Golden Age 3-D Features

[jimqk]

Originally Posted by BleedOrange11

The Man Who Wasn't There is more likely to come first since it will be less expensive to scan. I hope we get Flight to Tangier too though. The BFI seems to have a treasure trove of 3D prints to re-discover.

I would say you're probably right. I saw THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE in 3-D when it was released in 1983. My only memory of it is a great opening aerial shot of Washington, D.C. I do remember being disappointed with the film as a whole, however.

Of course, if it is released on Blu-ray I will certainly buy it to support more 3-D releases. And maybe I'll enjoy it better after all these years? I hated JAWS 3-D when it was released in '83, but now I think it's a hoot. I've watched the 3-D Blu-ray several times.

FLIGHT TO TANGIER is the more exciting choice of the two possibilities. I've never seen it, but I bet it would make for a spectacular 3-D release, being that it was filmed in three-strip Technicolor and 3-D!

[BleedOrange11]

I actually watched Flight to Tangier flat last night out of curiosity. It has great atmosphere and production value, really fun old school sets, re-creating Morocco on a B-studio lot. Jack Palance was awesome, but I thought the direction was severely lacking. They try to play "hide the monkey" with the storytelling--lot's of people running around from place to place without revealing their motivation for doing so until the end, and even then it's a bit unclear. No doubt it would look fabulous in widescreen, 3-strip Technicolor 3D. Imagine a 4K restoration, combining scans of the 6 original negatives!

[jimqk]

Yeah, getting a 4K scan of all six negatives sounds like a pipe dream. But you never know? Maybe some foundation funding will make it possible? Special funding made THE MAZE a reality, and that was an awesome release. Of course, there were only two negatives for that one to worry about.

So, I wonder what we'll be getting first out of the batch we know about? ROBOT MONSTER is being held up right now as the archive awaits access to material from across the Atlantic. It's still not known who will be releasing it. What's the status on THE DIAMOND WIZARD? Will we get that one before BWANA DEVIL? And then we also have I, THE JURY heading our way, too.

[BleedOrange11]

The Diamond Wizard should be next.

[T. Warren Scollan]

It's my belief that there's little chance for "Flight to Tangier". Ever. As Bob F has said, restoring a dual strip is 3 to 4 times the cost of a flat film, and the cost of creating the missing eye in that film from the 3 strip B&W OCN has been estimated to be an additional cost twice that of all the 3D restoration; no wonder Kino dropped the license! And don't forget that MGM won't go for any crowdfunding. To me, it's not that big of a loss. While I'm a big Jack Palance fan, it's a pretty weak film.

[BleedOrange11]

Would be less expensive if it was restored from a fine-grain print or something more removed from the OCN. Maybe some element will turn up at the BFI. Otherwise, Flight to Tangier will require a crowd fund in disguise. I see that as more of a challenge than an impossibility. It's certainly the path of least resistance to do other restorations first and come back to the ones that require loopholes later.

[WaverBoy]

Originally Posted by T. Warren Scollan

It's my belief that there's little chance for "Flight to Tangier". Ever. As Bob F has said, restoring a dual strip is 3 to 4 times the cost of a flat film, and the cost of creating the missing eye in that film from the 3 strip B&W OCN has been estimated to be an additional cost twice that of all the 3D restoration; no wonder Kino dropped the license! And don't forget that MGM won't go for any crowdfunding. To me, it's not that big of a loss. While I'm a big Jack Palance fan, it's a pretty weak film.

Very sad that one eye is missing from this one.

[the13thman]

Originally Posted by WaverBoy

Very sad that one eye is missing from this one.

I don't think the eye is actually missing, it's just that only one eye has been restored so the other one needs doing and that's an expensive proposition.

[BleedOrange11]

It's not missing. Paramount has Flight to Tangier's original negatives for left and right eye images. Packard Humanities Institute also has a 35mm 3D print, which they refused 3DFA access to.

[globalimages2]

Originally Posted by BleedOrange11

It's not missing. Paramount has Flight to Tangier's original negatives for left and right eye images. Packard Humanities Institute also has a 35mm 3D print, which they refused 3DFA access to.

Yeah, there was at least one complete 3D print somewhere, as I've seen it (wasn't it at the first 3D film expo?), but since the whole Packard fiasco I guess the only option, which is the best option in any case, is whatever Paramount's fee is for digitizing the missing eye, likely significant, but not impossible.

Like others said, it's probably better to try get other "more improbable" titles, specially those more in danger to be lost, rather than this one which should be safe for a while, with the private surviving print and all, and is not a top-tier film, while stuff like "Son of Sinbad" or other more interesting titles have a less clear future unless something is done to preserve them, the sooner the better ...

[revgen]

Originally Posted by globalimages2

Yeah, there was at least one complete 3D print somewhere, as I've seen it (wasn't it at the first 3D film expo?), but since the whole Packard fiasco I guess the only option, which is the best option in any case, is whatever Paramount's fee is for digitizing the missing eye, likely significant, but not impossible.

That's the print the 3DFA wanted access to.

Without it, Kino would have to pay for scanning 6 rolls of film instead of two rolls from the 35mm print.

[BleedOrange11]

I'm not sure that one eye has been restored in HD either. As far as I know, Flight to Tangier has a flat DVD in Spain, and that's it.

[Jack Theakston]

Originally Posted by revgen

That's the print the 3DFA wanted access to.

Without it, Kino would have to pay for scanning 6 rolls of film instead of two rolls from the 35mm print.

In 4K and then RGB recombination and grading—not cheap.

[Robert Furmanek]

The only comment I will add, when reading my quotes from many years ago, things can and sometimes do change...

[Interdimensional]

Originally Posted by Robert Furmanek

The only comment I will add, when reading my quotes from many years ago, things can and sometimes do change...

I hope a lot of things change! In the right direction, of course.

And it's not for nothing when they do. You've accomplished a lot to get to this point.

[WaverBoy]

Originally Posted by BleedOrange11

It's not missing. Paramount has Flight to Tangier's original negatives for left and right eye images. Packard Humanities Institute also has a 35mm 3D print, which they refused 3DFA access to.

Oh good; it was posted that a missing eye needed to be recreated, hence my confusion. Glad that’s not the case!