UHD Review Enter the Dragon UHD Review (1 Viewer)

[Todd Erwin]

I'm not going to argue in what you're seeing versus what I'm seeing on my displays.

However, there are still too many 4K digital titles that don't have Dolby Atmos like their 4K disc counterparts.

And oddly, some of them are recent theatrical releases! News of the World comes to mind (across all retailers, go figure), as does Uncharted on Vudu.

 

[Tino]

And oddly, some of them are recent theatrical releases! News of the World comes to mind (across all retailers, go figure), as does Uncharted on Vudu.

And then again the digital versions of SISU have Dolby Atmos while the 4K disc is only 5.1! Go figure!

 

[Robert Crawford]

And then again the digital versions of SISU have Dolby Atmos while the 4K disc is only 5.1! Go figure!

The same with Devotion. Even a blind squirrel will find a nut once in a while.

 

[JoshZ]

My issue wasn't with the colors or HDR presentation but more that the film could have been sharpened a bit more; some sequences dipped into BD/DVD territory to my eyes, notably those moments with Jim Kelly's character and also when Saxon's character is at the golf course.

The question I have is whether the issues that bother you are actually video transfer flaws or rather faults of the original photography.

The phrase "could have been sharpened" also gives me pause, I have to be honest.

 

[Kaskade1309]

The question I have is whether the issues that bother you are actually video transfer flaws or rather faults of the original photography.

The phrase "could have been sharpened" also gives me pause, I have to be honest.

It could very well have been that they were original photography issues -- was just pointing out what I had noticed when first viewing it. May not have been a transfer issue at all; I used "transfer" in my analysis in a casual sense, as I was referring to what I saw on the disc.

 

[Kaskade1309]

Oh, and just as an aside, there is NO noise reduction being applied when viewing 4K/HDR content, whether on my display or disc player, so that isn't a factor in terms of what I was seeing on the ETD disc.

 

[Christian D66]

I have not because I don't do anything other than physical, but would that version bring an improvement to the things I was talking about in my post? Does the DV make that big a difference in terms of the PQ?

My issue wasn't with the colors or HDR presentation but more that the film could have been sharpened a bit more; some sequences dipped into BD/DVD territory to my eyes, notably those moments with Jim Kelly's character and also when Saxon's character is at the golf course.

My setup, also, isn't ready for Atmos or even Dolby Vision (we have a Samsung TV which doesn't support DV).

That Saxon golf course scene has looked fuzzy to me in every theatrical and home video viewing I've ever seen. I would watch it at the midnight movies in the early 80s and wait for the fuzz in that scene.

There was also always an awkward cut/reel change when Saxon kicks the bad guy on the golf course until recent versions.

 

[Kaskade1309]

That Saxon golf course scene has looked fuzzy to me in every theatrical and home video viewing I've ever seen. I would watch it at the midnight movies in the early 80s and wait for the fuzz in that scene.

There was also always an awkward cut/reel change when Saxon kicks the bad guy on the golf course until recent versions.

Indeed; it was an area that could have done with some cleaning up -- and I saw the awkward cut you're referring to after he kicks one of Freddy's goons. There was always an odd splice jump there, dating back to the 25th Anniversary DVD release.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Indeed; it was an area that could have done with some cleaning up -- and I saw the awkward cut you're referring to after he kicks one of Freddy's goons. There was always an odd splice jump there, dating back to the 25th Anniversary DVD release.

Clean up has nothing to do with it because it’s inherent to the film elements.

 

[Kaskade1309]

Clean up has nothing to do with it because it’s inherent to the film elements.

Yeah, I get it.

My point is that certain parts of these films should have been given some restoration efforts, being that they look utterly atricious at certain moments. I can pick out a handful in ETD and more than a few in The Exorcist, just as latest Warner examples (in terms of what they're bringing to UHD).

 

[Christian D66]

Indeed; it was an area that could have done with some cleaning up -- and I saw the awkward cut you're referring to after he kicks one of Freddy's goons. There was always an odd splice jump there, dating back to the 25th Anniversary DVD release.

That splice was in film prints I saw at midnight movie showings in the early 80s. I assume it was the reel change that diffused the image and repeated screenings that messed it up. But the scene looks like it was filmed pretty quick. "Wanna bet?"

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Indeed; it was an area that could have done with some cleaning up

Clean up has nothing to do with it because it’s inherent to the film elements.

Robert's hit the nail on the head here. Remember that Enter the Dragon was a co-production with Golden Harvest, and film stocks available in Hong Kong at the time may not have been the best. Any clean-up would have resulted in smeary grain reduction and artificial sharpening. It's clear that there isn't 4K of resolution here, and the primary assistance granted by UHD is improving the colour palette.

 

[Kaskade1309]

That splice was in film prints I saw at midnight movie showings in the early 80s. I assume it was the reel change that diffused the image and repeated screenings that messed it up. But the scene looks like it was filmed pretty quick. "Wanna bet?"

