Rocky Horror Picture Show (* unfinished project *)

So this seems like the right time of year for this.

I was a bit disappointed with the DVD release of this film.  To me, watching the movie without an audience is a terrible experience.

The DVD does contain a audience participation track, but I recall it isn’t very clear, and the audio mix is stereo (prologic).

The recent BD release ditches this track entirely and replaces it with a subtitle track telling you what to yell.

I’ve been thinking about taking the audience participation track, running it through a DPL2 decoder, trying to improve the clarity of the audience, and then mix it back into the 5.1 mix (or now perhaps something better with the BD audio available).

I’m sort of leaning towards making a DVD with this track (if it’s from the BD audio, probably as a very high bitrate DD or DTS)… and maybe the audience participation subs if they match up with the audio track.  That way the quality is good for future BD use, just replace the video.

Anyway, is there interest in this?  Any opinions on what form it should take?

Edit: Nevermind, I didn't read SilverWook's post correctly

I'v never gotten to hear the Say It album, I have no idea how it compares.  Not a bad idea though, it is likely to be clearer.

Darth Solo said:

I've heard the flick is going to get a Hollywood re-make, with a Tim Curry cameo......o dear.

I'm not sure if they hope to make it better, or intentionally as bad as the original.  Neither is likely to work.

Doing further research, yes, the audio track remix should work.  I'll post a clip in the next few days.

The process will involve DPL2 decoding the 2.0 participation track.  The audience, which is only in the rear channels, would then be boosted and mixed into the rear channels of the 5.1 track.  It should sound great when finished.

Also, it turns out the BluRay Vintage Callback subtitles are specifically a transcription of the 1983 Say It/Audience Participation Album.  That's interesting.

I'd still like to get my hands on those subs, but have not been able to find them.

Finally, can anyone confirm or deny my current suspicion that the DVD's audience participation track IS the 1983 CD synced to the movie?

SOoo... the thing is the 2.0 participation track is okay if you are listening on a 2.0 device (TV, etc.), but turns to garbage in a ProLogic decoder.

In an attempt to get the dynamic range of the 5.1 track and an audience that is still intelligible in 2 channels or surround, here is a clip of my release candidate.

Original 2-channel mix: http://www.mediafire.com/?ej86185fzz9y28j

Custom 5.1 mix: http://www.mediafire.com/?d4e54ghl9su3pfj

The audience was extracted and then mixed with the 5.1's surround channels, with a little bit in the front L/R so it doesn't sound unnatural.

Opinions?

I did notice that the rear channels sound in-phase now (whereas the original track sounds out of phase).  It wasn't intentional, I'm not sure WHY it happened, and I can't decide if it's better that way or not.

Edit: Would there be more interest if this was done with a higher bitrate BluRay source track?

I meant the audience being mixed with a BluRay sourced track as opposed to the DVD's DD5.1 track.

The BD definitely doesn't have an AP audio track to start with.

I dropped this project... and I really don't remember why.  I'm afraid I just lost interest.

What does the LD audience track contain that the first DVD release does not?

The stereo track might be better.  At least you'd be able to extract the audience with some creative upmixing.

A mono track you're pretty much stuck with as is.