Charade - 50th Anniversary Edition - Universal 2013 Blu ray release (1 Viewer)

[darkrock17]

Yikes the pressure. Will try to watch in the next day or two and report back here.

What are the special features if there are any?

 

[Escapay]

What are the special features if there are any?

I think it replicates Universal's DVD, so it would include the theatrical trailer and two "100 Years of Universal" featurettes (The Carl Laemmle Era, The Lew Wasserman Era).

By comparison, Criterion's DVD and BD includes commentary by Stanley Donen and Peter Stone, along with the trailer. The DVD also has some text screens, I think.

 

[davidHartzog]

Will stick with excellent Criterion release.

 

[Will Krupp]

Well I bought it. I couldn't stand not knowing what it looks like and, for $12.99 I thought I'd take a chance (I still have the Criterion so I can always give this one away if it's less than...)

I'm popping it in in a few minutes. Fingers crossed.....!

 

[darkrock17]

I think it replicates Universal's DVD, so it would include the theatrical trailer and two "100 Years of Universal" featurettes (The Carl Laemmle Era, The Lew Wasserman Era).

By comparison, Criterion's DVD and BD includes commentary by Stanley Donen and Peter Stone, along with the trailer. The DVD also has some text screens, I think.

Criterion is always the better when comes to comparison. What bugs me though is I why with Charade it dosen't get more special features than trailer and commentary, I've said this before but I'm sure that Criterion and Universal could work together on a making of featurette/documentary.

 

[Tino]

I think it replicates Universal's DVD, so it would include the theatrical trailer and two "[/size]100 Years of Universal" featurettes (The Carl Laemmle Era, [/size]The Lew Wasserman Era).[/size]

By comparison, Criterion's DVD and BD includes commentary by Stanley Donen and Peter Stone, along with the trailer. The DVD also has some text screens, I think.[/size]

It does indeed replicate the DVD extras.

 

[Mark-P]

I'm all for getting this version even if it doesn't quite measure up to Criterion's because it's half the price! As soon as I see it on sale for $9.99 or less I will pull the trigger.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm all for getting this version even if it doesn't quite measure up to Criterion's because it's half the price! As soon as I see it on sale for $9.99 or less I will pull the trigger.

If you have a Best Buy near you, bring in a DVD you don't need any longer and get credit for $5 for it then buy the Charade BD priced at 12.99 and use the $5 credit to reduce it to 7.99 plus tax. Check on availability at your local BB, but mine has it in stock.

 

[haineshisway]

Well I bought it. I couldn't stand not knowing what it looks like and, for $12.99 I thought I'd take a chance (I still have the Criterion so I can always give this one away if it's less than...)

I'm popping it in in a few minutes. Fingers crossed.....!

This has been the longest foreplay EVER - how is it???

 

[Mike Frezon]

Sometimes the foreplay is better than the result...

 

[Will Krupp]

This has been the longest foreplay EVER - how is it???

Hahah, Oh gosh I'm so sorry! I meant to come back here but I was more tired than I thought I was last night so I only got through the first 40 minutes. I don't have the capability to do a direct A to B so I was watching a chunk of one and then switching discs and watching a chunk of the other. Not ideal, I know, but I was able to make a few observations. They are both great transfers, they ARE slightly different but they both seem to have used the same source material. The print anomalies (for lack of a better term) that were present in the Criterion disc (the soft, grainy sections with Audrey in Jacque Marin's office, the obviously dupey moment when Walter Matthau talks about sending his tie to the dry cleaners, the shots of Audrey's red coat lacking detail when she first visits Matthau and the strangely desaturated colors when Cary Grant hops the balconies to confront the bad guys) are all here as well.

They are very close!

Using the Criterion as the base, the first thing I noticed is that the tint of the new Universal seems to be a point or two toward yellow. I count this as a point for the Universal as the generally pinkish push on the Criterion disc was something that always bothered me. The Universal also seems to be a point or two brighter, which at first seems like a point for the Criterion but moving through the first 40 minutes I'm now not sure. My first impression was that there seemed to be more shadow detail on the Universal but I want to hold off on saying that definitely until I can see more. A reviewer on Amazon claimed there was MORE color on the Universal, but the saturation levels look nearly identical to me, although rendered somewhat more naturally on the new disc.

