Killer’s Kiss is very good. Not as good as The Killing and (Spartacus aside as it’s not really a Kubrick film) all that came later.
I think about 4K UHD titles these overly simplistic ways. First, many movies shot digitally, or processed with CGI, were finished in 2K, so the 4K version will be an upscale. These movies will have less improvements with 4K than movies shot on film (movies before the digital/CGI era) or finished in 4K (as more recent movies are starting to be). Shooting in digital started around the mid-1990s and ramped up to becoming how most movies were shot by the early 2010s. As a broad rule of thumb, I'd check reviews of 4K releases of movies that came out late 1990s to 2020 to see how much or minimal the improvements are for the 4K version. These type of 4K titles are often less interesting to me than, say, Lawrence of Arabia or 1917. Second, you can group the 4K releases by studios or the specialty companies that release them. Of the five major studios, Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers and Sony have deep catalogues of movies from before digital (movies from the 1990s and earlier) and generally do solid 4K releases of their catalogue titles. Unfortunately, the fifth major studio, Disney (which includes 20th Century Fox), said as of a couple years ago that they were suspending doing 4K UHD releases of their live action movies, with some exceptions, like Star Wars and Marvel projects. There's been basically no 4K UHD releases of live action movies from Disney or 20th Century Fox's catalogues for a couple years now, outside Star Wars and Marvel projects. The very few titles you'll see out there on 4K, like Die Hard and Independence Day, were all done before 2019. Disney has lost interest in the physical media market, and is focused on pushing consumers over to using their streaming platform over buying physical media. If they do remaster something for 4K, you'd see it on their streaming platform, but not likely released as physical media. (Paramount and Warner Brothers also have their streaming platforms, Paramount+ and HBO Max -- who knows if they might also give up on physical media releases to push consumers towards using their streaming platforms.) Of the "mini-major" studios, I'll give my thoughts on a couple -- Lionsgate was founded in 1997, so they don't have the deep catalogue of movies before the digital era. MGM has a very deep catalogue, but their 4K releases are licensed out to specialty companies like Kino Lober to do. Amazon is buying MGM, but unclear when that will actually close and unclear what Amazon's intentions are with the MGM catalogue. Amazon, of course, has its own streaming platform. Amazon is generally less interested in getting a customer to buy one movie on disc, and more interested in getting that customer to join Prime, where that customer will watch the movie "free" but ultimately spend more money buying toilet paper, groceries, mouse pads and everything else Amazon offers. It's like how Apple and Amazon are basically running their music streaming services at a loss, as their bigger goal is to get customers onto the Apple or Amazon ecosystems. Of the specialty companies, I think Criterion, Arrow and Kino Lober generally get very positive reviews for the 4K titles they put out. Also smaller labels like Severin or Vinegar Syndrome will release horror titles or more obscure movies. Physical media will remain around for a while, but it's turning into a niche market rather than a mass-consumer market. Maybe the major studios will license their catalogue titles to these specialty companies to service that niche market. Maybe the major studios will not find it worth their time to bother with.
Singing In The Rain 4K? For me, it'll be the last Spiderman flick on 4/12. Regarding the Godfather trilogy, I copped this from Thedigtalbits.com “In preparation for the 50th anniversary of the first film’s original release on March 24, 1972, Paramount and Coppola’s production company American Zoetrope undertook a painstaking restoration of all three films over the course of three years. Every effort was made to create the finest possible presentation for today’s audiences who can watch the films using technology that has advanced dramatically since 2007 when the last restoration was completed by eminent film historian and preservationist Robert Harris. Using that work as a blueprint, the team spent thousands of hours to ensure that every frame was evaluated to create the most pristine presentation while remaining true to the original look and feel of the films. “The monumental effort included the following: Over 300 cartons of film were scrutinized to find the best possible resolution for every frame of all three films. Over 4,000 hours were spent repairing film stains, tears, and other anomalies in the negatives. Over 1,000 hours were spent on rigorous color correction to ensure the high dynamic range tools were respectful of the original vision of Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis. In addition to the 5.1 audio approved by Walter Murch in 2007, the original mono tracks on The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II have been restored. All work was overseen by Coppola. “We felt privileged to restore these films and a little in awe every day we worked on them,” said Andrea Kalas, senior vice president, Paramount Archives. “We were able to witness first-hand how the brilliant cinematography, score, production design, costume design, editing, performances, and, of course, screenwriting and direction became famously more than the sum of their parts. It was our commitment to honor all of the filmmakers’ exceptional work.”
