(Updated 1-8-06)
L. A. Story Extended Edition
(Zell Edition? Zell A Story? Los Angeles Story? 16th Anniversary Edition? Still working on a subtitle.)
This has been a dream edit of mine for awhile. Ok, I will admit that’s weird.
I’ve been preserving a EP VHS copy of the Harry Zell scene from the Showtime premiere for over 10 years.
I’ve never been able to make it look good enough to match even the poor quality of the original DVD’s footage.
Finally there is now an official DVD (15th Anniversary) with that scene and more.
(The new DVD is also anamorphic with DD 5.1 audio.) I don’t know how I missed the release of this earlier this year, but I got a sweet deal at Costco.)
Expect:
*More Wacky Weather
*Moral Fiber Health Food Store
*A Walk In L.A. (from the trailer)
*Kazoo Church
*Cemetery Talk
*More Freeway Sign (Parts I & II)
*When Harris Met Harry (this scene is the whole reason for this edit)
*(2 pieces of) The alternate ending
*Harris Skipping to the Bank (another scene in the trailer only)
*Zell Skipping
This accounts for 13 additional minutes.
Scenes not added:
*Scott Bakula as the Boxer (4 parts) - These scenes are not good, which is a shame.
*Harris Skating Argument (out of character for everyone.)
*Harris goes Commercial (sort of funny… sort of, also annoying.)
*Zell Drops In (Abrupt, and without coherent dialog)
}Bonus Features{
*John Lithgow Presents: “Harry Zell Lives Again”. Showtime premiere introduction clip. It includes the reading of Steve Martin’s letter of apology for cutting him from the film.
If you haven’t been reading the thread this is going to be more work print-ish. All of the deleted video is letterboxed and has scratches, hairs, deinterlace artifacts, jitter, warping and is just plain ugly. All of the deleted audio is mono.
Video has had some mild noise reduction and converted to anamorphic. Audio sound fields are expanded whenever possible (and appropriate) to either all 3 front speakers or the full surround experience. This includes some newly added 5.1 sound effects and music.
For the few scenes, this has become a major undertaking.
Currently being seeded on Demonoid.com. This will also be available on RapidShare.com.
Ok, no-one is providing a definitive list of what needs to be done, or in fact even talking about doing this project...
My understanding is the last release has more mute colors, ringing artifacts and is non-anamorphic.
The new release is by and large improved on the above, yet has bad softening and artifacting (from poor digital clean up (They didn't use Lowry).)
Home Theater Forum has a great review: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/showthread.php?t=243216 Giving the video a 3/5 and the audio a 2.5/5.
None of the reviews I read take issue with the new colors, and you know, I really do like them.
Reviews uniformly thrash Little Mermaid's DEHT audio Mix as much as the prior DEHT mixes.
And of course we have this:
(Image missing)
What to do?
1) I suppose the ideal disc would use the sharper (but possibly more flawed) original DVD for the Luma channel (made anamorphic (and possibly properly digitally cleaned). Edit: As long as we're going for the ideal set, let's say we use the PAL DVD's Luma.
2) The new release for the Chroma channel.
3) The original 5.1 audio mix.
4) Bishop's got knee.
->Be aware vertical and horizontal lines will be lost because of different aspect ratios.
Will I be doing it? Sigh, I don't THINK so. Is anyone capable of doing this well?
