HD Releases of Older Films with Outstanding True 5.1 Mixes

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Eggplant

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Seeing how the quality and information regarding older films is all over the map, I thought it was time to make a list of the clear winners.

My criteria for an outstanding 5.1 film mix:

1) Must have excellent sound quality by today's standards. What good is great placement amidst tinny highs and boomy or no lows, hiss, or distortion on dialogue or explosions? Must be cleaned up to today's standards.

2) Full use of surrounds for dialogue and effects — as needed.

3) Fully discrete presentation of all score music. None of this ninny front-only BS with just a taste of reverb in the rears.

4) No fake surround (mostly applies to music)


I'll get it started:

Live and Let Die (umpteenth Anniversary Edition)
Spy Who Loved Me (same)
The Exorcist
Blazing Saddles
 
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:popcorn

Great idea for a thread.

I've never been a home theater guy, but an occasional movie goer.
In the past year as I got into surround music, I've tried to listen more attentively to the Hollywood releases.

Unimpressed so far, never experienced anything I'd describe as immersive except in IMAX.
The promise of THX, Atmos etc. has been mostly unfulfilled from where I sit in the mall theaters.
 
I did say OLDER films.
Don't really care about Jurassic Park XII or John Carter XVII -- A New Beginning.

My apologies. I thought Bullitt and Dirty Harry were old films but I guess you're looking for 5.1 versions of D.W. Griffith movies. Have fun with that. I promise to stay away from this thread. Carry on.
 
My apologies. I thought Bullitt and Dirty Harry were old films but I guess you're looking for 5.1 versions of D.W. Griffith movies. Have fun with that. I promise to stay away from this thread. Carry on.


I'd appreciate a thread like this one if it results in a substantial list of 1970s-ish HD releases that fit the OP's criteria. There's only a handful of flicks from that era in your linked thread, and the criteria the OP lays out probably aren't met by all of them.
 
It doesn't exist yet, but I'd order a blu-ray of Criterion's version of Alexander Nevsky (1938) in a heartbeat, with the re-recorded soundtrack from their DVD issue. IMO the greatest film score ever written.
 
Live and Let Die (umpteenth Anniversary Edition)
Spy Who Loved Me (same)
The Exorcist
Blazing Saddles

I'm curious if the video mixes for the two that had theatrical stereo releases are drastically different.

"The Spy Who Loved Me" was an early Dolby Stereo release and "The Exorcist", mono when new, had a 6-track 70mm re-release.
 
I'm curious if the video mixes for the two that had theatrical stereo releases are drastically different.

"The Spy Who Loved Me" was an early Dolby Stereo release and "The Exorcist", mono when new, had a 6-track 70mm re-release.

These are all brand-new 5.1 mixes.
As Jon pointed out, the title song from LALD is actually 4.0 (but no relation to the original quad).
Haven't seen all of TSWLM as I find most Bond too painful to watch, but I would call the other mixes magnificent -- and very active.
 
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