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Author Topic: life of brian (1979) Carl Martin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1424 From: Oakland, CA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 05-20-2004 07:48 AM                        monty python's life of brian (1979, re-released 2004) from rainbow releasing reels: 5 duration: 1:33 format: flat 1:1.85 sound: sr only [edit: leader says sr, discussion below suggests dolby a] rating: none on print new prints have defects from the negative: some sprocket scratching in the image area, some other scratching. possibly some splices in the neg as well, although since the editing of the film has some minor jump cuts anyways, it's hard to say. i did notice the soundtrack slightly out of sync by the end of reel 2 (later reels fine) so that might be the reason. the track was a bit noisy, especially as i had to crank it up. no studio logo; first image is the night sky over bethlehem. [ 06-10-2004, 06:08 AM: Message edited by: Carl Martin ]  |  IP: Logged John Lasher Master Film Handler Posts: 493 From: Newark, DE Registered: Aug 2001 posted 05-21-2004 07:16 PM                        Sorry to break the rules here, but as the film was originally released in 1979, wouldn't the soundtrack be Dolby A? Not SR?  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-21-2004 08:55 PM                        The original track was mono. The new trailers for this have some sort of godawful fake-stereo SR track, so I assume that they re-mixed the film's track for the reissue. I haven't seen the reissue yet, so I don't know.  |  IP: Logged Carl Martin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1424 From: Oakland, CA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 05-22-2004 05:46 AM                        the leaders said sr. carl  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 05-24-2004 10:44 AM                     The original release from Warner Bros. was a dual inventory of prints. Dolby A Stereo prints and Mono prints. It played the Los Angeles market at the Mann's Village and later the Mann's Bruin in Westwood, California in Dolby Stereo.  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 05-24-2004 03:09 PM                     Both L.A. engagements began in Dolby Stereo on August 17, 1979 at the Bruin Theatre in Westwood and the Chinese Twin in Hollywood, as well as two mono engagements in Orange County. If the Village ever showed it to the general public, it was after the Bruin's run.  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 05-24-2004 04:41 PM                     The Village screening was a special Warner pre-release screening. I have pictures of the marquee and front of the theatre AdArt display.  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 05-24-2004 10:14 PM                     Sorry. I must have mis-interpreted what you meant. I was only referring to the first open public run of the film, which was at the Bruin and Chinese Twin. I'm not in a position to confirm any private previews or premieres. (I did confirm through microfilm today, however of the Bruin/Chinese Twin debuting the film to the L.A. public).  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 06-06-2004 11:59 PM                    The print I screened recently was Dolby A.  |  IP: Logged Carl Martin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1424 From: Oakland, CA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 06-07-2004 03:10 AM                        steve, was this new rerelease print? what sound format was on the leaders? during an empty show the other day, i spent a few minutes switching back and forth between a and sr. my impression was that the music sounded a little better in sr, the dialogue about as mediocre in either format. i didn't have time to be very thorough about it though. anyways, i don't have a sense of what playing an a track in sr sounds like or vice versa. our tech tried to ask around about this to no avail. carl [ 06-10-2004, 06:07 AM: Message edited by: Carl Martin ]  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 06-07-2004 06:33 PM                    I don't recall what the leaders said but it was labeled elsewhere as "A" (and left with more labels courtesy of yours truly ) and this was also what I was told by Rainbow. It was not brand new but recently made (printer exposed the SR•D area). There are new prints but I believe all are off the same sound negative. Any questions just call Sharon at Rainbow Releasing. Hang up if Henry answers. j/k  |  IP: Logged Per Hauberg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 883 From: Malling, Denmark Registered: Jul 2000 posted 06-08-2004 06:15 PM                        Memories, memories: I'm quite sure, our first-run prints in Denmark were marked "Dolby A without surround". Today, I've received the only existing danish print p.t., which must, as far as I know, be about 3-4 years old. I haven't unpacked the film yet, but it is marked "mono". p.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-08-2005 10:30 PM                        I showed this tonight and switched between A and SR a couple of times during the first reel. It sounds bad in both formats--it's just a terrible mix (a marked contrast to the reissue prints of "Holy Grail," which sound great in SR on the same system). I thought it sounded better (less bad) in A and that is how I ran it. The leaders on this print do indeed say SR.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 04-09-2005 04:30 AM                     I remember when I opened up WB's "Life of Brian" in August, of '79, at our single screen Mann theatre. Our print was the mono track release. Held that print for a 5 week run. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Dan Lyons Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 698 From: Seal Beach, CA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 05-01-2005 02:35 AM                     ICS depot, print #5. 2004 release print. TRASHED! Someone cut this print into 30 or so sections, and wound them randomly onto the reels. The heads and tails were found in the middle of most reels. One reel had sections from r-1,2, and 4 on it.  |  IP: Logged

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