I have to say that so far and can't help but lean a little toward the Universal transfer as being slightly better. Not a night and day by any means but certain shots/scenes that were problematic on the Criterion disc look slightly "better" here in that they are cleaner (Regina coming back to her empty apartment in Paris) sharper (Regina in the inspector's office) and look better balanced (the soft red coat and Cary Grant hopping the balcony.)

I'll know more tonight when I finish (and re-evaluate my slightly sleepy thoughts from last night) but this, so far, seems to be a great bargain that is more than a match for the more expensive Criterion edition (at least in terms of straight picture quality.)

Is it a revelation? No. Is it worthwhile? So far, I'm thinking it's a yes.

 

[FoxyMulder]

Hahah, Oh gosh I'm so sorry! I meant to come back here but I was more tired than I thought I was last night so I only got through the first 40 minutes. I don't have the capability to do a direct A to B so I was watching a chunk of one and then switching discs and watching a chunk of the other. Not ideal, I know, but I was able to make a few observations. They are both great transfers, they ARE slightly different but they both seem to have used the same source material. The print anomalies (for lack of a better term) that were present in the Criterion disc (the soft, grainy sections with Audrey in Jacque Marin's office, the obviously dupey moment when Walter Matthau talks about sending his tie to the dry cleaners, the shots of Audrey's red coat lacking detail when she first visits Matthau and the strangely desaturated colors when Cary Grant hops the balconies to confront the bad guys) are all here as well.

They are very close!

Using the Criterion as the base, the first thing I noticed is that the tint of the new Universal seems to be a point or two toward yellow. I count this as a point for the Universal as the generally pinkish push on the Criterion disc was something that always bothered me. The Universal also seems to be a point or two brighter, which at first seems like a point for the Criterion but moving through the first 40 minutes I'm now not sure. My first impression was that there seemed to be more shadow detail on the Universal but I want to hold off on saying that definitely until I can see more. A reviewer on Amazon claimed there was MORE color on the Universal, but the saturation levels look nearly identical to me, although rendered somewhat more naturally on the new disc.

I have to say that so far and can't help but lean a little toward the Universal transfer as being slightly better. Not a night and day by any means but certain shots/scenes that were problematic on the Criterion disc look slightly "better" here in that they are cleaner (Regina coming back to her empty apartment in Paris) sharper (Regina in the inspector's office) and look better balanced (the soft red coat and Cary Grant hopping the balcony.)

I'll know more tonight when I finish (and re-evaluate my slightly sleepy thoughts from last night) but this, so far, seems to be a great bargain that is more than a match for the more expensive Criterion edition (at least in terms of straight picture quality.)

Is it a revelation? No. Is it worthwhile? So far, I'm thinking it's a yes.

Cleaner....It's Universal...first thoughts are DNR, Sharper...It's Universal...first thoughts are edge enhancement, i'd love to see a screencap comparison.

 

[Will Krupp]

Cleaner....It's Universal...first thoughts are DNR, Sharper...It's Universal...first thoughts are edge enhancement, i'd love to see a screencap comparison.

well since you've already made up your mind...

 

[FoxyMulder]

well since you've already made up your mind...

If it was any other studio i'd keep an open mind but the thing is this, the Criterion release has a natural looking film look, it looks superb to me and i just cannot see Universal leaving things alone, they have a history on blu ray of manipulating the image too far, now last year they actually released some blu ray titles without excessive manipulation, i doubt that will last, i'd love to be proved wrong and i hope Charade does look it's best on this blu ray release.

 

[Mark-P]

Cleaner....It's Universal...first thoughts are DNR, Sharper...It's Universal...first thoughts are edge enhancement, i'd love to see a screencap comparison.

Can we nickname you DNRFoxy?

 

[FoxyMulder]

Can we nickname you DNRFoxy?

You trying to scrub all record of me....nooooooooooooooo.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I never before noticed the resemblance between Malcolm and George Patton...

 

[FoxyMulder]

I never before noticed the resemblance between Malcolm and George Patton...

It must be the Wilkson Sword razors i use, they give a smoooooooooth shave.

 

[Sumnernor]

I have the Criterion BR disk with the same features of the Criterion DVD ( audio commentary (Donan and Stone) and theatrical trailer. I am happy with the disk

 

[AnthonyClarke]

Yes, the commentary of Donen and Stone is a total gem, which makes the Criterion indispensable. The only commentaries I could rank alongside it for sheer entertainment are George Stephens on the DVD of 'The Harvey Girls' and Shirley Jones on 'Oklahoma!'. I'm hoping both those commentaries are preserved when those are eventually released on Blu ray!