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Of Film Restoration and Blu-ray Conversion
Earlier this morning I participated in a virtual roundtable/Q&A about film restoration and conversion between Jeff Baker who is the Executive Vice President and General Manager Warner Bros. theatrical catalog, Ned Price who is the Vice President of Mastering at Warner Bros. and Andy Parsons who is the chair of the Blu-ray Association of America. By participated, I mean I watched the livestream of their conversation and asked a question via text after it was finished. Presented after the cut are what I think are the most interesting parts of the conversation, as well as the question I asked. While I am still one of those people who buys most of my films on DVD over Blu-ray (tell me how you screencap Blu-rays you bastards and I’ll switch!) the process behind how films get chosen, etc. is pretty fascinating.
Movie Quote of the Day – The Heiress, 1949 (dir. William Wyler)
Morris Townsend: He doesn’t like me. He doesn’t like me at all.
Catherine Sloper: I don’t see how you know.
Morris Townsend: I feel. I’m very quick to feel.
Movie Quote of the Day – The Collector, 1965 (dir. William Wyler)
Freddie Clegg: That’s a good painting, isn’t it?
Miranda Grey: Yes. Yes, it’s a Picasso.
Freddie Clegg: People don’t look like that.
Miranda Grey: Well, of course they don’t. He’s not trying to draw a face as it is. He’s, he’s trying to express a face as he sees it and feels it.
Freddie Clegg: Because he see it that way, that makes it good?
Miranda Grey: But it’s not a photograph.
Freddie Clegg: What’s wrong with photographs?
Miranda Grey: There’s nothing wrong with photographs.
Freddie Clegg: Photographs don’t lie!
Miranda Grey: Neither does this! It’s . . .it’s a face from all different angles. It’s the character behind the face.
Freddie Clegg: It’s just a joke. That’s all it is. It’s just a bad joke.
Miranda Grey: Just because you can’t grasp it right away. . .
Freddie Clegg: Well, how do I grasp it?! [beat] I’ll tell you something about this. . .it doesn’t mean anything. Not just to me, but to anybody else. You just say it does because some professor somewhere told you it did. It makes you so superior. You and all your friends. I don’t think one in a million decent, ordinary people would say this was any good. It’s rubbish, rubbish! That’s all it is.
Oscar Vault Monday – The Heiress, 1949 (dir. William Wyler)
The Heiress is a kind of movie that was very popular in classic era Hollywood and isn’t really made that often anymore. I mean, we get lots of period pieces ever year, but they often feel stuffy and/or Oscar-baity. What made the period dramas of this era so great is they feel modern, as in they felt modern at the time. And in doing so they still feel modern today. The Heiress or Jezebel or The Little Foxes feel as modern as any of their non-period contemporaries. I wish Hollywood could figure out how to do that again. I think Jane Campion came pretty close with The Piano. The Heiress was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning four: Best B&W Art Direction-Set Decoration (won), Best B&W Costume Design (won), Best Score (won), Best B&W Cinematography, Best Supporting Actor Ralph Richardson, Best Actress Olivia de Havilland (won), Best Director William Wyler and Best Picture. The other films up for Best Picture that year were Battleground, A Letter to Three Wives, Twelve O’Clock High and winner All The King’s Men.
Movie Quote of the Day – The Letter, 1940 (dir. William Wyler)
Leslie Crosbie: With all my heart, I still love the man I killed!
Movie Quote of the Day – Detective Story, 1951 (dir. William Wyler)
Shoplifter: You married?
Susan Carmichael: *shakes head no*
Shoplifter: Me neither. Everybody tells ya, “Why don’t you get married? You should be married.” My mother, my father, my sister, my aunt. “Get married.” As if I didn’t want to get married! Where do you find a man? Get me a man and I’ll get married. Anything. As long as it’s got pants. [beat] Married. It’s easy to talk.
Oscar Vault Monday – Roman Holiday, 1953 (dir. William Wyler)
This was one of the first films I ever saw. Between this film and Sabrina (my favorite Audrey film) for the longest time the only classic actresses I gave a hoot about were Audrey and Vivien Leigh in Gone With The Wind. I’m talking about me at the age of 6 and 7. Also, because of this film I fell hard for Gregory Peck. He is so gorgeous and so charming in this film. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, winning three: Best B&W Art Direction, Best B&W Cinematography, Best B&W Costume Design (won), Best Film Editing, Best Writing – Screenplay, Best Writing – Motion Picture Story (won), Best Supporting Actor Eddie Albert, Best Actress Audrey Hepburn (won), Best Director and Best Picture. The other films up for Best Picture that year were Julius Caesar, The Robe, Shane and winner From Here To Eternity.
Oscar Vault Monday – Funny Girl, 1968 (dir. William Wyler)
I’m going to admit this straight up: this is mostly going to be an “I love Barbra Streisand in this movie” post. I’d never been a big fan of Babs until I saw this film and I’ve been converted forever. This was her debut film performance and she won the Best Actress Academy Award for it – in the only tie in that category’s history with Katharine Hepburn in The Lion In Winter. Somehow, though, the Academy decided to give the top prize of the night to Carrol Reed’s overblown, boring and trite musical Oliver! I mean, if they were going to give the top prize one last time to a musical, well until Chicago‘s win 34 years later, why couldn’t they have gone with Funny Girl?! The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and only won the one: Best Actress Barbra Streisand (won), Best Supporting Actress – Kay Medford, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Song, Best Score of a Musical Picture (Original or Adaptation), Best Sound and Best Picture. William Wyler wasn’t even nominated for Best Director! The other films nominated for Best Picture that year were: Rachel, Rachel, Romeo and Juliet, The Lion in Winter and winner Oliver!
the diary of a film history fanatic 