Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Mr. Cinema

Tell the marketing team to be sure and release this title in a classy package, similar to Taxi Driver. It deserves more than a standard blue case.

Does it need to come with a refrigerator magnet in order for enthusiasts to feel fulfilled?

I've heard they're hot items these days in the world of packaging.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

I can’t discuss pending distribution agreements, so I can’t speak to which theater chain(s), and of that, which specific venues from that chain, will exhibit LoA theatrically but, this is a good link to see which theaters in your area of the country at least have Sony 4k projectors installed and how close you live to those locations using the search engines –

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/mkt-dig...atregmap.shtml

FYI: for the larger screens AMC has installed Christie systems since there is some problems with the Sony systems not having enough light output - two examples: AMC's ETX screens are such, as well as the Uptown theater here in DC.

[P@t_Mtl]

I have no doubt that this will follow in the same vein as other big classic releases like Casablanca, Gone With The Wind.....we will have some sort of box set, collector set coming first and later on a single release.

I will wait for the single release. In most cases what I want is the movie and I am not interested in all the other collectibles that come with the collector sets.

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

FYI: for the larger screens AMC has installed Christie systems since there is some problems with the Sony systems not having enough light output - two examples: AMC's ETX screens are such, as well as the Uptown theater here in DC.

I believe that the Ziegfeld in NYC uses the Sony 4K and they have a 52' screen and it's absolutely fine. The Sony systems I've seen have plenty of light output EXCEPT when the idiot theatres leave on the 3D filters when projecting 2D movies. This absurd practice drives me INSANE and IMO will help lead to movie theatres destroying their own business.

If it's so hard and time consuming to switch lenses and filters, why don't the damned multiplexes devote some screens to 2D and some to 3D? Seems to me there's enough 3D product now to make this happen.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

I believe that the Ziegfeld in NYC uses the Sony 4K and they have a 52' screen and it's absolutely fine. The Sony systems I've seen have plenty of light output EXCEPT when the idiot theatres leave on the 3D filters when projecting 2D movies. This absurd practice drives me INSANE and IMO will help lead to movie theatres destroying their own business.

If it's so hard and time consuming to switch lenses and filters, why don't the damned multiplexes devote some screens to 2D and some to 3D? Seems to me there's enough 3D product now to make this happen.

I've always known the Ziegfeld to have a NEC system - did it change?

some multiplexes don't have enough screens to devote just one screen to feature 3D exclusively, the trend though is to present both the 2D and the 3D feature on the same screen - give the patrons the option which version to see - that's where the problems occur, if the projectionist doesn't recalibrate the light output or take away the filter, problems immediately occur - the ETX screen over at Tysons has had more problems than I'd care to share - they make me wanna scream and hurt someone.

[Cook]

Originally Posted by ycbbh

I vote for a River Kwai style digibook

I wouldn't mind that or something like the Taxi Driver or Citizen Kane packaging.

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

I have no doubt that this will follow in the same vein as other big classic releases like Casablanca, Gone With The Wind.....we will have some sort of box set, collector set coming first and later on a single release.

I will wait for the single release. In most cases what I want is the movie and I am not interested in all the other collectibles that come with the collector sets.

Me either. Just the movie, please.

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

I have no doubt that this will follow in the same vein as other big classic releases like Casablanca, Gone With The Wind.....we will have some sort of box set, collector set coming first and later on a single release.

I will wait for the single release. In most cases what I want is the movie and I am not interested in all the other collectibles that come with the collector sets.

I will also wait. I do not want to keep buying collector sets as they are more expensive and take up a lot space. I only care about the movie anyways.

[DarknessBDJM]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Actually, for the sake of completeness and to provide members with some insight as to how methodically this project was performed….test scans of LoA were done at the following resolutions: 2k, 4k, 6k, 8k and 11k.

It was determined that 8k was best and thusly, the chosen final scanning resolution for the project. This was a complex restoration and in case some digital restoration tools improve with time, given future advances in technology, this motion picture can always be revisited again because the raw scans are kept.

That's very interesting. I'd imagine 11k or 12k would be very expensive to work with and difficult to take in for the mastering process.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

I have no doubt that this will follow in the same vein as other big classic releases like Casablanca, Gone With The Wind.....we will have some sort of box set, collector set coming first and later on a single release.

I will wait for the single release. In most cases what I want is the movie and I am not interested in all the other collectibles that come with the collector sets.

I wouldn't bet on it. Those were WB packages. WB loves doing 1 blu-ray, 2-3 DVD's and superfluous cardboard trinkets.

Lawrence should be 2 BR discs coming in a book-like package. They should include Jarre's soundtrack, too

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

I have no doubt that this will follow in the same vein as other big classic releases like Casablanca, Gone With The Wind.....we will have some sort of box set, collector set coming first and later on a single release.

I will wait for the single release. In most cases what I want is the movie and I am not interested in all the other collectibles that come with the collector sets.

Nah - neither are lots of people. I actually cant stand deluxe packaging. Just the film please.

