The Phantom Menace - Theatrical version scanned in 4K (a WIP)

Today is probably the good date to officialy announce that a scan in 4K, based on a 35mm in very good condition, is currently in progress.
And it will be done twice 😃

• a first scan (in 4K) will be processed as soon as possibly by a Parisian lab, so that I can use it to finish my ongoing despecialized edition (https://originaltrilogy.com/topic/ZigZigs-THE-PHANTOM-MENACE-Theatrical-reconstruction-1080p-V10-work-in-progress/id/61295)
• then the reels will be shared with some people from OT (I don’t know if I can name them), and a second scan will be processed with the best available scanner.

I received a few days ago from the lab in Paris a first test scan of reel 4 (made with a simple 720p scan), just to analyze the average condition of the reel before scanning it with a brand new 4K scanner. The lab scanned the entire reel… in 25 fps (the French standard) so it is not currently usable (there are ghosting artefacts and interpolated frames). Damn French people, always thinking that the world needs their own standards!

But It looks just gorgeous, even in 25 fps: the reel is in PERFECT condition, it looks like it was never projected before, the colors are perfectly preserved. The lab made NO correction at all (white balance, DNR or something else) and the rough result is astonishingly good.

The 4K scan will be obviously done in 24 fps, can’t wait to get it 😊

Happy birthday to TPM!

Is it comparable to the Blu Ray and HDTV broadcast in detail?

Based on the test reel in 720p, it is by far better than the HDTV broadcast :

• no Edge Enhancement
• no exagerate cropping
• no awful colors.

It seems to be more detailed than the HDTV, but it is difficult to compare a new rough scan with an old artificially sharpened one.

It is obviously a little bit less detailed than the Blu-Ray (which was scanned from the original negative, not from a theatrical 35 mm), but IMHO, the image is more natural than the Blu-Ray: there is no DNR (so you don’t get Qui-Gon’s wax face as in the Blu-Ray, the grain is preserved)… and the original alien subtitles are there.

That’s great news!

Good luck on the scan! Hopefully, this print won’t try and kill you! 😉

It’s not a lethal one…

Thank goodness

Nice!

Great! Will you be needing donations to cover any costs?

Finally! Can’t wait to see this project’s progress!

Will this print be used for 4K99?

CourtlyHades296 said:

Will this print be used for 4K99?

They’re making that?

CourtlyHades296 said:

Will this print be used for 4K99?

I’m not a member of the 4kxx team, but I don’t think there is an ongoing 4k99 project.

Omni said:

Great! Will you be needing donations to cover any costs?

Thank you for asking.
The entire process will probably cost about $10k, but I don’t want to ask for money, since many people (including me) already made donations for other aborted projects.
So let’s say that there is no donation for now. I’ll see later, with other OT members, if something can/must be asked.

Thank you. It would be very generous of you to spend that much, share with everyone, and not accept any financial help.

Very well, thanks for the reply and for all the effort. In case of financial trouble I (and other members, certainly) volunteer to help cover the costs. $10k is quite a bit of money.

And from my understanding, Team Negative1 has no TPM prints, so… with several Star Wars and other media projects being worked on right now by the team, I doubt 4K99 is a priority.

ZigZig said:

CourtlyHades296 said:

Will this print be used for 4K99?

I’m not a member of the 4kxx team, but I don’t think there is an ongoing 4k99 project.

There isn’t, but there’s a thread on those forums discussing the possibility. It wasn’t started by any TN1 members though.

Is there going to be a Grindhouse release of this? I’d love to see all of the scenes that were removed for the VHS/DVD/Blu Ray.
Like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uvad9uSc9k

Morphzero said:

Is there going to be a Grindhouse release of this?

I second that.

The Gen X’ers and Millennials, here, first saw the TPM on the big screen via 35mm prints. Despite the film’s short-comings—for me, it was the lack of humor…JarJar’s comic relief wasn’t enough—seeing those random flashes of dust-marks, and reel-change cue marks on TPM, would bring me back to a happier time at the movies.

Morphzero said:

Is there going to be a Grindhouse release of this? I’d love to see all of the scenes that were removed for the VHS/DVD/Blu Ray.
Like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uvad9uSc9k

This scene is made by a fan.

alexp120 said:

Morphzero said:

Is there going to be a Grindhouse release of this?

I second that.

The Gen X’ers and Millennials, here, first saw the TPM on the big screen via 35mm prints. Despite the film’s short-comings—for me, it was the lack of humor…JarJar’s comic relief wasn’t enough—seeing those random flashes of dust-marks, and reel-change cue marks on TPM, would bring me back to a happier time at the movies.

^

Morphzero said:

Is there going to be a Grindhouse release of this? I’d love to see all of the scenes that were removed for the VHS/DVD/Blu Ray.
Like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uvad9uSc9k

Nothing was removed for the VHS or laserdisc. Those are both the theatrical version. And

ChainsawAsh said:

Morphzero said:

Is there going to be a Grindhouse release of this? I’d love to see all of the scenes that were removed for the VHS/DVD/Blu Ray.
Like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uvad9uSc9k

Nothing was removed for the VHS or laserdisc. Those are both the theatrical version. And

you are a master of suspense