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THX on 35mm Tech IB preservation - HELP NEEDED (work in progress) — Page 17

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It could be upped to another private tracker that still has an invite system if possible.
It’s less than 5GB, I’m surprised.

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Uploading grindhouse version to mega so PM me if interested.

You really only need to hang mean bastards,
but mean bastards you need to hang.

John ‘The Hangman’ Ruth

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The Vudu version of the “theatrical cut” was the Special Edition too. I knew I shouldn’t have gotten so excited. Ah, well. Damn shame about the TCM airings always being the director’s cut, they ought to be fucking ashamed. That goes against their whole mission statement. With the Disney buyout and all the public interest, there is a possibility of Star Wars eventually having its theatrical cut restored in HD, the chances for THX 1138 are essentially non-existent, especially given the current state of the physical media market.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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It must have aired on TCM at some point in the '90’s, but probably would have been the same as the widescreen Laserdisc master.
I did ask once on the Warner Archive twitter about the possibility of a DVD-R release, but got no response.

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Where were you in '77?

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SilverWook said:

It must have aired on TCM at some point in the '90’s, but probably would have been the same as the widescreen Laserdisc master.

Exactly. Remember seeing it numerous times mid to end of 90’s.

You really only need to hang mean bastards,
but mean bastards you need to hang.

John ‘The Hangman’ Ruth

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According to Osbourne on my VHS tape’s intro, it was the “TCM debut.” He must’ve meant of the director’s cut. I’ve notified Amazon and Vudu that what they list as the theatrical version isn’t, and today I let WB know too. I don’t for one minute expect any answer, but hey. A DVD-R (or preferably Blu-ray MOD) release would be ideal, but I’d bet that pigs will fly before that happens. I hit up WB Archive on Twitter too, for the hell of it.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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So, I finally watched this movie yesterday, thanks to the grindhouse version and it was very interesting - I’m definitely still interested in doing a Despecialized version - the print is in fairly good condition but it would be great, if someone with a good knowledge of this movie could take poita’s scan and identify all the shots that would be needed to replace altered one’s, so that those can be cleaned first.

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Harmy said:

So, I finally watched this movie yesterday, thanks to the grindhouse version and it was very interesting - I’m definitely still interested in doing a Despecialized version - the print is in fairly good condition but it would be great, if someone with a good knowledge of this movie could take poita’s scan and identify all the shots that would be needed to replace altered one’s, so that those can be cleaned first.

It arguably needs it as much as Star Wars. Anyone have the old LD to compare against the 35mm print?

I hit up Warner Archive on Twitter. They didn’t comment on the issue of the so-called theatrical cuts on Vudu and AIV, but said they have “no plans to release the original on disc at this time.” Maybe if more people blew up their Twitter with requests, they’d know there’s a market? I doubt it, but hey.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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It’s George Lucas’ first movie, of course there’s a market. Put From the creator of Star Wars on the cover and it will sell. They release far more obscure stuff through the archive because they don’t print more than needed.

How many people really want to watch this uncut without a guy and two robots riffing on it? 😉

It’s the typical non answer probably because George has the clout to keep the original buried. If TCM can’t show it, then Warner Bros. can’t release it either.

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Where were you in '77?

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Harmy said:

So, I finally watched this movie yesterday, thanks to the grindhouse version and it was very interesting - I’m definitely still interested in doing a Despecialized version - the print is in fairly good condition but it would be great, if someone with a good knowledge of this movie could take poita’s scan and identify all the shots that would be needed to replace altered one’s, so that those can be cleaned first.

The changes are far more extensive than anything done to the Special Editions. I don’t envy you the work you’d have to put in on this one.

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Where were you in '77?

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SilverWook said:

It’s George Lucas’ first movie, of course there’s a market. Put From the creator of Star Wars on the cover and it will sell. They release far more obscure stuff through the archive because they don’t print more than needed.

How many people really want to watch this uncut without a guy and two robots riffing on it? 😉

It’s the typical non answer probably because George has the clout to keep the original buried. If TCM can’t show it, then Warner Bros. can’t release it either.

Which is why I thought that even the alleged presence of the 1971 cut on AIV and Vudu seemed so weird to me; why even pretend it still exists? Like I said, any interested parties here could hit them up on Twitter to ask. Couldn’t hurt.

