Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted October 16, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted October 16, 2015 http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_69/spartacus_blu-ray.htm Just watched my copy of this new transfer. As you can see from the comparisons on dvdbeaver.com, the old HD version looked pretty good but this new one is wonderful -- a new 6K scan of the original 8-perf Technirama negative combined with the color from a scan of the b&w separation masters, finished at 4K. The new HD version is sharper than the old one but using much less edge enhancement to get there. Skin tones are more natural, less brown. Maybe someday "2001" will get a similar treatment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted October 16, 2015 Author Premium Member Share Posted October 16, 2015 I just put the two blu-rays up on my computer and the difference is even more pronounced between the old HD transfer of the 1991 photochemical restoration and the new HD downsample of the 6K-to-4K digital restoration (the old is on the left): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted October 16, 2015 Author Premium Member Share Posted October 16, 2015 Now I just wish someone would restore "El Cid", also shot in 8-perf Technirama... just look at the current state of the movie compared to "Spartacus". I know that Martin Scorsese has also complained in the past about the lack of decent restoration of "El Cid" -- I believe some French company owns the rights and made some new prints last decade using some old b&w separation masters, maybe just in 35mm scope, but it's inadequate and the HD transfer from those old intermediates isn't very sharp. I once saw an old original (beat-up) 70mm print I believe back in college, or maybe it was an original 35mm scope print, but it was much sharper than the later prints made in the 1990's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Tyler Purcell Posted October 16, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted October 16, 2015 BluRay on order! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freya Black Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_69/spartacus_blu-ray.htm The three versions of the disk seem wildly different and sometimes the DVD even seems nicer than the two blu-rays. It makes me wonder which ones are closer to the original film!? It feels to me like the new blu-ray is mostly an improvement based on the stills on that web page. Freya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Bill DiPietra Posted October 16, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted October 16, 2015 It goes to show just how much information is captured on film. And we're talking 55 years ago. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Jay Young Posted October 16, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted October 16, 2015 It also goes to show just how far we have to go in terms of pulling that information already recorded into the digital realm. We're getting quite good at it, but still... I think it can be much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Bill DiPietra Posted October 16, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted October 16, 2015 It also goes to show just how far we have to go in terms of pulling that information already recorded into the digital realm. We're getting quite good at it, but still... I think it can be much better. And it makes me wonder what a brand new projected print looked like on the screen in 1960 compared to the new Blu-Ray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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