Since all the Echo Bridge Jackie Chan blu-rays are OOP, do you think that Paramount will re-release the Miramax versions on blu-ray? I actually saw quite a few Jackie Chan movies streaming on Paramount+ recently. I don't understand why they wouldn't considering how he's one of the most popular action stars ever. I know almost nobody likes those Miramax cuts but I just enjoy hearing Jackie's voice. I feel more connected with the movie when he's dubbing his own voice. It's one of the few things that Miramax did right imo
In the category "DTS 7.1" remakes of older work I finished last week the Apocalypse Now edit "KURTZ"
The first one I did was back in 2015, "The Horror" but that was done with cheap software crap and I didn't get what I had in mind
It was not possible to do some things especially with the audio editing, but in 2019 I did a remake with adobe and jess now I had the edit I wanted
The 2019 cut was done in AC3 stereo and with the release some time ago of "The Final Cut" of Apocalypse Now I thought to do this for the last time using the 7.1 audio track
It's now a little longer than the 2019 cut, more Kilgore and Kurtz, and here and there some re-scores by Abigail Mead using the Full Metal Jacket soundtrack
However, like the first edits, it is trimmed like hell, the whole story is done in a 98-minute edition
No France bullshit, No Playmate hookers, it is just straight to the point
The opening is done with Hendrix' "Machine Gun" to make it a little different
Converted from the 4K release to 1080p
The release was last Friday on my website
Hi guys.
It's been quite a while. Hope you all doing fine. Things can get quite ugly with this virus.
So, this is a reconstruction of the Theatrical Cut, based on the recently released TC on BluRay using the Extended Version BD by Warner as sorurce for the best quality.
What this movie clearly needs is a fresh new scan (from the OCN, not a lesser IP from 20 years ago).
Anyways.
For the missing footage (that is, footage included in the TC only) I used that German BD recently released.
If you have seen it (or just took a look at the pics in capsaholic), then you know it's not exactly the best release ever. It looks pretty bad actually, with a layer of what looks like artifacts (encoding?, scanning?... Dog knows). I applied some gentle DNR (virtualdub + Neat Video) to get rid of that "layer", and then, in Da Vinci Resolve, regrain it so it resembles the grain of the Extended Version BD (not an easy task since the EV has more than one layer of grain, and lacks the detail that more modern scans have, meaning, it's actually a blurred layer of grain).
Needless to say, the inserted footage is graded accordingly to match the colors of the Extended BD (colormatching tool by Dre to create a LUT is a must here). Results are quite nice, and you probably won't notice any change of quality during playback. Missing frames have reinserted as well.
I also did a quick regrade of the whole film. Mainly to get rid of the green tint that is present on many shots in the EV BD. Some weird looking shots have also been corrected. Regarding the colors, I don't know how accurate are the blurays. The TC seems to be less tweaked, but looks dull and a bit reddish. Like I said earlier, this needs a freshly new scan. Til then, this is the best way to enjoy the Theatrical Cut we all saw in theaters or when we were kids (it's now kind of a guilty pleasure, isn't it?).
Hope you like it.
· Regraded with Da Vinci Resolve, reencoded using Hybrid. x264 @ CRF 14,7
Ripped the original Cantonese mix from the Tai Seng Laser disc. I am trying to sync it with the UK Bluray but it keeps going out of sync. Does anyone have any possible ideas?
I always wondered about The Dead Pool, Dirty Harry film format.
The film is from 1988 and was sandwiched between Bird and Pink Cadillac who were both in 1.85:1, using the same crew. It is listed about everywhere online as 1.85:1.
However, I'm certain when I saw it on opening week, that it wasn't 1.85:1.
Internet says otherwise, but one can't deny it has a weird history on home-video.
Originally it was released on Laserdisc in 1.33:1 clearly open matte (sightly cropped on the sides, opened up above), while all the others were scope widescreen in the box set.
Then the DVD was 1.77:1.
The Blu-ray is 1.77:1 but is extended on the sides, offering more picture all around and it has ton of dead air top & bottom. I think it's edge to edge. If you take the top of the original DVD, and mask the HD version accordingly, you fall at exactly 1.85:1. So the DVD was cropped on the sides.
