Is There Any Reason Why DRAGONSLAYER Couldn't Get A Great 4K Release? (1 Viewer)

[Stephen_J_H]

Back on topic, this would be ideal for Kino or Shout to release in 4K.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Back on topic, this would be ideal for Kino or Shout to release in 4K.

Yeah, but I don't think that's happening. Perhaps, a Blu-ray release is more likely to happen.

 

[Carlo_M]

Just in case any studio rep reads this thread, count me in as another release date purchaser of ideally a great 4K, but right now I'd even settle for a great Blu-Ray of this film.

 

[Noel Aguirre]

There are so many other fantasy/sci fi. films from the eighties more deserving of.a 4K HDR release before this with Tron, Clash of the Titans, Conan, and Excalibur at the top of my list.

 

[Robert Crawford]

It's funny how movie detractors always show up in threads like this one to express their negative opinion. I guess it makes them feel better to let us know how they feel about a certain movie.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Dragonslayer is a title that I would love to see offered in the best possible presentation. I saw this theatrically and loved it. This film was released during the era that ILM was making a name for themselves and features some memorable visuals. The cloud FX were always a favorite, second to only Vermithrax Pejorative itself. There is a lot to like in this film including the casting, the score, and the plot element that the old religions were being replaced by the new.

As far as nostalgia goes for the title, that certainly is part of the appeal. I was reasonably young when I saw this, but not exactly a child either.

- Walter.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Dragonslayer is a title that I would love to see offered in the best possible presentation. I saw this theatrically and loved it. This film was released during the era that ILM was making a name for themselves and features some memorable visuals. The cloud FX were always a favorite, second to only Vermithrax Pejorative itself. There is a lot to like in this film including the casting, the score, and the plot element that the old religions were being replaced by the new.

As far as nostalgia goes for the title, that certainly is part of the appeal. I was reasonably young when I saw this, but not exactly a child either.

- Walter.

Like you Walter, I saw this in a movie theater too and feel the same way about the visuals. I have the iTunes HD digital, but would love to improve upon that digital with a physical disc or a digital from a more recent scan that has the best possible presentation.

 

[Koschei]

I find the animation of the dragon from 1981 preferable to nearly any CGI I've seen recently (Vermathrax Pejorative remains the best-rendered dragon of any movie before or since, in my opinion) -- and the movie, considering Disney co-produced it, is sometimes simply scary as hell.

This, 100%. I think Vermithrax remains the best cinematic dragon. Because it was always a real object being filmed and moved, the dragon just has more "reality" than any digital creation.

(The dragons on Game of Thrones are excellent, but those are TV, not film.)

ETA: I'm also in the "saw this in the theater crowd," and like Walter, was reasonably young but not really a child at the time.

 

[Malcolm R]

(The dragons on Game of Thrones are excellent, but those are TV, not film.)

Reign of Fire is on my guilty pleasures list of dragon films. Love films with badass dragons (none of this Pete's Dragon or talking Dragonheart stuff). I keep hoping for an adaptation of Matthew Reilly's novel, "The Great Zoo of China".

I'd buy an updated disc of Dragonslayer before some of the other titles recently mentioned.

 

[RJ992]

It was a big hit with my movie-watching group and my family when we streamed it a month ago. I wish I’d seen it in a theater back then.

That's how I first saw it. Twice, because my gf at the time wanted to see it again. Had the laserdisc and dvd. The movie was SUPER-BIG on cable through the 80s-90s.

 

[Christian D66]

I saw it opening night over my friends going to S.O.B. I still have my souvenir program.
The film had a dark tone with not that appealing leads but a wonderful mediveal ambience and absolutely the best film dragon. One shot of Vermithax in the tunnel might be the finest stop motion sequence ever put on film. I think my screen was 35mm but felt 70mm and I can still remember the amazing sound design. LOUD in SURROUND. Baby dragons eating dead princess in a Disney film is still shocking and wonderful.

Given the popularity of GOT and now DnD, I know this film would sell fast in any new mastered format with a plethora of extras. Followed by a multitude of "Underrated Fantasy Films" pieces.

Then maybe EXCALIBUR in 4k, etc. And pleaseplease SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES....

