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Author Topic: My Fair Lady Blu Ray Warren Smyth Expert Film Handler Posts: 158 From: Auckland ,New Zealand Registered: Aug 2003 posted 01-10-2012 04:27 AM                     Let me say that I think the quality we enjoy with Blu ray projected on our screen is stunning. I never dreamed when I ran 70mm prints in the sixties that I would have the privilege one day of enjoying classics looking so good without even leaving home. My Wife and I however watched MFL last night and were both shocked at what we saw. There is a green hue and the Covent Garden scene at the end and parts of the 'Get Me To The Church On Time' scene has a horrible soft low density appearance on the right side. One shot after the return from the ball shows Eliza in a dirty green hue and at about 50% brightness. I didn't expect it to live up to my memory of the original 70mm release, but after all the excellent work Robert Harris and his team did, I had hoped for something at least approaching the quality of the 35mm re-release. The sound is not too bad although I did a little equalising but at least it is consistant. Sadly, those bean counters at CBS will probably never be willing to pay for the job to be done properly now that this botched release has taken place. If I appear a little extreme, it's because MFL is no ordinary film. It is a masterpiece. To all those responcible for this disaster, 'may the angels weep for you'.  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Goeldner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1360 From: Washington, District of Columbia Registered: Jun 2008 posted 01-10-2012 10:05 AM                     yeah apparently the bluray is making a lot of folks 'worst bluray releases of 2011' lists - shame on you CBS Fox set the bar pretty high with the excellent 'Sound of Music' bluray - here though CBS didn't use the 65mm elements nor the 6-track sound stems - they went the cheap route and it shows... badly  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 01-10-2012 10:19 AM                        I have a mfl dvd that is entirely green. The color saturation is too high also. It is just barely within the range of my set's video adjustments to compensate. What was forgotten by the restorers is that PASTELS were all the rage when the 70mm was first screened. The roses at the start were supposed to be subtle. If you adjust them that way, the titles (should be tarnished GOLD) stop being olive green. Also Rex Harrison's makeup stops being so obvious as well; stops at the hairline; pale in hair, excessively ruddy on face. Natural with video correction. Louis  |  IP: Logged Kenneth Wuepper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1026 From: Saginaw, MI, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 01-10-2012 10:45 AM                     The real problem with the ability to "adjust" things is that some folks feel compelled to "adjust something!" As in theatre architecture, restoration often becomes renovation. It is very difficult to get folks to do an accurate restoration of the theatre decoration when they have so many possibilities for adding "embellishments". There are very few theatre pipe organs fully restored to the original builder's mechanics and sounds. We so often hear that the organ has been "improved for modern performance"... Whatever that means!  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-10-2012 11:39 AM                        Warren, thanks for the post, sad and as depressing as it is. What a huge disappointment. I guess I had the mistaken idea that now that we have DIGITAL and BR at that, all our beloved classic favorites would finally become available for us and the will look and sound nearly as good as we remember the originals in 70mm. We spent more money that we probably should have on projection and sound in our home theatres and then to get what you describe as what we will now probably have to live with forever -- these scum need to be tarred and feathered...I take that back -- it's not enough; how bout this -- how bout they NEED TO LOOSE THEIR DAMN COPYRIGHT PROTECTION! That will make the SOBs sit up and take notice. Why doesn't Warners still own this anyway; why is freakin CBS even in the movie business? You are right -- with all the work Harris did, you would think it should have been a piece of cake making a decent BluRay release -- how much additional work would they have to have done on it? Perhaps if enough people complain and embarass then enough, they may go back and fix the botched crap they spewed out. But I wouldn't hold my breath -- it's really difficult to embarass and a*hole.  |  IP: Logged Victor Liorentas Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: london ontario canada Registered: May 2009 posted 01-10-2012 12:21 PM                     Robert Harris calls it the worst Blu-Ray release this year and not a single coin should be spent on it unless you wish to give CBS your money for crap in return. He did a restoration in the 90s and says this looks like 35mm elements were used for this when the restored 70mm version could have been tweaked for a great Blu-Ray release.  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Goeldner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1360 From: Washington, District of Columbia Registered: Jun 2008 posted 01-10-2012 01:06 PM                     on home video this title has changed hands from Fox, to Warners and now Paramount, if CBS just sold the rights to one of them, say... Warner's, who do great 65mm transfers, this wouldn't have never been an issue, but as it now stands - the bluray is an outright embarrassment and travesty.  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-10-2012 03:04 PM                     quote: Frank Angel Why doesn't Warners still own this anyway; why is freakin CBS even in the movie business? Warner bought the film rights in 1962 from Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). The head of CBS put up money for the original Broadway production in exchange for the rights. The film rights would revert to CBS seven years after it's theatrical release. (rights sold 1962, film released 1964, rights revert back to CBS 1971). MGM/CBS Home Video releases film 1981. CBS/Fox Home Video releases film. Warner Home Video releases film on the behalf of CBS Home Entertainment. Paramount Home Video for CBS (Division of the same company) The last theatical release was though 20th. Century-Fox which was the restored version in 1994.  |  IP: Logged Rick Raskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1100 From: Manassas Virginia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 01-10-2012 03:32 PM                     Why not just return the BR?  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-10-2012 03:44 PM                     BluRay.com don't seem to think it's that bad... My Fair Lady BR review.  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-10-2012 04:07 PM                     Here is DVD Beaver's review and comparision for My Fair Lady versions. My Fair Lady I have not watched the whole BR yet. The last time I saw the whole film was at the Cineplex Century City Cinemas in Los Angeles in the restored 70MM presentation engagement.  |  IP: Logged Warren Smyth Expert Film Handler Posts: 158 From: Auckland ,New Zealand Registered: Aug 2003 posted 01-10-2012 07:27 PM                     quote: Rick Raskin Why not just return the BR? A seemingly reasonable suggestion, however I live in New Zealand and we have to wait months for new releases on BR. I therefore source from the UK or USA. Having paid postage the additional cost of returning it would just about equal the cost of the disk. By ajusting the colour on my projector, the quality is afterall, better than my DVD copy. My disappointment is based on what I know could have been achieved from the 65mm master if technical quality had been a priority. Once again, this is no ordinary film but sadly, it seems to have been treated as if it were a low budget skin flick. quote: John Wilson BluRay.com don't seem to think it's that bad... It is fair to assume that there will be mixed reviews depending upon the display device used for the assessment and expectations. However BR.com do say "image does appear to drift into softness and edge murkiness every now and again". It's a question as to whether you consider that acceptable for a classic film of which there is a large format master. I think the still images on that site together with those on dvd beaver speak volumes. Dvd beaver which has a link from John provides a detailed assessment.  |  IP: Logged Warren Smyth Expert Film Handler Posts: 158 From: Auckland ,New Zealand Registered: Aug 2003 posted 01-11-2012 07:25 AM                     Correction - it is Bill Gabel who kindly provides the link to dvd beaver. This provides an informed assessment of the BR release I believe. Let's hope Lawrence of Arabia doesn't suffer the same fate when we see it in BR.  |  IP: Logged Mark Ogden Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 943 From: Little Falls, N.J. Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-11-2012 08:10 AM                     Everything you could possibly want to know about this, including the official Robert Harris take. For a veritable laundry list of reasons, I swore years ago that I would never buy a Blu-ray player. It's things like this that make me happy with that decision .  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 09-30-2014 10:40 PM                 It has been 993 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged

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