Here is an update on the progress, thanks to PhineusBg and Nighthawks FanDVD for the great work so far.
Turns out that multiple cuts will need to be restored in order to make a Extended Version Master
CLICK HERE FOR A SPECIAL LOOK AT SOME OF THE HIGHLANDER 2 SUPPLEMENTS THAT MAY BE ON THE ULTIMATE DVD SET FOR 2007-08.
Note: The restored Music video and the Theatrical trailer have been limited releases in the past - Internationally Only
Highalnder 2 Restored Music Video - One Dream by Lou Gramm
HIGHLANDER II: ORIGINAL THEATRICAL FULL TRAILER
HIGHLANDER - WHO WANTS TO LIVE - FOREVER MUSIC VIDEO - AS HEARD IN HIGHLANDER I AND II
A sneak peak at the proposed Highlander Vengence Anime Film for 2008
The masters will consist of the following: The American Cut, The British Cut, The German Cut, The Renegade Cut and the 2004 Special Edition Cut All cuts must be restored to the best possible using the best known footage.
PhineusBg is going BALLS out on these versions and I am working on the DVD menus as well as the Supplementals.
Because we need to restore all the versions to have correct masters for the Exteneded Cuts and the proposed Re-Cut we need all the footage in the best possible condition. There are two phases so far that we are working on.
THESE ARE THE PHASES THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING WORKED ON -
PHASE ONE: PREPARING THE MASTERS
To Create My "American Theatrical Version" Master:
1. Convert the video of my PAL Fullscreen American Version DVD to 23.976fps to get proper running time.
2. Convert the audio to the proper NTSC running time. This audio is 2 channel stereo AC3. Burn this DVD with 3:2 pulldown to a single-layer blank.
3. Result is a Fullscreen NTSC DVD with properly synched 2 channel stereo AC3 audio, which can be used as a fullscreen (video) master of the American Theatrical Version in the future if needed.
4. Strip the above stereo audio, and convert it to mono.
5. My Converted Widescreen French PAL DVD of the American Cut has tinny vocal audio due to poor quality of the American Vocal Channel.
To resolve this, I will replace the Vocal Channel with the mono audio created in Step 4 (manually synched). Then burn this DVD with 3:2 pulldown to a dual-layer blank.
6. Result is a high-quality anamorphic widescreen NTSC of the American Theatrical Version, with excellent 5.1 AC3 audio.
To Create My "Special Edition" Master:
1. No conversion needed. The DVD of the Special Edition is already in high-quality 5.1 surround and in dual-layer anamorphic NTSC format. Note, however, that I will need to convert this DVD to 23.976fps for editing purposes.
To Create My "Renegade Version" Master:
1. Convert the video of my letterboxed Renegade Version DVD to Anamorphic Widescreen 23.976fps.
2. Due to compression of the letterboxed Renegade Version DVD, I will replace as many scenes as possible with my Special Edition Master, and my American Theatrical Version Master.
3. Due to the Renegade Version DVD having only 2 channel audio, I will use as much of my Special Edition Master 5.1 audio as possible. Any other audio (probably only one scene), will be
converted to 5.1 surround manually. Burn this DVD with 3:2 pulldown to a dual-layer blank.
4. Result is a high-quality anamorphic widescreen NTSC of the Renegade Version, with excellent 5.1 AC3 audio.
To Create My "German Language NTSC" DVD Master:
1. Convert the video of my PAL German Language DVD to it's proper anamorphic NTSC proportions, and convert the frame rate to 23.976fps to get proper running time.
2. Convert the audio to the proper NTSC running time. This audio is 5.1 channel stereo AC3. Burn this DVD with 3:2 pulldown to a single-layer blank.
6. Result is a high-quality anamorphic widescreen NTSC of the German Language Version, with 5.1 AC3 audio.
NOTE: The censorship of the German DVD will remain for purity purposes.
To Create My "It's So Blue" Raw Video/Audio Footage Master:
1. Convert the "It's So Blue" video of the fullscreen TV Master to 23.976fps anamorphic NTSC widescreen proportions, cropping out subtitles.
2. Convert the "It's So Blue" audio of the fullscreen TV Master to 5.1 audio.
3. Result is anamorphic widescreen NTSC 5.1 Video/Audio footage of the Raw "It's So Blue" Footage.
To Create My "Fairytale Ending - Brenda Takes Connor's Hands" Raw Video Footage Master:
1. Convert to 23.976fps and color-correct the very last shot of the fairytale ending footage found
on the Special Edition deleted scenes section (where Brenda takes Connor's hands).
This shot is exactly the same as the British Version.
2. Result is anamorphic widescreen NTSC video footage of the Raw "Brenda Takes Connor's Hands" Footage.
To Create My "Fairytale Ending (British Version)" Footage Master:
1. Convert the "Fairytale Ending" video of the fullscreen TV Master to anamorphic NTSC widescreen proportions, cropping out subtitles. Apply 3:2 pulldown.
2. Convert the "Fairytale Ending" audio of the fullscreen TV Master to 5.1 audio.
3. Replace the "Brenda Takes Connor's Hands" fullscreen video footage shot with the new high-quality Raw Video Footage Master.
