The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966) (Remastered)

[WaverBoy]

According to Glenn Erickson (DVD Savant), a couple of his trusted sources have informed him that the newly-released standalone Blu-ray of THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY has been blessed with the original monaural soundtrack. Can anyone here confirm this?

Here's what he says, including a bit about who's not responsible for the new color timing:

As some of you know, back at MGM in 1997 I ended up being in a position to propose that an English-language version be produced of the long Italian cut of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. That finally happened about five years later, after I left the company. Last week I got a look at the new 4K transfer of GBU on the June release Blu-ray set called The Man With No Name Trilogy. I won't be reviewing it. But I have some news to report about it that Leone fans might want to hear.

First, some people are blaming disc distributors Fox and MGM for the disc's inexplicable color choices -- it's so yellow that the daytime scenes look like they have been gone over with a yellow highlighter. To be really unkind, maybe it should be called the 'Andres Serrano Edition' of GBU. Please somebody spread the word to the flamers out there that want to storm MGM with an angry mob, and tell them that the restoration, transfer and color choices on the new 4K transfer were all decided by restoration experts in Italy. My old MGM compatriot John Kirk had nothing to do with these new versions, and it's not fun reading denunciations of him in posts from people that don't know better. John has done too much good for film curatorship to deserve this.

The good news is about the audio for GBU. We know that the stereo remix from 2003 introduced a variety of non-doctrinaire revisions -- 'improved' new sound effects, cut 'n' paste music tracks, etc.. At this writing, Sergio Leone fans are also not happy with the audio options for GBU on The Man With No Name Trilogy Blu-ray set, which they quickly discovered still does not include an original monaural audio track, only a mono mixdown of the disputed 5.1 remix, the one with the replacement sound effects. Making things more confusing, the new restoration credits for the 4K remaster specifically list a mono audio restoration by Chace (now called Chace Audio by Deluxe).

When the single disc edition of GBU appeared in October we assumed it would be identical to the disc in the Trilogy box set. NOPE -- two trustworthy and knowledgeable Savant readers have written in to report that a restored original mono choice has been added. The single-disc release is the first time that the original monaural has been available since the 1998 DVD of the short U.S. theatrical version. Fans of the original mix can finally enjoy all those original wheezy Leone gunshot sound effects again.

[GenPion]

Awesome news if accurate. I would like to be able to hear the original sound effects. Too bad that Fox Connect sale is already over...

[I KEEL YOU]

I hope that this is true. I am expecting a large package from Amazon tomorrow and the new standalone release of TGTBATU is one of the items in it.

Too bad that the yellow (green) color timing hasn't been turned down from 11 on the standalone release as well.

[Retroj23]

I hope this is true for both the US and UK standalone discs.

[supersonic395]

Can you post an amazon link to the version with the original mono please?

And is it region free?

[kg1]

This is the one released in October - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MA159L2/

[Rizor]

Does it also include a seamlessly branched US cut too?

[Geoff D]

Great news if true, and it's interesting that under the audio options on the amazon page it says 'original recording remastered'. I know that amazon specs aren't usually, ah, watertight but it's something because there's no mention of remastered mono on the original specs. I know it's there in the movie's restoration credits (I think I was one of the first people to actually notice it when the rips started to appear) but it wasn't otherwise listed as being remastered in any of the pre-release blurb about the new Blu-ray, nor in the disc's menu, where it's simply called 'English Dolby Digital 1.0'.

It'd be nice if A) this is true and B) MGM started up a replacement program.

[bubbafett73]

well crap. I just bought the three disc set yesterday and had the original release. I don't want to have to buy this again.

[NLScavenger]

Amazon reviewer claims it doesn't have the original mono track.

[dwk]

Amazon reviewer is wrong. http://www.fistful-of-leone.com/foru...4905#msg174905

[Yojimbo68]

Well color me surprised! I was prancing around on here because I got a good price on the trilogy with the remastered TGTBATU. I guess "that good price" is not so great now. I have to pick this up on principle then. We are 100 percent no doubts that the new stand alone has the original mono track?

I just wanted to add that this is starting to piss me off. They pull this with the original Halloween and now The Good The Bad And The Ugly? Get it right the first time guys! We don't have endless money to spend on one title! Geez!

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by dwk

Amazon reviewer is wrong. http://www.fistful-of-leone.com/foru...4905#msg174905

Damn, they're saying that the wonky audio in the Grotto scene was tightened up too (the sync is terrible).

I just hope that this isn't some sort of mass hallucination. People have been wrong before. [edit] Like how one of the posters in that thread says that the UK remastered Blu-ray didn't include the downmixed mono at all. Uh, yes it does. I've got it right here.

Originally Posted by Arkadin

I already got the Uk standalone a while back.
wonder if it has the original mono on it.
anyone know?

No, I've had the UK steelbook and UK amaray versions and they're exactly the same: shitty downmixed mono. I highly doubt MGM will sneak a fixed version onto store shelves, we're all just gonna have to buy the US standalone. [edit] Which I've just done.

[kristoffer]

Is this version region all? Great news.

[Bates_Motel]

Too bad they didn't properly fix the color timing, too. I will stick with the previous disc, since I can't stand the teal blacks and jaundiced yellow Simpsons-looking people.

[Yowat]

Checked my trilogy set and the bridge destruction scene didn't have the sound when the rock hit the sack in mono. Also had the same code around the rim as mentioned here. So hopefully

[tylergfoster]

Originally Posted by Yowat

Checked my trilogy set and the bridge destruction scene didn't have the sound when the rock hit the sack in mono. Also had the same code around the rim as mentioned here. So hopefully

I mean, just flip the disc over and look at the inner ring on the bottom in the light and you should be able to see a letter / number code ending in V2. If it ends in V2 you have the corrected disc.

[Yowat]

Originally Posted by tylergfoster

I mean, just flip the disc over and look at the inner ring on the bottom in the light and you should be able to see a letter / number code ending in V2. If it ends in V2 you have the corrected disc.

Yep its the one Got it on July the month after its release. I only read about this yesterday. That was a surprise.

[JimDiGriz]

Originally Posted by Farid

Got my $8.99 V2 today.

This looks so much more elegant than the V1 steelbook I had.

Finally everything is good.

Yeah I sold my steelbook on too - all the Leone ones I have are amaray as well so it made more sense.

[JohnCarpenterFan]

Just got Sony Vegas and decided to have a play around with the 4K remaster and see what I could do with it. These are the results:

[Show spoiler]Original


Edited


Original


Edited


Original


Edited


Original


Edited

If only Ritrovata decided not to apply their sickly green/yellow blanket tint and used reasonable contrast levels then this surely would have been one of the best Blu-rays of all time (provided it used the Italian cut instead of MGM's new edit).