The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966) (Remastered)

[WaverBoy]

According to Glenn Erickson (DVD Savant), a couple of his trusted sources have informed him that the newly-released standalone Blu-ray of THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY has been blessed with the original monaural soundtrack. Can anyone here confirm this?

Here's what he says, including a bit about who's not responsible for the new color timing:

As some of you know, back at MGM in 1997 I ended up being in a position to propose that an English-language version be produced of the long Italian cut of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. That finally happened about five years later, after I left the company. Last week I got a look at the new 4K transfer of GBU on the June release Blu-ray set called The Man With No Name Trilogy. I won't be reviewing it. But I have some news to report about it that Leone fans might want to hear.

First, some people are blaming disc distributors Fox and MGM for the disc's inexplicable color choices -- it's so yellow that the daytime scenes look like they have been gone over with a yellow highlighter. To be really unkind, maybe it should be called the 'Andres Serrano Edition' of GBU. Please somebody spread the word to the flamers out there that want to storm MGM with an angry mob, and tell them that the restoration, transfer and color choices on the new 4K transfer were all decided by restoration experts in Italy. My old MGM compatriot John Kirk had nothing to do with these new versions, and it's not fun reading denunciations of him in posts from people that don't know better. John has done too much good for film curatorship to deserve this.

The good news is about the audio for GBU. We know that the stereo remix from 2003 introduced a variety of non-doctrinaire revisions -- 'improved' new sound effects, cut 'n' paste music tracks, etc.. At this writing, Sergio Leone fans are also not happy with the audio options for GBU on The Man With No Name Trilogy Blu-ray set, which they quickly discovered still does not include an original monaural audio track, only a mono mixdown of the disputed 5.1 remix, the one with the replacement sound effects. Making things more confusing, the new restoration credits for the 4K remaster specifically list a mono audio restoration by Chace (now called Chace Audio by Deluxe).

When the single disc edition of GBU appeared in October we assumed it would be identical to the disc in the Trilogy box set. NOPE -- two trustworthy and knowledgeable Savant readers have written in to report that a restored original mono choice has been added. The single-disc release is the first time that the original monaural has been available since the 1998 DVD of the short U.S. theatrical version. Fans of the original mix can finally enjoy all those original wheezy Leone gunshot sound effects again.

[GenPion]

Awesome news if accurate. I would like to be able to hear the original sound effects. Too bad that Fox Connect sale is already over...

[I KEEL YOU]

I hope that this is true. I am expecting a large package from Amazon tomorrow and the new standalone release of TGTBATU is one of the items in it.

Too bad that the yellow (green) color timing hasn't been turned down from 11 on the standalone release as well.

[Retroj23]

I hope this is true for both the US and UK standalone discs.

[supersonic395]

Can you post an amazon link to the version with the original mono please?

And is it region free?

[kg1]

This is the one released in October - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MA159L2/

[Rizor]

Does it also include a seamlessly branched US cut too?

[Geoff D]

Great news if true, and it's interesting that under the audio options on the amazon page it says 'original recording remastered'. I know that amazon specs aren't usually, ah, watertight but it's something because there's no mention of remastered mono on the original specs. I know it's there in the movie's restoration credits (I think I was one of the first people to actually notice it when the rips started to appear) but it wasn't otherwise listed as being remastered in any of the pre-release blurb about the new Blu-ray, nor in the disc's menu, where it's simply called 'English Dolby Digital 1.0'.

It'd be nice if A) this is true and B) MGM started up a replacement program.

[bubbafett73]

well crap. I just bought the three disc set yesterday and had the original release. I don't want to have to buy this again.

[NLScavenger]

Amazon reviewer claims it doesn't have the original mono track.

[dwk]

Amazon reviewer is wrong. http://www.fistful-of-leone.com/foru...4905#msg174905

[Yojimbo68]

Well color me surprised! I was prancing around on here because I got a good price on the trilogy with the remastered TGTBATU. I guess "that good price" is not so great now. I have to pick this up on principle then. We are 100 percent no doubts that the new stand alone has the original mono track?

I just wanted to add that this is starting to piss me off. They pull this with the original Halloween and now The Good The Bad And The Ugly? Get it right the first time guys! We don't have endless money to spend on one title! Geez!

[Rizor]

Personally, I'm tired of buying Leone movies again and again.

[HuggyBear73]

Originally Posted by Yojimbo68

Well color me surprised! I was prancing around on here because I got a good price on the trilogy with the remastered TGTBATU. I guess "that good price" is not so great now. I have to pick this up on principle then. We are 100 percent no doubts that the new stand alone has the original mono track?

I just wanted to add that this is starting to piss me off. They pull this with the original Halloween and now The Good The Bad And The Ugly? Get it right the first time guys! We don't have endless money to spend on one title! Geez!

I feel your pain. Gonna wait for someone here for confirmation on GBU.

[Kriztoffer Swank]

If there's an MGM contact address, I'd say bombard the shit out of them for a replacement. No reason anyone should go buying this. I'll be pissed if they don't replace copies when their trilogy set was supposed to have contained the original mono audio.

[Arkadin]

I already got the Uk standalone a while back.
wonder if it has the original mono on it.
anyone know?

[Yojimbo68]

Originally Posted by HuggyBear73

I feel your pain. Gonna wait for someone here for confirmation on GBU.

The sad thing is was I was going to get the stand alone release. But at the time buying the trilogy was cheaper than buying the stand alone, so I figured I'd just get the new set and sell the old one. I mean I just bought it a couple weeks ago. So, in two months are we going to get a release with better color timing? That will probably happen with the 4K Blu-ray right? I love the Blu-ray format but this kind of incompetence from the studios has to stop! Everyone who bought the new trilogy should have the option to get a replacement disc.

[Kriztoffer Swank]

mgmonline@mgm.com didn't get bounced back to me, so hit 'em there.

[bubbafett73]

Originally Posted by Kriztoffer Swank

mgmonline@mgm.com didn't get bounced back to me, so hit 'em there.

I just sent this email to the address you provided:

I just purchased the new blu-ray set The Man With No Name Trilogy from Best Buy yesterday. It includes the newly remastered version of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

I am now reading reports on the internet that the new single-disc release of THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY 4K restoration contains the correct restored mono audio and NOT the infamous 5.1 mixdown and that the restored version in the Trilogy boxset does not contain the correct restored mono audio.

I have already bought the Man With No Name Trilogy boxset twice. The original set that came out in 2010 and the new set that came out in 2014. I don’t want to have to buy this movie again to get the original restored mono. It should have been included with the new boxset.

Could you please send me a replacement disc of the new single-disc release of the Good, the Bad and The Ugly 4K restoration that contains the correct restored mono audio.

I then put my name and address and told them thank you. I don't really expect much but it's worth a try.

[kristoffer]

Is this version region all? Great news.