3. Result is anamorphic widescreen NTSC 5.1 Video/Audio footage of the "Fairytale Ending (British Version)" Footage.
To Create My "Deleted Scenes" Footage Master:
1. Convert to 23.976fps the deleted scenes found on the Special Edition deleted scenes section.
2. Apply music, sound effects, and special effects (if needed) to the deleted scenes.
3. Convert audio to 5.1 surround.
4. Result is anamorphic widescreen NTSC 5.1 Video/Audio footage of the "Deleted Scenes" Footage.
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With the Masters made, we can now make the various extended cuts:
PHASE TWO: CREATING THE NEW CUTS DVD'S:
To Create My "British Version" Master:
NOTE: All footage used will first have to be converted to 23.976fps for editing purposes.
1. Use the best elements of the Special Edition, American Theatrical Version, and Renegade Version Masters
for any scenes that are NOT different from the British Version.
2. Any elements in the British Version that are different from the above Masters,
will use the German video and/or audio, with the exception of the "It's So Blue!" and "Fairytale Ending (British Version)" scenes.
3. Use the new Footage Masters of the "Fairytale Ending" (British Version) and "It's So Blue" scenes.
4. Apply 3:2 pulldown and burn to blank DVD.
4. Result is a high-quality anamorphic widescreen NTSC of the British Version, with excellent 5.1 AC3 audio.
NOTE: There will be no censorship, as the British Version is uncensored.
To Create My "Full Uncut Version" Master:
NOTE: This is a Full Cut with original special effects. (Including ALL voiceovers and prolouge text, with all Planet Zeist references, some deleted scenes restored, and the fairytale ending reintegrated).
NOTE: All footage used will first have to be converted to 23.976fps for editing purposes.
1. Use the proper (and best) elements of the Special Edition, American Theatrical Version, British Version, Deleted Scenes, and Renegade Version Masters.
2. Apply 3:2 pulldown and burn to blank dual-layer DVD.
3. Result is a high-quality anamorphic widescreen NTSC of the Full Uncut Version, with excellent 5.1 AC3 audio.
NOTE: Any footage that can't be reintegrated, will be on the DVD as supplementary material.
To Create My "Extended Version" Master:
NOTE: This is an Extended Cut with original special effects. (But will NOT have the two voiceovers and prolouge text).
NOTE: All footage used will first have to be converted to 23.976fps for editing purposes.
1. Use the proper (and best) elements of the Special Edition, American Theatrical Version, British Version, Deleted Scenes, and Renegade Version Masters.
2. Apply 3:2 pulldown and burn to blank dual-layer DVD.
3. Result is a high-quality anamorphic widescreen NTSC of the Extended Version, with excellent 5.1 AC3 audio.
NOTE: Any footage that can't be reintegrated, will be on the DVD as supplementary material.
To Create My "Extended Version with new FX" Master:
NOTE: This is an Extended Cut with the Special Edition special effects. (But will NOT have the two voiceovers and prolouge text).
NOTE: All footage used will first have to be converted to 23.976fps for editing purposes.
1. Use the proper (and best) elements of the Special Edition, American Theatrical Version, British Version, Deleted Scenes, and Renegade Version Masters.
2. Apply 3:2 pulldown and burn to blank dual-layer DVD.
3. Result is a high-quality anamorphic widescreen NTSC of the Extended Version with new FX, with excellent 5.1 AC3 audio.
NOTE: Any footage that can't be reintegrated, will be on the DVD as supplementary material.
To Create My "Extended Zeist Version with new FX" Master:
NOTE: This is an Extended Cut with the Special Edition special effects. (But will NOT have the two voiceovers and prolouge text, or the fairytale ending).
NOTE: All footage used will first have to be converted to 23.976fps for editing purposes.
1. Use the proper (and best) elements of the Special Edition, American Theatrical Version, British Version, Deleted Scenes, and Renegade Version Masters.
2. Apply 3:2 pulldown and burn to blank dual-layer DVD.
3. Result is a high-quality anamorphic widescreen NTSC of the Extended Version with new FX, with excellent 5.1 AC3 audio.
NOTE: Any footage that can't be reintegrated, will be on the DVD as supplementary material.
To Create My "PhineasBg Version" Master:
NOTE: This is an Special Cut with the Special Edition special effects. (This is a special cut I will be making to make the film more "serious". This cut will have the Special Edition effects. There will be Zeist references, but it will not be "Planet Zeist." Instead, it will be "The Land of Zeist." The "future" references from the Renegade Cut will remain. It will have some deleted scenes restored. Many goofy parts,like the Airplane Video, will be removed. No fairytale ending.).
NOTE: All footage used will first have to be converted to 23.976fps for editing purposes.
1. Use the proper (and best) elements of the Special Edition, American Theatrical Version, British Version, Deleted Scenes, and Renegade Version Masters.
2. Apply 3:2 pulldown and burn to blank dual-layer DVD.
3. Result is a high-quality anamorphic widescreen NTSC of the Extended Version with new FX, with excellent 5.1 AC3 audio.
NOTE: Any footage that can't be reintegrated, will be on the DVD as supplementary material.
PROPOSED SUPPLEMENTS
So the final supplemental discs i will create will be -
*Full lenght audio commentary by the PhineusBg and Old Biff discussing the restoration process and why we did thses versions.
* The History of Highlander 2 ( Text)
* Text commentary on the creation process by PhineusBg
* Restored footage comparison then and now.
* Deleted Scenes archive including comparisons and alternate takes not included in the full cut. ( possible commentary to be annouced)
* Lou Gramm " One Dream" Music video - Full Extended Mix
* Original Theatrical Trailers and TV spot
* DVD- ROM feature of a restored bootleg soundtrack