...Jaws is back and this time in HD quality... Universal have chosen Jaws as one of 13 classic films to be digitally remastered and fully restored from 35mm original film as part of Universal’s 100th Anniversary celebration. I´m just glad they waited to the end of the summer before releasing it as I don´t think I would of gone to the beach at all this summer.
The Jaws restoration began with researching and evaluating the existing film elements to determine the best means to restore the film. Over the course of several months, skilled technicians at Universal Studios Digital Services meticulously balanced colour, removed dirt and scratches, and repaired any damage to the film elements shot by shot and frame by frame. Following the picture restoration, Universal Studios Sound team up-mixed the iconic Jaws soundtrack to DTS-HD Master 7.1. The entire restoration process was conducted in conjunction with Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment’s post-production team to ensure the integrity of Spielberg’s original vision remained intact.
There is a short documentary about the restoration is available on the disc and on youtube. It shows how the remastering process corrected drastic timing and colour differences from the original negative.
The 2012 version of the film has a crisp resolution (especially the actors’ faces) and the improved contrast in the underwater sequences (shots of the nude swimmer during the opening scene were especially, um, revealing). The yellowed, Polaroid picture “gauze” familiar from frequent TV screening of the movie were replaced by colour-accurate, bright images, but the actors’ clothing was still distinctly “early ’70s”. And there’s nothing quite like the “buh dum, buh dum,” of John Williams’ famous score to set you on edge.
Look out for the release of Jaws in HD throughout the month of August. And to really enjoy the experience why not contact the guys down at Future Lifestyle to see how to create the perfect home cinema...
