Poltergeist: R1 original vs. R1 Anniversary remastered

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 10 Oct 2007, 22:48

Poltergeist

Top: R1 original (warner)
Bottom: R1 Anniversary restored

Interactive Menus:

Image Comparisons:

The new transfer is much better than the older one. Compression is much better and there were no major errors
seen during playback. Grain is well preserved without becoming too noisy and cropping is
non-existent with more picture being seen in the new print created. Dirt is much less of an issue than it was on the
old DVD which was loaded with print defects. Colours look much better especially on captures 7 and 8 with the
overall purple hues being corrected, this was a major complaint many fans had about the original DVD. You'll
notice the 3rd last capture features a completely different colour scheme with blue and dark colours all around.
This seems to happen a lot these days so I'm not 100% sure that's how it originally looked but either way the scene
looks fantastic and creepy. You'll notice the main title sequence is much cleaner and colourful but also
Thankfully
the edge enhancement that was apparent on the older transfer has been eliminated.
Now if we could just get some decent supplements....

Titles:

note that
the font of the titles has changed! It looks more like the pan and scan version on the original disc. It has been
confirmed that this is the correct title font and that the original was a modified on.

The same goes for the end title sequence. After Steven wheels the TV outside and slams the hotel door, the film
is visually sped up artificially, and the credits placed earlier. This is further proof to myself that the print used for
the original DVD was in fact the same unrestored and altered widescreen print used for some TV broadcasts in
which speeding up the end credits is normal procedure.

Hasn't anybody ever wondered why the audio is still playing, even after the credits have ended?... Well now you know.

This has now been corrected for the 25th Anniversary DVD. The end titles now appear later, as they did originally.
The end title sequence now runs at the correct speed (as shot), and the "A STEVEN SPIELBERG PRODUCTION"
appears in its original form. It's no longer going from left to right, which it
was in the altered version.

Original Widescreen version:

New Remastered Widescreen version:

Pan and Scan Version:

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 11 Oct 2007, 01:36

How strange regarding the alternate title fonts?

What was it at the cinema (or even on VHS)?

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 11 Oct 2007, 04:28

I remember this being great. I wonder if it still holds up today.

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 12 Oct 2007, 02:55

I think it still holds up today though the special effects with the flying books and toys are dated some other shots like the face peeling and the face jumping out of the closet still look good. The film is still exciting and scary, well directed by Tobe Spielberg

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 12 Oct 2007, 14:26

Thanks

Would that be Steven Spielberg's long lost brother?

I think you mean Tobe Hooper

. I didn't know the same director also made Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This is much better.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 12 Oct 2007, 16:06

bradavon wrote:I think you mean Tobe Hooper . I didn't know the same director also made Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This is much better.

I very much doubt that Hooper directed the bulk of this movie. He's one of most talentless horror directors ever, painfully bad film after painfully bad film (I dare you to try to sit through "The Burning").

Texas Chainsaw was just a one time fluke. It was probably pure luck and timing that everything fell into place like it did.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 12 Oct 2007, 16:40

There's no mention of a Hooper film called The Burning on IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001361/

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 12 Oct 2007, 17:39

captainjoe meant to say Tobe Spielberg Brad, he was cracking a joke about the oft-rumoured fact that Spielberg ghost-directed Poltergeist, basically hiring Hooper just to get someone else's name on the credits (at the time Spielberg was contractually bound not to direct any other feature while he was doing pre-production work on E.T for Universal).

When Hooper was hired for Poltergeist his C.V as director wasn't too awful really: Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the seminal 70's horrors, Eaten Alive & Funhouse have their fans. Salem's Lot was pretty good, with some very atmospheric set pieces. After Poltergeist it all went to shit, only his next feature LifeForce really has any fanbase. Then again if what Zelda Rubinstein says about Hooper having drug problems whilst shooting Poltergeist, then it might be fair to say he pissed his career away in the post-poltergeist years getting stoned off his face.

Oh and Tony Maylam directed The Burning.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 12 Oct 2007, 17:45

I think we can safely say that at the very least Spielberg co-directed Poltergiest without credit.

Killer Meteor · Post by **Killer Meteor** » 12 Oct 2007, 18:39

The Burning is quite good IMO

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 12 Oct 2007, 18:45

Shingster wrote:captainjoe meant to say Tobe Spielberg Brad, he was cracking a joke about the oft-rumoured fact that Spielberg ghost-directed Poltergeist, basically hiring Hooper just to get someone else's name on the credits (at the time Spielberg was contractually bound not to direct any other feature while he was doing pre-production work on E.T for Universal).

I didn't know that, thanks.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 27 Oct 2007, 18:14

i never knew the dvd of Poltergeist was edited

http://www.amazon.com/what-is-this-glar ... B000V4UFZK

GABaracus · Post by **GABaracus** » 12 Jan 2008, 16:45

captainjoe wrote:You'll notice the main title sequence is much cleaner and colourful but also note that the font of the titles has changed! It looks more like the pan and scan version on the original disc.

Markgway wrote:How strange regarding the alternate title fonts?

What was it at the cinema (or even on VHS)?

The Steven Spielberg font title is back to its original form for the 25th Anniversary new transfer. They altered it for the original disc. Go back and watch it again, you will notice that "A STEVEN SPIELBERG PRODUCTION" doesn't match the rest of the credits.

The same goes for the end title sequence. After Steven wheels the TV outside and slams the hotel door, the film is visually sped up artificially, and the credits placed earlier. This is further proof to myself that the print used for the original DVD was in fact the same unrestored and altered widescreen print used for some TV broadcasts in which speeding up the end credits is normal procedure.

Hasn't anybody ever wondered why the audio is still playing, even after the credits have ended?... Well now you know.

This has now been corrected for the 25th Anniversary DVD. The end titles now appear later, as they did originally. The end title sequence now runs at the correct speed (as shot), and the "A STEVEN SPIELBERG PRODUCTION" appears in its original form. It's no longer going from left to right, which it was in the altered version.

I actually remember the first time I got the original DVD, and I noticed everything I've pointed out. The most frustrating for me being that the end titles had been sped up.

I am very pleased with the film finally being available without the alterations made to the previous widescreen transfer.

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 12 Jan 2008, 20:04

I heard about all that recently on DVDtalk. It's good that we finally have a corrected version restored and remastered.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 12 Jan 2008, 20:31

I hate Pizza Hut.

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 13 Jan 2008, 22:12

Markgway wrote:I hate Pizza Hut.

I wonder though if that will ever be allowed to be seen.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 13 Jan 2008, 23:12

Anyone else notice the dubbed over "fuck" (he now says something milder) from the black guy (can't remember his name) when the tennis ball falls thru the roof?

Killer Meteor · Post by **Killer Meteor** » 14 Jan 2008, 02:22

That Pizza hut edit was in the original theatrical print I saw at a festival last year. I thought it was a jump in the film but seeing the DVD confirms the ham-fisted cut's always been there