Well, dear readers, I had the day I needed to have. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I, BK, had the day I needed to have. I had a very good night’s sleep, got up at ten and called Apple Care. But by the time I got the tech on the phone, I could see that 90% of my questions were now irrelevant since things were working that hadn’t been – he told me that sometimes the computer on a complete reinstall needs to synch and play catch-up. He explained why things had had to reinstall in certain cases and said I should have been apprised of that up front. He also helped me suss out the problem I was having with the laptop, i.e. the mail program not allowing me to send outgoing mail from my main address. It was a simple fix and all is well now. So, I’m happy to say that the computer is up and running perfectly now, which is a HUGE relief.
Then I checked my e-mails and I’d had a response from the seller I’d written to about the package that should have been here days ago. They told me it WAS here and sent me the link to the tracking number and indeed it was delivered last Tuesday. I sent apologies, and then called the mail place and asked why they hadn’t given the helper this package. The person went and looked, couldn’t find it, then I gave her the tracking number and she saw they’d signed for it, so she looked again and found it. Apparently it was a teeny-tiny package (an odd way to send the item, I have to say) and was under another package. So, I went and picked it up. Then I had my noon lunch. We went to the Eclectic Café where I had eclectic salmon with veggies, a small Caesar salad, and a small piece of their flat bread, all excellent. Then we came back to my house and chatted for another hour, then my lunch companion left and I had a couple of telephonic conversations and then finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Dracula – the Hammer version that was called Horror of Dracula here in the United States of America. It is by far my favorite Hammer film outside of the Quatermass films. I saw it back in the day, and I even owned a 16mm and 35mm IB Tech print of it. Weeks ago, one of the usual websites peopled with the usual troublemakers, had a thread posted that said EPIC FAIL – screen caps of dubious merit had appeared alongside screen caps of the old Warners DVD and one fellow in particular who ALWAYS plays this inane screen cap game and who, in fact, began the thread, was up in arms because the new transfer’s caps were very dark and had totally different color to the Warners DVD. Now, when you’re stupid enough to post these comparisons, your eye naturally always goes to the brighter image – it’s just what happens. And they make the stupid assumption that that image is what’s correct, not understanding the simple to understand point – the Warners DVD was a travesty – overly bright by about ten stops, lousy, faded color. Of course the new caps looked different, but neither set of caps meant ANYTHING. But this guy kept going on and on and raging at the high heavens about the travesty and how the transfer, which he hadn’t seen, was washed with blue. Other forums picked it up, and before ONE person had actually seen it, this transfer was damned to hell. Then, suddenly, a few people got advance copies and their comments flew in the face of these insane screen cap fanatics. They said yes, the color grading was completely different (of course it was – the color on the Warners DVD was non-existent and brown), but very pleasing, and that there was no blue wash or tint over anything. So, that was heartening, but it didn’t matter to the people who play the game because they are the only ones who know anything and these screen caps tell them all they need to know. Of course, they weren’t alive when the film came out, they’ve never seen an IB Tech print of the film, and in most cases have never even seen the film projected – their entire history of this film is from home video and TV. But they know more than those of us who actually do know what this film should look like. The Warners DVD looked like a brightly lit Universal TV show from the 1970s. That’s not how it looked, I’m afraid. Dracula, you see, is a HORROR film – moody lighting, shadows, blue nights, blue in the crypt (vampires, you see, don’t like brightly lit crypts – it’s their nature, you see). Of course the night scenes have blue in them just like most night scenes in most films since color came in. The skin tones weren’t blue, didn’t have a blue bias. None of the other colors were blue, just the sky or the lighting. So, I got my copy and ran it and, while not perfect, it is so much better than any other home video release and it absolutely is in the ballpark in terms of its color – I was a little wary in the opening scenes, but from about the ten-minute mark it’s all pretty terrific. Unlike the brown DVD, here we get deep blues, deep greens, deep reds, deep purples – beautiful, real color. There is not one shot in this transfer that is too dark (they were really crying about that in the forums, but it just “seemed” dark next to the overtly bright DVD), the darker scenes are just as they should be – moody, but filled with light where there is a source for the light. You can pull a stupid still frame from any movie ever made and by being selective about which frame you could say about any movie, this thing is a travesty. Movies are MOTION pictures not screen captures of a single frame. These caps games are reprehensible and these jerks who do this game relentlessly are harmful and actually cause people not to buy things.
But the amusing thing about the ringleader is that once he saw it he begrudgingly admitted that it was a worthwhile release, while conveniently not saying he was wrong, just that there was revisionism in the color timing. But there is no revisionism – the film finally has mostly correct color, and proper contrast and actually looks like a FILM. Did he change the title of his thread – EPIC FAIL? Of course not. And he loathes me because he cannot stand that I know what I’m talking about (that is the worst for these “experts”) and that I take on the screen cap brigade of children because someone has to finally shut these guys down and I’m happy to be the one. This guy gets personal, makes with the insults, and his little cronies agree and deride further. But there’s been a sea change of late and suddenly people are catching on, purchasing the discs and understanding who is right and who is wrong and who they should trust. Note to ringleader: When you begin a thread with EPIC FAIL and then have to retreat from that position, no one is going to trust you about anything. This restoration was done by the BFI in 2007. Could it be done better now – perhaps – I don’t know the condition of the elements. But what we have here is mostly a very pleasing Blu-ray of a wonderful film. The people involved don’t deserve the derision to which they are subjected by the usual armchair expert know-it-alls-who-know-nothing – they deserve praise for good work and the BFI, given the tools of 2007, which have improved since then, did a really nice job getting Dracula to resemble what it did back in 1958. I recommend it to lovers of the film. What I do not recommend is the Warners DVD – one of the worst DVDs ever.
There, I’ve said it and I’m glad. I also watched part of a charming and weird British comedy called On Approval, which I’ll finish tonight. Then I had to do a quick errand, then I read through my commentary for the next Kritzerland show, made a few tiny adjustments, but was pretty happy with it. So, I had the day I needed to have – fun, relaxing, and easy/breezy. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get another good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I have some liner notes to write, a jog to do, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll eat something light but amusing, catch up on some things and that will be that. I must say, I’ve finally started losing some weight and I will continue down that road for at least another twenty pounds.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals, and seeing a couple of shows, I think, and I’ve been invited to a Passover seder on Saturday that I think I’ll go to. I hope to hear about when CDs will arrive so we can get them all shipped out and then I’ve got to get our next release ready quickly.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, write, hopefully pick up packages, eat, and catch up. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite Hammer films and/or your favorite films of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had the day I needed to have.