Post by John Stewart Miller on May 7, 2006 1:19:51 GMT
Topic on my mind recently has arisen catching the BBCs well placed revival of the weekend late night horror film slot.
Amongst these showings have been 1968s 'Witchfinder General' (Vincent Price) and Hammers 'Vampire circus'. Generally viewed now as classics, the latter is far less corny and more left of centre for the later Hammer cinema product.
I admit I noted some corny aspects to 'Witchfinder' which is actually, apart from violent for its time, generally well made. However what struck me were the changes to transmission format, not all for the better. I think I'm right in saying that the early 1970s showings (1973 and 75) were transmitted on ITV (Thames region). Afraid during the first I fell asleep in the chair during a slow bit, getting woken up by the climax featuring a woman screaming, thinking 'what happened?'.
The gruesome details were filled in at a friends house on second showing. During both these early showings, the 'pan and scan' method, in which selective details are panned across to on the wide cinema format; (rather than 'letterbox'); and a central area affixed otherwise so as to fill a 4 by 3 TV screen format.
The new showings seemed to apply letterbox format. I wonder how much this had to do with adapting to modern formats, or the transposition between ITV and BBC?
During 'Witchfinder' I noted a segment in which the quality of vision dropped to that comparable with a poor quality VHS on broadcast standard transmission (or 525 line transfer). I also noticed the lipsynch and soundtrack went out during some of this. On 'Vampire circus', the lipsynch also went out.
I wondered what the reasons behind this were. I have noted a tendancy with some DVD material to occasionally lose synch with its sound, which can be rectified by freezing the image and restarting play.
I wonder if the differential is something to do with digital transfers.
Presumably the substandard vision material on 'Witchfinder' was due to an inferior copy being the only available in order to reinstall censored missing or lost footage? I recall during film studies at school being told that TV versions of films were prepared to fit advert breaks; and that different transmissions on ITV; lost different shots. Case in point was 'Dracula has risen from the grave' (1968) which on a showing following 1974 cut a key shot of Dracula 'crying blood'.
I wonder what people think about these issues. Obviously the most complete version of a film possible is desirable; but how important might it be to see a product in the form we origninally experienced it in ? With the BBC 'Laurel and Hardy' shorts, for example, familiar to me 1968 onwards, the only way I can successfully enjoy the product is in the BBC double bill transmissions using the BBCs own old prints. A friend pointed out years ago how when the films were seen otherwise, with the soundtrack hiss between dialogue cleaned up, and pristine image (no flecks or jumps) they lost something in that transition from the childhood experience of them.
I felt this when the Chaplin silents were purchased and restored by Essanay circa 1970. The new BBC showings sported new caption cards with the company logo on each and a violin (Chaplin arranged) soundtrack replacing a previous tinkly piano. It totally changed the atmosphere.
Going a bit on from the off topic, I recently read of a 'lost' documentary feature on 'Witchfinder general'; which a publication in 'Forbidden planet' alleged was 'a 10 min feature filmed for BBC news and since lost'. Is there any more info on this?
Amongst these showings have been 1968s 'Witchfinder General' (Vincent Price) and Hammers 'Vampire circus'. Generally viewed now as classics, the latter is far less corny and more left of centre for the later Hammer cinema product.
I admit I noted some corny aspects to 'Witchfinder' which is actually, apart from violent for its time, generally well made. However what struck me were the changes to transmission format, not all for the better. I think I'm right in saying that the early 1970s showings (1973 and 75) were transmitted on ITV (Thames region). Afraid during the first I fell asleep in the chair during a slow bit, getting woken up by the climax featuring a woman screaming, thinking 'what happened?'.
The gruesome details were filled in at a friends house on second showing. During both these early showings, the 'pan and scan' method, in which selective details are panned across to on the wide cinema format; (rather than 'letterbox'); and a central area affixed otherwise so as to fill a 4 by 3 TV screen format.
The new showings seemed to apply letterbox format. I wonder how much this had to do with adapting to modern formats, or the transposition between ITV and BBC?
During 'Witchfinder' I noted a segment in which the quality of vision dropped to that comparable with a poor quality VHS on broadcast standard transmission (or 525 line transfer). I also noticed the lipsynch and soundtrack went out during some of this. On 'Vampire circus', the lipsynch also went out.
I wondered what the reasons behind this were. I have noted a tendancy with some DVD material to occasionally lose synch with its sound, which can be rectified by freezing the image and restarting play.
I wonder if the differential is something to do with digital transfers.
Presumably the substandard vision material on 'Witchfinder' was due to an inferior copy being the only available in order to reinstall censored missing or lost footage? I recall during film studies at school being told that TV versions of films were prepared to fit advert breaks; and that different transmissions on ITV; lost different shots. Case in point was 'Dracula has risen from the grave' (1968) which on a showing following 1974 cut a key shot of Dracula 'crying blood'.
I wonder what people think about these issues. Obviously the most complete version of a film possible is desirable; but how important might it be to see a product in the form we origninally experienced it in ? With the BBC 'Laurel and Hardy' shorts, for example, familiar to me 1968 onwards, the only way I can successfully enjoy the product is in the BBC double bill transmissions using the BBCs own old prints. A friend pointed out years ago how when the films were seen otherwise, with the soundtrack hiss between dialogue cleaned up, and pristine image (no flecks or jumps) they lost something in that transition from the childhood experience of them.
I felt this when the Chaplin silents were purchased and restored by Essanay circa 1970. The new BBC showings sported new caption cards with the company logo on each and a violin (Chaplin arranged) soundtrack replacing a previous tinkly piano. It totally changed the atmosphere.
Going a bit on from the off topic, I recently read of a 'lost' documentary feature on 'Witchfinder general'; which a publication in 'Forbidden planet' alleged was 'a 10 min feature filmed for BBC news and since lost'. Is there any more info on this?