[Atreyu]

i don't mind having Ben Hur, but stuff like Wizard Of Oz and Willy Wonka, for me, are just a waste of time. I don't need all the added bells and whistles. Maybe a book, like Heston's journal or something, and put it in a nice box for no more than say 50 bucks and I just may buy.

[ShellOilJunior]

Restoration news:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...ips-hpa-290677

[24framesasecond]

Interesting. The above article states that the scan was 4k. I've always heard 8k.

I'm confused about the comments regarding the supposedly dismal condition of the negative when this restoration began. Wouldn't the exhaustive reconstruction/restoration that Robert A. Harris and James C. Katz performed on the film in the 1980s have yielded a reference master on safety film that the current restoration team could have worked from?

By the way, those of you who don't want all the trinkets etc. that the box set is sure to be loaded down with might consider buying the UK release. The transfer will be identical (that is to say, gorgeous), it'll be cheaper (probably a lot cheaper), and you won't have to put up with a lot of useless extra crap. And as a bonus, you'll get it earlier--June 4 is the scheduled release in the UK.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by 24framesasecond

Interesting. The above article states that the scan was 4k. I've always heard 8k.

I'm confused about the comments regarding the supposedly dismal condition of the negative when this restoration began. Wouldn't the exhaustive reconstruction/restoration that Robert A. Harris and James C. Katz performed on the film in the 1980s have yielded a reference master on safety film that the current restoration team could have worked from?

By the way, those of you who don't want all the trinkets etc. that the box set is sure to be loaded down with might consider buying the UK release. The transfer will be identical (that is to say, gorgeous), it'll be cheaper (probably a lot cheaper), and you won't have to put up with a lot of useless extra crap. And as a bonus, you'll get it earlier--June 4 is the scheduled release in the UK.

I'm wondering someone got lazy and really meant to say 8k. Later in the article they mention Disney and 4k....

[The Duke]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I'm wondering someone got lazy and really meant to say 8k. Later in the article they mention Disney and 4k....

From the Home Theater article Dubstar quoted, the LoA was scanned at 8k to capture all the detail of the 65mm negative and saved, but then it was taken down to 4k for a working copy. Since the theatrical re-release will use 4k digital projectors (I want one!) and the Blu-ray will only be in 2k, a 4k working copy makes sense.

Originally Posted by Dubstar

Lawrence of Arabia which had been scanned in at 8K resolution (to ensure the highest capture of detail from the film’s large-format 65mm negative) and then taken down to 4K for the workflow, was even more revealing. A close-up of Peter O’Toole’s face jumped off the screen compared with the earlier 2K master, thanks to the more detailed texture of his skin and the sharper reproduction of the layer of dust partially coating his face. A longer shot from Lawrence that was also taken in the desert showed a series of fine concentric lines near the top of the frame in a pattern reminiscent of a fingerprint. These, (Grover) Crisp explained, are cracks in the film emulsion caused by its melting in the desert heart and then healing over. The Lines have always been there in the negative and result in an unusual rippling artifact when viewing the movie, but until now there hasn’t been a way to fix it. We’ve never been able to see this kind of detail before – it’s always been kind of submerged, he says, but now with this 8K scan it’s more obvious, Sony commissioned a third party to develop software to minimize or eliminate this distracting artifact for the restored version, which is due out on blu-ray and in theaters later this year

- Home Theater (February 2012 Vol. 19 No. 2) “Hollywood the 4K Way” by Rob Sabin

[BluBonnet]

Looking forward to this... I don't want a big box with all the bells & whistles.

However it would be awesome if they could include both the regular transfer of the movie and another in Smilebox format, like WHV did with "How the West Was Won".

Yes, I know obviously that LofA was not a Cinerama movie, but I still think it would look great in Smilebox because I have seen the movie theatrically in theaters with a curved screen.

Oh, well, just the regular version is fine if Sony doesn't have access to the Smilebox process...

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

I've always known the Ziegfeld to have a NEC system - did it change?

You might be right...I don't remember why I wrote that. Not that they keep it up to date, but the Ziegfeld is not on Sony's online list of 4K theatres. But I know I've seen 4K projected films there, most recently Hugo 3D.

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by 24framesasecond

I'm confused about the comments regarding the supposedly dismal condition of the negative when this restoration began. Wouldn't the exhaustive reconstruction/restoration that Robert A. Harris and James C. Katz performed on the film in the 1980s have yielded a reference master on safety film that the current restoration team could have worked from?.

That's my exact question. As I understand it, the RAH version also included some lost footage - I seem to remember stories of them getting actors (not necessarily the original actors) to redub some lines. Or am I confusing LOA with Spartacus?

Also, if they're not using the RAH version, are they restoring from the 65mm negative or a 35mm negative/print?

[singhcr]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

That's my exact question. As I understand it, the RAH version also included some lost footage - I seem to remember stories of them getting actors (not necessarily the original actors) to redub some lines. Or am I confusing LOA with Spartacus?

Also, if they're not using the RAH version, are they restoring from the 65mm negative or a 35mm negative/print?

Some missing footage from LOA had to have the audio re-dubbed, you are remembering correctly. I think something similar was done with Spartacus as well.