Spartacus (1960) (Restored Edition)

[CinemaScope]

So many people seem convinced that Criterion will release this Blu down the line sometime, & for all I know they could be right, but I just don't see it. Universal went to a lot of effort & probably a ton of money on this restoration, & they're releasing the Blu-ray, why would they then license it out to Criterion?

[Member-222782]

Originally Posted by CinemaScope

So many people seem convinced that Criterion will release this Blu down the line sometime, & for all I know they could be right, but I just don't see it. Universal went to a lot of effort & probably a ton of money on this restoration, & they're releasing the Blu-ray, why would they then license it out to Criterion?

It's not unprecedented for the studio to license something out either before or after they've released a version of it themselves (see Halloween II and III). I totally believe there will be a Criterion version sometime down the line, maybe not soon but within the next year. And I WILL pick that version up as well

[Ray_Rogers]

Originally Posted by cine74

It's not unprecedented for the studio to license something out either before or after they've released a version of it themselves (see Halloween II and III). I totally believe there will be a Criterion version sometime down the line, maybe not soon but within the next year. And I WILL pick that version up as well

Same but the Universal release I'll have with my regular alphabetized/organized part of my collection and the Criterion in the Criterion.
Of course the Universal 55th Anniversary restoration/remaster is far more affordable for me and of course will buy on release day. In-store no matter where I need to go.

(Hopefully Best Buy in Soquel. If not, then Fry's Electronics in either Campbell or San Jose. MAYBE the Target where I currently live or in Capitola. Would much rather get it in-store to cherry pick the best looking one for my shelf compared to ordering it randomly online. Since it's one of my all-time favorite epic older films.)

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by cine74

It's not unprecedented for the studio to license something out either before or after they've released a version of it themselves (see Halloween II and III). I totally believe there will be a Criterion version sometime down the line, maybe not soon but within the next year. And I WILL pick that version up as well

no, it isn't unprecedented, but even more unlikely considering what the other poster pointed out - the money put into the restoration and the fact that they'll want to reap the benefits and get a proper return on their investment for at least a couple years. saying "not soon but within the next year" is, in fact, saying "soon." there are only 50 - 60 movies released on Blu-ray by Criterion and PLENTY of other films that they can release and will.

people seem to always look past the business aspect of all of this. if the rights were licensed out to CC and released within the next year, it'd be a bad decision for both parties because sales will be split: the thrifty folks and the ones who don't care about special features (and that is a lot of people) will be content w/ the Universal release.. I don't think very many will feel the need for a CC release except for loyalists, completists, and those who blindly feel that it is a superior product.

with that said, and thinking about it further... it isn't happening from CC. not for a while, anyway.

[joenostalgia23]

Originally Posted by cine74

It's not unprecedented for the studio to license something out either before or after they've released a version of it themselves (see Halloween II and III). I totally believe there will be a Criterion version sometime down the line, maybe not soon but within the next year. And I WILL pick that version up as well

I wouldn't exepect Criterion to release one within the next year, if at all. They've got Blu-rays that they've personally announced that took 2-3 years to finally come out, but nothing has been said about Spartacus.

I understand why you're waiting but you're going to be waiting for a long time.

Also while it's not unprecedented, Spartacus is different from every other film Universal has licensed to Criterion. Fear and Loathing, Brazil, Dazed and Confused, none of those films got an expensive 4K restoration. It just seems unlikely that they'd put so much effort into one release(especially the guys who re-used discs for their Jurassic Park and BTTF re-releases) only to hand it over to another company.

[Ray_Rogers]

Originally Posted by joenostalgia23

I wouldn't exepect Criterion to release one within the next year, if at all. They've got Blu-rays that they've personally announced that took 2-3 years to finally come out, but nothing has been said about Spartacus.

I understand why you're waiting but you're going to be waiting for a long time.

Also while it's not unprecedented, Spartacus is different from every other film Universal has licensed to Criterion. Fear and Loathing, Brazil, Dazed and Confused, none of those films got an expensive 4K restoration. It just seems unlikely that they'd put so much effort into one release(especially the guys who re-used discs for their Jurassic Park and BTTF re-releases) only to hand it over to another company.

Seconding and it might seem Criterion might get it even later compared to sooner similar as they did the films you listed.
Has this been the most extensive full-blown restoration Universal has done for a single title? Especially of its release year and age. For some reason I keep forgetting the companion movie for SPARTACUS released around the same time. It was another Epic length feature, possibly again from Universal, which was also either the same style of shooting the film or I'm forgetting exactly the technical terms for it.
I'm thinking of Becket or El Cid but I'm not sure it was exactly those two. Could be wrong or someone else could fill in. Maybe it was mid-late 1950's.

[Bolty]

4 days till release.

Thru a series of unusual circumstances, I will be watching Spartacus
restored on Blu ray, in the very same room I first saw it in----on a b&w 17 inch tv in 1967

[Mandalorian]

Originally Posted by Bolty

4 days till release.

