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Help Wanted: for a 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' - Restoration

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Hey, Everyone… I am in need of help with trying to restore The Rocky Horror Picture Show. As a lot of you fans are aware, there were multiple scenes in the movie that were blue tinted and the BD omitted them for some odd reason. I would like help restoring them back into the BD. I need some reference on what the blue tint looked like in the time warp flashback scene toward the end of the movie. The Brad seduction scene is easy because the DVD had it in it’s correct tint. Does anyone have any reference material to the time warp flashback blue tint available? Pictures, videos… anything? I read that every home video release omitted the time warp tint, can anyone confirm this? I have owned the VHS, Laserdisc, DVD and BD… other than that I haven’t seen it any other way.

Another issue with the BD is that the Science Fiction/Double Feature lips opening sequence is in the incorrect aspect ratio. That also needs fixed.

The last issue is that the original mono track is tampered with on the BD, The end credits time warp instrumental is an alternate version and not the original one… I have the DVD and the original mono is completely original on it, so we could use the DVD for the audio. The Laserdisc also has an alternate mix for the film and that would be great to sync to the BD as well.

RHPS is my very favorite musical and I hate that it was botched on BD. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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I think the odds are pretty good there will a 40th anniversary release this year. Hopefully, Fox will fix those issues.

I have heard the LD box set had a different audience participation track than the DVD, but can't confirm it.

Where were you in '77?

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I hope Fox fixes the issues, it was very sloppy of them to screw it up. I wish actual hardcore fans did the remastering of these films, instead of people who obviously know nothing of the films they remaster.

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What's interesting about Fox botching the transfer here is that there are tons of references playing throughout the country at midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.

The laserdisc had the original home video remix. I think Chase stereo-ized the bulk of the soundtrack, but the songs were (mostly) sourced from the soundtrack album. It is definitely a different mix from what appeared on the DVDs and Blu-rays.

I will check the LD audience participation track when I get home. It might also be worthwhile for a definitive project to sync the “Audience Partici — pation” album as well.

“That’s impossible, even for a computer!”

“You don't do ‘Star Wars’ in Dobly.”

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Yes, I noticed that the LD songs mixes were taken from the soundtrack. I like that mix, I prefer the original mono though. I'd like to include the LD soundtrack on the BD as well. Thanks,  StarThoughts for looking into the participation track. Can anyone get ahold of the HDX RHPS transfer? If I am remembering right, the lips are not in their incorrect aspect ratio on that version. If we could get that for the project... the rest would be fairly easy to fix.

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I have checked the 20th Anniversary laserdisc against the 25th Anniversary DVD (the Blu-ray copy I have does not have an audience participation track).

The audience participation track is the same recording as that on the DVD as it is on the laserdisc, but it's mixed differently, with the film soundtrack more prominent on the DVD, while it is barely audible on the laserdisc (which actually makes it more tedious, because you can't hear what the audience is responding to).

However, the laserdisc track starts earlier, during the Fox Video logo — on the laserdisc there is the chant to “Start the @#$%ing flick,” while on the DVD there is a spoken disclaimer during the 20th Century Fox logo that there is no audience participation during “Super Heroes.”

The 1983 “Audience Partici — pation” album, on the other hand, is a distinct recording.

“That’s impossible, even for a computer!”

“You don't do ‘Star Wars’ in Dobly.”

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Very interesting on the differences on that track. I never knew about that.

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Oh, and the DVD track has the audience in stereo, while the LD is mono to make room for the commentary on the other analog channel.

“That’s impossible, even for a computer!”

“You don't do ‘Star Wars’ in Dobly.”

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Thanks for the information. Do you know if there are multiple mixes of the films soundtrack on various LDs? I only own the pan & scan US release from 1992.

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The 20th Anniversary Edition has the same mix as the original P&S edition. I know this because I made a tape recording of the VHS tape released at the same time as that original LD, and it was the same mix as on the THX LD box set.

The 5.1 sound mix that's on the DVD was significantly different, but as near as I can tell, that's the same mix that's on the Blu-ray. The DVD was the first time the original mono track was offered as an option on home video.

“That’s impossible, even for a computer!”

“You don't do ‘Star Wars’ in Dobly.”

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Yeah, the BD had the original mono like the DVD, but for some reason the time warp instrumental end credits track was changed to a different version... it was the 5.1 remix version. I have no idea why.