There were other parts of the movie I thought looked worse in the UE. The scene in the casino looked very muted in colors, like it had a slight green tint.
The SE had amazing color and contrast, but was from a print with a lot of scratches.
007Magazine, do you actually have access to an original 35mm release print of the film? When many movies were released on video in the early days, brightness and other aspects were often altered to accoutn for different conditions when watching tv vs the theater. The Ultimate Edition, aside from the tint, could be closer to that of a cinema print.
Yes, we have had access to 35mm release prints and know how this film should look. 007 Magazine also reconstructed a print of Thunderball for a special screening at the National Film Theatre with the participation of director Terence Young. The Ultimate Edition DVD of that film had very muted colours compared with release prints. This error has been corrected for the Blu-ray edition.
@enochsneed The new gunshot sounds at the end were a poor choice in my view they should have remained as the were. Also the score that accompanies the night time ski sequence seem more muted and slightly slower.
My main gripes are the dumbing down of the music is some action scenes (really noticed it in the ski chase) and the changing of the bullet sounds in the final scene of the film.
Thats because the 5.1 mixes have remixed soundtracks (with new effects added). The US DVDs retain the original mono and stereo mixes, with the ORIGINAL sound effects, and have the 5.1 mixes too. Im considering selling my UK DVDs to get the Region 1s.
Whilst the difference in colours is clearly noticeable, there are problems with the soundtrack. The superb hitchcockian safecracking scene has been tarnished by pushing John Barry's score into the background in the new UE 5.1 mix, thereby removing all the suspense.
MGM has never been one for mastering. The Charlotte Grau remastered edition is the closest you'll get to the actual color and sound of the original. As for MGM sound they have made some poor decisions with what format to archive the audio. For a while the only audio masters were 1/2 magnetic reels. Due to the disbanding of the MGM "archive" who knows what elements are where.
To be honest, the Ultimate edition looks a lot more of an early morning shot than the SE. The SE footage just looks like it's been darkened slightly by messing with the brightness.
We can only speculate but I think the Ultimate Edition comes much closer to the pre-dawn, last gasp of night/breath of morning feel that Hunt and his great DP were going after.
There are other differences in this version of OHMSS than just the picture. When Blofeld is talking to Tracy about her becoming his accountant, there is an added line about her father's business.
You could say that this is in fact a more genuine print of the film that was used in theaters rather than one that was seen on video. The look of that beach scene just spells "Day for night shot".
You could say this is the most complete version of the film released on DVD/VIDEO. Lines were indeed missing from the previous SE DVD along with some others. This does not alter the fact that the colours on the UE DVD have been changed so does not represent how the film was seen in cinemas (or indeed on any previous Video/DVD).
Well, if you watch the feature titled "License to Restore" on the Dr. No bonus disc, they do state that they do not take creative liberties in changing the films. I seriously doubt that they decided to just make this shot look night time without getting the approval of MGM like they did on TMWTGG. Lowry Digital doesn't do this sort of work.
Who knows? Maybe Peter Hunt saw what the shot was like in a night setting and decided to go with it.
Peter Hunt died in 2002. However, he did record the commentary which is ported over from the SE and he explains (along with Cinematographer Michael Reed) the lengths they went to in order to achieve the look of the early-morning shots. George Lazenby's first words in the film are "GOOD MORNING..MISS?"
By omissions we mean the entire soundtrack as mixed for the film on it's original release. Live And Let Die and The Spy Who Loved Me are only available with 5.1 remixes - not their original mono (or in the case of TWSLM Dolby 2 channel stereo). There are no omissions in terms of lines if this is what you are referring to.
All of the problems relating to the UE editions relate to colour timing or lack of 'original' soundtrack.
The Region 1 (USA/CANADA) versions of the Ultimate Edition DVDs contain the original mono/stereo soundtracks (with a couple of omissions) which are far better than the remixed DTS/5.1 versions. The Region 2 discs DO NOT have this option.
Why change it 40 years later to match the book? The technicians remastering the DVD screwed up - simple as that. Same as they did with the blood effect in the water on the Region 2 UE of Thunderball (corrected for the R1), the opening shot of Hong Kong Harbour in You Only Live Twice (corrected for the R1) and the titles for Live And Let Die (colours still wrong in all regions!)
