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Author
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Topic: Night on Bald Mountain
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted June 22, 2008 07:16 PM
Night on Bald Mountain
(Fantasia excerpt)
375ft color
Derann Films
I first saw this excerpt from ‘Fantasia” at the recent 55th BFCC. Keith Wilton projected a 35mm print of beautiful quality on that huge screen, and the stereo optical sound track, reverberating through the Ealing Town Hall, was amazing through John Clancy’s THX sound system. I was so impressed with the glorious music and incredible animation of this excerpt that I just had to have a print. Fortunately ( with qualifiers- see below) it is still available from Derann.
Moussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain, is the stuff of childhood nightmares. A horned, winged devil on a craggy mountaintop calls the undead to a midnight bacchanalia, skeletons and ugly spirits rising from the cemetery of the town below. These are oily, black visions out of a Goya or Munch painting, the devil's burning eyes watching over the orgy of these hideous creatures. Incredibly ahead of its time, it is genuinely scary, and would probably terrify younger children, even today. But so as not to leave you totally frightened out of your wits, it ends with the beautiful and serene "Ave Maria," by Schubert, as benignly mysterious figures move through a peaceful forest carrying globes of light. Representing the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, most people will be deeply moved by this film. Absolutely awesome.
Unfortunately, the Derann print is disappointing, and not up to their usual superb Disney print standards. The problem is not so much the print quality itself, which is of good color and sharp throughout, except for the Ave Maria sequence at the end which is intentionally soft, but the fact that there is very severe left side negative scratching visible on all the light scenes. In the dark scenes, which is most of the Bald Mountain sequence, it is mercifully much less noticeable. Also the mono sound track is very poor indeed. I re-recorded in stereo from a VHS tape with very much better results, getting some good spacial effect from the 'Fantasound' track, although I have to say that Deranns stripe quality currently leaves a lot to be desired.
Despite the technical deficiencies of Derann’s print, this film sequence is so compelling not only from the point of view of the classical music score, but as the supreme demonstration of the magnificent animation art of Walt Disney, that it must be recommended, provided that you can tolerate the negative scratching and can do a stereo re-record.
I think this is without doubt Disney’s masterpiece, and a worthy addition to any S8 film collection.
Print B
Sound c
Content A+++
Recommended - with technical reservations
[ June 23, 2008, 07:31 PM: Message edited by: Paul Adsett ]
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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted June 22, 2008 10:36 PM
I would love to have this excerpt, and am glad to hear that it's the complete ending to the film, which was an amazing contrast between what "appears" to be unbeatable evil, (excellently animated as well!),
and yet ...
With every gong of the church bell, the head demon cowers in fear, eventually retresting to the darkness once again.
I have seen many a film with amazing horror elements, but these singular moments really stick out in my mind.
Having read this review, I'd REALLY love to get a print of this.
Was that an actual screen capture from the Super 8 print?
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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Chip Gelmini
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1733
From: Brooksville, FL
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted June 23, 2008 10:25 PM
Through another collector, I actually have the entire feature of the original Fantasia on super 8. I happened to watch it again the other night and even though it is mono, it was still great.
Since this was never released as a feature, one must buy all the shorts and assemble in order. This was done before I got my copy. Likewise the end credits seem to be the only part missing.
So to fix that and make an enjoyable program, the movie opens with the original trailer to the same film. I close the program with the trailer to Fantasia 2000, and yes, I have that feature too on super 8.
It is funny when I talk to people about this movie. There are the ones that understand what Disney was trying to do, and then there are the ones who just don't get it....and for that reasons the ones that just don't get it, always seem to say they hate the movie....such (dare I say it) Goofy people!
And once again, Walt turns in his grave! ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted June 24, 2008 06:50 PM
I agree with Chip on this one, and I have Fantasia 2000 as well, a magnificent print. Unfortunately, the stereo recording leaves a LOT to be desired, crackling and shorting out.
I also chose not to add the "Scorcerers Apprentice" sequence, which was originally in Fantasia 2000, for the simple fact that this was added for "marquee value", but really didn't fit, in my opinion.
... and without that, it actually fits onto 2 VERY full 600ft reels!
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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Panayotis A. Carayannis
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 969
From: Athens,Greece
Registered: Jul 2008
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posted December 12, 2008 03:02 PM
Of course today we are lucky to have all the excerpts,so we can make our own complete feature,lasting about 110 minutes,about ten minutes short of the original.The main thing missing is Deems Taylor's introductions which,in subsequent rereleases were eliminated as ,perhaps,the only thing looking "anachronistic" in the picture.Taylor can be seen and heard in the introductory segment. Some collectors have added the "Clair de Lune" segment,which was originally planned tor the film but was instead used in MAKE MINE MUSIC as "Blue Bayou" with Ken Darby vocals.In the fifties,it was shown with the original music in the Disney show and from this comes the 8mm copy. (but I,as a purist, have kept it separate).Incidentally do not use the Piccolo segment of "Dance of the Hours",as it is shortened,use the Derann one which is complete.
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as they were as new, both picture and sound was excellent, some of the best Super8 extracts that I have come across, pity about your negative scratch and sound as a new print it should be better, I would highly recomend "The Nutcracker Suite" or any other extracts from Fantasia that are of "German" origin.![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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