Beatles "Help" on DVD October 29 (Out Now!)

[alk3997]

The stories I read say that the Help! DVD released in 2000 was withdrawn due to issues concerning who owned the source material. Can anyone elaborate on this?

Andy

 

[neil wilkes]

Andy.
"Another Girl" is the same quality as the rest of the songs are. It's still very strange - the film is so obviously in stereo, despite the "5.1 Dolby Digital" and "5.1 DTS" labelling in the "Languages" menu (there is also French & Spanish in 2.0) but when the songs play you can hear the 5.1 kick in - the sound just expands outwards & around.

 

[EMB]

Regardless of what we wind up with for a stereo or 5.1 soundtrack, it would be wise to include the original mono soundtrack as well, which wasn't done with AHDN, to the movie's detriment. There is only so much that can be done in 5.1, all the worse if only the songs are multidimensional and the rest of it isn't. I don't like that kind of approach, as was done for the original AHDN and HELP! laserdiscs. Dubbing in stereo songs serves no purpose other than to be a distraction.

ED

 

[ChristopherLees]

Regardless of what we wind up with for a stereo or 5.1 soundtrack, it would be wise to include the original mono soundtrack as well, which wasn't done with AHDN, to the movie's detriment. There is only so much that can be done in 5.1, all the worse if only the songs are multidimensional and the rest of it isn't. I don't like that kind of approach, as was done for the original AHDN and HELP! laserdiscs. Dubbing in stereo songs serves no purpose other than to be a distraction.

ED

the soundtrack of a hard days night is the original mono voice and effects ,with the original remastered mono songs somehow morphed into 5.1..
..although there were problems with the soundtrack they used anyway, as the USA version was badly equalised for USA cinemas with screaming fans in 1964 and most of the film was done in 25 frames per second, so the tv monitors in the concert scenes wouldn't go bezerk when you watched them at the cinema...however, a straight 24 fps transfer makes the songs slow and the voices lower in tone than they should be.
For sound and speed nothing ever beat watching the film to PAL transfer when channel 9 in Australia used to air the original movie.....the right speed and a soundtrack not re'equed meant you could actually understand what the voices were saying all the time..

however, if on the new dvd, you choose something strange like the french soundtrack on the dvd menu , you'll hear the original songs as they were on the movie soundtrack...with french dialogue...

 

[alk3997]

I *think* I see a DTS logo on the enlarged picture of the new standard-edition DVD. The picture is from The Beatles store and can be seen by clicking the photo in the upper left at this link:

http://beatles.fanfire.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/fanfire.woa/wa/product?sourceCode=BEAWEB&sku=BEA41891

It ain't DTS-HD MA or LPCM, but for DVD sound I'll take it (or purchase it more accurately

Andy

 

[ivtoon]

... done in 5.1, all the worse if only the songs are multidimensional and the rest of it isn't. I don't like that kind of approach, as was done for the original AHDN and HELP! laserdiscs. Dubbing in stereo songs serves no purpose other than to be a distraction.
ED

The original laserdisc of "A Hard Days Night" DID have the original mono soundtrack for the music. That pressing and the original VHS and Beta videotapes are the ONLY time that the true and correct soundtrack was ever issued. See MPI MP 1064D.

While the audio track is CX only, with no digital track, it is overall a far superior product, as it does not have the jarring transitions in and out of the song segments.

MPI produced a second LD issue, MP CLV-1064, that used the stereo music from the 1984 re-release of the film. This and all subsequent LD and DVD releases have never had the proper, original soundtrack. Too bad.

 

[EMB]

My bad memory there; I was referencing the Criterion LD's. You're quite correct, and the VHS copy my sister bought was mono, IIRC.

At least this one has a chance at being real 5.1, at least for the songs, if nothing else. Yeah, the voices and other sounds could be manipulated into a 5.1 of sorts, and could be interesting to hear. But we really need that original mono soundtrack. As my wife is fond of saying, she doesn't mind revisionism as long as the original is also still around for anyone who wants it. Great minds think alike, so I married her...