Extras weren't carried over (or progressive), uncut prints weren't always used, original theatrical mix was excluded for a few movies, tints were changed, contrasts looked bad at times, edge enhancement and cropping was occassionally extreme and DVNR went a little too far in some cases.
You ask me? Sony and the likes are cheats and deliberatly holding us back from the best edition. I was also disappointed to find that only half the Bonds were done in HD (4k anamorphic).
I got the UE Region 1 for the mono. The 5.1 replaced the gunshot during the gunbarrel and fight effects! They even replaced the UA/MGM logos AND excluded the original trailers which included deleted footage! That blue tint is OK to an extent, but the original one looks better (hopefully they can correct it back and a few other things...).
Yeah, I dont know why they changed the colour, it looked WAY better while it was still light. Also they changed the sound of the gun at the end, which also pissed me off about the ultimate edition
Not yet - although the masters from which these DVDs were created are high-def. The Goldfinger one was used for the digital cinema screenings which recently took place in the UK.
The original SE's are more accurate in terms of colour to the cinema release as they are derived from original prints. The new editions look far better by comparison but suffer from incorrect colour correcting and remixed soundtracks. It is a trade-off between the two. Purists will prefer the original SE which is generally how the film looked and sounded in the cinema, but the modern Home Theatre audience will want a DVD which looks new, clean, bright and loud!
Why sould the colours be changed at all? They were filmed to look a certain way on purpose by the cinematographers not the way the technician overseeing the DVD wants them to look! The old Bond movies that have DTS soundtracks sound dreadful..once again a total lack of knowledge of the way the original soundtrack was mixed. New sound effects, replaced music and a remix that in some cases detroys the original intent of the scene. For a full overview with audio/video comparisons visit our website.
this is question is off topic but I noticed on your website that Goldfinger is being re-released in the UK, do you know if there is anyword on a North American re-release ?
It looks different - which is not necessarily better. The blue hued tints are not present on any print of the film released since 1969! It has been changed incorrectly by company that remastered the DVDs.
That scene was originally meant to be in the later afternoon. Having that effect was hard to acheive back then to get the right lighting that they wanted, and film tended to give brighter colors, so scenes like these often didn't look as they were intended. Hey, at least they didn't pull a major george lucas on it.
There were other parts of the movie I thought looked worse in the UE. The scene in the casino looked very muted in colors, like it had a slight green tint.
The SE had amazing color and contrast, but was from a print with a lot of scratches.
Knightmessenger 7 months ago
They say that the Ultimate Edition DVD of Goldeneye was cropped in a minor way, maybe it will be fixed for the Blu-Ray release.
Riddler95 1 year ago
007Magazine, do you actually have access to an original 35mm release print of the film? When many movies were released on video in the early days, brightness and other aspects were often altered to accoutn for different conditions when watching tv vs the theater. The Ultimate Edition, aside from the tint, could be closer to that of a cinema print.
FlyingIrishman24 2 years ago
Yes, we have had access to 35mm release prints and know how this film should look. 007 Magazine also reconstructed a print of Thunderball for a special screening at the National Film Theatre with the participation of director Terence Young. The Ultimate Edition DVD of that film had very muted colours compared with release prints. This error has been corrected for the Blu-ray edition.
007magazine 2 years ago
Personally, I didn't buy the ultimate edition for the sound or the picture quality but for the additional special features which was worth it.
intrepidlikes 3 years ago
I was very disappointed by the soundtrack for the Ultimate Edition, the bone-crunching 'thwacks' in the fight scenes were muted, and the gunshots.
enochsneed 3 years ago
@enochsneed The new gunshot sounds at the end were a poor choice in my view they should have remained as the were. Also the score that accompanies the night time ski sequence seem more muted and slightly slower.
RetroSpectreUK 1 year ago
My main gripes are the dumbing down of the music is some action scenes (really noticed it in the ski chase) and the changing of the bullet sounds in the final scene of the film.
kalsolarUK 3 years ago
Thats because the 5.1 mixes have remixed soundtracks (with new effects added). The US DVDs retain the original mono and stereo mixes, with the ORIGINAL sound effects, and have the 5.1 mixes too. Im considering selling my UK DVDs to get the Region 1s.