 

[Noel Aguirre]

It's funny how movie detractors always show up in threads like this one to express their negative opinion. I guess it makes them feel better to let us know how they feel about a certain movie.

It’s called expressing one’s opinion in a free and open society. If only positive options are to be expressed maybe that should be a pre-requisite posted point at the lead of the thread?

 

[Robert Crawford]

It’s called expressing one’s opinion in a free and open society. If only positive options are to be expressed maybe that should be a pre-requisite posted point at the lead of the thread?

Yeah, right.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

There are so many other fantasy/sci fi. films from the eighties more deserving of.a 4K HDR release before this with Tron, Clash of the Titans, Conan, and Excalibur at the top of my list.

It's funny how movie detractors always show up in threads like this one to express their negative opinion. I guess it makes them feel better to let us know how they feel about a certain movie.

It’s called expressing one’s opinion in a free and open society. If only positive options are to be expressed maybe that should be a pre-requisite posted point at the lead of the thread?

A couple of things:
1. Deserve ain't got nothing to do with it;
2. I question the wisdom of simply popping into a thread expressly dedicated to Dragonslayer to threadcrap [this kind of comment is more appropriate to a "what films would you like to see in 4K" thread]; and
3. As has been discussed ad nauseam in other threads, there are significant problems with bringing at least two titles referenced [and possibly a third] to UHD 4K; specifically, Excalibur does not have 4K of resolution in available elements; the optical work involved in Tron made it very grainy and not likely to receive any perceptible improvement from UHD 4K, notwithstanding a significant portion of the film having been shot on 65mm; and in the case of Clash of the Titans, there are likely to be grain issues baked in because of Harryhausen's compositing methods [have you seen the HD masters of Jason and the Argonauts et al? some of the grain issues are hard on the eyes].

 

[jayembee]

There are so many other fantasy/sci fi. films from the eighties more deserving of.a 4K HDR release before this with Tron, Clash of the Titans, Conan, and Excalibur at the top of my list.

There's very little chance of seeing Tron in 4K. There are far too many opticals getting in the way of a decent 4K presentation. But as far as the other three you mention go, I would say that Excalibur is the only one that I think might be better than Dragonslayer. Might. Clash of the Titans I was gravely disappointed in; Conan I thought was a terrible, terrible film.

 

[jayembee]

Reign of Fire is on my guilty pleasures list of dragon films.

Funny you should mention it. I was going to say that I've always felt that the SFX folks on that film were inspired by Dragonslayer in their design and movement of their dragons.

I like Reign of Fire, too, but I don't feel particularly guilty about it.

 

[jayembee]

Then maybe EXCALIBUR in 4k, etc. And pleaseplease SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES....

I doubt very much that Disney would be interested in releasing a UHD of Something Wicked This Way Comes. They didn't even release it on Blu-ray in the general market: it's a Disney Movie Club exclusive.

 

[Noel Aguirre]

There's very little chance of seeing Tron in 4K. There are far too many opticals getting in the way of a decent 4K presentation. But as far as the other three you mention go, I would say that Excalibur is the only one that I think might be better than Dragonslayer. Might. Clash of the Titans I was gravely disappointed in; Conan I thought was a terrible, terrible film.

Thanks for giving me an informative direct response witout snark. I like how you’re supposed to have read every thread here ad nauseam and know these things according to some on here- like some of us don’t have a life outside of HTF. And any thread that has a question posted in its title will get answered both positive or negative otherwise don’t ask a question in it!

 

[Radioman970]

It wouldn't bother if they did like Beastmaster and had a separate cleaned up version. The boxes around some of the fx bother me. It's such an amazing looking film to this day though.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Thanks for giving me an informative direct response witout snark. I like how you’re supposed to have read every thread here ad nauseam and know these things according to some on here- like some of us don’t have a life outside of HTF. And any thread that has a question posted in its title will get answered both positive or negative otherwise don’t ask a question in it!

Except you didn't answer the question; you engaged in whatboutism. As for snark, those of us who have an active interest in film, visual effects techniques et al do pay attention to such things and have opinions about any perceived benefits to 4K for titles like you referenced. There was nothing snarky in my response; it was more, "We've been over this already; it's not our fault if you weren't paying attention." Your comments were threadcrap and nothing constructive.