Posted by Vincent at bg-tc-ppp131.monmouth.com on September 30, 2000 at 14:33:29:
In Reply to: Bjork, and the Lolita LD posted by Jeff Wright on September 30, 2000 at 05:37:40:
: Have you seen the amazing video Chris Cunningham directed for ALL IS FULL OF LOVE?
No- is that the one that supposedly has rejected robot designs for A.I.?
: : : 7)What's your most prized Laserdisk?
: : The Criterion LOLITA with the beautiful Kubrick-supervised multi-aspect ratio transfer that wasn't used for the DVD.
: How much of a difference is there between the transfers? Would it be worth picking up the LD off of ebay or something? I think it usually goes for a bit.
I've never actually compared it myslef to the matted-at-1.66:1-throughout MGM transfer that was used for the DVD, but there was a shoot-off review comparing the Criterion LD to the MGM LD in an old issue of THE PERFECT VISION, and that same MGM LD transfer of LOLITA was the one used for the DVD. Well, according the the asute folks at TPV, the MGM transfer looked fine... until they looked at the Criterion disc, which apparently has more picture information on ALL FOUR SIDES compared to the MGM, plus better contrast, etc. I can say that the Criterion LD looks gorgeous, and I have no desire to get the film on DVD anytime soon. Incidentally, I picked my copy up at Mondo KIms in NYC for $15 about two months ago. It's in perfect condition.
: How many of the Kubrick films did you go see in NY this year when they had the retrospective? There's gonna be one in Toronto next month, so I'm a happy, happy lad. I'm DYING to see BARRY LYDON in a theatre. Sadly 2001 isn't included since they're having the re-release next year.
I saw THE SHINING and BARRY LYNDON there. LYNDON was interesting to see in a theater, but nearly the revelation THE SHINING was. You simply cannot understand how shitty the current DVD of THE SHINING is until you see this new print projected. The colors are just so vibrant- for example, the opening titles, which are a pale blue on the DVD, are a deep, DEEP blue on the new 35mm print, so much so that they almost seem to shimmer. Ditto the red carpets at the Overlook, and orange lighting in the Torrance's living quarters, etc. etc.
As for Sean's comments below re: LOLITA being in 'Scope, no, isn't the case. The only two 'Scope Kubrick films are SPARTACUS (Super-Technirama-70, basically VistaVision with a 1.5X anamorphic squeeze added), and 2001 (Super-Panavision 70- spherical 70mm). And yes, it is probably my least favorite Kubrick film still, but even so it's a great watch, and gets better each time I watch it.
BTW, did you ever notice how after the opening titles of LOLITA, when there's that double dissolve to the car driving up to the house, and then into the house, that you can actually see the clapper-guy walking off frame just as the dissolve from inside to outside starts? A very odd "mistake", likely caused by old-fassioned film cutting when you couldn't see your dissolves until the lab did them for you, unlike today when you can preview everything on an AVID.
Vincent