4K Restoration/1970/Airport
Disappointment Over the 4K Source for Airport (1970)
Despite being shot in 65 mm Todd-AO, the 2025 4K Ultra HD release of Airport—distributed by Kino Lorber—was sourced from a 35 mm interpositive reduction element rather than the original 65 mm camera negative. The transfer itself was supplied by Universal, which controls the film’s physical elements. This decision drew significant criticism from the home media community, particularly on the Blu-ray.com forums.
- “Damn you, Universal for reducing our large format films to 35mm-4 perf elements... just like you did to Shout! Studios with Far and Away (1992).”
– User SwatDB ([Blu-ray Forum, July 2025]).
- “Not buying this one if it’s not from the 65mm negative!”
– User cesarbox
- “They don't know anything about handling large formats and presenting them in its correct spherical 70mm ratio.”
– User SwatDB
- “Guess I was lucky with Airport being one I saw in 70mm at Radio City Music Hall in 1970... I'm very disappointed in Universal.”
– User tomricci
While Kino Lorber’s encoding work was praised for fidelity to the available materials, many enthusiasts were disappointed that a film originally photographed in 65 mm was not given a restoration that reflected its full visual potential.
Related Cases: Missed and Realized Opportunities
Universal followed a similar path with Far and Away (1992), which was also photographed in 65 mm (Panavision System 65) but scanned from a 35 mm interpositive for its 2024 Shout Select 4K release.
This contrasts with Disney’s restoration philosophy:
- The Sound of Music (1965) received a full 65 mm restoration with 8K scanning and nine months of work for its 2024 4K edition.
- Tron (1982) underwent a dual-format scan: VistaVision for live-action and 70 mm for computer-world sequences, with the full project culminating in a new Dolby Vision 4K master in 2025.
Universal’s decision to bypass the 65 mm OCN for Airport—a foundational entry in the 1970s disaster cycle—stands in stark relief to these preservation-forward efforts.