The Searchers was filmed “using the 8-perf 35mm VistaVision process, where the negative went through the camera horizontally with double the frame size of traditional 35mm film, thus yielding incredible clarity with greater depth of field. The original camera negative along with yellow separation protection masters were used for this new presentation, to fully restore the film’s original color palette capturing the masterful cinematography of Winton C. Hoch, a frequent Ford collaborator. The result is a revelatory presentation which is a testament to the artistry that went into creating this beloved motion picture.”
Restoration work was completed earlier this year at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging, with audio work done by Warner Bros. Archival Mastering. The process was undertaken in partnership with The Film Foundation, and the resulting restoration premiered earlier this year at the TCM Classic Film Festival.
Extras on both the 4K disc and Blu-ray will include:
- Archival Commentary by Director Peter Bogdanovich
To this, the Blu-ray will add the following additional legacy special features:
- Original Theatrical trailer (HD)
- 1996 Introduction to the feature by Patrick Wayne (HD)
- The Searchers: An Appreciation (HD)
- A Turning of the Earth: John Ford, John Wayne and The Searchers (HD)
- Newsreel coverage of the film’s world premiere (HD)
- Outtakes (HD)
- Behind the Cameras (segments from the 1956 Warner Bros. Presents TV series): (HD)
- Meet Jeffrey Hunter
- Monument Valley
- Meet Natalie Wood
- Setting Up Production
Note that all of the SD content has been upsampled to HD for this release to ensure a high quality presentation.
And as icing on the cake, the 4K will include an O-sleeve, while both SKUs with include cover artwork that features the film’s original 1956 UK poster artwork!
On a personal note, that SRP of just $29.99 is absolutely stunning for a 4K catalog release, especially for the kind of quality and features this release is going to deliver. And I have a feeling that the better this release sells, the more likely we’ll be to see additional 4K catalog titles from the Warner Archive Collection in the future. So this is definitely a 4K catalog release worth supporting.
You can see the cover artwork above left (with the O-sleeve) and here’s both the 4K disc and the Blu-ray [Note: Amazon pre-order links have been added but are not yet live]…
Great news indeed! Stay tuned…
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