Since the Shout BD came out (and was alas, the original US version with the same extras repeated on both discs), I was thinking about how much work it would be to reconstruct the bits of footage for the International version in consistent HD. Aside from the Rank logo at the start and small changes in audio (which could be easily sourced from ether the UK DVDs or a LD release of some caliber) I'm aware that the only visual difference is the intro has a Star Wars like scroll w/narration instead of the usual Superman style credits. Problem is, the Int version only exists in a SD tape master and all the UK DVD's use a horribly botched NTSC-PAL transfer of it. I heard the 1999 Kid Rhino VHS and the 2002 Canadian Seville Pictures use a proper NTSC master of that version, but Rhino VHS's weren't of the best quality IMO and I don't know what the Seville DVD is like nor know for sure if the uses the int version exact or is just the US version. I highly doubt a decent 35mm print from the UK would show up for a better quality source, nor be affordable in any instance.

December, 2016

Shakhnazarov: “Mosfilm” will continue the restoration of Soviet films

In last year’s Lumiere Film Festival in Lyon, Mosfilm unveiled the restored versions of Sergey Eisenstein’s “Alexander Nevsky” and
“Ivan the Terrible,” for which took 8 months, because it was in very poor condition. For films in relatively good condition it can take around 2 months.

“Currently, we are completing a frame-by-frame restoration several movies,” – said General Director of “Mosfilm”, adding that among them –
“War and peace” by Sergei Bondarchuk (1968),
“Liberation“ by Yuri Ozerov (1970-71), - Blu-Ray Released in Germany (Synced in Russian)
“Dersu Uzala” by Akira Kurosawa (1975). 

181-minute Soviet version - imdb alcar1976
I saw this version 20 years ago in Spain.
But I remember it took much longer for Dersu to build the hut when he and Arsenev were isolated. This sequence was more harrowing than the one included in the short cut.
Here you find proof of the longer running time:
"Other showing: 1976-01-05 Sovjetunionen 181 minutes".
The Swedish Film Database  http://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/en/item/...ease-dates

DVD / Italian Upscaled Blu-ray


Sovscope 70mm


And More Sovscope 70mm screens:
https://www.filmvorfuehrer.de/topic/2421...ment-92573
https://www.filmvorfuehrer.de/topic/2421...ment-94892
https://www.eyefilm.nl/en/film/dersu-uzala-70mm

If anyone finds any news from Mosfilm, please post it here.
Thanks.

The Thing Regrade v1.1

Consider this a quick one off-project. It started out life as a 35 project but I felt I didn't have enough flimic evidence, so I spun this off into it's own thing.

The new master of The Thing by Arrow is pretty great but I thought it would be nice to have a version that looked a little more bleak and desaturated with more contrast. Looking more like 35mm examples I had of the trailer. More benefiting the mood of the picture and some of the descriptions by the producer.

This is not "right" and the Arrow "wrong"; think of it as a fun alternative.

Video:

I used a few 35mm frames as reference but it wasn't enough to call it a 35 project or say this project has a definitive reference. So, I took the the film, balanced it on the radar (like the 35), desturated the video, removed a bit of the daylight blue (but not all of it) and some of the magenta blanket. I then re-saturated just the reds, so they stand out. Snow becomes whiter like in spoRv's regrade but I still kept them floating on the blue side vs red or yellow. Caucasian skin tones become paler and have less push. The outpost interiors tend to more of a tan look. I also added a small s-curve and contrast which I thought was lacking on the Arrow release.

Audio:

1. PCM 2.0 (Dolby Stereo mix from the Arrow BD)

2. DTS-HD MA 4.1 (70mm mix from the Arrow BD)

3. DTS 5.1 (Universal remix from the Arrow BD)

Pics:

MKV Pics (Final)


BD/Regrade



PM me if you want a copy. Please only participating members. I'll keep it hosted for a couple weeks or so till I need the space for DH2.

Like Phantoms I don't think this needs a "wide" release so it will only be shared here.

Edit: As of 10/26 2018, this topic pertains to the talk and preservation and talk of all rare studio logos, in addition to those that appeared on foreign prints like CIC and Buena Vista International.

This eariler discussion was about CIC and UIP. For those unfamiliar with who these companies were and what they did, some background info:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_Int...orporation 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Int...l_Pictures

These used to show up on international prints of many Universal, Paramount, and MGM films until around 2007 ish (2002 for MGM as they went to Fox for worldwide distribution from there on), but most current releases of stuff like say BTTF or Battlestar Galactica use elements mostly from Negatives or Interpositives in the US. 

