"I’m no longer a digital revisionist" - Spielberg on Raiders IMAX

[swsqueakquels]

Interesting article/interview with Spielberg re: "Raiders" IMAX and blu-ray release.

“Raiders” is a movie of my own, that I can actually stand to watch from beginning to end. In that sense, it has a special place in my heart. I don’t rewrite it in my mind, I’m not kicking myself for what I didn’t do. I’m just going along for the ride like everybody else. It’s one of the few films that I’ve directed that I can sit back objectively and observe and enjoy with my family or whoever I’m with, or even alone. Most of my other films, I’m hypercritical of them. I don’t have any plans to re-release “Close Encounters” or “Jaws.”

Re: Digital changes/additions to "Raiders":

I’m not doing that any more. I’ve resigned myself to accepting that what the film was at the time of its creation is what it always should be for future generations. I’m no longer a digital revisionist.

https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/...ark-to-receive-imax-re-release/?smid=tw-share

 

[devilof76]

Does that mean he's going to release E.T. unmolested?

 

[youbastards]

Yes, the ET on blu-ray is the original. I'm interested to see if the bar holding the boulder in Raiders will be back or not...

 

[shocktrooper_au]

I hope it's infectious throughout the industry

 

[IrishJedi]

Does that mean he's going to release E.T. unmolested?

He already did. Even the DVD set that had the digitally-enhanced version also included a disc with the original.

 

[mas5acre]

Wish George Lucas learned from Spielberg....

 

[galactiboy]

Maybe Spielberg can have this realistic view of his films since he didn't peak early and has a great body of work throughout his career. George has one thing, albiet one of the greatest film series ever made. But without SW he's nothing... so maybe that's why he's always f'n with them since as a director he never was able to do anything good later on

 

[Kuzeh]

Hopefully he can convince Lucas to stop messing with Star Wars...

Does that mean he's going to release E.T. unmolested?

He already did. Even the DVD set that had the digitally-enhanced version also included a disc with the original.

Not only that but the new Blu-Ray transfer will be the original theatrical version as the official release.

 

[devilof76]

He already did. Even the DVD set that had the digitally-enhanced version also included a disc with the original.

I didn't know that, so I never bought the dvd.

 

[Billy Ray]

Yeah, they recently broadcast E.T. on Disney Channel and it was actually the unaltered original version as well. Well, I say unaltered...it was edited for TV, but it was the original without the CG ET, guns edited out, etc.

Don't know if the "*****-breath" line was in there or not (it was on Nickelodeon, shockingly) but they did edit out the bit about Michael wanting to go trick or treating as a terrorist like they did in the "special" edition.

 

[MarfMaster]

Watching Raiders with Speilberg would be so flippin' awesome. I think it's pretty rare for Directors to have that type of outlook on any of their films, and seeing as it's one of my all-time favorites, by one of my all-time favorite directors...Speilberg is the MFM.

 

[Deckard]

It's such an amazing ride, I'm glad he can enjoy it and I'm glad he's tossed Evil Uncle George and his dark side digital editing over the railing.

 

[MarfMaster]

It's such an amazing ride, I'm glad he can enjoy it and I'm glad he's tossed Evil Uncle George and his dark side digital editing over the railing.

I wonder if this statement has landed him in any hot water with George.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

Watching Raiders with Speilberg would be so flippin' awesome. I think it's pretty rare for Directors to have that type of outlook on any of their films, and seeing as it's one of my all-time favorites, by one of my all-time favorite directors...Speilberg is the MFM.

I wish he would reconsider about doing audio commentaries. But he insists that doing that takes away from the movie magic. I think he would be a fount of knowledge with regards to moviemaking. Some of my favorite audio commentaries are from David Fincher--I love how detailed he is about crafting his movies.

 

[Dark_Knight_89]

Raiders is my my #1 all time favourite movie, and I'm glad that Spielberg can enjoy his movies without feeling the need to edit or enhance (even though I'm someone who doesn't have a problem with George Lucas' enhancements of the Star Wars Saga )

 

[youbastards]

Just watched the Jaws blu-ray yesterday, man did that movie get pretty! There's a 10 minute special feature on the restoration, I would have loved to have seen more. Other than the costumes, the only 2 things that date the movie at all are the animated effects used for the shooting stars and the flash from the transponder that Hooper attaches to the barrel.

I'm all for director's wanting to 'clean up' their movies, as long as the content isn't sacrificed like Lucas did with Star Wars. Can't wait for the Indy Blu-ray set!!!

 

[IrishJedi]

I heard an awesome anecdotal story from a friend who worked on the first INDY trilogy DVD release (back in 2003, I believe). Lucas was trying to "sell" Spielberg on digital enhancements. So he had ILM work on a CG version of the shot where the Nazi car goes off the cliff in RAIDERS. He did this without telling Spielberg, thinking he would surprise him and just show it to him and he would be magically converted. So Spielberg comes in one day to supervise and approve the transfers and sound mixes and Lucas takes him aside and shows him the shot. Spielberg watched it and simply said, "That's great, George. But I hope you didn't spend much time and money on it because it's never going into the picture."

Incidentally, Spielberg did agree to ONE enhancement: digitally removing the reflection of the cobra in the glass between it and Indy/Ford. But I'd bet he even regrets that at this point.

 

[Dark_Knight_89]

I heard an awesome anecdotal story from a friend who worked on the first INDY trilogy DVD release (back in 2003, I believe). Lucas was trying to "sell" Spielberg on digital enhancements. So he had ILM work on a CG version of the shot where the Nazi car goes off the cliff in RAIDERS. He did this without telling Spielberg, thinking he would surprise him and just show it to him and he would be magically converted. So Spielberg comes in one day to supervise and approve the transfers and sound mixes and Lucas takes him aside and shows him the shot. Spielberg watched it and simply said, "That's great, George. But I hope you didn't spend much time and money on it because it's never going into the picture."

Incidentally, Spielberg did agree to ONE enhancement: digitally removing the reflection of the cobra in the glass between it and Indy/Ford. But I'd bet he even regrets that at this point.

OH SNAP!!!!

 

[toylion]

Does that mean he's going to release E.T. unmolested?

Someone molested ET

 

[youbastards]

Incidentally, Spielberg did agree to ONE enhancement: digitally removing the reflection of the cobra in the glass between it and Indy/Ford. But I'd bet he even regrets that at this point.

Don't forget digitally removing the bar that was attached to the boulder!