Info: James Bond - Laserdisc Preservations: 1962-1971 — Page 28

Thanks very much. I was beginning to wonder if I was just babbling on a bit too much. ;) I've only noticed the lines in Thunderball on LD due to my new DVD recorder and by minute comparisons. I'll check through YOLT.

To be honest, I'm thinking that because nine films were held up for so long, and most of them were ones with transfers that caused the most concern (Goldeneye) or were merely DVD-era redos (TSWLM for example) that perhaps somebody at MGM/Fox did some extra work before releasing to Blu-ray.

Goldeneye seems to use the old 1995-era master on BD.

I'm convinced that some are not even the UEs. Thunderball looks nothing like the Lowry UE. YOLT, OHMSS and DAF are restored to pre-UE DVD tinkering like LALD was in terms of color and contrast. That said, those three have overblown contrast levels which to me indicate that they may have just been released as-is. TSWLM of course got a brand new transfer, done in-house at MGM/Fox, which has deep color like the above mentioned three and the same enhanced high contrast level which again leads me to believe that Spy's BD is in fact a straight as-is transfer.

My hypothesis: The better presentation, color level and detail in the newer discs/transfers in addition to differences from the Lowry UE DVDs indicate that perhaps these newer transfers may have been sourced from some of the negative scans but were handled by someone at Fox, since these seem more like some of their recent catalog classic reissues on BD.

And keep in mind all, it appears the SEs were new transfers of the same elements done for the scrapped THX LD reissue series. All those I've looked at so far seem to vary from their older LD counterparts in terms of color and contrast.

What does become quickly apparent is just how long MGM re-used the same elements and even the same transfer of the same element over and over again. So far the other big surprises were the opened up 1.55:1 framings and the fact that the MGM and Criterion Dr. No are the same.

If anyone has the Criterion CAV FRWL, let me know.

I never received any response from Criterion. I've also written to the former head of MGM's video department, so we will see what comes about.

Confirmed 4K DCP premiere in Berlin, for Goldfinger.

https://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/retrospektive/retro-presse-detail_26581.html

Several venues stateside have announced or listed 4K DCPs. Seems that about 5 to 10 are completed.

And who the hell knows what they may have done now?

Yes, the overblown contrast on the OHMSS BD really kills it for me.  I prefer the UE DVD or even the SE DVD instead... as the contrast on both is balanced and the colors on the SE seem original and unaltered for the most part.

Because I'm nuts, I've also been digging out my VHS tapes. For some I still have old 90's era broadcast tapings, but these are otherwise the 1995-2000 era series, plus three 1992 "Remastered Collector's Edition" (DN, YOLT, OP), and two of the rare 1995 letterboxed VHS (TB and OHMSS, the latter was my first letterboxed experience.)

I've won a lot with a CAV Criterion FRWL, so here's hoping that gets here soon!

Also, I stumbled across a listing for a UK Derann Super 8mm print of GF that was super clean and sold some time ago. Here are many screenshots I found and reupped: http://s1292.photobucket.com/user/humphreybogart1941/library/Derann%20Super%208mm%20GF

This reveals again, just how good the film should look and how MGM nailed it in 1995. The Criterion looks nothing like this since the print used was apparently of a previous vintage or they applied much color in post, as with their version of Dr. No being hugely colored over the MGM using the same print.

YOLT

92 RCE VHS, 95 VHS, 89 WS LD, CC Vol2 93 WS LD, SE DVD, UE DVD, BD

For fun: 1997-era TBS Superstation broadcast

Looking at the above, I think I'm nuts. ;)

The VHS tapes are same master. Both have a 1992 copyright date on startup. This is also the source of the Japanese women being subtitled "He has just walked by." when speaking into their purse microphones. No idea where this came from.

As I said before, the CC2 LD has more reddish skintones and overall is more colorful than the 1989 LD. This is an overall cast and visible only by going directly back and forth.

SE DVD is a new transfer of the same element with deeper coloring than the slightly more dark CC2 LD reissue. Finer detail but with a heavy black cast, much like the Thunderball SE DVD/THX LD boxset versus previous LDs.

