HTF REVIEW: "Back To The Future Trilogy" (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

[Jeffrey Gray]

Actually, this isn't overcropping...the matting is just in the wrong place. This problem has happened with several other discs (The Searchers comes to mind...)

 

[Daniel P]

Hey Ron,

Fantastic review...but the part I most wanna know about was left off (understandably) - as far as R1 vs R2 vs R4 comparisons are concerned.

Will you eventually add the commentaries to the review? Once you have had some decent sleep?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Guys,

It it really necessary to know about the commentaries?

Is that a make or break buying decision for you?

I'm not trying to be rude about this. It's just that
I have so many other DVDs to get to this week. I
think you will all agree that spending a total of 12
hours over the course of 3 days to watch and write the
review I just posted is quite an accomplishment.

It took me a long time to go through this set and
write that review. There will be other reviews posted
throughout the net this week -- I am sure someone will
write about the commentaries.

I don't generally like referring people to other sites,
but I love Peter Bracke's reviews on DVDFILE. I would
bet anything that he would do a far better job
reviewing the commentary material than I ever could.
In fact, I like the way that most all the Internet
reviewers have a little something different in each
of their reviews. Commentaries are not something
I particularly enjoy reviewing.

Thanks for understanding.

 

[Bob Black]

Great Scott!! This set will be over there - on my hope chest! :b

 

[Seth_S]

Florian B,

But with such a major release, that means more than the usual number of complaints.

It seems odd that Bob Gale was so involved with this project yet let this error slip through.

I guess a lot comes down to how glaring the improper-matting is when you actually watch the movie.

 

[John Simon]

Is anyone sure this matting issue is an error? I understand the laserdisc was framed differently, but isn't there a possibility this is the way the theatrical version was framed? This is just speculation, and I'm unsure myself.

 

[Daniel P]

No worries Ron (about the commentaries).

It's never a make-or-break decision for me, but I held off on the local (Region 4) version for the commentaries.

So in the case of Back To The Future, the commentaries are the big reason to import the Region 1 version for me, but if they're skippable, I'll invest in the local version. The other extras that the Region 4 version misses out on are not a concern to me, just the commentaries.

 

[Rich Romero]

No, and it angers me, when after that big review you wrote, people still complain about the commentaries. I mean, even if Ron doesn't like the commentaries, it doesn't mean you won't. Reviewing how good commentaries are is totally relative to the viewer. No big deal at all.

 

[Daniel P]

No, and it angers me, when after that big review you wrote, people still complain about the commentaries. I mean, even if Ron doesn't like the commentaries, it doesn't mean you won't. Reviewing how good commentaries are is totally relative to the viewer. No big deal at all.

Of course everybody has differing tastes...same goes with the actual films doesn't it?
I simply want to know if there is good information in the tracks, but will wait for a review at some other websites if I have to. No need to be angered

 

[Brenton]

Heavy review Ron. I'm impressed.

Now I can't wait for these discs. Unfortunately, I think I'll have to wait until Christmas!

But I WILL get them. They are my "density".

 

[Tom J. Davis]

Great review Ron, as always!

 

[GuruAskew]

If those screenshots of the "cropped" scenes are the same in the R1 version, it's an undeniable mistake. I put quotation marks around "cropped" because, as has been said in this thread before, it's not cropped, but the frame needs to be "tilted" down. What you see in those pictures is a bunch of empty space at the top of the frame and missing information at the bottom. This is a mistake, plain and simple, and we can only hope that the problem has either been corrected in the R1 version or that Universal will offer replacements, which IS a possibility as they've done a similar offer with the DTS version of "Jurassic Park". There's no point in denying it's a mistake. It's up to the individual viewer whether or not it's a mistake that warrants replacement but it IS a mistake with the transfer.

 

[Joe Schwartz]

One thing I am interested in knowing is if any of the Back to the Future movies were released in 70mm? Back in 1985 I remember seeing it and the picture was huge and the sound was stunning. It was popular in the 80's for movies to be released in 70mm so they can take advantage of the 6-track magnetic sound even if they were not filmed in 70mm. Perhaps they used these masters for the 5.1 Dolby Digital track?

According to Widescreen Review, all three movies were released in 70mm, as blow-ups from the original 35mm photography. They did have 6-track soundtracks, but I have no idea whether those masters were used for the DVDs.

 

[JohnS]

Ron,

But what happened to actress Claudia Wells?

I had heard long ago, right after part 1, that one of her parents was tragiclly sick and passed away.
She got heavily depressed and quick acting all together.
Also,
did they forget to mention on the part 1 commentary, that the original idea for the time machine was a refrigerator.
They 86 the idea, because at that time a bunch of kids were locking themselves in refrigerators and dying.
hence also the special episode of Punky Brewster.(anybody remember that?)

 

[DaViD Boulet]

I know this is off topic but:

In fact, with The Two Towers in theaters the next day, I am really torn about taking time off from work on the 17th or on the 18th.

Dave...I *am* taking the afternoon off on that Weds (along with my boss and several other coworkers) for JUST that reason!

 

[Declan]

For those that care: there is no difference that i could tell (from my friends r4 version os the trilogy) between the DD5.1 and DTS tracks. The both sounded very similar. Personally I am importing the r1 for the extra commentaries.

Great review as always Ron, cheers

 

[Declan]

If those screenshots of the "cropped" scenes are the same in the R1 version, it's an undeniable mistake. I put quotation marks around "cropped" because, as has been said in this thread before, it's not cropped, but the frame needs to be "tilted" down. What you see in those pictures is a bunch of empty space at the top of the frame and missing information at the bottom. This is a mistake, plain and simple, and we can only hope that the problem has either been corrected in the R1 version or that Universal will offer replacements, which IS a possibility as they've done a similar offer with the DTS version of "Jurassic Park". There's no point in denying it's a mistake. It's up to the individual viewer whether or not it's a mistake that warrants replacement but it IS a mistake with the transfer.

These movies were shot Flat 1.85:1 so they were basicaly shot 4:3 but composed for theatrical exhibition in the 1.85 ratio. Any of the space above and below is just empty space. But it is usefull when transferring the movies to tape for a full screen presentation where they can use all of the negatives image instead of panning and scanning although for certain effects shots (such as the Delorian going back in time at Twin Pines mall) the image was panned and scanned or left intact in widescreen for that one shot (have a TV version that did that).

If i'm wrong, feel free to correct.

 

[Dan Hitchman]

While I would rate the films in this order:

1. Back to the Future
2. Back to the Future III
3. Back to the Future II

And do not agree that Part II is anywhere near as good as the bookend movies, I will definitely be buying the boxed set.

Almost sounds like they dusted off the old transfer for the first movie (the best one), and did fresh transfers for the other two. Kind of disappointing.

Dan

 

[Jeffrey Gray]

Dan Hitchman: Universal can't have used an old transfer for BTTF, because if they had used the LD transfer, it would be non-anamorphic...the DVD's transfer is anamorphic. I just think the film materials aren't in the absolute best of conditions...but still, I've seen DVD transfers of films from the same time period as BTTF, that have had utilized MUCH worse prints than BTTF's transfer (supposedly) does. (The original Amadeus disc, anyone?)

 

[Chris_Morris]

hence also the special episode of Punky Brewster.(anybody remember that?)

Yes My brother in law was training to be a paramedic/firefighter at the time and he taught my nephew and I CPR after the show.
Chris