Spartacus (1960) (Restored Edition)

[Maggot]

Originally Posted by MisterXDTV

The original is horizontal 8/35 anamorphic (Technirama) that is still to be considered a "Large Format" (like VistaVision that is the same but flat)

Spartacus and other Technirama movies were PRINTED to 70mm but they were actually blow-ups albeit not by much.

To put it simply (an estimate):

Standard 35mm negative= 4K
8/35 negative= 6K
5/70 negative= 8K

So if 8/35 is still considered "Large Format", what does that make 65mm-70mm? Another question, a movie like "The Great Race", which I think was shot standard 35mm, looks like large format. Even the site review states that. Was it just lensed so perfectly? Did they use the 8/35 35mm option?

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by Widescreenfilmguy

I did not realize that they were blown up at all, for some reason I thought the height was the same and the width was just "unsqueezed" in the 70 mm release prints.

The negative dimensions for Technirama was 1.496" x .992" at a 1.5x anamorphic squeeze (35mm 8 perf) resulting in a negative AR of 2.262:1.

This was printed to:
70mm spherical 2.2:1: 1.913" x .868" (Super Technirama 70)
35mm anamorphic 2.347:1: .839" x .715" x 2x squeeze
35mm spherical 1.85:1: .825 x .446

[MisterXDTV]

Originally Posted by Maggot

So if 8/35 is still considered "Large Format", what does that make 65mm-70mm? Another question, a movie like "The Great Race", which I think was shot standard 35mm, looks like large format. Even the site review states that. Was it just lensed so perfectly? Did they use the 8/35 35mm option?

It is large format because the negative size is huge compared to standard 35mm (4 perf). 65mm (5/70) is even bigger but just on the horizontal axis. Using the ARRI formula for film scan:

35mm (anamorphic): 21.95 mm × 18.60 mm: 3658 × 3100 pixels
Technirama (anamorphic 8/35): 38 mm × 25.20 mm: 6333 × 4200 pixels
65mm (5/70): 52.48 mm × 23.01 mm: 8746 × 3835 pixels

No, "The Great Race" was a standard 4-perf 35mm anamorphic movie that was wrongly advertised as true 65mm. It had just 70mm blow-up prints...

[Pecker]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Well, I like what Steve has to say, and I like what Bob has to say. But who's correct? There's only one way to find out....fight!!!

ALaV's comments suggest he saw evidence, though obviously it be better if we could see it ourselves.

Steve W

[sartana]

Even though the Criterion DVD was miles better in picture quality than the Universal DVD, it was cropped compared to Universal.

I am hoping with Robert Harris' guidance this new BD will not be cropped.

[CinemaScope]

Originally Posted by sartana

Even though the Criterion DVD was miles better in picture quality than the Universal DVD, it was cropped compared to Universal.

I am hoping with Robert Harris' guidance this new BD will not be cropped.

I understand the is the first time they've actually scanned the original camera negative, so I'd think we'll see more picture area than we've seen on any home video format.

[kristoffer]

Can't wait to rewatch this.

[Bolty]

The current Blu-ray has about 3 alternate/deleted scenes....

I'm sure they are lost forever, but does anyone know what scenes were cut from the movie?

I remember one with Laughton and Gavin outside the senate being mentioned, but that is the only one I know of.

Thanks.

[sartana]

I thought the OCN is unusable or lost and they have to use the separation masters.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by sartana

I thought the OCN is unusable or lost and they have to use the separation masters.

That's exactly what they had to do a quarter of a century ago for the photochemical restoration, because the negative had faded so badly they had to turn to the seps.

However, with modern digital tech they can finally re-use the negative. I'm totally guessing here but I'd say they're taking the luma information from the original and combining it with the colour information from the seps, which themselves will have been digitally re-aligned for optimal precision.

[Bolty]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

That's exactly what they had to do a quarter of a century ago for the photochemical restoration, because the negative had faded so badly they had to turn to the seps.

However, with modern digital tech they can finally re-use the negative. I'm totally guessing here but I'd say they're taking the luma information from the original and combining it with the colour information from the seps, which themselves will have been digitally re-aligned for optimal precision.

Right.
I read that. They DID go back to the OCN and then used some modern technique to fix the color properly.

So the picture is said to be much better than what they were able to do back in 1991.

[infiniteCR]

Looks like I get to buy this one again

After seeing how amazing some of these other restorations have gone I donn think this whole 4k business is going to make them look any better.

[Maggot]

Originally Posted by kristoffer

Can't wait to rewatch this.

Agreed, these old classic films are so sumptuous and weighty in their look. So thick and rich that you can proverbially "like a cake, cut the image with a knife". Also, I can't wait to see the re-do of My Fair Lady, which hopefully will look more like a large format shot film this time around.

[Rich65]

I can't wait for this I love this movie. I am hoping for a great new transfer. Fingers Crossed.

[sartana]

I don't know how many people know this, but Stanley Kubrick himself was very displeased with this film. He said the first 40-45 min where pretty good but then after that the whole thing got a bit silly.

He obviously was displeased because he did not have complete control of this film and was basically a director for hire by Kirk Douglas, the real man in Control.

It was after Spartacus when Kubrick absolutely refused to do any films where he did not have %100 control.

[alexp]

I shall be buying this, putting the disc in my Universal digibook then throwing the old disc in the bin where it belongs

[Don Corleone]

Spartacus was released in the U.S. in digibook packaging?

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Don Corleone

Spartacus was released in the U.S. in digibook packaging?

No, just internationally.

[alexp]

Originally Posted by Don Corleone

Spartacus was released in the U.S. in digibook packaging?

I'm in the UK.
But it's region free anyway so you can still pick it up.
Very nice stills inside

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spartacus-Li...ords=spartacus

[Pieter V]