Discuss releases by Criterion and the films on them. Threads may contain spoilers!
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Roger Ryan
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 12:04 pm
- Location: A Midland town spread and darkened into a city
#101
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by Roger Ryan » Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:59 am
Not a particularly well-written or astute review (the reviewer criticizes the newsreel sequence for having inconsistent fake "damage", not realizing that some of the shots are meant to look older than others), but 25 paragraphs in he gets to the aspect we all want to know about here:
Other aspects of the image worked better due to a superior transfer. The 2001 DVD sometimes offered excessive use of digital scrubbing techniques; in the most infamous example of this, the rain on the window seen at 32:30 or so became erased as "noise". It's something you might not notice at first, especially since the rain came in the background, but when you pay attention, you'll see the DVDs rain stopped at the top of the screen, while the Blu-ray showed the water as it pelted and cascaded the rest of the window. The Blu-ray opted for less intrusive methods and looked more natural.
This became true for all aspects of the movie. At first glance, some parts of the SD-DVD might actually seem more attractive than the same shots from the Blu-ray, as they're cleaner and peppier. But they represent an artificial view of the film. The SD-DVD transfer scrubbed away virtually all grain and bolstered the brightness. Sure, it looked more vivid in a sense, but it didn't come across like film, and it took on an impression that made it seem oddly synthetic. The Blu-ray gave us a more accurate and substantially more appealing rendition of Kane.
It sounds like Warner Home Video took the criticisms of the 2000 DVD to heart.
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hearthesilence
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
- Location: NYC
#102
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by hearthesilence » Thu Sep 01, 2011 2:24 pm
The old DVD transfer was also too bright. For example, in the screening room scene near the beginning, the reporters' faces are not supposed to be that visible. I'm hoping that's fixed.
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andyli
- Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:46 pm
#103
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by andyli » Thu Sep 01, 2011 2:35 pm
Roger Ryan wrote:It sounds like Warner Home Video took the criticisms of the 2000 DVD to heart.
As far as I known the restoration on the old dvd was done by Lowry, and this new blu-ray is created from 4k scan by Warner's in-house facility MPI.
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Drucker
- Your Future our Drucker
- Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 9:37 am
#104
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by Drucker » Thu Sep 01, 2011 2:40 pm
That confusingly written review aside, I am still skeptical/worried it won't be fixed up. But I've put it at the top of my netflix queue on blu-ray. Not too worried about making sure I have it day one.
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Roger Ryan
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 12:04 pm
- Location: A Midland town spread and darkened into a city
#105
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by Roger Ryan » Thu Sep 01, 2011 4:48 pm
hearthesilence wrote:The old DVD transfer was also too bright. For example, in the screening room scene near the beginning, the reporters' faces are not supposed to be that visible. I'm hoping that's fixed.
Colin Jacobson wrote:The SD-DVD transfer scrubbed away virtually all grain and bolstered the brightness.
The above line in the review is what makes me think this release will be better. Also, WHV posted a clip on Facebook of Kane's death scene; it looked darker and grainier than the DVD release. Then again, they also mentioned the "fun fact" that you can see Joseph Cotten in the screening room scene, as if that's a plus!
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tojoed
- Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:47 am
- Location: Cambridge, England
#106
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by tojoed » Fri Sep 02, 2011 4:00 am
You have always been able to see Cotten in that scene, even in theatrical prints.
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aox
- Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:02 pm
- Location: nYc
#107
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by aox » Fri Sep 02, 2011 11:49 am
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atcolomb
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 3:49 pm
- Location: Round Lake, Illinois USA
#108
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by atcolomb » Fri Sep 02, 2011 8:59 pm
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otis
- Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 11:43 am
#109
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by otis » Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:49 pm
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Drucker
- Your Future our Drucker
- Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 9:37 am
#110
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by Drucker » Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:29 pm
Excited to be wrong. Excited to get it in the mail next week and check out Ambersons as well.
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hearthesilence
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
- Location: NYC
#111
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by hearthesilence » Thu Sep 08, 2011 12:13 am
Hot f***ing damn that's an improvement. Right exposure, grain intact. I'm almost tempted to buy the deluxe edition just to get it sooner even though I have zero interest in the mediocre American Experience doc or the HBO film based on said doc.
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dx23
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:52 pm
- Location: Puerto Rico
#112
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by dx23 » Mon Sep 12, 2011 3:01 pm
Best Buy is selling an exclusive digibook BD for $29.99.
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atcolomb
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 3:49 pm
- Location: Round Lake, Illinois USA
#113
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by atcolomb » Mon Sep 12, 2011 3:22 pm
dx23 wrote:Best Buy is selling an exclusive digibook BD for $29.99.