Now here's where it gets weird. This is the first time I'm doing direct and detailed comparisons on a calibrated CRT across formats.

For all intents and purposes when calibrated for DVD, the Lowry UE seems to generally match the colder look of the 1989 LD. I have no idea why or how it happened. Some coloring is different due to operators preferences. The BD seems to be far more accurate and has better blacks and color depth. It also seems to fix the UE's error of screwing up the opening sunset fading into the bay from the titles.

Thus, my theory is that the SE DVD was another THX remaster done for LD and ported to DVD. This explains the different look and saturation level, like Thunderball, and why the others are colder.

The 1989 LD appears to be a straight transfer perhaps with some contrast boosting. The UE was a negative scan, and the BD a better representation of that. If we could find a print reference, perhaps once and for all the actual look could be properly replicated.

Also note: opening gunbarrel and first shot of capsule off center in LDs.

Best scene of comparison: Bond & Ling

captainsolo said:

If anyone has the Criterion CAV FRWL, let me know.

I never received any response from Criterion. I've also written to the former head of MGM's video department, so we will see what comes about.

I have all three discs. What do you need?

I think that guy posts here ;)

FF, I wanted to compare it against the MGM and see if the print used was different. I should have mine here soon.

OHMSS

LD and SE seem different.

The cuts in foreign UK and German prints lead me to believe that this was the source of the differently edited stock car race and placement of those lines, the snafu with Campbell climbing, the reason for the errored shot of the cable car, and the reason why "closed shop" line is missing. All of these were either truncated or missing in various prints/video copies issued in both Germany and the UK for decades. In 1994 the UK VHS reinstated most things and appears to come from the 1991 LD master.

So. The print source used for the abandoned THX LD/SE DVD appears to possibly be from the UK, which explains the edits. Comparing to the LD reveals that the SE has far richer colors-almost to the point of boosting. It has different identifying marks than the LD so it's very likely it was another print. The LD is cropped on the sides and top, but has a few lines extra on the bottom. The SE is much less cropped.

The LD overall appears closer to the colder look of the BD. Not kidding.It's going to take a capture and direct, minute comparisons between all three to really nail down a definitive look. The SE print could have been Technicolor, or the LD could have for all we know.

With the newer BDs all have this heavy contrast bright look to them with deep color, again suggests that perhaps they scrapped the Lowry tinkering and just released the source scan as-is. We know for a fact that they rejected the cropped GE master and just used an old one so there is reason to believe that this is the case. Perhaps the extra Lowry tinkering was only done at 480p?

Sound? LD all the way, better levels in everything, but has several loud pops throughout.

My 1995 Letterboxed VHS is the same as the LD. This tape should be the same as the first uncut UK VHS boxset released in 1996.

With the BD having a much wider available range for information and color, it appears far beyond what older formats were capable of. The LD looks rather flat in comparison, but there may be a few spots of minor color cast differences here and there on the BD. Overall this is far closer than anything I had expected.

So if you want to really enjoy the film stick with either LD, letterbox VHS, or most shocking the BD for the most part.

Holy moly...35mm IB Tech YOLT! Looks a bit dirty, but could something possibly be done?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/YOU-ONLY-LIVE-TWICE-JAMES-BOND-35MM-IB-TECH-SCOPE-PRINT-1967-G-VG-COND-/381134405175?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58bd617e37

DAF

Connery Collection 2 LD and SE DVD same print source. Cleaned up for the DVD, as the black marks on the LD are gone. The DVD is far, far darker and has the full width. The LD is cropped on the sides but has a sliver more headroom. Far, far lighter and with seemingly different colors. Wint & Kidd in the desert is bright and sunny in a dusk sort of way on the LD, whereas on the SE it is dark and black-bluish.

The BD is bright with the contrast and has deep but not very saturated colors. It has appearances of both SE and LD. The UE appears closer to the LD in brightness but is very drab looking.

No idea which looks is correct overall.

captainsolo said:

FF, I wanted to compare it against the MGM and see if the print used was different. I should have mine here soon.

 I think the print is different. I will have to pull it out and look. I seem to remember a lot of print damage on that one. 