Basically, this topic is to pinpoint which releases use ether international masters or film originally made in Europe and are likely still on the negs or elements used for those releases.

What I found so far:

The Slipper and the Rose - CIC intact on US Inception Media DVD and BD releases (may also be on the Second Sight UK releases?)

Watership Down (Criterion Collection DVD and BD) - CIC intact on trailer

The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum - CIC intact on Criterion DVD (May not be intact on StudioCanal Blu-rays?)

Battlestar Galactica (1979 theatrical version) - CIC intact on German trailer on DE Koch Media BD series set

Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack - See above

César et Rosalie - variant of CIC logo intact on US DVD

Buck Rogers of the 21st Century (1980 theatrical version) - CIC intact on German trailer on DE Koch Media BD series set

Now finding films with a UIP logo intact is much harder than CIC. I've only found the 1986 logo in 2 places, the Image DVD of Biggles: Adventures in Time and one of the trailers (I think it was the UK one) for The Living Daylights on the MGM DVD releases (the BD IIRC omitted it on the HD version of the same UK trailer). I was lucky enough though to find the 2001 logo in decent quality on a US DVD of the Danish film, Elling, and no common release of anything has shown up with the 1995 or last (2004) logos anywhere aside from a few low quality bootlegs made from theatrical prints.

If anyone knows of a DVD/VHS/TV/BD/Web-DL print of something that contains a CIC or UIP logo not on this list, feel free to mention it here. I know this is pointless to some, but these were seen on film many have seen outside of the US, and therefore are part of film preservation.

There are some movies that have not a known open matte version (yet?) for the whole lenght, but there are few minutes available - for example, found in the otherwise cropped version, in trailers, as IMAX scene(s), or other reasons.

I can list few of them here, but I'm pretty sure there are many more...

• Star Wars: The Force Awakens - IMAX scene
  
• Terminator 2 - trailers
  
• Constantine
  
• Elektra
  

dunno if anyones interested but I noticed the audio has been been changed in the SE DVD & Blu ray


part where they shoot at the tiger :

original mix (from image DVD)
30 seconds in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-bIMxB4zA8

SE 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FVkRn2krYg

FLASH!!!
NEEDS HELP!

I love this picture. It shouldn't work, but it does and has tons of heart. It represents everything missing from modern superhero-dom.

However it is a mess in HD. Universal made a remastered DVD and ported it to BD. It is a over DNR'd scrubbed mess that also ruins the color and makes everything seem garish. Also they remixed the audio and made a godawful sounding dull 5.1 mix.
In the UK they made a new master for DVD and ported to BD but it is far too bright and the color seems off too. Then the audio track is somehow pitched too high.

I run the LD and it looks stupendous and has the badass balls to the wall Dolby Stereo that obliterates the BD hdma. I'm currently after the first DVD which is supposed to be identical to the LD and hope to one day sync the LD PCM.
Review with comparisons:
http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/flash-gordon.html

It also seems the original serials are OOP and best available on the old Image LD/DVDs.

I confess: I'm a crazy project maker, fan restoration/preservation lover, and I'm guilty of many things!

First of all, I presume to be responsible to fix/improve EVERY movie - a sort of film fixer superhero much more than what I can manage; and each time that I promise myself "no more, not unless you will release something", someone bring to my attention a new movie "that can't be left as it is", or "should be improved, fixed" etc.

And my ego is too big to refuse, to pass; can't resist the challenge! At the end, I have more than 10TB full of half-finished projects, multiple audio/video sources, huge temporary files that "would be used soon"... sometimes it happens, but too many titles are still there, waiting for a release.

Memory: as anybody knows, my memory lacks; I try to write down everything, to save any single useful file, but sometimes I forget to do that, then time pass, then someone, after months, writes to me "Hey, do you remember...?" - and, every time, I answer that no, I don't remember, which is not an excuse, but a sad truth... maybe it's because I'm getting old, my neurons started to die too fast, dunno! So, don't worry to repeat me things, you have to!

Tools: I continue to use the old avisynth, even if I'm well aware of better software around... or, maybe, let me say easier, not always better... if I can do everything with this, why should I bother to start to learn something new? "If ain't broke, don't fix it!" - yes, I know, I'm an old dinosaur, but you know what? I love to be a T-Rex!

