Texas Chainsaw Massacre coming on Sept 30th plus Blue Undergrounds first batch

[ResOGlas]

Wow! Those comparisons look fantastic. I thought the remastered DVD looked great, but despite the 16mm source this is quite the worthy upgrade IMO.

[Vincent Pereira]

Originally Posted by Deviation

I'll give them this though: unlike many other applications of EE that I've seen, it only seems to exist here in the highest of high contrast shots, with the bright white windows and such.

I know for a fact that Don May detests EE and did not apply any to the High Definition transfer of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. It was a clean telecine with no processing applied except the normal color correction during transfer.

Vincent

[djnsmith7]

This is a personal favorite of mine. I know, sick, but oh well. lol

Anyway, I'll be buying this on BR the day it comes out. Like many of you, I too hope it looks & sounds great. What a great movie to play on Halloween.

[Thebarnman]

Originally Posted by PooperScooper

I had never heard of "reversal" film until last night when I was watching the special edition with one of the commentary tracks. The art director was talking about how much light they needed for that type of film. The flashlight in the wheel chair in one of the scenes was actually a "sun light" that they rigged up and required a power cord. It was funny because the actor in the wheelchair maintained there was no cord.

They were also talking about various things from the movie being sold on Ebay and such.

larry

Reversal is a fancy word for film that can be turned into what is seen as a "positive", or what most people know it is as "slide" film. Transparency also comes to mind. Although a transparency can also be a B&W positive...by taking negative B&W film and "reverse" processing it into a B&W positive. The same is true for color "reversal" film. It starts out as a color negative and reverse processed to a positive color image.

Reversal film starts out like "Negative" film till it reaches the "reversal" process of the development stage and turns the negative image to a positive image.

Older "reversal" color film was a very slow speed film in the early 70s in the range of about 25ASA or slower. Slow speed films in general (even today) needs lots of light or longer exposer, however it was and still is today a very sharp, higher contrast, more color saturated, very low grain film when compared to negative film.

Taking that image straight to Blu-ray should reproduce fine results even with it being in 16mm. At the same time, it's very important (depending on how a director want's something to look) to use very low grain film if it's to be blown up from such a smaller sized film (when compared to 35mm film). However I don't understand why they would make a new "internegative" from the original reversal film since that's another generation away from the original and adds additional grain and noise.

[PooperScooper]

^^^^ Cool. Thanks for the info.

larry

[Vincent Pereira]

Originally Posted by Thebarnman

Reversal is a fancy word for film that can be turned into what is seen as a "positive", or what most people know it is as "slide" film. Transparency also comes to mind. Although a transparency can also be a B&W positive...by taking negative B&W film and "reverse" processing it into a B&W positive. The same is true for color "reversal" film. It starts out as a color negative and reverse processed to a positive color image.

Reversal film starts out like "Negative" film till it reaches the "reversal" process of the development stage and turns the negative image to a positive image.

Older "reversal" color film was a very slow speed film in the early 70s in the range of about 25ASA or slower. Slow speed films in general (even today) needs lots of light or longer exposer, however it was and still is today a very sharp, higher contrast, more color saturated, very low grain film when compared to negative film.

Taking that image straight to Blu-ray should reproduce fine results even with it being in 16mm. At the same time, it's very important (depending on how a director want's something to look) to use very low grain film if it's to be blown up from such a smaller sized film (when compared to 35mm film). However I don't understand why they would make a new "internegative" from the original reversal film since that's another generation away from the original and adds additional grain and noise.

Great technical info, Thebarman. In the TCM commentary, Daniel Pearl talks about how they used that super-slow 25ASA film for TEXAS CHAINSAW.

The reason a new IN was made was because the original A/B rolls were so badly damaged. They had to create a new element to work from, so the A/B rolls were cleaned as best as possible then step-printed to create a new IN. Don May can describe the problems with the TEXAS CHAINSAW elements since he was the one actually handling them, but I remember him telling me that the original A/B rolls were not properly stored and a lot of the glue splices had become affected by moisture over time, and the glue had seeped onto other parts of the negative. It took them a long time and a lot of effort to physically clean the A/B rolls as well as they possibly could then print a new IN from the A/B rolls, and even that IN had a lot of printed-in damage and visible glue marks that had to be erased frame-by-frame digitally.

