MovieChat Forums > The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) Discussion > Will the blu ray release be in sepia?

Will the blu ray release be in sepia?

posted 10 years ago by jknuttel-2
2 replies | jump to latest

In his autobiography, An Animated Life, Ray Harryhausen writes that the original release prints of The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms were processed in sepiatone, with some prints employing a green tint for the underwater sequences. Alas, the otherwise excellent DVD release is in straight black and white.

The Beast is slated for a blu-ray release on October 6, 2015 as both an individual item and also as part of a box set that includes Son of Kong, Mighty Joe Young, and Them!

It is my guess that Joe will have the red tinting in its orphanage fire finale. But what of The Beast? Will we see that restored in sepia?

[–] jknuttel-2 9 years ago

I can now answer my own question. A review for the blu-ray appears here: http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Beast-from-20000-Fathoms-Blu-ray/123962/#Review

The screenshots show that the picture has not been restored with the sepia tinting. Hence, I will not be buying the blu-ray and will simply stick with my old DVD edition.

[–] puirt-a-beul 9 years ago

Hi jknuttel. I have the new Blu-ray set -- just arrived yesterday here in Australia -- and I have to say the quality of the transfer for Beast is really very good. It hasn't had a full restoration, it's true, but that mostly shows in mild fluctuations in the contrast in the image. At least the print they've used is in very good condition.

But I agree with you, it's a pity that the original tinting wasn't restored in this release. Heck, I'd have been really happy to see the optional "colorization" we got in releases like Earth vs the Flying Saucers -- I quite enjoy that, especially since it can be switched off at choice.

I haven't checked out Mighty Joe yet. I didn't have any of these on DVD, but I do think that, even for those who do, this release is worth considering.

You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.