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 Eurotika1955 |
The Terror on TCM |
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Posts: 224 (04/07/07 08:50:16) |
Last night I recorded TCM's broadcast of "The Terror." WOW! I have never seen the film look so good. And it was widescreen. I have no clue if the aspect ratio was correct, so perhaps someone else who saw the broadcast can relate back to the forum.
TCM also ran "A Bucket of Blood" on the same double bill and it was also widescreen. "Drama is life with the dull bits cut out." Alfred Hitchcock
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Latarnia |
Re: The Terror on TCM | ||
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Posts: 12316 (04/07/07 11:07:18) |
For the first time I tried to time my recording on my DVD-R recorder--and, when I woke up in the morning to check, I realize that I had failed!
I should have gone with my instinct and just recorded while still awake in a slower speed mode, getting THE TERROR in, and BUCKET OF BLOOD, too. Mirek |
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iamglobal |
Re: The Terror on TCM | ||
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Posts: 376 (04/07/07 11:41:21) |
This appears to be a quite historic happening, considering the buzz on the different boards. And apparently, more than a few did fail to properly record it. I did get it on my cable/recorder hard drive or whatever they call it; I've never actually seen the film...
"No one sleeps the sleep of the just unless the abuse of dreams rendering
us powerfully helpless bottling up and unbottling renders a justice that restores us..." |
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Koukol 5 |
Re: The Terror on TCM | ||
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Posts: 2148 (04/07/07 13:20:01) |
The color of the TCM showing was brilliant, but i'm not sure yet that the picture was any wider. I recorded it, but havn't had the time to compare it to my fullscrean DVD.
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iamglobal |
Re: The Terror on TCM | ||
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Posts: 376 (04/09/07 14:18:16) |
Finally saw it, and found it quite enjoyable; the one scene that I assume has everyone's head scratching is Dick Miller's "It's not the Baron, it's Erich!" speech which makes no sense and is poorly played by all (most likely, they were all confused). Not sure why it was left in, as the script almost makes some kind of sense without it, and it's clear Karloff believes he's the Baron throughout. But it was good, clean fun. Loved the melting face.
"No one sleeps the sleep of the just unless the abuse of dreams rendering
us powerfully helpless bottling up and unbottling renders a justice that restores us..." |
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Koukol 5 |
Re: The Terror on TCM | ||
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Posts: 2148 (04/10/07 10:08:34) |
Well, compared to my full screen DVD, the TCM version of THE TERROR had only a fraction of an inch of information on the sides, but missing a lot more information on the top and bottom.
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Atomic Mystery Monster |
Re: The Terror on TCM | ||
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Posts: 932 (04/10/07 11:52:32) |
Quote: Hhmm...maybe it was shot open-matte? |
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Latarnia |
Re: The Terror on TCM | ||
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Posts: 12316 (04/10/07 17:15:13) |
I hope to have some screen capture comparisons, courtesy the generosity of Eurotika, up soon.
I bet THE TERROR was shot open-matte. Mirek |
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iamglobal |
Re: The Terror on TCM | ||
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Posts: 376 (04/10/07 18:02:07) |
I assume it was as well, but the framing looked well-composed, even handsome on occassion, in its letterboxed variant. Even if something is shot open matte, that doesn't mean the larger is the preferred variant -- while nekked bits getting cut off in VAMPIRE LOVERS or SWINGIN' CHEERLEADERS is inexcusable, I gotta say I never felt THE TERROR's faming seemed cramped or suspect.
I'm sure I'll be proven wrong! "No one sleeps the sleep of the just unless the abuse of dreams rendering
us powerfully helpless bottling up and unbottling renders a justice that restores us..." |
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Latarnia |
TERROR comparisons | ||
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Posts: 12316 (04/18/07 11:31:12) |
Okay. Courtesy our good friend Eurotika, I'm able to present some screen capture comparisons of the TCM presentation of THE TERROR and the full-frame versions available on PD releases. The comparisons are not of the exact same frames, as that would take considerable time, but you can get a fair sense of the framing issues nevertheless.
The TCM version is in widescreen, cropping off the full-frame presentations at top and bottom, with a bit more side info. The quality of the TCM version is obviously better, but there are instances where the cropping is too severe, in my estimation.       Again, thanks to Eurotika for making these comparisons possible. Mirek |
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Koukol 5 |
Re: TERROR comparisons | ||
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Posts: 2148 (04/18/07 13:57:22) |
Thanks Mirek and Eurotika.
