A Few Words About A few words about...™ High Noon -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by JoeDoakes /t/322358/a-few-words-about-high-noon-in-blu-ray#post_3950451
How exactly do they wind up with "sticky or crawling grain"? As someone without a lot of technical knowledge, I get confused about film grain. If the stuido electronically scrubs the flim to remove the grain that's bad, but some reviewers complain about too much grain, and here you say the grain was sticky. What's the best way to treat film grain?
The other question I have is that I have read that around 2009, Paramount gave a presentation in Hollywood about a new process they had developed for creating low cost high definition transfers. I have assumed that most of the Olive blus resulted from that. Do you know anything about the process they are using.

The best way to treat film grain is to leave it alone.

If you don't bother it...

You get into problems with processing.

No information re: any Paramount process.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Originally Posted by DennisBassi /t/322358/a-few-words-about-high-noon-in-blu-ray#post_3950410
Well, I looked at my Lion's Gate edition last night and was reasonably satisfied with it. Also, it has all of the copious extras. I was looking forward to the Bluray but will wait until it hits the bargain bins or pass altogether hoping for another release.

They've rejected lesser quality. Their bar just isn't as high as many home theater enthusiast's bar.

 

[jim_falconer]

I have this on order from importcds (along with Rio Grande and Johnny Guitar). Currently the discs are backordered, but I'm not going to cancel my order. Looking at the screen caps from Beaver (even though that is not an exact science), it looks a WHOLE lot better than my current Artisan DVD.

 

[JoHud]

It's weird hearing about processed grain structure on this release. The prints Olive usually gets are usually quickie remasters without much else done with them. I guess High Noon got "special" treatment by Paramount somewhere down the line.

I asked a DVD producer who worked on them once, eight or nine years ago, why High Noon and Quiet Man looked so bad, and the answer was really simple, "They won't give us access to the elements and they won't give us access to better transfers, we have the home video rights and they don't so they only give us junk to work with."  The producer then implied strongly that they had offered to pay for a new image harvest for Quiet Man at least and had been rudely shot down.  

That must have been Artisan Entertainment and considering some of the horrid VHS-era transfers they had on their releases, I'm inclined to believe that.

 

[kingofthejungle]

I have this on order from importcds (along with Rio Grande and Johnny Guitar).  Currently the discs are backordered, but I'm not going to cancel my order.  Looking at the screen caps from Beaver (even though that is not an exact science), it looks a WHOLE lot better than my current Artisan DVD.

They do look far superior to the DVDs, especially since old DVD of 'Body Snatchers' was non-anamorphic. If better source materials are uncovered, I might upgrade, but I'm fairly pleased to finally have decent looking copies of these films. If the rest of the Republic series is at this level, it will be a quantum leap from the poor, almost VHS looking DVD transfers we've had for years.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Body and Soul, Force of Evil, Rio Grande and Johnny Guitar all have positive reviews from blu-ray.com.

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Body-and-Soul-Blu-ray/44472/#Review
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Force-of-Evil-Blu-ray/44473/#Review
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Rio-Grande-Blu-ray/44972/#Review
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Johnny-Guitar-Blu-ray/43721/#Review

Johnny Guitar is open matte rather than Widescreen, which may irk some.

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by Brandon Conway /t/322358/a-few-words-about-high-noon-in-blu-ray#post_3950666
Body and Soul, Force of Evil, Rio Grande and Johnny Guitar all have positive reviews from blu-ray.com.

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Body-and-Soul-Blu-ray/44472/#Review
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Force-of-Evil-Blu-ray/44473/#Review
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Rio-Grande-Blu-ray/44972/#Review
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Johnny-Guitar-Blu-ray/43721/#Review

Johnny Guitar is open matte rather than Widescreen, which may irk some.

It irks me no end. No excuse it couldn't have been framed correctly.

 

[JParker]

Since HIGH NOON and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS are a couple of the very best, and probably will be most popular in sales, it doesn't bode well for other Republic-Paramount releases. I love both films. I wonder what PURSUED and "lesser" (popularity) titles will look like. It would seem to me, these two titles would get the royal treatment for Blu-Ray as so many will base their future purchase plans on these releases.

I asked a DVD producer who worked on them once, eight or nine years ago, why High Noon and Quiet Man looked so bad, and the answer was really simple, "They won't give us access to the elements and they won't give us access to better transfers, we have the home video rights and they don't so they only give us junk to work with." The producer then implied strongly that they had offered to pay for a new image harvest for Quiet Man at least and had been rudely shot down.  

None of what you said bodes well for the future release, evidently by Olive, of The Quiet Man. I was looking forward to it. Now, who knows?

 

[Bob Furmanek]

THE QUIET MAN has been fully restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

 

[FoxyMulder]

Originally Posted by Brandon Conway /t/322358/a-few-words-about-high-noon-in-blu-ray#post_3950340
All "blame" should go directly to Paramount and what they provide Olive to work with.

Exactly, Olive take what they are given.

