Dracula | Horror of Dracula (1958) pre-order March 17

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

Now up for pre-order:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dracula-Blu-...7007715&sr=1-4

17.50 GBP = 28.46 USD plus whatever fee your bank charges for the currency conversion.

The blu-ray and DVD combo consists of the 2007 BFI restoration plus the 2012 Hammer restoration which resinstates the longer, more explicit scenes of Dracula's seduction of Mina and his sunlight disintegration originally censored by the BBFC in 1958 from the “Japanese reels.” In two aspect rations, 1:66 and 1:85.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Posted about this in the Hammer thread but this is important enough to warrant its own thread I think.

This has the potential to be one of the most important releases of the year. I am really, really, really looking forward to this.

Please Hammer, don't screw this up.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Also I like the cover.

[Robert W Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Robert W]

I think there's hope that this release won't suffer from the defects that plagued the earlier Hammer bds, as the restoration was overseen by the BFI.

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

Posted about this in the Hammer thread but this is important enough to warrant its own thread I think.

This has the potential to be one of the most important releases of the year. I am really, really, really looking forward to this.

Please Hammer, don't screw this up.

Sorry about that. One loses track of what gets posted in which thread in forums.
It's okay to delete it or merge it.

I wonder what the correct aspect ratio is, but since we're getting it in both 1:66 and 1:85 the bases are covered.

My real concern is the gamma and timing.

[Mark Tolch Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark Tolch]

I suppose it's too much to hope for region free or a NA release. I guess I may have to go region free sooner rather than later. I really love this title.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Given that WB owns the domestic rights, yeah, it'll probably be some time before this sees a North American release.

[Wllm Clys Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wllm Clys]

I think there's hope that this release won't suffer from the defects that plagued the earlier Hammer bds, as the restoration was overseen by the BFI.

What was wrong with earlier Hammer BD restoration?

[Robert W Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Robert W]

What was wrong with earlier Hammer BD restoration?

Here's an article detailing the known problems
http://www.reelandimagined.com/2012/...l-is-going-on/

[John Bernhard Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close John Bernhard]

[QUOTE=Richard--W;49227]
I wonder what the correct aspect ratio is, but since we're getting it in both 1:66 and 1:85 the bases are covered.
QUOTE]

I don't think there will be a 1.85 version ( at least there better not be ).

[John Bernhard Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close John Bernhard]

I wonder what the correct aspect ratio is, but since we're getting it in both 1:66 and 1:85 the bases are covered.

Both versions will be 1.66 from what I read.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Hammer updated their site with info on this release on 1/11/13.

--------------------

RELEASED ON 3-DISC DOUBLE PLAY ON 18TH MARCH 2013

Hammer, Icon Film Distribution and Lionsgate are proud to present a major event in British film history.

Terence Fisher's 1958 classic DRACULA, fully restored in High Definition and available on Blu-ray and DVD for the first time. The release will contain two versions of the feature (seamlessly branched on the Blu-ray):

The 2007 BFI restoration plus the 2012 Hammer restoration, which adds additional footage that has been unavailable for decades.

The additional footage comprises two of the scenes that were originally censored by the BBFC in 1958 that have now been restored to the film from the “Japanese reels”:
• Dracula's seduction of Mina
• Dracula's sunlight disintegration
These will be the most complete versions ever released and taken together fully deserving of the description DEFINITIVE.

DRACULA has been unavailable on any UK home entertainment format for many years. This release will be at the correct aspect ratio of 1.66:1 which has never been available for home viewing.

Available 18th March in the UK on 3-disc Double Play, the pack comprises1 x Blu-ray and 2 x DVD, the release also includes brand new featurettes, a new commentary track, multiple bonus extras and a stills show.

DRACULA is the first in the series of Hammer films inspired by the Bram Stoker novel Dracula. It was directed by Terence Fisher, and stars Peter Cushing, Michael Gough, Carol Marsh, Melissa Stribling and Christopher Lee.

Dr. Van Helsing, investigating the death of his friend Jonathan Harker, concludes that Harker was the victim of a vampire. When Harker's fiancée, Lucy, becomes affected by the terrifying force and hypnotic power of Count Dracula, Van Helsing releases her tortured soul by driving a stake through her heart. But Dracula seeks revenge, targeting Lucy's beautiful sister-in-law, Mina. Van Helsing, now aided by Mina's husband Arthur, swears to exorcise this evil forever by confronting the vile and depraved Count himself.

Four Brand-New Featurettes:

• "Dracula Reborn". New 30 min. featurette about the film's creation and history, featuring, among others: Jimmy Sangster, Kim Newman, Mark Gatiss, Jonathan Rigby and Janina Faye (Tania in the film).
• "Resurrecting Dracula". New 20 min. featurette about the film's restoration, from the BFI's 2007 restoration through to the integration of “lost” footage, featuring interviews with key staff at the BFI, Molinare and Deluxe142. Also covers the February 2012 world premiere of Hammer's interim restored version including “vox pop” interviews with fans after the event.
• "The Demon Lover: Christopher Frayling on Dracula". New 30 min. featurette.
• "Censoring Dracula". New 10 min. featurette on the original cuts to the film ordered by the British Board of Film Censors.

Commentary:

• New commentary by Hammer historian Marcus Hearn and author & critic Jonathan Rigby.

Plus:

• All 4 surviving "Japanese reels" (6 - 9) unrestored (40 mins).
• The World Of Hammer episode: Dracula And The Undead.
• Janina Faye reading a chapter of Stoker's novel at the VAULT festival.
• Stills Gallery of over 100 fully-restored and rare images.
• Booklet by Hammer archivist Robert J. E. Simpson (PDF).
• Original shooting script (PDF).

DRACULA Technical Information:

• Certificate: (TBC)
• Region: B/2
• Barcode: 5060223769196
• Catalogue number: LGB95006
• Double Play: 1 x BD & 2 x DVD
• Languages: English

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Some screen caps here.

If you go to Latarnia you can see a comparison between the BD and the old WB DVD.

It definitely looks 'cooler' than the WB release, some blue tinting maybe? Never saw projected so maybe the WB transfer is the incorrect one? I really don't know. Let the shit storm begin!

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

The blue tint is wrong.

The film never looked that way.

Never.

Not when it was new in theaters, not when it was re-released over the years, not when it was shown on television, not when it was screened at conventions and festivals, and certainly not when it was made. I've had several opportunities to see the film projected in the 1990s and early 2000s and the blue overlay is wrong.

If the blue overlay was done during the photochemical restoration -- which I doubt -- somebody was incompetent.

If the blu overlay was done during the color timing or telecine process for the blu-ray -- which is more likely -- somebody was incompetent. It is obviously technically wrong as if basic calibration steps for the monitor and color bars had not been followed you'd get a look like this. It looks as if the color timer didn't know what he was doing.

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

This blue overlay is unlike the BFI. I own a number of BFI discs and I'm accustomed to them doing everything right.

That means ....