JayArgonaut

Croweyes1121 said:

I don’t know about anyone else, but this is my most anticipated release in years. I really can’t believe they’re doing this. I probably won’t believe it until I see it.

You’re not alone. I’ve long hoped to see something like this. I own the 1901-1980 Trilogy on VHS and whilst I was delighted to get hold of the AMC broadcast (presented in HD and OAR), it was an inevitably censored version. HBO are offering something that’s unprecedented and I can’t wait to see it.

I’m curious as to where (and how) they’ve managed to obtain this version from, considering what’s discussed here:

“There were no plans at this point to release the chronological version on DVD. Francis said that the films were meant to be seen with the flashbacks, and I tend to agree. The biggest plus of having The Godfather Trilogy or Epic on tape, or watching The Godfather Saga on TV, was all the extra footage included… …Francis didn’t give a firm “no” though; he cited technical reasons for not being able to include all the extra footage on DVD: the different scenes are in various levels of production (“they weren’t mixed and scored”), making it difficult to add them seemlessly with today’s technology. Maybe, but they seemed to be okay in the boxed sets…”

http://www.thegodfathertrilogy.com/godfather.html

Papai2013 said:

My definition of what a Telecine is may have been slightly misguided, but The Dark Knight copy I was talking about was not a telesync camrip, it was a telecine done from a theatrical print. I prefer its colours over the Bluray becasue the TC shows the proper theatrical colour timing. The picture is slightly warmer and the blues shift towards purple. The HDTV version uses the same cool tone colours as the bluray and uses the same master as well. Just pan scanned in the 35mm segments and cropped to 1.78:1 in the IMAX segments.

Thanks for the information. It looks like the HDTV version I have (recorded from British television) is different to the one you describe because it has a constant 2.35:1 aspect ratio, same as my retail DVD.

Papai2013 said:

No no, this is not a screener, it’s a telecine which are stabilised recordings of a 35mm release print from inside the projection booth, rather than by amateurs with shaky cams inside the cinema hall (telesync). These show the true colours and brightness of a projected 35mm print.

A telecine is completely different:

“A copy captured from a film print using a machine that transfers the movie from its analog reel to digital format. These were rare because telecine machines for making these prints were very costly and very large. However, they have recently become much more common. Telecine has basically the same quality as DVD, since the technique is same as digitizing the actual film to DVD. However, the result is inferior since the source material is usually a lower quality copy reel. Telecine machines usually cause a slight left-right jitter in the picture and have inferior color levels compared to DVD.”

A Telesync is produced by setting up a semi-pro/pro camera within the cinema, often in the projection booth. The copies obtained from “shaky cams” are known simply as cam’s, not telesyncs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirated_movie_release_types

Back to TDK… Would you rate the HDTV version as being superior in colours, tones etc to that of the BD?

SilverWook said:

I’m not sure any version of TOS is airing on U.S. tv right now. I know TNG was running the SD versions of TNG last year when the channel was briefly unscrambled on my system. Maybe something will happen for the 50th anniversary? CBS seems to think streaming is where the money is now though.

Strange that. In the UK, CBS runs TOS Remastered in perpetuity on one of their FTA channels.

althor1138 said:

It’s been awhile since I broke out the TOS and watched it on Blu-ray but I seem to remember the original effects scenes were of pretty decent quality and blended in well with the surrounding material. I was very impressed with how they handled the whole “upgrade” situation. To be honest, I just watch the upgraded versions usually because they upgraded it with tender, loving care.

As a Star Wars fan, I dearly appreciate the fact that they were as interested, just as much as I am, in keeping the original footage available though.

There was an interview with “Rod” Roddenberry, I think on CNN or CBS when the remastered sets were about to be released and he assured the newscaster and the viewers that unlike the situation with another well known Sci-Fi franchise, the CGI upgraded versions will always exist alongside the unaltered originals.

digitalfreaknyc said:

HBO is airing the Epic in HD, starting on the 17th. Looks like I’m going to completely re-cap the whole thing 😃

http://migration.hbo.com/#/schedule/detail/The+Godfather+Epic/392254

If it’s on a channel like HBO, then does that mean it will be uncut, like the home video releases of Epic but also in widescreen? Only time will tell but I can’t wait to find out. Please, please, cap this!

