Movies you thought you'd never see on Blu-ray - but here they are!

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by HGN2001, Aug 5, 2018.

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  1. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member Thread Starter

    We've all had those titles that we had on old VHS or LaserDisc or crappily mastered DVDs, that suddenly and unexpectedly have shown up in gorgeous Blu-ray transfers.

    My list includes these:

    The Boys From Brazil - a crappy DVD transfer updated nicely
    Capricorn One - another that looked just OK on DVD and I never thought I'd see on Blu
    The Cassandra Crossing - I was lucky enough to get the widescreen DVD, but it was 4:3. Blu looks great
    Damnation Alley - a nearly forgotten 70s disaster flick, I only ever had a VHS recording from NBC until the Blu came out
    Frantic - a favorite Harrison Ford movie always had a crappy 4:3 DVD, but now looks great on Blu.
    House Of Dark Shadows/Night Of Dark Shadows - again I was lucky enough to have these on LD, never thought to see them on Blu
    Lost Horizon - the 70s musical. Really? On Blu? Yes!
    Outland - The worst looking DVD ever was upgraded nicely on Blu
    The Outer Limits - This TV show always looked just so-so on DVD, now Season One is on Blu, and Two is on the way!
    Rollercoaster - I had this on LD and never thought I'd see a Blu-ray.
    Sorcerer - Probably the King of this list, I had to suffer with a poor LD and DVD for years, now it's gorgeous in Blu-ray
    Star Trek: The Next Generation - told for years that a Blu ray was impossible - They did it!
    Storm Fear - an obscure black & white movie I'd seen on television. Never thought anyone else had ever HEARD of it. Yet Kino Lorber put it out on Blu
    The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three - the 74 film that had a non-anamorphic DVD and was a title I never thought to see upgraded.

    Color me happy!
     
    John B, polchik, Jrr and 3 others like this.
  2. Dok

    Dok Senior Member

    Well, not quite here and color me disappointed. Kino Classics advertised this one but then pulled it. I have the old VHS and really had looked forward to the Bluray. It starred Hedge Capers of the recording duo Hedge and Donna. It also starred Severn Darden, Susan Strasberg, Denver Pyle, Sidney Clute, and Val Avery. A B grade cult classic from 1972 based on the old Manly Wade Wellman Silver John stories.

    [​IMG]
     
  3. Claus LH

    Claus LH Forum Resident

    I never thought they would do Fassbinder's "Berlin Alexanderplatz" in BR, given the film/series's length, niche status and subject, but...there it is in Britain. Well done to the folks involved.

    The "Roy Andersson Collection" box set was a good moment, given that his three amazing films "Songs from the Second Floor" "You, the Living" and "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch..." had been out only on DVDs for quite a while, with no upgrade in sight, and with the recurring gloom and doom about physical media, one wondered if that was going to be that.
    Given his visual style, the films were begging for more resolution; apparently people had been writing to the DVD producers to get them to release on BR. Finally the movies came out on Curzon/Artificial Eye in a nice little box.
     
    apesfan and stepeanut like this.
  4. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    Outland was the first one I thought of. That DVD version was just god-awful.
     
  5. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    Pretty Poison
    Dillinger
     
    zonkaraz likes this.
  6. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    Boys From Brazil...frightening and yes the DVD sucked!
     
  7. Synthfreek

    Synthfreek I’m a ray of sunshine & bastion of positivity

  8. genesim

    genesim Forum Resident

    Location:
    St. Louis
    Savannah Smiles

    Just simply awesome...and with bittersweet heart breaking extras! Life is good!
    [​IMG]
     
    Andy Mitri likes this.
  9. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    Given my tastes in film, I’d say about half my collection. The entire BFI Flipside series, for starters.

    One title in particular, though, springs to mind: Able Gance’s Napoleon. Never thought I’d see that one on BD. The BFI did a beautiful job.
     
    Robert C and Graham like this.
  10. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    Which country please ? Not seeing an American release. Also, is it region free ?
     
  11. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    It is available in the United States as part of a Warner Bros double feature with Presumed Innocent:

    Presumed Innocent / Frantic Blu-ray
     
  12. Johnny66

    Johnny66 Laird of Boleskine

    Location:
    Australia.
    The notorious Giallo in Venice (1979), due from Scorpion Releasing. There was a German Blu-Ray, but this appears far superior.

    (Somewhat provocative Blu-Ray cover art in spoiler.)

    [​IMG]
     
    Robert C likes this.
  13. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    Chimes at Midnight
    One-Eyed Jacks

    Both classics, but, given their individual rights histories over a course of decades, it’s a minor miracle that we have gorgeous BD transfers to enjoy today.
     
  14. Rick Bartlett

    Rick Bartlett Forum Resident

  15. knob twirler

    knob twirler Senior Member

    Location:
    Cleveland, Ohio
    I wish it were a Special Edition, in the George Lucas sense. Like, all the McDonald’s plugs and product placement has been digitally altered to plug more current McDonald’s products. And have the little faux ET say ‘I’m Lovin It’ all the time.
     
  16. The Hermit

    The Hermit Wavin' that magick glowstick since 1976

    I'll hang out the balloons when the Star Wars trilogy's theatrical versions are officially announced for a re-release... 2K or 4K, it matters not a jot to me... get 'em out, take my money... you hear me, Disney?
     
  17. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Pretty Maids All In A Row?
    Score:Lalo Schifrin.
     
    arley likes this.
  18. apesfan

    apesfan "Going Ape"

    Add the original Planet of the Apes quintet in 4k and better sound mix. They deserve it in light of POTA1968 50th anniversary. C'mon Fox soon. John M.
     
    GetHappy!! likes this.
  19. Synthfreek

    Synthfreek I’m a ray of sunshine & bastion of positivity

    This thread is turning into a "I wish this were on blu-ray" thread...there's another thread for that.
     
    eeglug and SonOfAlerik like this.
  20. Al Kuenster

    Al Kuenster Senior Member

    Location:
    Las Vegas, NV - US
    I think even the WS LD was better than the dvd, of course I have the BR now.
     
  21. mBen989

    mBen989 Senior Member

    Location:
    Scranton, PA
    Andrei Rublev

    Coming from Criterion in September.
     
    jwoverho likes this.
  22. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    Tarkovsky’s later, 183-minute cut has been available in Region B for a couple of years now. But yes, it’ll be nice to have his earlier, 205-minute cut on BD very soon. Tarkovsky is well-served on BD these days.
     
    mBen989 likes this.
  23. Pinknik

    Pinknik Senior Member

    It's a golden age for schlock cinema on blu-ray. I have Manos: The Hands of Fate on blu-ray. What a time to be alive.
     
  24. JeffreyB

    JeffreyB Senior Member

    Rollercoaster - and also the DVD was crappy non-anamorphic.
    Blu-ray = excellent + scored by Lalo Schifrin ! :righton:
     
    Sammy Waslow likes this.
  25. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    I occasionally do restoration work for the small video label Vinegar Syndrome (a very funny name for a film company), and they get the rights to an amazing array of obscure, almost-forgotten films. I like the fact that they're keeping these films alive. And in pretty much every case, the version we release is about 10 times sharper, better, and clearer than anything everybody has ever seen, in many cases scanned from the original camera negative. Kino Lorber does the same thing, as do a handful of small labels that appeal to genre collectors.
     
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