Salem's Lot (1979) DVD Re-Release - April 29th, 2014

[skyofcrack]

Originally Posted by jalind

I just bought the DVD directly from WB and presume it's the 2009, not the 2014 re-release. I would prefer Blu-ray and am willing to wait for one, or to get one from Region B or C if one isn't likely to be released anytime soon in Region A. I have an all-region Blu-ray and DVD player for that reason. This "film" however was done as a 2-part TV miniseries in 1979 (~3 hr run time without commercials), in the era of 1.33:1 aspect ratio NTSC analog TV, by WB Television on a $4M budget.

My research has been unable to find what medium was used for the "filming" but best guess would be that it was not on 24fps 35mm film, but 1" Type C videotape which had been introduced 3 years earlier and was in more common use. (Videotape had been in use for TV broadcast since the late 1950's.) Certainly it was nothing less than 3/4" U-Matic videotape. The quality of 1" Type C is high, but it's definitely not 35mm film. Shooting it with videotape for TV broadcast would have greatly simplified distributing it for TV broadcast in 29.97 fps NTSC (on videotape), especially in light of the budget. Shooting it on film would have required scanning 24 fps color film stock with a Telecine 2:3 pulldown for NTSC TV broadcast. The theatrical cut for European theatrical distribution was less than 2/3 the miniseries runtime, and was done later. Conversion from NTSC videotape to 24fps 35mm film for theater projection uses a "film-out" process. Granted, this is speculation, but it's an educated one regarding budget and cost.

The upshot of this is if Salem's Lot was shot on videotape, even using the highest quality systems of that era, a Blu-ray isn't going to be much of a PQ improvement compared to DVD. All of the TV miniseries from the analog NTSC era that I've sought on home video are available on DVD, but not on Blu-ray. Creating a Blu-ray would have to satisfy WB executives with a solid business case that it could not only pay for itself, but would project some reasonable profit margin.

This is why I'm not holding my breath for Blu-ray of this or some other NTSC era "made for TV" movies prior to the advent of HDTV. Others' thoughts on this are most welcome.

First, 'Salem's Lot (1979) was absolutely shot on 35mm film.



Budgeted at $4 million and originally set to be a feature film, Tobe Hooper shot the TV movie no differently than any other theatrical film. There was always going to be more explicit footage for a European theatrical release (which would be shorter). The original 4-hour film (3 1/2 hours minus ads) aired over two nights on November 17 & 24, 1979.

There can definitely be a Blu-ray release since the it was shot on film and it should probably be in both 1.33:1 and 1.85:1 aspect ratios since it was shot 1.85 (for Europe) but protected for TV.

My VHS tape from 1979 when I recorded 'Salem's Lot off the air has a running time of 210 minutes.

When SL was released on Laserdisc in 1993 the time was 193 minutes.

When SL was released on double cassette in 1993 the time was 186 minutes (on cassettes) 184 minutes (box packaging).

When SL was released on DVD in 1999 the time was 183 minutes.

The drastically cut-down theatrical version was 112 minutes.

A Blu-ray should be released and should restore the film to the proper 210 minute running time.