Speaking of weird, Silverwook, my iPhone shows you having a different avatar than my PC. Strange.

Yeah, it’s probably down to Lucas as usual 😦. I wish there was some way to squeeze like there was with Star Wars, but I just think that the interest level is too low.

The Grindhouse Edition really does look as terrible as advertised 😉.

SilverWook said:

Harmy said:

So, I finally watched this movie yesterday, thanks to the grindhouse version and it was very interesting - I’m definitely still interested in doing a Despecialized version - the print is in fairly good condition but it would be great, if someone with a good knowledge of this movie could take poita’s scan and identify all the shots that would be needed to replace altered one’s, so that those can be cleaned first.

The changes are far more extensive than anything done to the Special Editions. I don’t envy you the work you’d have to put in on this one.

I’d buy that for a dollar 😉.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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Well, my plan is to mostly just clean the print shots and intercut them with the DC where necessary.

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Harmy said:

Well, my plan is to mostly just clean the print shots and intercut them with the DC where necessary.

Hey, Harmy, glad you’re tackling this one! I guess you’ve already seen Movie Censorship’s detailed comparison between LD and DC, but just in case, here it is https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=541751

You really only need to hang mean bastards,
but mean bastards you need to hang.

John ‘The Hangman’ Ruth

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RDPlissken said:

Harmy said:

Well, my plan is to mostly just clean the print shots and intercut them with the DC where necessary.

Hey, Harmy, glad you’re tackling this one! I guess you’ve already seen Movie Censorship’s detailed comparison between LD and DC, but just in case, here it is https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=541751

Yeah, that’s certainly the most thorough comparison out there at the moment. There are probably changes that it doesn’t mention, but none that I have seen anyone discuss yet.

Either way, it serves as a starting point, and following it would most likely account for the vast majority of necessary shots being accounted for.

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Glad you enjoyed it Harmy!

So a couple years ago, I watched all the versions of THX side to side so I have a pretty good idea at what the differences are and where to find them. Also, as the creator of the Grindhouse version, I can safely say that while it wouldn’t be impossible to despecialize the film using the Bluray, anyone attempting this is going to run into the following issues:

  1. The computer screens: all of the warning signs are in Italian on the print and therefore the only other sources we have are faded and cropped 16mm prints and the LD. These were all changed for the BD.

  2. The scene with THX and SRT in the room with the fetuses: this occurs at a reel change and there is a good chunk of footage missing on the print at this point in time. To make matters worse, the bottles were ‘enhanced’ on the BD, so this would require some kind of rotoscoping using the LD or the 16mm prints.

  3. The sunset ending: It’s a shame that the end titles are in Italian on the print because the BD sunset has some weird halo-ing artifacts around THX (noise reduction artifacts?). Maybe this can be fixed…?

TL;DR: It’s a shame we don’t have any more sources to work from like we do for Star Wars.

What’s the internal temperature of a TaunTaun? Luke warm.

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Mavimao said:

Glad you enjoyed it Harmy!

So a couple years ago, I watched all the versions of THX side to side so I have a pretty good idea at what the differences are and where to find them. Also, as the creator of the Grindhouse version, I can safely say that while it wouldn’t be impossible to despecialize the film using the Bluray, anyone attempting this is going to run into the following issues:

  1. The computer screens: all of the warning signs are in Italian on the print and therefore the only other sources we have are faded and cropped 16mm prints and the LD. These were all changed for the BD.

  2. The scene with THX and SRT in the room with the fetuses: this occurs at a reel change and there is a good chunk of footage missing on the print at this point in time. To make matters worse, the bottles were ‘enhanced’ on the BD, so this would require some kind of rotoscoping using the LD or the 16mm prints.

  3. The sunset ending: It’s a shame that the end titles are in Italian on the print because the BD sunset has some weird halo-ing artifacts around THX (noise reduction artifacts?). Maybe this can be fixed…?

TL;DR: It’s a shame we don’t have any more sources to work from like we do for Star Wars.

Perhaps another print will show up one day?

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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Mike O said:

Mavimao said:

Glad you enjoyed it Harmy!

So a couple years ago, I watched all the versions of THX side to side so I have a pretty good idea at what the differences are and where to find them. Also, as the creator of the Grindhouse version, I can safely say that while it wouldn’t be impossible to despecialize the film using the Bluray, anyone attempting this is going to run into the following issues:

  1. The computer screens: all of the warning signs are in Italian on the print and therefore the only other sources we have are faded and cropped 16mm prints and the LD. These were all changed for the BD.

