Classics on HD and BD (1 Viewer)

[Douglas Monce]

You're right on the mark with this David. In fact this was really the whole point of VistaVision. There was really no intention to project the horizontal format. It was mostly intended to have improved standard 35mm release prints. 35mm prints from VistaVistion were said to be quite an improvement on standard 35mm/35mm release prints.

Doug

 

[David_D]

North by Northwest

 

[Douglas Monce]

I'm sorry, what about it?

Doug

 

[David_D]

Sorry. Just another film that cries out for HD Media.

 

[MatthewA]

Warner said in the last chat not to expect North by Northwest before 2009.

 

[DaViD Boulet]

NBNW would be a LOT of work bcs the last "digital" restoration (not on film) was performed at the SD level, so they now need to re-scan all those deteriorating elements all over again and start from scratch (and if they did do 1080p scans, the restoration work was done in SD... and HD scanning has improved dramatically since that title).

 

[Eric F]

So, is 20 Million Miles going to be the first B&W release on BLU (not to mention the oldest)?

 

[Douglas Monce]

Unless you count the first 5 min of Casino Royale . But actually the Searchers is older by a year having been released in 1956. Of course its not in B&W.

Doug

 

[Paul Arnette]

I thought I read on HDD that it would be a colorized version? Are they going to release both versions? Lord, I hope so.

Also, Warner Bros. just announced Bonnie and Cylde on BD and HD for 3/25/2008!

http://dvd.themanroom.com/dvd-newsview.php?id=822

 

[David_D]

I think 20 Million Miles is going to be both B+W and colorized.

 

[Douglas Monce]

Yeah it lists both versions on the info I saw for the release.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Good Night and Good Luck has been released on BD, so it's not the first black & white film (although it's probably the first from when B&W was not unusual).

 

[Douglas Monce]

Good catch, I forgot about Good Night and Good Luck. Lets just say that 20 million miles maybe the first film on blu-ray that shot with a B&W negative.

(Good Night and Good Luck shot on color negative)

Doug

 

[Paul Arnette]

Thanks. Glad to hear it. The title is now "back on my radar" as a result.

 

[Danny_N]

Added Bonnie And Clyde.
A Swiss webshop is listing a BD and HD of Cool Hand Luke for a release in March as well. Hope they are right.

Btw, I think the first b/w film on BD was Jailhouse Rock.

 

[Douglas Monce]

Oh yeah I forgot about Jailhouse Rock. People complain about no classics on HDM, but Warners is almost single handedly priming the pump with classic films, from westerns to Elvis.

Doug

 

[Carlo_M]

Man, I can commiserate with those impatiently awaiting more classic, catalog titles. I just watched several Hitchcock films on HDNet Movies (they're having a 10 Hitchcock Movie Marathon) and I cannot wait to own these films on HD...

 

[MatthewA]

I've been watching the Hitchcock HDNet marathon, too. The Trouble With Harry looked stunning, but The Man Who Knew Too Much still has serious problems with its transfer.

 

[Carlo_M]

Agreed. Rear Window too has a lot of what looks like video noise [it actually looked like how my PS3 would upscale my DVD of Rear Window]. Harry was phenomenal. Looked like it was shot in the last 10 years. I thought Frenzy looked good. Vertigo and Psycho, the clips I saw, looked consistent with perhaps the same transfers from which the DVDs were made.

RAH (or anyone else) I'd be interested to hear why The Trouble With Harry looked so stunning!

 

[Douglas Monce]

Well one possible reason is that The Trouble with Harry was a VistaVision film, Rear Window was standard 35mm matted to 1.85:1.

However I don't know any details of the transfers that might effect the quality of the final image.

Doug