Mike O said:

Well, off the top of my head… the teal-washed version of Aliens.

You mean the non teal-washed version, right? 😃

Despite the horrific teal vandalism visited upon the Blu-Ray and HDTV broadcasts, the original isn’t lost though. I own the 1999 NTSC SE DVD and there are tons of copies available to purchase brand new.

According to this blog, the original theatrical versions of the first two Godfather films are lost, due to irresponsible behaviour during the first 80s home video transfers, colour correction “guidance” imposed by Gordon Willis upon Robert Harris’s team during the “Coppola Restoration” and then Paramount’s destruction of the original negatives once the project was completed.

Makes for depressing reading.

http://www.godfathermuseum.blogspot.co.uk/2012_04_09_archive.html

http://godfathermuseum.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/screen-shots-and-technical-errata.html

Wazzles said:

JayArgonaut said:

Another one that I forgot is Die Hard… Apparently the German dialogue spoken by Hans Gruber’s heist team was re-recorded for the home video versions, starting from the remastered Special Edition VHS release, to resolve grammar and punctuation issues that were present in the theatrical cut. Only Alan Rickman’s German dialogue remains uncorrected.

I don’t know if McTiernan has followed the footsteps of Lucas/Spielberg by ensuring Fox only provide the fixed version for TV broadcasts, I’d have to compare my W/S THX VHS and SE DVD alongside my HDTV recording to confirm.

When did the special edition VHS come out? I have an old widescreen Laserdisc version I could look at alongside the Blu Ray.

I can’t find a confirmed date but going on my personal knowledge… There are two VHS releases of Die Hard that are billed as “Special Editions” (and “digitally remastered”), one that was released in the UK around 1991 (alongside widescreen versions of Alien and the Star Wars trilogy) and then a 1997 NTSC/PAL THX W/S VHS release (this is the one that I own).

If you do a comparison, let me know. I’d be interested in the outcome. 😃

Neglify said:

Hahaha, I just learned about this one…

“The Santa Clause” (1994)

The theatrical and original VHS version had a scene with Tim Allen talking to his ex-wife and she gives him the phone number where she’ll be spending Christmas. Allen looks at the number and makes the joke, “1-800-SPANK-ME. I know that number.”

They had to cut the scene after a couple kids actually called 1-800-SPANK-ME and were redirected to a 900 number phone sex line and racked up over $500 in charges.

Source: http://www.cracked.com/article_22820_6-inappropriate-moments-wisely-cut-from-famous-movies.html (#2)

Scene in question: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GspSdNkoD8Q

The BBC aired this today (upscaled, I think) and I set up my PVR to record it, just on the off-chance that the “wrong” version might slip through and my optimism paid off! They screened the original theatrical release with the infamous gag included. Interesting that Disney have omitted the scene from the DVD (and now Blu-Ray) releases but they’ll supply the film uncut to TV companies.

Anyway, if there’s enough interest, I could make it available somewhere…

You could try Georgie Boy at:

Skywalker Ranch
5858 Lucas Valley Road Nicasio, CA 94946

Or ask this lot if they’d let you browse through the archives…

Walt Disney Company
500 S Buena Vista St
Burbank, CA 91521

Phone Number: (818) 560-1000
Fax Number: (818) 560-1930

You’re welcome! 😄

hbaq121 said:

I would like to see the theatrical version of these movies, but why is it so difficult to download the files? I don’t want to go wading through the trash of the internet and risk viruses, malware, and whatever nasty trap that some genius setup to get on my machine. I tire of such things.

LexX said:
I do (unfortunately), I don’t have a scanner anymore but here’s how it looks.
ROTS broke the consistency. First they released TPM in P&S and WS and AOTC in WS. TPM P&S has the vertical photo on the front cover, TPM WS and AOTC have the widescreen photo + the text widescreen. ROTS has the vertical photo and no mention about widescreen, even though it is.