Thru a series of unusual circumstances, I will be watching Spartacus
restored on Blu ray, in the very same room I first saw it in----on a b&w 17 inch tv in 1967

Wow, that's awesome.

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by Bolty

4 days till release.

Thru a series of unusual circumstances, I will be watching Spartacus
restored on Blu ray, in the very same room I first saw it in----on a b&w 17 inch tv in 1967

If it's in the living room at your parents house, that's not unusual. Unless they don't live there anymore...

[Anthony Thorne]

It just seems unlikely that they'd put so much effort into one release(especially the guys who re-used discs for their Jurassic Park and BTTF re-releases) only to hand it over to another company

They'll be doing everything possible to recoup their investment, and Criterion will be paying to eventually access that 4K restoration, not getting it for free. I wouldn't expect a Criterion release too soon, but it will come.

[Bolty]

Originally Posted by baheidstu

If it's in the living room at your parents house, that's not unusual. Unless they don't live there anymore...

Well the home is currently vacant and I started squatting there a few months ago.






Just kidding. My folks never sold the house we grew up in and kept it in the family. It was my older brothers room in 1967 and the single show I ever watched in that room was Spartacus. Now I'm temporarily using it as my "home theater" room and I haven't watched the previous Blu ray since I've been here. It would represent a marginal upgrade from that old b&w tv.
Instead in 4 days, god willing, I will watch the ultime version of the movie 48 years later.

[MikeZ.]

Mine is shipping, and once again I'll be selling off the complete digital code for the buyer to do with as they wish.

Really looking forward to seeing this restoration.

[sperezmore]

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-r...5_blu-ray_.jpg

AMAZING!!!!!!!

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-r...us_blu-ray.htm

Can't wait for my copy.

Regards,

[Sheridan Mac]

I bought the Criterion DVD a few years ago but never watched or listened to anything but the main movie. I will be getting the new blu-ray on Tuesday and am wondering if there would be any technical issues in ripping both on my HTPC and moving the audio commentary tracks from the DVD edition onto the blu-ray rip. Seems that would be a far better way to listen to the commentary.

[Ray_Rogers]

Originally Posted by sperezmore

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-r...5_blu-ray_.jpg

AMAZING!!!!!!!

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-r...us_blu-ray.htm

Can't wait for my copy.

Regards,

I'll wait for Caps-a-Holic instead. Don't even care about screenshot comparisons, I'm hoping to buy it on Tuesday in-store.
I've been absolutely floored on how much time and effort has gone into the restoration it's mind boggling. Was also extremely disappointed Universal 50th Blu was heavily DNR/EE and was hoping for a long time for a proper release. I certainly wasn't expecting this huge extensive care for it and in all honesty was expecting a re-encode based on the older master prior to reading about the full-blown restoration.
Consider me extremely happy to finally properly own this Universal release since I've been waiting for a proper one from them for well over a decade. Ever since their first DVD release. To me this is Universal finally saying for this film, "We really do love and care now for our catalog titles. Especially SPARTACUS."
Hopefully the SPARTACUS on the slipcover is embossed or whichever. No idea who's going to buy the UV code from me from that part of the forum.

Fully expecting for Criterion to have their own SPARTACUS release well after Universals 55th Anniversary Restored Blu because of the amount of effort placed on it. As someone else mentioned before, Fear and Loathing along with Dazed and Confused plus a couple other titles licensed from Universal weren't derived from extensive remastered restoration. Just an older transfer with new recodes.
Still I regret selling the Criterion DVD years ago when I needed to get funds to pay some loans. But hoping I'd be able to borrow it from a highly trusted friend.

I'm having the same amount of anticipation for this release as I did for the Lawrence of Arabia Blu-ray Gift Set I own. Which is overwhlemingly high and is my definitive top-of-the-line 2015 release.

EDIT: Still going to eventually buy the OST CDs.

[sperezmore]

Gorgeous detail!!!!!!

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-r...1_blu-ray_.jpg

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-r...3_blu-ray_.jpg

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-r...7_blu-ray_.jpg

WOW!!!!!. Amazing restoration job.

Regards,

[Arch Stanton]

Looks ridiculously good.

[Geoff D]

It does indeed. The shots of Jean Simmons carry the in-camera filtration typical of the period but the rest is utterly jaw-dropping. Given how Universal have packed out the disc and haven't included a myriad of alternate language options I hope the international version doesn't have more languages stuffed in at the expense of a slightly inferior encode.

[dvdmike]

I need better shots than beaver, but it looks miles better.
Hope the weird light dnr issues on a few of the universal 4k masters are not there.

[Geoff D]

Still, that the bitrate average is "only" 23-odd Mb/s according to the Beaver is proof enough that bitrate really isn't everything. The more the better generally, yes, but some companies persistently fudge the quantization which can throw out some pervasive blocking no matter how bits are thrown at it. With that in mind, I really wouldn't want a Criterion version of this...