Vincent

[Thebarnman]

Originally Posted by Vincent Pereira

Great technical info, Thebarman. In the TCM commentary, Daniel Pearl talks about how they used that super-slow 25ASA film for TEXAS CHAINSAW.

The reason a new IN was made was because the original A/B rolls were so badly damaged. They had to create a new element to work from, so the A/B rolls were cleaned as best as possible then step-printed to create a new IN. Don May can describe the problems with the TEXAS CHAINSAW elements since he was the one actually handling them, but I remember him telling me that the original A/B rolls were not properly stored and a lot of the glue splices had become affected by moisture over time, and the glue had seeped onto other parts of the negative. It took them a long time and a lot of effort to physically clean the A/B rolls as well as they possibly could then print a new IN from the A/B rolls, and even that IN had a lot of printed-in damage and visible glue marks that had to be erased frame-by-frame digitally.

Vincent

Thanks, that helps me understand quite a bit more. From what you described, it sounds like it could have been disastrous to take the original deteriorated film elements through a digital film scanner that's very sensitive and expensive. Striking a new internegative and using "that" would make it much easier without any of the risk to such equipment with probably very minimal loss of image fidelity.

[Matt_Stevens]

Looking at those mouseover captures, it is obvious that this is a huge improvement. The image in each shot looks far more natural, detailed and film like on Blu-Ray. Now I'm excited about this release. Bring it on!

Please let me say, Don May Jr. rocks. I wish all Hollywood releases had to go through him before being released onto Blu-Ray.

[suffolk112000]

Originally Posted by sivartk

Fun to watch movies that were partially filmed in the same old buildings you played in as a kid (namely the shack). (Note: I said filmed, not actual events)

OK, I'll bite.
Did/do you live near where they filmed this movie or am I missing something?

[sivartk]

Originally Posted by suffolk112000

OK, I'll bite.
Did/do you live near where they filmed this movie or am I missing something?

Yes, in the mid-80's friends and I would ride our bikes to the 'shack' and goof off inside (we were about 12 or 13). There wasn't much left at the time. The actual house was filmed about 12 miles away.

The city isn't so much known for this film anymore, but rather now, for being the home to Dell computers HQ.

[suffolk112000]

Originally Posted by sivartk

Yes, in the mid-80's friends and I would ride our bikes to the 'shack' and goof off inside (we were about 12 or 13). There wasn't much left at the time. The actual house was filmed about 12 miles away.

The city isn't so much known for this film anymore, but rather now, for being the home to Dell computers HQ.

That is just plain creepy.
TCM is one of my all time most scariest movies.
I can't imagine living near the area where they filmed it.

[djnsmith7]

Wow, that is pretty cool. I wouldn't mind visiting that area just to see it & experience it in real life, but I'd never want to live anywhere near there.

[PooperScooper]

IIRC, from listening to the commentary, one of the houses/buildings was moved and was made into a restaurant. I think they said the gas station was still there.

larry

[suffolk112000]

Originally Posted by PooperScooper

IIRC, from listening to the commentary, one of the houses/buildings was moved and was made into a restaurant. I think they said the gas station was still there.

larry

Do they serve Chili...
Somehow I don’t think I could eat there.

[Don May Jr]

Hello AVS readers,

I received my BD of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE from MPI and I have to say (even though I have NOT watched the entire disc yet), that I am thoroughly pleased with the HD encode and presentation on the BD disc.

This version looks almost identical to what the original HD masters I made looked like and there is a huge improvement in picture quality over the standard def DVD.

There was no outside EE applied (as Vincent Pereira stated earlier, I hate EE and do not use it for any transfers that I supervise), nor does it seem that any grain-reduction or processing was done during the BD encode, thank goodness.

Honestly, I was shocked at how nice the TCM BD looked and I think, if you are a fan of the film, you will be pleased with the release. Of course, like I said, I haven't gone through it 100% yet, but I did watch about 15 minutes of it in various places and was quite happy with what I saw.

All my hard work on this film for the past 15 or so years seems to have paid off, in spades, with the BD release.

