tylergfoster

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...g-bad-a-416830

Funny Girl is among the titles listed in this article as having been given a from-negative 4K restoration by Sony.

I'm sure there's a thread dedicated to Sony's new 4K masters, but I thought one dedicated to Funny Girl was probably worthwhile too (and I admit I bumped the individual threads of the other titles in this article).

MiracleandWonder

Hope this means we get a BD release. 2013 marks the 45th anniversary. This and Yentl (which also celebrates its 30th anniversary this year) are my fave movies by Babs.

EricJ

4K? Hello, gorgeous BD.

(And yet the Cable Legalizationist series gets top billing in the article...)

Brightstar

Soon they will scan everything in 4k and tell as to buy a UHDTV hear we go again

jrmac2000

Great news!

MiracleandWonder

Knowing Sony, 75% of their catalog will go straight to Twilight Time anyways. This is the studio that all but deserted their TV-on-DVD line with many high profile shows still only halfway through release.

Dubstar

I agree Sony is seriously slacking when it comes to releasing catalog titles.

Arkadin

they mention Funny Girl, which is great news, but what about The Way We Were?
It just boggles my mind that we have heard 0 from Sony in 6 years about that film coming to bd.
imo it is clearly one of the top 10 films in Sony's catalog.
This is an anniversary year, so I certainly expect a bd release this year, unless they have decided to wait until a 4K release can be completed.

Bluyoda

Sweet! They mention a BD release, so it must be coming this year!

The Mad Kiwi

I knew this was happening. The 4K restoration has actually been completed for about 2 years and has been showing on TCM periodically. I figured the reason it hadn't made its way to Blu-ray, yet, was because Sony wanted to correlate it with the 40th anniversary this year.

I really hope Sony produces new extras for this. Along with the two vintage promos from the DVD, I want them to include the other promo about the costumes (which is floating around on YouTube), a new "making of" documentary, a commentary by Streisand, and most importantly, the half hour's worth of deleted scenes known to exist (including two completely excised numbers and extended versions of at least four other ones).

Dare I say, though, what excites me even more than the Blu-ray release is a quick blip the article mentions about a theatrical re-release to coincide with it. I would absolutely love to see Funny Girl in theaters, especially if it's a 4K digital file given to theaters ala Lawrence of Arabia rather a 2K satellite feed from Fathom Events. Even if it's the latter, though, I'm so there.

DetroitSquirreL

really? All those people running out to pay $25,000 USD on a TV

hotFstop

Finally. I hope the audio has been treated lovingly.

YodasFootPowder

So much 4k nonsense, when 95% of people don't own a TV larger than 50"-60". That remaster is really gonna shine on those average size TVs that most people own. Even Blu-ray hasn't penetrated and been accepted like DVDs had. Yeah, bring on the 4k, more jargon for people to try and understand and invest in. LOL!

Not to mention, maybe Sony should focus on just releasing normal movies from their stable. They hand away all their titles to Twilight Time or keep them locked in their vault, while they randomly start pushing this 4k nonsense. All while losing billions of dollars every year. Yup, 4k is going to be their saving grace.

Jowiko96

+1 all the way.

4k is going to be a MASSIVE Bomb.

Jowiko96

Sorry, but that will go to Twilight Time. I just know it.

in2video2

Very interesting year for movie musicals. Les Miserables (2012) arrives late March followed early April by Fox's Hello, Dolly!, (1969) and now the announcement of Funny Girl (1968). Suddenly a lot of great interest in the great musicals of the past. Maybe Sony/Columbia are soon ready to release Oliver! (1968)? Sure wish Paramount's Paint Your Wagon (1969) isn't forgotten and left out. Bring them all on 4K or not. Blu-ray was made for this type of entertainment.

tylergfoster

Please note that the "Mastered in 4K" line will be standard Blu-Ray discs with a 1080p transfer from a 4K source. The reason this line is appealing to me is because it means the studio did a fresh scan and produced a new master at a level that should give us a great Blu-Ray. I don't care about UHDTV. I care about studios recycling DVD era masters at 1080p or 2K onto Blu and the results being mediocre. This makes sure we're getting something worthy of an upgrade.

ROclockCK

...which is the smart way to look at the impact of Sony's 4k program tylerfoster. We'll be seeing much better 1080p Blu-rays as a result of it.

"A rising tide floats all boats"...or something like that.

MiracleandWonder

TWWW is far from my favorite Streisand movie, but I would say Focker movies notwithstanding, that is probably her most popular film with a general modern audience especially after being immortalized in an episode of Sex And The City. Of course, I also thought Steel Magnolias would be too popular to go to TT so who knows.

AgentOrange

They aren't making money on televisions or blu-ray as it is. So the option is likely to try and push 4K, or just exit these markets ENTIRELY.

I am not sure it will be their "saving grace", but at least it gives an opportunity for them to at least "see light on the horizon" where they can produce 4K televisions profitably with decent margins - which is likely just about impossible for them by now with 1080p televisions, they tried 3D and I'm quite sure that failed miserably to make the business profitable. So I guess the next logical thing is to either quit, or move to 4K and hope it works out a little better.

However as others have pointed out, the focus on 4K should at least give a slight boost to Sony's 1080p Blu-Ray output over the next couple of years. It gives them an excuse to re-master more titles in 4K, and put them on their own label with "remastered in 4K" rather than sub-license them out. Then when they finally have native 4K players, they can "double dip" on these very same masters and make them the initial releases on native 4K media.

I'm not in a hurry for a 4K television, and certainly won't "early adapt", but it's not hard to imagine the benefits even on the smaller screens. I love my 1440p computer monitor. I could certainly go for a 4K 30" computer screen as well as a 60-70" 4K set for the living room. Of course I will be one that waits until these become the "standard" and are available at reasonable prices - $25,000 for a TV is obviously way out of my league.