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

[Tino]

I ordered over the weekend when Amazon's price was $15.83 - should have waited and saved a few pennies... :/

If you haven't received it yet, Amazon should give you the lowest price.

 

[classicmovieguy]

Mine has already shipped but I won't receive it for a couple of weeks (international shipping). I thought the price-lower offer only applies to pre-orders, though.

 

[FoxyMulder]

The Universal Charade disc arrived today, very quick delivery, took a long look at it, to me it seems identical to the Criterion release, i'll make a screencap comparison for the middle of the week, screencaps take forever when doing manually, comparisons take even longer, i think they can be useful to give examples on any differences with colour or contrast or even grain removal or the application of edge enhancement, not everyone agrees, of course seeing things in motion with your own eyes is better, if you don't agree with screencaps then consider it entertainment.

 

[Tom Logan]

That is a long sentence.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Until you are at least willing to LOOK at the Universal disc though, I'm not sure your conclusion that the Criterion is automatically "better" holds any weight.

I'm not going to buy the same title twice, lend me your copy Will and i'll take a look.

Hell, I'll BUY YA' ONE!!

Only $12.99 at amazon right now!

Okay, i'll do an HD screencap comparison if you want to buy me one, would you like my address.

All right, smartypants....It's on its way!

Thanks.

The Universal Charade disc arrived today...

 

[Will Krupp]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

 

[Mike Frezon]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

Yeah...except now I can't get that song out of my head! It WAS, however, fun to watch that video again after many, many years of not having seen it.

 

[Tom Logan]

Maximum LOLs.

 

[Kevin EK]

So if I'm reading what I think I'm reading, the new Universal Blu-ray is carrying essentially the same transfer as the Criterion Blu. Of course, the Criterion edition has the extras. But if someone picked up the Universal Blu, they wouldn't be getting a DNR problem by any means.

 

[Will Krupp]

If you watch them side by side or back to back you'll see that they are CLOSE but not the exact same transfer but (I suspect) the same source. There are differences (mostly in color) but different people will get different mileage out of that.

Let's just say they are both very good and you wouldn't do badly with either.

 

[Robin9]

If you watch them side by side or back to back you'll see that they are CLOSE but not the exact same transfer but (I suspect) the same source. There are differences (mostly in color) but different people will get different mileage out of that.

Let's just say they are both very good and you wouldn't do badly with either.

Thank you, That, in a nutshell, is what many of us wanted to know.

 

[FoxyMulder]

No difference in colour, here is my screencap comparison, exact same transfer with very small difference when viewing the caps to grain structure in some scenes, not noticeable in motion, this is due to VC-1 codec vs AVC codec and not any DNR being applied to the transfer.

http://www.darkrealmfox.com/film_reviews/2013/07/31/hd-comparisons-charade/

 

[Citizen87645]

Nice work Malcolm!

Since I already have the Criterion, it's nice to know the Universal is good, if anything to give as gifts!

 

[Will Krupp]

No difference in colour,..

Whoa, wait a minute...this is SO weird! In your comparisons they look like the EXACT same transfer but I can assure you, after all the time I spent with these, that there was a marked shift in the color (away from pink) on the Universal disc when I watched it. I don't understand how we can have such different experiences!

I gotta ask, but you're SURE you didn't accidentally scan the same disc twice?

I mean, I'm sure you didn't but I can't account for why these look identical here but they are different for me and different for the blu-ray.com reviewer who also remarked on the color changes (though we came to opposite conclusions.) Would the codec react differently to different players? I don't see why it would but this makes no sense to me. I mean, right out of the gate with Regina eating her breakfast there was a difference....

HELP!!!!

(by the way, to my eye these both look like the slightly pinker Criterion transfer...why does the Universal look "better" for me at home?)

 

[FoxyMulder]

Whoa, wait a minute...this is SO weird! In your comparisons they look like the EXACT same transfer but I can assure you, after all the time I spent with these, that there was a marked shift in the color (away from pink) on the Universal disc when I watched it. I don't understand how we can have such different experiences!

I gotta ask, but you're SURE you didn't accidentally scan the same disc twice?

I mean, I'm sure you didn't but I can't account for why these look identical here but they are different for me and different for the blu-ray.com reviewer who also remarked on the color changes (though we came to opposite conclusions.) Would the codec react differently to different players? I don't see why it would but this makes no sense to me. I mean, right out of the gate with Regina eating her breakfast there was a difference....

HELP!!!!

(by the way, to my eye these both look like the slightly pinker Criterion transfer...why does the Universal look "better" for me at home?)

The comparison took almost ten hours to prepare, unlike some sites which shall remain nameless i do it manually by hand, all settings are identical when taking the caps, i ensure all the bad things such as edge sharpening and excessive colour and contrast boosts are switched off in the graphics card controls and such settings are also switched off in Media Player Classic, i also make sure renderer settings are 0-255 and bt.709 profile is engaged.

There are no colour differences, i went in expecting some after reading that review but noted none, the blu ray player cannot make colour differences due to a different codec, that is assuming you played both discs on the same player and the same television, trust me i take the screencaps seriously and triple check, sometimes quadruple check the caps and comments i make, often i will make spelling mistakes and have to redo the post several times but the screencaps are done correctly and there is absolutely no difference in colour tone with both releases.

The reviewer at blu ray.com talks about colour differences but after checking their 5 Criterion caps to the Universal ones, all i can say is that just like the screencaps i prepared, they are identical in colour, any differences are due to display alterations they have made or the placebo effect, most likely the latter as we all want to see differences when we re-buy things.

 

[Tom Logan]

In the Han-shot-first chronicles:

In late 1963, the final pre-release cut of Charade had both Hepburn and Grant using the word assassinate(d). Director Donen realized the problem--this was right after Kennedy's assassination--before the movie opened in early December 1963, so he had the dialogue looped to say eliminate(d) instead.

The Criterion Blu-ray (and I assume all other DVDs and Blu-rays) now has the original assassinate(d).

On the commentary, Donen animatedly asks by what right was assassinate(d) restored? He says he did not authorize it, and it was not the released version of the film, so there's no justification for restoring it.

Is Donen right? Discuss.

 

[Will Krupp]

they are identical in colour, any differences are due to display alterations they have made or the placebo effect, most likely the latter as we all want to see differences when we re-buy things.

So you/re saying I'm just crazy?

 

[Robert Crawford]

So you/re saying I'm just crazy?

Or perhaps those not seeing what you see with the color are that way?

 

[FoxyMulder]

So you/re saying I'm just crazy?

It is what it is, i can't make this up, i prepared the screencaps exactly as i always do, identical settings produce stellar results, it's like screen calibration, everything has to be equal to do these tests and it was, no, not crazy at all, i just ask you trust my findings, i took a lot of time doing this and i have absolutely no vested interest in any of this, i want accuracy and strive for it, the screencaps are accurate.

Or perhaps those not seeing what you see with the color are that way?

 

[haineshisway]

Fascinating screen caps not a one of which resembles one whit the color on either the Criterion or Universal - not in those caps, sorry. Read the reviews of this title and its color and then tell me how the drab, lifeless color on the caps you've posted can reflect what the reviewers have said and what everyone on these forums have said - great color. Maybe it's my iMac 27-inch monitor displaying your caps incorrectly, but since I visit many sites and images look and great and accurate on them, I somehow doubt it. Which is why I don't take caps at any value and why Will Krupp is right - there are differences between the two - very minor, but there.