GavSalkeld 3 years ago
Whilst the difference in colours is clearly noticeable, there are problems with the soundtrack. The superb hitchcockian safecracking scene has been tarnished by pushing John Barry's score into the background in the new UE 5.1 mix, thereby removing all the suspense.
edocnigniklat 3 years ago
MGM has never been one for mastering. The Charlotte Grau remastered edition is the closest you'll get to the actual color and sound of the original. As for MGM sound they have made some poor decisions with what format to archive the audio. For a while the only audio masters were 1/2 magnetic reels. Due to the disbanding of the MGM "archive" who knows what elements are where.
scottyferguson 2 years ago
Yes, I think the idea behind the darker colours was to give more of a sense of what the media guys call 'disruption', so that it adds atmosphere.
plabeh 4 years ago
To be honest, the Ultimate edition looks a lot more of an early morning shot than the SE. The SE footage just looks like it's been darkened slightly by messing with the brightness.
wtfdavemustaine 4 years ago
one is day. one is night
thegreatactor 4 years ago 2
We can only speculate but I think the Ultimate Edition comes much closer to the pre-dawn, last gasp of night/breath of morning feel that Hunt and his great DP were going after.
KooKooRooWhore 4 years ago
There are other differences in this version of OHMSS than just the picture. When Blofeld is talking to Tracy about her becoming his accountant, there is an added line about her father's business.
You could say that this is in fact a more genuine print of the film that was used in theaters rather than one that was seen on video. The look of that beach scene just spells "Day for night shot".
Kalaida 4 years ago
You could say this is the most complete version of the film released on DVD/VIDEO. Lines were indeed missing from the previous SE DVD along with some others. This does not alter the fact that the colours on the UE DVD have been changed so does not represent how the film was seen in cinemas (or indeed on any previous Video/DVD).
007magazine 4 years ago
Well, if you watch the feature titled "License to Restore" on the Dr. No bonus disc, they do state that they do not take creative liberties in changing the films. I seriously doubt that they decided to just make this shot look night time without getting the approval of MGM like they did on TMWTGG. Lowry Digital doesn't do this sort of work.
Who knows? Maybe Peter Hunt saw what the shot was like in a night setting and decided to go with it.
Kalaida 4 years ago
Peter Hunt died in 2002. However, he did record the commentary which is ported over from the SE and he explains (along with Cinematographer Michael Reed) the lengths they went to in order to achieve the look of the early-morning shots. George Lazenby's first words in the film are "GOOD MORNING..MISS?"
007magazine 4 years ago
My apologies regarding Peter Hunt.
In regards to the morning line, it could still be morning, just not a bright shiny morning.
Kalaida 4 years ago
The masters were all MGM approved. I too doubt Lowry (now DTS Digital Images) took any artistic licences either.
GavSalkeld 3 years ago
Can you elaborate on the ommissions? This is getting ridiculous.
The "Stiffness" (in the shoulder) line is still altered...
chenlung1 4 years ago
By omissions we mean the entire soundtrack as mixed for the film on it's original release. Live And Let Die and The Spy Who Loved Me are only available with 5.1 remixes - not their original mono (or in the case of TWSLM Dolby 2 channel stereo). There are no omissions in terms of lines if this is what you are referring to.
All of the problems relating to the UE editions relate to colour timing or lack of 'original' soundtrack.
007magazine 4 years ago
Most likely due to space issues. There are no fewer than two commentary tracks and the 5.1 english.
Thankfully the BluRay release has the original mono.
Kalaida 3 years ago
My Ultimate Edition DVD has the original Mono Mix for On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Riddler95 3 years ago
@Kalaida There is no blu ray release of this movie yet..you must be refering to the UE
RetroSpectreUK 1 year ago
i am going to buy the 007 dvds, but its going to be the special editions! i dont like what they have done to the sound on the ultimate dvds.
andy86i 4 years ago
The Region 1 (USA/CANADA) versions of the Ultimate Edition DVDs contain the original mono/stereo soundtracks (with a couple of omissions) which are far better than the remixed DTS/5.1 versions. The Region 2 discs DO NOT have this option.
007magazine 4 years ago
I wonder why they did this.....
ilovemarcribot 4 years ago
I understand that it can bee irritation that they have changed the colour, but if you look at the contrast is better in the ultimate edition.
Leksand12 4 years ago
They changed it because that's how the setting is in the book!
