A few words about...™ Bram Stoker's Dracula -- in BD - Page 2

Dave Mack · 10-02-2007, 09:59 PM

Just wanted to say that I watched the disc on my PS3 connected via HDMI to a Mits hc3000u DLP PJ, calibrated and which is generally considered a light cannon. No other transfer I have watched, either BD, HDdvd or SD dvd has seen unusually dark, flat, washed out looking compared to what popular opinion is.
And I am FAR from the only person who thinks the film looks too dark and flat. I'd say after reading dozens of opinions, I am in the majority.

Nick Graham · 10-02-2007, 10:27 PM

Dave, it's your projector.

Buy yourself a newer model, and then send me your current one.

Douglas Monce · 10-02-2007, 10:46 PM

Dave I guess this just comes down to a matter of personal preference. I think the film looks fantastic. I will say however what I'm seeing on my screen doesn't look like your screen shots at all.

Doug

Bryan^H · 10-02-2007, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Harris

Everything here is correct, handled with precision, professionalism and a obvious love for the art that is our cinema.
RAH

Being a big fan of this film, I can tell you without doubt, or bias that Dracula looks different than what played at my cinema. Not trying to stir up a hornets nest, or to argue the matter whatsoever. I will say the Superbit dvd comes the closest in color tone to what I watched at my local theater.

Not saying the new transfer looks bad, and it won't change the feel of the film....but it is different.

Dave Mack · 10-02-2007, 11:37 PM

Brandon Conway · 10-02-2007, 11:43 PM

I think at this point it's clear that not only have previous DVD releases been an inaccurate presentation of what is on the answer print, but that previous theatrical presentations were similarly inaccurate.

Now, maybe the film doesn't win any Oscars if they went with the answer print more accurately 15 years ago, but the answer print is what it is. Whether one likes the look of the answer print is a separate issue, methinks. A lot of people don't like the shaky camera in the last two Bourne films, and a lot of people don't like the intentional grain on 300. It happens.

Robert Crawford · 10-02-2007, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan^H

Being a big fan of this film, I can tell you without doubt, or bias that Dracula looks different than what played at my cinema. Not trying to stir up a hornets nest, or to argue the matter whatsoever. I will say the Superbit dvd comes the closest in color tone to what I watched at my local theater.

Not saying the new transfer looks bad, and it won't change the feel of the film....but it is different.

There is nothing wrong with you expressing your opinion that disagrees with RAH. Discussion and exchange of opinions is a good thing as long as the process of doing so is respectful to all that are participating in it.

However, with that being said, I will say once more that this is just the beginning for several future discussions that will take place with other titles not yet released on a high def. format. I expect disagreement and discussion to continue with more than a few titles as they are released on these new HD formats with slightly different coloring or other presentation issues that we either don't remember seeing in their initial theatrical run and/or prior releases on lesser video formats. Again, this goes back to some comments that RAH expressed earlier regarding the advancements and changes that have taken place with today's technical abilities versus what they were able to do years ago. Furthermore, we shouldn't forget what RAH previously stated that these optical formats cannot completely replicate our theater expriences due to a couple of variables that these optical formats cannot overcome.

Crawdaddy

Robert Crawford · 10-02-2007, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Mack

It's in the mail now...

And Douglas. I took these 2 shots one minute apart with the same settings on everything, ps3 playing both dvd and bd, same setting on camera. you can definitely see the difference... the color saturation level on the lips is identical but the rest of the face clearly look desaturated.

The Bd of the vamp girl closeup...

The SB dvd

Dave,
Is it possible that perhaps Zoetrope wants the rest of the image to appear desaturated?

Crawdaddy

Garrett Lundy · 10-02-2007, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandon Conway

..... previous theatrical presentations were similarly inaccurate.

*giggle*

Dave Mack · 10-03-2007, 12:00 AM

I completely think that's exactly it. It looks (when u watch the disc) like it was done digitally. The original film didn't seem this way. I don't think they could even do that back in 92 for film prints, without alot of work and it looking terrible.The fact that the lips remain exactly the same looking is odd. Wouldn't that have been desaturated too if they were simply dialing down the color? I mean her whole face looked basically one color in the LD and dvds. There are many scenes in the transfer that look the same. That just PARTS of the shots are desaturated while others look identical. When Lucy and Mina meet in the garden it practically looks like a B+W film now except for Lucy's hair which is BRIGHT red.