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"The Hunt For Red October"

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Author	Topic: "The Hunt For Red October"

Crono/Kyp Standard Userer	Hey all, I just finished this on Blu Ray and for a film as old as it is, it looks great in High Def. While "Red October" is a score that I don't own, I've been reading for a while about the poor quality on the MCA album. Anyone know if maybe some expanded and remastered CD might come along...say from Intrada or Varese? I think it would make a welcome addition to some of their titles. Just a thought. --Brian
posted 10-08-2008 02:04 AM PT (US)

Swashbuckler Standard Userer	Paramount + MCA Records = Not terribly likely. The score does sound better on the Blu-ray than it does on CD, however.
posted 10-08-2008 04:52 AM PT (US)

Crono/Kyp Standard Userer	Yeah, the mix on the Blu was awesome! --Bri
posted 10-08-2008 10:32 AM PT (US)

sean Standard Userer	If you like the score enough, than I'd pick up the CD if I were you. I've heard worse mixes, personally, so this one isn't that bad. The main problem with the release is how little music is featured on it: Most of the excellent battle music at the end is missing, and while "Kamboom!!!" contains some of the latter material, it's a different mix than what you hear in the film (especially noticeable for when the Dallas blasts onto the surface). That said, on album there's some really great pieces: The main title, of course, and "Nuclear Scam" (when Red October surfaces and the crew evacuate); "Red Route 1" and "Chopper" are very cool, too. I'd grab it if I were you, Brian. This film is easily in my top 5, I love it.
posted 10-08-2008 11:40 AM PT (US)

sean Standard Userer	Oh, also, I just put the CD on: If you set your Equalizer in iTunes to "Electronic" at +10 dB than it sounds perfect!
posted 10-08-2008 11:47 AM PT (US)

Stargate Standard Userer	"Nuclear Scam" alone makes this CD well worth the $2 it'll cost. I have a..cough..extended version of this that sounds like absolute garbage. Maybe just a bad copy, but whatever. A re-mastered, extended re-release would be very welcomed into my collection.
posted 10-08-2008 12:11 PM PT (US)

Crono/Kyp Standard Userer	It just surprised me that all I keep haring is that the MCA disc and other editions sound like trash...given how big this movie was in its day and how it still holds up as just a well produced movie, you'd think that the score would very much warrant a better treatment. Thanks for the thoughts guys --Brian [Message edited by Crono/Kyp on 10-08-2008]
posted 10-08-2008 01:10 PM PT (US)

BigT1981 Standard Userer	This is one of several movies I'll be buying on Blu-Ray. Anyways I think this score deserves a complete remastered release. There's a boot out there for it but the sound sucks major balls. Hopefully Intrada will one day release it.
posted 10-08-2008 04:50 PM PT (US)

BigT1981 Standard Userer	quote: Originally posted by Crono/Kyp: [B]It just surprised me that all I keep haring is that the MCA disc and other editions sound like trash... If you means in terms of sound quality yes I agree. A lot of problems with most scores is they sound like they're in a barrel. If the labels like LaLa Land, Intrada and such take time to clean up the music they can sound great. Bootlegs also have this problem too. I've all ready cleaned up a few boots I have and they sound better than before.
posted 10-08-2008 06:02 PM PT (US)

BigT1981 Standard Userer	I hate double postings in a row...but one thing I forgot to mention with boots, is sometimes if the sound quality was deliberate when it was ripped then there's no way to clean it up.
posted 10-08-2008 06:02 PM PT (US)

Crono/Kyp Standard Userer	Well yeah, I know all that, but you'd think big labels like MCA and other should take the time to produce a good product. --Brian NP: Matrix DX
posted 10-08-2008 06:11 PM PT (US)

BigT1981 Standard Userer	I agree with you there Brian but maybe they don't hear anything wrong with the music. They must either A: have poor hearing or B: have piss poor quality headphones.
posted 10-08-2008 08:02 PM PT (US)

Swashbuckler Standard Userer	MCA isn't especially known for the sound quality of their soundtrack albums. Their LPs are often among the worst-sounding from a major label. Perhaps The Hunt for Red October represented a continuation of that tradition. However, the issues with the sonics on The Hunt for Red October aren't ones that would be immediately obvious to the casual observer. They certainly shouldn't prevent anybody from buying the disc, which, while short and with somewhat questionable sound (and really messy programming), is nevertheless an essential Basil Poledouris score. As has been mentioned, "Nuclear Scam" is alone worth the price of the disc. An expanded release would be fantastic, but it is doubtful that it would happen given the studios and labels involved. Even if it were to be, it would unfortunately not retain its multichannel mix, which is a shame. The surround mix is fantastic, with the choir "wrapped around" the soundfield (as it is in the film mixes of The Lord of the Rings) and the trademark descending 'splashes' bouncing from channel to channel properly positioned towards the rear, as they were subject to ugly foldback in all matrixed mixes including the laserdisc, which was the best-sounding presentation of that soundtrack until the Dolby TrueHD track on the Blu-ray offered a lossless alternative with full 5.1 dimension. [Message edited by Swashbuckler on 10-09-2008]
posted 10-09-2008 09:14 AM PT (US)

sean Standard Userer	Hmmm... A lot is being made here of the sound quality: I'll just reiterate what Swashbuckler wrote, and that is that it's not readily apparent that there are any issues with the recording quality. If you're at all skilled with a mixing program (Brain, I assume you probably have Soundtrack Pro, or could get your hands on it no prob), than you should be able to easily fix any problems with the mix. The only thing I've gone and fixed was the lack of there being any real depth of bass to the mix. I've read previously that some of the score was rushed, due to conflicting schedules, and that the album is lackluster in cue selection is a testament to that problem. As for the "expanded" bootleg of this score: There isn't one that exists that has good audio quality (and if there is one, than it's being kept private); this was probably done on purpose like Trent wrote, and regardless it isn't possible to up-convert poorly rendered audio files. I'd love to see this score remastered and expanded.
posted 10-09-2008 12:28 PM PT (US)