DeonDark 4 years ago
Why change it 40 years later to match the book? The technicians remastering the DVD screwed up - simple as that. Same as they did with the blood effect in the water on the Region 2 UE of Thunderball (corrected for the R1), the opening shot of Hong Kong Harbour in You Only Live Twice (corrected for the R1) and the titles for Live And Let Die (colours still wrong in all regions!)
007magazine 4 years ago
I dunno, I think I like the "night" version better than the "day" version...
TheLazenby2 4 years ago
Extras weren't carried over (or progressive), uncut prints weren't always used, original theatrical mix was excluded for a few movies, tints were changed, contrasts looked bad at times, edge enhancement and cropping was occassionally extreme and DVNR went a little too far in some cases.
You ask me? Sony and the likes are cheats and deliberatly holding us back from the best edition. I was also disappointed to find that only half the Bonds were done in HD (4k anamorphic).
chenlung1 4 years ago
I got the UE Region 1 for the mono. The 5.1 replaced the gunshot during the gunbarrel and fight effects! They even replaced the UA/MGM logos AND excluded the original trailers which included deleted footage! That blue tint is OK to an extent, but the original one looks better (hopefully they can correct it back and a few other things...).
chenlung1 4 years ago
Yeah, I dont know why they changed the colour, it looked WAY better while it was still light. Also they changed the sound of the gun at the end, which also pissed me off about the ultimate edition
thattaityguy 4 years ago
Is the Ultimate Edition available in High Def?
gjcauilan 4 years ago
Not yet - although the masters from which these DVDs were created are high-def. The Goldfinger one was used for the digital cinema screenings which recently took place in the UK.
007magazine 4 years ago
Based on this small 50-second extract, I prefer the original.
luciremagazine 4 years ago
The original SE's are more accurate in terms of colour to the cinema release as they are derived from original prints. The new editions look far better by comparison but suffer from incorrect colour correcting and remixed soundtracks. It is a trade-off between the two. Purists will prefer the original SE which is generally how the film looked and sounded in the cinema, but the modern Home Theatre audience will want a DVD which looks new, clean, bright and loud!
007magazine 4 years ago
One thing about the Ultimate Edition of Goldfinger is that Shirley Eaton looks less golden lying on the bed than she did in the Special Edition.
KThompson1990 4 years ago
the hell?? the UE looks like CRAP!
CasinoRoyaleFan 4 years ago
its also called color correcting..
Riddler95 4 years ago
Which is fine if the colours are corrected to what they should have been in the original version...not changed to be another colour.
007magazine 4 years ago
yeah you are right, maybe they wanted to change the colors though. Anyways have you heard the way the Old James Bond Movies sound in DTS.
Riddler95 4 years ago
Why sould the colours be changed at all? They were filmed to look a certain way on purpose by the cinematographers not the way the technician overseeing the DVD wants them to look! The old Bond movies that have DTS soundtracks sound dreadful..once again a total lack of knowledge of the way the original soundtrack was mixed. New sound effects, replaced music and a remix that in some cases detroys the original intent of the scene. For a full overview with audio/video comparisons visit our website.
007magazine 4 years ago
Can you please send me the link to your website.
Riddler95 4 years ago
Our website can be found by running the Google search 007 MAGAZINE
007magazine 4 years ago
it's pretty interesting...thanks for the info.
Riddler95 4 years ago
this is question is off topic but I noticed on your website that Goldfinger is being re-released in the UK, do you know if there is anyword on a North American re-release ?
Riddler95 4 years ago
We have not heard about an Amercian release but if this happens it will be reported by 007 MAGAZINE.
007magazine 4 years ago
it still looks 10 times better than the special edition, color changes are apart of remastering processes.
Riddler95 4 years ago
It looks different - which is not necessarily better. The blue hued tints are not present on any print of the film released since 1969! It has been changed incorrectly by company that remastered the DVDs.
007magazine 4 years ago
I have both editions, and noticed this right away how the colors looked washed out in this scene on the Ultimate Edition.
LS1Hawk 4 years ago
That scene was originally meant to be in the later afternoon. Having that effect was hard to acheive back then to get the right lighting that they wanted, and film tended to give brighter colors, so scenes like these often didn't look as they were intended. Hey, at least they didn't pull a major george lucas on it.
SoylentPurple 4 years ago
ive got the UE of this film, didnt realise the huge difference. why's it so blue!!
benoakes01 4 years ago
Looks like they're trying to make it look like it's happening at night.
ColonelAngus75 4 years ago