Second Sight Films (UK)

[colinr0380]

When I first saw Dawn, it was on BBC2 in 2000. It was the Cannes version but cut to match the earlier BBFC edits so it was missing a LOT of gore. By that point, the Cannes version had just come out on UK DVD with a few seconds of cuts -one of which was a reaction to the Dunblane Massacre.

Yes, the child zombies getting shot (there is an awkard edit from them running out of the door to rolling off of the couch without any gunshot sound) was also missing from the first time the BBC aired Dawn in 1997, which would have been even closer to the Dunblane situation, although it was present in the VHS release of the extended version (erroneously called the director's cut) at the same time. I was actually a bit more incensed by the edits made to Tetsuo II: Body Hammer in that one and only UK television showing in the same Extreme Cinema season, which made a couple of significant television edits for perhaps understandable reasons but ones which completely destroy the narrative (and seething anger that motivates the characters) of the film:

Spoiler for the flashback sequence in Testuo II: Body HammerShow

The explanatory childhood flashback sequence (NSFW, even though it does not contain the last minute or so of end of the scene) of the father playing a rough sex game wielding his gun during an extended scene with the mother, which inevitably ends with him accidentally shooting her (maybe a homage to Cronenberg's contemporaneous Naked Lunch?). That act gets witnessed by the two brothers the father has been experimenting on and the trauma causes 'the bad one' (but which actually is the bad one?) to mutate first and shoot his father's face off (as well as suggested to actually fully kill the mother himself as well in his unfocused rage) in graphic and extended fashion.

[dwk]

From facebook:

GEORGE A ROMERO’S DAWN OF THE DEAD is coming to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in the UK and will feature ’Theatrical’, ‘Cannes’ and ‘Argento’ cuts!! We will also be releasing on standard Blu-ray together with our Blu-ray release of MARTIN. Many thanks to producer Richard P Rubinstein for allowing us access to the original elements, which includes the original camera negative for Dawn and dupe negative for Martin. New 4K scans are underway at Final Frame in New York which will be followed by grading and extensive restoration supervised by DP Michael Gornick. It will then be over to David Mackenzie at Fidelity in Motion for mastering and encoding. Currently slated for a late summer release, more news to follow….

[tenia]

I'm certainly trusting this team more than the French one currently planning DotD's release in here. Plus, they're planning a split release with a simple 1-cut UHD/BD combo (at 40€) and a BD boxset with the 3 cuts and the extras at 70€. Needless to say I'm probably going to save some money AND get a better release via SS.

[What A Disgrace]

That's a Hell of a way to break into UHD. Super excited.

[Finch]

It's a pity there doesn't seem to be a UHD release planned for Martin (not yet anyway). That would persuade me to upgrade (I'm one of the minority that prefers Day to Dawn).

[Roscoe]

And now the long wait begins for some kind of US Region One release....

[nitin]

It's a pity there doesn't seem to be a UHD release planned for Martin (not yet anyway). That would persuade me to upgrade (I'm one of the minority that prefers Day to Dawn).

Isn’t is shot on 16mm reversal stock? Would seem to not be a great candidate for UHD.

[Lowry_Sam]

And now the long wait begins for some kind of US Region One release....

Why wait for what will likely be more expensive? Isn’t UHD region free? I’m surprised Arrow didn’t get this.

[tenia]

I suppose it might be expensive already to make importing it prohibitive. Also, while UHDs are without region locking, there's no guarantee all 3 cuts and extras will be included on UHDs, while the accompanying BDs will likely be locked.

[M Sanderson]

It's a pity there doesn't seem to be a UHD release planned for Martin (not yet anyway). That would persuade me to upgrade (I'm one of the minority that prefers Day to Dawn).

Isn’t is shot on 16mm reversal stock? Would seem to not be a great candidate for UHD.

Also I’m not an expert but aren’t they using the dupe negative for Martin? So the source will surely have limitations.

Anyway, very positive from Second Sight & I’ll be supporting them by buying these releases.

Loved their work, in terms of PQ and packaging, on When a Stranger Calls and Changeling.

[nitin]

It’s a dupe negative because there is no negative (because it’s shot on 16mm reversal stock).

[M Sanderson]

Got it, cheers

[Drucker]

Out of curiosity, is the color timing on the Yutkevich Cut generally considered acceptable? The color seems pretty different...and I don't recall too much discussion about this.

[M Sanderson]

Second Sight seem to gamble on the bigger or major cult titles, don't they? Creepshow, Scanners, The Brood, Re-animator, the first Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Even with that, Dawn and Martin are stupendous announcements. Good luck to them with the restoration job.