For this week’s MSN DVD column, I chose not to waste anyone’s time with “Prometheus” — and really, is anyone going to argue with that when “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial”, “Dial M for Murder” and “Strangers on a Train” are all coming to Blu-ray?
Oh, and the restored version of “Little Shop of Horrors”. That’s happening too, though I couldn’t get my hands on it before press time. Stupid holiday.
Also, I’ll be doing the Q&A for this tomorrow. It’s for an excellent cause; you should come!
A couple of corrections:
Only the theatrical cut of Strangers on a Train is in HD. The preview cut is SD.
Dial M for Murder was not originally red/blue anaglyph 3D. The 1950s version of 3D was photographed with two camera lenses and two strips of film. It played in theaters with two projectors, and audiences wore clear polarized glasses. I think some of Warner’s promotional material for the Blu-ray is misleading regarding the alleged “reverse engineering.” Robert Harris claims that the disc was mastered from both of the original camera negatives.
The press release also says that both camera negatives were restored:
http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/24/hitchcock-dial-m-for-murder-3d-strangers-on-a-train-blu-ray/
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To ready Dial M for Murder for this current release, MPI’s work included a 4K scan of the original camera negative, and a full restoration of the two “eyes,” as well as convergence fixes to ensure perfect alignment.
Said Jeff Baker, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Theatrical Catalog,
“Given the current trend toward 3D, we’re delighted to be releasing this authentic classic 3D. This is not a conversion from 2D to 3D, but an original work, with a big tip of the cap to MPI, that illustrates just how good 3D can be.