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silverwheel

User Group
Members
Join date
7-Jul-2011
Last activity
16-Mar-2024
Posts
112

Post History

Post
#1555630
Topic
THX on 35mm Tech IB preservation - HELP NEEDED (work in progress)
Time

Another year goes by with nothing. I know this wasn’t a scam, but it sure feels like one at this point. Have any sample frames of the better print been shared? I don’t want to be mean, but I am upset at this point. Timetable is part of the reason why I donated. I wouldn’t have donated to a “maybe we’ll have something in a decade” kind of project. I know real people have real lives, but I don’t think it’s okay to be ghosting the donors about what’s going on. It’s been 7 1/2 years at this point - coupled with no communication, it’s really hard to feel good about my donation.

Post
#1512608
Topic
American Graffiti - Original Cut Restoration (Mechanical Assistance/Telecine Experts Needed!) (* unfinished project *) - lots of information...
Time

timemeddler said:

silverwheel said:

SpacemanDoug said:

silverwheel said:

AdmiralWasabi10191 said:

SpacemanDoug said:

AdmiralWasabi10191 said:

timemeddler said:

interesting, there’s a 480p transfer on the spleen claiming to be the 1973 version, is that from this print? Perhaps it could be used as the source to created a despecialized version of American Graffiti.

The Spleen can go suck a fuck.
35mm print would be best. 1080p or 4K scan. Would it ever happen? That’d be neat.

The one on myspleen is a 35mm scan, it’s just 480p

That’s fucking hilariously stupid that it’s 480p, not 1080p or 4K.

Considering that the scan was made almost 40 years ago, I’m not sure what more you’d expect. Certainly don’t know why you feel so committed to shittalking it.

How do you know it’s a 40 year old scan?

There are some optical issues that simply would not happen on a remotely contemporary scan. It looks like a very old telecine with damage of its own rather than issues from an old film print (the print itself looks pretty good - all the visual issues aside from dirt and grain seem to be the fault of the scan being in poor condition). And the print is almost certainly pre-1978 because it has the same advertising tags that were on the original poster.

Could it have been transferred using sub-par homemade equipment?

That was my first assumption, that it was someone’s quick and dirty homemade scan, but watching it pretty much blew away that idea. The print is (was) in terrific shape and I’m 97% certain that it was a fresh theater print at the time it was scanned. All the damage and dropped frames looks like the fault of a telecine that’s long past its prime.

Post
#1512230
Topic
American Graffiti - Original Cut Restoration (Mechanical Assistance/Telecine Experts Needed!) (* unfinished project *) - lots of information...
Time

SpacemanDoug said:

silverwheel said:

AdmiralWasabi10191 said:

SpacemanDoug said:

AdmiralWasabi10191 said:

timemeddler said:

interesting, there’s a 480p transfer on the spleen claiming to be the 1973 version, is that from this print? Perhaps it could be used as the source to created a despecialized version of American Graffiti.

The Spleen can go suck a fuck.
35mm print would be best. 1080p or 4K scan. Would it ever happen? That’d be neat.

The one on myspleen is a 35mm scan, it’s just 480p

That’s fucking hilariously stupid that it’s 480p, not 1080p or 4K.

Considering that the scan was made almost 40 years ago, I’m not sure what more you’d expect. Certainly don’t know why you feel so committed to shittalking it.

How do you know it’s a 40 year old scan?

There are some optical issues that simply would not happen on a remotely contemporary scan. It looks like a very old telecine with damage of its own rather than issues from an old film print (the print itself looks pretty good - all the visual issues aside from dirt and grain seem to be the fault of the scan being in poor condition). And the print is almost certainly pre-1978 because it has the same advertising tags that were on the original poster.

Post
#1511850
Topic
American Graffiti - Original Cut Restoration (Mechanical Assistance/Telecine Experts Needed!) (* unfinished project *) - lots of information...
Time

AdmiralWasabi10191 said:

SpacemanDoug said:

AdmiralWasabi10191 said:

timemeddler said:

interesting, there’s a 480p transfer on the spleen claiming to be the 1973 version, is that from this print? Perhaps it could be used as the source to created a despecialized version of American Graffiti.

The Spleen can go suck a fuck.
35mm print would be best. 1080p or 4K scan. Would it ever happen? That’d be neat.

The one on myspleen is a 35mm scan, it’s just 480p

That’s fucking hilariously stupid that it’s 480p, not 1080p or 4K.

Considering that the scan was made almost 40 years ago, I’m not sure what more you’d expect. Certainly don’t know why you feel so committed to shittalking it.

Post
#1506345
Topic
American Graffiti - Original Cut Restoration (Mechanical Assistance/Telecine Experts Needed!) (* unfinished project *) - lots of information...
Time

timemeddler said:

interesting, there’s a 480p transfer on the spleen claiming to be the 1973 version, is that from this print? Perhaps it could be used as the source to created a despecialized version of American Graffiti.

It’s a bit too beat up for that, with some dropped frames and some…interesting optical borks. It definitely looks like it was made in the mid 70’s, though for what purpose is anyone’s guess. It’s definitely the original edit - it’s even got the same tag for the Universal Studios Tour that’s on all of the original posters. My best guess is that it was a quick and dirty scan made for tv broadcast with the cropping left up to whoever was showing it.

For all its problems I frankly love it - the movie looks so much better with a high grain count and colors that don’t pop off the screen. It’s almost Michael Mann-esque in the way it’s fascinated with how a certain city looks at night.

