Horror of Dracula (Dracula 1958)

[SMOOT]

Originally Posted by Mikezilla3k

Is this the release you're talking about?:

Yes

[DrEricVornoff]

Originally Posted by Mikezilla3k

Is this the release you're talking about?:

Originally Posted by SMOOT

Yes

Here's a link for the item on Amazon's US website (that way you don't have to order from UK site). It still comes from Amazon UK but the order is processed through the domestic site.

I ordered my copy on August 11th and it is due to arrive via DHL by August 17th! Not bad at all for an import - and I got it for a little over $25 (including $11 for shipping!)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TJKBZ9S/

NOTE: There seems to be other options/sellers who are offering this - but it looks like "AMAZON GLOBAL UK" is the cheapest option - make sure you pick that option (it may not be the default one).

[DrCushing]

I don't think we will ever have a "perfect" presentation. I parted with my 35mm print that had seen better days and kept the 16mm print (directly from a Technicolor lab) that looks equivalent. Had a test scan done at 5K overscan (first 150 ft) recently.

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[cannon1]

Originally Posted by DrCushing

I don't think we will ever have a "perfect" presentation. I parted with my 35mm print that had seen better days and kept the 16mm print (directly from a Technicolor lab) that looks equivalent. Had a test scan done at 5K overscan (first 150 ft) recently.

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Is there a blu ray that favors the look of it particularly well?

[WaverBoy]

Originally Posted by cannon1

Trouble is it's at least 6 times the price of this one today, for us budget conscious folks

Yeah, I got while the gettin’ was good, I must admit.

[cannon1]

Originally Posted by SMOOT

Also, the German Studio Hamburg Enterprises Blu-ray disc is Region Free and will play in any USA Blu-ray player.
Language options are both German and English.

Also, I see that the shipping cost has dramatically increased on the Amazon.co.UK site, so one might want to check and re-check other options to get the disc. Guess I ordered (July 23) at the right time to get cheap shipping.

Received mine today from Amazon Store UK...man that was fast..quickest ever from the UK, 6 days, for $11.00.

[SMOOT]

Originally Posted by cannon1

Received mine today from Amazon Store UK...man that was fast..quickest ever from the UK, 6 days, for $11.00.

Wow, that's good.
I think it took me 2 weeks to get it.

[cannon1]

Originally Posted by SMOOT

Wow, that's good.
I think it took me 2 weeks to get it.

Looks excellent, thanks again for the suggestion! At first I wondered about a subtle 'stuttering' or slight jerky quality to the motion....which reminds me of what I get from a 1080i Shock blu ray I have, then realized I had watched it with my converted All region player. I popped it in my regular Sony region A player and this disappeared. Nice seeing the HOD USA title on it again! Sure like to see one of those 1958 Technicolor prints you told about, presumably it was a USA 1958 print. My understanding is the UK Technicolor prints are yet different too...(cooler?)

[DrEricVornoff]

Originally Posted by AJAX

Are you sure the Studio Hamburg blu ray is region free? It stated region b on Amazon. Is this the preferred edition of this film (compared to WAC)?

Originally Posted by pitchman

...Perhaps the Studio Hamburg is region free? That could be the difference.

Originally Posted by cannon1

It sounds like there's an HD scan prior to the WAC issue and the restoration, that's comparable in color to the earlier Warner DVD, which is the closest to the 1964 dye transfer Technicolor print he saw (but not to the preferred 1958 Technicolor print he saw also) recently, but suffering none of the black crush of the WAC. This HD scan/version is included with the Hamburg along with the Lionsgate-lost footage restoration.

Originally Posted by SMOOT

Definitely Region Free, at least as far as the USA goes.

I do not have an All Region player,
and
I have 3 Region A only players --
Samsung
Sony (their first Blu-ray player from 2006 and it still works unlike anything else that old)
LG 4K player

You can buy unafraid. Of course, you will have to select English from the menu or your remote as German is the default language.

Make sure that it is the Sept 2019 Studio Hamburg Blu-ray release which says 1080P on front and 1080P 23.97fps on back,
as there seems to have been an earlier release that was 1080i and likely 25fps.

SMOOT!! SMOOT!! You sir are a genius!! I just got the Studio Hamburg release in the mail!

Drumroll please....

IT IS DEFINITELY 100% REGION FREE! I could not believe it!!

At long last I have the complete 2012 Hammer Restoration cut (with missing footage intact) playing on my television here in the States!!

Thanks man! You are one swell dude!

And I was able to score it for around $25 including shipping from the US/domestic Amazon site!

For anyone interested, here's a direct link to the listing on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TJKBZ9S

I ordered it on August 11th (it came from Poland) and it was on my door step on August 14th (4 days total)!

Cheers!

[SMOOT]

Originally Posted by cannon1

Looks excellent, thanks again for the suggestion! At first I wondered about a subtle 'stuttering' or slight jerky quality to the motion....which reminds me of what I get from a 1080i Shock blu ray I have, then realized I had watched it with my converted All region player. I popped it in my regular Sony region A player and this disappeared. Nice seeing the HOD USA title on it again! Sure like to see one of those 1958 Technicolor prints you told about, presumably it was a USA 1958 print. My understanding is the UK Technicolor prints are yet different too...(cooler?)

Yes, the 1958 and the 1964 Technicolor prints were USA.
I have not seen a UK print from that era.