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by FoxyMulder /t/322358/a-few-words-about-high-noon-in-blu-ray#post_3950732

Exactly, Olive take what they are given.

Simple, then.

Paramount should be ashamed of themselves. How would they like it if someone added crawling, sticky grain to their greats...

say, Cloverfield.

RAH

 

[FoxyMulder]

Originally Posted by Robert Harris /t/322358/a-few-words-about-high-noon-in-blu-ray/30#post_3950733

Simple, then.

Paramount should be ashamed of themselves. How would they like it if someone added crawling, sticky grain to their greats...

say, Cloverfield.

RAH

Didn't they add a little grain to Cloverfield post production, ( shot digitally ) i can't remember, been a few years since i saw it, but then you know this and it's probably why you mention that film title to me.

Yes Paramount and indeed many more of the film studio's should be ashamed of themselves, they have a format capable of producing film like images in the home but all too often they compromise the quality, sometimes because they deem a new film scan as an expense not worth paying, sometimes they are not looking at the bigger picture that they will be archiving the film for future generations to enjoy, sometimes because they think film grain is just noise and is evil thus they try eradicating it and causing bigger issues, sometimes because they decide an old film scan from ten years or more ago is fine. ( on that note i'll probably be complaining about Indiana Jones and the Temple Of Doom in September )

I'd put you in charge of the whole Blu ray operation if i had the say in these things, at least then things would be done right all the time.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

I can't verify the accuracy of this information, but it was posted in 2008 on another forum:
High Noon (1952) - Estar (modern safety stock) dupe neg has been made from original nitrate negative; soundtrack restored

 

[JParker]

THE QUIET MAN has been fully restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

Yes, but would Olive use it? That's the $64,000 question. And Robert Harris wrote elsewhere how the best Blu-ray possible could be created from a 4k scan, which I have no idea (and given this film I doubt) whether Olive would do one. I inquired just on a release date, via their contact form on their site and no reply. I guess they have all the customers they need...
Found the post: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/321298/exclusive-htf-interview-gretchen-wayne-on-the-blu-ray-release-of-hondo/30#post_3936475

The Quiet Man negs were put together a decade or more ago by Robert Gitt of UCLA, and it was a beautiful job.
With our new abilities, it should be done again, for a far superior image quality, and the job should be neither major nor terribly expensive. The film deserves to survive in its best possible state, i.e. 4k digital.

In fact, I asked about a 4K scan on their site inquiry form, no reply, zilch, zip, nada.
http://www.olivefilms.com/about-us/

Hello There!
Please feel free to contact and share your ideas and thoughts with us.

Right!
Anyone else wants to try?

 

[FoxyMulder]

Right!
Anyone else wants to try?

I just emailed them and enquired about The Quiet Man, i reckon if enough people ask about the 4K film scan they may get the message.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Alright, after watching this BRD in its entirety, I can see why RAH would crap over the video presentation knowing his standards and expertise. With that said, I thought the opening credit sequence with Tex Ritter singing was mediocre at best and I'm being kind there. However, I thought the rest of the BRD wasn't as mediocre and in some sequences, it looked quite good for the most part. No way, should Olive or Paramount be proud with this video presentation as it could've been much better, so instead of getting the highest grade of 5 video-wise, I would give it a 3.5 on my scale. My grade is more forgiving than RAH's, but I think many folks would be satisfied with this BRD, but those of us that want the best possible HD presentations made available to us will not be satisfied with it. The fight to keep pushing these home video companies into giving us their best efforts with the product they're releasing for sale is far from over and I'm afraid we'll never get there in the disc era. Next up, the pod BRD.





Crawdaddy

 

[JParker]

I just emailed them and enquired about The Quiet Man, i reckon if enough people ask about the 4K film scan they may get the message.

Thanks Foxy. Let us know; it would be great if RAH worked with them on this film!

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Add me to the list of people who have reached out to Olive (concerning the Jerry Lewis titles and my relationship with Mr. Lewis) and never getting a reply. In fact, I wrote to them via their site as well as the person that was posting their press releases here.
Silence.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by Brandon Conway /t/322358/a-few-words-about-high-noon-in-blu-ray#post_3950666
Body and Soul, Force of Evil, Rio Grande and Johnny Guitar all have positive reviews from blu-ray.com.

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Body-and-Soul-Blu-ray/44472/#Review
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Force-of-Evil-Blu-ray/44473/#Review
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Rio-Grande-Blu-ray/44972/#Review
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Johnny-Guitar-Blu-ray/43721/#Review

Johnny Guitar is open matte rather than Widescreen, which may irk some.

I'm afraid that won't be true for certain reviews here.




Crawdaddy

 

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Bob Furmanek /t/322358/a-few-words-about-high-noon-in-blu-ray/30#post_3950744
I can't verify the accuracy of this information, but it was posted in 2008 on another forum:
High Noon (1952) - Estar (modern safety stock) dupe neg has been made from original nitrate negative; soundtrack restored

No. There must be an intermediate positive.

RAH