Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Bronson]

They're showing this on Wednesday May 29th, with guests David Prowse and Madeleine Smith in attendance!

https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/online/frankenstein-and-the-monster-from-hell

Cheers,

Bronson

[Jonny]

Can't attend but it makes me happy that a Blu-ray could be on the way!

[babybreese]

Bgart posted the following @ Latarnia about the restoration, via the Hammer FB page:

"The teeth-clamping scene, the additional shot of bloody arm stumps, extra eye surgery, extra brain-sawing/surgery, extra organ-throwing and sliding about in blood plus the legendary missing extra frames of the glass-slashed throat! Plus extra frames of the dead Monster and an extra reaction shot of Sarah that is in the cut, but not the uncut version. Longest ever version!"

After their hack job putting the Japanese footage back into DRACULA I expect yet another foul up, right now no release plans exist for this unfortunately ( but it should happen eventually ).  Adding in bits that covered the missing censored stuff in the US edit seems superfluous and unnecessary and further illuminates their lack of wisdom imho.  If they found the missing frames of the throat slashing ( intact on the japanese laserdisc ) then fine, but why add in material not in the original version?

[broonage]

Bgart posted the following @ Latarnia about the restoration, via the Hammer FB page:

"The teeth-clamping scene, the additional shot of bloody arm stumps, extra eye surgery, extra brain-sawing/surgery, extra organ-throwing and sliding about in blood plus the legendary missing extra frames of the glass-slashed throat! Plus extra frames of the dead Monster and an extra reaction shot of Sarah that is in the cut, but not the uncut version. Longest ever version!"

After their hack job putting the Japanese footage back into DRACULA I expect yet another foul up, right now no release plans exist for this unfortunately ( but it should happen eventually ).  Adding in bits that covered the missing censored stuff in the US edit seems superfluous and unnecessary and further illuminates their lack of wisdom imho.  If they found the missing frames of the throat slashing ( intact on the japanese laserdisc ) then fine, but why add in material not in the original version?

What did they do wrong for Dracula?

[babybreese]

Hammer left parts of the Japanese footage out of their version, you can see and hear the complete version as the director intended on the Japanese reel that is included as an extra.
akatanaka posted at cathoderaytube some insightful posts on this and here's a relevant excerpt-
"On close examination of the original Japanese reels of Dracula included on your Blu-Ray disc, there seems to be three shots within the climactic disintegration scene that are NOT included in your 2012 restoration.
Timing 33:21
Shot of Dracula’s shriveled skeletal hand wavering just above the floor.
Timing 33:23
Medium CU reaction shot of Dracula’s face grimacing.
Timing 33:42
SFX dummy head shot of Dracula with “normal” eyes instead of the less realistic backlit yellow eyes."

This missing reaction shot of Lee as he 'gives up ' right before he goes down is a serious screw up.  I feel their limited budget is to blame, they did the best they could with their resources ( but sorry guys, it's a major missed effort, along with the questionable re grading of the color ).  They are supposed to be doing THE MUMMY later this year and announced recently it was intended for 1.33 projection.  When will these amateur 'new' hammerheads get a clue 
They also failed to get the audio right at Lee's death scene , his final 'breath' is hardly heard on the 2012 Hammer restoration, listen to it as the chest collapses on the Japanese reels.  So I am far from impressed with their ability to reinstate footage, and adding in alternate footage sounds troublesome &  here seems a dubious choice ( especially as they have officially cocked up several of these Blu rays ).

[broonage]

OK...thanks for the detailed response.
Weird that they'd miss out on a few seconds of footage. But to be honest it seems like in this day and age of home cinema we tend to expect nothing but the best and it is impossible to please everyone.
I have all the Hammer blus (except Twins and Rasputin - both winging their way to me as I type), and the only one I thought was soso was Curse of Frankenstein. The rest look and sound really nice. Better than anything I've seen previously.
I remember the days where a 2nd-gen VHS with a photocopy cover was the beez and kneez....lol 

[Jonny]

OK...thanks for the detailed response.
Weird that they'd miss out on a few seconds of footage. But to be honest it seems like in this day and age of home cinema we tend to expect nothing but the best and it is impossible to please everyone.
I have all the Hammer blus (except Twins and Rasputin - both winging their way to me as I type), and the only one I thought was soso was Curse of Frankenstein. The rest look and sound really nice. Better than anything I've seen previously.
I remember the days where a 2nd-gen VHS with a photocopy cover was the beez and kneez....lol 

Regardless of the missing footage the DRACULA Blu-ray is excellent and I highly recommend it.

[MarcMorris]

Perhaps it was left out because those scenes were damaged?

[babybreese]

Well, all the footage is there on the Japanese reel, and they had to restore everything that they put back in ( it's all fairly battered ).  I'm of the mind they did not restore the sequence, just the shots they needed, or felt they needed.  Maybe they restored all the footage but had troubles getting the sound to match when they put it all together?  Maybe they overlooked these three shots?  ( third option is they flat out F'ed up )
It just seems like they either ran outta money, or really did not care if it was 100%.  All the needed audio is on the Japanese source, it does sound different than the BFI restorted audio ( which is what they use for most of the 2012 version ), but the restored footage also looks noticeably different.  Why they couldn't have used all the footage and all the sound for their 2012 reworking is beyond me.

If you just watch and listen to the final sequence on the supplemental reel and then the Hammer 2012 version ( A / B the two a few times for the full effect of how Hammer 2012 missed the mark ), I would bet anyone would say the original is more powerful and effective.

Massive bitch aside, as Jonny pointed out, the release is miles ahead of what we had.
If you love the film you need this disc as it's unlikely anything better will happen down the road.

[MarcMorris]

If I was in charge I'd have issued two versions of the film, the UK version and a reconstruction of the Japanese version which would have included all of the alternate footage.

[Bronson]

It was my first time seeing FATMFH on Wednesday. The print looked gorgeous and apart from a very early (and brief) scene with Patrick Troughton and Shane Briant it was crisp throughout.

At the screening on Wednesday, it was announced that they are working on a "harder" version of Dracula with more sex and blood and a remastered version of The Mummy too. I believe these remasterings are done in collaboration with Deluxe (FATMFH certainly was).

I think both of these films will be screened at The British Museum as part of the BFI's Gothic season.

They also announced a remastered version of Night of the Demon. I think Jacques Tourneur rather than James C. Wasson!

Cheers,

Bronson

[Hellochas]

I haven't bought a single Hammer Blu Ray yet as I suspect that these gaffs will be corrected on future or US editions.

[Inspector Tanzi]

I haven't bought a single Hammer Blu Ray yet as I suspect that these gaffs will be corrected on future or US editions.

Canal ones are alright though aren't they?*

Quatermass And The Pit looked absolutely stunning.



*Bar the new effects on Devil's Ride out. I've not actually put it on yet.

[broonage]

Devil Rides Out looks great Aarron.

[Inspector Tanzi]

Devil Rides Out looks great Aarron.

I'd heard that, I was on about the changed effects