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Author Topic: What is new with the restored "SEVEN SAMURAI" Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 02-28-2003 01:53 PM                        I was going to ask this question at the Feature Info & Trailer Attachments page, but I decided to inquire about the new theatrical print of Akira Kurosawa's "THE SEVEN SAMAIN" (Shichinin No Samurai) that was just re released on this page. A few years ago, Criterion released a gorgeous DVD of this movie with the film image restored to almost pristine condition. Is this the same version that is being shown in theatres now? The DVD featured the original 1.33.1 original aspect ratio and I hope theatres are not cropping the picture and playing it in 1.66.1 or 1.85.1 formats. Was the sound also cleaned up by using Dolby noise reduction either in 'A' or SR because the original release was horribly noisy? I hope they did not turn an original mono film into a stereo sound movie because as I recall, the sound track for this movie sounded rather primitive. If the restored theatrical print is different than the DVD, I might make an effort to see the movie at the Wallace's Art Houses at Restaurant Row theatres this weekend. -Claude  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 02-28-2003 05:39 PM                     quote: I hope they did not turn an original mono film into a stereo sound movie Actually, in the 70's, a re-release of the full uncut version had some 4-track mag (re-channeled) stereo prints made.  |  IP: Logged Jeffry L. Johnson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 809 From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 02-28-2003 06:47 PM                        I remember a print in the mid 1980's that was mag striped for 3-channel but only had the center channel recorded. There was no optical soundtrack.  |  IP: Logged Per Hauberg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 883 From: Malling, Denmark Registered: Jul 2000 posted 02-28-2003 08:26 PM                        Latest new print here was just a new print and nothing more. Still a top film, -but yep - noisy soundtrack indeed. That talk about 4 track mag for a former reissue.... Some Kurosawa films vere Perspecta Sound (Dersu even 70mm), -but i don't remember ever seing the Perspecta logo on a Seven Samurai print. - Stereo and 1:1,37 might sound as overkill, but some millenium kind of noise reduction would be nice for this masterpiece. Don't miss any reissue - NR or not ! Per  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 03-01-2003 01:25 AM                     quote: That talk about 4 track mag for a former reissue.... Some Kurosawa films vere Perspecta Sound (Dersu even 70mm), -but i don't remember ever seing the Perspecta logo on a Seven Samurai print Of course, if it is true the film was released in a mag stereo mix in the late 70's (and I believe this was done by a US arthouse company) then it wouldn't have a Perspecta stereo credit, since that is a totally different process (and shouldn't actually be credited as stereo anyway, IMHO). Anyway, I never saw this release, i just remember (vaguely) the publicity about it.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-01-2003 04:26 AM                        I've only seen the BFI prints which shows at the NFT occasionally, which I think date from the mid-80s. Photographically they're lovely: crisp, sharp and contrasty. The sound is mono VA if I remember correctly. They have two prints: one with subtitles which is now pretty much worn out, and one without which is still in excellent condition. Not speaking Japanese, however, I have to wear those awful electric chair helmet style headphones the NFT has for foreign language commentaries. For a film running over three hours, that's a bit of a challenge!  |  IP: Logged Per Hauberg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 883 From: Malling, Denmark Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-02-2003 04:55 AM                        Quote: "Of course, if it is true the film was released in a mag stereo mix in the late 70's (and I believe this was done by a US arthouse company) then it wouldn't have a Perspecta stereo credit, since that is a totally different process " Well, then - what about "Gone with the Wind" - from 1:37 and 1939 mono to "In the new splendour of 70mm projection and full stereofonic sound" - isn't that a different process, too ??? I have not seen the logo on a n y print - pre-1970 or new ones, i ment - and thereby i tried to indicate, that i believe, the original was pure mono, and that the 1970 stereo track then would be just as much as GWTW. -Were the jap's running mag sound that early at all ?? p.  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 03-02-2003 05:50 AM                     Leo wrote: quote: Not speaking Japanese, however, I have to wear those awful electric chair helmet style headphones the NFT has for foreign language commentaries. For a film running over three hours, that's a bit of a challenge! Leo, prepare yourself for a shock, the NFT have finally got rid of those 1950s style headphones! The place has recently been refurbished, new seating and carpets, and no headphones. I don't know what has replaced them, some sort of infr red system maybe. NFT one has also got a curtain at long last to replace those strange shutters in front of the screen, which had been out of use for years. That leaves just one cinema (NFT3) out of the seven which I normally use which does not have a cuttain. Maybe they will get round to it someday.