take over. As a result, it is delayed a bit further, but I am mailing him a hard drive with all the requisite files, and he will be syncing the project to the Blu-ray audio, the LaserDisc audio, and the original Cinema DTS audio.
Way cool. It’ll be a step up from the official blu-ray.
Tbh the best way to watch this movie at the moment is the 4K release on iTunes. It looks really great, and will likely be much better than my finished project (though I am still excited for my finished project).
Yes, my plan is to release a BD-compliant mkv. You’ll have to create the .iso yourself, but that is fairly trivial.
Hell, I might just make one myself.
I found a listing selling actual burned BDs. So disappointing to see people profiting off of this community’s work (thanks Harmy and co!) as well as endangering the community’s existence.
Hi everyone. First, I would like to sincerely apologize for falling off the face of the planet for the better part of this year. I hope you didn’t think I had absconded never to return, but I would understand the sentiment.
Second, I’d like to apologize again, because one apology is not enough. Seriously, I am so sorry to have disappeared. Life got a little crazy and this sort of thing had to take a bit of a back seat for a while.
Third, I’d like to share my plans for finishing this project. I have about a week, between December 26 and January 2, during which I’ll be off work. My plan is to commit these days entirely to this project, getting as much done as possible during that time and, hopefully, completing a 1.0 version. Unless there are errors that need fixing, this will hopefully be the final release. So, stay tuned, good things are ahead at the end of the year.
And again, I apologize about all the delay.
WHAT. YES. FINALLY. THANK YOU.
Chinatown’s US Blu-ray has the original mono as an option, but the UK Blu-ray does not, sadly. The original mono for Chinatown is awesome, definitely the better track.
And with a new donation from kchrules, the project is now FULLY FUNDED. Also I know I have been slow to work on this one, but I am happy to say my personal matters have sorted out recently and it will be full steam ahead very very soon on this. So sorry to everyone for the delay.
And thanks to Pepsi (not the company, lol) for a donation as well!
Thanks eterno for an awesome donation!
Yeah just to be clear, that clip is not from our scan.
Having seen the theatrical version, I can say that your recreation is extremely close to what I remember. I am psyched for this. The original press release for the home video versions implied that the 4K releases would retain the theatrical presentation, and I was bummed when that turned out not to be the case. Thanks so much for making this!
Edit: I see the 1080p encode is coming soon - any ETA?
Thanks zxthehedgehog for a donation 😃
I’m just curious, will there be a grindhouse version available? I have tried syncing the special edition DVD audio to the preview version but I haven’t had any luck.
Yes, that is in the works and will include English audio.
This is pretty dang cool, man! But I have to ask, if this is only a preview, how much better can the final scan look? Could you give us an idea of what it’ll be like?
This is my first ever time doing anything like this, so I’m not sure exactly what level of quality I’ll be able to achieve. I’ll have a better idea soon, once I’ve made some substantial progress.
By happy accident, I was in the process of re-converting my Star Wars blu-rays and the theatrical ‘bonus’ discs for my son’s tablet and I ran across the ‘Despecialized’ movie posters online. Curiosity piqued, I ended up here.
I’ll sheepishly admit to a small amount of internal whining, grumbling, and wondering if the ‘extra’ steps required for downloading and opening was going to be worth it. Holy crap!
The quality of these versions is absolutely astonishing! I can’t imagine all of the time and energy (and love) that went into creating these.
THANK-YOU Harmy & everyone else who contributed to this effort!
Glad you went through the effort to get them, they are definitely worth it. I love Despecialized (and many of the other projects around here, too).
Thanks StanTheStrongArm for an awesome donation 😃
Made a quick $10 donation after noticing the button up top and seeing the thread for the first time. I’m hoping to make my contribution a monthly one soon, and perhaps at a bigger dollar amount. I think we can keep the site up with crowdfunding.