IMDB lists it as 1.85:1, but I remember seeing the film on the initial release, and it was larger widescreen to me. In fact I didn't notice there was a change in format, beyond that it didn't look shot anamorphic.
Plus the other Dirty Harry films are all Cinemascope 2.39:1, so that would be a bit weird had they suddenly switched to 1.85:1. I would definetely have noticed it in the cinema as I was a fan of the series from way back.
I can understand, as the film was shot very fast in the spring of 1988, and released in the summer, that they went spherical because it was easier and faster to shoot that way, but I don't think it was shot for 1.85:1, though as with all non anamorphic films, it can be formated in either 1.33:1 or 1.77:1 or 1.85:1.
The framing looks totally off and loose in all of the home-video versions, with tons of dead air. Look at this:
I tried masking the HD master on a timeline at 1.85:1 and it didn't improve.
I tried at 1.95:1 and it was still loose.
I then tried at 2.00:1 and suddenly every frame worked.
In fact, all the hairlines fall perfectly on top that way during all the film, even when it involves an extra in the background, like in a bar for example (Clint in front, a waitress blurred in the background). It looks like I found the "common top" line that all the transfer miss.
Becoming wildly popular at the time was the Super35 format, which allowed to release scope prints while shooting very fast with spherical lenses. And that used a common topline.
I think what happened here is, a decision was made to ease off the pipeline, so they went the Super35 way, and it was shown masked in theaters at probably 2.39:1. Maybe history rewrote this as 1.85:1, and documentation was lost? It's definetely not look like it's framed for 1.85:1.
On a note, It's interesting that there is a scope trailer on the laserdisc box set, though it's horribly framed in 2.35:1.
They made the mistake of center framing it. Super35 use a common topline, and the framing should be from near the top of the frame.
On another note, looking at the film, I think you can point out easily what scenes are shot by Clint (a few of them, using long lenses, great cinematography and framing) and what others aren't (most of the action). The cinematographer is the same as Bird and Unforgiven. It's a film that definetely is undervalued in the DH saga.
So I will do a quick project, just adjusting the film in 2.20:1. (now 2.39:1)
I wanted to post some captures, but my computer shut down while I was typing this and the encode was lost, due to overheating. So I'm just posting this saved message right now, and will update the post later.
The Great Warrior Skanderbeg (Albanian: Luftëtari i madh i Shqipërisë Skënderbeu; Russian: Великий воин Албании Скандербег, romanized: Velikiy voin Albanii Skanderbeg) is a 1953 Soviet-Albanian biopic directed by Sergei Yutkevich. It was entered into the 1954 Cannes Film Festival where it earned the International Prize. Yutkevich also earned the Special Mention award for his direction.
The film is a biography of George Kastriot Skanderbeg (1405 – 1468), widely known as Skanderbeg, a 15th-century Albanian lord who defended his land against the Ottoman Empire for more than two decades.
German Blu-Ray release by Filmjuwelen:
Runtime............: 125 Minutes - including short cut 96min - DEFA version
Audio................: German DTS-HD MA 2.0
Albanian DTS-HD MA 2.0
Subtitles............: German
In 2012, for the 100th anniversary of Albanian independence, the film was remastered for high definition with new voices, music, and sound effects. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggWl2UHBBso
Restored Albanian version in HD with removable English subtitles & OG Audio @ YouTube
(41:50 onwards is not synced. Digital drop frames after conversion.)
It hasn't been released on DVD & BD yet.
Unfortunately on this release, they didn't correct the colors (blue moon rising).
Hey all! Today I got a nice treat; the original mono audio from The Sting's 1998 R1 DVD, synced to the new 4k disc!
Needed very little work to sync. Sounds fantastic. Original sound effects present of course!
Hi guys.
It's been quite a while. Hope you all doing fine. Things can get quite ugly with this virus.
So, this is a reconstruction of the Theatrical Cut, based on the recently released TC on BluRay using the Extended Version BD by Warner as sorurce for the best quality.
What this movie clearly needs is a fresh new scan (from the OCN, not a lesser IP from 20 years ago).
Anyways.
For the missing footage (that is, footage included in the TC only) I used that German BD recently released.