I could swear my full screen DVD had more information, than the TCM print, on the top. Too bad i know nothing about computers or I'd post a screen cap. |
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Latarnia |
Re: TERROR comparisons | ||
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Posts: 12316 (04/18/07 16:20:28) |
Quote: It does! Both on the top and the bottom. Mirek |
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Eurotika1955 |
You are most welcome! | ||
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Posts: 224 (04/19/07 11:40:36) |
I am very happy to be able to share some of my DVDS with everyone at the Latarnia Forums. Part of the pleasure I get from collecting movies is sharing them with others.
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bobmonel |
Re: You are most welcome! | ||
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Posts: 2560 (05/26/07 09:35:38) |
That's WAY too much missing off the top and bottom. Look at the girl's footsteps going from the beach into the water. That is a very dramatic effect and intended so but you can't see it in the "widescreen" version. This was the cheapest and fastest of all the Corman Poe shoots and I'm sure it was shot openmatte so it could accomodate multiple venues or any and all systems as this was a value added thing to squeeze more money out of the cast and sets of THE RAVEN.
visit the new JESS FRANCO BLOG
www.robertmonell.blogspot.com/ |
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Koukol 5 |
Re: You are most welcome! | ||
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Posts: 2148 (04/09/08 13:51:36) |
I thought I'd bump this up for Squonk...maybe he read it already...who knows.
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Squonkamatic |
Re: You are most welcome! | ||
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Posts: 3486 (04/09/08 16:23:27) |
Yes! TY, I agree with the conclusion that it's a crop of some sort but also am willing to accept that if appropriate for the screening venue this is probably how THE TERROR would have been shown. From what I can see they compensated for the LBXing when framing the shots during filming.
HOWEVER, I do agree with Brother Monell that a more desirable way to see the film might be from the full 1:37:1 open matte ratio. You definitely lose screen info by the masking to 16x9 (or whatever the ratio TCM showed it at) and so the cropping was apparently done arbitrarily to cater to widescreen TV owners. The compensation is the quality of the picture which even with the cropping is superior to the usual run of the mill home video/DVD presentations. That's why the "discovery" of the picture quality on the Silver Screen Classics and Vintage Classics versions is so important. It comes down to the preference & convenience of the viewer, and I count myself as lucky thanks to the help of online compadres of having both versions in my collection; At some point I'll get a 16x9 TV set for the living room at least, and it'll be a pleasure to be able to watch THE TERROR as a simulated theatrical projection. 
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bgart13 |
Re: You are most welcome! | ||
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Posts: 1926 (04/09/08 17:31:39) |
I'll inquire further with someone on the inside at MGM and the MM line about this. Don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.
Ben |
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Squonkamatic |
Re: The Terror on TCM | ||
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Posts: 3486 (04/10/08 13:02:12) |
It'd be nice to see an official restoration but they'd have to pair it with something that would be the dollar draw. QUEEN OF BLOOD would be a good pick.
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Baesenman |
Re: The Terror on TCM | ||
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Posts: 4 (04/10/08 21:33:10) |
THE TERROR is discussed in some detail in the new issue of VIDEO WATCHDOG which I just received today. In the cover story with Roger Corman and Daniel Haller, Corman reveals that after he directed two days on the leftover sets of THE RAVEN, he offered his art director, Daniel Haller the chance to finish directing the film. Haller turned him down, and Corman went on to his second choice... some guy out of UCLA film school named Francis Ford Coppola!
Coppola then directed Jack Nicholson at locations in Big Sur outside of San Francisco, where Coppola would eventually make his home base. And it's still the only time Coppola and Nicholson have worked together on a movie... Corman also adds a funny story about approaching Boris Karloff about doing the movie... "Boris, this is going to be a tough shoot, we've got to make it in only two days!" Corman also notes Karloff was quite upset about being placed in a tank of cold water for the climax of the movie. |
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bgart13 |
Re: The Terror on TCM | ||
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Posts: 1926 (04/10/08 21:40:03) |
I wouldn't be surprised if THE TERROR falls under one of those Corman flicks that MGM doesn't have the rights to distribute, but only for showing on tv (TCM, that is). Other example of the top of my head is ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS. Looks great on tv, but don't hold your breath for an official dvd soon (so the word is).
I did get a response from the fellow connected to the MM line. Not much officially stated, but did say he's seen it projected from film and that the cropping/letterboxing on TCM is correct -- as far as he could tell. But, that being said, he did not look into it on paper. Ben |
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ECC |
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Posts: 1775 (05/17/08 16:40:53) |
Was the letterboxing done by the same guys who did the TCM CASTLE OF THE LIVING DEAD? Its nice that there's a digital transfer despite the cropping.
"I just spent all morning watching a VH1 special on Gwen Stefani. I don't know what a Hollaback girl is. All I know is that I want her dead." -- Brian the Dog from FAMILY GUY.
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