Giorgio Moroder's Metropolis (Released) — Page 4

Author: SilverWook
Time: 18-Jul-2008 10:07 PM
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The Neverending Story has been released on Blu Ray in Europe, so that might present a new opportunity to get that track in better quality?

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Where were you in '77?

Author: caligulathegod
Time: 19-Jul-2008 2:58 AM
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I do plan on experimenting with a technique that should work. Muxman allows you to do a sort of poorman's seamless branching, as long as the alternate scene is exactly the same length as the original. Basically, you make the replaceable scene a cell, and have the IFO playlist point to a different cell when it gets there. I was going to use it for the narrative segments in other languages (the subtitles will be selectable). Assigning different angles should allow the different language threads.

I'm not sure if there is any method to do true seamless branching at home.

Author: Knightmessenger
Time: 19-Jul-2008 11:50 AM
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SilverWook said:

The Neverending Story has been released on Blu Ray in Europe, so that might present a new opportunity to get that track in better quality?

You mean for the Ivory Tower. No because that will be the Doldinger theme that I linked to, not the one by Moroder. I don't know for sure but it's likely the Doldinger Ivory Tower theme made it onto the german soundtrack. Anyways when I recorded off the dvd, I mean I literally recorded off the dvd. I hooked it up to my capture box and played the video through, I didn't rip the audio.

Does the blu-ray release mean The Never Ending Story received a new transfer? Because the movie could sure use a special edition dvd release, I don't know what Warner Brothers is waiting for.

Take back the trilogy. Execute Order '77

http://www.youtube.com/user/Knightmessenger

Author: jsevakis
Time: 19-Jul-2008 11:58 AM
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caligulathegod said:

I do plan on experimenting with a technique that should work. Muxman allows you to do a sort of poorman's seamless branching, as long as the alternate scene is exactly the same length as the original.

That sounds like a very time-intensive and kludgy way of doing multi-angle. The bad things about multi-angle (the low bandwidth ceiling and lack of progressive frame support) still apply, I imagine?

Author: caligulathegod
Time: 19-Jul-2008 12:29 PM
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If it doesn't work, I'll cheat and just use subtitles for the alternate languages on the "And the workers in the depths" animated titles.

Author: skyjedi2005
Time: 22-Jul-2008 11:32 AM (Edited)
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Does anyone actually have the laserdisc rip that is out there with the music videos on it?

I had it once and gave it away in trade. I wish i had a copy to watch as the laserdisc goes for over a hundred dollars just for the japan version with the burnt in subtitles and analog only sound. The only copy i can find for sale of the digital us release goes for 200.00 and a guy in japan owns it.

I wish i had the laserdisc so i could rip the sound full bitrate pcm and not some overly compressed mpeg audio or fake dolby 2.0.

I have spoken to those who saw this in theaters and they say the soundtrack was awesome. I wish someone who had a film print could somehow extract the audio, LOL.

It is probably more likely the germans who got the neverending story for the same reason they got the superior blu ray release of dune. I have always wanted to see the true cut of the neverending story with the real music, the american version is an attrocious piece of crap as far as i'm concerned since i have read the Michael Ende novel.

I'll take a dark symphonic score over an 80's chick rock band ballad anyday.

I do prefer the original organ score as re-recorded by Kino. of course they did not have the technology to record sound back then or it was in its infancy, so the score was played live while the movie was shown like a silent film.

Still the 80's rock soundtrack and color tinting i find amusing in its own way.

Though 24fps was not proper speed for metropolis i read on some german site it was 16fps. or supposedly this was how it was made. but was shown 26fps at the berlin premiere which is weird.

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

Author: caligulathegod
Time: 23-Jul-2008 1:27 AM
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The actual speed is highly debated, but 16fps is absolutely wrong for Metropolis. 1927 was very late in the era of silent films and by then the standard projection rate was pretty close to sound speed 24fps even if the camera speed was not (which by 1927 was around 20-22fps, give or take). The music was composed for ~25fps and the animation sequences were commisioned for the higher rate. It was common convention at the time for films to be projected slightly sped up; in fact, there's reports of complaints that the early sound films were "leaden footed" because filmgoers weren't used to natural speed. Now, I believe that 26fps is absurdly fast regardless of the fact the premiere was that speed. It was probably the studio that insisted on that.