ED

 

[ivtoon]

Good wife. Thus, good sense for you in hooking up.

Not a bad idea you hint at. I'd be real good with a properly-balanced, properly-equalized, properly-volume-adjusted 5.1 mix. Just so the d*mn thing doesn't shift into overdrive and back every time it shifts into music and back.

It didn't do it in the original. There's no reason to do it now. Just make it coherent.

And then - it is MANDATORY for all future releases that the original mono track be included. It won't be audiophile quality but it WILL be the original.

 

[alk3997]

I know this may be old news for many but the new DVD-V of Help! has been delayed until November 5th/6th (one week).

Interestingly none of the descriptions available list DTS as an audio option but I'm sure I see the DTS logo next to the DVD-V logo on the small images of the discs. Time will tell...

Andy

 

[alk3997]

Amazon now lists DTS Surround as an audio option for both editions of Help! From what I can tell, the 2-DVD portion of the standard edition and the deluxe edition are the same. It is only the paper extras that change with the deluxe edition.

Andy

 

[EMB]

It would seem that we're going to get 5.1 DD and DTS and 2.0 stereo, but no monaural track, which totally sux, since that was how it was originally released(cripes, if it could be done for YELLOW SUB, why not HELP!?).

The problem with even a stereo release--as noted in a post above--is that when the rest of the soundtrack is mono and stereo songs are 'flown' or 'dubbed' in , those songs suddenly overwhelm, rather than blend in, as they did on the original mono track.

Worse, my guess is that multitracks for the songs won't be used at all, meaning that the whole 5.1 soundtrack is faux 5.1(hope I'm wrong, that the songs will at least be real MC, but that's doubtful, somehow).

ED

 

[elroy]

Los Angeles Times review from today:

The most noteworthy aspect of the new edition is the gorgeously remixed and remastered 5.1 surround-sound mix on the movie's seven original songs. With dynamic compression that was standard in the 1960s lifted for the digital age, the full range of the group's musicality comes through -- it's like several coats of dust have been cleaned off an old master's painting.

Beatles fans should revel in the sonic improvement, as Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr recently downplayed any thoughts of similarly upgrading the sound on the remainder of the catalog, even if it is being prepped for digital downloading soon.

The texture of Lennon's acoustic guitar strums in "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," the punch of Ringo's drums in "You're Gonna Lose That Girl," the electric sting of Harrison's Rickenbacker in "Ticket to Ride" and the bounce of McCartney's bass in "Another Girl" are a joy to experience anew through a high-end, home-theater sound system.


Go here for more:

http://www.calendarlive.com/music/cl-ca-help4nov04,0,5827763.story?coll=cl-music

 

[Bob Romano]

Well... Best Buy had the 2 disc set for $17.99 so it was a no brainer.

The video looks beautiful. Great color, very clean print. Check out the restoration short on disc 2. This was painstakingly done.

The audio is really well done also. All dialogue comes from the center with sound effects etc left and right with a send to the rears (sometimes just ambience for depth sometimes a bit more.)

The 7 original tracks are all real 5.1 remixed from the masters as far as I can tell. The center channel is lead vocals only with some bleed in left and right. Instruments are left and right front and rear. I really like the way it all sounds! I wish that they would just let loose with all the tracks in 5.1. That would be such a treat after hearing these tracks along side "Love" and "Anthology".

I think this is far better than the "Hard Days Night" DVD.

 

[elmer]

Great job all around - the DTS 5.1 mix is very discrete and not at all disconcerting in regards to the rest of the mix of the movie as was feared by many on this forum. Have yet to check out the bonus disc or the entire movie for that matter - but what I have seen and heard so far is quite impressive

 

[Bob Romano]

Oh yeah... and your only choices for the movie are DTS 5.1 and LPCM 2.0. No Dolby!!!