Very nice...but is it the movie only? Best Buy website shows no details of it...not very good business
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denti alligator
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:36 pm
- Location: "born in heaven, raised in hell"
#114
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by denti alligator » Mon Sep 12, 2011 5:46 pm
Got mine from amazon today, and Ambersons is just shrink wrapped against the already shrink-wrapped Kane Blu. It looks so cheap. Won't have a chance to stick it on until later, maybe not till tomorrow.
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atcolomb
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 3:49 pm
- Location: Round Lake, Illinois USA
#115
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by atcolomb » Mon Sep 12, 2011 5:50 pm
denti alligator wrote:Got mine from amazon today, and Ambersons is just shrink wrapped against the already shrink-wrapped Kane Blu. It looks so cheap. Won't have a chance to stick it on until later, maybe not till tomorrow.
That was quick!!...mine is just about to be mailed out! When i receive the box set i will compare Ambersons with my Criterion CAV laserdiscs and the TCM broadcast i recorded to my dvd recorder and will post the results.
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dlevine
- Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2010 7:42 pm
- Location: Middleburg, FL
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Contact:
#116
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by dlevine » Mon Sep 12, 2011 8:15 pm
Mine was mailed out early, early this morning (like 2 AM!)...can't wait for tomorrow.
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dx23
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:52 pm
- Location: Puerto Rico
#117
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by dx23 » Mon Sep 12, 2011 9:38 pm
atcolomb wrote:dx23 wrote:Best Buy is selling an exclusive digibook BD for $29.99.
Very nice...but is it the movie only? Best Buy website shows no details of it...not very good business
I imagine that it is going to be disc 1 only and not include the Battle for Citizen Kane and RKO 281. I wouldn't be surprised to see a disc 1 barebones edition at Wal-Mart, since they are famous for forcing studios to produce these simple versions for them.
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Roger Ryan
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 12:04 pm
- Location: A Midland town spread and darkened into a city
#118
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by Roger Ryan » Tue Sep 13, 2011 9:40 am
dx23 wrote:I imagine that it is going to be disc 1 only and not include the Battle for Citizen Kane and RKO 281. I wouldn't be surprised to see a disc 1 barebones edition at Wal-Mart, since they are famous for forcing studios to produce these simple versions for them.
And yet, the "barebones" first disc actually contains the only extras of any real interest! Unless they change it from what's on the current disc, you'll still get the commentaries, interviews, newsreel footage, trailer, etc.. THE BATTLE OVER CITIZEN KANE is not particularly good or relevant to the film itself; RKO 281 is docudrama fluff that distorts the truth a lot to make its dramatic impact more sensational.
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dx23
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:52 pm
- Location: Puerto Rico
#119
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by dx23 » Tue Sep 13, 2011 11:02 am
Picked the Best Buy edition and it includes discs 1 and 2 with a 48 page booklet.
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atcolomb
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 3:49 pm
- Location: Round Lake, Illinois USA
#120
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by atcolomb » Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:37 pm
So i guess so far the Amazon.com release is the only place to get Ambersons...for now!
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knives
- Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm
#121
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by knives » Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:38 pm
Le sigh, yes. Though technically there are R2 options. Any word on the transfer yet?
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atcolomb
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 3:49 pm
- Location: Round Lake, Illinois USA
#122
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by atcolomb » Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:44 pm
Check some dvd websites and nothing yet but by the end of the week we will read some comments on the transfer and i will post my thoughts when i compare it to my Criterion laserdisc & TCM broadcast.
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swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
- Location: SLC, UT
#123
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by swo17 » Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:46 pm
denti alligator wrote:Got mine from amazon today, and Ambersons is just shrink wrapped against the already shrink-wrapped Kane Blu. It looks so cheap. Won't have a chance to stick it on until later, maybe not till tomorrow.
If one were to buy the combo and remove
Ambersons from the package, could
Citizen Kane still pass as "brand new" for purposes of selling on Amazon Marketplace? It sounds like the answer is yes?
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dlevine
- Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2010 7:42 pm
- Location: Middleburg, FL
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Contact:
#124
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by dlevine » Tue Sep 13, 2011 5:43 pm
swo17 wrote:denti alligator wrote:Got mine from amazon today, and Ambersons is just shrink wrapped against the already shrink-wrapped Kane Blu. It looks so cheap. Won't have a chance to stick it on until later, maybe not till tomorrow.
If one were to buy the combo and remove
Ambersons from the package, could
Citizen Kane still pass as "brand new" for purposes of selling on Amazon Marketplace? It sounds like the answer is yes?
Yeah, I'd say so. Apparently Warner thinks
Ambersons doesn't even deserve a chapter menu...but we do get a Spanish dub!
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Der Spieler
- Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:05 am
#125
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by Der Spieler » Tue Sep 13, 2011 8:28 pm
I'm on the fence about this. 40$ seems high, but boy do I want to watch this in HD.