In regards to the A/B roll Interneg questions. I decided to create new materials, just to remain true to the 16mm origins of the film. We certainly had access to the 35mm materials, but i made a conscious decision NOT to use them because they were all 16mm to 35mm blow-up materials. I bit the bullet, got the A/B roll and created a 16mm IN element with all new timings based on my discussions and meetings with director Tobe Hooper (the original timing sheets were all gone).

We didn't just run the A/B roll through the telecine because I was worried that they were too brittle and the splices were weak. The telecine unit could've easily snapped the materials and that scared the crap out of me. Even while printing the new materials some splices DID snap in a few places (thank goodness they only happened on cuts and not in the middle of shots) and we were able to safely repair everything. If we were to do an A/B roll transfer and then assemble everything together we'd still have to create "artificial" dissolves, etc in editing. Creating the new 16mm IN film material was safer and allowed us to print the dissolves optically, just like in the original materials.

Also, having the newly timed 16mm IN helps in preserving the original TCM on film, instead of video. The A/B roll was in pretty bad shape and was pretty poorly stored over the years. Making the new single-strand IN was my way of helping preserve the film in the best way possible. This IN will go a long way in helping preserrve the film for years to come, even if the A/B roll eventually becomes unusable or ruined.

[sivartk]

Originally Posted by PooperScooper

IIRC, from listening to the commentary, one of the houses/buildings was moved and was made into a restaurant. I think they said the gas station was still there.

larry

I think the house in now in Kingsland as a restaurant and the gas station was / is in Bastrop.

What is strange is that the house originally resided on Quick Hill Road in Round Rock. In November 2006, they opened a new toll road and it had a "Quick Hill Road" Exit. In June 2007, they change the sign to reference the county road number instead of "Quick Hill Road" (I wonder if this had anything to do with the change?)

[NIN74]

Thanks for your input Don, I'm really looking forward to this BD. Hopefuly you can release some Synapse titles on BD, did I hear Thriller A Cruel Picture on BD

[cnikirk]

Originally Posted by Don May Jr

Hello AVS readers,

I received my BD of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE from MPI and I have to say (even though I have NOT watched the entire disc yet), that I am thoroughly pleased with the HD encode and presentation on the BD disc.

This version looks almost identical to what the original HD masters I made looked like and there is a huge improvement in picture quality over the standard def DVD.

There was no outside EE applied (as Vincent Pereira stated earlier, I hate EE and do not use it for any transfers that I supervise), nor does it seem that any grain-reduction or processing was done during the BD encode, thank goodness.

Honestly, I was shocked at how nice the TCM BD looked and I think, if you are a fan of the film, you will be pleased with the release. Of course, like I said, I haven't gone through it 100% yet, but I did watch about 15 minutes of it in various places and was quite happy with what I saw.

All my hard work on this film for the past 15 or so years seems to have paid off, in spades, with the BD release.

In regards to the A/B roll Interneg questions. I decided to create new materials, just to remain true to the 16mm origins of the film. We certainly had access to the 35mm materials, but i made a conscious decision NOT to use them because they were all 16mm to 35mm blow-up materials. I bit the bullet, got the A/B roll and created a 16mm IN element with all new timings based on my discussions and meetings with director Tobe Hooper (the original timing sheets were all gone).

We didn't just run the A/B roll through the telecine because I was worried that they were too brittle and the splices were weak. The telecine unit could've easily snapped the materials and that scared the crap out of me. Even while printing the new materials some splices DID snap in a few places (thank goodness they only happened on cuts and not in the middle of shots) and we were able to safely repair everything. If we were to do an A/B roll transfer and then assemble everything together we'd still have to create "artificial" dissolves, etc in editing. Creating the new 16mm IN film material was safer and allowed us to print the dissolves optically, just like in the original materials.

Also, having the newly timed 16mm IN helps in preserving the original TCM on film, instead of video. The A/B roll was in pretty bad shape and was pretty poorly stored over the years. Making the new single-strand IN was my way of helping preserve the film in the best way possible. This IN will go a long way in helping preserrve the film for years to come, even if the A/B roll eventually becomes unusable or ruined.

Nice to have your input. I am really looking forward to owning this classic film on BD.

[suffolk112000]

Originally Posted by Don May Jr

Hello AVS readers,

I received my BD of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE from MPI and I have to say (even though I have NOT watched the entire disc yet), that I am thoroughly pleased with the HD encode and presentation on the BD disc.