You may not care at this point, but they are re-issuing Kwai with Dolby Vision added as a steelbook on June 7th.
I see that Lawrence of Arabia on 4K is also being reissued as steelbook, with Dolby Vision added (although Lawrence was first issued as part of the Columbia Classics Collection Vol 1 box set, not as stand-alone title). Have there been other reissues of 4K titles that added Dolby Vision, or some other improved PQ feature like that? How much of a difference do people see in Dolby Vision being added? (Don't know if there are other examples of reissues that added Dolby Vision, where reviewers would have been able to A/B the two versions.)
Do you mean a 4K title without any HDR at all and then Dolby Vision is added on a reissue, or titles that started with only HDR10 and then Dolby Vision was added later? In the case of the former, upthread I mentioned The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), which was released in 4K without any HDR grading. Now it's being reissued with HDR10 and Dolby Vision. But I suspect you're asking about the latter. I recall reading about a title like the former but I can't remember what it was.
Okay, confession time. I've never seen Godfather I & II in their entirety. As a slightly above average cinephile once I got out of the service, I avoided those films, because when I'd sit down and watch I couldn't get past that it's 1945 in the film, yet it screams 1972! I hate period pieces like that. It's laziness, for the most part. That said, my views have softened since then when it comes to "The Classics." Much of that has to do with getting into 4K (which I owe a lot of thanks to you), because with all of the added pop of 4K, a broader insight into how the films were made jumps out at me too. The closer to the source, the deeper I can see...beyond. With my increased appreciation I think I'm able to see the films for what they are, and not what I expect them to be. Besides, now I'm just taking the money that I would have otherwise spent on my soon-to-be ex-wife's birthday, in March, and spending toward a worthy cause. Ouch!
I'm shocked. Why do you think these films scream 1972? They did a good job with the clothes, cars and sets to make it work as a period piece. On top of that, it has some of the best writing, direction and acting in cinema history and explores honor, family and crime in profound ways. I wouldn't have imagined someone like you, clearly passionate about film, avoid these films. Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico and Apocalypse Now, on the other hand, scream 1970s.
I haven’t seen the newest version, but I did see the 2007 edition in the theater. It was underwhelming. I was expecting finer grain, not more. I’ll try to rent before buying.
I know, right? I think that's what I failed to realize. You mentioned everything that the films represent (from what I've read), which is much broader than the period in which it's set. On the other hand, check out the list of anachronisms on IMDB for the movies. It's a long list. I didn't have to read the list, though, to know that Pacino's haircut in 1945 wasn't in style for the era (as one example), not to mention that he was fresh off the bus from WWII. Uncle Sam sends you home clean or draped in a flag. But that's not an excuse. I really don't have one. Maybe it was stubbornness, or whatever. I didn't see E.T. until 2011, although I was in the target audience when it came out. Moreover, I was going to the theater like crazy in the early to mid-'80s. I've probably seen twenty 1940s-1950s film noir B-films to every volume of The Godfather. This is to my shame. They are supposed to be in the '70s, though. I love all three of those movies. Apocalypse Now is set at the tail end of the '60s, but no, if we're talking the average Vietnam vet's experience, that film is not it. I see it as more of an atmospheric piece; it's the darker underbelly of what we were doing there, without answering why we were there. But hey, if all goes well I'll report back after watching the GF trilogy. It's actually kind of cool that they will be fresh to me in 2022, and in 4K at that!
See the thread on famous movies I've never seen (or some such). I have a long list there, beginning with Gone With The Wind.
Yeah, that one's a good one to miss. No, I'm kidding, but that's still pretty cool. It feels like Technicolor therapy.
It's cool to be seeing it for the first time. Enjoy. I've seen both GF1 and GF2 so many times that I can practically play the movies in my brain from beginning to end. I will still notice a detail here or there that seems new or I may have forgotten. But I sort of envy you seeing it fresh. The first time I saw it was when my gf in college introduced it to me. She was half Italian, and I was born in New York and frequently had family get togethers there. So we both could relate to it. I was also sort of a quiet, introverted guy. So Pacino's performance blew me away.
