(horror of) dracula to be released uncut on blu ray!!

[X-human]

Hammer Films confirmed this for March 18th, 2013. They posted on their blog that the aspect ratio will be 1.66:1 since it was shot hard matted that way.

I thought it'd be a Warner release even in the UK but on Facebook Hammer Films shows Lionsgate and Icon Entertainment as their partner on this. We'll have to wait and see.

[shape22]

Originally Posted by X-human

Hammer Films confirmed this for March 18th, 2013. They posted on their blog that the aspect ratio will be 1.66:1 since it was shot hard matted that way.

I wonder why a brand-new restoration is necessary? The BFI restoration received rave reviews for both framing and color saturation. This seems like an odd decision.

Still will be great to see this done right on Blu-ray. Thanks for the good news.

[X-human]

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by shape22

I wonder why a brand-new restoration is necessary? The BFI restoration received rave reviews for both framing and color saturation. This seems like an odd decision.

Still will be great to see this done right on Blu-ray. Thanks for the good news.

If I am remembering it right (someone please correct me if I'm not), what the BFI did was take the raw, unmatted 2k scan done for the 2002 Warner DVD, clean it up and adjust the color balance, and then restore the original UK credits. It looked really good, but it was still a restoration off of an old scan, so I can understand why they might want to go back to the original elements with newer telecine technology.

[shape22]

Originally Posted by Jeremy

If I am remembering it right (someone please correct me if I'm not), what the BFI did was take the raw, unmatted 2k scan done for the 2002 Warner DVD, clean it up and adjust the color balance, and then restore the original UK credits. It looked really good, but it was still a restoration off of an old scan, so I can understand why they might want to go back to the original elements with newer telecine technology.

This is incorrect. The BFI restoration was done from the original negatives. See here:

http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php...-RESTORED.html

[buck135]

Originally Posted by shape22

This is incorrect. The BFI restoration was done from the original negatives. See here:

http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php...-RESTORED.html

Awesome. I can't wait for this.

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by shape22

This is incorrect. The BFI restoration was done from the original negatives. See here:

http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php...-RESTORED.html

Cool, thanks for the correction. I wonder if I was getting it mixed up with another film's restoration or just got wrong info.

[shape22]

Originally Posted by Jeremy

Cool, thanks for the correction. I wonder if I was getting it mixed up with another film's restoration or just got wrong info.

No worries Jeremy. I had to go back and double-check because I wasn't sure anymore. It's definitely hard to keep track of all this stuff.

It'll be interesting to see whether or not these are truly two completely separate physical restorations.

[X-human]

I stumbled upon this today from the BFI:

As Senior Curator (Fiction) at the BFI National Archive, I'd like answer the points raised over our work on DRACULA. The work undertaken by Warner Bros in the mid-1990s was not a restoration as such but simply the preparation of digital materials for a DVD release. The BFI has prepared new preservation materials on film from the original negative. The new version, incorporating the original UK title sequence, benefits from additional technical work that has been carried out on both picture and sound. Furthermore, we have reinstated a brief sequence which was cut from the UK release version by the BBFC.

http://filmjournal.net/john/2007/11/01/trick-or-treat/

So that clarifies the mystery a bit and a big crux of the statement is as follows, "The BFI has prepared new preservation materials on film from the original negative." When you make a scan of the negative it's not truly presentable for either film prints OR media releases. Not only because it is literally a negative (all the colors are reversed) but there are many tweaks that need to be done to make a version suitable for release as well. These steps are all different for preservation material, theatrical prints and media transfers.

So any scan of the negatives would need further adjustments for Blu-ray besides what the BFI did for preservation/theatrical release. Also Hammer is adding back in additional cut footage found in Japan which was acquired after the BFI restoration. That specific footage is in need of desperate need of restoration as well. So that's why they are continuing the "restoration."