  2. The scene with THX and SRT in the room with the fetuses: this occurs at a reel change and there is a good chunk of footage missing on the print at this point in time. To make matters worse, the bottles were ‘enhanced’ on the BD, so this would require some kind of rotoscoping using the LD or the 16mm prints.

  3. The sunset ending: It’s a shame that the end titles are in Italian on the print because the BD sunset has some weird halo-ing artifacts around THX (noise reduction artifacts?). Maybe this can be fixed…?

TL;DR: It’s a shame we don’t have any more sources to work from like we do for Star Wars.

Perhaps another print will show up one day?

One can hope!

What’s the internal temperature of a TaunTaun? Luke warm.

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TCM did originally run the non-tampered with version. It was how I first saw the film as a child and I remember vividly having to stay up secretly to watch the absurd late night/early morning on a school night timeslot. I’m pretty sure today that it would have been the LD video master as they used video masters from that era-progressing to DVD era masters until the moment recently when they started airing a few HD masters on their HD broadcasts.

For a few years I watched the fan transfer of the LD that was made. I think its still around someplace. Eventually once I went LD mad I got my own copy and they aren’t that expensive. For LD it’s a decent but not great transfer much like most Warner discs of that time period.

WAC would be the people to do it, but I doubt if anyone would go against GL’s wishes and I’m sure there are rights complications in today’s world-not to mention that perhaps some ownership on the film changed during the 2004 Director’s Cut.

EDIT-the old LD capture is spleened still.

VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
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SilverWook said:

Has this been seen before?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-THX-1138-George-Lucas-Orig-MOVIE-PRESS-KIT-W-9-Photos-PROMO-Scarce/273028784809

Yeah, I came across it back in 2004-5 on eBay; it had an asking price of $150, and it came in a different but similar folder. It never sold and I never saw it relisted. This particular presskit is pretty rare and I’ve only seen maybe 2 copies of it in the wild. The $99 price-tag isn’t terrible but I think it’s still too high: $50 is probably more realistic. Outside the typed information sheets, the 8x10s are readily available and there isn’t much here to justify such a high price. But maybe someone will see the value in it?

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RDPlissken said:

Harmy said:

Well, my plan is to mostly just clean the print shots and intercut them with the DC where necessary.

Hey, Harmy, glad you’re tackling this one! I guess you’ve already seen Movie Censorship’s detailed comparison between LD and DC, but just in case, here it is https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=541751

That comparison is wrong! It claims that the letterboxed laser disc is the original version, but it ain’t. The colour timing on that laser disc is completely wrong, for example, the opening credits were not originally white, they were green. The 2004 version’s colour timing is actually much closer to the original. Also, the gold Warner Bros logo wasn’t used originally. The 2004 version restored the correct Warner Bros logo. I have a copy of an earlier pan and scan VHS, which predates the letterboxed release. On the pan and scan VHS, the opening titles are green and the Warner Bros logo is the red one. Also, the colour timing is much warmer.

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They don’t have the benefit of knowing all the differences we’ve uncovered beginning with the Italian tv recording. The Laserdisc is probably the 1978 reissue version.

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Where were you in '77?

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SilverWook said:

They don’t have the benefit of knowing all the differences we’ve uncovered beginning with the Italian tv recording. The Laserdisc is probably the 1978 reissue version.

The (widely available) pan & scan VHS is the same cut of the film as the letterboxed laserdisc and VHS. Except the letterboxed version has an anachronistic Warner logo and altered colour timing. You don’t need to be a member of Original Trilogy to know that laserdisc isn’t the original version of the film.

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But it helps. 😉 I’ve seen at least one Blu Ray review where the author was totally unaware they were not watching the unaltered 1971 film. And don’t get me started on people who think Jabba was present in the 1977 release of Star Wars…

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Where were you in '77?

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The differences between the original and the 78 reissue are small enough, I can see people not knowing which one they watched.

The only big differences are that certain scenes are rearranged in the middle of the film and there is an additional 30 seconds between SEN and the young boys. That’s it.

The laserdisc is indeed the 78 reissue. The only available versions of the original theatrical cut are film prints.

What’s the internal temperature of a TaunTaun? Luke warm.