Dawn of the Dead (1978) - OUT OF PRINT

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

But that's just it, "all these modern transfers" of the theatrical basically boils down to just two or three distinct telecines of the CRI interneg over the last 15-20 years which have been reused over and over with varying processing applied, in other words these efforts are relics of the age when using pre-print materials other than camera negative was still the norm for home video transfer.

I'd imagine that the o-neg itself is in no better or worse shape than many movies from that period, for as long as whoever finally accesses it can afford to do a full 4K scan and digital clean-up & repair then it will destroy any previous version.

Yeah "modern" is definitely a stretch. When will we ever get correct black levels?!

[The Fallen Deity]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

The Arrow is burdened by the same underlying transfer with the baked-in noise reduction artefacts (the ghosting around moving things) but they didn't employ the same crude dirt removal pass as AB did so it's a little bit sharper and less filtered looking. IMO it's still a mediocre effort at best compared to any sort of modern restorative yardstick.

Yeah it's the least shit release out of a huge pile of shit releases.

[TheZatch]

The 3D version will be screened in Cleveland, Ohio and Pittsburgh, PA for a full set of showtimes each day October 26th through November 1st. Regardless of how many times this particular independent chain brings it back to the Cleveland area, I see it every year without fail and there's usually a packed house each time. I'm excited to finally be able to check this version out!

https://clevelandcinemas.com/movie/2...and-Info/20340

[brian9229]

As dear to my heart as Dawn is, and a fan of 3D, this was imo, a waste of energy. This film needs a proper photochemical restoration. Period.

[starman15317]

3D really seems like a waste for this, but I've never seen in on the big screen, so count me in.

[tylergfoster]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

But that's just it, "all these modern transfers" of the theatrical basically boils down to just two or three distinct telecines of the CRI interneg over the last 15-20 years which have been reused over and over with varying processing applied, in other words these efforts are relics of the age when using pre-print materials other than camera negative was still the norm for home video transfer.

Even that 4K UHD set?

[GasmaskAvenger]

Just dropped $45 on the Arrow blu-ray, which is a hell of a bargain for it.

[Mr. Chaverria]

Originally Posted by brian9229

As dear to my heart as Dawn is, and a fan of 3D, this was imo, a waste of energy. This film needs a proper photochemical restoration. Period.

This.

[reecescups]

I have a strange feeling that criterion just might have this in the works. Or at least one can dream

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by reecescups

I have a strange feeling that criterion just might have this in the works. Or at least one can dream

If anyone would be able to pick this one up, it would be Criterion. Night sold well for them. Still, I don't think it will happen. As you said though, one can dream.

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by reecescups

I have a strange feeling that criterion just might have this in the works.

If only.

[tonylopez]

Honestly I'd be over the moon if Criterion released Dawn but I don't dare get my hopes up for that high.

[StingingVelvet]

The guy's eventually gotta break down and get what he can from it.

[Michael24]

At this point, I feel like Criterion is the only hope for this getting a Blu-ray. If anybody could pull off a deal to score this, it seems like it would be them.

[locomotive]

Originally Posted by GasmaskAvenger

Just dropped $45 on the Arrow blu-ray, which is a hell of a bargain for it.

you lucky son of a b#tch

still looking for one for a decent price

not gonna pay 100 euro s or more for this one

[Richard--W]

Isn't the Arrow box-set a bluray of the theatrical release and DVD's of the other cuts?

Don't the German box-set and the Japanese box-set offer blurays of all the cuts?

[beadelf]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

Isn't the Arrow box-set a bluray of the theatrical release and DVD's of the other cuts?

Don't the German box-set and the Japanese box-set offer blurays of all the cuts?

Yeah I would have never bought the Arrow release if I knew this at time, hopefully we get a new release in UK and USA featuring all cuts on blu

[jimdigriz.]

The Australian release is good as it includes the 75 minute documentary too and better encoded than the version on the Arrow set.
Its only the theatrical version but that's the one to get if you don't want the Italian set with all 3 cuts on Bluray. The Italian set isn't perfect but as a stop gap its a good way to get adequate Blurays for all 3 cuts

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by tylergfoster

Even that 4K UHD set?

4K UHD & argento BD & daft open matte BD uses their new scan of the interpositive of the Argento cut, but the other versions in that set (theatrical & extended) use an alternative transfer to that seen on the AB/Arrow, it first appeared on the Japanese edition about 5 years ago I think? It doesn't have the baked-in smearing of the AB/Arrow but unfortunately the masters were encoded with the wrong video levels which majorly blows out highlights and turns the blacks into a milky grey. That same defect has followed those masters when re-used from the Japanese to the Austrian to the Italian set, just as the smearing is endemic to the AB & Arrow (plus the Umbrella which literally re-uses the Arrow video encode).

As I said, there are only a few distinctly different transfers - in terms of film being scanned and turned into video - over the last 10-15 years, each with their own faults. All these myriad other releases have done is either tweak or just simply re-encode those existing masters.

[Bobbyjoe766]

Originally Posted by jimdigriz.

The Australian release is good as it includes the 75 minute documentary too and better encoded than the version on the Arrow set.
Its only the theatrical version but that's the one to get if you don't want the Italian set with all 3 cuts on Bluray. The Italian set isn't perfect but as a stop gap its a good way to get adequate Blurays for all 3 cuts

I have both releases. I got the Italian set for the opened up version.

They’ll tide me over until this classic gets the definitive (or close to) release it deserves.