If you have seen it (or just took a look at the pics in capsaholic), then you know it's not exactly the best release ever. It looks pretty bad actually, with a layer of what looks like artifacts (encoding?, scanning?... Dog knows). I applied some gentle DNR (virtualdub + Neat Video) to get rid of that "layer", and then, in Da Vinci Resolve, regrain it so it resembles the grain of the Extended Version BD (not an easy task since the EV has more than one layer of grain, and lacks the detail that more modern scans have, meaning, it's actually a blurred layer of grain).
Needless to say, the inserted footage is graded accordingly to match the colors of the Extended BD (colormatching tool by Dre to create a LUT is a must here). Results are quite nice, and you probably won't notice any change of quality during playback. Missing frames have reinserted as well.
I also did a quick regrade of the whole film. Mainly to get rid of the green tint that is present on many shots in the EV BD. Some weird looking shots have also been corrected. Regarding the colors, I don't know how accurate are the blurays. The TC seems to be less tweaked, but looks dull and a bit reddish. Like I said earlier, this needs a freshly new scan. Til then, this is the best way to enjoy the Theatrical Cut we all saw in theaters or when we were kids (it's now kind of a guilty pleasure, isn't it?).
Hope you like it.
· Regraded with Da Vinci Resolve, reencoded using Hybrid. x264 @ CRF 14,7
Actually, I already uploaded it to demonoid (dot is). BUT they are fixing/polishing some things and for the moment guest users can't download torrents. When guests are allowed to download again, I'll post this on "realeased".
Why not now? Because registrations are closed, and I have no invites. Be patient.
the colors where... meh - not cinematographic at all, can't explain... it seemed to watch a glorified two-episodes-in-one of The Walking Dead
some CGI lacks realism - like tiger attack or chopper fall
no fast zombie on a fast zombie horse could be faster than a chopper - unless the director thinks his zombies are superhero like other characters in his own previous movies
where the zombie tiger go at the end?!?
the story was good but far from original - I'll write more later
I knew what it will happen to some characters minutes or hours before - again, more later.
So, at the end, did I like it? Well, I can't dislike a well made action movie involving zombies, yet I expected something more. It's good, but I expected some excellence. Yes, I liked it, but not how much I wanted to.
My vote: 6/10
OK, back to the story; it's a good heist genre involving zombies. BUT... someone could say it's fresh, but I found it lacking quite some originality... I'd try to remember some other movies with similar scenes or approach, but surely I missed a lot of them.
fast zombies: World War Z, others
smarter zombies: Z Nation, I Am Legend, Fido, others
city destroyed by a bomb: The Crazies, AVP:R, others
hybernated creatures in a corridor: Silent Hill
zombie animals: Resident Evil, Z Nation, others
baby zombie: Z Nation
someone hidden somewhere surviving nuclear bomb: Indiana Jones 4, others?
chopper disappearing but returning: Aliens, others
hidden traps before a treasure: countless
flying vehicle on the roof as final escape: Escape from New York, various
zombie head in a bag: various
And yes, I must admit I often predict what will happen in a movie, due to the fact I watched so many and many of them have similar (or even duplicated) dialog lines and stories. But I knew what will happen next when:
presentation of the three main badass characters - Scott will die, probably as a zombie
the Japanese's right hand sent with them - a traitor, will kill someone, would die in a bad way
Scott's daughter promised to not run away - she will surely find a way to run away to save her friend
the Coyote decided to hire the stupid man - she has a secret reason for that
the zombie King touched his Queen's belly - she's obviously pregnant
the girl asked the Japanese's man to go ahead - he will lead her in the wrong way
the zombie tiger appeared - she will surely kill someone, probably the Japanese's man
the German pushed Vanderohe inside the safe - he will survive the atomic bomb, but he will discover to be bitten
the Coyote took out the Queen's head - she will surely leave it to splat on the ground
Scott asked pilot to stay - she will surely be not there when he's back but will return
the zombie King jumped on the chopper - he will bite Scott and then die, the chopper will have an accident, Scott and his wife for sure will survive (dunno the pilot) but the daughter will be forced to kill his father because he turned as zombie, as he did with his mother
I might have forgot some other one, but I watched it yesterday...