Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Warner Home Video:
Burbank, Calif., June 20, 2011 – Ben-Hur – William Wyler’s
unforgettable epic spectacle, starring Charlton Heston, that won a
record-setting 11 Academy Awards®
(1959) including Best Motion Picture, Best Actor and Best Director -- will make
a dazzling debut on Blu-ray September 27 as
Ben-Hur 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition (UCE) from
Warner Home Video (WHV).
An inspiration to generations of filmmakers with its legendary
scale and scope, “50 years later filmmakers and film experts are still in awe
of the film,†says Ben-Hur
documentarian Gary Leva. People like Ridley Scott, Ernest Dickerson, and others
told Leva how Wyler’s film inspired them to emulate the filmmaker years later.
Even with today's technology, they still aren't sure how some of the scenes
were able to be put on film. Scott, who directed Gladiator, said his arena was one-sixth the size of the one where
Ben-Hur had his famous chariot race. The gigantic oval, with incredible statues
and architecture, took more than a year to build.
For this release, Ben-Hur has undergone a $1 million restoration -- frame by frame from an
8k scan of the original 65 mm camera negative, making this the highest
resolution restoration ever completed by Warner Bros. studio.
“We have been working on this extensive restoration for several
years, hoping we could be ready with a 2009 release for the actual 50th. The
meticulous process took longer than expected, but our primary goal was to
deliver the finest quality presentation possible, and we have succeeded in
doing just that,†said Jeff Baker, WHV’s Executive Vice President and
General Manager, Theatrical Catalog.
Ben-Hur has been on moratorium for the past year. Now
limited and numbered, each set contains more than four hours of extras
including an all-new hi-def feature length documentary hosted by son Fraser
Heston; a reproduction of Heston's diary during
filming; and an exclusive hardbound photo book.
“The restoration is
almost trumped by some newly-uncovered Heston family home movies, shot in Italy during
production, that reveal unique behind-the-scenes
activity. Believed to be the only footage of its kind in existence, this
marks something truly historic and
unprecedented. And we are thrilled to be able to incorporate it into the
documentary made by Laurent Bouzereau and Charlton Heston’s son, Fraser. The
documentary will be obtainable only with
this release.â€
Baker believes fans also will be enthralled with Heston’s diary,
which “reflects his thoughts and feelings on many of the days before, during, and
immediately after the film’s physical production.
“The diary is a replica of the original,†Baker said. “We did not
transpose Chuck’s words onto a clean white piece of paper. The natural fading
of the pages, and any mistakes, are all seen as they are in the original diary.
The concept is to preserve the
authenticity. It’s a remarkable,
collectible keepsake. No other
disc release in history has included a personal diary of an actor, let
alone an Oscar®-winning legend, sharing this type of personal information.â€
Baker said that while under his watch Warner has produced several
other Ultimate Collector’s Editions of classic movies. “This physical package
in terms of aesthetics, historical content, and originality is the new gold standard for not only Warner,
but for all studios. No one can forget seeing Ben-Hur in a theater for the first time. And now, a half-century
later, it looks the best it ever has on
Blu-ray in this pristine high-definition film restoration, perfect for
holiday gift giving.â€