|
|
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
|
|
Author
|
Topic: 'Spies Like Us' Sound Format
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michael Coate
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1904
From: Los Angeles, California
Registered: Feb 2001
|
posted 06-18-2005 03:40 AM
Ultra Stereo was used on a lot of those crappy Golan/Globus-produced movies from Cannon. And I think one or two of the "Friday The 13th" flicks, too.
Aaron... no need to use the F/U smiley grin. If you refer back to that "Breakfast Club" discussion, you'll see that I merely stated reasons as to why I had been under the impression that movie was mixed and released in mono. And even if it was in stereo, that doesn't explain why all of its subsequent video versions were mono. If it had been in stereo, that whole Lt-Rt matrix business, which is embedded in the master, would automatically carry over. (The most recent DVD has a remixed 5.1 track, but the initial DVD was mono. Hughes' "16 Candles" received similar DVD remaster treatment.)
Aaron... do you own a personal print of "Spies Like Us" or "The Breakfast Club"? If you do not own a print, have access to a print or have documentation, then you posted your specs based on memory.... which prompts the question of what's the guarantee you're remembering the details correctly?
(Any F-T pack rats have the original "Projectionist's Notes" enclosure for either of these titles laying around?)
So allow me to rephrase my original question: Am I the only one who finds it peculiar that "Spies Like Us" was advertised in "70mm" rather than "70mm six-track Dolby Stereo" (or some variation of that term) like the other '80s era 70mm releases? Could it (1) really have been 70mm-mono, or (2) in a "no-name-brand" stereo format that was Dolby compatible, or (3) in six-track Dolby but someone screwed up and forgot to include the "Dolby Stereo in selected theatres" logo in the credits and on the film's promotional materials and in the newspaper ads in all of the half-dozen markets I've checked?
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Michael Coate
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1904
From: Los Angeles, California
Registered: Feb 2001
|
posted 06-21-2005 10:31 AM
quote: Bobby Henderson
Just speculation, but my guess is the show was produced in a no name, seemingly generic process with a Format 42 compatible mix on the film print.
You may be correct, though this brings us back to the situation similar to "The Breakfast Club" where the 1986 video versions were mono.
Anyone have the DVD? We had a copy at "the magazine" and I seem to recall noting that the jacket claims a stereo track (2.0) and thought "Hey, wait a minute, I thought this movie was mono." But I never ended up watching it, probably since it was not in widescreen and probably looked like crap given it was among Warner's budget titles which tended to be recycled transfers.
quote: Bobby Henderson
The previous mention of the 25th anniversary "The Sound of Music" 70mm print shows other non-Dolby examples happened.
This seems like an apples and oranges comparison since "The Sound Of Music" was produced in an era where stereo mixes did not have "brand" names. (Yes, I realize "Westrex" and "RCA" often appeared in title sequences though these weren't promoted as "formats" to the public.)
quote: Bobby Henderson
Another reason why I think the music was a primary consideration for the 70mm print is that John Landis made other hits in the 1980's originally in mono, such as "Animal House," "Trading Places" and "An American Werewolf in London" for instance. "Spies Like Us" may have been produced in the mindset that it would be released in mono as well.
I already considered the possibility that Landis may be one of those strange "I hate unnecesary embellishments like stereo (and widescreen)" kind of directors. His "Into The Night" was mono and released the same year as "Spies Like Us." But..."The Blues Brothers" (1980) and "Twilight Zone The Movie" (1983) had some stereo prints. And everything from "Coming To America" (1988) onward have been in stereo (though these may have been due to studio policy since stereo mixes were pretty much the norm by the late-80s).
quote: Bobby Henderson
But it really seems like the 70mm thing was a last minute consideration. It would be kind of interesting to find out.
Something tells me that you and I are the only two people on the planet who give a damn about this stuff. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John Hawkinson
Film God
Posts: 2273
From: Cambridge, MA, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
|
posted 06-02-2007 07:50 AM
UMI/Proquest offers a series of historical newspaper databases for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, The Atlanta Constitution, The Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal. If you're lucky, you have access to a research library who subscribes to the service.
They have 1bpp-scanned PDFs of the newspaper (including ads) that have been OCRd for indexing purposes. Unfortunately, the OCR quality of the ads (with so much varied type) is particularly poor. So if you're willing to browse sections of the paper on likely dates, this can be a helpful tool, and more convenient than microfilm.
The Dec. 6, 1985 full page opening day ad (p. WE36) has no mention of 70mm but does list the K-B Fine Arts. By January 11, it was showing Prizzi's Honor.
--jhawk
p.s.: movie directory in the Post says 1919 not 1313.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|
Home
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
concerning the film 'The Breakfast Club' which also has no sound format logo on the poster, but Brad and myself *and possibly a few others) had personally handled a Dolby A print of that one (I also have handled a mono BC print, FWIW...)
Printer-friendly view of this topic