12 This Is Spinal Tap

[TBickle020776]

Is Criterion releasing too many titles per month?

Of all the problems Criterion has, this is not one of them!

If quality control becomes an issue then I do see it as a problem. Not the end of the world of course.

[mteller]

I've seen this movie probably 20 times and never realized that was Anjelica Huston.

[dwk]

The missing chyron is alarming. Sigh. I just picked up this release and do we have another replacement program situation like with their Carnal Knowledge release.

Is Criterion releasing too many titles per month? The work needs to get better from them as of late.

The downside of going back to the negative, missing chyrons, missing day-for-night filters, etc. is something that happens. And since it was over half a year before someone noticed the missing chyron, I think you can see how easy it is to miss. Hope they fix it. (and the second shot, if that is an actual mistake.)

[Lowry_Sam]

The color palette is also significantly different with the Criterion showing much more blue/green, to the point of drowning out other colors in the night scene (compare the white of the Mobil sign or the yellow type of "Season" on the restaurant sign).

[hearthesilence]

I just streamed that section of the movie. In all honesty, while it should've been preserved for historical reasons, I don't think the chyron adds anything. It's obvious time has passed - it follows an interview segment and a performance clip clearly meant to illustrate Nigel's response - and knowing which city they're now in does not feel necessary. They could've filmed it in literally any comparable town with a motel and we wouldn't know it because they don't do anything that needs to be identified as Austin or any part of Texas, at least not until they're waiting for a plane at the airport and two of them are wearing cowboy hats, but do you really need a chyron because of that? Most of the movie is them touring from city to city, it's not a strain on one's comprehension to see them at an airport dressed with those hats and think "oh, I guess they're passing through the Southwest."

[PfR73]

As a native Austinite who has lived here my whole life, I do think it's important, haha.
It's why I immediately noticed it was missing. I've always gotten a kick out of the fact that the scene is explicity stated to be taking place in Austin, for absolutely no good reason. I've always remembered it being there since my first viewing of the film 26 years ago, and I got very confused when it wasn't there this time, at first wondering if somehow I'd Mandela Effect-ed its presence, scanning around to see if it actually appeared on some other scene, and then when it was nowhere, I pulled out my previous copies to check & confirmed it had always been as I remembered, and was truly missing this time.

[dvakman]

As a native Austinite who has lived here my whole life, I do think it's important, haha.
It's why I immediately noticed it was missing. I've always gotten a kick out of the fact that the scene is explicity stated to be taking place in Austin, for absolutely no good reason. I've always remembered it being there since my first viewing of the film 26 years ago, and I got very confused when it wasn't there this time, at first wondering if somehow I'd Mandela Effect-ed its presence, scanning around to see if it actually appeared on some other scene, and then when it was nowhere, I pulled out my previous copies to check & confirmed it had always been as I remembered, and was truly missing this time.

Although it's not a "deal breaker" for me per se (I don't feel the need to view a different version now on the basis of that missing caption), I wouldn't turn down a replacement if one was manufactured.Thanks and please keep us updated on this thread of any developments in your communication with Criterion.

[captveg]

The missing chyron is alarming. Sigh. I just picked up this release and do we have another replacement program situation like with their Carnal Knowledge release.

Is Criterion releasing too many titles per month? The work needs to get better from them as of late.

The downside of going back to the negative, missing chyrons, missing day-for-night filters, etc. is something that happens. And since it was over half a year before someone noticed the missing chyron, I think you can see how easy it is to miss. Hope they fix it. (and the second shot, if that is an actual mistake.)

The last few years before I left home video QC (2019-2024) a major studio who was our client implemented a "side-by-side" comparison assignment for these remaster efforts, and I'd guess 1 out every 6-7 titles had some similar discrepancy. Some turned out to be an error on the prior commercial release when compared to the film source, but it surprised us - and the studio - just how common such issues were after what was intended to be the final new master assembly.

[PfR73]

I got a response from Mulvaney today that they will be fixing the missing Austin, Texas chyron in a new pressing. They didn't currently have a timeline for when they'll be ready, but said they'd send me a new disc when they are. They didn't address the other two things I included in my email (the alteration of the establishing shot, and the missing footage from the "Cheese Rolling" promo due to seemingly using footage from the shorter "Cheese Rolling" trailer version), so unsure about those, not holding my breath. But at least the (to me) biggest problem is getting fixed.

[Lowry_Sam]

As a native Austinite who has lived here my whole life, I do think it's important, haha.

I agree that it's important as it is a "joke" in itself. Austin's music scene is well known (particularly for Americana, blues, country & alternative rock), so a commercial heavy metal group that is not GWAR (and British no less) to play there is a bit like Justin Timberlake playing Coachella.

[swo17]

a bit like Justin Bieber playing Coachella

Fixed?

[Lowry_Sam]

I guess either would work, but yes that is what I meant.