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Topic: Indiana Jones
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Rob Young.
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1633
From: Cheshire, U.K.
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted September 17, 2004 02:42 PM
Craig, as a complete Indiana Jones nut I'm afraid Heinz is right; only "Raiders" was ever released as a 400ft digest version by Marketing Films in 1982.
Unfortunately, this was their last super 8 release and a real shame since the normal release schedule for Marketing was a 400 footer followed by a 3 x 400ft version and then with certain titles a feature length print for the American market.
The longer versions just weren't to be. However, I have to disagree with Heinz on the content of the 400 footer. I think it is a valiant effort. Sure, it loses some of the atmosphere of the original, but what can you expect when cutting 111 minutes down to 16?
Certainly, a lot of the key scenes are there; the opening South America sequence, the market place fight in Cairo, the truck chase and the opening of the Ark (although the end is very abrupt). To the picture editor's credit, an awful lot of work has gone into each sequence. The truck chase, for example, is less than half it's original length, but flows nicely, even managing to mix John William's wonderful score to an acceptable state, despite chopping shots all over the place!
Picture quality apparently varies from copy to copy. My three copies (sad, I know, but they all had different language box covers!!!) seem to have reasonable picture quality. The prints are heavily masked to widescreen and lacking in contrast (bright scences look bleached a bit) but the colour is nice and the sound is belting!
However, when the topic of "Raiders" came up before on the forum, others said that their prints were soft, green in colour, generally rubbish, etc.!
I think we came to the conclusion that these prints were rushed due to unexpected demand and perhaps Marketing Films were less fussy about consistent quality for this last release.
Personally, I would risk it if you see a copy and enjoy!
Aside from the cut-down, "Raiders" was available for a time as a full length cinemascope version on super 8, as was "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". Quality is great. I have a copy of "Raiders" and aside from some damage to the original 35mm master and a bit of negative dust during reel changes, the picture is very sharp and the colour is spot on. It's certainly so much more alive and involving than the totally polished-up DVD release!
I understand copies may still be around from certain sources.
Also, (sorry, I have to do my complete "Indiana Jones" anorak bit here) trailers for all three movies are still, I'm pretty sure, available from a certain West-Midlands dealer.
Finally, sorry again to all for mentioning DVD twice, but have you seen the American version of "Temple of Doom"? What a difference to the hacked-up U.K. release!!!
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