 

[Chris Gerhard]

I just picked it up at Circuit City for $15.99. I have never seen this film in any format so I am certainly looking forward to it.

Chris

 

[JonUrban]

I just "looked" at the first song, "Help!" on my PC. It's "real" 5.1, that's for sure, and considering the age of the tune it's real good.

The vocals are center solo, but also are mixed into the rear. If you isolate the fronts, there is a faint echo of the vocal, but it's nearly gone. Ringo's drums are front left and very clear. Paul's bass is also in the front left. In the front right you can clearly listen to an acoustic guitar part along with an electrical guitar. Very nice to hear these so openly!

The "decending guitar notes" (you know, "Help me if you can I'm feeling down"... dum, dum, dum) are in the rears and do not exist in the fronts or centers - so there is a real surround mix here. George's solo fills are also solo'd in the rears!

As I go through the other tunes, I'll report back. BTW - the video, although cropped a bit to make it 16:9, looks great!

 

[Dylan Berichon]

I drove all the way to Olympia yesterday (that's where the closest best buy is), after calling them and asking if they had it in stock. They said "Yeah, we've got it!"

So I get there, and of course they don't have it. GRR!!

I suppose I'll have to just get it from Amazon.

The most frustrating thing is that we have multiple copies of the DVD at the radio station I work at, but they are all for the listeners! No extras for airstaff. Haha.

 

[JonUrban]

Here's a breakdown of what I found on a real quick run through of the DTS 5.1 audio tracks. Remember, in all of the songs, the rears image the fronts, with the vocal track echoed a bit (not too much but it's there). What I call out here are the obvious things I heard, subject to "Old Fart Error!"

HELP!

DRUMS: Front Left
ACOUSTIC GUITAR: Front Right
TOM TOM: Front Right
ELECTRIC GUITAR: Front Right
BASS: Front Left
VOCALS: Center
LEAD GUITAR: Rears


YOU'RE GONNA LOSE THAT GIRL

DRUMS: Front Left
BONGOS: Front Right
GUITAR SOLO: Front Right
VOCALS: Center

YOU'VE GOT TO HIDE YOUR LOVE AWAY

ACOUSTIC STRUM: Front Left
ACOUSTIC LEAD: Front Right
TAMBORINE: Front Left
VOCALS: Center
SOLO FLUTE LEAD: Center
BASS FLUTE HARMONY: Rears

TICKET TO RIDE

DRUMS: Front Left
LEAD GUITAR: Front Right
VOCALS: Center
GUITAR SOLO AT BREAK: Center
HAND CLAPPING: Rear Left
ELECTRIC GUITAR: Rears

I NEED YOU

DRUMS: Front Left
ELECTRIC GUITAR: Front Right
ACOUSTIC GUITAR: Front Left
COWBELL: Front Right
HARMONY VOCAL: Front Right
LEAD VOCAL: Center
The rears follow the fronts on this one

NIGHT BEFORE*

DRUMS: Front Left
BASS: Front Left
ELECTRIC GUITAR: Front Right
KEYBOARD: Front Right
VOCALS: Center
GUITAR SOLO: Center
"She's A Woman": Center
HARMONY & BACKGROUND VOCAL: Rears

ANOTHER GIRL

DRUMS: Front Left
BASS: Front Left
ELECTRIC GUITAR: Front Right
LEAD GUITAR: Front Right
VOCALS: Center
HARMONY VOCALS: Center


One thing that was fun was being able to clearly hear the guitar parts and Ringo's drum kit. The 5.1 mix really allows the listener to hear these parts being played instead of having them buried into the fabric of the tune. Where the background vocals are listed as being in the rears, please note they are also heard at lesser volumes in the other speakers.

If you were worried about these songs just being processed through a matrix decoder of some sort, fear not. These are real multitrack derived mixes.

Now, go forth and buy!!!

 

[JonUrban]

Here's a peek at the wav file for "Help!"

1-Front Left
2-Front Right
3-Center
4-LFE
5-Surround Left
6-Surround Right