Halloween 4K UHD (1978)

[BobSimms]

Originally Posted by Onlysleeping23

I don’t believe this to be the case. IIRC, Death Waltz records release of the H1 soundtrack from a few years back was sourced from the film’s analog m&e tracks.

Also, if that were the case, how would the new Atmos mix be created?

Yeah, Mondo’s website says of their 2018 release (which I have on vinyl) “This audio is taken from the original Mono film reels.”

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by Onlysleeping23

I don’t believe this to be the case. IIRC, Death Waltz records release of the H1 soundtrack from a few years back was sourced from the film’s analog m&e tracks.

Also, if that were the case, how would the new Atmos mix be created?

You bring up a good point that I didn’t think of: How did Scream create the new Atmos mix without using the original elements? Could they have just added to the existing 7.1 track?

[mar3o]

So then what's the point of just using the 2014 mono track? Are they just unaware that there was this problem with the track, even though they have been told about it previously, and they did the easy thing and just copied that over? Why not go back to the original elements if they are available for the mono track? Especially if they did that anyways for the Atmos track? Was it just to save time thinking they already had the mono track on the previous release they could use?

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by mar3o

So then what's the point of just using the 2014 mono track? Are they just unaware that there was this problem with the track, even though they have been told about it previously, and they did the easy thing and just copied that over? Why not go back to the original elements if they are available for the mono track? Especially if they did that anyways for the Atmos track? Was it just to save time thinking they already had the mono track on the previous release they could use?

We haven’t heard an explanation yet.

[JCRW82]

Originally Posted by BobSimms

Yeah, Mondo’s website says of their 2018 release (which I have on vinyl) “This audio is taken from the original Mono film reels.”

I found a link that has a description of the Mondo Halloween Soundtrack release from 2018: https://bleedingcool.com/movies/mond...ack-carpenter/

The soundtrack features music composed and performed in 1978 by John Carpenter. The audio is taken from the "music stem" derived from the 35mm mono tracks that comprised the dialogue, sound effects, and music of the original film, which when combined, comprise the complete soundtrack of the classic film.

The first LP album of HALLOWEEN – released in 1982 – was a stereo remix of the original 16 masters by Alan Howarth with instructions from John Carpenter to re-mix the tracks to represent the best sound of the music, and not necessarily commit to match the music as mixed for the film. In our 40th anniversary release, Alan Howarth carefully transferred the film's music stem and assembled the score in chronological order as presented in the movie; the listener can visualize the film in their mind's eye while taking a musical journey of the most famous horror score ever! It's the first time it's been presented in this manner, and is absolutely terrifying!

So from what I read from that, it still sounds like the Original 35mm Magnetic Master Mono Soundtrack Tape exists as Mondo used it to source their release. If that is the case then SF could easily have asked for the tapes from Trancas when they requested for the OCN to run the 4K scans. This just gets more confusing the further it is unraveled.

[BobSimms]

Did they really use the master tape? That description sounds to me like the soundtrack was derived from the 35mm “soundtrack area” from the actual film reels, not from 1/4” (or 1/2”) reel-to-reel audio tape.

[JCRW82]

Originally Posted by BobSimms

Did they really use the master tape? That description sounds to me like the soundtrack was derived from the 35mm “soundtrack area” from the actual film reels, not from 1/4” (or 1/2”) reel-to-reel audio tape.

I think I made a mistake on the tape used from my prior post. From the description of the Mondo soundtrack release, it sounds like they went back to the Original 35mm Magnetic Mono Music and Effects track, NOT the mono soundtrack that has the film dialogue. Criterion also included this in their Laserdisc release as a special feature. So it still begs the question: is the Original Mono Soundtrack lost?

And for the new Atmos Mixes, were they able to use the original 16 track multitrack master tapes as the source?

[BobSimms]

Originally Posted by JCRW82

And for the new Atmos Mixes, were they able to use the original 16 track multitrack master tapes as the source?

Yeah, that’s the most intriguing question here. What elements did they use to create the Atmos? They have to have access to “stems” or multitracks to do that, right?

Anyway, if Death Waltz could get access to the original mono from the 35mm (and they did), then why couldn’t Shout?

[Onlysleeping23]

Analog audio elements for film are stored on 35mm sprocketed “full coat” magnetic reels.