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-02-2003 06:33 AM                        When I worked in NFT3 in its days as the MOMI cinema it didn't even have motorised masking! You put a white light on the screen in the required ratio, then adjusted the masking behind the screen using a pulley. Not a problem, because there were never any ads or trailers at NFT shows, so ratios never needed to change mid-performance. The only time I had to was during a double-bill screening: the first film was in 'scope and the second was in Academy. Some of the audience stayed during the interval and watched me change the masking, and one asked me if I really had to make the screen smaller!  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 03-02-2003 09:23 AM                        Per said " were the japs running mag sound that early at all?" Per. Although I am a very proud American, I am also proud of my Japanese heritage. How dare you refer to people of my ancestral homland as JAPS ! I know the Japanese military did terrible things during World War II but the conflict ended 58 years ago and Japan today is a loyal ally of the United States and your country. Every Japanese military leaders who were responsible were all put on trial and punished. The last time I heard anyone use the word Jap was directed to me in hatred about 15 years ago because oy my race by someone who was born many years after the war like you!!!!!! Do you hate Japanese, Per? If not, I do expect an apology from you! -Claude  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 03-02-2003 10:53 AM                        Not trying to defend Per or take sides, but he wrote "jap's", with an apostrophe. Could be a harmless shorthand for Japanese I suppose.  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 03-02-2003 11:24 AM                     Per There was absolutely nothing in my original post to indicate that I believed the original was anything BUT mono. Of course any stereophonic version in the 70's would have been an enchancement. That's why I was surprised that you brought up the Perspecta issue in the first place.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 03-02-2003 02:01 PM                        Leo-san, Nihongo wo benkyo suru ho ga i desu! Claude, note that Per is not a native English speaker. I am sure he meant no harm, just wanted to write his post in a casual conversational tone. That Jap is derogatory is not very well known in non-English speaking Europe. Well, I knew it but that does not count since I am exceedingly brilliant anyway! Claude-san mo showesto ni ikitai desuka?  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 03-02-2003 04:50 PM                        David and Michael, My mother told me about our non Japanese neighbors who were my family's good friends up until December 6, 1941 but by the following evening, they were no longer our friends because of their hatred towards everyone of Japanese ancestry. It did not matter if we were loyal Americans because as far as they were concerned, we were nothing but "Lousy Japs". Even our senior US Senator from Hawaii and Medal of Honor reciepient, Daniel K. Inouye was refused a hair cut in Louisiana after he returned home from the war in Europe minus an arm when the shop keeper told him "We do not cut Jap hair". As I had mentioned in my previous post, a man I did not even know asked me if I was a Japanese about fifteen years ago. I told him that I was an American of Japanese ancestry and he replied "you're no American but a lousy dirty Jap!". I did manage to put him in his place after he made that remark! I am very sorry but all highly educated people no matter where they live should know that the word "JAP" is a highly racist slur just like the "N" word used in contempt towards black people. -Claude  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 03-02-2003 06:14 PM                     quote: all highly educated people no matter where they live should know that the word "JAP" is a highly racist slur just like the "N" word used in contempt towards black people. I have to disagree here. While the term JAP is certainly an offensive racist term when spoken in the United States, you can't expect the whole world to be held responsible for understanding what that term means as applied to the U.S. Different cultures, even English-speaking ones, supply different meanings to different phrases. For example, the word fag is used as a derogatory, hateful word in the U.S. as a way of marginalizing gay people, while in Britain it refers to a cigarette. There is nothing wrong with expressing your feelings here, Claude. But don't expect him to understand the hurt before you have educated him on the subject. To do so would be to assume everyone should submit to U.S. terms and culture, something we certainly don't seem willing to do for others.  |  IP: Logged

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