The Alamo (1960) & Vudu

[jtchance]

This title which had a host of great directors lobbying for a restoration seems to have a partial cause for celebration. The 161 minute non road show version has been released by VUDU. The Technicolor looks better than in all the previous versions I have ever seen since 1960. It should also be mentioned that this is the the only western ever released in the superior widescreen format Todd-AO.

[Swissangel4616]

in german coming soon on Bluray

[BluBonnet]

I think it's coming out in France, too

[tjritter79]

Originally Posted by jtchance

This title which had a host of great directors lobbying for a restoration seems to have a partial cause for celebration. The 161 minute non road show version has been released by VUDU. The Technicolor looks better than in all the previous versions I have ever seen since 1960. It should also be mentioned that this is the the only western ever released in the superior widescreen format Todd-AO.

Same print as iTunes, I got it from there in early December.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by tjritter79

Same print as iTunes, I got it from there in early December.

But iTunes has it only in SD?!

[tjritter79]

Originally Posted by Fiffy

But iTunes has it only in SD?!

Are we talking about the same movie?
If it is, it could be another Vudu upconvert.
Mine says SD too, but it looks great.

Top of this website, compare the listings under "Digital" I suspect its the SAME print.

Remember earlier I mentioned "Tomb Of Ligeia" was an upconverted SD, but that retained the 4:3 aspect ratio
....that also came from MGM...

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by tjritter79

Are we talking about the same movie?
If it is, it could be another Vudu upconvert.

It's possible. I was just wondering why you thought it's the "same print".

[tjritter79]

Originally Posted by Fiffy

It's possible. I was just wondering why you thought it's the "same print".

Because I have doubts that Vudu would have an exclusively superior print and iTunes would not. The OP remarked about the technicolor, didn't mention resolution or HDR or the sharpness. I apologize if incorrect but Vudu has burned me on this before.

[cremers andre]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

I think it's coming out in France, too

Test du Blu-ray d'Alamo , dans le dernier numéro des Années Laser , tout frais de ce matin: je l'avais dit, que la version longue ne serait qu'un paresseux repiquage du Laserdisc, je le sentais à des kilomètres...
Et non seulement ça l'est, mais en 4/3 -contrairement à ce qui avait été annoncé il y a quelques mois dans ces mêmes colonnes- , histoire d'obliger le téléspectateur à zoomer une image qui, de base, ne sera pas bien folichonne...
Enfin, c'est toujours mieux que rien et ce sera pour moi l'occasion de découvrir enfin cette légendaire version longue, mais avec tous les moyens techniques qui existent aujourd'hui, ils auraient pu faire l'effort de réencoder l'image en 16/9, ou du moins " cropper " un peu les énormes bandes noires du format 4/3 :?

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by cremers andre

Test du Blu-ray d'Alamo , dans le dernier numéro des Années Laser , tout frais de ce matin: je l'avais dit, que la version longue ne serait qu'un paresseux repiquage du Laserdisc, je le sentais à des kilomètres...
Et non seulement ça l'est, mais en 4/3 -contrairement à ce qui avait été annoncé il y a quelques mois dans ces mêmes colonnes- , histoire d'obliger le téléspectateur à zoomer une image qui, de base, ne sera pas bien folichonne...
Enfin, c'est toujours mieux que rien et ce sera pour moi l'occasion de découvrir enfin cette légendaire version longue, mais avec tous les moyens techniques qui existent aujourd'hui, ils auraient pu faire l'effort de réencoder l'image en 16/9, ou du moins " cropper " un peu les énormes bandes noires du format 4/3 :?

[tjritter79]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

Translation!

‎Test of the Blu-ray of Alamo, in the last issue of The Laser Years, fresh this morning: I had said, that the long version would only be a lazy transplanting of the Laserdisc, I felt it for miles ... ‎
‎ And not only is it, but in 4/3 - contrary to what had been announced a few months ago in these same columns - , just to force the viewer to zoom an image that, basically, will not be very folichonne ... ‎
‎ Finally, it is always better than nothing and it will be for me the opportunity to finally discover this legendary long version, but with all the technical means that exist today, they could have made the effort to re-encode the image in 16/9, or at least "cropper" a little the huge black stripes of the 4/3 format:?‎

[BluBonnet]

You do realize I was reacting to what he wrote?

[tjritter79]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

You do realize I was reacting to what he wrote?

Actually no, I didn't'. I thought perhaps you were reacting because it was in French. My bad!

[BluBonnet]

There is nothing more frustrating than a classic old movie being largely forgotten in its country of origin, and no way to even get a decent physical media copy from another country (at least not the original director's cut)

[Batman90]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

There is nothing more frustrating than a classic old movie being largely forgotten in its country of origin, and no way to even get a decent physical media copy from another country (at least not the original director's cut)

German just released a Blu-ray of the movie with the DC of the movie on a Blu-ray Disc.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Batman90

German just released a Blu-ray of the movie with the DC of the movie on a Blu-ray Disc.

Maybe you haven't heard the news in Gotham City yet, but it can't be ordered from Amazon-Germany anymore, and the Koch website still has it but won't ship outside the EU....

Yes there are other workarounds but I'm really just getting used to the idea I may never get one

[tjritter79]

Perhaps Google will confirm...or call me a liar...
But I seem to recall since John Wayne had almost unlimited control in this movie, his estate holds domestic distribution rights. MGM/UA international rights.
Part of the issue is the only surviving print is a 480i digital copy.

There was talk that a pristine 207 minute version was found in Toronto in 2014, but since that time the original film has deteriorated beyond repair (accrd to Wikipedia).

Unfortunately, if that is true, The Alamo has become this generations "London At Midnight" never to be seen in its original glory again.

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Originally Posted by tjritter79

Perhaps Google will confirm...or call me a liar...
But I seem to recall since John Wayne had almost unlimited control in this movie, his estate holds domestic distribution rights. MGM/UA international rights.
Part of the issue is the only surviving print is a 480i digital copy.

There was talk that a pristine 207 minute version was found in Toronto in 2014, but since that time the original film has deteriorated beyond repair (accrd to Wikipedia).

Unfortunately, if that is true, The Alamo has become this generations "London At Midnight" never to be seen in its original glory again.

Despite John Wayne's strong artistic control and final cut stipulations built in to his contracts, UA butchered the OCN to the shorter general release version after the box office intakes weren't very good. Wayne sold his remaining rights to UA to recoup losses, so MGM always owned distribution rights to the Alamo even in the US.

A fan located a 70mm print in Canada in the early 80's and discovered it was the only known surviving print of the longer Roadshow cut. MGM/UA were working on restoring The Alamo to near complete form in the late 80's and acquired that print to finish their restoration. Throughout various mergers and staff changes, the 70mm element wasn't properly cared for and MGM doesn't have the money or incentive to do a new restoration of it.

The problem is, nobody in the US wants to plunk down $2 million+ in restoring a heavily battered, sole surviving 65mm print of the longer Roadshow cut. But then no US label wants to release just the theatrical cut (which has a recent HD master and the cut OCN being workable shape), and have it being a very poor seller on top of fans bickering about not including the precious Roadshow version in real HD (and also bring up companies giving utter garbage like Pat: The Movie and Howard the Duck getting far better treatment, ect)

International markets and buyers are different, since they're not as picky about source material/PQ and just accept what they're given to them. The recent German BD presents the Roadshow cut using a combination of the HD theatrical cut transfer and an upscale of the LD master (which was done at a time when the 70mm element was restored but done on SD tape).