Another problem is the release time: often I write that "this will be ready in X days/weeks/months", and many times it doesn't happen. Sometime I feel stuck, because I lack the knowledge, or I can't find a good filter, or a satisfing source, so that project is halted - letting people sad or angry.

So, I'm sorry for anybody who's still waiting for a certain release; please understand this: I do my projects primarily for me! Then, I release them to let others be happy with them, to have fun, to watch a movie in a different/better way. And remember, I'm not paid to do them; at the contrary, I spend a lot of time on them, and quite some money in electricity, internet connection, hardware, sources etc.

With this, I don't want to ask anything to anybody - even if I must admit it was a pleasure to see ONE donation lately, that would help to buy that famous HDD so much needed - but at the same time I can't do every... single... project!

Said so, I'm happy to have found again a motivation to start again with fresh ideas, and techniques; found many member that helped a lot, and hope to release "that huge saga everybody knows" as a Xmas gift!

A hint for anybody crazy enough to think to start his "career" as a project maker: FOCUS on a SINGLE project, at least at the beginning; I know that the "restoration fever" is strong, but you have to resist... think that a difficult project could take months, years to be finished, so don't split your attention between several ones, but choose THE one you want to make before every other - the film you love, the movie that must be saved, the title nobody cares but you - and stick with it. After your first release, you'll find out that, even if many people (if you are lucky) have actually downloaded your projects, only few would leave a "thank you" or post a comment, but slowly, you will build up a fan base; it will be rewarding to know that someone else, apart you, your family and your cats/dogs, is eagerly awaiting for your next move...

Thanks to anybody here; we are growing slowly, but steadly, and hey, it's a niche world, at the end!

I was thinking, I'd like to do an English fandub of Der Untergang, titled The Downfall, and invite everyone and their family to audition for roles in this drama about the last ten days of Hitler and the fall of the Third Reich. The roles are as follows, using English-language ranks via translation convention:

Chancellor Adolf Hitler, the Führer himself
Traudl Junge, Hitler's secretary
Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels
Magda Goebbels, Goebbels's wife
Eva Braun, Hitler's wife-to-be
Maj. Gen. Hermann Fegelein, who deserts and is executed without a trial
Minister of Munitions Albert Speer, Hitler's architect-in-chief and the Nazi who said sorry
Lt. Col. Dr. Ernst-Günther Schenck
Brig. Gen. Wilhelm Mohnke
Maj. Otto Günsche, who informs Hitler of Fegelein's desertion
Field Marshal Heinrich Himmler, whose surrender shocks Hitler in the middle of a dinner
Gen. Alfred Jodl, who objects to Hitler's plan involving Steiner and Wenck
Lt. Gen. Hans Krebs, who points out a flaw in Hitler's plan involving Steiner before he explains how Wenck factors in
Lt. Gen. Helmuth Weidling
Lt. Col. Prof. Dr. Werner Haase
Gerda Christian
GAF Robert Ritter von Greim
Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel
Lt. Gen. Wilhelm Burgdorf, the drinker
Walther Hewel
Prime Minister Martin Bormann
Lt. Col. Heinz Linge
Air Marshal Karl Koller
SFC Rochus Misch
Lt. Col. Dr. Ludwig Stumpfegger
Lt. Col. Erich Kempka, the guy in the garage from whom Günsche needs gas for Hitler's funeral pyre
Lt. Col. Peter Högl, who arrests and guns down Fegelein
Lt. Col. Franz Schädle
Hans Fritzsche
Lt. Gen. Ernst-Robert Grawitz, who kills himself and his family to keep the Soviets from taking them after being denied permission to leave Berlin
Hanna Reitsch
Constanze Manziarly
SSG Fritz Tornow
Erna Flegel
GAF Hermann Göring (barely gets in a single word, if that, apart from crosstalk during the extended version of the Hitler Planning Scene)
Gen. Vasily Chuikov
...and others which I am not going to bother listing here.

If anyone is interested in auditioning, feel free to PM me, and I'll send you a line or two to record.

Hello guys !

Did anybody of you have the Starz Encore Westerns channel ?

If yes, did it could be possible to do a 1080i HDTV capture of the 1988 made-for-TV remake of Red River ? It airs next Monday at 8:05 AM.

From what i'm aware, this one never got a Blu-Ray or DVD release, and i would like to made a fanmade Blu-Ray release for the film.

Thanks !