Quill Standard Userer	For one - the CD is worth owning and as stated for worse mixes out there. And I agree with the comments about the Bluray editions...I actually bought Hunt, Patriot Games, and C&PD...Paramount is spot-on when it comes to their hi-def releases. The score mixes in all three are great.
posted 10-09-2008 02:27 PM PT (US)

AaronR1074 Standard Userer	fantabulous score. damn you, got me torturing the office with it now
posted 10-09-2008 02:30 PM PT (US)

Crono/Kyp Standard Userer	Sean, yes I do have Soundtrack Pro And I'll agree to that, the sound mixes on the Blu Rays are fantastic! --Bri
posted 10-09-2008 02:33 PM PT (US)

BigT1981 Standard Userer	I use Cool Edit Pro for my editing jobs and I've applied clean up efforts to quite a few scores of mine all ready (I mean ones not from Intrada, FSM or Varese cause those are fine) and what a difference it's made in terms of sound.
posted 10-09-2008 03:14 PM PT (US)

John C Winfrey Standard Userer	I've always liked the score, even though its relatively short. There's not all that much more music than what was on the old CD. I also like that Nuclear Scam cue, the theme and the last cue. J.
posted 10-11-2008 05:58 PM PT (US)

Swashbuckler Standard Userer	Actually, the complete score runs about twice as long. Some parts of it are more textural than others, but there are plenty of moments that it is disappointing not to have; an example is the cue heard when Tupolev (Stellan Skarsg�rd) gets his orders.
posted 10-12-2008 07:30 AM PT (US)

Crono/Kyp Standard Userer	Sounds like someone should produce a new edition of this CD, everyone seems to like it --Bri
posted 10-12-2008 02:07 PM PT (US)

BigT1981 Standard Userer	quote: Originally posted by Crono/Kyp: Sounds like someone should produce a new edition of this CD, everyone seems to like it --Bri I agree at least Intrada or Varese should release a complete version of the score and have it remastered. That would be sweet if they did that.
posted 10-12-2008 04:34 PM PT (US)

Swashbuckler Standard Userer	Unfortunately, once again, MCA Records + Paramount = not very likely. Not, thankfully, as impossible as it might have been only a few years ago, but still... I'd be (pleasantly) surprised.
posted 10-12-2008 09:28 PM PT (US)

OneBuckFilms Non-Standard Userer	The CD release is basically abysmal, but it contains some great music, and the sound quality is not that bad. I would definately love to this score expanded.
posted 10-13-2008 11:45 AM PT (US)

soundwave Standard Userer	The music does sound better on dvd, and if there would be an expanded release. I hope it will include the film version of Red Route 1 & Kaboom.
posted 10-14-2008 06:50 PM PT (US)

Camillu Standard Userer	If anyone's interested, play.com have a sale currently on, and Hunt for Red October is less than 5 Euro (with free Europe shipping). And for you US guys, it's less than $10 here at MM.com. (so are Pan's Labyrinth, Conan the Barbarian and a few others - just go to CDs, soundtracks). [Message edited by Camillu on 10-15-2008]
posted 10-15-2008 02:09 PM PT (US)

Swashbuckler Standard Userer	quote: (so are Pan's Labyrinth, Conan the Barbarian and a few others - just go to CDs, soundtracks) Just remember that it is the Milan edition of Conan, the treasured Varese edition is, unfortunately, long out of print.
posted 10-16-2008 09:59 AM PT (US)

Camillu Standard Userer	Remind me - is the sound quality different, but the track lengths equal?
posted 10-16-2008 04:38 PM PT (US)

Swashbuckler Standard Userer	If you're asking about Conan, the Varese edition was significantly expanded from the original LP, running 67:20. The Milan edition is of the original LP (47:02), but adds the prologue with Mako's voice (bringing the running time to 48:48). The additional cues on the Varese edition are "The Leaving," "Mountain of Power Procession," "The Tree of Woe," "Recovery," "The Kitchen" and "The Death of Rexor." The Varese disc is a much fuller representation of the score, and several of these cues are set-pieces in their own right. [Message edited by Swashbuckler on 10-16-2008]
posted 10-16-2008 07:25 PM PT (US)

nuts_score Standard Userer	And if you're lucky enough to own the Varese edition, you're a God . . . like me!
posted 10-17-2008 12:48 PM PT (US)

Swashbuckler Standard Userer	Now, there's no call for hubris. We're only demigods. [Message edited by Swashbuckler on 10-18-2008]
posted 10-18-2008 08:18 PM PT (US)

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