Re: New features coming for Blu-ray DVD format

Bill's News wrote:

willbill <trek@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote

too bad you didn't have the guts to respond
to my comments on your movie choices


See below.

meaning that you took the time and trouble
to compile that very long list of BD/HD movie
ratings and then didn't follow thru when
i gave detailed comments

gutless is what i'd call it


Hmmm? OK, if that makes you feel better.


good reply

if i could redo the post, i'd omit that line


odds are you'd have gotten some useful input
from others here on movie choices/video/sound
if only you'd followed up

bill

My humble apologies, no excuse for why I did not see your comments. I've recopied that portion here in order to reply. Sorry that the indenting go lost in my effort.

* * * * * * *
- - - - - - -
i guess you're not a sci-fi fan. :(

in my book, the HD-DVD of Blade Runner gets 5*;
it includes something like 4 different cuts
(very high quality video and sound) of the film;
as well as Blade Runner has repeat viewing merit;
and the HD-DVD version of the "final cut" has
Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound and VC-1 video! :)

- - - - - - - -

All of what you say is true, except that I can not rate the HiDef disc higher than I rated the movie - largely because it was a fabulous in-theater experinece then.



isn't it likely that that is due to your
using headphones, and a "low-end" 7.1
speaker setup?

and since you're using your pc(s) to drive
the speakers/headphones, i also have to
think that you're taking a sound quality
hit there also?

out of curiosity, what type of headphones
are they?



Despite all the hype of the various recuts, I actually still prefer the theater version.


well, on the HD-DVD 5 disc for Blade Runner,
the theater version is one of something like
4 prior releases, and the quality is decent

so you're not alone on that

but given that the highest quality video (VC-1)
and audio (Dolby TrueHD) are only on the final cut
version (which if i remember right, that you've
not bothered to look/listen to), i'd say your
homework is incomplete


I've never resented the voice over, and still don't. The Hollywood ending suited my frame of mind in 1982, whereas today I very much enjoy the gutsier endings - as an example, 2007's 3:10 to Yuma, compared with 1957's 3:10, is like watching two entirely different stories, whole new concepts on the part of the rewriters.


i haven't seen either 3:10 movie, and don't
plan to spend the bucks for the current one
(i haven't done rentals for more than 5 years;
maybe i'll join up at the library so that i can
take out DVDs)


Plus which, today's average actor is so much better trained and directed than many of yesteryears top stars,


agreed


that Glenn Ford's villain becomes laughable.

But in the case of Blade Runner, we're only evaluating subtleties, for the most part, and the ending. Admittedly, any of the DVD recuts of Blade Runner is far superior to the Lucas butchering of the original Star Wars series.


T2*, H4* Elizabeth (1998) Blanchett - Perhaps the intimacy of HT enhanced my
appreciation


fwiw, i've got it, and might go to a 5* rating,
given that it has Dolby TrueHD 5.1

- - - - - - - -

Bear in mind that my rating is not specifically related to seeing the video in HiDef. For whatever reason, perhaps my seat mate, I rated both of Cate's Elizabeths at 2* in the theater. While I only rented the HD-DVD versions because they were in high def, the home theater viewing (and once again, perhaps for the company) just drew me into the film much more, and who among us doesn't enjoy a few hours of Cate in our homes.

I've inundated myself with Elizabeth's, because I feel she was the turning point of England's monarchy and fate among its rival countries. I've been generally disappointed in that most have dwelt on some author's interpretation of her love life to the diminishment of her monarchial accomplishments. In the HBO, Helen Mirren version, the defeat of the Spanish Armada is reduced to waiting on the beach for news of her lover?


you might want to get the Elizabeth R DVD set (TV),
staring Glenda Jackson (1972, 540 min.)

mine is on order (used) through Amazon



T2*, H4* Elizabeth: Golden Age (2007) Blanchett - likewise


thanks for this ref. :)

<snip>


a bit severe on Kostner! <smiling>

- - - - - - -

Well, I feel quite strongly that Kevin has nothing to bring to the bank but his looks, when not in the hands of a great director. And that there should be a special Oscar for director's who make Kevin seem like an actor;-0)

How's this for a comparison, in "No Way Out" the director was so competant, he even made Sean Young appear able to act;-)


<laughing>

you spelled Costner and Kostner

that was my reference. :)


* * * * * * *
- - - - - - -

how about Open Range and Dances With Wolves? :)
(DVD, no clue on if they're on HD or BD)

- - - - - - -

"Open Range" did little for me. It tried to be in the same genre as "Unforgiven." It wasn't. "3:10," already mentioned, did a far better job of carrying off a ludicrous gun battle in the streets.

"Dances with Wolves" was the "Ghandi" of its year. Does anyone beside me think that Dustin Hofmann should have taken the statue that year? The Academy was affraid to put the epic in its place. There were better movies in both years. Dances with Wolves, however, had a great story going for it - and Kevin deserved the director's Oscar for not demanding of himself more than his abilities.