Oh, so it goes back that far....wow. Indeed, there's something off there; I have to watch it again just to see exactly what point I noticed the snafu. Are you referring to the "Wanna bet" line when he asks that of the Freddy henchman or when he asks his secretary at the end of the scene (before the dissolve)?

 

[Kaskade1309]

Robert's hit the nail on the head here. Remember that Enter the Dragon was a co-production with Golden Harvest, and film stocks available in Hong Kong at the time may not have been the best. Any clean-up would have resulted in smeary grain reduction and artificial sharpening. It's clear that there isn't 4K of resolution here, and the primary assistance granted by UHD is improving the colour palette.

I'll give you an improvement of the color palette (though that golf sequence still comes off as DVD-esque to me, even in the colors), but there should have been some kind of restoration given to a few areas here. I already mentioned the golf sequence, obviously, but the part where Williams (Kelly) walks around his karate studio and is interrogated by the cops looks atrocious (for UHD) also.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I'll give you an improvement of the color palette (though that golf sequence still comes off as DVD-esque to me, even in the colors), but there should have been some kind of restoration given to a few areas here. I already mentioned the golf sequence, obviously, but the part where Williams (Kelly) walks around his karate studio and is interrogated by the cops looks atrocious (for UHD) also.

Again, you can't put something back that wasn't there in the first place. The production budget on Enter the Dragon was $750,000, which is low for 1973. It would be low for 1953. Compare that to the budget for The Exorcist [$10,000,000, and released the same year], and the old "can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" adage comes to mind.

 

[Kaskade1309]

Again, you can't put something back that wasn't there in the first place. The production budget on Enter the Dragon was $750,000, which is low for 1973. It would be low for 1953. Compare that to the budget for The Exorcist [$10,000,000, and released the same year], and the old "can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" adage comes to mind.

Interestingly enough, I have issues with more than a few sequences in The Exorcist, which you brought up, yet that boasted (as you point out) an enhanced budget...

I still think something should have been done to polish up some of these sequences in ETD; I mean, it's like you're watching a 2160p presentation of the film and suddenly some scenes dip into DVD-esque quality (perhaps even worse, as it pertains to those golf course sequences and the scenes with Williams and the cops/at the karate studio I mentioned...I mean, to my eye, these border on almost VHS quality).

In these particular instances, I personally would have settled for some DNR or artificial sharpening (the latter only if it didn't enhance issues such as noise) just for them to look better and more in line with the sharp-as-a-tack moments.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Interestingly enough, I have issues with more than a few sequences in The Exorcist, which you brought up, yet that boasted (as you point out) an enhanced budget...

I still think something should have been done to polish up some of these sequences in ETD; I mean, it's like you're watching a 2160p presentation of the film and suddenly some scenes dip into DVD-esque quality (perhaps even worse, as it pertains to those golf course sequences and the scenes with Williams and the cops/at the karate studio I mentioned...I mean, to my eye, these border on almost VHS quality).

In these particular instances, I personally would have settled for some DNR or artificial sharpening (the latter only if it didn't enhance issues such as noise) just for them to look better and more in line with the sharp-as-a-tack moments.

I suspect that some of these issues come down to dupe elements that can’t be fixed without some digital futzing that would introduce all-new issues.

 

[Kaskade1309]

I suspect that some of these issues come down to dupe elements that can’t be fixed without some digital futzing that would introduce all-new issues.

Fair enough, and probably accurate.

 

[Todd Erwin]

Still waiting to hear back from the studio regarding the missing Theatrical Cut and special features on digital code redemptions with most retailers.

After a month of no response, I finally received something from Warner Customer Service, but only after I sent a brand new e-mail with the subject line of "Does anyone ever respond to customers?" and asking if that particular inbox was even monitored. Yeah, it may sound a bit rude, but after 5 weeks of following up asking nicely for some kind of response and hearing nothing but crickets, I really do not see a problem.

The first response asked what my issue was. I then copy and pasted the text from my initial email and sent it off. Warner then asked for the title of the movie or TV show, format, the UPC number, and photos of the front and back of the case as well as the digital copy insert, and then mentioned that once they receive that information they would check inventory and that I should allow 4-8 weeks for arrival.

I asked why they needed that info and Warner responded that is was very important. So I provided the requested info, then followed up immediately asking what they meant by having to check inventory and that if they were sending a replacement copy, they probably did not understand what my issue was.

The response I got back the next morning was "Do you need a digital code?"

Wow. I then paraphrased my original email once again, spelling out the issues with the lack of consistency across retailers that I had with this title. And that is where I am at currently, awaiting the next response from Warner's Customer Service team.

 

[JohnRice]

I do believe the current philosophy of customer service is to send the customer into an endless cycle of futility, until they eventually give up.