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[DjangoLi]

Thanks Broonage and Matt, just two left to go!

Again, it's possible Funktion and SmileySmile paid before? I just need confirmation.

[smileysmile18]

I just paid just now!

Sorry, I always check "new replies to my posts" to see if there's been any update, didn't realise a new thread had been started.

[DjangoLi]

Cheers Smiley, payment received - the fundraiser is pretty much over and I'm getting the cash together now.

A massive thank you to everyone who donated, both here and at CG - without this group effort it would have been impossible.

It's been a long battle - lots of driving around dropping of cans of 35mm film prints, many (many) phone calls, and lots of forum posts... but it looks like we've made it.

I'm collecting the prints on Wednesday and I'll update with some screen caps in the evening - but it will be late (after 22:00) Beyond that, I need to get the subs ready and prepare everything, just like before.

My adventures in telecine land will soon be over - this is also pretty much my swansong for Italian cinema. I've done hardly any subbing this year and I have two projects for friends to finish off and that's the end of it.

Yeah, I know.. I know, you've heard it all before  But the sad truth is that I just haven't done anything for ages... and for once it actually looks like it's going to stay that way. I think I've subbed about 4 films this year? I used to sub 4 films a month, to put that into perspective. The enthusiasm really has gone, but this time it's in a positive way and actually feels like the natural end of my subbing endeavors.

It's nice to go out with a bang with these two telecines - especially with 'Le Salamandre' which I'm most proud of... arguably Cavallone's most commercially successful film - and we're righting a wrong here because it really did just fly off the radar since it was released back in 69'. It feels good what we're doing here.

Okay, see you all on Wednesday. 

[DjangoLi]

...and thank you Funktion - donation received!

The list is complete 

[DjangoLi]

Okay guys, just got home with all the material... chucked in the discs and the results aren't good.

There has been no attempt to correct the colours and they don't look good. I'll post some caps in a bit.

I'm going to call the guy at the lab tomorrow and see what we can do - to put this in perspective 'Due Occhi Per Uccidere' looks like a 4k Bluray restoration in comparison.

He did say if I wasn't happy with the transfers he'd do them again - so that's what I'm going to discuss tomorrow.

I feel really let down here because there's no way I'd have considered a restoration if the results were going to be like this. The 'only' good thing about them is the detail/definition, that's great - albeit scratched (again, he told me these were in better shape than 'Due Occhi...' but I can only assume he didn't bother cleaning them properly either.

Not a happy bunny. Expect updates soon.

[DjangoLi]

This snapshot below is actually a brief 'flicker' where you can see the correct colours (just about) This is close to what this should actually look like. What's happened here is that the guy doing the telecine couldn't be bothered to correct the colours (at all) If I'd known I was getting something slightly, but not much, better than 'black and white' there's no way in hell I would have agreed to this...

[Luca Canali]

Ah, that's a bit of a pity mate. As you say, the level of detail on Tutto sul Rosso looks good (more so than the TV recording). If they can re-do it to get even a bit of colour back in, it would still be ok. How does Salamandre look in comparison, is it pretty much the same?

[DjangoLi]

Ah, that's a bit of a pity mate. As you say, the level of detail on Tutto sul Rosso looks good (more so than the TV recording). If they can re-do it to get even a bit of colour back in, it would still be ok. How does Salamandre look in comparison, is it pretty much the same?

The detail on 'Le Salamandre' is great, looks nice and sharp... is it any better? Nope, it's pretty much black and white - or grey and white.

What annoys me is that a few times on the phone he mentioned how he thought they looked 'better' in black and white - but I never, at any point, said I agreed. They're colour films - if the colour isn't there then he should have told me straight away, and there's no way in hell I'd have said "yes, go ahead and do it." Not in a million years. They did such a fantastic job with 'Due Occhi...' believe me, this is the last thing I was expecting.

Like I said earlier - he said if I wasn't happy he'd do them again, so now I'm just hoping he's true to his word.

[Jonny]

Hopefully he can take another stab at it but if not it's still not the end of the world. Better to have the them like this than not at all.

[DjangoLi]

Okay, the good news is everyone's money is safe. Luckily we went through a mutual friend and she still has it - I've told her not to hand over any cash until I'm happy with the work.

So, so far nothing lost... although not much gained either.

You know, I could live with 'Tutto Sul Rosso' (just about) but 'Le Salamandre' really is 95% black and white and this is something he should've mentioned after inspecting the first reel way back at the start. He didn't, in fact he said the complete opposite telling me the print was in good shape.

[Funktion]

Again, it's possible Funktion and SmileySmile paid before? I just need confirmation.

When I paid on Monday, I was in a hurry to leave to the airport, so I didn't have time to write.
But since I just returned, I just wanted to apologize for the delay with the payment, but I never received any contact regarding the funds, with your payment details, until this "last notice", that's why I didn't send you the money previously (I was waiting for the go ahead from you). Cheers

[DjangoLi]

Again, it's possible Funktion and SmileySmile paid before? I just need confirmation.

When I paid on Monday, I was in a hurry to leave to the airport, so I didn't have time to write.
But since I just returned, I just wanted to apologize for the delay with the payment, but I never received any contact regarding the funds, with your payment details, until this "last notice", that's why I didn't send you the money previously (I was waiting for the go ahead from you). Cheers

Absolutely no problem at all Funktion - I just wish things had worked out a bit better at the lab...

Here are two comparison caps of 'Le Salamandre', as promised.

Telecine from VHS (date unknown, but it's been around for many years)



Our 2014 Telecine



What I suspect has happened is that the guy at the lab can clean/repair and telecine film prints but he doesn't know how to use the colour correction console - and he didn't ask the guy who does know how to use it to help (hence the 'under-the-counter' aspect of all this) Talking to him on the phone he's telling me there's colour in 'Le Salamandre' and pointing to brief flashes of 'blue' or 'pink' that appear almost never...  The detail, though, is outstanding - and I'm 99% sure the colour is fine as well - he just tried to palm off these copies hoping I wouldn't notice. I should have noticed the alarm bells when he would casually slip into our conversations "I'd have done them in black and white" - I really should have woken up a bit... but man, I wasn't expecting this.

So, not all is lost.

With everyone's blessing I'd like to explore two other options - the first is in Rome and it's through a film industry veteran (Mario Bava's camera operator, no less) who knows someone who runs one of the other big labs in Rome. If that's cool with everyone I'll start looking into it next week.

[Inspector Tanzi]

Better to have the them like this than not at all.

Sure is.

[DjangoLi]

Better to have the them like this than not at all.

Sure is.

The point is that we do have them - and in infinitely better quality. Would you rather watch the film tinted blue or the soft - but full colour - telecine from VHS?

I can't see anyone watching these telecines with both prints on the table. Even a 'hint' of colour would have been fine, but what we're looking at here is no effort (at all) to even try and bring back the colour, rendering them almost useless. Holding up the 35mm print of 'Le Salamandre' under the light and you can see the colour is still there.

[Jonny]

Better to have the them like this than not at all.

Sure is.

The point is that we do have them - and in infinitely better quality. Would you rather watch the film tinted blue or the soft - but full colour - telecine from VHS?

I can't see anyone watching these telecines with both prints on the table. Even a 'hint' of colour would have been fine, but what we're looking at here is no effort (at all) to even try and bring back the colour, rendering them almost useless. Holding up the 35mm print of 'Le Salamandre' under the light and you can see the colour is still there.

Fair enough, I wasn't aware there was already a copy available!