Where I feel Kevin suited the bill were in, "No Way Out," "A Perfect World," possibly "Waterworld," and amazingly in "Mr. Brooks." Now, I'm not suggesting that Bruce Evans is a great director, but he was also the writer and generally speaking, I feel that when the director and author are one in the same, the work seems to rise up a notch. "Waterworld," a financial flop, gave the director the unbelievable chance of redeeming Kevin from playing "Robin Hood." If it weren't for Morgan Freeman and Alan Rickman, this film would have been completely unwatchable. One of two things seem to be required for a British accent, a) one is British, b) one can act. The vast part of the cast were neither.


i guess i'm more of a Costner fan than you are



B5* Planet Earth (2007) Attenborough - the benchmark for HD viewing (HDTV 4* due to
Weaver narration)



thanks for this ref, since it's still available
on HD-DVD. :)

not sure i understand why BD is 5* and HDTV is 4*?

the narration is different????

- - - - - - -

The Discover Channel, when it aired PE used the Sigourney Weaver narration. While virtually nothing could distract from the imagery, she tried hard to. I believe this version was available on DVD, but so was the David Attenborough narration, which in his unique histrionic way, borders on irritating but is also definitive. Reminiscent of Carl Sagan;-) David's narration did actually add to the over all quality of the presentation.



thank you for the explanation



- - - - - - -

B1* PotC: AWE (2007) Depp
D3*, H3* Sneakers (1992) Redford - HD did nothing for the film but it holds up as
entertainment
D4*, H4* Stardust (2007) Charlie Cox

* * * * * * * *
- - - - - - - -

it's an OK sci-fi flick. HD has nothing special
on sound. :( odds are DVD is a better buy
(like you, i've got the HD-DVD)

i'm more than a bit surprised that you'd give
this 4* and the HD-DVD of Blade Runner 3*!

- - - - - - - -

Sadly, no rating scheme adequately compares two films. And it was not my intent here. In the header of the list I pointed out that anything less than 3* meant I was unable to watch the film/video all the way through. Above 3* means that I had watched, or believe I will watch the film a second or more times.

In both cases, Blade Runner and Stardust, I have viewed the films more than once. The version of the HiDef Blade Runner I chose to watch first, and thus rated here, was not the Theater Cut and I was a tad put off, based on recollections of the dozen or more times I'd watched the Theater Cut.

- - - - - - - -

T4*, B4* Stargate (1994) Russell, Spader



Stargate is really worth buying??

- - - - - - - -

Here, we're touching on more than the film. I'm a Spader fan. I can't imagine the film without his portrayal. I've viewed the DVD several times, always sharing with someone else who either had not seen it or who already shared my enjoyment of it. So, yes, it was among the first that I bought when the prices began to tumble - though I might well have anyway.


thank you for the explanation



for HD-DVD movies, you might consider buying (yes, buying):

1. Pride & Prejudice (2005); Dolby TrueHD 5.1

2. The Italian Job (2003); only has DTS 5.1 and DD+ 5.1
(to my ear, DTS 5.1 is slightly superior to DD+ 5.1).
the regular DVD doesn't have DTS 5.1

- - - - - - - - -

Hmmmm, I'd never sonsidered myslef a Jane Austen candidate. Yet, I so enjoyed "The Jane Austen Book Club" that I may very well schedule a few of her stories. Thanks for the reminder. A neighbor has suggested we give "Emma" a spin on the disc hub. Sadly, she has the Kate Beckinsale version and I'd lean toward Gwyneth Paltrow, for an intro to Jane.

Interestingly, I just watched the NetFlix HD-DVD of "The Italian Job" within the past three days. So you're spot on in your suggestions.


there isn't much intrinsic value in the recent
Italian Job, but it is a fun flick. Paltrow's
"Emma" is more of a thinking person's flick

the HD 2005 Pride & Prejudice demands a *good*
surround speaker setup (not headphones). it has
a number of moments of "joie de vivre"

to name a few: the two dances, the moment in the
2nd dance where they suddenly only see each other
(the others briefly disappear), and when she is
twirling on the swing

bill
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: How good are upcoversion DVD players?
    ... Most film can be scanned at 4,000 lines of information, substantially ... many of the 70,000 films are on Blu-Ray or HD DVD? ... some movie compare with the Blu-ray disk that DOES NOT EXIST? ... quality at best are still made into disks. ...
    (alt.tv.tech.hdtv)
  • Film Crew Review
    ... 'Film Crew' DVD series. ... Crew," in which they play three numskull members of a movie crew who are ...
    (rec.arts.tv.mst3k.misc)
  • Blade Runner... for real this time?
    ... Runner is FINALLY, officially, coming to DVD. ... has set in motion plans to really do something special with the film. ... followed later in the year by an Ultimate Blade Runner DVD release. ... Ridley Scott DVD producer Charles de Lauzirika and his team are ...
    (alt.video.dvd)
  • Re: How long does it take to convert old films to HD?
    ... convert a particular film to blu-ray or HD DVD. ... be alot quicker than it was when Dvd first started out. ... any of the premium movie ... on the physical state of the best available master of the film. ...
    (alt.tv.tech.hdtv)
  • Re: Transfers of classic films - DVD or hi-def format?
    ... as long as the movie was shot on film they can do a HD transfer the ... resolution of film is alot higher than HD its just the way the negative is ... scanned that transfers it to HD, most dvd transfers are taken from the 4k HD ... I have to say that I really didn't want to "buy in to" the whole hi-def ...
    (uk.media.dvd)