As to your Sony Region A player having no problems and playing it well,
I have a suggestion for your All Region Blu-ray player
(as I find this works for my USA Region A LG player when playing 1080i) --
Go into the menu and take it out of Auto detection and put it directly into 1080i mode. This may or may not help, but worth a try. Some players have a problem in Auto as they cannot maintain certain cadences in that mode. Selecting the mode directly for the player may clear up the issue. My LG player will strobe or flicker with 1080i/25fps/50hz discs if set in Auto, but they play fine if I go into the menu and set the player to only do 1080i.

[Richard--W]

Originally Posted by DrEricVornoff

SMOOT!! SMOOT!! You sir are a genius!! I just got the Studio Hamburg release in the mail!

Drumroll please....

IT IS DEFINITELY 100% REGION FREE! I could not believe it!!

At long last I have the complete 2012 Hammer Restoration cut (with missing footage intact) playing on my television here in the States!!

Thanks man! You are one swell dude!

And I was able to score it for around $25 including shipping from the US/domestic Amazon site!

For anyone interested, here's a direct link to the listing on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TJKBZ9S

I ordered it on August 11th (it came from Poland) and it was on my door step on August 14th (4 days total)!

Cheers!

I paid a lot more for mine. Glad you're happy.
I have the UK, USA, and three German blu-ray editions including that one.

[JimDiGriz]

Thanks for everyone above.

Just bought this from Amazon.de for €13 delivered.

[DrCushing]

Originally Posted by cannon1

Is there a blu ray that favors the look of it particularly well?

It would be a cross between the Warner Archive disc and the raw Japanese footage.

[captainsolo]

So if I am understanding this correctly the new German disc is either the dvd master in a higher res version or a newer scan of the same material so it looks very similar and has the HOD title card.
Am I getting this right? Does it have the cropping issues of the dvd?

[The Aluminum Falcon]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

So if I am understanding this correctly the new German disc is either the dvd master in a higher res version or a newer scan of the same material so it looks very similar and has the HOD title card.
Am I getting this right? Does it have the cropping issues of the dvd?

It's the DVD master, finally presented at higher resolution. Very surprised at the detail on such a dated master.

Regardless, I think the cropping is slightly better but haven't done an A/B.

Comparison with the UK BD here - https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=12850&d2=12852&c=5033

Nice to see you on another forum, btw.

[captainsolo]

Originally Posted by The Aluminum Falcon

It's the DVD master, finally presented at higher resolution. Very surprised at the detail on such a dated master.

Regardless, I think the cropping is slightly better but haven't done an A/B.

Comparison with the UK BD here - https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=12850&d2=12852&c=5033

Nice to see you on another forum, btw.

Good to see you TAF.
Interesting that this has come to disc. Those caps look quite good for what it is though it can’t hold up to the newer source scan. But it looks far more balanced and I think you’re right that the cropping isn’t as bad as the framing looks like it is letting things breathe a tad more.

[Partyslammer]

The German Studio Hamburg Blu-ray release of Horror Of Dracula arrived recently and I had some time to check it out and A/B it with some other DVD/Blu-ray releases last night. Yes, it is region free.

IMO, this release is the best of all worlds version on Blu-ray worldwide of this film. You get both the 16:9 Warner Bros scan of the US version with the "Horror Of Dracula" title with the unquestionably best and reasonably accurate color grading as well as the controversial color-timed 2012 UK remaster with the "Dracula" title and the Japanese scenes inserted. There's default German audio and English tracks but no English subtitles, only German. There's also a decent amount of extras including scans of posters, pressbooks, lobby cards and stills from various countries. Finally, there's a commentary track, but it's in German.

IMO, while yes, the vertical cropping on the US version is tight in some shots, it's not a deal breaker. The image is significantly more detailed then the old DVD and perhaps a tad brighter but deep blacks are not washed out. Compared to the HD broadcast version that shows up on TMC every October, this looks more detailed and sharper but the framing is otherwise identical. Compared to the US Warner Archives release, there's slightly less headroom on the top but there's more image on the sides and the German release has a slightly brighter image but the colors are ever so slightly duller.

Interestingly, the transfer on the 2012 "Dracula" version on the German disc looks a tad bit better than the UK Lionsgate release.

Here's a down n dirty screen cap comparison - be aware they're resized JPEGs:

[RICKBONDOO7]

I got mine last week from Amazon ! Fantastic ! Horror of Dracula title opening and Great PQ much better than WB Archive version. Also has Dracula BFI restored version with the Extra scenes in it. Now I have 3 Blurays of Dracula ! This German region Free disc is really all a Hammer Fan needs. But the UK Dracula Bluray has the Universal International logo at the opening and the end. The German Horror of Dracula does Not have any logo at the start or the end. But it's still Nice to have all 3 of them as a collector ! : )

[Partyslammer]

One thing I want to add, is thankfully the Studio Hamburg release doesn't feature the new audio remaster that's shown up on recent HD broadcasts of the US version. In that version, the audio is either sourced from something else or someone did an insane amount of re-EQ'ing which results in even the tiniest background noise magnified to an extreme degree and lots of white noise in otherwise dead silence. In some quiet moments, you can actually hear slight background noises the production crew make during shots. In fact, the audio on the Studio Hamburg disc is a bit low, but at least when you crank it up a bit, it doesn't sound like a rain storm when Harker is sleeping the day away in his room after a night of vampiric fun n' games.

[Hedji]

I'm getting confused (sorry). I have the Anolis and the Warner US.

What advantage does this Studio Hamburg have over those?