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Post #503912

Author
see you auntie
Parent topic
Spielberg comments on digital alterations to his films
Link to post in topic
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/503912/action/topic#503912
Date created
3-Jun-2011, 11:49 PM

Quint from http://www.aintitcool.com/node/49897 had a 50 minute interview with Steven Spielberg about Jaws etc. the whole interview isn't up yet but excerpts are below:

 

Quint: Is there a Jaws Blu-Ray in the works?

Steven Spielberg: Yes, there is. Yes, there is. I’ve already seen some of it. I don’t have a date yet, but there’s a Blu-Ray absolutely in the works.

Quint: I can’t wait, man. I love that the last DVD release actually had the original mono soundtrack on it as well. I wasn’t a fan of the remixed 5.1 sound… the splashing sounded canned…

Steven Spielberg: Oh, I know. I totally understand that. (In the future) there’s going to be no more digital enhancements or digital additions to anything based on any film I direct. I’m not going to do any corrections digitally to even wires that show.

If 1941 comes on Blu-Ray I’m not going to go back and take the wires out because the Blu-Ray will bring the wires out that are guiding the airplane down Hollywood Blvd. At this point right now I think letting movies exist in the era, with all the flaws and all of the flourishes, is a wonderful way to mark time and mark history.

Quint: I’m in total agreement with you. I wish you could talk George (Lucas) into doing the same thing!

Steven Spielberg: Well, I can’t!

Quint: (laughs) Yeah, I don’t think anybody can!

Steven Spielberg: George goes his own way and I respect him for it, but my new philosophy on this is to let sleeping dogs lie.

Quint: That’s great news for film lovers.

Steven Spielberg: When people ask me which E.T. they should look at, I always tell them to look at the original 1982 E.T. If you notice, when we did put out E.T. we put out two E.T.s. We put out the digitally enhanced version with the additional scenes and for no extra money, in the same package, we put out the original ‘82 version. I always tell people to go back to the ’82 version.

Quint: Having the option is the big deal for me. Using the Star Wars example, I don’t think there’d be an outcry if we could watch a nice transfer of the original versions. We’d be like, “George can do what he wants and I’ll watch it… but you know maybe the fans would like the option of watching the movie they fell in love with, too.”

Steven Spielberg: Yeah. And I think the other good thing is that they understand when they see a movie and they suddenly see something that obviously could have been done much better today and could have been corrected in the DVD/Blu-Ray transfer, they really appreciate seeing the strings attached.

If somebody put out George Pal’s War of the Worlds and took the strings off the machines I’d be very upset. When that machine crashes in downtown Hollywood, and you see the strings going from taut to slack, that’s the thing that allows me to both understand this movie is scaring the hell out of me and at the same time this movie is a creation of the human race.

That little taut-to-slack moment of those wires on that wingtip makes the original George Pal War of the Worlds work for me. It embraces my fears and it also alleviates them in the same breath.

 

It doesn't appear Raiders is going to revert back to the way it was (reflection etc) but that digital cliff will be gone. Current HD broadcasts don't have it so I'm happy enough with that.

I would never buy the eventual blu-rays if that cg cliff shot was included. It seems over the top but I draw the line at adding cg to a film as opposed to using cg to remove those guide rails that I never were there (but which totally should still be there).

As it is I'll be passing on the Indy blu-ray box set and wait to buy the films separately as to avoid Crystal Skulls. 

It also seems Spielberg has soured on the 20th Anniversary release of E.T proberly due to how poorly it was received. But it looks as if it will receive the Close Encounters treatment.

I've definitely soured on Spielberg and his output since Catch Me If You Can (loved that movie but have not liked anything of his since) so this candidness and back flipping is refreshing to me.

Can't wait for the full interview and Spielberg's response to "You need to quit beating up on Temple of Doom so much.” I love TOD.