LALD

Recalled LBX LD vs LD LBX reissue vs SE DVD vs UE vs BD:

Same print source used for all old copies. The LDs have a different look and feel, much more contrast but more filmmlike. A Blue and green look is felt in places. The older disc was recalled for audio dropouts and mistakenly placing the isolated M&E track on the digital. In comparison, it is much more smeary looking, faded and washed out. The LD reissue is outstanding, great definition coming from a later issue, better color and to be honest may be the best looking regular Bond title on disc--especially CAV Side 3. This reissue opens up the right side of the frame a bit over the previous issue.

Example: The opening torch flames of the main titles are washed out and almost pinkish on the 1st LD, and a proper red on the reissue.

The SE is closer to 1.78 and adds a great deal on top and left with a slight amount on bottom. Color is much richer and blacks are far deeper as part of whatever process was used in the THX mastering originally done for the abandoned LD SE reissue series.

The UE boosts the contrast to awful levels and attempts to smooth out the colors, resulting in a rather waxy, flat and undefined presentation. The contrast is so bad that the black titles are now infused with bright red. By taking a bit of the top and bottom of the SE, you get the UEs 1.85.

The BD attempts to correct all of this, resulting in far better color and a touch of the same higher level of brightness seen on YOLT-OHMSS-DAF. Part of the first wave, this was one quickly noticed to have been corrected or at least changed from the UE. Again, it seems that Lowry may have only done tinkering in 480p for the DVDs. (Remember the R2 discs came out first and many were even worse, having to be fixed for R1.)

The BD looks like the film should from all I can tell. Though perhaps too much grain was removed and the day for night shots are better but still off. Bond smoking on the glider was printed dark-but here is still bright and lit. The SE and better yet the reissue LD off a fuller representation of a release print, with the latter really nailing it for me. It just has that touch of 1973 that isn't quite there on the BD-much like how the original LP has a warmth and vibrancy mixed out of the 2003 expanded soundtrack CD.

So I checked the Criterion CAV FRWL laserdisc vs. THX 1997 DVD and the MGM laserdisc from The Connery Collection Vol. 1 box set. The MGM laser and the THX dvd seem to be the same print. But, The THX DVD and MGM laser are definitely not the same print as the Criterion CAV FRWL. The end titles give it away. On the Criterion CAV FRWL, the "James Bone will return in the next Ian Fleming thriller.. GOLDFINGER" text is removed via an edit. The THX dvd and the MGM laser have that text intact.

Indeed!

Got mine and spun it up to compare. Colors are much more saturated, and indeed the Criterion is a release print. Much more damage, and damage to the audio but still a high level of hiss like the MGM disc. The Connery collection version has less damage, but is opened up and contrast boosted in addition to the pink leanings of earlier telecine work.

The SE DVD is the opposite, deeper color and all. The Criterion seems to be somewhere in the middle as far as look.

TMWTGG

LD and SE share the same print. Must have been rerun and cleaned off for the SE transfer. Aspect ratio identical save for that the SE shifts the framing down a little bit. Color is extremely pushed on SE for some reason. The opening white circles become blue and many shots feature pushed color not present on LD or UE. This is one of the very few where they really seemed to have got it right. The UE looks better on my CRT and like a relatively accurate balance between over-saturated SE and slightly contrasty LD.

The BD is just a 1080p bump of the UE. The LD is phenomenal for the format due to coming out in 1993 and a very rare find. You can't really go wrong with any version. The 1.78 cropping here is much more minimal, from the original 1.85.

The mono suffers from being compressed. The 5.1 spread is very artificial, and so the PCM mono is badly needed.

Also, I noticed that some SEs (GF, TB, LALD, FYEO, TLK, GE, TND) list a "Newly struck widescreen master for optimal PQ and SQ". Perhaps these were the THX LDs that were finished? But it doesn't list the credit on MR, and the GE/TND discs were only reissues...who knows.

Lastly, there are audio glitches in LALD on all LDs...these are really weird, they sound like very tiny faint beeps or pulses that start in the Bond-Kananga confrontation underneath the Fillet of Soul and then pop up again in the underground caverns. Weird. Almost like the element was in hospital.