Post
#1493352
Topic
THX on 35mm Tech IB preservation - HELP NEEDED (work in progress)
Time

THX11384EB said:

The lack of communication(updates) has been really unfortunate, especially for those of us who donated money to this project.

I was about to post the same thing. I know there have been lots of real-world things in people’s lives that have affected this project. But it’s been six years at this point and the donors have nothing to show for their support. At the very least, there needs to be some kind of communication happening.

Post
#1266545
Topic
The future of OT.com - UPDATE: Please donate!
Time

Mackey256 said:

Has there been any discussion about using Patreon? It would be a good incentive to get people to donate if they get special content just via Patreon. I’m not sure what that content would be but it’s an idea.

Donating now.

How on earth would a basic forum like this generate “extra content?” Move up a tier to unlock the project update threads? Who’s going to make that content? The mods?

Post
#1254008
Topic
<strong>4K83</strong> - Released
Time

ChainsawAsh said:

Yeah, I’m not sure if it’s actually too desaturated or the black level and/or contrast is too low - I actually turned my TV’s brightness down a ton and it looked significantly better with no crushed blacks (the letterboxing was still the blackest part of any given frame by far), and it seemed to bring out the color a little more. For 4K77, I didn’t have to change any settings at all on my TV, though I was occasionally tempted to turn the brightness up, the exact opposite of how I felt with 4K83.

I’m really looking forward to a shot-by-shot CC with reel change markers painted out.

You just need to un-calibrate your monitor.

Post
#952946
Topic
team negative1 - star wars 1977 - 35mm theatrical version (Released)
Time

towne32 said:

It’s so funny. “I have nothing to do with this.” “Also, I’ll have it taken down”. “Also, Rogue 1 is negative 1” “Also, rogue 1 has nothing to do with this account” “also, I’m someone you’ve never heard of who isn’t involved but has final say but isn’t negative 1 but somehow I’m on his personal account”. It’s self parody at this point.

It’s truly hilarious - I’ve been complaining that he’s been abusing the takedown requests because he’s not involved anymore, and in his “rebuttal” he admitted that he’s not involved anymore, and that he’ll request to have it taken down out of spite if anyone complains. I hope the spleen admins ban him for this shit.

Post
#924211
Topic
THX on 35mm Tech IB preservation - HELP NEEDED (work in progress)
Time

" … THX was delivered to Warner Bros. Coppola came by the Mill Valley house on the evening before he was to take the film down to Burbank. Murch showed him a reel, and all Coppola murmured was ‘Strange, strange.’ "

I wonder if Coppola was thinking something like “why oh why did I decide that this was going to be Zoetrope’s first project?”

Post
#924208
Topic
THX on 35mm Tech IB preservation - HELP NEEDED (work in progress)
Time

I sympathize with GL a bit on this one since I would probably have a similar reaction. I write songs and I could totally see myself bitching up a storm if a song I wrote (and that I was really happy with) got tinkered with by my producer or for a radio edit, just because I tend to get really attached to the structure and build-up that I put down. Finding the right momentum and build is like the song telling me that this was the way it was always meant to be, so I totally sympathize with GL reacting in horror to someone fussing with that.

What I really don’t understand is that in the Maker of Films interview GL is acting like they changed the tone of the movie, taking out the humor and the romance. It’s so weird because those qualities are absolutely NOT present in the film. Oh, it does have bits of subtle humor, like the robot cop walking into the wall, or the chase being called off because of budget concerns, but it is absolutely not a warm, romantic movie by any definition. It’s about a world that’s entirely numb and cold, told in a very detached, European fashion. If he really thought those qualities were there…I don’t even know what to say to that, except that it would affirm that, on his own, he has no idea how to make a rousing, romantic, funny, audience-pleasing movie.

Post
#924113
Topic
THX on 35mm Tech IB preservation - HELP NEEDED (work in progress)
Time

thxita said:

“So the scene of THX being messed with by the doctors and convulsing is not in the 35mm but is in the home releases?”

I’m sure it’s in the second part where he gets “jailed” for good. Check my TV broadcast version, they are probably in the same order. I remember subtitling that scene.

As for Lucas, all his THX story comes from the 2004 DVD. Enough said.

He does complain about it in the Maker of Films interview from shortly after the film’s release. There he’s largely bitching about how they disrupted the feel of the movie, how he was editing by feel and how their re-ordering ruined that. I think he was just being hypersensitive about it, though understandably pissed that the studio felt compelled to pointlessly fuck around with it. Even then, however, he makes it seem like it was brutalized beyond recognition, when the changes were (most likely) very minor and didn’t change the tone nearly to the degree that he suggests.

Post
#918377
Topic
THX on 35mm Tech IB preservation - HELP NEEDED (work in progress)
Time

Donation made! I should be able to donate some more in a few weeks. You guys are doing amazing work. Pre-“Director’s Cut” versions of this film are of strong cultural importance, as well as being quite a fine film in its own right. I consider the DC of this movie to be even more offensive than the Star Wars Special Editions, considering that THX 1138 was shot using existing locations and available light. Re-coloring and adding digital enhancements to the settings ruins the ethos of the movie (and just plain ruins the movie). The re-editing is also total shite, a lame attempt to inject kinetic energy into a movie that was defiantly languid in its original form. This movie reminds me quite a bit of Antonioni, kind of like something he might have made had he dabbled in science fiction. I’m happy to help save this from oblivion.