WHV Batman 1989 SE DVD

John KFilm · 03-22-2007, 12:49 AM

Hi,

I recently purchased a copy Batman (1989) Special Edition released in 2005.
(ISBN 1-4198-1324-2) on sale.

On the back, there was a vague description stating "New Digital Transfer with Both 5.1 Dolby and DTS Surround"

I expected a brand new, stunning image of this highly important film: Instead, the picture looks washed out. The print is faded, and there is a great deal of yellow in the picture. The frame rate looks wrong, almost like a PAL rundown.

My VHS copy looks better than the image on this DVD.

Warner Home Video, which has been known as the best company on the market in terms of quality for its VHS tapes and DVD's, has fallen suprisingly short on the picture quality for Batman: The film does not look like this, Batman can look much, much better, with great contrast and colour.

(The picture of the VHS release in 89 was brightened because many considered the film to be too dark for home video exhibition: However, even the darkened version, which were part of the original EPK's, had more depth and much better constrast than this dismal transfer. This transfer does not look anything like the original release.)

I have seen this film in 70mm, on home video, and the darker footage that part of the EPK's in 1989. The theatrical print was darker, but had rich contrast, and colour. For example, the pivotal scene where Alexander Knox says:

"Look at this mirror... Maybe it should be Bruce Vain" and of course, the camera pulls back, revealing a camera behind the mirror, connected to a monitor, which is observed by Bruce Wayne in a dark cave.

This scene, along with the other darker moments of this film, looked absolutely spectacular in the original release. The impact on this DVD is considerably diminished. The way it was marketed, it appeared that Warner's had promised that the Batman SE's would look spectacular, like their other releases of classic films. The image looks terrible, really, really, really bad. Yellow, washed out and a poor frame rate.

I would really like WHV to look at this issue, because this is not the product I wanted to purchase.

WHV has always been the leader in presentation, and judging by the chats held on HTF, they care a great deal about their titles and customers. What I find baffling is how one of the most important films in WB studio history can be given such substandard treatment. The quality can be much, much better, but it looks washed out. This film deserves better.

Please consider doing another transfer this time with a restoration to make the picture look and sound like the original - In the meantime, I will be getting a refund for this DVD, because this is not the product I wanted to purchase.

Ray_R · 03-22-2007, 02:23 AM

If this isn't the most lambasted and heavy handed remark there is... Look up online for some comparisons from the 1997 release and this one. And take your spouting somewhere else since you obviously failed to do a search about it.

Ric Easton · 03-22-2007, 07:17 AM

Wow. A little harsh there yourself, Ray, dontcha think? I thought the internet was made for spouting! Still....

Quote:

Yellow, washed out and a poor frame rate.

Huh? Was this a computer game? Haven't heard that one before.

Arnie G · 03-22-2007, 08:51 AM

Maybe you got a bootleg.

Ray_R · 03-22-2007, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric Easton

Wow. A little harsh there yourself, Ray, dontcha think? I thought the internet was made for spouting! Still....

Huh? Was this a computer game? Haven't heard that one before.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arnie G

Maybe you got a bootleg.

Yes, a very shoddy video game perhaps?

And I think he did get a bootleg. Mine looks very well on my upscaling player to 720p and on a LCD HDTV (my friends). It also depends on if you have your display calibrated correctly because it sure as hell isn't the DVD.

And do a search before you return what you think is a shoddy product when it definitely isn't. Look for the image comparisons in the Two-Disc Special Edition Batman thread. It covers all four films. Give it a try.

**HTF Ads**

John KFilm · 03-22-2007, 02:23 PM

I would first like to address the frame rate issue: The film does not look it was properly telecined during the transfer. Something is wrong with the picture whenever there is a cut, the timing is wrong: Almost like a poor PAL transfer to NTSC.

I bought this DVD at a reputable store, the largest retailer in my city, so rest assured, it is not a bootleg.

Quote:

And take your spouting somewhere else since you obviously failed to do a search about it.

Actually, all of the reviews that are posted on the web praise this new transfer as being better than the previous release on DVD. This transfer is atrocious.

Please refrain from using such words as "spouting" because that is not what I am doing. I did plenty of searches, and not one single web site has done a detailed comparison. All the reviews lavishly praise the quality of this transfer. If you have a link, preferably which shows screen grabs of the previous version and the new one, then post it: I would be happy to take a look at it, and it would be helpful for others as well, since Batman is an important film.

Finally: I would like to hear from experts such as Robert Harris, who would have greater critical insight into this matter. The transfer is below quality standards, and I would like to know why it looks the way it does, what went wrong. This is an important matter and must be brought to the attention of WHV, because this is an important film worth enjoying.

Batman is a part of cinematic history, and considering the fact it is a relatively new film when compared to classic films where in most cases the original elements are in not so great shape, it can easily be restored and can be made to look much better than this dismal transfer.

What Batman needs is a restoration, preferably with a high quality digital film scan (2K or 4K) by a company like Lowry (DTS) digital, and a frame by frame clean up. WHV should seriously consider this.

Ray_R · 03-22-2007, 02:48 PM

Here's a graphic comparison, newbie.

http://web12.dvd2web.de/batman/batman.htm

Are you sure you don't have noise reduction on and everything calibrated correctly?
You should've joined these boards earlier so you could complain more. Try DVDActive also. Not good enough? Keep looking.

Thinking about also buying Batman Returns?

http://web12.dvd2web.de/batman2/batman2.htm

Lord Dalek · 03-22-2007, 03:07 PM

Plays fine on my display, sure the original Batman doesn't look as good as more recent films but thats entirely based off the technology they had at the time.

TravisR · 03-22-2007, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John KFilm

This is an important matter and must be brought to the attention of WHV, because this is an important film worth enjoying.

It's a fun movie but they probably won't be studying it in film schools in the future. I remember that many people (m