Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary Blu-ray December 10th, 2013 (1 Viewer)

[Doug Bull]

OK, Here are some comparisons. ( for all those members who have faith in scans )

It's apparent the new Blu-ray has a blue tinge. (check the whites)

Best not to compare ratio information using Hermione Baddeley as a source, as she moves very quickly in this short sequence and it was almost impossible to line up each frame exactly.
Everything else is pretty much static.

40th Anniversary DVD

The new 50th Anniversary Blu-ray (Screen grab by Westham)

Actual 35mm Film Frame scan from a surviving IB Technicolor print.

Let the discussions begin....

Doug.

 

[classicmovieguy]

Exactly, I thought for a 50th Disney would have commissioned a range of cool new extras. Maybe even presenting everything on a bonus disc to maximise the PQ for the main feature - I know Blu-ray has a larger storage capacity, but still...

 

[BBbrowd]

Exactly, I thought for a 50th Disney would have commissioned a range of cool new extras. Maybe even presenting everything on a bonus disc to maximise the PQ for the main feature - I know Blu-ray has a larger storage capacity, but still...

Yes! That's another point I was unpleasantly surprised about. Everything piled on ONE disc? We know for sure that the UK blu-ray is all on one disc.

 

[Doug Bull]

Is the Buena Vista logo at the beginning of the film?

Here in Australia the Buena Vista logo was removed from 35mm prints and replaced with the one below.

Doug.

 

[westham]

Just a "heads up" to those who might be considering importing this from the UK to get it sooner. There are reports from people who actually have the UK disc that it is not lossless like the US disc will be. It is 5.1 DTS-HD High Resolution versus the 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio that will be on the US disc.

Yes this is the case - wonder if they have squeezed things down a little to fit on to one-disc? Running the track through MediaInfo and it shows the following for the two English tracks:

 

[Mike Frezon]

Was at Walt Disney World in Florida last week.

In an exhibit honoring the life and career of Walt Disney, the following pieces were on display. I took photos just for this thread:

 

[Mike Todd-AO]

Question - any reason why Disney didn't film most of his films in the usual widescreen processes? MP would have been amazing in, say, Panavision 70 like MFL.

 

[John Maher_289910]

I think MP plays far better than MFL. MFL wastes the Super-Panavision 70 frames by filling it with nothing cinematic. Although studio-bound like MFL, MP gives us far more scope and is pure cinema. Disney was always thinking of his Sunday night television program, when it came to his live-action films. How are they going to play on television?

 

[Cinescott]

Personally, I can't wait for this title. I literally grew up listening to this soundtrack and "The Sound of Music," since my mom was (and is still) such a huge Julie Andrews fan. There was a span of about twenty years where I had not seen Mary Poppins, but revisiting it now always brings back such incredible memories. What a classic.

I know one gift I'll be getting my mom for Christmas (along with my own copy, of course)......What fun it will be to share it with her now. Kind of a reversal of roles.

 

[SilverWook]

I think MP plays far better than MFL. MFL wastes the Super-Panavision 70 frames by filling it with nothing cinematic. Although studio-bound like MFL, MP gives us far more scope and is pure cinema. Disney was always thinking of his Sunday night television program, when it came to his live-action films. How are they going to play on television?

Was MP ever shown on broadcast tv before the 80's? First time I saw it was on HBO around 1983 or so.

 

[Mark B]

Was MP ever shown on broadcast tv before the 80's? First time I saw it was on HBO around 1983 or so.

The first time I saw it on television was the 1981 broadcast in prime time on CBS.

 

[moviebuff75]

I saw it in 1981 on CBS as well.

 

[John Maher_289910]

Yes, 1981. We were panic-stricken because our color television was broken and our 4 year old was excited to see it. I borrowed my in-laws portable color television, and never gave it back.

 

[ventoux3]

Hi, this is my first post on HTF though I'm a regular visitor for reliable reviews etc. Can anyone give me a definitive answer re the audio on the US Blu Ray for the Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary.
I'm in the UK and the version released here only has lossy DTS High Res 5.1. I hate lossy audio if there is a better version available that I can import. Despite numerous searches I can only find that the original spec was for lossless 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio. However no one has reviewed the Region A release and Amazon.com states only Lossy 5.1 for the pre order.
The UK release is at least half the price it would cost me to import, but I am more than happy to pay the extra for lossless audio.
I'm hoping that someone has either got an early release copy or a copy for review that can settle this question once and for all. Thanks in advance.

 

[westham]

Hi, I now have both and the USA release is indeed 7.1HDMA. I will do a full update later once i have compared fully but, for now, the picture quality looks exactly the same between the two releases (as does the extras) but the sound is different in terms of format. To me it looks like the extra languages on the UK release has meant less space available so the 7.1 track was ditched.

 

[ventoux3]

Hi, I now have both and the USA release is indeed 7.1HDMA. I will do a full update later once i have compared fully but, for now, the picture quality looks exactly the same between the two releases (as does the extras) but the sound is different in terms of format. To me it looks like the extra languages on the UK release has meant less space available so the 7.1 track was ditched.

Thanks for such a quick response. Not bothered about the extras or the slipcase to be honest I just want the best video/audio I can get.
It's annoying that I'll need to import but together with The Ghost and Mrs Muir Blu this was the catalogue title I've been most looking forward to.
I'll need to get my order in quickly to get it before Christmas. Thanks again.

 

[Doug Bull]

I took a look at the new 50th Anniversary edition last night.

Picture quality? Not Happy.
Skin tones are not right, blacks tend to be just a little on the heavy side and the image has a strange blown-up (magnified or tight) look about it.
Unable to put my finger on it, but It just doesn't look right.

I only used the TV sound last night, so I really can't comment on the audio.

But hey, this is just my first-look opinion.
I'm sure others here will see and rate it differently.

Nevertheless it's still good to have a higher resolution version.


Doug.

 

[Dave H]

I took a look at the new 50th Anniversary edition last night.

Picture quality? Not Happy.
Skin tones are not right, blacks tend to be just a little on the heavy side and the image has a strange blown-up (magnified or tight) look about it.
Unable to put my finger on it, but It just doesn't look right.

I only used the TV sound last night, so I really can't comment on the audio.

But hey, this is just my first-look opinion.
I'm sure others here will see and rate it differently.

Nevertheless it's still good to have a higher resolution version.


Doug.

Hi Doug,

When you say the colors are not right, may I ask what you are basing this on? I ask because many people tend to use a previous source (often non rec 709) such as DVD or LD which was not completely accurate. Presumably Disney went back to the original source materials for the Blu-ray and it's color.

 

[Everett S.]

I think MP plays far better than MFL. MFL wastes the Super-Panavision 70 frames by filling it with nothing cinematic. Although studio-bound like MFL, MP gives us far more scope and is pure cinema. Disney was always thinking of his Sunday night television program, when it came to his live-action films. How are they going to play on television?

Very smart.

 

[Everett S.]

All this talk about an intermission in MARY POPPINS jogged my feeble mind. I remember an intermission the first time I saw this too. I was fairly young and confused at the intermission, as it was the first film I had seen with one. Never saw the film again with the intermission. A theatre I worked in played the early 70's re-release and it certainly did not have the intermission.I as I recall the intermission did come right after "Stay Awake" and opened back up with Mary and the kids heading to the park when they get stopped and then off they are to see uncle.

If the print we received had an intermission we ran it that way. I always tried to give the full show! Including changing lighting by season.