UHD Review Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ War of the Worlds -- in 4k UHD Blu-ray & When Worlds Collide -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[B-ROLL]

choices choices...it's good to have choices!!

Not always ...

 

[Will Krupp]

Latest explanation as per The Digital Bits:

[Editor’s Update 9/29/22: Interestingly, I found this comment on Facebook from former ILM animator, VFX supervisor and film producer Peter Kuran, responding to Paramount’s statement: “The reason it would be blue would be theatrical IB tech prints are balanced for a carbon arc light source which is very yellow. Better to use a 16mm IB Tech print which is balanced for 3200-3500 more normal.” That seems a reasonable conclusion to me. –BH]

Isn't that backwards? I was under the impression that carbon arc gave off a blue white light (which is why many prints that would have been timed for carbon arc appear yellowish to modern eyes) while xenon bulbs give off a flatter white light?

 

[RobertMG]

Isn't that backwards? I was under the impression that carbon arc gave off a blue white light (which is why many prints that would have been timed for carbon arc appear yellowish to modern eyes) while xenon bulbs give off a flatter white light?

Solution when u feeling blue play the one when ya feel a need for red play the other - and Paramount gets more revenue from everyone!

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I have.

I have the milk of human kindness by the quart in every vein.

On court days, my milk of human kindness is usually spent by 10:30.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

On court days, my milk of human kindness is usually spent by 10:30.

That’s still pretty late in the day. The commute used to be enough for me.

 

[Henry Gondorff]

Latest explanation as per The Digital Bits:

[Editor’s Update 9/29/22: Interestingly, I found this comment on Facebook from former ILM animator, VFX supervisor and film producer Peter Kuran, responding to Paramount’s statement: “The reason it would be blue would be theatrical IB tech prints are balanced for a carbon arc light source which is very yellow. Better to use a 16mm IB Tech print which is balanced for 3200-3500 more normal.” That seems a reasonable conclusion to me. –BH]

If carbon arc light was "very yellow" (which it isn't), it would turn a blue planet green. Maybe we'll get that in a future release.

 

[Robert Harris]

If carbon arc light was "very yellow" (which it isn't), it would turn a blue planet green. Maybe we'll get that in a future release.

This all becomes a bit of a slippery slope. Lamp source. Condition of reflector. Optics. Color of screen,,,

A proper light box with a known color temperature can be our friend.

 

[Nelson Au]

I am a gluten for punishment. I am not showing the laserdisc editions I have too. I’ll be interested in what this new 4K looks like in addition to When Worlds Collide.

 

[bujaki]

I am a gluten for punishment. I am not showing the laserdisc editions I have too. I’ll be interested in what this new 4K looks like in addition to When Worlds Collide.

View attachment 156172

Fortunately, all discs are gluten free!

 

[Nelson Au]

Ha, ha! Spell check got me there! Should be glutton for punishment.

 

[bujaki]

Ha, ha! Spell check got me there! Should be glutton for punishment.

We all are when it comes to this hobby.

 

[Nelson Au]

We all are when it comes to this hobby.

Ha, ha! I’m showing two versions of War of the Worlds on DVD in that photo. But for some reason, I am pretty sure I have a third copy in a flipper case.

In doing a quick search, Paramount has released this title many times on the various formats. I found copies on eBay on laser disc with a different cover art then the copy I have! This title has done well for the studio. This is one of many many titles that are cash cows! And I’m sure each has a red Mars.

 

[Malcolm R]

I was surprised to discover this past weekend that I'd already bought the Criterion blu-ray of WOTW and forgot about it. I was on the verge of ordering the title, but decided to check my DVD Profiler to see if I had it in any format.

Surprised to discover I already had it in the format I wanted.

 

[Capt D McMars]

Fortunately, all discs are gluten free!

...and go great with Salsa!!

 

[B-ROLL]

I am a gluten for punishment. I am not showing the laserdisc editions I have too. I’ll be interested in what this new 4K looks like in addition to When Worlds Collide.

View attachment 156172

I think I have the two WoTW DVDs on the left & the Criterion blu-ray

 

[BobO'Link]

I am a gluten for punishment. I am not showing the laserdisc editions I have too. I’ll be interested in what this new 4K looks like in addition to When Worlds Collide.

View attachment 156172

The only difference with my collection is lack of the new Paramount double-feature and the laserdisc - I never bought into that format as it was expensive and looked clunky.

 

[uncledougie]

I have.

I have the milk of human kindness by the quart in every vein.

The sort who never would, never could
Let an insulting remark escape his lips
A very gentle man.
Indeed, sir.

 

[Nelson Au]

Guys, I just watched the 4K Paramount Presents War of the Worlds.

My impression is this disc surprised me. The image is sharper and colors are good. Without knowing the actual colors audiences saw theatrically in 1953, I’m inclined to think this looks correct! Of course I don’t know, I did do a quick review of the Criterion disc. Amazingly two things surprised me about the Criterion disc, and this is just my observation. The image is very sharp, I’d say the 4K has a slight advantage. As for the color, after re-viewing the shot of Mars and the sequence when the three guys first see the meteor unscrew, and the Martian machine’s weapon emerges, the reds seem over saturated. Three guys are crouching in the gully, and the red light on their faces looks really bright. At first I was thinking the reds were a bit muted on the 4K disc. But after re-seeing the Criterion, the reds appear too saturated. Again, I have no reference to compare to determine what’s right.

As for the controversial shot of Mars at the start of the film, it does look red. More like rust red. This makes sense as the surface of Mars contains iron particles and it oxidizes when exposed to the air. At least thats the theory as to why the iron particles on Mars oxidized, there must have been oxygen there at one point. In 1953, I imagine the scientists did not know that, but on my display, I felt that Mars did look rusty red and not blue. And my display is calibrated. On the Criterion disc, Mark looks almost cartoonish red. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but that’s my impression.

There’s one shot when General Mann is doing the briefing to the Secretary, he’s drawing the yellow triangles and then uses a dark red chalk to draw an X where the triangles intersect. That red chalk really pops! It’s there on the Criterion, but I didn’t notice it as much there. ( I’m always impressed how well Les Tremayne draws those triangles and sweeps the curves so well! )

There’s one shot of The Martian cobra head as it faces the camera and turns to blast the three guys, I thought it might look dark, but the same shot on the Criterion looks the same.

As far as the audio goes, i played the default audio DTS-HD and it had a lot of rear channel activity that’s cranked up a lot more then the Criterion. I prefer the Criterion audio.

RAH will know better but the image look devoid of grain. So does the Criterion.

My conclusion is if you’re a fan of the this film, it might be worth it for you to own it. YMMV. I don’t regret it and I don’t think Mars looks wrong. I’d be curious if others see what I see.

Next up is Bellus as it hurls across space to impact the Earth. I’ll be curious to see how that disc looks.

 

[Jeff F.]

I had never seen the film before I viewed the Paramount 4K version, and I agree with Nelson that it wasn't completely blue. It was a dull rust-like color. The land masses were a bit blue, and it had what looked like an odd snow cap at the top of the planet, but I never once thought that it didn't look red enough. It didn't bother me a bit. Making it completely red would have looked odd to me, IMHO.

 

[John Sparks]

I remember the talk when the CAV LD came out of WAR OF THE WORLDS. Color was never brought up, but being able to freeze frame it, you were able to see where, at the end, the saucers are crashing. The one in LA crashes into a telephone pole, but the pole snaps off before the saucer touches it.

I have the jacket of the movie framed, signed by Anne Robinson on the wall next to my home theater