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I just received my beautiful copies of the Mickey Mouse cartoon THE LITTLE WHIRLWIND As well DOUBLE FEATURE— The Donald Duck Cinemascope cartoon GRAND CANYONSCOPE and the Warner Brothers cartoon I TAWT I TAW A PUDDY TAT.
The print quality is fantastic! The image is razor, sharp, and the color is astonishing to behold.
I got to see GRAND CANYONSCOPE over
50 years ago, a 35mm 2.55-1 Scope 35mm 4 track magnetic only print. I was blown away by it, and this print comes very, very close to re-creating that moment for me. The rather unique color palette is preserved on this print as well—you would think a cartoon about the Grand Canyon would be staged against warm earth tones. But instead, it’s very blue/teal which adds to the surreal feel of this cartoon. Perhaps this was a conscious decision on the part of the Disney animation team because this cartoon was designed to accompany Disney’s first anamorphic feature film, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA with its blue color palette as well.
There is clearly a lot of love and hard work evident in this Ultra 8 Release! This comes very close to my experience of seeing an original 35 mm IB scope print.
The second half of this double bill is based on the 2011 Warner Brothers release, based on a children’s record that Mel Blanc recorded in the 1950s. With the score re-recorded in full stereo, this archival vocal recording provides the basis for this delightful CGI animated short. Again, the color and sharpness is amazing, and you can tell that it was designed to show off the 3-D processes that were en vogue at the time.
Being that these shorts are reduction printed from a laser generated 16 mm color negative, it’s about as good a quality as you can possibly eke out of a super 8 frame with today’s technology. Plus, it’s all printed on Kodak Vision Color Print stock, which is supposed to be very resistant to color fade for decades to come!
The other cartoon that I purchased, THE LITTLE WHIRLWIND, Is equally impressive. It’s in the flat Academy ratio and looks gorgeous! Like GRAND CANYONSCOPE, it was sourced from a pristine 35mm IB Technicolor print. As with the aformentioned Donald Duck cartoon, this Mickey Mouse cartoon also has an unusual color palette. Mickey’s facial flesh tones are very, very close to the background colors – – and it’s a testament to the high-quality printing and processing that such subtle gradiations in color are preserved. I’m really surprised that Disney followed this sort of color scheme because it’s not what you would usually do to make a character “read” against the background – – but hey, I’m not qualified to speak on their artistic decisions. Nonetheless, this cartoon has beautiful color, and the more yellowish “early fall” color scheme does fit the cartoon.
Both of these films have superb magnetic sound. The Sylvester and Tweety cartoon does have a stereo track! The sound quality is strong and clear. Plus THE LITTLE WHIRLWIND has one of the most bizarre scores I’ve ever heard for any cartoon! No strings or low brass. Mainly woodwinds, some high brass with mutes, a piano, and a Hammond organ – – for the tornado!
I am a retired sound editor, with over 65 feature films to my credit. I say this, only to explain my personal attention to detail. Far too many super 8 releases of old have audio or visual issues—a distorted/poorly recorded track and/or a poorly timed print that is too contrasty, etc. NOT SO WITH THESE ULTRA 8 releases!!! These two films more than live up to the hype about the quality. I have absolutely no quibbles with anything about these two releases!
More, please? How about TOOT WHISTLE PLUNK AND BOOM in scope and stereo??
The print quality is fantastic! The image is razor, sharp, and the color is astonishing to behold.
I got to see GRAND CANYONSCOPE over
50 years ago, a 35mm 2.55-1 Scope 35mm 4 track magnetic only print. I was blown away by it, and this print comes very, very close to re-creating that moment for me. The rather unique color palette is preserved on this print as well—you would think a cartoon about the Grand Canyon would be staged against warm earth tones. But instead, it’s very blue/teal which adds to the surreal feel of this cartoon. Perhaps this was a conscious decision on the part of the Disney animation team because this cartoon was designed to accompany Disney’s first anamorphic feature film, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA with its blue color palette as well.
There is clearly a lot of love and hard work evident in this Ultra 8 Release! This comes very close to my experience of seeing an original 35 mm IB scope print.
The second half of this double bill is based on the 2011 Warner Brothers release, based on a children’s record that Mel Blanc recorded in the 1950s. With the score re-recorded in full stereo, this archival vocal recording provides the basis for this delightful CGI animated short. Again, the color and sharpness is amazing, and you can tell that it was designed to show off the 3-D processes that were en vogue at the time.
Being that these shorts are reduction printed from a laser generated 16 mm color negative, it’s about as good a quality as you can possibly eke out of a super 8 frame with today’s technology. Plus, it’s all printed on Kodak Vision Color Print stock, which is supposed to be very resistant to color fade for decades to come!
The other cartoon that I purchased, THE LITTLE WHIRLWIND, Is equally impressive. It’s in the flat Academy ratio and looks gorgeous! Like GRAND CANYONSCOPE, it was sourced from a pristine 35mm IB Technicolor print. As with the aformentioned Donald Duck cartoon, this Mickey Mouse cartoon also has an unusual color palette. Mickey’s facial flesh tones are very, very close to the background colors – – and it’s a testament to the high-quality printing and processing that such subtle gradiations in color are preserved. I’m really surprised that Disney followed this sort of color scheme because it’s not what you would usually do to make a character “read” against the background – – but hey, I’m not qualified to speak on their artistic decisions. Nonetheless, this cartoon has beautiful color, and the more yellowish “early fall” color scheme does fit the cartoon.
Both of these films have superb magnetic sound. The Sylvester and Tweety cartoon does have a stereo track! The sound quality is strong and clear. Plus THE LITTLE WHIRLWIND has one of the most bizarre scores I’ve ever heard for any cartoon! No strings or low brass. Mainly woodwinds, some high brass with mutes, a piano, and a Hammond organ – – for the tornado!
I am a retired sound editor, with over 65 feature films to my credit. I say this, only to explain my personal attention to detail. Far too many super 8 releases of old have audio or visual issues—a distorted/poorly recorded track and/or a poorly timed print that is too contrasty, etc. NOT SO WITH THESE ULTRA 8 releases!!! These two films more than live up to the hype about the quality. I have absolutely no quibbles with anything about these two releases!
More, please? How about TOOT WHISTLE PLUNK AND BOOM in scope and stereo??
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