[Telemachus]

Originally Posted by mar3o

So then what's the point of just using the 2014 mono track? Are they just unaware that there was this problem with the track, even though they have been told about it previously, and they did the easy thing and just copied that over? Why not go back to the original elements if they are available for the mono track? Especially if they did that anyways for the Atmos track? Was it just to save time thinking they already had the mono track on the previous release they could use?

What is the problem with that mono track? I know my stand alone anniversary BD had the fold down mono (fake), so even the boxset got shafted on their mono track? And we are about to get that again? Dang

[BobSimms]

Originally Posted by Telemachus

What is the problem with that mono track? I know my stand alone anniversary BD had the fold down mono (fake), so even the boxset got shafted on their mono track? And we are about to get that again? Dang

The Scream/Anchor Bay box set discs of Halloween (1978)—issued in 2014, a year after the incorrect fold-down mono of 2013’s 35th Anniversary release from Anchor Bay—had the correct original theatrical mono; the problem is that it has noise reduction overkill, to the point that it sounds muffled and undynamic compared to the Criterion Laserdisc from ‘94.

[Vixen of the Night]

Does anyone have an audio rip of the Criterion laserdisc? Message me.

[bobbyh64]

Originally Posted by Vixen of the Night

Does anyone have an audio rip of the Criterion laserdisc? Message me.

Here’s a comparison someone made of the LaserDisc mono and filtered mono.

Originally Posted by hungrywives

Okay, here we go. I'll try to do a Criterion Laserdisc/Anchor Bay 2007 Blu-ray lossy mono comparison tomorrow.

Halloween (1978) Laserdisc-Blu-ray Mono Comparison - YouTube

[Vixen of the Night]

Originally Posted by bobbyh64

Here’s a comparison someone made of the LaserDisc mono and filtered mono.

Wow! Huge difference. I suspect the movie would still scare the shit out of me with that unfiltered mono mix. It packs a punch in that clip. I've always had issues with the audio on the DVD/BD releases just not working for me.

If someone could send me a file of the complete audio, that would be wonderful!

[mar3o]

Originally Posted by Vixen of the Night

Wow! Huge difference. I suspect the movie would still scare the shit out of me with that unfiltered mono mix. It packs a punch in that clip. I've always had issues with the audio on the DVD/BD releases just not working for me.

If someone could send me a file of the complete audio, that would be wonderful!

Yeah, it's hard to be excited for the mono mix track if it's going to be the muffled over-processed track from the last release. I'm not sure which I'd prefer at this point - whatever new Atmos mix we get, downscaled to 5.1 for my system, or the mono soundtrack.

[JCRW82]

Originally Posted by mar3o

Yeah, it's hard to be excited for the mono mix track if it's going to be the muffled over-processed track from the last release. I'm not sure which I'd prefer at this point - whatever new Atmos mix we get, downscaled to 5.1 for my system, or the mono soundtrack.

We have never had a good sounding surround track for Halloween since they introduced a 5.1 Dolby Digital mix in 1999. Even though Chace Productions and Alan Howarth went back to the original 16-track music studio master and the 35mm magnetic dialogue & effect track tapes, we still ended up with sounds that were completely re-done (thunder effects) or botched completely (missing sting effects). I have also found the 5.1 mixes have always sounded thin and muffled which makes me think they took a heavy hand in processing the multitrack stems. Most reissues after this release just ported over the mix and that's it.

Shout Factory does have the potential to make a great Atmos mix but they have to go back to the original sources and take fresh A/D transfers, make sure to use all of the original effects and finally use the Original Mono Mix as a reference to make sure the balance is right and nothing important is missing from each scene. I'm guessing this will be the mix that gets the main focus when reviews come out and the mono mix will be neglected. But it will be interesting to find out none the less.

[Conan The Barbarian]

So, if the next release after this one contains the mono of the laser disk, would the complaining cease? Because at this point, I feel like nothing will make anyone happy.

[Telemachus]

Originally Posted by bobbyh64

Here’s a comparison someone made of the LaserDisc mono and filtered mono.

Just wow, I will not be listening to that mix if we get the same one, a shame. Like a steak someone dropped on a barn floor.

LaserDisc undefeated

[Drifter]

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[Kyle15]

Originally Posted by Conan The Barbarian

So, if the next release after this one contains the mono of the laser disk, would the complaining cease? Because at this point, I feel like nothing will make anyone happy.

I think you know the answer to that question. It's pretty easy stuff unless the goal is to make a dig.