After typing this up – it’s more a product review than a movie review – so you’ll be warned.
I liked the movie quite a bit – but the blu-ray print was so awful that it seriously detracted from the film in such a way that I’m left thinking about the digital noise more than the story. Apparently the director added digital fuzz and filters to lend the film a grittier look for the blu-ray – which distracted me quite a bit. There was a scene where they were tailing someone – and they showed a shot outside their window and it was so fuzzy and grainy it took me right out of the moment. Then another scene where Popeye was across the street from his tail and he clapped his hands together – and they showed a close-up of that – and it looked like a big gray and black grainy mess – and I had to sit and think what that was all about. I couldn’t tell you about how the color filters affected the film – because it was my first viewing – but I almost felt like I was watching a bootlegged VHS copy it was so dark and ugly.
This is not how you release a “classic” on any format – it was pathetic. I don’t care if you want your film to have a different look – it’s a slap in the face of all the people who worked on the film – who have watched it and hold it up as a classic and even first time watchers who don’t want to see a bunch of disgusting digital fuzz and just watch what everyone keeps talking about. Put your fucking Ego away – and make a different film with all the elements you wanted – and leave the original alone.
I liked the movie quite a bit – but the blu-ray print was so awful that it seriously detracted from the film in such a way that I’m left thinking about the digital noise more than the story. Apparently the director added digital fuzz and filters to lend the film a grittier look for the blu-ray – which distracted me quite a bit. There was a scene where they were tailing someone – and they showed a shot outside their window and it was so fuzzy and grainy it took me right out of the moment. Then another scene where Popeye was across the street from his tail and he clapped his hands together – and they showed a close-up of that – and it looked like a big gray and black grainy mess – and I had to sit and think what that was all about. I couldn’t tell you about how the color filters affected the film – because it was my first viewing – but I almost felt like I was watching a bootlegged VHS copy it was so dark and ugly.
This is not how you release a “classic” on any format – it was pathetic. I don’t care if you want your film to have a different look – it’s a slap in the face of all the people who worked on the film – who have watched it and hold it up as a classic and even first time watchers who don’t want to see a bunch of disgusting digital fuzz and just watch what everyone keeps talking about. Put your fucking Ego away – and make a different film with all the elements you wanted – and leave the original alone.
The film was really interesting though – I loved that car chase under the elevated-train – that was intense – it’s exactly what action movies don’t have these days. I liked that 70’s cop movie feel that just kind of leaves you scratching your head and wondering about it all.
I've been hearing quite a few stories lately about poor quality Blu-Ray releases.
ReplyDeleteWith any fairly new format - there's always some crap that gets pushed out on it that never should've been - because studios have such a back catalog that they want to cash in as quick as they can.
ReplyDeleteI think the main issue is the DVD format is wonderful - even upconverted on my blu-ray player - Blade Runner - Vampyros Lesbos - The Good, the Bad & the Ugly - and several other films that were given stunning DVD releases - look more vibrant and stunning - so maybe more care should be taken in "remastering" older film for DVD and leave blu-ray for the modern digital films that can really take advantage of the format...