6K restoration | HighDefDiscNews

1956 film The Ten Commandments is coming to 4K in March

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Justin Sluss

Amazon Commissions Earned

The 1956 version of the film adaptation of “The Ten Commandments” is officially coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on March 30th via Paramount. The film, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starred Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne De Carlo, Debra Paget, John Derek, Cedric Hardwicke, Nina Foch, Martha Scott, Judith Anderson, John Carradine, and Vincent Price.

The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray release include a 6K scan and restoration of the original VistaVision 35mm film presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 and Dolby Vision forms of HDR (high dynamic range) and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless surround sound. You can find a bit of information regarding this restoration and the 4K tech specs below, taken from the press release.

“As part of the restoration done in 2010, the film was scanned in 6K and those files were the basis for this brand-new Dolby Vision version, which shows off the full beauty of the original VistaVision negative. The VistaVision format used special cameras to feed 35mm film into the camera horizontally in order to capture a wider image spread over two 35mm film frames, giving VistaVision twice the resolution of regular 35mm film. In addition, Paramount spent well over 150 hours doing new color work and clean-up on the scan. The move to Dolby Vision created the opportunity to further improve the look of the film: blacks are enhanced and improvements were made to smooth out special effects mattes to create the most vibrant and pristine image possible.”

The 4K release will come in the form of a “combo pack” meaning that it will include the Blu-ray Disc counterpart and a digital code (copy) of the film. UPDATE: you can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray listed for preorder over at Amazon as well as at retailer Target. The bonus materials set to be included on the 4K release are detailed below.

4K Ultra HD Disc

1956 feature film in 4K Ultra HD
Commentary by Katherine Orrison, author of “Written in Stone: Making Cecil B. DeMille’s Epic The Ten Commandments”

Blu-ray Disc^™ #1

1956 feature film in high definition (Part 1)
Commentary by Katherine Orrison, author of “Written in Stone: Making Cecil B. DeMille’s Epic The Ten Commandments”

Blu-ray Disc^™ #2

1956 feature film in high definition (Part 2)
Commentary by Katherine Orrison, author of “Written in Stone: Making Cecil B. DeMille’s Epic The Ten Commandments”
Newsreel footage of the film’s New York premiere
Theatrical trailers, including at 10-minute “making of” trailer

Further below, after the break, you can find the full announcement regarding the upcoming 4K UHD Blu-ray release of this classic film.

4K UHD Blu-ray News

1956 film The Court Jester with Danny Kaye on Blu-ray

Posted on November 9, 2020 by Justin Sluss

– Amazon Commissions Earned –

The 1956 film “The Court Jester” starring Danny Kaye is officially making its debut to Blu-ray Disc on January 26th, 2021, via Paramount Presents. The release will be spine #13 in the Paramount Presents series. The film, directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, co-starred Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury, Cecil Parker, John Carradine, Mildred Natwick, and Alan Napier. The film has received a new 6K restoration which you can read a slight bit about below.

“Originally released in 1956, THE COURT JESTER was shot in Paramount’s trademark “VistaVision” widescreen format, capturing a grander scope of information on the film negative. For this new restoration, the original negative was scanned at 6K and one of the “separation masters” was also scanned and recombined with the negative scans to address color fading in the negative. The result is an incredibly vibrant picture that faithfully captures the colors and textures of Edith Head’s sensational costumes and Hal Pariera’s sparkling art direction.”

The tech specs for the release include a 1080p presentation in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with a Mono DTS-HD Master Audio sound mix. The release will come with a digital copy of the film included. You can now find the upcoming Blu-ray available for preorder over at Amazon. This, like all of the Paramount Presents releases, will come with a fold-out poster for the film in the slipcover packaging (as pictured below).