Thank you! That’s more than adequate. I always enjoy seeing rare/curious stuff like this. 😃

Just a thought but it might be worth sending that image to Star Wars on Video so they can update the AOTC VHS category. http://swonvideo.com/vhs/vhsforside.htm

LexX said:

In my country they released AOTC and ROTS on VHS only in widescreen.

Interesting! I’m in the UK where widescreen VHS releases had always been relatively common (especially in the case of Star Wars) but when the UK AOTC VHS was P&S only (yet the deleted scenes are W/S!), I assumed Lucasfilm had given the middle finger to analogue home video. (They even had an online disclaimer at one stage about the TPM LD…)

If you still have the Finnish AOTC VHS, can you please share some scans of the box sleeve? 😃

nightstalkerpoet said:

Haven’t seen anything like this released and would love to see these and potentially use them for my analog sourced saga releases.

In the UK, the only PT entry that received an official W/S VHS release was TPM. Lucasfilm only officially offered British consumers P&S versions of AOTC and ROTS on VHS.

Jetrell Fo said:

I have a region 3 DVD of Mimic 2 that has DTS audio.  I'd like to know what you all think is the best way to process it so that I may burn to a disc and toss in my own region 1 DVD player.

Thanks

In the past I would've recommended the combo of Clone DVD & Any DVD to burn a region free copy but forget faffing around with all that. Connect the relevant A/V cables between your computer and the TV and use VLC to play the DVD in question, it can nearly always play discs from all regions. This is what I do on my PC and Macs.

GetFLV?

http://www.getflv.net/index.html

Yeah, definitely, show me. Do you have an online gallery? 

The home video version of The Fugitive from 2001 onwards has been digitally altered to remove the sight of a crew member's head from the train crash scene. I'd have to check the next TV airing to see if WB are supplying the new master for telecasts. 

Allegedly, the fight scene between John Candy and the drunk clown during Uncle Buck was edited by Universal for profanity after complaints from parents. The original theatrical prints were recalled and replaced with what's now the standard version. Perhaps John Hughes fans can confirm the accuracy?

dayofthedave said: 

My 5 year old would not understand something like that.

Likewise for me if I showed it to my 10 year old nephew. I would have to explain beforehand that this is how people such as he and I were routinely portrayed in film and its offensive nature is why such images are now widely frowned upon. As with you, I'd rather let him watch the edited Blu-Ray instead.

titanic said:

JayArgonaut said:

As opposed to seeing the less beautiful black girl being the servant of a more beautiful white girl in the original? 

 I didn't say that there isn't any controversy in the original either.

If you noticed I said that by trying to correct one controversy he creates another.

So, there's really no way of  correcting this without any controversy (unless you delete the whole character as Disney did)

 I actually agree with you and I can see why Disney took that action. 

As opposed to seeing the less beautiful black girl being the servant of a more beautiful white girl in the original? 

Another one that I forgot is Die Hard... Apparently the German dialogue spoken by Hans Gruber's heist team was re-recorded for the home video versions, starting from the remastered Special Edition VHS release, to resolve grammar and punctuation issues that were present in the theatrical cut. Only Alan Rickman's German dialogue remains uncorrected.

I don't know if McTiernan has followed the footsteps of Lucas/Spielberg by ensuring Fox only provide the fixed version for TV broadcasts, I'd have to compare my W/S THX VHS and SE DVD alongside my HDTV recording to confirm. 

I came across the 2xLP vinyl gatefold album today, any interest, considering the discussions earlier in the thread about a high quality isolated score? My SL-1210 is in storage but perhaps someone else could take the album from me and do the honours...

Sky Movies are showing all six films every weekend. They're very likely being shown in their original aspect ratio, unlike the cropped ITV broadcasts. If you're in the UK or Europe and have access to Sky, it might be worth a look. 

Have you felt a disturbance in the Force? Never fear - it's simply the return of ?Sky Movies Star Wars. Every weekend from Saturday 8 August, Sky Movies Greats will become Sky Movies Star Wars, a channel dedicated to all things Star Wars including movie marathons, features and specials. 

What's more, the entire saga - including the phenomenal Clone Wars and Rebels animated series - will be available on demand until the end of September. It's the first time the complete saga has been available on demand, anywhere in the world. ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qQzmh5BkTA

What are you working on at the moment?