I'm working with the American laserdisc. I actually still haven't ripped the digital, but I have the equipment. I want to see if I can use PCM for the sound rather than compressing it. If I did go to DD, it will be as high bitrate as I can.

Author: jsevakis
Time: 23-Jul-2008 3:43 AM
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If you go PCM, that won't leave much bandwidth/space left for video! It's just stereo, right? DD@384 kbps should be plenty.

Author: SilverWook
Time: 23-Jul-2008 4:40 AM
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Some of us old Laserdisc guys can hear the difference. ;)

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Where were you in '77?

Author: caligulathegod
Time: 23-Jul-2008 5:05 AM
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It's going to be dual layer, but I'm also going to convert it to AVI for those who just want a quick download.

Author: SilverWook
Time: 10-Nov-2008 11:51 PM
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Bumping this back from the dead to post a link to an interesting blog. :)

http://metropolis-redux.blogspot.com/

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Where were you in '77?

Author: NeonBible
Time: 11-Nov-2008 5:23 PM
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Nice work! Can't wait for this.

SilverWook, you avatar pic is so cute! Wheres that from?

Author: caligulathegod
Time: 11-Nov-2008 7:26 PM
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Looks like it took him two years, too. I'd better redouble my efforts. I pulled an X0.

Author: SilverWook
Time: 12-Nov-2008 1:02 AM
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Neonbible, my avatar comes from a 1975 cover painting for Analog Science Fiction magazine.

It's been speculated that the artwork created for a short story in that issue influenced the design of Chewbacca and Wookiees in general.

http://floobynooby.blogspot.com/search?q=wookie

I saw the original piece in a Science Fiction art book back in the 80's, and it only took me eighteen years to find out where it was originally from! ;)

I suspect I saw this cover in the 70's at some point. It certainly got into my subconscious somehow!

And to steer things back on topic, according to DVD Savant, a complete Metropolis print may have been found!

http://www.telegrafo.com.ec/cultura/noticia/archive/cultura/2008/11/09/Apareci_F300_-original-de-Metr_F300_polis-.aspx

I admit I've not heard of a 9.5 mm film format before! Some forgotten competitor to 8mm?

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Where were you in '77?

Author: jsevakis
Time: 12-Nov-2008 1:49 AM
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SilverWook said:
I admit I've not heard of a 9.5 mm film format before! Some forgotten competitor to 8mm?

The surface area is actually pretty close to 16mm, but there were no sprocket holes along the side. Rather, there was a single wide hole below each frame. It was easy to make because film companies could just chop up 35mm stock into three strips. The format was a popular home movie format in the 30s in Europe.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9.5_mm_film)

Getting back to Metropolis, it seems TransitFilm/Filmmuseum Munich is already busily restoring the print, as Kino has confirmed the new version is planned for a Blu-Ray release next year.

Hope you saved your work files. :D

Author: caligulathegod
Time: 12-Nov-2008 4:04 AM
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Maybe that print has the missing footage from the Argentina print.

Author: Monroville
Time: 23-Nov-2008 4:21 AM
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SilverWook said:
The Neverending Story has been released on Blu Ray in Europe, so that might present a new opportunity to get that track in better quality?

Where is it? I've looked at amazon.de and amazon france and couldn't find it.

“You people must realize that the public owns you for life, and when you’re dead, you’ll all be in commercials dancing with vacuum cleaners.”

– Homer Simpson

Author: ferdinandhudson
Time: 23-Nov-2008 5:24 PM (Edited)
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Monroville said:

Where is it? I've looked at amazon.de and amazon france and couldn't find it.

It is a Dutch release. You can order it through Mediadis.

Author: Mielr
Time: 24-Nov-2008 1:11 AM
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That lost Metropolis footage being found was the best movie-related news this decade. I can't wait for the '09 release (I still love the Moroder version, though).