This version looks almost identical to what the original HD masters I made looked like and there is a huge improvement in picture quality over the standard def DVD.

There was no outside EE applied (as Vincent Pereira stated earlier, I hate EE and do not use it for any transfers that I supervise), nor does it seem that any grain-reduction or processing was done during the BD encode, thank goodness.

Honestly, I was shocked at how nice the TCM BD looked and I think, if you are a fan of the film, you will be pleased with the release. Of course, like I said, I haven't gone through it 100% yet, but I did watch about 15 minutes of it in various places and was quite happy with what I saw.

All my hard work on this film for the past 15 or so years seems to have paid off, in spades, with the BD release.

In regards to the A/B roll Interneg questions. I decided to create new materials, just to remain true to the 16mm origins of the film. We certainly had access to the 35mm materials, but i made a conscious decision NOT to use them because they were all 16mm to 35mm blow-up materials. I bit the bullet, got the A/B roll and created a 16mm IN element with all new timings based on my discussions and meetings with director Tobe Hooper (the original timing sheets were all gone).

We didn't just run the A/B roll through the telecine because I was worried that they were too brittle and the splices were weak. The telecine unit could've easily snapped the materials and that scared the crap out of me. Even while printing the new materials some splices DID snap in a few places (thank goodness they only happened on cuts and not in the middle of shots) and we were able to safely repair everything. If we were to do an A/B roll transfer and then assemble everything together we'd still have to create "artificial" dissolves, etc in editing. Creating the new 16mm IN film material was safer and allowed us to print the dissolves optically, just like in the original materials.

Also, having the newly timed 16mm IN helps in preserving the original TCM on film, instead of video. The A/B roll was in pretty bad shape and was pretty poorly stored over the years. Making the new single-strand IN was my way of helping preserve the film in the best way possible. This IN will go a long way in helping preserrve the film for years to come, even if the A/B roll eventually becomes unusable or ruined.

Don't we wish that all BD movies recieved as much TLC as TCM.
I am just currious, was all of this restoration work performed in MI?

[Dave Mack]

Thanks for all your work, Don!

[Don May Jr]

Originally Posted by suffolk112000

Don't we wish that all BD movies recieved as much TLC as TCM.
I am just currious, was all of this restoration work performed in MI?

Actually, none of it was...

I did almost everything at IVC, in Burbank. I did not supervise the audio, but that was done at Post Haste Sound in Santa Monica, CA.

[Stevie76]

Can´t wait to get this disc

Thanx for another great transfer, Don!

Btw, Don, any news about future Synapse Blu-Ray releases?

[Don May Jr]

Originally Posted by Stevie76

Can´t wait to get this disc

Thanx for another great transfer, Don!

Btw, Don, any news about future Synapse Blu-Ray releases?

Wellll.... let's just say that I "might" just happen to have an early build of a Blu-Ray version of MANIAC COP sitting here somewhere!

[jdawg131]

Originally Posted by Don May Jr

Wellll.... let's just say that I "might" just happen to have an early build of a Blu-Ray version of MANIAC COP sitting here somewhere!

Awesome.

[Bleddyn H Williams]

Adding my voice to say thanks for all your hard work on this one, Don! I've been hoping that you would be able to give the blu a thumbs-up! Can't wait for this one.

[Stevie76]

Originally Posted by Don May Jr

Wellll.... let's just say that I "might" just happen to have an early build of a Blu-Ray version of MANIAC COP sitting here somewhere!

Don, you are a HERO!

[toxic_avenger]

Originally Posted by Don May Jr

Wellll.... let's just say that I "might" just happen to have an early build of a Blu-Ray version of MANIAC COP sitting here somewhere!

Man I can't wait for MC on Blu

[Paul Arnette]

Originally Posted by Don May Jr

I did not supervise the audio, but that was done at Post Haste Sound in Santa Monica, CA.

Don, forgive me if you covered this earlier, but have the audio omissions been corrected for the BD release?

[PooperScooper]

Thanks, Don, for your efforts! This is one of my favorite movies of all time.

larry

[John Ballentine]

YES indeed! Thanks Don for your time and efforts! Much appreciated!