Yes, Karate Kid added HDR at least on the box set reissue version as I mentioned earlier. Not Dolby Vision, but inn the ballpark. I'm certain there are others.
The version of LOA in the first Colombia Classics Collection had Dolby Vision. It hasn't added on this standalone release.
Thanks for pointing that title out. I see Blu-ray.com's review of the Karate Kid box set discusses the difference between the box set version (which added Dolby Vision) versus the original release: The Karate Kid 4K Blu-ray (Karate Kid Collection Version) "Sony has once again released 'The Karate Kid' to the UHD format; the last standalone UHD disc was released in 2019. To differentiate this disc from that one, Sony has tinkered with the video to include Dolby Vision color grading and added a new collection of deleted scenes. ... "Just as it looked terrific for its 2019 HDR UHD, The Karate Kid looks marvelous under the new Dolby Vision specifications. The image here is a textural powerhouse, looking perfectly filmic and powerfully finessed, just as it did with the previous release. Viewers will appreciate the fine tuned cinematic grace on display, headlined by a beautifully even and natural grain structure. While there are some lower light spikes, much of the picture holds to a very fine grain presentation that commands the screen and yields an often breathtaking UHD image that sees the picture looking straight out of theaters. Details are optimized for effectiveness, revealing ultra-crisp and super-sharp definition to skin, clothes, and environments, obviously a far leap beyond any previous 1080p presentation and on par with the existing 2019 UHD. Viewers aren't going to notice a significant change between the two releases on the textural front; they both play well and look great. "The big (comparatively speaking) difference here is the Dolby Vision color grading. However, it's not a major transformative experience, either. The colors hold to a reasonable similarity with perhaps some better fine point fullness and tonal exactness, slightly superior whites, and mildly deeper blacks. This version is a bit brighter overall, too, so there is that, but both this and the HDR grading on the old disc offer perfectly good -- wonderful -- watching experiences. The Dolby Vision color grading allows for a scene-by-scene color grading for more precise color output under any given scene or situation whereas the old HDR grading is a one-pass grading. The resultant precision here yields more of a nuanced upgrade than a major overhaul; in this case there's not a serious reason to upgrade for this film alone but as part of the larger boxed set it's nice to have all three original films sharing the same specs."
The recent Ghostbusters box added Dolby Vision grading to GB 1 & 2 as well: Ghostbusters: Ultimate Collection Gift Set (4K UHD Review)
The Beastmaster (1982) - You know, this was pretty good. I caved in and just had to have it. It was a part of my youth. Grain-o-phobes probably won't dig it. Chicks won't either. Well, anyway, the notes say that it was scanned to 4K from an interpositive, since the negatives are believed to have been lost. I'd like to know if it was more than one interpositive, as it seems like that's the case. There's maybe only one or two pops or flecks, and some scenes have these weird yellow streaks. I wonder why those weren't taken out of the print, since obviously the film has been restored. HDR helps make it a complete whole. No awards here, but I'm glad it's in my collection. I'm sure I'll watch it a few times.
I just put my pre-order in with DeepDiscount for the standard UHD set. I got it for $69.80 total, expedited shipping. Not too shabby.
The Guns of Navarone - decent upgrade for HDR, not for detail The Seventh Seal - highly recommend The Ladykillers - highly recommend The Blue Brothers - great picture quality, but no original stereo soundtrack for theatrical The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - not HDR, but much better than all previous versions, and has mono mix! Christine - teriffic Sony title, looks great Grease - avoid, DNR city. Blu-ray looks better Blade Runner 2049 - a nice jump up from the blu, especially the small on-screen text Die Hard - nice jump from blu and the HDR looks great Taxi Driver - the blu-ray already looks amazing, so it's not a huge jump. HDR is great though
Scratch Grease from my list then. Thanks for the heads-up. I usually do a lot of reading before I commit, but this helps save me the trouble. I'll tell you, Taxi Driver, I had a friend rip me a copy and I was pretty impressed with what I saw, but the rip was HDR10 only, and well, it was a rip, so I'm not getting the full benefit of a spinning disk. I just had a taste. I turned it off and will wait until I get my own copy. Thanks for the breakdowns!
